Search

Lantana camara is a dominant invasive shrub in many protected areas of India including the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR). We conducted a study to assess the regeneration potential of endemic native (shola) trees under different levels of Lantana infestation in the upper plateau of NBR. A total of 61 plots in a total area of 0.73ha were sampled, out of which 0.57ha was in Lantana dominated sites and 0.16ha in undisturbed shola forests. The plots were classified as per the level of Lantana infestation (intensive, moderate, and low infestation). We found that regeneration of shola trees, including endemics decreased with increasing intensity of Lantana invasion. No regeneration occurred in the intensively infested plots whereas regeneration was high in undisturbed shola forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We collated data on the latitudinal, elevation and seasonality ranges, local densities, stature and dispersal mode of 514 evergreen tree species (≥10 cm girth at breast height), including 317 endemics, from the rain forests of the Western Ghats (WG) of India using two complementary databases, (i) 68 tree inventory plots, and (ii) the Atlas of Endemics. We tested the hypotheses that (i) regional rarity would be associated with local rarity and narrower ecological amplitudes, (ii) shorter and mechanically dispersed trees would be rarer, (iii) higher proportion of endemic species would be rare (iv) regionally wide ranging species would be locally rare, and localised species would be denser, (v) families with single species would be relicts in this biome, (vi) larger families would have a higher proportion of rare and endemic species. We used Atlas records in a generalised least square model acknowledging phylogenetic relationships, to test hypotheses (i) to (ii), and non parametric tests for (iii) to (vi). We identified rare species using binary cut-offs and compared these with IUCN threat status. Rarity was associated with (i) narrower ecological amplitudes and shorter stature, independent of phylogeny, (ii) 18 wide ranging and locally sparse, 41 narrow ranging and locally dense species, (iii) relict species and families, (iv) larger families. Rare species were more likely to be threatened, but 39% were not evaluated. We identified zones of rare endemics to help with conservation planning. The WG rain forests have a unique evolutionary history and potential that require increased conservation measures. Highlights • We examined multiple facets of rarity among 514 species including 317 endemics from the Western Ghats of India. • Rare species tend to have narrower ecological amplitudes, be short statured. • Rare endemics, rare non-endemics and rarity among families is examined. • The results highlight the importance of this limited biome for its unique biodiversity and evolutionary history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A ratio-based logistic model developed to assess elephant harvest rates, based on a study at Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in India, was recommended as a management tool to control human–elephant conflict through culling. Considering this reserve among others violates an assumption of the logistic model: isolation. Nevertheless, assuming this violation was irrelevant, we re-evaluated the model, with minor modifications, for the neighbouring Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, where we used data from 13 elephant Elephas maximus population surveys to derive bootstrapped sets of population ratios, and mortality records. We generated arrays of harvest regimes and examined which ratio outputs were closest to the bootstrapped ratios. Our results indicated that (1) model outputs corresponded best with the Mudumalai population structure when harvest regimes were extreme and unlikely, (2) there were significant differences in population structure and harvest regimes between Nagarhole and Mudumalai, and (3) only 49% of adult male deaths predicted by model outputs were recorded in official governmental records. The model provides significantly different results among reserves, which invalidates it as a tool to predict change across the entire elephant population. Variability in survey data and inaccuracies in transition probabilities are sufficiently large to warrant caution when using them as a basis for deterministic modelling. Official mortality databases provide a weak means of validation because poaching incidents are poorly recorded. We conclude that the model should be based on validated transition probabilities and encompass the entire regional population. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius Ogilby, 1838) has not been comprehensively surveyed in the southern Western Ghats, India. Here we present results of a survey conducted in 2012 and 2013 in 25 sites where Nilgiri Tahr was reported in Agastyamalai range south of the Shencottah gap. The objectives of the survey were to assess population status; evaluate threats and propose conservation measures. In each site the geographical coordinates were noted. If Nilgiri Tahr (=Tahr) were sighted, the number and herd structure were recorded. Indirect signs of Tahr presence such as faecal pellets and feedback from local informants were noted in sites with no direct sightings of Tahr. The total sightings were 247 Tahr in 10 sites, and indication of Tahr presence in seven sites. Only two populations viz. Kalamalai-Varraiattumudi and Muthukulivayal-Balamore were large (>30 individuals). Tahr were not present in eight sites: of which four had earlier records of Tahr presence, and the other four had no prior data. There was a significant positive