Feminist Mining: A Step Towards Sustainable Mininig in India

Economic growth and development with least harm to the environment is one of the biggest challenges for the human. Mining which is considered to be the most inherently unsustainable industry, is at the same time, plays key role in the development process in India and across Globe. It occupy primary position in the supply chain, contributing to the foreign direct investment, exports, government taxes, GDP (National Income) and provide huge labour employment. This paper studies industrial elimination of women, prolong industrial patriarchy, impetuous production, rising demand pressure has added to the quadrupling problems of land degradation, disposal of over burden/waste discharge, deforestation, pollution(air, water, and noise), and damage to forest flora and fauna, occupational health hazards and extreme global environmental damage in a rapid, continuous manner. These continuous and multi-layered problems are giving us reason to re-visioning steps, where we went wrong. Theoretical foundation of eco-feminism traces that negligence and suppression of women in general and in the mining industry, is one of the probable cause that hit environment fiercely. With this in mind, this paper suggests theory of eco-feminism into male centric mining industry as a perspective which is more likely to lead to industrial sustainability, making it more responsible and may provide pro-environmental solutions to the industry. This feminist concept extending it from individualistic level into mining organisations proposes as one of the alternative to combine ecology and commerce to envision sustainability.

Floristic core of the Russian Plain pine forests along Pinus sylvestris southern borders

Pine forests - forest tracts on the sandy left banks, where the main area is occupied by plant communities with a predominance of Pinus sylvestris. Due to the significant distance from each other, the floras of the pine forests differ. However, the flora of these pine forests also shares common characteristics. In order to establish the floristic unity of the forests at the southern limit of the distribution of Pinus sylvestris, work was carried out to identify their floristic core. For 20 years, floristic surveys have been carried out in the forests of the steppe and forest-steppe zones. A general floristic list was compiled, with the identification of aboriginal and alien fractions, and the floristic core was established. Revealed: the core of the flora is determined by the pine forest flora with the lowest number of species among the comparable pine forests. The core of the flora of the studied pine forests included 30.8% of the species of the general flora. An increase in the number of analyzed floras will bring accuracy to the determination of the floristic core. This will make it possible to form an understanding of the pine forest flora as a single floristic complex.

The Nature and the Man During the Early Neolithic in the Tobol-Ishim Interfluve

Natural conditions and their changes in the late Boreal – early Atlantic period (from ∼8200 to 7700 cal. yr BP) of the Holocene in the Tobol-Ishim interfluve are analyzed based on palynological and zoological materials obtained from archaeological and natural sections and bottom sediments, as well as on the analysis of the hypsographic position of settlements situated on the shores of Lake Mergen (Ishim District of Tyumen Region) where plane-bottomed and round-bottomed Early Neolithic dishes were found. According to author’s reconstruction, the climatic indicators and hydrological regime of Lake Mergen during that part of the Holocene were unstable. The altitude of ancient settlements, the proportion of steppe and forest flora and fauna changed. There were fluctuations in average annual temperatures and the amount of precipitations. The same territory was inhabited by both “local” species and mammals and birds whose habitats fell outside of the region. An Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus) of the Pleistocene era was found in the area under consideration. In the late Boreal period, when the water level in the lake was high, people built settlements on floodplain terraces. When the flooding diminished and the seasonal floods ceased, people began to settle on floodplains near the water. Two episodes of aridization can be singled out based on geochemical indicators of bottom sediments of Lake Kyrtyma. One episode was long and had a peak about 6200 cal. yr BP (optimum), another one occurred in the middle of the Sub-Boreal period and was shorter. The informational capacity of geochemical data, as well as that of spore/pollen indicators, is low (at least 100 years) and doesn't reflect short-term paleoclimatic events. The whole spectrum of data should be applied in order to reflect such events. In particular, hypsometric characteristics of ancient settlements are of great importance, because people react to changes in the hydrological regime faster than the flora and fauna do.

