572 research outputs found
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Swidden, hunting and Adi culture: highland transitions in Arunachal Pradesh, india
No full textI studied one of the most rapidly transitioning areas within Zomia, at the northeast Indian frontier of Arunachal Pradesh. The changes being seen in this region are unprecedented, particularly due to the historical absence of the state and its influence from these border areas. The rapid series of changes that are now being implemented is also a consequence of the geopolitical importance of this region since the conflict with China (Baruah 2003). This provided the opportunity to study the effect of state-backed development and the forces of globalization on a subsistence society which relied on swidden cultivation and collection of forest produce apart from hunting. I studied change among the Adi of Upper Siang by studying the effects on the two activities that defined their livelihoods as well as their identities. I realised that studying change is also dependent upon the approach from which it is studied and while it is possible to study only certain aspects of Adi life in isolation, such as agricultural productivity or the economics of their livelihoods, I adopted an interdisciplinary approach that would allow me to have a holistic idea of the various aspects of change being faced by the community
Direct modelling of limited migration improves projected distributions of Himalayan amphibians under climate change
No full textAmphibians are one of the most vulnerable taxa at risk of rapid decline under climate change. Here, we evaluated the impact of different migration constraints on projected future distributions of four high elevation frogs, belonging to the genus Scutiger, in the Eastern Himalaya. We explored differences between the output of conventional models assuming no or unlimited migration versus models considering plausible migration rates to
ascertain future species distributions under climate change. Distributions of the four Scutiger species, namely S. boulengeri, S. glandulatus, S. sikimmesis and S. tuberculatus, based on field data and other sources were modelled using MaxEnt and projected for three future time periods (2021–2040; 2041–2060; 2061–2080) under the relatively ambitious RCP4.5 and the more pessimistic RCP8.5 climate change scenarios using three global circulation models. Projected species distributions were compared at different spatial resolutions (1 km, 5 km and
10 km) and for five assumptions about species migration: (1) no migration; (2–4) low, medium and high mi- gration abilities using the KISSMig model; and (5) unlimited migration. Without migration, the projected future distribution of all four species showed a significant decrease of −15% to −64% by 2080. In contrast, three out of the four study species were projected to expand their distribution under unlimited migration scenarios. Models with more realistic migration rates, however, demonstrated considerable deviance from both no mi- gration and unlimited migration scenarios. These results were consistent across models with different spatial
resolutions. Our study shows that ignoring realistic migration constraints can lead to ineffective conservation measures by overestimating the future distribution of Himalayan amphibians. The proposed framework can be used to project more realistic ranges of future species distributions by considering the accessibility of future suitable areas, a key factor for species persistence under climate change
Thermotolerance of fungal endophytes isolated from plants adapted to the Thar Desert, India
No full textA total of 507 endophytic fungal isolates belonging to 82 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were isolated from fifteen plant species naturally occurring in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India. Aspergillus, Alternaria, Chaetomium, Penicillium and Nigrospora were among the dominant fungal genera. Thermotolerance of the isolates was evaluated by culturing the fungi at 40 °C and 45 °C in shake flasks. Growth of nine OTUs (ACJ-2, ACJ-5, ACL-2, ACT-2, ACT-3, LAS-4, LAS-6, SAP-3 and SAP-6) was unaffected at 40 °C. Of these, six endophytes, namely, ACJ-2, ACJ-5 (Aspergillus flavus), SAP-3 (Aspergillus sp.), SAP-6, LAS-4 (Aspergillus sp.) and LAS-6 (Chaetomium sp.), were tolerant to as high as 45 °C. Rest of the OTUs did not survive culture temperatures beyond 35 °C. We evaluated the ability of one thermotolerant endophyte, LAS-6 (Chaetomium sp.) to confer high temperature tolerance and three OTUs, namely, LAS-4 (Aspergillus sp.), SAP-3 (Aspergillus sp.) and SAP-6 to confer drought tolerance to a rice cultivar, IR-64, at early seedling stage. Seedlings treated with LAS-6
