Tropical rainforest bird community structure in relation to altitude, tree species composition, and null models in the Western Ghats, India

Studies of species distributions on elevational gradients are essential to understand principles of community organisation as well as to conserve species in montane regions. This study examined the patterns of species richness, abundance, composition, range sizes, and distribution of rainforest birds at 14 sites along an elevational gradient (500-1400 m) in the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) of the Western Ghats, India. In contrast to theoretical expectation, resident bird species richness did not change significantly with elevation although the species composition changed substantially (<10% similarity) between the lowest and highest elevation sites. Constancy in species richness was possibly due to relative constancy in productivity and lack of elevational trends in vegetation structure. Elevational range size of birds, expected to increase with elevation according to Rapoport's rule, was found to show a contrasting inverse U-shaped pattern because species with narrow elevational distributions, including endemics, occurred at both ends of the gradient (below 800 m and above 1,200 m). Bird species composition also did not vary randomly along the gradient as assessed using a hierarchy of null models of community assembly, from completely unconstrained models to ones with species richness and range-size distribution restrictions. Instead, bird community composition was significantly correlated with elevation and tree species composition of sites, indicating the influence of deterministic factors on bird community structure. Conservation of low- and high-elevation areas and maintenance of tree species composition against habitat alteration are important for bird conservation in the southern Western Ghats rainforests.Comment: 36 pages, 5 figures, two tables (including one in the appendix) Submitted to the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (JBNHS

Design and Development of Bamboo Information System

Bamboo with thousands of species in the world, growing in a wide variety of soil and climatic conditions, plays an important role in providing livelihood, and ecological and food securities to mankind. The fastest-growing capacity of bamboo makes it a valuable sink for carbon storage. It prevents soil erosion and creates an effective watershed by binding soil along fragile riverbanks, deforested areas and in places prone to landslides. Recognizing the immense potential of bamboo and its socio-economic values, a number of international and nation agencies worldwide have came forward to support bamboo research and development. For the success of such programmes, information is a vital input. The availability of the right type of information at right time can trigger new directions in research, development and managerial action. But data on prior research are now widely scattered in different systems, formats and languages. The coordination and integration of information sources and systems have become a priority for bamboo research and development. The present study attempts to evaluate the present status and to prepare a plan for developing an international bamboo information system to integrate research and development in the sector. A prototype of web based bamboo information system also is developed and tested as part of the study

Design and Development of Bamboo Information System

Bamboo with thousands of species in the world, growing in a wide variety of soil and climatic conditions, plays an important role in providing livelihood, and ecological and food securities to mankind. The fastest-growing capacity of bamboo makes it a valuable sink for carbon storage. It prevents soil erosion and creates an effective watershed by binding soil along fragile riverbanks, deforested areas and in places prone to landslides. Recognizing the immense potential of bamboo and its socio-economic values, a number of international and nation agencies worldwide have came forward to support bamboo research and development. For the success of such programmes, information is a vital input. The availability of the right type of information at right time can trigger new directions in research, development and managerial action. But data on prior research are now widely scattered in different systems, formats and languages. The coordination and integration of information sources and systems have become a priority for bamboo research and development. The present study attempts to evaluate the present status and to prepare a plan for developing an international bamboo information system to integrate research and development in the sector. A prototype of web based bamboo information system also is developed and tested as part of the study

Ultrasonic Velocity and other Parameters in Sulphuric Acid-Sodium Hydroxide Solutions

Ultrasonic velocity, adiabatic compressibility and refractive index have been determined in aqueous sulphuric acid=sodium hydroxide mixtures at different concentrations. Variation of these parameters with composition of the mixture was studied with a view of fix the end points of neutralization

The Determination Of K ISCC Of Mild Steel In Hot Caustic By Using Small Circumferential Notched Tensile (CNT) Fracture Toughness Specimens

A new technique for rapid and cost-effective determination of stress intensity factor (K I) and fracture toughness (K IC) using small circumferential notch tensile (CNT) specimens is presented and used to determine the crack growth rate of an ex-service component. The paper highlights the scope and advantages of extending this technique for assessing the susceptibility of ferrous alloys to stress corrosion cracking (SCC). A modified CNT testing rig is designed and constructed based on an existing room temperature sustained load crack testing rig by adding facilities for testing SCC susceptibility at different temperatures. The new testing rig simplifies and speeds up the testing procedure as well as provides considerable cost advantage over the conventional fracture mechanics techniques. The paper also presents results of the SCC tests carried out on mild steel (AISI 1020) using this modified CNT rig

Ungkapan Emosi Masyarakat Dalam Bahasa Minangkabau Di Nagari Tanjung Bingkung Kecamatan Kubung Kabupaten Solok

