Search

Plantations are important in reducing logging on natural forests, carbon sequestration and restoration of degraded lands. Soil organic carbon is an important indicator of soil fertility, quality and productivity. A study was conducted in various plantations to assess the soil organic carbon status along with other soil parameters in Mizoram. The SOC stock was found to decrease with the soil depth except in oil palm plantation. The other soil parameters were also seen to decrease along with the soil profile. Teak was found to have the highest SOC stock at 39.03±5.3 Mg C ha-1 while areca nut plantation has the lowest at 28.91±0.67 Mg C ha-1. Proper management of land use can be beneficial for both economy as well as carbon storage in a more sustainable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sudan, the primary objectives of forest management are production, protection, and conservation, with minimal attention paid to social or other services. The forest resources in Sudan are great significance in term of ensuring sustainable livelihoods and preserving ecosystems. Forests are a valuable source of various goods such as gum, incense, fruit, medicine, and wild game. However, sustainable forest management is difficult due to the growing population and expansion of agriculture, which poses a significant challenge. reforestation and afforestation programmes is process of increasing forest cover and include enrichment planting, participation of local people engagement in the management of forest., The villagers in Sudan traditionally utilize native and regenerate naturally such as Tebeldi (Adansonia digitata), Dom (Hyphaene thebaica) and Hashab (Acacia senegal), trees due to their direct benefits. Additionally, Sudan containing three forest types according to administration system, viz., Federal forests, State forests and Community/private forests. Balanites aegyptiaca, Ziziphus spina-christi, Adansonia digitate, Tamarindus indica, and Grewia tenax represents the major tree species contribute to the rural and urban livelihood. It is recommended that, engagement of local communities in forest management is way to achieve sustainable forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anjaw district in the eastern Arunachal Pradesh is part of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot. This region is rich in biodiversity and harbours endemic species, some of which are classified as threatened. The Anjaw district is dominated by Miju Mishimi, Digaru Mishimi and the Mayor tribe who follow traditional hunting, fishing and other cultural practices that influence species conservation. However, there exist knowledge gaps pertaining to their traditional cultural practices, fishing and hunting and their impact on sustainability and conservation needs. We conducted surveys in 64 households in 14 villages using a semi-structured interview schedule to understand the demography, livelihood patterns, social taboos, hunting and fishing approaches of the communities in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh. Our surveys showed that agriculture is the primary occupation in the area. Hunting is widely practiced by the communities that also involve hunting of the threatened species. Parallelly, the communities also follow social taboos, which prohibits hunting of certain species some of which are also classified as threatened. Both traditional and modern gears are used for hunting and fishing. Also, forest fire is used extensively for the purpose of hunting which have a drastic impact on the forests and the concerned species. Understanding the social attributes of communities is crucial to develop frameworks and policies for biodiversity conservation in Anjaw district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to introduce a wide range of readers to some of animals’ exceptional remote sensing and navigation abilities. A comparison of remote sensors employed by animals and those built by humans is presented in this research. Thermal infrared sensors used by snakes, echolocation used by bats and dolphins, and navigation systems used by birds are all part of the research and comparison. Prey countermeasures to prevent capture are also taken into account. Remote sensing and navigation capabilities of certain animals are far superior to those provided by the human body or devised by humans. The use of the biometric method in creating novel sensors may be promoted. The paper contributes to a better understanding of animal behavior, particularly their unique abilities to perceive, echolocate, and travel over long distances with great accuracy. Studying animal sensors within a biomimetic framework can help remote sensor designers improve their designs for the purpose of border management, forest fire control (for example, the photo mechanic infrared receptor for detecting forest fires in the beetle), jamming the signal from the tiger moth which clogs bat sonar, integration of visual and infrared information in bimodal neurons in the rattlesnake optic tectum, and biomimetic sonar that locates and recognizes objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied flowering phenological events of Rhododendron arboreum Sm. at two altitudes (1945 m and 2157 m asl) in Phawngpui National Park for 4-years period. Our results revealed that all the flowering phenophases (onset, peak and end) were significantly influenced by altitude mediated atmospheric temperature and soil surface temperature. The low altitude which experienced higher surface and atmospheric temperature induced early onset of flowering of this species by 9-16.days, peak flowering by 7-9 days and showed better flowering synchrony and higher flowering amplitude compared to those plants at high altitude. However, flowering duration was not affected by the variations in temperature induced by altitude. These findings provide clues for climate change influence on the altering phenological pattern of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the effect of seed source on seed germination and early seedling characters of Madhuca latifolia in Odisha. The results displayed significant variations (P<0.05) in all germination and growth characters among provenances. Germination per cent ranged from 53 (P10) to 93.8 (P8) with variation in phenotype (PCV=22.7) to be more than variation in genotype (GCV=12.48). Environment effect was more pronounced than genotypein all germination character except mean daily germination. Collar diameter (h2=50%) was found to be more heritable than seedling length and biomass. The best provenance was found to be Nuapada (P8) for germination and growth characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of socioeconomic factors on homegarden (HG) management practices impacting carbon storage was studied in Mizoram by involving 40 households based on the theory of planned behavior. Traditional/Ancestors (normative belief) had the highest influence on decision-making and it significantly (P<0.05) influenced practices such as cultural operations, plant residue application, and fertilizer application. The education/experience factor (behavioral belief) influenced the decision with tree planting in a positive manner and affected the decision with fertilizer application in a negative manner. Other important factors influencing the farmer behavior were friends (normative belief), financial condition (control belief) of the farmer, and economic importance of the HG. The results of this study may have application in understanding the strength of socioeconomic and demographic factors in influencing homegarden management practices and can be used as a baseline for further research on HG carbon storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of biomass, carbon stock and carbon sequestration potential have never been carried out in major land uses of Mizoram. We aimed at comparing the carbon sequestration potential of two major land uses (Shifting agriculture and homegardens) involving 32 sites drawn from different size and age groups so as to understand their role in carbon sink and mitigation process. Biomass in homegardens (HGs) ranged from 116.8 to 278.5 Mg ha-1 and 60.0 to 95.2 Mg ha-1 in shifting cultivation fallows (SCFs) while the biomass carbon in HGs and SCFs ranged from 59.0 to 140.0 Mg C ha-1 and 31.6 to 49.1 Mg C ha-1, respectively. Among the homegardens, the older HGs stored higher biomass than the younger ones while reverse was true for the SCFs. Carbon stock in HGs (291.0 ± 15.4 Mg C ha-1) was higher than in the SCFs (164.1 ± 8.6 Mg C ha-1). Carbon stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC) and living biomass components were significantly (p<0.05) higher in HGs than SCFs, while carbon stock of non-living biomass in SCFs was higher than that of HGs. In both HGs and SCFs, a positive increment of living biomass C was observed while the nonliving biomass C decreased. Small HGs significantly (p<0.05) sequester more carbon than the medium and large sized homegardens. The rate of CO2 mitigation potential in HGs and SCFs exhibited range of 4.86 to 22.89 and 2.67 to 12.29 Mg ha-1 yr-1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]