Glimpses of biodiversity in the Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve, the first Community Reserve of Kerala

Biodiversity is the mainstay of ecosystem services and functions and supports the livelihood of millions of people. Sustainable utilization and conservation of our rich biological diversity is a prerequisite for human survival. India is a megadiverse country and with only 2.4% of the world’s geographical area, it accounts for 7 to 8% of all recorded species. Our country is a signatory to various international instruments focussing on matters of biodiversity, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The country has an obligation to protect our rich biological diversity and is one of the leaders in having established a comprehensive legal and institutional system to achieve the objectives of the CBD. Expansion of India’s Protected Area (PA) network, including ‘Conservation and Community Reserves’ is one of the important action points of the National Biodiversity Action Plan of our country. The Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve which lies in the Malabar region is the first Community Reserve of Kerala and is known for its rich biological diversity. Endowed with dense mangrove forests and mudflats, the Community Reserve is an abode to a large number of avian fauna, including many migratory species. Fishing and ecotourism have been the mainstay of income generation for many local inhabitants of the Community Reserve. Considering the ecological significance, diversity of wetland avian fauna and the burden of heavy anthropogenic pressures, the Kadalundi estuary was officially declared as the ‘Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve’ in October, 2007. Bio-inventorying and documentation of biodiversity is invaluable for the wise use of our ecosystems and the sustainability of biological resources. This publication is an outcome of a detailed study conducted by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in collaboration with the Kerala State Biodiversity Board to document the rich biodiversity of the Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve and to assess the economic value of the various ecosystem services rendered by the Community Reserve. The publication provides an insight in to the diversity of plankton, seagrass, mangroves, mangrove associates, avian fauna, molluscs, crustaceans and finfishes of the Community Reserve with an overview of the economic value of the ecosystem services. The various threats faced by the Community Reserve and meaningful options for the conservation and sustainable management of the Reserve is also highlighted in this document

The jackal, Canis aureus Linn.: A note on some variations

Volume: 95Start Page: 108End Page: 10

കടലുണ്ടി-വള്ളിക്കുന്ന് കമ്മ്യൂണിറ്റി റിസർവ്വ് മേഖലയിലെ ജൈവ വൈവിധ്യം- ഒരവലോകനം

കേരളത്തിലെ ആദ്യത്തെകമ്മ്യൂണിറ്റി റിസർവ്വ