Birds of the man-made ecosystems: the plantations

One-hectare plots were sampled for bird species diversity in the Uttara Kannada district. These plots represented well-preserved evergreen/semievergreen forests, secondary/moist deciduous forests showing different levels of degradation by man and plantations of teak, eucalypts and betelnut. It was found that the betelnut plantation and the evergreen/semievergreen forests had the least bird species diversity of H'= 2.58 and 2.61 respectively. The eucalypt and teak plantations had H'= 2.69 and 2-92 respectively. In the secondary/moist deciduous forests it ranged from 2.80-3.39. Despite the apparent increase in diversity in the man-modified vegetation types, it was found that there was a gradual displacement of the bird species composition from what was typical to the evergreen forests to those of more urban and scrubby habitats in these man-modified vegetation types. This was particularly so in the eucalypt plantation

Evaluating bird communities of Western Ghats to plan for a biodiversity friendly development

Reconciling development with conservation of biological diversity has emerged as a significant concern in recent years. This has been primarily attempted through establishment of protected areas taken out of mainstream development, and through regulating impacts of major development projects with the help of environmental impact assessment exercises. We believe that these two instruments need to be complemented by continually providing inputs into the biodiversity implications of ongoing development processes (and accompanying habitat transformations) at the landscape and regional level. It is desirable that such assessment of biodiversity implications is based on a transparent, objective methodology which could be used by a wide range of practitioners working with the emerging decentralized processes of development planning. In this paper we outline such a methodology focussing on birds. This involves assigning a conservation value to bird species based on readily available information on their geographical range, habitat preference, endangerment and taxonomic distinctiveness. This may then be translated into a mean composite conservation value for bird assemblages characteristic of different habitat types. By combining this information with that on ongoing processes of habitat transformations, we can provide an assessment of how development processes are affecting biodiversity values. We illustrate this methodology by assessing the conservation value of 586 bird species of Western Ghats, and a sample of bird assemblages of seven major habitat types of the region. We conclude that the most serious loss of biodiversity value arises in the transformation of montane evergreen shola forests/high altitude grasslands into monoculture plantations

Mapping ecologically sensitive, significant and salient areas of Western Ghats: proposed protocols and methodology

The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India (GOI) has been asked to identify ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) along the Western Ghats, and to suggest how to manage them. The concept of ESAs has been extensively discussed in the literature. Several ESAs have been set up in India over the last 22 years under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and a GOI committee under the chairmanship of Pranob Sen has proposed certain criteria for identification of ESAs. However, WGEEP noted that we still lack a global consensus either on the criteria to define ESAs or on a workable methodology to identify them. Furthermore, there are no clear guidelines on the management regime that should prevail in ESAs, and the Pranob Sen Committee has not addressed this issue at all. Hence, WGEEP decided to undertake an exercise of defining ESAs and developing a workable methodology to assign levels of ecological significance/sensitivity as a first step towards putting ESAs on the map of the Western Ghats. This article provides a report on the outcome of a series of discussions and consultations held by WGEEP to build a consensus on defining and mapping ESAs. It hopes to provoke discussion and feedback from a wider section of experts, with the aim of finalizing a generic methodology for mapping ESAs in other ecologically sign ificant, biodiversity-rich areas within and outside the country. We hope to shortly prepare a companion paper that will address the equally vital management issues

Mobilitat

[p.4] Com ens hem de moure?[p.8] Mobilitat, sostenibilitat i solidaritat[p.10] Aprenent a viure d’altra manera[p.14] Sostenibilització curricular: cosa de tots[p.18] Escola-família-barri: nou espai amic[p.20] Universitats sostenibles: utopia inabastable?[p.21] Sa i estalvi[p.40] Ciutats per a cotxes o cotxes per la ciutat?[p.43] El viatge: art i consciència[p.47] Entrevista: Educació política i mobilitat a l’Índia. Ranjit Gadgil[p.50] Explica-m’ho tu![p.54] Entrevista: Ocupació verda per a una societat decarbonitzada. Michael RennerPeer Reviewe

