NUFU - Kathmandu Universityku.edu.np/env/MRMCE-2012/Abstract_program_booklet.pdf · (MRMCE 2012)...

International Symposium on MOUNTAIN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT (MRMCE 2012) Park Village Resort, Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu, Nepal. May 29-31, 2012

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PROGRAM & ABSTRACT BOOKLET

International Symposium on

MOUNTAIN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT (MRMCE 2012)

May 29-31, 2012

Venue: Park Village Resort, Budhanilkantha,

Kathmandu, Nepal

NUFU


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Symposium Secretariat: Aquatic Ecology Centre, School of Science, Kathmandu University

GPO Box 6250, Kathmandu, Nepal; Fax: +977-11-661443 or E-mail: [email protected]

Organizing Institutions: Kathmandu University Dhulikhel, and

Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Pokhara Scientific & Technical Committee: Chair: Mohan Krishna Balla, Tribhuvan University,Institute of Forestry, Nepal Co-Chair: Bishal K. Sitaula, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway Executive Members: Subodh Sharma, Kathmandu University, Nepal Ridish Pokhrel, Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Nepal

Rijan Bhakta Kayastha, Kathmandu University, Nepal Bed Mani Dahal, Kathmandu University, Nepal Chhatra Mani Sharma, Kathmandu University, Nepal Shalu Adhikari, Kathmandu University, Nepal Logistics and Local Hospitality: Chair: Bibhuti Ranjan Jha, Kathmandu University, Nepal Co-chair: CP Upadhayaya, Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Nepal Executive Members: Sameena Mumtaz, Karakoram International University, Pakistan Krishna Raj Tiwari, Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Nepal Rosha Raut, Kathmandu University, Nepal Sabita Aryal, Kathmandu University, Nepal Sandeep Shrestha, Kathmandu University, Nepal

Rabindra Pokhrel, Kathmandu University, Nepal Finance & Administration: Chair: Roshan M. Bajracharya, Kathmandu University, Nepal Co-chair: Smriti Gurung, Kathmandu University, Nepal Members: Sanjay Nath Khanal, Kathmandu University, Nepal Kumud Raj Kafle, Kathmandu University, Nepal Organizing Secretary: Sameena Mumtaz, Kathmandu University, Nepal Conference Venue: Park Village Resort, Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu, Nepal Main Sponsor: Himalayan University Networking Project, NUFU, Norway

mailto:[email protected]


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International Symposium on

Mountain Resource Management in a Changing Environment

May 29-31, 2012

Venue: Park Village Resort, Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu

PROGRAM

Day 1 – 29 May 2012

07:30 – 08:30 - REGISTRATION

Day 1 -- Opening Session

Time Topic / Title Speaker

08:40 Opening by Guest of Honour

08:45 Welcome and brief background on project Dr. R.M. Bajracharya

08:50 Brief comments by Norwegian collaborator Dr. B.K. Sitaula

09:00 Key note address: 'Soil organic matter management for sustainable production and climate change mitigation'

Prof. Dr. Rattan Lal, Director Global Carbon Management Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

10:00 Remarks by Guest of Honour

10:10 – 10:30 Tea/Coffee Break

Day 1 -- Session 1 [Chairperson: Prof. Rattan Lal]


10:30 Forest Resource Management, Sustainable Development and Environment: A Case Study in Reserve Forests of Sivasagar District, Assam, India

Borah A.C.

10:55 Assessing Carbon Stock from Shree Dhaneswori Mayaltar Community Forest

Pradhan B.M., Manandhar M. and Gosai K.R.

11:20 Impact of Invasive Broussonetia papyrifera on the diversity of Understorey Vegetation of Dry Deciduous Forest in the Lower Shiwalik Region of North Western Himalayas, India

Batish D.R., Negi A, Priyanka, Surabhi, Singh H.P. and Kohli R.K.

11:45 Understanding Environmental and Social Change in the Himalaya using Photo Elicitation Methods

Nyaupane G.N.

