Sighting of Eurasian griffon, Gyps fulvus and conservation of vultures in North Madhya Pradesh, India
February 2010
Vultures, nature’s most efficient scavengers, are on the verge of extinction. Nine species of vultures were recorded from the Indian sub-continent, of which, five belong to the genusGyps while the others are monotypic. Historically, and until recently, the White-backed vulture Gyps bengalensis, Long-billed vulture Gyps indicus and Slender-billed Gyps...
Pollination: A threatened vital biodiversity service to humans and the environment
January 2010
Pollination is one major biodiversity service that cannot be adequately quantified economically yet the variety of approaches nature has engaged to accomplish it is hardly appreciated. In this review, the types and agents of pollination, faunal and floral architectural and behavioural adaptations and special rare cases of pollination syndromes are highlighted. Anthropogenic roles that have resulted of...
Vegetational diversity along an altitudinal range in Garhwal Himalaya
January 2010
Four forest habitats varying in different vegetation were studied along an altitudinal range of 1900-2200 m called low elevation forests. These forests were close to human habitation with high disturbance. A total of 209 plant species were recorded out of which 29 were trees, 50 shrubs, 102 herbs, 11 climbers, 7 epiphytes, 4 pteridophytes, 3 bryophytes and 3 parasites. Maximum tree species were recorded...
Germplasm conservation of patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth.) by encapsulation of in vitro derived nodal segments
December 2009
Encapsulation of in vitro derived nodal segments of patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth.) was done successfully by employing sodium alginate gel. Among various concentrations of sodium alginate tried to optimize the strength of the bead, 4% sodium alginate produced firm beads and showed the highest percentage of shoot emergence (73.3%). The best storage temperature was found to be 25°C. The...
Ecology and conservation needs of nymphalid butterflies in disturbed tropical forest of eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, Assam, India
December 2009
We examine the hypothesis, whether the diversity of Nymphalid butterflies in primary forest is related to vegetation structure and canopy openness and that this relationship differs between butterfly taxa in relation to phylogenetic differences in light and shade preferences. The study also examines whether the increasing diversity of butterflies in degraded tropical forest is associated with the loss of...
Insect biodiversity in Kuwait
December 2009
Natural causes, together with the deliberate destruction of the environment with the objective of forcing political, military and means of civilization have resulted in great deterioration of the environment. The insect fauna of Kuwait has suffered from such destructions, resulting in some becoming extinct, while others are threatened with extinction from Kuwait desert, however, others still flourishing. This...
Agricultural biodiversity for food and nutrient security: The Kenyan perspective
November 2009
Agricultural biodiversity is the first link in the food chain, developed and safeguarded by indigenous people throughout the world and it makes an essential contribution to feeding the world. Kenya has an estimated 35,000 known animal, plant and micro-organism species. Ancient Kenyans participated in farming, hunting and gathering to acquire a variety of foods and they also utilized insects as sources of...
In vitro embryogenesis and marker guided analysis of podophyllum hexandrum: An endangered medicinal plant
November 2009
For in vitro embryogenesis, excised embryos germinate within a week of inoculation on Murashige and Skoog basal medium supplemented with different concentrations of Plant growth regulators, BA (1.0 - 4.0 mg/l) and IAA (0.5 - 2.0 mg/l). Basal medium with BA concentration (0.5 mg/l) and IAA (1.0 mg/l) showed better results than other combinations and was therefore adopted for further studies. The...
Population structure and abundance of Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich) Hochst subsp. birrea in two contrasting land-use systems in Benin
October 2009
The importance of indigenous fruit tree species for people living around protected areas is widely acknowledged. There is then a need to assess their conservation status in the current context of increasing human population and pressure around reserves. We investigated the population structure of Sclerocarya birrea, a multiple-use tree species in two land use systems in Northern Benin....
Correlation of molluscan diversity with physico-chemical characteristics of water of Ramsagar reservoir, India
October 2009
Molluscan diversity, seasonal variations and their correlation with the physico-chemical characteristics of Ramsagar reservoir has been done during March, 2003 to April, 2005. A total of 13 species of molluscs were recorded in the reservoir. Out of which Melania (Plotia) scabra, M. scabra var elegans, Melania striatella and Faunus ater belong to family Melaniidae, Vivipara dissimilis to family Viviparidae, Zootecus...
