Reconciling natural history and species ecology: Myristica beddomei (Myristicaceae) in the Western Ghats, India.

Natural history is an important component of any ecological or conservation research. Very often this is not given adequate attention, and observations on the genera or species are often generalized to other, supposedly similar, congeneric species. In this study, we document the natural history of fruit-frugivore interactions of Myristica beddomei (Myristicaceae) found in the mid-elevation evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, India, and determine how different these interactions are compared to other Myristicaceae species. M.beddomei has a single hard seed covered by an orange-yellow aril. Species of Myristicaceae are usually dispersed by large frugivorous birds, and also by primates in the Neotropics. In South Asia, Myristicaceae dispersal is usually by large birds such as hornbills, but our observations over several years indicate that M. beddomei is not bird-dispersed, even though some fruit traits suggest bird dispersal. Our observations suggest that obligate seed predators like macaques and squirrels can facilitate dispersal of the species. We discuss these observations and explore why such outliers might have evolved in the regio

Conservation amidst political unrest: the case of Manas National Park,India

Across the world there exists a large overlap of biodiversity hotspots with areas experiencing high levels of sociopolitical and ethnic conflicts, making the impacts of such activities a critical factor for long-term conservation of biodiversity in these regions1. India is no exception with many forested areas, including protected areas, experiencing conflicts of varying intensity owing to numerous complicated issues ranging from cultural identity to socio-political and environmental security. Such conflicts not only act as a major impediment to scientific monitoring, protection and management in the biodiversity-rich areas, but also lead to abuse of wildlife and natural areas by conflict parties and opportunistic elements in the absence of adequate protection and monitoring forces. Therefore, in the collective interest of biodiversity conservation, a greater challenge perhaps lies in devising new ways and methods to conserve landscapes in strifetorn areas, where emotions are often charged up and conservation of biodiversity does not figure among the immediate priorities

Bird, flowers and pollination ecology

The recent paper by Atluri et al.1 provides some interesting information on the pollination ecology of Helectresisora. Information on bird flowers, their visitors and their pollination ecology are few from the sub-continent and this paper is a welcome addition to our knowledge of such systems. However, there are a few major errors in the paper that need to be addressed. The most glaring of these is the identification of the bird pollinator. The authors refer toQuaker babbler (Alcippe poioicephala) as one of the pollinators, but according to Figure 1 d in the article, it appears that the bird is the white-headed babbler (Turdoises affinis). The two are very different birds. T. affinis is bigger with a broader bill that can closely fit an H.isora flower, while A. poioicephala is a small bird and its bill and forehead do not fit the flower as closely as T. affinis. Consequently, pollination efficiency may be different between the two species. Misidentification can have important implications when it comes to conservation and in no case should betaken lightly, especially when the pollinators can be identified by proper use of field guides

Dispersal modes of tree species in the wet forests of southern Western Ghats

Dispersal modes of tree species in a wet evergreen forest at Kakachi in the Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, southern India are described here. Frugivore visitors to 82 tree species were observed. Biotic agents involved in seed dispersal and seed predation were six species of birds and five species of mammals. Birddispersed species were the most common species (59%), followed by mammal-dispersed species (26%). Primates were less important than bats and civets in seed dispersal. Fifteen per cent of the species had no apparent adaptation for abiotic dispersal (mechanically dispersed) except one wind-dispersed species. Many bird-dispersed species occurred at low density but the total density of bird-dispersed species compares with that of mammal and mechanically dispersed species. Edge or gap habitat species were less abundant than the closed forest ones in all three types of dispersal modes. Species level comparison with other wet forest sites indicates a high degree of similarity between Kakachi and La Selva in central America

