Management of Biological Diversity of Indian Forests : With Special Reference to Southern Forest Types

Contents: Preface. 1. Physiographic divisions of Southern India. 2. Climate. 3. Morphology and floristics of forest vegetation. 4. Forest ecological concepts. 5. Forest ecological adaptations. 6. Dynamics of forest vegetation. 7. Ecological status of Montane temperate Shola and grassland. 8. Montane temperature Shola floristics and resuscitation. 9. Forest vegetation classification. 10. A critique of a revised survey of the forest types of India - 1968 (Champion and Seth). 11. An overview of Southern Forest types. 12. Forest tribes of South India. 13. Sanctuaries, National Parks, Zoos. 14. Biosphere reserves. II. 15. Genetic, species, ecosystem diversity. 16. Geographic, genetic influences on biodiversity. 17. Concept of extinction and practicality of application. 18. Climate change, environment, biodiversity. 19. Anthropogenic activities on biodiversity. 20. Biodiversity hotspots, ecoregions, protected areas, endemism. 21. The Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992-Kyoto Protocol, 1997 - millennium ecosystem assessment, 2005 - Global biodiversity outlook, 2006-UN climate change conferences (Bali, 2007, Copenhagen, 2009). 22. Carbon credit, emissions trading, clean develop mechanism. 23. Bioprospecting, biopiracy, patents, juridical status of biological diversity. 24. Biodiversity action plan, habitat and species. 25. Biodiversity expertise for better forest management. 26. Forest legislations, Biological Diversity Act, 2002, National Biological Authority. Appendixes. Index. About the author.

Forests are the home of biological diversity in terrestrial areas, biological diversity is the feedstock for biotechnology and plant, animal and fish breeding enterprises. The present book by Mr. Kondas contains a comprehensive account of forest habitats and ecological adaptations, classification of vegetation and the biodiversity of South Indian forests. The book brings out clearly the richness of flora and fauna of the forests of Peninsular India. The book also gives an account of the threats to biodiversity including habitat destruction and invasive alien species. There is also a discussion on the role of biodiversity in meeting the challenge of global warming and climatic change. The various international agreements to conserve biodiversity adopted at Rio de Janeiro in 1992 are described.