Forest Biodiversity, Vol. I

Contents: Foreword. Preface. Forest biodiversity: conceptualization: 1. Biodiversity resources: exploitation, conservation and management/S. Kannaiyan and K. Muthuchelian. 2. Sacred groves: validating the cultural connections to conservation of biodiversity/M.P. Ramanujam. 3. Role of biotechnology in forest genetic diversity conservation/P.E. Rajasekharan. 4. Biodiversity informatics -- a virtual access to global resources/P. Shanmughavel. 5. Bioprospecting and benefit sharing/B.D. Ranjitha Kumari and S. Anitha. 6. Interference of sixth activities in carbon dynamics of forest ecosystem and management options/A.G. Murugesan and C. Sathesh Prabu. 7. Approaches towards low cost harvesting technologies in rubber (Hevea Brasiliensis)/K. Karunaichamy, K.R. Vijayakumar, K.U. Thomas and R. Rajagopal. Region specific forest biodiversity: 8. Eco-development perspectives for the Palani Hills/G. Selvaraj and K. Muthuchelian. 9. Stand dynamics after selective logging in a wet tropical forest of the western Ghats/U.M. Chandrashekara. 10. Reproductive biology of impatients Henslowiana Arn.: a wild ornamental balsam of Ghats/A.K. Sreekala, A.G. Pandurangan, R. Ramasubbu and S.K. Kulloli. 11. Biodiversity and conservation of Eastern Ghats/T. Pullaiah. 12. Management and policy options for conservation of biodiversity of Nampadha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh/R. Sarmah, A. Arunachalam, M. Majumder and D. Adhikari. 13. Ecological studies on plant invasion in two dry deciduous forests in Tamil Nadu/B. Kamalakannan, M. Meenakshi Sundaram and S. Chandrasekaran. 14. Plant diversity and ecology of river Varahi Basin and its environments/K. Kotresha, T.C. Taranath and M. David. 15. Nutritional potential of wild edible plants: a case study from Northern Western Ghats of India/Medhavi Tadwalkar, Uttara Lele, Kedar Champhekar, Shamika Mone, Sarita Bhawalkar and Ankur Patwardhan. 16. Study of sacred groves of Sirumalai Hills in Tamil Nadu/K.M. Rajasekaran, S. Karuppasamy and R. Kumuthakalavalli. 17. Studies on the sacred trees and sacred groves in Tamil Nadu/M.S. Miohan, L. Kamalakannan, R. Jeyaprakash and V. Ramasubramanian. 18. Lymnological role of aquatic plants in Godhuli Pond in Uttara Kannada/K. Kotresha, R.H. Ratageri, T.C. Taranath and G.S. Mulgund. 19. A preliminary survey on the basidiomycetes diversity of Thandikudi Hills of Western Ghats/A. Arun, P. Balaji, P. Samuel Naveen and M. Eyini. 20. Plant diversity status of constructed and sewage polluted pond in Dharwad/R.H. Ratageri and T.C. Taranath. 21. Socioeconomic approach on forest biodiversity and its conservation in Nilgiris/S.P. Kanaga Anbuselvam. Biodiversity protection, conservation and sustainability: 22. Vegetative phenology of tropical dry deciduous forest of Bhadra Wild Life Sanctuary/A. Nanda, H.M. Prakasha and Y.L. Krishnamurthy. 23. Mangrove plant diversity at Coringa Wild Life Sanctuary/K. Henry Jonathan. 24. Comparative analysis of tree species composition, diversity and dominance along a disturbance gradient in tropical dry deciduous forests of Bhadra Wild Life Sanctuary/H.M. Prakasha, A. Nanda and Y.L. Krishnamurthy. 25. Diversity of climbers and Lianas of North Andaman/Asutosh Ghosh and P.K. Mukherjee. 26. Sustainable use of non-timber forest products and conservation of forests biodiversity through participatory management by stake holders: some preliminary observations/P.K. Muraleedharan and K. Sreelakshmi. 27. Status and conservation of some threatened faunal biodiversity of arid Kachchh/S.F. Justus Joshua, Wesley Sunderraj, V. Gokula and Hiren B. Soni. 28. Diversity of threatened flora in selected sacred groves of coastal Kerala/P. Padmanabhan, K.A. Sujana and C. Sivaperuman. 29. Status and conservation of some threatened plant biodiversity of Arid Kachchh/S.F. Justus Joshua, Wesley Sunderraj, Pankaj N. Joshi and S.V. Subba Rao. 30. Forest biodiversity conservation through community seed banks/K. Vanangamudi, T. Saravanan, K. Natarajan and S. Kannan. 31. Sustainable production and conservation of andographics paniculata with Humic acid/V. Pandiyarajan and K. Muthuchelian. 32. Biodiversity and conservation of Pichavaram mangrove/K.C. Ravindran, K. Venkatesan and V. Balakrishnan. 33. Diversity and dominance of Mosses in Bhadra Wild Life Sanctuary/A.M. Sathisha and M. Krishnappa.       

"Biodiversity is the basis of human survival, and economic development as it provides a large number of goods, and services, that sustain our lives. It is the combination, of life forms, and their interactions, with one another, and with the rest of the environment, that has made earth, a unique place for human habitation. In the developing world, biodiversity provides the assurance of food, countless raw materials such as fibre for clothing, materials for shelter, fertilizer, fuel, medicines and other necessities. In addition, biodiversity maintains the ecological balance necessary for planetary and human survival. Besides law enforcing forces and regulations of the governments, it is always better to involve the people in a "Participatory Mode" including tribal people, farmers, ecologists, illiterate villagers for the conservation and protection of biodiversity wealth of our great nation. On the eve of the twenty first century, the challenge for the global community is not to save biodiversity for its own sake, but to ensure that biodiversity is managed and used sustainably and equitably for the human development.

Being brought out in two volumes, they examine the various aspects of forest biodiversity with special focus on the species composition, species diversity, dominance, reproductive biology and a crystal clear paper on the exploitation, conservation and management of biodiversity resources. The reader could get a vast knowledge on the basic aspects of the importance of biodiversity and its conservation. Exclusive papers are presented in these volumes with particular reference to medicinal plants and its conservation. The chapters dealing with medicinal plants includes the distribution pattern of the endemic medicinal plants, genetic diversity among the medicinal plants, threats to the valuable traditional plant community and traditional knowledge systems on the medicinal plants. VAM fungal association on shrubs and trees and its crucial role in the recycling of nutrients in the forest biodiversity has been dealt exuberantly. Some of the papers give a detailed account of the diversity of birds and animals. The role of sacred groves in the conservation of forest biodiversity and the sustainable use of NTFP from the forests gives the readers an excellent platform to gain knowledge on the above two. Finally, with regards to the management of forest biodiversity, exclusive papers on the topics of PBR, IPR, socio-economic aspects and policy options for the conservation of forest biodiversity are elaborately discussed.

The emerging field of biodiversity is filled with full of challenges, opportunities and provides great potential for the upcoming aspiring students, scholars and researchers."