12:10 Plant Bioactive Benefiting Sericulture Industry Singh R.

12:35 – 13:30 LUNCH BREAK

Day 1 – Session 2 [Chairperson: Dr. John Galbraith]


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13:30 Potential Income of community forests From Forest Carbon Sequestration (A case study of Mahottary district, Nepal)

Dutta I.C., Mandal R.A. and Acharya N.

13:55 Enhancing the sensitization of Natural Resource Management through Agriculture intensification in Middle Mountain region of Nepal

Tiwari K.R., Balla M.K., Pokharel R.K. and Sitaula B.K.

14:20 Diversity and the significance of bacteria associated with root-nodule of selected leguminous plants in Bangladesh

Hossain M.Z. and Lundquist P.O.

14:45 Forest, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Carbon Sequestration in an Indian Tropical Forest

Tripathy P., Chitale V.S. and Behera M.D.

15:10 Important Medicinal Plants of Sub-Himalayan region in high altitudes of Bageshwar District of Uttarakhand

Paliwal A. K., Prabhakar C.J., Paliwal D. P., Dixit V., Kanta C. and Kumari D.


Day 1 – Session 3 [Chairperson: Prof. M.K. Balla]


16:00 Assessing Spatial Vulnerability for Landslide Threat in Hilly Areas of Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India

Ganapathy G.P., Rao D. and Sekar S.K.

16:25 Cyanolichen genus Peltigera in India: Diversity and Ecological Preferences

Khare R., Rai H., Upreti D. K, Nayaka S., Gupta R. K.

16:50 Conservation of natural resources through ‘socio-cultural-religious practice’: A glimpse of Sacred Groves of Himachal Himalayas in India

Narta U.K.

17:05 Diversity and distribution pattern of alpine vegetation along Kukush Lake (Langer-Shandur valley) in Northern Pakistan

Mashwani Z.R., Khan M.A., Ahmad M. and Ullah Z.

18:30 – 20:30 - WELCOME RECEPTION DINNER


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DAY 2 – 30 May 2012

Day 2 – Session 4 [Chairperson: Dr. Bibhuti R. Jha]


08:20 Global Challenges and Need for Integrating wisdom and Personal Transformation in the University Curricula

Prof. Bishal K. Sitaula, Noragric, University of Life Sciences, Norway (Special Lecture)

09:00 Conserving Water: Mountain Forests hold the Key for the SAARC Region

Lal A.K.

09:25 Tribal’s practices in natural forest resources management of Western Ghats (India) and traditional knowledge for climate change adaptations

Paimpillil J. S.

09:50 Distribution of Costs of Pesticide Use by Household Economies Atreya K., Sitaula B.K. and Bajracharya R.M

10:05 Assessment of fertilizer policy, farmers’ perception and implications for future agricultural development in Nepal

Raut N., Sitaula B.K., Vatn A., and Bajracharya R.M.


Day 2 – Session 5 [Chairperson: Dr. Bed Mani Dahal]


11:00 Ecotourism, natural resource conservation and livelihood generation: issues for mountain and hill regions with a special focus on Bangladesh

Huq S.M.M.

11:25 Management of Socio-economic impact on upstream Population of Upper Hunza, Pakistan, after 2010 Attabad Disaster

Durrani S.A.K. and Ali K.

11:50 Sustainable Pasture Management In Zeravshan Valley, Tajikistan: Solving Problem Of Fodder Scarcity By A Better Management Of Ecosystem Services

Avazov S.

12:15 Hydroelectric Projects and Livelihood Issues of Tribals: A Case Study of Kinnaur District of the Himalayan State of Himachal Pradesh, India

Thapliyal R. and Jreat M.

12:40 – 13:40 - LUNCH BREAK

Day 2 – Session 6 [Chairperson: Dr. Bishal K. Sitaula]


13:40 Gender and Natural Resource Management in Indigenous Communities of Chittagong Hill Tracts

Das S.

