scholarly journals Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) Fauna of East Calcutta Wetlands, West Bengal, India

Check List ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soumyajit Chowdhury ◽  
Rahi Soren
Keyword(s):  
West Bengal ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Ecological Indicators ◽  
Traditional Practices ◽  
Ramsar Site ◽  
Ecosystem Integrity ◽  
Wetland Biodiversity ◽  
The City ◽  
Diversity Study ◽  
East Calcutta Wetlands

East Calcutta Wetlands (ECW), lying east of the city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), West Bengal in India, demonstrates the usage of city sewage for traditional practices of fisheries and agriculture. As a Ramsar Site, the wetland demands exploration of its bioresources for better understanding and management of the ecosystem operating therein. Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) being potent pollinators and ecological indicators, are examined in the present study. The diversity study, conducted for two consecutive years (Jan. 2007-Nov. 2009) in all the three seasons (pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon), revealed seventy-four species. As butterflies depend on preferred host and nectar plants during their larval and adult stages respectively, the lack of these sources in some parts of ECW indicate degraded habitats with low species richness. Ongoing unplanned anthropogenic activities like habitat modifications (conversion of wetlands to agricultural lands) are resulting in the loss of wetland biodiversity and hence ecosystem integrity in ECW.

scholarly journals Geochemical Mapping, Risk Assessment, and Source Identification of Heavy Metals in Road Dust Using Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF)

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 614
Author(s):  
Muhammad Faisal ◽  
Zening Wu ◽  
Huiliang Wang ◽  
Zafar Hussain ◽  
Chenyang Shen
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Matrix Factorization ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Contamination Factor ◽  
Road Dust ◽  
Positive Matrix Factorization ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Positive Matrix ◽  
The City

Heavy metals in road dust pose a significant threat to human health. This study investigated the concentrations, patterns, and sources of eight hazardous heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, and Hg) in the street dust of Zhengzhou city of PR China. Fifty-eight samples of road dust were analyzed based on three methods of risk assessment, i.e., Geo-Accumulation Index (Igeo), Potential Ecological Risk Assessment (RI), and Nemerow Synthetic Pollution Index (PIN). The results exhibited higher concentrations of Hg and Cd 14 and 7 times higher than their background values, respectively. Igeo showed the risks of contamination in a range of unpolluted (Cr, Ni) to strongly polluted (Hg and Cd) categories. RI came up with the contamination ranges from low (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb) to extreme (Cd and Hg) risk of contamination. The risk of contamination based on PIN was from safe (Cu, As, and Pb) to seriously high (Cd and Hg). The results yielded by PIN indicated the extreme risk of Cd and Hg in the city. Positive Matrix Factorization was used to identify the sources of contamination. Factor 1 (vehicular exhaust), Factor 2 (coal combustion), Factor 3 (metal industry), and Factor 4 (anthropogenic activities), respectively, contributed 14.63%, 35.34%, 36.14%, and 13.87% of total heavy metal pollution. Metal’s presence in the dust is a direct health risk for humans and warrants immediate and effective pollution control and prevention measures in the city.

scholarly journals Measurements of Local Sources of Particulates with a Portable Monitor along the Coast of an Insular City

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 261
Author(s):  
Christos Petsas ◽  
Marinos Stylianou ◽  
Antonis Zorpas ◽  
Agapios Agapiou
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Portable Monitor ◽  
Traffic Jam ◽  
Modern Cities ◽  
Anthropogenic Processes ◽  
The City ◽  
Coastal Front

The air quality of modern cities is considered an important factor for the quality of life of humans and therefore is being safeguarded by various international organizations, concentrating on the mass concentration of particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10, 2.5 and 1 μm. However, the different physical and anthropogenic processes and activities within the city contribute to the rise of fine (<1 μm) and coarse (>1 μm) particles, directly impacting human health and the environment. In order to monitor certain natural and anthropogenic events, suspecting their significant contribution to PM concentrations, seven different events taking place on the coastal front of the city of Limassol (Cyprus) were on-site monitored using a portable PM instrument; these included both natural (e.g., dust event) and anthropogenic (e.g., cement factory, meat festival, tall building construction, tire factory, traffic jam, dust road) emissions taking place in spring and summer periods. The violations of the limits that were noticed were attributed mainly to the various anthropogenic activities taking place on-site, revealing once more the need for further research and continuous monitoring of air quality.

Unele aspecte metodologice de studiu a biodiversitatii si productivitatii fitocenozelor din cadrul ecosistemelor urbane

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantin Bulimaga ◽  
◽  
Anastasia Portarescu ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Impact Action ◽  
Productive Potential ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
Biodiversity Study ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City ◽  
Urban Activities

Anthropogenic activities cause damage to the natural ecosystems in the city in various ways, which contributes to the reduction of biodiversity. Considering that biodiversity is becoming more vulnerable to the impact action triggered by urban activities is necessary to monitor it in order to take urgent measures to protect and preserve it. The plant biodiversity study methodology includes methods that help determine phytocenosis parameters and assess biomass in order to estimate the productive potential of phytocenosis. Carrying out the research according to the proposed methodology will make it possible to assess the anthropogenic impact on the terrestrial and riparian vegetation.

