Bridging the gap: Sharing responsibility for ecological restoration and wildlife conservation on private lands in the Western Ghats

Social Change ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 129-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. R. Shankar ◽  
Divya Mudappa
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Private Lands ◽  
Mutual Cooperation ◽  
Governmental Agencies ◽  
Sharing Responsibility ◽  
The Western Ghats

A major conservation issue, particularly in the tropics, is habitat loss and fragmentation due to developmental activities and increasing human populations. Ecologiste today recognise that much of the once-pristine forests that are now secondary forests, as well as large areas outside existing conservation reserves, harbouring significant levels of biological diversity need to be targeted for long-term conservation. Governmental agencies such as the Forest Department and the conservation community have come to accept that the conventional patrol-and-protect method has its limitations in addressing the increasing threats to such conservation areas. A complementary strategy is to develop conservation plans for protection and improvement by ecological restoration of forests, particularly isolated fragments and degraded areas on private lands. This requires bridging gaps between private landowners, governmental agencies, and nongovernmental conservation organisations and fostering efforts based on mutual cooperation and collaboration as well as developing positive incentives for private landholders involved in conservation of forests and biological diversity. In this paper, we discuss one of the first examples of such an effort of sharing responsibility for long-term conservation in a highly disturbed tropical rainforest region of the Western Ghats.

scholarly journals Vital signs: An ecosemiotic perspective on the human ecology of Amazonia

2001 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-152
Author(s):  
Alf Hornborg
Keyword(s):  
Human Ecology ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Semiotic Analysis ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Sign Systems ◽  
Environmental Relations

Ecosemiotics represents a theoretical approach to human ecology that can be applied across several disciplines. lts primary justification lies inthe ambition to transcend "Cartesian", conceptual dichotomies such as culture/nature. society/nature, mental/material. etc. It argues that ecosystems areconstituted no less by flows of signs than by flows of matter and energy. This paper discusses the roles of different kinds of hmnan sign systems in the ecologyof Amazonia, ranging from the phenomenology of unconscious sensations. through linguistic signs such as metaphors and ethnobiological taxonomies, to money and the political economy of environmental destruction. Human-environmental relations mediated by direct, sensory and (oral) linguistic communication have tended to enhance biological diversity, suggesting modes of calibrating the long-term co-evolution of human and non-human populations. Economic sign systems, on the other hand, have rapidly and drastically transfonned human-environmental relations in Amazonia to the point where the entire rainforest ecosystem is illlder threat. In detaching themselves from the direct, "face-to-face" communication between humans and their natural environments, flows of money and commodities - and the decontextualized knowledge systems that they engender - have no means of staying geared to the long-term negotiation of local, ecological co-existence. It is argued that the ongoing deterioration of the biosphere can be viewed as a problem of communication, deserving semiotic analysis.

scholarly journals Population assessment of the Endangered Nilgiri tahr Nilgiritragus hylocrius in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, using the double-observer survey method

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Kulbhushansingh Ramesh Suryawanshi ◽  
Divya Mudappa ◽  
Munib Khanyari ◽  
T. R. Shankar Raman ◽  
Devika Rathore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Tropical Mountains ◽  
Tiger Reserve ◽  
Western Ghats Of India ◽  
Global Population ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
The Western Ghats ◽  
Double Observer

Abstract The Nilgiri tahr Nilgiritragus hylocrius is an Endangered species of mountain ungulate endemic to the Western Ghats of India, a biodiversity hotspot. Habitat fragmentation, hunting and a restricted range are the major threats to this species. Although several surveys have assessed the species’ status, a population estimate based on a scientifically robust method is needed. We used the double-observer method to estimate the population of the Nilgiri tahr in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, a protected area in the Western Ghats. We walked 257 km of transects across the Reserve, covering 36 grassland blocks (i.e. clusters of montane grasslands that were relatively separate from each other). We counted a minimum of 422 individuals in 28 groups, and estimated the tahr population in the study area to be 510 individuals (95% CI 300–858) in 35 groups. The male:female ratio was 0.71 and the young:female ratio was 0.56. Comparing our estimate with previous surveys suggests that the Nilgiri tahr population in Anamalai Tiger Reserve is stable. We found the double-observer survey method to be appropriate for population estimation and long-term monitoring of this species, and make recommendations for improved field protocols to facilitate the implementation of the method in the tropical mountains of the Western Ghats. Our findings suggest that the Reserve harbours 20–25% of the global population of the Nilgiri tahr, highlighting the area's importance for the conservation of this species.