Eastern Ghats tragedy: If the mines don’t get them… the dams will

“We hunt the leopard. I can show you how we track them too,” said the Konda Reddi tribal villager. We were at Villarthi village, in a remote forested stretch between the towns of Upper Sileru and Donkarayi in the northern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam district. Across the border lay Odisha. Historically this region supported a rich floral diversity, but in recent decades the Eastern Ghats have largely been ignored in favour of other hill regions across India. The rediscovery of the Indian golden gecko Calodactylodes aureus and the Jeypore ground gecko Geckoella jeyporensis, earlier presumed locally extinct has caused some resurgence of public interest, but not enough to make a significant difference. Several researchers have begun to study the faunal diversity of this incredible region, but the hazards confronting this landscape seem almost insurmountable

Sacred fig trees promote frugivore visitation and tree seedling abundance in South India

While sacred groves (forest fragments protected for religious reasons) are widely acknowledged to have a beneficial effect on biodiversity conservation, the ecological benefits of individual sacred trees remain unknown. Fig trees are present as sacred trees in humandominated landscapes across South Asia and are considered keystone species for wildlife in tropical forests. If frugivores continue to visit fig trees in disturbed landscapes, they may deposit seeds of other tree species beneath fig canopies, ultimately facilitating forest regeneration. We studied whether sacred fig trees in Tamil Nadu, India can facilitate seed dispersal in human-dominated landscapes. We quantified abundance of sacred fig trees at the study site, assessed whether seed-dispersing frugivore visitation to fig trees is affected by human disturbance, and compared tree seedling density beneath fig trees and open areas. We found that some species of frugivorous birds and bats will visit large fig trees in conditions of high human disturbance and that tree seedling density is significantly higher under sacred trees compared to open areas. By promoting frugivore activity, sacred fig trees may have a beneficial effect on biodiversity conservation in human-dominated landscapes

Biodiversity regain in abandoned tea plantations

India is the largest tea-producing country in the world and contributes 33% of the global tea production1. Much of this tea comes from the biodiversity hotspots in the northeastern regions and the Western Ghats. Due to market fluctuations, increasing costs of production and lease expiry, many coffee, tea and cardamom plantations have become unviable for active management, resulting in labour unrest2. In Thiruvananthapuram division of Kerala alone, 536 ha (55%) of the total 969 ha of the planted area was abandoned 3. This has important consequences for biodiversity conservation and livelihoods

Of the hunter and the hunted

Ramadevara Betta in Ramanagara is home to the critically- endangered long-billed vulture. But tourism and widlife photography seem to be doing a lot of harm to the region’s birdlife. The Forest Department’s recent announcement to turn the area into a vulture sanctuary could help

Employment, Income and Labour Supply Decision of Rural Households : An Economic Analysis of MGNREGS in Tamil Nadu

In India, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGMGNREGS) is one of the major rural development programmes. It provides guaranteed employment to the rural households for 100 days in a year. This paper has attempted to find out the employment status, income and labour supply decision of the participants and non-participants of MGNREGS in Tamil Nadu. It has also studied the household nutritional security of these households. The study has revealed that the number of migrants in the family, number of livestock units owned, and number of person-days employed in agriculture, nonagriculture and MGNREGS are significantly influenced by the household income of the participants and non-participants of MGNREGS. The analysis of household food-security has shown that the expenditure for all commodities, viz. leisure, cereals, pulses, oils, fruits & vegetables, milk, chicken and fish are positive and significant in the case of MGNREGS participants, whereas the expenditure variable is significant only for two commodities, viz. cereals and oils in case of MGNREGS non-participants. It shows that the MGNREGS participants consume more high-value commodities like milk, chicken and fish, as compared to MGNREGS non-participants. The labour supply decision of sample respondents has shown that the elasticity of labour supply with respect to wage rate is more than one in both participants and non-participants of MGNREGS, indicating that an one per cent increase in wage rate increases labour supply by 1.92 per cent and 2.36 per cent, respectively. In addition, as the number of dependents increases, the household increases labour supply to derive additional income to meet the increased household expenditures. An interesting and encouraging observation is that the scheme has reduced the migration of people from rural to urban areas.MGNREGS, employment, income, labour supply, Agricultural and Food Policy, J21, J22, H23, I31,