Greater tree community structure complexity in sacred forest compared to reserve forest land tenure systems in eastern India

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhani Rath ◽  
Subham Banerjee ◽  
Robert John
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Tree Diversity ◽  
Eastern India ◽  
Sacred Sites ◽  
Sacred Forest ◽  
Stem Size ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Reserve Forest ◽  
Sacred Forests

SummarySacred forests are small patches of forest that are preserved and protected from human exploitation. Although they are identified primarily for spiritual or religious purposes, their contribution to biodiversity conservation has been widely debated. Sacred sites are known to harbour greater biodiversity compared to exploited forests, but the patterns are not well known. We studied tree diversity in a remote forested location in eastern India where sacred forests and reserve forests used by people are present. Tree data from eight sacred forest sites and nine reserve forest sites showed that species richness was significantly greater in sacred forests; species diversity and evenness tended to be greater, but these were not statistically significant. Basal area (a measure of aboveground biomass) was significantly greater, mainly due to the greater density of large trees. There were significant departures from the theoretical expectation of stem size density distributions under pure asymmetric competition for both land tenures, which indicated that extraneous mortality increased death rates of large trees under both regimes, but sacred forests had a greater range of stem sizes. Our results suggest that sacred forests can contribute to biodiversity conservation by preserving greater tree diversity than forests subject to human use.

scholarly journals Episodes of concealing: the invisibility of political ontologies in sacred forests

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-350
Author(s):  
Thomas Aneurin Smith
Keyword(s):  
Local Scale ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
The Political ◽  
Indigenous Research ◽  
Political Ontology ◽  
Sacred Forest ◽  
Counter Narratives ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Current Thinking ◽  
Sacred Forests

Indigenous research has demonstrated how Indigenous ontologies are political and how they have been articulated politically to express counter-narratives to modern understandings of human–nature relations. This article argues that current characterisations of political ontology, particularly in relation to environmental conservation, have yet to fully take account of African Indigenous spiritualities. Current thinking on Indigenous ontologies and decolonial scholarship, and their political manifestations, faces two problems: (1) they assume the visibility and availability of Indigenous ontologies to ‘doing politics’ and (2) presumptions are made about the comparability of place-based Indigenous ontologies and wider attempts to reform the state, and that the political goals of Indigenous people will straightforwardly align with those of the researcher. Drawing from research on sacred natural site protection among the Nyiha in Mbozi District, southwestern Tanzania, I examine how these problems might be addressed in a context where notions of Indigeneity are articulated quite differently to those predominantly evident in current writing on Indigeneity and decolonial scholarship. Nyiha ontologies, although already-political at the local scale, resist becoming ‘available’ to environmental politics at wider scales, making straightforward notions of solidarity problematic. Through a particular encounter with Christian groups attempting to spatially appropriate Nyiha sites, I explore the various ways in which ontologies are made politically available and visible and how the Nyiha analyse Christianity as colonial. Finally, I turn to how Nyiha ontologies and their sacred forest sites are replete with ‘episodes of concealing’ and variable invisibilities, which call into question how visible practices are utilised as ‘evidence-of-ontology’, or as part of a wider decolonial project.

Modern pollen spectra from the Pala Wetland Reserve Forest, Siaha District, Southern Mizoram, north-eastern India

Palynology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-216
Author(s):  
Seikuti Nohro ◽  
Samir K. Bera ◽  
Shanmuganathan Jayakumar
Keyword(s):  
Eastern India ◽  
Modern Pollen ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Reserve Forest ◽  
North Eastern India

scholarly journals Maintaining standing stones benefits biodiversity in lowland heathland

Oryx ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Shepheard-Walwyn ◽  
Shonil A. Bhagwat
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Cultural Landscapes ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Landscape Matrix ◽  
Sacred Sites ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
The Uk

AbstractThe exploitation of natural resources by people generally has detrimental effects on nature but in some cases anthropogenic activities can result in changes to the natural environment that produce new habitats and increase biodiversity. Understanding and supporting such cultural aspects of land use is an important part of effective conservation strategies. The UK has a range of cultural landscapes that contribute to the landscape matrix and are often important for biodiversity. However, little research has been conducted on the relationship between various types of cultural landscapes or their effects on biodiversity. We examined the interaction between semi-natural sacred sites and lowland heathland in Cornwall, and the contribution these sites make to the overall biodiversity within the habitat. We found that semi-natural sacred sites had significantly higher levels of biodiversity compared to surrounding heathland; the existence and use of the sites created new and important habitats for rare and threatened heathland species; and the spiritual and cultural use of the sites aids the management of heathland. Promoting the use of semi-natural sacred sites could therefore contribute to biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, the cultural and spiritual importance of such sites potentially increases the availability of volunteer resources for their management. We highlight the importance of an integrated management approach for achieving effective biodiversity conservation in areas containing multiple types of cultural landscapes.