association between percentage of young (kids and yearlings) and number of Tahr sighted. Illegal hunting was widespread in the past, and continues to be a serious threat. Loss of Tahr grazing habitat to successional processes resulting in increased tree cover, is a long term threat that could increase with climate change. A landscape level management plan to reconnect small populations, rehabilitate Tahr in sites where they have disappeared, use fire to restore short grass habitats, and stringent curb on illegal hunting is required for the long term viability of the Nilgiri Tahr in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compiled records of 291 elephant deaths over a 33-year period (1979-2011) from the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and the reserved forests of Nilgiri North and South divisions of southern India from the databases of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, the Wildlife Protection Society of India and the Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association. We tested the null hypothesis that the causes of elephant deaths would not differ with time, by gender and with level of protection. We classified records by gender and age: adults (=15 years), sub adults (5-15 years), juveniles (>1-<5) and calves (= 1). We organised records over 3-decade periods. The database consisted of 209 adults (=15 years), 27 sub adults (5-15 years), 33 juveniles (>1-<5) and 22 calves (= 1). MTR had the maximum records (148) followed by NND (138) and NSD (4). The median age of death was 20 years for adult males and 30 years for adult females. Mean survival time for adult males was 22.45 years, and 31.84 for females. Poaching was responsible for the majority of deaths (40%), particularly of male elephants (82%), and unknown causes (31%) for the majority of female deaths (66%). Human-caused deaths, which included poaching and some accidents, averaged 72% between 1979 and 2000 and decreased to 22% during 2001-2011. Deaths due to unknown causes and diseases increased from 28% in 1979-1989 to 69% in 2001-2011. Relative to estimated population size, deaths attributed to poaching was higher in NND (47%) than in MTR (34%). The causes of death differed by region. In conclusion, the elephant population in the Nilgiris is at risk and needs stringent protection; the mortality database should be systematised; forensic capabilities upgraded, and detection of carcasses improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated levels of pollinator dependency and pollinator visitation rates to flowers of six vegetable crops: brinjal (aubergine), tomato, chilli pepper (Solanaceae), okra (Malvaceae), bitter and snake gourds (Cucurbitaceae) in six small family farms in the Coimbatore region of southern India. We tested the null hypothesis that fruit set in these crops would be independent of pollinators. We assessed fruit set through self and cross pollination by pollen augmentation, by pollinator exclusion and open pollination. We evaluated pollen limitation by comparing percentage fruit set by hand outcrossed pollen with open pollination; pollinator dependency by differences in percentage fruit set by open pollination and autogamous pollination; and visitation rates to flowers by pollinating insects. Tomato, chilli and okra produced self-compatible hermaphrodite flowers, with higher levels of autogamous fruit set (32-76%) and significantly lower levels of pollinator dependency (0-37%), whereas andromonoecious brinjal and monoecious gourds had significantly lower levels of fruit set through autogamy, and higher levels of pollinator dependency. Pollen limitation was not evident in any crop. Diverse pollinating insects visited the flowers, and the frequency of visits by different pollinator taxa differed with crop type. Native vegetation and uncultivated land may enhance pollinator diversity in small farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

* Premise of the study: In India and elsewhere, transgenic Bt eggplant (Solatium melongenci) has been developed to reduce insect herbivore damage, but published studies of the potential for pollen-mediated, crop- to- wild gene flow are scant. This information is useful for risk assessments as well as in situ conservation strategies for wild germplasm. * Methods: In 2010-2014, we surveyed 23 populations of wild/weedy eggplant (Solarium insanum; known as wild brinjal), carried out hand-pollination experiments, and observed pollinators to assess the potential for crop- to- wild gene flow in southern India. * Key results: Wild brinjal is a spiny, low-growing perennial commonly found in disturbed sites such as roadsides, wastelands, and sparsely vegetated areas near villages and agricultural fields. Fourteen of the 23 wild populations in our study occurred within 0.5 km of cultivated brinjal and at least nine flowered in synchrony with the crop. Hand crosses between wild and cultivated brinjal resulted in seed set and viable F, progeny. Wild brinjal flowers that were bagged to exclude pollinators did not set fruit, and fruit set from manual self-pollination was low. The exserted stigmas of wild brinjal are likely to promote outcross-ing. The most effective pollinators appeared to be bees (Amegilla, Xylocopa, Nomia, and Heterotrigona spp.), which also were observed foraging for pollen on crop brinjal. * Conclusion: Our findings suggest that hybridization is possible between cultivated and wild brinjal in southern India. Thus, as part of the risk assessment process, we assume that transgenes from the crop could spread to wild brinjal populations that occur nearby. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