14:05 Soil Environmental Quality Assessment in Naturally Rehabilitated Alluvial Soil Dumps of Raniganj Coalfield

Kumar S., Chaudhuri S. and Maiti S.K.

14:30 Land use influence, Slope aspect and Seasonal Dynamics of soil Macrofauna in mid-hills of Nepal

Begum F., Bajracharya R.M., Sharma S., Sitaula B.K.

14:55 Soil Lichens: Surrogates of Land Use and Grazing Gradients in Himalayan Alpine Grasslands (Bugyals)

Rai H., Khare R., Upreti D. K., Gupta R.K., and Nag P.


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13:20 – Tea/Coffee Break

15:30 – Poster Session I [Day 2, 15:30 onwards]

Evening – free time/city visit/shopping [Dinner on your own]

Day 3 – 31 May 2012

Day 3 – Session 7 [Chairperson: Dr. Subodh Sharma]


08:20 Burying Black Carbon (Char): Moving Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere to Stable Soil Compounds

Dr. John Galbraith, Viginia Tech, USA (Special Lecture)

09:00 Assessment of heavy metals in determination of groundwater quality of Nira basin, Pune District- Maharashtra

Gokule A. S., Gunale V. R., Kusurkar R. S.

and Nissa Z.

09:25 Impact of dredging on macrozoobenthic community in Dal lake Srinagar, Kashmir. India

Mushtaq B., Yousuf A.R., Raina R., Wanganeo A., Bhat S.U. and Jehangir A.

09:50 Availability of Water Resources in Two small Watersheds in the Dieng Highland of the Central Java, Indonesia

Kusratmoko E., Munir A., Setiawan A. and Suwarsono

10:15 Primary production dynamics of three dominant macrophytes in Wular Lake, a Ramsar site in Kashmir Himalaya

Dar N.A., Hamid A., Hussain A., Bhat S.U., Ganai B.A and Pandit A. K.

10:40 – Tea/Coffee Break

Day 3 – Session 8 [Chairperson: Prof. Chiranjibi Upadhyay]


11:00 Low mercury concentrations with extremely low biomagnification rates in commercial fish species of Lake Phewa, Nepal

Sharma C.M., Kang S., Zhang Q., Pan K., Li Q., Wang X., Huang J., Sharma S.

11:25 Water Quality Assessment of Vishav Stream, Kulgam, Kashmir Using Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Hamid A., Dar N.A., Hussain A., Bhat S. U. and Pandit A.K.

11:50 Glacial lakes as sentinels of climate change in Central Himalaya, Nepal

Thakuri S., Salerno F., Smiraglia C., D’Agata C., Viviano G., Emanuela C. Manfredi, Tartari G.

12:15 Ecological Health Assessment of High Altitude Wetland Ecosystem Through Biological And Physico-Chemical Indicators In Dirlay Lake Astore Gilgit Batistan Pakistan

Baig J., Begum F., Khan B., Mumtaz S. and Imran

12:40 – 13:40 - LUNCH BREAK


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Day 3 – Session 9 [Chairperson: Dr. Roshan M. Bajracharya]


13:40 Storage and sequestration potential of organic carbon in agriculture lands of lowland Nepal

Adhikari S., Bajrachraya R.M. and

Sitaula B.K.

14:05 Seasonal Influence on Air Pollution in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal Majumder A. K., Bajracharya R.M.,

William S. C. and Nazmul Islam K. M.

14:30 Riverbed Extraction and Physico-Chemical Parameters of Tinau River, Nepal

Dahal K.R.

14:55 Change Detection in Harangi Watershed using Multi-temporal Satellite Imagery

Ramesh H.

15:20 Climate change impacts and adaptation by the community in the Haor basin of Bangladesh

Chakraborty T. R.