Forestry extension: Implications for forest protection
September 2009
The 21st century is faced with the challenges of environmental conservation, population explosion, desertification, soil erosion, pollution, other environmental threats and increased use of science and technology. It would therefore, be vital to strengthen research and education in forest and environmental protection to equip the public and the rural inhabitants adequately for survival. This review up...
Access and benefit sharing from biological resources and associated traditional knowledge in the HKH region - protecting community interests
September 2009
After the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) came into force in 1993, access to genetic resources, fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of biological resources and traditional knowledge become an important agenda. All the Himalayan countries are party to CBD and are in different stages of developing access to genetic resources and benefit sharing (ABS) policies and laws. There are ongoing...
The effect of terracing on rainwater harvesting, regeneration and growth of Juniperusus procera Hochst. ex Endlicher on the Sarawat mountains in south western Saudi Arabia
September 2009
The present study was conducted in two forests in Abha (Capital of Asir Region) and two forests in Al Namas (130 km north of Abha), south western Saudi Arabia (Asir region) with the objective of investigation of the effect of terraces on rainwater harvesting and growth of Juniperusus procera Hochst. ex Endlicher. Study plots were established in four forests, two of which contained maintained terraces and the...
Invasive alien species in Northern Bangladesh: Identification, inventory and impacts
September 2009
Identification, inventory and impact assessment of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in different land use types in five districts of Bangladesh was made. In this extensive survey of more than 100 transects, a total of 21 most abundant species of herbaceous weeds have been recorded. From these, seven invasive alien species, Ageratum conyzoides, Eichhornia crassipes, Eupatorium odoratum, (Chromolaema odorata.) Ipomoea carnea,...
Impact of Ageratum conyzoides L. on the diversity and composition of vegetation in the Shivalik hills of Himachal Pradesh (Northwestern Himalaya), India
September 2009
The flora of the Shivalik hills of Himachal Pradesh, India is under threat due to the rapid invasion of invasive species. Invasive species means an alien species, which becomes established in natural or semi-natural ecosystems and threatens native biological diversity. In their new regimes they show diverse life forms, habit, morphology, reproductive biology, grow fast, have the ability to grow under...
Present status of Ramsar sites in Nepal
September 2009
Wetlands cover significant area in Nepal. However, these wetlands are highly under pressure from adverse anthropogenic and natural factors, keeping associated biodiversity under threat. Few wetland inventories have been carried out in Nepal, so the total coverage of wetlands in Nepal is yet to be explored. Nine wetland sites of Nepal are included in Ramsar List till 2009. This article provides a review of...
Tamarinds' (Tamarindus indica L.) niche tree species diversity characterisation reveals conservation needs and strategies
September 2009
Recently, farmers in East Africa and some other African countries, with technical and research support from government, FAO and World Agroforestry Centre, prioritized tamarind conservation and product development to support livelihood diversification. Just like for most tropical trees; because of past low priority and research neglect, no conservation strategies were yet in place for tamarind. Knowledge on...
Modeling habitat suitability for Grey Crowned-cranes (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps) throughout Uganda
September 2009
Grey Crowned-cranes occur throughout the mixed wetland-grassland habitats of Eastern and Southern Africa. Due primarily to loss of habitat, however, the species is in swift decline over much of its historic range. We present a prediction of habitat suitability throughout Uganda using a Maxent modeling approach, combining presence-only field data collected over the last few decades (1970 - 2006) with remote...
Mapping the extend of seagrass meadows of Gulf of mannar biosphere reserve, india using IRS ID satellite imagery
September 2009
Gulf of mannar marine biosphere reserve is the first of its kind in India and also in south east Asia. It extends from Rameswaram in the north to Tuticorin in the south. GOM is having a chain of 21 islands running almost parallel to the mainland. These areas are endowed with a combination of ecosystems including mangroves, seagrasses and coral reefs. Remote sensing techniques offer a wide range of...