scholarly journals Freshwater fish fauna of rivers of the southern Western Ghats, India

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1735-1752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anbu Aravazhi Arunkumar ◽  
Arunachalam Manimekalan
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Freshwater Fish Fauna ◽  
Western Ghats Of India ◽  
Southern Western Ghats ◽  
The Western Ghats

Abstract. The Western Ghats of India is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight “hotspots” of biological diversity in the world. It is also referred to as the “Great Escarpment of India”. This paper provides information on the diversity of freshwater fish fauna of six river systems of the southern Western Ghats. The study area has been identified geographically using a GPS, and the respective topographic map has been digitized using ArcGIS software. The fish fauna were collected from various streams and rivers using cast nets, dip nets, gill nets and drag nets. Among the 31 georeferenced sites sampled from the rivers of the southern Western Ghats, a total of 64 species, belonging to 6 orders, 14 families and 31 genera, were recorded. Among them, the order Cypriniformes was dominant, with 3 families, 18 genera and 49 species (76.6 %). Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were performed to express the contribution of the variables and their influence on the species diversity. Interestingly, of the 31 sites, Thunakadavu stream, Gulithuraipatti, Athirapally, Naduthotam, Nadathittu, Mullaithodu, Thonanthikla, Noolpuzha and Sinnaru exhibited high variation in species diversity. Nearly 15 species were found to be threatened in the Western Ghats. Garra periyarensis and Cirrhinus cirrhosus are known to be vulnerable and Hemibagrus punctatus is critically endangered because of various anthropogenic activities. The study clearly indicates that certain timely measures have to be taken immediately to protect the fish fauna in the southern Western Ghats (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.882214).

scholarly journals Alarming population status of the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura (Mammalia: Rodentia: Sciuridae) in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, the Western Ghats, India

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 12350-12356
Author(s):  
Kiran Thomas ◽  
Paingamadathil Ommer Nameer
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Habitat Restoration ◽  
Population Estimation ◽  
Total Count ◽  
Population Status ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Southern Western Ghats ◽  
The Western Ghats

This study was carried out to assess the population of Ratufa macroura in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary located in the Kerala part of the southern Western Ghats.  The population density of Ratufa macroura was estimated to be 15.26 squirrels/km2.  The total count method, however, gave the population range between 11 to 14 squirrels.  The current population estimation is about 78–85 % lesser than the previous population estimation of the Ratufa macroura carried out in 1993 and 2007 respectively, which is quite alarming.  The following conservation recommendations are suggested for the long-term conservation of R. macroura, which include habitat restoration to maintain the canopy contiguity and regulation of the pilgrimage and the tourism activities in and around the R. macroura habitat.  Urgent steps should also be taken to undertake studies on the genetics of R. macroura.  It is also suggested that systematic and scientific monitoring of the population of R. macroura be undertaken on a regular basis.

The Biopolitics of Disaster: Power, Discourses, and Practices

2015 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Marchezini
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Response ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
State Agencies ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
Governmental Agencies ◽  
Disaster Anthropology ◽  
National Governments

With the increase in frequency and visibility of disasters in contemporary state societies, national governments have developed a collection of agencies to manage catastrophic events. These institutions invariably deal with human populations as a political, scientific, and biological problem, an approach Michel Foucault described as biopolitical. In this article, I discuss some aspects of disaster governance, focusing on the long-term recovery process. Specifically, I analyze the fundamental biopolitical assumptions of the discourses and practices on the part of governmental disaster response agencies in São Luiz do Paraitinga, Brazil. In this case of biopolitical response to disaster, the discourses and practices implemented by governmental agencies created the illusion that state agencies successfully responded to the disaster by saving biological lives. This article shows how these biopolitcal discourses and practices also had the unintended and unacknowledged effects of devaluing social lives and abandoning disaster-affected populations. By calling attention to the unintended and unacknowledged effects of biopolitical governance, this article demonstrates how disaster anthropology can document and address the shortcomings of governmental disaster recovery policy and practice.