* Premise of the study: Crop wild relatives represent important genetic resources for crop improvement and the preservation of native biodiversity. Eggplant (Solatium melongena), known as brinjal in India, ranks high among crops whose wild gene pools are underrepresented in ex situ collections and warrant urgent conservation. Knowledge of outcrossing rates and patterns of genetic variation among wild populations can aid in designing strategies for both in situ and ex situ preservation. * Methods: We used 14 microsatellite (simple sequence repeat) markers to examine genetic diversity, population structure, and outcrossing in 10 natural populations of wild/weedy eggplant (S. insanum = S. melongena var. insanum) and three cultivated populations in southern India. * Key results: Multilocus FST analyses revealed strong differentiation among populations and significant isolation by distance. Bayesian model-based clustering, principal coordinate analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the wild/weedy populations into three major clusters, largely according to their geographic origin. The three crop populations were similar to each other and grouped with two wild/weedy populations that occurred nearby. Outcrossing rates among the wild/weedy populations ranged from 5-33%, indicating a variable mixed-mating system. * Conclusion: Geographic isolation has played a significant role in shaping the contemporary patterns of genetic differentiation among these populations, many of which represent excellent candidates for in situ conservation. In two cases, close genetic affinity between cultivars and nearby wild/weedy populations suggests that gene flow has occurred between them. To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating population-level patterns of genetic diversity in wild relatives of eggplant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India, set up the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) in March 2010 to provide guidelines for improved management within the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. The WGEEP's Mandate was to identify ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs). The Panel submitted their report in 2011 but it remained unimplemented. It was not clear whether the delay was due to the unwillingness of civil society to accept ambitious environment management plans, or whether the report had shortcomings. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors undertook a critique of the WGEEP report and its Mandate, to evaluate key issues that could have prevented its implementation. Findings – The analysis indicated that the WGEEP Mandate was ill-defined and the WGEEP report identified ESAs without providing a working definition. The absence of critical review of earlier environment management failures, the delayed dialogue with civil society, the absence of legislative foundation upon which such a management plan could be implemented, and the vague definition of ESAs were possibly the reasons for the unease among various stakeholders. Originality/value – The paper stresses that in order for large-scale biodiversity management projects to succeed, it is important that first, the civil society understands the project's objective before its initiation, second stakeholders are formally involved alongside ecological experts and third, that methods are critically reviewed. The lack of acceptance of the report cannot be dismissed only as a rejection of enlightened practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Man and Biosphere Program of UNESCO (MAB) was a pioneer in recognizing the role of local communities in the conservation of biodiversity. Biosphere reserves of MAB were designed with a core zone with maximum protection, a buffer zone with regulated activities, and a transition zone outside the reserve proper. The transition zone is where experimental management options to promote sustainable development could be developed, and could add value to the conservation network and to regional activities. The Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve (NBR), with a core zone of 1,240 km²and a buffer zone of 4,280 km², was created in 1986 without a transition zone. The absence of a transition zone separates the protected areas (PAs) from each other, and the hard boundary between the PA and surrounding areas promotes human-wildlife conflict and encourages development inimical to the mandate of the Biosphere Reserve, ultimately affecting the regional economy through progressive degradation of the environment. We examine three case studies to illustrate these concerns: the implementation of the India-based Neutrino Observatory, resistance by tourist resorts against regulations for connecting elephant corridors, and whether the goals of local tourism operators meet the conservation objectives of the NBR. Landscape ecology and econometry can help design a transition zone on a sound economic basis. A better environment management is within technical and financial reach. But is it within political reach? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Similipal Tiger Reserve is a large insurgent-affected protected area (PA) located in the northern Eastern Ghats, India, with a resident tribal population of about 12,500. In 2007-08, we carried out a survey of conservation attitudes among 217 men and women (<20 years old) and documented their perceptions of wildlife and forest decline over a 20-year period from 1997-2007. Using data from the Forest Survey of India, we ascertained the decrease in forest cover (<40%), and using available census information we assessed tiger status over this period. Most of the respondents were primarily agriculturists (79%), and all households collected fuel-wood from the forest; 13% hunted and 49% fished. The majority of the respondents (80%) agreed that trees had disappeared, and 90% agreed that the tiger and elephant had disappeared. Respondents' recollections of Bengal tiger and Asian elephant sightings over a 20-year period indicated a drastic decline in their numbers, and perceptions of forest loss were supported by assessments of changes in dense forest cover indicating an annual deforestation rate of 1.577% yr−1 over a 20-year period, or loss of 274 km2 of dense forest. This suggests that forest dwelling communities have an acute awareness of disappearing forests and wildlife, and informant-based surveys can be indicative of the status of wildlife and forests in situations such as Similipal, where ecological studies are problematic due to civil conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Tropical Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Tropical Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: In India, conservation of biodiversity goes hand in hand with human welfare, as millions of people live adjacent or within protected areas and depend upon forests products. The high density and biomass requirements of these households could result in the degradation of forests and loss of biodiversity. We assessed the collection of forest products among households in five sites in the Western and Eastern Ghats of peninsular India: the Kogar region of the Central Western Ghats, the Bandipur and Sigur regions of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve of the southern Western Ghats and Similipal Tiger Reserve of the northern Eastern Ghats, and tested whether extraction pressure on forests was associated with the proportion of agricultural households, wage labour and population density. We also examined whether data on loss of cover as stated by the State of the Forest Reports was supported by field data. The regions differed in land use: Kogar, KMTR and Similipal were primarily agricultural regions, whereas households engaged in wage labour or in running small businesses were predominant in Sigur and Bandipur. Fuel–wood was collected ubiquitously for household use in all sites, used mainly for domestic requirements and secondarily for generating income. Green leaves for making fertilizer and fodder were collected for household use and did not enter the market. Cattle manure for the global organic coffee industry was a major forest product in Bandipur and Sigur. Extraction pressure on forests was positively associated with the availability of wage labour and was negatively with the proportion of agricultural households. Data from official sources seem inadequate to measure forest degradation in protected forests. Accurate estimation of forest condition through field assessments and remote sensing, and understanding the socio-economic variables associated with forest loss and degradation are needed for the sustainable management of Indian protected areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

India sustains some of the world's most imperiled forests. The Forest Survey of India recently announced that forest cover in India had expanded by nearly 5% over the past decade. This result, while technically accurate, is misleading. The Forest Survey estimates forest cover by using automated algorithms to analyze satellite imagery-an approach that fails to distinguish native forests from tree plantations, which are often monocultures of exotic species that have limited value for endangered biodiversity. Since the early 1990s, tree plantations have expanded in India at an estimated rate of roughly 15,400 km/year. Subtracting plantations from total forest cover shows that native forests in India have declined by 1.5%-2.7% per year. The limited precision of our estimate highlights a paucity of data on native forest cover in India-a problem requiring urgent attention. Forest cutting for fuelwood has been the biggest driver of forest loss and thinning in India. Like India, many nations now rely on satellite imagery to discern changes in vegetation cover, and these frequently lump native, exotic, and degraded forest types. Without sufficiently high-resolution imagery and adequate safeguards, such approaches could paint a misleading picture of the fate of the world's native forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The montane forests of the higher altitudes of the Western Ghats in southern India, called 'sholas', are naturally patchy and closely juxtaposed with grasslands. Palaeoclimatic studies have indicated that the sholas have expanded in warmer climatic regimes and the grasslands during colder climates. Therefore during the present post-glacial climatic regime sholas may be in the expansion phase. Aims: We aimed to test if sholas are in an expansion phase; in particular, if smaller sholas could be at earlier successional stages than larger sholas. Methods:We enumerated all non-climbing plants (≥ 1cm dbh) in 18 shola patches ranging from 0.09ha to 15ha in area. We tested whether species richness, basal area, and proportion of large trees (≥ 30 and ≥ 60cm dbh) increased with shola size, and rare and 'ecotone' species decreased with shola size. Results: As predicted, species richness, basal area and the proportion of large trees (≥ 60cm dbh) increased with shola size, whereas the proportion of rare and 'ecotone' species decreased with shola size, and species in smaller sholas were a nested subset of those in larger sholas. Conclusions: These results suggest that shola forests are a highly structured plant community, possibly driven by