Do current stem size distributions predict future population changes? An empirical test of intraspecific patterns in tropical trees at two spatial scales

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth J. Feeley ◽  
Stuart J. Davies ◽  
Md. Nur Supardi Noor ◽  
Abdul Rahman Kassim ◽  
Sylvester Tan
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Relative Proportion ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Population Changes ◽  
Stem Size ◽  
Large Trees

It is critical to understand the responses of tropical tree species to ongoing anthropogenic disturbances. Given the longevity of large trees and the scarcity of appropriately long-term demographic data, standing size distributions are a potential tool for predicting species' responses to disturbances and resultant changes in population structure. Here we test the utility of several different measures of size distribution for predicting subsequent population changes at the intraspecific level using demographic records from two subsampled 50-ha tree plots in Malaysia (Pasoh and Lambir). Most measures of size distribution failed to successfully predict population change better than random; however, the ‘coefficient of skewness’ (a measure of the relative proportion of small vs. large stems in a population) was able to correctly predict the direction of population change for approximately three-quarters of species at both sites. At Pasoh, the magnitude of this relationship decreased with adult stature and rate of turnover, but was unrelated to sapling growth rates at either site. Finally, using data for species common at both forests, we found that size distributions were generally uninformative of subsequent differences in population change between sites (only median dbh correctly predicted the direction of change for more species than random). Based on these results we conclude that some measures of intraspecific differences in size distribution are potentially informative of population trends within forests but have limited utility across broader spatial scales.

scholarly journals The Contribution of GUDO Forest Conservation Culture is Key to Biodiversity Conservation.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Getaneh Haile Shoddo
Keyword(s):  
Forest Conservation ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Cultural Symbols ◽  
Sacred Forest ◽  
Sacred Forests ◽  
Indigenous Methods ◽  
Conservation Of Biodiversity

Abstract BackgroundThe Sheka people have long been sustainably managing and conserving the Sheka forest by utilizing different procedures. Shockingly, these indigenous methods for natural resource management are ordinarily absent from scientific forest management and not archived. This paper aims to document “the GUDO culture” and demonstrate how the Sheka people through their indigenous culture can provide valuable, appropriate, and effective forest conservation strategies. The GUDO is a designated forest area mostly found in the mountainous and the rocky area of the Sheka zone. It is found mostly in rocky and mountainous parts of the Sheka zone. They are cultural symbols related to indigenous beliefs and signify spiritual connections to the forestland.MethodsA framework based on ethnographic information is proposed in this paper; accordingly, Qualitative methods involving interviews and focus group discussions with villagers were used to gather data. The traditional leaders because of their rich indigenous knowledge and participation in cultural ceremonies and rituals purposively selected the participants. ResultsThe study found wide conservation practices (a) People’s beliefs, (b) conservation mechanisms, (c) taboos and totems, and (d) People’s knowledge of the sacred forest (e) Forbidden Forest (f) spiritual significance of sacred forests (g) Conservation and management of sacred forests (h) Cutting of trees in the sacred forest (i) Protection of the sacred forest (j) Conservation of biodiversity . ConclusionsThis paper concludes that the GUDO forest conservation culture is illustrated in the Sheka people forest utilization, protection, and management. Therefore, the GUDO forest conservation culture provides important insights into the protection of various forest types and tree species, contributing to the conservation of biodiversity.

scholarly journals What is the main driver of unsustainable natural resource use in the Comoro Islands?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Thani Ibouroi ◽  
Said Ali Ousseni Dhurham ◽  
Aurelien Besnard ◽  
Nicolas Lescureux
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
High Level

The Comoros archipelago is a biodiversity hotspot by virtue of its high level of endemism. However, it suffers one of the highest rates of forest loss worldwide, mainly due to strong anthropogenic pressures. As Comorian populations depend on forest resources for subsistence, establishing relevant conservation strategies for their sustainable management requires the consideration of multiple stakeholders perspectives toward biodiversity and habitat conservation. To better understand the relationships between humans and nature; how comorian people use natural resource and the relevance of a protected area for long-term biodiversity conservation, we used Q-methodology to assess local people s perceptions regarding biodiversity and conservation actions. Three discourses are identified during analysis: Pro-environment discourse, Keeping things as usual and Social and environmental concerns. According to the results, employed respondents, were favorable to long-term forest and biodiversity conservation. In contrast, unemployed respondents were in favor of more immediate benefits while unemployed but educated respondents were in favor to both long-term forest conservation and immediate benefits from forests. This suggests that the lack of livelihoods for rural people is the main factor leading them to overharvest natural resources. These results suggest that biodiversity conservation of the Comoros archipelagos may benefit for plan aiming at (1) developing tourism and maintaining sustainable production of crops and livestock that could allow enhancing the livelihoods and well-being of all social groups, (2) developing projects such as local markets that could allow villagers to sell their agricultural production, (3) setting up awareness campaign for tree-planting and reforestation. Reforestation could allow re-establishing natural plants and make large trees available for long-term purposes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document