Changes in the Bird Fauna of Uttara Kannada, India, in Relation to Changes in Land Use over the Past Century

The hilly district of Uttara Kannada (13° 55′ N–15° 32′ N Latitude and 74° 5′ E–75° 5′ E Longitude), with an area of 10 200 km2, is one of the most forested tracts of south India, although the total area under forest has been reduced from 80% to 70% over the past century. Excellent documentation of the bird fauna exists from the 1890s and 1980s, with a shorter survey conducted in 1938. An analysis of these three surveys suggests that the size of the total bird fauna has remained constant around 465 ± 20 taxa over this period. However, most of the thirty-one resident bird taxa recorded earlier but not sighted in the recent survey, as well as nine taxa observed only recently, are notable habitat specialists. Only a few of these specialists that have probably been lost over this period are forest birds, the majority being characteristic of the drier cultivation and scrub areas. Recent invaders seem to prefer aquatic ecosystems, and it is suggested that this may be a more general pattern. It is therefore vital that more attention be paid to conservation of the biological diversity of the semi-arid tracts of the Indian subcontinent

A Strategy for Conserving the Biodiversity of the Uttara Kannada District in South India

Taking the various values ascribed to biodiversity as its point of departure rather many years ago, the present study aims at deriving a conservation strategy for Uttara Kannada. This hilly district, with the highest proportion of its area under forests in South India, is divided into five ecological zones: coastal, northern evergreen, southern evergreen, moist deciduous, and dry deciduous. The heavily-populated coastal zone includes mangrove forests and estuarine wetlands. The evergreen forests are particularly rich in the diversity of plant species which they support - including wild relatives of a number of cultivated plants. They also serve a vital function in watershed conservation. The moist deciduous forests are rich in bird species; both moist and dry deciduous forests include a number of freshwater ponds and lakes that support a high diversity of aquatic birds.Reviewing the overall distribution of biodiversity, we identify specific localities - including estuaries, evergreen forests, and moist deciduous forests - which should be set aside as Nature reserves. These larger reserves must be complemented by a network of traditionally-protected sacred groves and sacred trees that are distributed throughout the district and that protect today, for instance, the finest surviving stand of dipterocarp trees.We also spell out the necessary policy-changes in overall development strategy that should stem the ongoing decimation of biodiversity. These include (1) revitalizing community-based systems of sustainable management of village forests and protection of sacred groves and trees; (2) reorienting the usage-pattern of reserve forests from production of a limited variety of timber and softwood species for industrial consumers, to production of a larger diversity of non-wood forest produce of commercial value to support the rural economy; (3) utilizing marginal lands under private ownership for generating industrial wood supplies; and (4) provision of incentives for in situ maintenance of land-races of cultivated plants - especially evergreen, fruit-yielding trees - by the local people.It is proposed that this broad framework be now taken to the local communities, and that an action-plan be developed on the basis of inputs provided - and initiatives taken - by them

Changes in the bird fauna of Uttara Kannada, India, in relation to changes in land use over the past century

The hilly district of Uttara Kannada (13&#176; 55'N-15&#176; 32' N Latitude and 74&#176; 5' E-75&#176; 5'E Longitude), with an area of 10 200 km<SUP>2</SUP>, is one of the most forested tracts of south India, although the total area under forest has been reduced from 80% to 70% over the past century. Excellent documentation of the bird fauna exists from the 1890s and 1980s, with a shorter survey conducted in 1938. An analysis of these three surveys suggests that the size of the total bird fauna has remained constant around 465 &#177; 20 taxa over this period. However, most of the thirty-one resident bird taxa recorded earlier but not sighted in the recent survey, as well as nine taxa observed only recently, are notable habitat specialists. Only a few of these specialists that have probably been lost over this period are forest birds, the majority being characteristic of the drier cultivation and scrub areas. Recent invaders seem to prefer aquatic ecosystems, and it is suggested that this may be a more general pattern. It is therefore vital that more attention be paid to conservation of the biological diversity of the semi-arid tracts of the Indian subcontinent