succession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Tropical Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Deforestation in tropical countries has been partly attributed to the non-sustainable harvesting of forest biomass by local communities. We conducted a survey among 786 households in 31 agricultural villages adjoining the eastern boundary of the Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, in the southern Western Ghats to see whether household wealth, social status, literacy and distance to the forest boundary influenced resource harvesting. Fuel-wood, fodder and green leaves were the major products harvested in this agricultural region. The effect of distance from the reserve boundary differed with the product harvested and its use value. Distance was a constraint for households that harvested for domestic consumption, whereas it was not significant for households that harvested for earnings. Wealth was independent of resource interest in the forest, except for the poorer lower caste households with lower levels of literacy that sold fuel-wood to earn a living. Wealthier households harvested green leaves for fertilizing their fields, and fodder harvest was related to livestock ownership. The lower cost of forest products compared to commercially available substitutes probably fuelled extraction. Forest products contributed disproportionately to household consumption as compared with household earnings. Discouraging the harvest of forest products within protected areas might be the only viable conservation strategy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We assessed collection intensity of forest products in three regions of the Western Ghats: Kogar, Sigur and KMTR with differing population densities and levels of forest protection. Fuel-wood was intensively collected in all three regions; fodder and green leaves in predominantly agricultural regions and cattle manure in Sigur. Agriculture, wage labour and local and regional markets were associated with resource harvesting. Collection intensity decreased with increasing levels of protection, regardless of human density. Extensive forest degradation in these regions suggests that the intensive use of forests for sustenance and consumption is no longer viable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Damages by the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) range from crop raiding to loss of human lives, and understanding the underlying causes thereof could help reduce such incidents. Land-use change could be among the major causes of elephant incidents since they are long-lived and tend to have particular home ranges. To test this hypothesis, we assessed deforestation rates in sites between the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve and the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats of India between the 1960s and 2000s. Deforestation was calculated in windows of varying sizes to account for spatial scale responses. The locations of 624 incidents between April 2008 and March 2011 were used, and a database of 20,000 random locations provided contrasts. We used sets of 250 logistic regressions at each scale of deforestation to ensure that the significance of deforestation was independent of the randomly sampled contrast locations. A total of 6,761 km2 of forest and scrubland have disappeared from private forests in 50 years, with an average deforestation rate of –0.85%⋅y−1. The distribution of incidents followed an exponential decay with increasing distance from protected areas and a beta distribution against deforestation. Logistic regressions indicated a significant effect of deforestation at the small scale (1 km2 particularly and 4 km2). These results show that (a) incidents occur mostly near protected areas, and barriers or adaptation of livelihoods could address this problem and (b) deforestation is associated with increasing incidents with elephants. Avoiding deforestation and maintaining elephant population connectivity may help avoid incidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We evaluated the conservation attitudes of the local villagers living adjacent to the Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in southern India 6 years after implementation of a World Bank funded eco-development project. We assessed attitudes towards three facets of conservation: the tiger, an emblematic species signifying India''s commitment to wildlife conservation; the forest, a principle source of fuel-wood and other products; and the Forest Department, which manages the forest. More specifically we predicted that (i) attitudes would be an effective predictor of resource use interest in the forest and (ii) benefits obtained from the EDP would create more favorable attitudes towards conservation and the protected area employees. Twelve villages located within 3km from the reserve boundary were chosen and 2–3% of the households interviewed with regard to their attitudes towards these three facets of conservation, their household resource use patterns, wealth, sex, age and length of residency. We found significant associations between wealth, sex, age and both tiger and forest conservation. Providing benefits has not changed the underlying attitudes of the communities. The poorer sections of society, whether receiving benefits or not, tended to support tiger conservation because conserving wildlife did not affect their livelihood in any way, whereas both the rich and poor had misgivings about forest conservation due to dependency on forest products. We conclude that the eco-development project has not effectively addressed the most important of the local concerns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]