(Chaetomium sp.) showed a higher survival percentage as well as maintained a significantly higher shoot and root growth under high temperature stress compared to seedlings not treated with the fungus. Under drought stress, endophyte treated seedlings maintained a significantly higher root growth compared to untreated seedlings. The identified thermotolerant fungal sources
could be potentially useful in alleviating abiotic stress in agriculturally important crops
The boomerang effect Overview and implications for climate governance
No full textThe world is ramping up its actions towards combating human-induced climate change. Through the COP processes, national governments have committed to a wide variety of mitigation and adaptation actions through their NDCs
(Nationally Determined Contributions) to emissions reduction. While actions are to be primarily taken at national level, it is made clear that ‘parties may use
internationally transferred mitigation outcomes to achieve NDCs’ (Article 6 of the Paris Agreement). This opens a path for such things as carbon-market development, biofuels production and other forms of green energy and green economy development. How these will all be measured and evaluated is rather opaque. It is clear, however, that developing countries, particularly those most vulnerable to climate change, are least able to design, implement, monitor and evaluate climate action interventions. Billions of dollars are to be made available for these actions through mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF ); and billions more are likely to be generated through largely artificially
devised carbon markets
A preliminary checklist of butterflies from the northern Eastern Ghats with notes on new and significant species records including three new reports for peninsular India
Full text linkThe northern Eastern Ghats is an area with significant biodiversity value but remains poorly explored except for a few charismatic taxa such as birds, mammals and reptiles. Very few studies have looked at the invertebrate diversity of these hill ranges, particularly butterflies. We present the first peer-reviewed checklist of butterflies from the northern Eastern Ghats based on a rapid and intensive survey carried out at five sites over 16 days across the buffer area of Papikonda National Park and Araku Valley in 2015 and 2016. We report a total of 102 species of butterflies from six lepidopteran families. Seventeen significant records include numerous first reports: three new species reports for peninsular India, nine for Eastern Ghats and 14 for the northern Eastern Ghats. This checklist adds 17 species to the known butterfly fauna for the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is hoped that findings from the study will help to mobilise conservation research, action and attention for the northern Eastern Ghats forest habitats, which are currently threatened by large scale development, security threats due to the Naxalite insurgency and mesoscale exploitation of forest resources
Recovery of critically endangered plant species in India: need for a comprehensive approach
No full textThere has been a growing concern about the increasing
number of species that are globally threatened.
Developmental projects, and increased dependence on
forests both for sustenance and livelihood have rendered
many species threatened. In the Indian context,
more than 150 species are critically endangered and
require immediate intervention to sustain their populations.A number of plant species are destructively
extracted solely from the forests. Apart from anthropogenic threats, several species are threatened due to invasive species and climate change. In the light of
increasing and continued threats, species recovery is
the only viable option for restoring many of them
from extinction. Here, we review the existing recovery
programmes in the country and suggest a comprehensive
approach in the conservation and recovery of many of the critically endangered species. We highlight issues that need to be addressed and discuss strategies for recoverin
Not seeing the grass for the trees: Timber plantations and agriculture shrink tropical montane grassland by two-thirds over four decades in the Palani Hills, a Western Ghats Sky Island
Full text linkTropical montane habitats, grasslands, in particular, merit urgent conservation attention
owing to the disproportionate levels of endemic biodiversity they harbour, the ecosystem
services they provide, and the fact that they are among the most threatened habitats globally.
