An endangered species is a species that is in serious danger of becoming extinct in the near future if the factors threatening it continue (for example, the tiger and the Great Indian Bustard). An endemic species is a species that is naturally found only in a particular geographical area or region and nowhere else (for example, the lion-tailed macaque of the Western Ghats). The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List (Red Data Book) is a document that keeps a record of all endangered and threatened species of plants and animals.

Sacred groves are patches of forest or natural vegetation that are traditionally protected by local communities because of their religious and cultural beliefs, as they are dedicated to a deity or considered holy. In India they are found in regions such as the Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, the Western Ghats of Karnataka and Maharashtra, and the Aravalli Hills. Because cutting even a single tree is often forbidden, these groves are undisturbed and serve as important refuges for many rare, endemic and threatened species of plants and animals, thus helping in in-situ conservation of biodiversity.

Extinction is the complete disappearance of a species from the earth, so that no living individual of that species remains anywhere. It may occur naturally over a long time, but human activities (such as habitat destruction, over-exploitation and pollution) have greatly increased the rate of extinction. The Red Data Book (maintained by the IUCN) is an official document that contains a record of all the species that are endangered, vulnerable, rare or recently extinct, so that special conservation efforts can be directed towards protecting them.