Floristic composition of Melastomataceae between reforested and natural areas in the Recife Atlantic Forest, Pernambuco, Brazil

Local extinction of native Atlantic Forest flora species occurs mainly due to habitat fragmentation. Reforestation and natural regeneration can mitigate these factors. The present study attempts to understand whether floristic composition and dispersal processes are being reestablished in an area of lowland Atlantic Forest, eight years after its reforestation. The study area was an old pasture set between two urban fragments in the city of Recife that was reforested in 2011. Melastomataceae species were collected in this area and the morphology of their fruits was compared with the species of the family recorded in the adjacent fragments. Miconia prasina, M. albicans, M. affinis, Clidemia hirta, and C. capitellata have been found in the reforested area. Although there are species with larger fruits in the adjacent fragments, there was no statistically significant difference between the means of the two areas. The fruit morphology indicates that the species found in the area are dispersed by birds and small mammals. It is possible to conclude that the reforested area already presents the expected ecological processes for a corridor between two fragments. Thus, the two adjacent areas serve as vectors for the colonization of native Atlantic Forest species in the reforested area.

Anatomical characteristics of fossil wood collected from the Manchar Formation (Miocene), Thano Bula Khan, Sindh, Pakistan

The characterization of petrified wood provides valuable information about paleoclimatology and geological history and helps to reconstruct the past forest flora of different parts of the earth. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the anatomical characteristics of fossil wood of the Miocene age collected from the Manchar Formation exposed at Thano Bula Khan, Sindh, Pakistan. In order to carry out a detailed anatomical investigation, three-dimensional sections were prepared using a petrotome. The microscopic analysis allowed us to study vessel size and arrangement, wood parenchyma, fibers, and xylem rays. Based on the comparison between recent and fossil wood, we concluded that the investigated characters are comparable with those of the genus Atalantia Corrêa of the Rutaceae family. Therefore, it was named as Atalantioxylon thanobolensis sp. nov. with reference to the location of Thano Bula Khan from which the fossil wood was collected.

Forest ecosystems in the upper reaches of the Malka River (Central Caucasus): typology, floristic composition, current state

According to the results of the study, it found that in the upper reaches of the Malka River, the most common is the group of birch forests with tallgrass vegetation cover, including Betuletum calamagrostioso-herbosum. Smaller areas occupied by group of complex herbaceous birch forests, represented by Pineto-betuletum calamagrostioso-herbosum and a group of pine forests with herbrich vegetation cover, including Pinetum calamagrostioso-herbosum. Forest stands are mainly singlestorey, medium and low-density, bonitet classes II-IV. The floristic composition of the Malka River basin forests includes 101 species from 68 genera and 38 families. Forest ecosystems of the study area are home to four species of vascular plants included in the list of protected taxa of the KabardinoBalkarian Republic: Betula raddeana Trautv, Vaccinium myrtillus L., V. vitis-idaea L., Allium victorialis L. Among protected lichen species, we found – Leptogium burnetiae C. W. Dodge, Letharia vulpina (L.) Hue, Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm.), Lobarina scrobiculata (Scop.) Nyl.), Sticta sylvatica (Huds.) Ach. and Usnea florida (L.) Weber ex F. H. Wigg. The article analyzes the geographic spectrum of the forest flora of vascular plants and lichens, including 12 geographic elements, with the boreal geoelement predominating. The lichen flora dominated by boreal geoelements.

The Biodiversity Status and Conservation Activities of Singra National Park (SNP) in the Link of Co-Management Strategy

This paper emphasizes the trend of biodiversity and their conservation strategy of Singra National Park (SNP), which is very well known for its characteristics as deciduous forest. Two types of studies were conducted: (i) Study of the vegetation composition and structure and (ii) conservation strategy of the Forest. In the first study, the diversity of plant (trees, shrubs, herbs and climbers) and animal (birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals) species were measured. A stratified random quadrat method was employed to determine the floral diversity. A total of 32 plant species were recorded including 19 tree species, 5 herbs, 4 shrubs and four climbers. Inventory of fauna species was conducted using a combination of transect walk/ opportunistic and ethno zoological interview methods. Total 28 animal species were recorded of which 13 were birds, 3 were amphibians, 6 were reptiles and 6 were mammals. With regard to the quantitative attributes of total flora and fauna species, the highest number was found in trees (mean, 126.00) and the lowest number was found in mammals (mean, 7.00). The result showed very high significant variation among them. The second study examined the management of the forest, causes of biodiversity loss, administrative problems with management of wildlife. Data were collected from the SNPauthority and questionnaire survey among local people in the study area. It was evident from the study that the people around the forest collect forest flora and fauna illegally. The people are not aware of the importance of forest in various aspects like social, economic, ecological and environmental domains. Forest authorities are trying to involve the people in and around the forest to co-management for conservation and restoration of the forest.