The Shola Sky Islands in the Western Ghats host a matrix of native forest-grassland
matrix that has been planted over the last century, with exotic timber plantations. The popular
discourse on the landscape change is that mainly forests have been lost to the timber
plantations and recent court directives are to restore Shola forest trees. In this study, we
examine spatiotemporal patterns of landscape change over the last 40 years in the Palani
Hills, a significant part of the montane habitat in the Western Ghats. Using satellite imagery
and field surveys, we find that 66% of native grasslands and 31% of native forests have
been lost over the last 40 years. Grasslands have gone from being the dominant, most contiguous
land cover to one of the rarest and most fragmented. They have been replaced by
timber plantations and, to a lesser extent, expanding agriculture. We find that the spatial
pattern of grassland loss to plantations differs from the loss to agriculture, likely driven by
the invasion of plantation species into grasslands. We identify remnant grasslands that
should be prioritised for conservation and make specific recommendations for conservation
and restoration of grasslands in light of current management policy in the Palani Hills,
which favours large-scale removal of plantations and emphasises the restoration of native
forests
Do household surveys estimate tap water use accurately? Evidence from pressure-sensor based estimates in Coimbatore, India
No full textQuantifying domestic water use at the household scale is crucial for any policy interventions towards ensuring adequate, equitable and safe water access. In developing country contexts, piped water supply is often one of several sources from which households access water and this is often unmetered. The most common approach to quantifying household water use from multiple sources
is through household surveys. But there is no evidence that household surveys accurately estimate water use. This study utilized high-resolution pressure sensor data as a reference to evaluate the effectiveness of conventional household survey methods through a sample of 82 households in Coimbatore city in South India. The pressure sensors produced detailed, continuous and accurate information on all sources of water accessed through the household storage infrastructure, but they were expensive and intrusive. Compared with pressure-sensor derived estimates of tap water use, household surveys alone fared very poorly. However, household surveys and well designed water diaries of supply and pumping coupled with simple one-time field measurements emerged as a valid approach to quantifying household water use from taps under multiple source dependence
Match, don’t mix: implications of institutional and technical service modalities for water governance outcomes in south Indian small towns
No full textThis paper seeks to contribute to the limited literature on water governance in small towns in India. For assessing water governance, we propose a broad framework encompassing adequacy and affordability, equity, sustainability and responsiveness. Analytically, the concept of ‘service modality’ is expanded to include not only institutional arrangements but also water resource deployment, and placed within a framework that includes multiple contextual variables as well. We use this framework to carry out an inductive analysis by comparing water service delivery and governance in four small towns across two states (Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) in southern India. Apart from differences in size, the towns differ in the institutional arrangements – from fully municipal management to a combination to complete para-statal management – and in the deployment of water resources – only ground water to a mixed supply of ground and surface water (dual sourcing). Data were gathered using a combination of household surveys, metering, records, and interviews. Dual sourcing resulted in adequate supply and optimization vis-à-vis end uses.
Inter-household inequity is driven by socio-economic differences amongst households, but can be mitigated to an extent by increasing public tap density. But water resource use is not physically or financially sustainable. The responsiveness to citizen needs was significantly higher when the distribution was done by the local governments.
Separation of roles, with para-statals providing bulk supply of surface water, and local governments managing the distribution of this and groundwater, may be an optimal service modality
Assessment of adulteration in raw herbal trade of important medicinal plants of India using DNA barcoding
No full textA number of studies have shown that there could be widespread substitution and/or adulteration (hereafter referred to as substitution) in raw herbal trade of medicinal plants. Substitution could potentially endanger the health and safety of the consumers. In this study, the extent of adulteration in raw herbal trade of 30 important medicinal plants in South India was analyzed. Biological reference material (BRM) consisting of taxonomically authenticated samples of each of the 30 species along with 14 other co-occurring and congeneric allied species that are likely to be used in adulteration was established. DNA barcode signatures of 124 BRM using two candidate regions, nr-ITS and psbA-trnH were identified. A total of 203 herbal trade samples representing the 30 medicinal plant species were collected from 34 locations in South India. Using the DNA
barcode sequences of the BRM as reference, the analysis indicated that the substitution ranged from 20 to 100%. Overall,approximately 12% of the market samples were adulterated. Considering the potential health hazard that such adulteration can cause, the need for a national regulatory framework that can authenticate and regulate raw herbal trade in the country is discussed