Balancing conservation planning and mitigation: perspectives from a case study of the Asiatic lions

Diverse, often inter-disciplinary, approaches have been proposed to advance the conservation of lions (Panthera leo) and their natural habitats. The IUCN guidelines for the conservation of lions in Africa call for effective national policies at all scales, and legal frameworks with specific Action Plans preferably at a regional/population level, to achieve the goals of lion conservation while also planning for the equitable distribution of costs and benefits amongst local communities. However, general approaches must be tailored to specific circumstances, so here we provide an overview of the factors relevant to the particular case of Asiatic lions (p.l.leo). Taking stock of what has contributed to the remarkable recovery of these lions from the brink of extinction, we provide readers with background understanding of the steadily growing lion population in Gujarat, India. We focus on the management challenges that have arisen during the past two decades during which lions have increasingly moved, and dispersed, beyond the Gir Protected Area (Gir PA). We illustrate how the positive intersection between cultural predisposition, regulatory frameworks, and management interventions have contributed to this accomplishment. Despite the apparent history of success, the currently fruitful intersection of these factors are in fact dynamic and, to remain positive, need continuous review and adaptation. We highlight how mitigations that may strongly foster conservation when applied in moderation may be counter-productive in excess and also go on to evaluate the extent to which some of the lessons learnt can be generalised

Averting biodiversity collapse in tropical forest protected areas

The rapid disruption of tropical forests probably imperils global biodiversity more than any other contemporary phenomenon¹⁻³. With deforestation advancing quickly, protected areas are increasingly becoming final refuges for threatened species and natural ecosystem processes. However, many protected areas in the tropics are themselves vulnerable to human encroachment and other environmental stresses⁴⁻⁹. As pressures mount, it is vital to know whether existing reserves can sustain their biodiversity. A critical constraint in addressing this question has been that data describing a broad array of biodiversity groups have been unavailable for a sufficiently large and representative sample of reserves. Here we present a uniquely comprehensive data set on changes over the past 20 to 30 years in 31 functional groups of species and 21 potential drivers of environmental change, for 60 protected areas stratified across the world’s major tropical regions. Our analysis reveals great variation in reserve ‘health’: about half of all reserves have been effective or performed passably, but the rest are experiencing an erosion of biodiversity that is often alarmingly widespread taxonomically and functionally. Habitat disruption, hunting and forest-product exploitation were the strongest predictors of declining reserve health. Crucially, environmental changes immediately outside reserves seemed nearly as important as those inside in determining their ecological fate, with changes inside reserves strongly mirroring those occurring around them. These findings suggest that tropical protected areas are often intimately linked ecologically to their surrounding habitats, and that a failure to stem broad-scale loss and degradation of such habitats could sharply increase the likelihood of serious biodiversity declines.Keywords: Ecology, Environmental scienc

Small mammal communities of tropical forest habitats in Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary, southern India

Small mammal communities were studied in four tropical habitats (dry thorn, dry and moist deciduous, and semi-evergreen forests) in Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, southern India. Species composition, community structure, and population variables of small mammals in these habitats were examined. The relationship between small mammal community structure and select habitat variables was also examined. Six species of rodents and one insectivore were represented by 396 captures of 195 individuals out of a total of 7,425 trap nights (5.3% capture rate). Small mammals showed distinct distribution patterns across habitat types. Community structure, species richness, species diversity, relative abundance, and biomass varied across habitats, with each type having a different dominant species. Cremnomys blanfordi, which was the most abundant species, comprised 39%, Mus platythrix 29%, Rattus rattus 12%, M. musculus 9%, Tatera indica 5%, Suncus montanus 5%, and Platacanthomys lasiurus 1% of captures. Deciduous forest habitats supported the highest abundance and biomass of small mammals. However, based on the distinct distribution patterns, all four forest types are believed to be important for maintaining the local diversity of small mammal populations. Small mammal abundance was positively correlated with habitat heterogeneity. Although the community structure of small mammals is broadly determined by habitat structure, the specific microhabitat preferences of individual species could not be determined from these data

Thermomechanical analysis of 0.94Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-0.06BaTiO3/ZnOcomposites usingfinite element method

Object-orientedfinite element (OOF2) analysis has been carried out on composites constituting of 0.94Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3(NBT-6BT) matrix phase and ZnO inclusions (4%, 7.5%, 10.78%, and 14% byvolume). The effect of ZnO inclusions on the thermomechanical properties of NBT-6BT is investigated andthe results are compared with theoretical methods. The thermal stress and strain variation are analyzedunder the homogeneous and heterogeneous temperature conditions as a function of volume fraction ofthe inclusions. The residual stresses localized at the NBT-6BT/ZnO interface are evaluated using the realmicrostructure of the composite (SEM micrographs), thus providing an actual spatial distribution ofstress in the material. In the case of a gradient temperature application, orientation of the grain alsovaries the stress concentration. Based on the above, the depolarization temperature of the composite canbe further improved if the ZnO nano-wire/nano-rods are used instead of ZnO nanoparticle/powder(depending on the orientation of nanowire). Further, the elastic loading conditions mimic the experi-mental response and as expected, material failure initiates at the pores thus validating the model

Conservation Management of the Endangered Asiatic Lions in Gujarat, India, Using GPS Satellite Telemetry

Endangered Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica) are found in the Asiatic Lion Landscape, Gujarat, which includes protected areas and a multi-use land matrix. Therefore, monitoring lions’ space-use and spatio-temporal location is vital for managing various facets of human−lion interaction. Our study demonstrates how this was achieved by tracking lions using GPS radio-collars, triggering prompt action via an efficient communication network across political and forest administrative boundaries. We monitored the movement of 19 individual lions for 436.5 ± 32 days and also derived the mean daily activity from three-axis accelerometer-based activity-sensing feature of a radio-collar. We also monitored geofence breaches. We proposed that immobility and movement are two aspects that generate management action on the ground. While the movement is related to ranging and dispersal, immobility is a situation related to either the animal’s feeding or its health status. From a management standpoint, we discussed the efficacy of the virtual geofence in preventing accidents when lions moved and also presented the advantages of being able to track dispersal through a case study of sub-adult lions. To strengthen our response to lion immobility, we developed a predictive model that specifically highlights an individual lion’s health status and makes the alert response more precise. In conclusion, we critically reviewed the capabilities provided by GPS telemetry and provide protocols that help in the conservation management of lions and that will also have a wider application

<span style="color:black;mso-bidi-language:HI">Synthesis of 2-(aryl methylene)-(1<i>H</i>)- indane- 1, 3-(2<i>H</i>)-diones as potential fungicidal and bactericidal agents </span>

1572-1575Reaction of diethyl phthalate 1 and ethyl acetate 2 in the presence of sodium metal and ethanol affords indane-1, 3-dione 3, which have been <span style="color:#1A1A1A; mso-bidi-language:HI">substituted at C-2 position with different aromatic aldeh<span style="color:#1A1A1A; mso-bidi-language:HI">ydes 4, to yield their respective ar<span style="color:#1A1A1A; mso-bidi-language:HI">yl derivatives of indane-1,3-dione 5a-h. <span style="color:black; mso-bidi-language:HI">The<span style="color:#1A1A1A;mso-bidi-language: HI">se derivatives are evaluated for their antifungal and antibacterial activity. The structures of all the compounds are determined by IR, 1H NMR and mass s<span style="color:black; mso-bidi-language:HI">pectrometry. </span