A strategy for conserving the biodiversity of the Uttara Kannada district in South India

Taking the various values ascribed to biodiversity as its point of departure rather many years ago, the present study aims at deriving a conservation strategy for Uttara Kannada. This hilly district, with the highest proportion of its area under forests in South India, is divided into five ecological zones: coastal, northern evergreen, southern evergreen, moist deciduous, and dry deciduous. The heavily-populated coastal zone includes mangrove forests and estuarine wetlands. The evergreen forests are particularly rich in the diversity of plant species which they support - including wild relatives of a number of cultivated plants. They also serve a vital function in watershed conservation. The moist deciduous forests are rich in bird species; both moist and dry deciduous forests include a number of freshwater ponds and lakes that support a high diversity of aquatic birds. Reviewing the overall distribution of biodiversity, we identify specific localities - including estuaries, evergreen forests, and moist deciduous forests - which should be set aside as Nature reserves. These larger reserves must be complemented by a network of traditionally-protected sacred groves and sacred trees that are distributed throughout the district and that protect today, for instance, the finest surviving stand of dipterocarp trees. We also spell out the necessary policy-changes in overall development strategy that should stem the ongoing decimation of biodiversity. These include (1) revitalizing community-based systems of sustainable management of village forests and protection of sacred groves and trees; (2) reorienting the usage-pattern of reserve forests from production of a limited variety of timber and softwood species for industrial consumers, to production of a larger diversity of non-wood forest produce of commercial value to support the rural economy; (3) utilizing marginal lands under private ownership for generating industrial wood supplies; and (4) provision of incentives for in situ maintenance of land-races of cultivated plants - especially evergreen, fruit-yielding trees - by the local people. It is proposed that this broad framework be now taken to the local communities, and that an action-plan be developed on the basis of inputs provided - and initiatives taken - by them

Assigning conservation value: A case study from India

We assign conservation values to ecological zones, habitat types, and specific localities of the south Indian district of Uttara Kannada on the basis of occurrence of bird taxa. This is a two-step process, assigning values first to individual bird taxa and second to spatial elements based on the occurrence of birds. The attributes of bird taxa considered are geographical distribution at four levels, habitat preference, taxonomic position, and degree of endangerment. The criteria translating the attributes into values are based on the assumption that the rarer, more taxonomically unique, or more endangered the taxon, the more valuable it is. The conservation value of a given bird taxon is thus a point in a seven-dimensional space. We reduce this to three dimensions by using internal correlation and clumping of values. Each spatial element may then be assigned a conservation value based on number of taxa and the total and mean conservation value along the three dimensions. The total values are highly correlated with number of taxa, permitting a simplification of the problem at the level of spatial elements to four dimensions. The analysis provides a basis for assigning specific conservation values to five ecological zones of the district; to fifteen natural, quasinatural, and manmade habitat types; and to 107 specific localities. Our analysis shows that degraded evergreen forests, exotic tree plantations, and urban settlements have low conservation value; the other habitat types considered rank high along one or more dimension. We also identify 12 different sets of 20 localities each that would maximize either the diversity of bird taxa or conservation value along the different dimensions. We thus attempt to synthesize diversity and quality of taxa to generate conservation prescriptions, whereas the existing methods tend to emphasize either rare or endangered taxa or total diversity. Such prescriptions would be one useful input into working out an overall conservation strategy for a geographical region

Mobilitat

[p.4] Com ens hem de moure?[p.8] Mobilitat, sostenibilitat i solidaritat[p.10] Aprenent a viure d’altra manera[p.14] Sostenibilització curricular: cosa de tots[p.18] Escola-família-barri: nou espai amic[p.20] Universitats sostenibles: utopia inabastable?[p.21] Sa i estalvi[p.40] Ciutats per a cotxes o cotxes per la ciutat?[p.43] El viatge: art i consciència[p.47] Entrevista: Educació política i mobilitat a l’Índia. Ranjit Gadgil[p.50] Explica-m’ho tu![p.54] Entrevista: Ocupació verda per a una societat decarbonitzada. Michael RennerPeer Reviewe