Livelihood Alternative among Patachitra artisan communities

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-23
Author(s):  
Sunil Prasad ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Participatory Rural Appraisal ◽  
Rich Country ◽  
Traditional Practices ◽  
Interview Schedule ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
The Government ◽  
Rural Appraisal

India is a rich country with various traditional practices like handicrafts which are ever glorious. Patachitra artisan community in West Bengal is famous globally for its quality paintings. The present study has examined the livelihood alternative among the Patachitra artisan communities in Bengal in India. Descriptive research design is used in this study, and data were collected using a structured interview schedule and participatory rural appraisal method. The study found that the artisans were entirely dependent upon handcraft and its allied activities for their livelihood. Their income, as well as saving, had been increased after getting an artisan card. The study also found that the artisans were not aware of the government`s various welfare schemes and facilities.

scholarly journals Catch-per-unit-effort and size spectra of lake fish assemblages reflect underlying patterns in ecological conditions and anthropogenic activities across regional and local scales

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 535-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Chu ◽  
Nigel P. Lester ◽  
Henrique C. Giacomini ◽  
Brian J. Shuter ◽  
Donald A. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Ecological Indicators ◽  
Size Spectrum ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Boosted Regression Tree ◽  
Unit Effort ◽  
Lake Fish

Across broad geographic scales, ecological indicators for fish assemblages should represent causal ecological processes, be sensitive enough to show patterns across the landscape, and reflect underlying biotic or abiotic conditions that influence those patterns. We assessed the responses of commonly applied ecological indicators for lake fish assemblages (mean body size, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE), and normalized length size spectrum (NLSS) slope) to regional (climate, water chemistry, and watershed stress due to human activities) and local (lake morphometry, water quality, and angling pressure) ecological and anthropogenic variables. The indicators were estimated using fish assemblage catch data acquired via a standardized gillnetting protocol implemented within 693 lakes in Ontario, Canada. To our knowledge, our study is the first size-based or catch-based indicator evaluation to include detailed observations of angling pressure on hundreds of inland lakes. Boosted regression tree models showed that CPUE of large-bodied organisms and NLSS slope best described underlying patterns in the regional and local variables. Models developed with a mix of regional and local variables performed better than models developed with regional or local variables alone. The relative influences of the variables and responses varied among indicators, but in general, ecological variables had greater influence on the indicators than anthropogenic variables. These results emphasize the complex and multiscaled nature of factors and ecological processes affecting body size, habitat-community production, and trophic dynamics in lake fish assemblages.

Alien Invasive Elements of Upper Ganga Ramsar Site, Uttar Pradesh, India

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-386
Author(s):  
Arti Garg ◽  
Vineet Singh
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Habitat Conservation ◽  
Alien Invasive Species ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Ramsar Site ◽  
Wetland Ecosystem ◽  
Wetland Biodiversity ◽  
The Family

Invasive alien species of Upper Ganga Ramsar Site in Uttar Pradesh and their impact on the wetland ecosystem is discussed. In all 69 alien invasive species under 58 genera and 32 families were recorded of which there were 55 herbs, 5 climbers/twiners, 5 shrubs, 2 undershrubs and 2 tree species. The alien invasives of American origin dominated while the family Asteraceae showed maximum representation. It is inferred that stringent measures need to be adopted for combating the spread of alien invasives in order to conserve the wetland biodiversity and loss of indigenous species for habitat conservation.

Mother Tongue in Indigenous Script as Medium of Instruction

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-89
Author(s):  
Ruchira Das
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Tribal Community ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Primary Level ◽  
The Government ◽  
The City

Olchiki is the indigenous script of Santals, a dominant tribal community of West Bengal, formulated to promote and represent ‘adi’ cultural heritage and traditions in their mother tongue Santali. The script was recognised by the Government of West Bengal in 1978 and was introduced at the primary level of education. However, there have been contestations around its appropriateness as the medium of instruction for the migrant tribal community in the emerging context of the city and globalisation. These discourses have led to the formation of two distinct groups—those who support the introduction of Santali language in Olchiki as a means to formal education and those who resist usage of its script for schooling. In my article, I will present these conflicting views prevailing among the migrant Santals of a settlement called Santragachi, in Kolkata.

Variability of trends observed in Atmospheric Aerosol optical properties over Pune, India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudeep Das ◽  
Govindan Pandithurai
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Sea Salt ◽  
Negative Slope ◽  
Average Height ◽  
Aerosol Optical Properties ◽  
The City ◽  
Monthly Variations

&lt;p&gt;Long term trends of various aerosol optical properties are observed over the city of Pune, the ninth most populated city in India using ground and satellite based instruments such as AERONET, MODIS (Aqua and Terra), MISR, CALIOP and reanalysis tool MERRA. Annually, the Aerosol Optical Depth is observed to be increasing over all the types of instruments (2004-17) with values of 0.01 to 0.006 yr&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;, whereas the Angstrom exponent has a negative slope (AERONET) which suggests that the fine aerosols are decreasing. Single scattering albedo (SSA) is also increasing (0.00657 yr&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;), which means the emission of smaller darker particles like soot has decreased over the years. MISR shows that the Absorbing AOD trend is decreasing in the overall study period (-0.0001237 yr&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;). All these annual trends are related to anthropogenic activities and show differing trends before and after 2008, the year when various pollution counter measures were introduced mainly in Pune and also in various nearby areas. After 2008, the AOD increasing slope reduces, and the AAOD reverses the trend from positive to a negative slope. The average height till various kinds of aerosols reach and their vertical profile is studied using CALIOP data. Monthly variations of AOD and their vertical distribution also observed and discussed. Aerosol characterization is done using the MERRA tool into dust, sea salt, sulfates, elementary carbon, and organic carbon. Their monthly variations are explained by source characterizations using the HySplit model. In summer, air from the Arabian sea brings in dust and sea salt into the city and in winter, aerosols come from central India dominantly as carbon and sulfates changing the air quality over there. This study lays its stress on the fact that even though aerosols cover over a city is mostly non-local, anthropogenic activities of that area do play a significant role and here the city of Pune is a role model to show how measures can be taken to improve air quality over any urban area.&lt;/p&gt;

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