Biodiversity Conservation and Legal Aspects

Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Medicinal and aromatic plant resources of North-East India/Pranab Bujarbarua, Mihin Dollo and Prabat Sen. 2. Protected areas and biodiversity conservation in Arunachal Pradesh/D. Adhikari, R. Sarmah, M. Majumdar, A. Arunachalam and K. Arunachalam. 3. Current biodiversity  conservation problems in Manipur and suggested policy remedies/S. Singsit. 4. Insecticidal plants of Manipur/L. Dhanapati Devi. 5. Studies on the diversity of the Macrophytes in Awangsoipat Lake (Bishnupur), Manipur, India/L. Geethabali Devi and B. Manihar Sharma. 6. Biodiversity and conservation status of fresh water fishes of Manipur/Ch. Basudha and N. Samarjit Singh. 7. Bamboo resources of Manipur/Th. Sobita Devi and Th. Brojendra Singh. 8. Application of remote sensing in identification, evaluation and mapping of vegetation in Barak Basin, Manipur/R.K. Chingkhei and Arun Kumar. 9. Biodiversity and humankind/R.S. Ambasht and Navin K. Ambasht. 10. Biodiversity : a review of the international scenario/A.K. Kandya. 11. Biodiversity of air-borne microbes/Karuna S. Verma. 12. Microbial diversity - estimation and exploitation/Debananda Ningthoujam. 13. Biodiversity of rice in North Eastern Region of India/R.P. Borkakati, K.N. Bhagabati and K. Borkakati. 14. Biodiversity of bamboo in the North East India/Madhumita Barooah, K.N. Bhagabati and H.K. Changmai. 15. Gender dimensions in conserving biodiversity/Asha Gupta. 16. Herbaceous Flora Diversity along Anthropogenic gradients in Manipur/Asha Gupta. 17. Implementing CBD-Mechanisms Control Benefit Sharing/Mohan Gupta. 18. Biodiversity in Meitei Puyas - the ancient Manipuri Holy Texts/M. Kirti Singh. 19. Role of judiciary for the protection of wildlife/M. Ibohal Singh. 20. Biotechnological interventions for the conservation and sustainable utilization of Tree Bean genetic resources/Robert Thangjam and Rohini Kumar Singh Maibam. 21. Traditional system of preserving eco-system in Manipur/R.K. Ranjan Singh. 22. Biodiversity of Mononchids : a predatory group of Nematodes in Manipur/N. Mohilal. 23. Investigations on the floating grasslands of Keibul Lamjao National Park, Manipur, I--Life-form diversity and distribution/Daisy Angom. 24. Ethno-medico-botanical study of Rongmai Naga of Cachar District of Assam, India/B.I. Choudhary, Asha Nath, A.R. Barbhuiya, S. Choudhary and M.D. Choudhary. 25. Biodiversity Conservation Information System : a consortium/Th. Purnima Devi. 26. Biodiversity and indigenous knowledge/Shashi Prabha Gupta. Author index. Abbreviation index.

"Biodiversity is an irreplaceable resource therefore its extinction is always for ever. This is the reason, patenting of biodiversity of any region is being permitted nowadays under Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to curb the genetic piracy as biodiversity originates at the molecular level and DNA, the only living molecule is the first level of biodiversity. It is the index of variety of nature and comprises every form of life, from the tiniest microbes to the mightiest beasts and gigantic trees. It exists at gene, organism and ecosystem levels.

In the present book, various dimensions of biodiversity, viz. historical, ethno-medico-botanical, socio-economical, cultural, structural, legal, conservational and gender related etc. have been discussed by various experts of different fields. Status of biological diversity in forests, wetlands, croplands and specialized areas like the floating grasslands of Manipur, National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, agrestal and ruderal sites and other protected areas has been described at length. Thus, the book will be equally useful to specialists, teachers, students of environmental sciences, life sciences, planners, policy makers and administrators. It gives a good insight of several aspects of biodiversity exemplifying various natural phenomena of NE Indian regions." (jacket)