scholarly journals Status, abundance, and seasonality of butterfly fauna at Kuvempu University Campus, Karnataka, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 18355-18363
Author(s):  
M.N. Harisha ◽  
B.B. Hosetti
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Wildlife Protection ◽  
Butterfly Fauna ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
The Western Ghats

A survey was conducted to record the diversity, status, and occurrence of butterfly species in the Kuvempu University Campus, Jnana Sahyadri, Shivamogga District, Karnataka during February 2010 to January 2011. A total of 115 species of butterflies in 77 genera, belonging to five families were recorded.  Nymphalidae comprised the highest number of species, followed by Lycaenidae, Pieridae, Papilionidae, and Hesperiidae.  The study area hosts 14 species of butterflies protected under various schedules of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.  Nine species recorded are endemic to the Western Ghats of peninsular India and Sri Lanka.  Hence there is an urgent need to protect this habitat by adapting long-term monitoring programs to manage and conserve the butterfly diversity.

scholarly journals A Scientific study of Forests of the Western Ghats

2021 ◽  
pp. 52-64
Author(s):  
Geethanjali T.M.
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Scientific Study ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Indian States ◽  
Deccan Plateau ◽  
The Western Ghats

The Western Ghats in India’s Deccan Plateau has been recognized as one of the eight “hottest hot-spots” of biological diversity in the world. UNESCO has identified this region as a World Heritage Site. In Maharashtra, this mountain range is known as ‘Sahyadri’, ‘Dang forests’ in Gujarat, ‘Nilgiris’ in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and ‘Malnad’ in Karnataka. It stretches across the six Indian states of Gujrat, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and two union territories including Daman and Diu and Pondicherry. These hills begin near the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra, south of the Tapti river, and end at Kanyakumari, at the southern tip of India, covering an incredible 1,60,000 sq.km. In the 18th and 19th centuries, most of the people who classified the flora of these regions are hobbyists. Very few British Officers who conduct survey of this landscape release their books. A complete scientific study of this biodiversity hot-spot is yet to be undertaken. Until now, only a handful of scientists have undertaken a study of the Western Ghats. So, this present article expains a brief scientific study of the forests of the Western Ghats.

Pecteilis korigadensis (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae), a new terrestrial orchid from the northern Western Ghats, India

Phytotaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 388 (2) ◽  
pp. 167
Author(s):  
JEEWAN SINGH JALAL ◽  
JANAKIRAMAN JAYANTHI
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Endemic Plant ◽  
Species Discovery ◽  
Total Plant ◽  
A Site ◽  
Endemic Plant Species ◽  
The Western Ghats

The Western Ghats are a global biodiversity hotspot and treasure trove of biological diversity. They harbour many endemic species of flowering plants and also form an important centre of evolution of economically important domesticated plant species. Certain identified parts of the Western Ghats have been included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list because they are considered as cradle of evolution (MOEF&CC 2015). Although the Western Ghats cover only 5% of the country’s total land area, they also are a habitat for more than 7000 or 27% of the total plant species in India. The number of endemic plant species in the Western Ghats is estimated to be 2253 (Nayar et al. 2014).This natural landscape exhibits wide variation in rainfall coupled with complex geography, forming a vast diversity of vegetation types (Chitale et al. 2014) and supporting a rich orchid diversity. To date, 306 species of orchids have been recorded from the Western Ghats (Nayar et al. 2014), nearly one-third of them endemic. These orchids are mainly found in semi-evergreen forest, shola forest and lateritic plateaus. The Western Ghats region has been a site of intense taxonomic activity, and due to plant explorations by several researchers there has been discovery of many new species and reports (Kumar et al. 2016, Jayanthi et al. 2017). In the past fifty years (1950–2000), more than 27 species of orchids have been discovered in the Western Ghats, and the species discovery curve has not yet attained an asymptote (Aravind et al., 2007).

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