This researchdone to describe (1) the form of expression of emotions angry, sad, and happy in the Minangkabau language used in Nagari Tanjung Bingkung Subdistrick Kubung Regency Solok, (2) the context in which the expression of emotion angry, sad, and happy in the Minangkabau language in Nagari Tanjung Bingkung Subdistrick Kubung Regency Solok.This research is a qualitative study using descriptive methods. Object of this study is the expression of emotion in the language of Minangkabau Society inNagari Tanjung Bingkung Subdistrick Kubung Regency Solok. Analyzed data taken with the following steps: (1) transcribe data from various sources into written language, that is, from the recorded data, interviews, and observations, (2) inventaritation shape emotional expression and context, (3) classify forms of emotional expression and context, (4) analyzing the data collected, and (5) formulating the research findings. Based on these results, it is concluded that there are three expressions of emotion in the Minangkabau language in Nagari Tanjung Bingkung Subdistrick Kubung Regency Solok, namely: (1) there are 41 angry expressions of emotion expression, (2) there are 37 sad emotion expressions, (3) the expression of emotion happy there are 30 expressions. (a) The speaker ofthe old manto the young menathomeandin the shoptend touse the expression ofthe emotion of angry, anjiang example; sad emotional expressions panduto example, ibo; happy emotional expression example bauntuang, (b) young male speakers toold menathomeandin the shoptendto use the expression of emotion angry batele, tenggen example; sad emotional expression example ibo; happy emotional expression cadiak example, (c) male speakers to male a geathomeandin the fieldtend touse angry emotional expression example pantek andekang; expression of emotion sad example ndak disangko; happy emotional expression example sanangnyo, (d) older women speakers to the young women at home and in the shoptends tousel esssample wrote angry emotions; sad emotional expression exampl epadiah; expression happy emotion barasaki example, (e) young women speakers to the old woman in the house and in the shoptend touse the expression of emotion angry kalera example; expression of emotion sad example basalahan; emotion excited expression baruntuang example, (f) to women age women speakers at home and installstendto use examples ofnervousemotion of anger; sad emotional expressions are not encounteredin the study investigators; expression of emotion excited sanang example

Establishment of Kerala Agricultural University Campus Wide Information System and Network: Feasibility Report

A Feasibility Report prepared by Centre for Agricultural Informatics in 1995 on establishing a Campus Network for Kerala Agricultural University’s (KAU) main campus (at Vellanikkara, Thrissur) and a state-of-the art Electronic Data Complex in its University Library premises. For the dissemination of topical awareness and global information to those in agricultural sector of the State, KAU needs to build a Campus LAN and state-of-the art Agricultural Digital Library and Data Complex within its central library. This can become a show case of the electronic age in agriculture and allied disciplines and will promote, propagate and catalogue the agricultural economy that India is so dependent on. The data complex will be a cached repository of agricultural information available worldwide, besides acting as a data silo for research forums, concurrent research, electronic publishing and global bulletin boards. The scattered campuses of KAU and allied institutions also need to be linked through electronic bridges that enable spontaneous exchange of information between the agricultural Diaspora of students, faculties, researchers, extension workers and administrators. The report covers mandate of the proposed system, detailed discussion on computer and communication stack that KAU Campus Wide Information System and Network needs, the architecture prescription, network design, MultiStack and DEChub 900 options available, host environment, financial terms, implementation methodology, installation support continuum, network synthesis and integration, systems engineering support, time frames and the administrative arrangements required. Open Network, with Protocol Switching and Networked Systems Management based on Digital's enVISN Networking Architecture and Enterprise Management Solutions is recommended. Detailed Technical literature and specifications of each and every item of computer and communication stack and solution recommended is appended to the report. Even though the report was prepared in 1995 it can be of interest for critical studies on history of ICT development in India especially in agricultural sector and for comparison of quality of systems and recommendations of a specific time in the past

The eigenspectra of Indian musical drums

In a family of drums used in the Indian subcontinent, the circular drum head is made of material of non-uniform density. Remarkably, and in contrast to a circular membrane of uniform density, the low eigenmodes of the non-uniform membrane are harmonic. In this work we model the drum head by a non-uniform membrane whose density varies smoothly between two prescribed values. Using a Fourier-Chebyshev spectral collocation method we obtain the eigenmodes and eigenvalues of the drum head. For a suitable choice of parameters, which we find by optimising a cost function, the eigenspectra obtained from our model are in excellent agreement with experimental values. Our model and the numerical method should find application in numerical sound synthesis

Kinetics & Mechanism of Formation of Chromium(III) Phosphate Complexes from Tetraaquomonomalonatochromium(III) Cation & Orthophosphoric Acid

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