The response of a landscape species, white-lipped peccaries, to seasonal resource fluctuations in a tropical wetland, the Brazilian pantanal
August 2009
Local extinctions of white-lipped peccary, due to habitat fragmentation and hunting, have been reported throughout its vast geographical range. Recent studies have shown that their role as fruit predators and dispersers affects the biodiversity of certain forest habitats. Fruits may be reduced in deforested habitats, so documenting fruit availability and use is critical to peccary conservation efforts...
In vitro callus initiation of a ‘threatened’ Nigerian leafy vegetable, Gnetum africanum (WILW)
August 2009
Gnetum africanum is a green leafy vegetable found in Nigeria, where it is a highly valued food source. Stocks of this plant in the wild are increasingly threatened by land transformation and harvesting methods are unsustainable. In vitro callus initiation of G. africanum has been developed. The surfaces of 3 to 4 day old leaf explants were sterilized before exposure to a...
Environmental quality in the park of Naples hills (Italy) before the opening of Chiaiano’s dump (Naples)
July 2009
The metropolitan Park of Naples hills (Italy) was instituted by the regional law 17/2003 with the aim of the green area’s safeguard of the city hills. However, in consequence of the waste emergency in the Campanian region, the Italian government decided the opening of a dump in Chiaiano, a quarter located inside the Park. Through the utilization of the birds as bioindicators, we studied the...
Using nestedness and species-accumulation analyses to strengthen a conservation plan for littoral forest birds in south-eastern Madagascar
July 2009
The littoral forests of south-eastern Madagascar are among the most threatened ecosystems on the island. A conservation plan has been developed for the region due to a proposed mining venture. Here, we provide a novel methodology to assess if the planned conservation measures would effectively conserve the bird diversity inhabiting these forests. Bird community composition within 30 littoral forest fragments...
Floristic composition, structure and natural regeneration in a moist semi-deciduous forest following anthropogenic disturbances and plant invasion
June 2009
The floristic composition, structure and natural regeneration were studied in three 50 x 50 m plot each in undisturbed, disturbed-invaded and disturbed forests (UF, DIF and DF respectively) of the Tinte Bepo forest reserve. A total of 108 plant species belonging to 37 families, 77 genera and 8 life forms were identified in all the forest blocks. Trees represented the most diverse life form. Celtis...
Plant species diversity in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don.) plantations in the Western Guilan, Iran
June 2009
The purpose of this study was to quantify plant species diversity in three plantations composed of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) (two stands) and Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) (one stand) species, located in western Guilan, Iran. Sampling procedure was systematic-random method, and with regard to the homogeneity of plantations 20 sampling plots were taken in each plantation and the surrounding natural forest. The...
Factors shaping on-farm genetic resources of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) in the centre of diversity, Ethiopia
June 2009
Ethiopia is cited as one of the centres of sorghum diversity. In order to assess the on-farm genetic resources management of sorghum various research methodologies were employed. These were focus group interviews with 360 farmers, key informant interviews with 60 farmers and development agents and semi-structured interviews with 250 farmers. Besides, diversity fair was done with over 1200 farmers. For...
Model of Serbian spruce genetic diversity conservation applying MPBS method for adaptability improvement
May 2009
Biodiversity loss causes are variable, interactive and rather anthropogenic. Genetic variability, between and within species, has multiple fundamental values. Forest ecosystem diversity has an important role in evolution, selection and improvement processes aiming at the satisfaction of human needs. Serbian spruce (Picea omorika PanÄ./Purkyne) is an endemic species of the Balkan Peninsula and a tertiary...
An assessment and impact of three invasive species in the Shivalik hills of Himachal Pradesh, India.
May 2009
The Shivalik hills in Northwestern Himalayan range of India have a rich floral diversity. Unfortunately during the last two decades there has been drastic reduction in the diversity of the natural vegetation. The available niches have been occupied by invasive exotic species that were either introduced or have entered accidently. It has resulted from a numbers of factors including increased inter and...
Wildlife habitat selection and sustainable resources management in a Neotropical wetland
May 2009
The identification of key habitat types for wildlife is an essential step to plan and promote sustainable land management strategies. Private cattle ranches occupy most of the Brazilian Pantanal and the recent intensification in land use practices is thought to threaten wildlife. Using encounter rates from transects, landscape use and habitat selection of the community of medium to large-sized mammals was...
Page 14 of 14, showing 29 records out of 679 total, starting on record 651, ending on 679
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