15:45 – Tea/Coffee break

16:00 - Poster Session II [Day 3, 16:00 onwards]

19:00 – CLOSING CEREMONY & DINNER

Day 4 [June 1, 2012]

07:00-0:45 Breakfast

08:00 – Optional field visit (hiking in the Shivapuri National Park) or Visit to Pashupati Nath

Temple, Kathmandu

1:00 – 2:00 Lunch

Departure of participants


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Key Note Lecture

Soil Organic Matter Management For Sustainable Agronomic Production and

Climate Change Mitigation

R. Lal Carbon Management and Sequestration Center

The Ohio State University Columbus OH 43210 USA

E-mail: [email protected]

The acceptance of 2°C increase in the global temperature as a limit necessitate identification and implementation of viable options to reduce and sequester the anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHGs). With business as usual, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 may increaseto a level with drastic consequences to the environment, ecosystem services and human wellbeing. The anthropogenic emission can be reduced by enhancing the terrestrial C pools. The latter comprise twodistinct but related components: the pedologic C pool (4000 Pg to 3-m depth) and the biotic pool (620 Pg comprising both live and the detritus material). Thus, the soil C pool is ~5 times the atmospheric pool, and 6.5 times the biotic pool. Soils of most agroecosystems are severely depleted of their soil organic C (SOC) pool. The magnitude of depletion (25 to 75%of the antecedent and 30-40 Mg C/ha) depends on land use history, climate, soil type, farming systems and the management. Soils mismanaged over a long time by the use of extractive farming practices are severely depleted of their SOC pool, are prone to a range of degradation processes, and thus have a large C sink capacity. The depleted SOC pool can be restored by conversion to a restorative landuse and adoption of recommended management practices (RMPs). The latter are those which create a positive soil C budget, reduce emissions from farming operations (e.g., tillage, use of fertilizers and pesticides, pump irrigation), and minimize risks of soil erosion, nutrient and SOC depletion etc. Important among RMPs are conservation agriculturewith mulch farming and cover cropping, use of complex rotations including agroforestry, adoption of integrated nutrient management in conjunction with biological N fixation and recycling of plant nutrients as fortified by rhizobial and mycorrhizalinoculations, fertigation with drip sub-irrigation, and creation of disease suppressive soils through improvement of rhizospheric processes. The SOC pool must be enhanced to above the threshold level of 1.5 to 2.0% in the surface layer of most soils of agroecosystems. The rate of SOC sequestration in most cropland soils ranges from 100 to 500 kg C/ha/yr with a total global sequestration potential of 0.4 to 1.2 PgC over 50 to 100 years. Increasing SOC pool in the root zone by 1 Mg/ha can increase agronomic production by 30 to 300 kg/ha of grains depending on crop and soil types. The potential of C sequestration in the terrestrial biosphere is estimated as equivalent to a drawdown of 50 ppm of atmospheric CO2 over a century. Restoration of SOC pool is essential to enhancing numerous ecosystem services including global food security, climate security, water security, and enhancing biodiversity. The widespread adoption of RMPs may necessitate implementation of policies which involve payment for ecosystem services.



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Special Lecture

Global Challenges and Need for Integrating wisdom and Personal Transformation in the University Curricula

Bishal Sitaula

Department of International Environment and Development Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1430 Ås, Norway E-mail: [email protected]

The materialism, consumerism, and, severe erosion of human values are widespread problems for our planet. Naturally, materialism will increase consumerism because extreme materialism creates greed, attachment, ego etc, which eventually leads to severe depletion of natural resources. A sense of collectivity and co-existence is becoming something which is only seen in books. It is obvious that education which is not turned into wisdom in the end creates various form of consumerism and collectively leads to different form of global crises. Therefore any global challenges should be understood in linked context as they are rather complex phenomena influenced by different factors and processes following the law of dependent origination as web of life are connected. The growing need for interdisciplinary work across the natural, social and noetic/yogic science demands that each achieve some common understandings about current and emerging global crises as multidimensional issues and in linked contexts. Among others, to understand this better, one must first of all identify the linkages between environmental problems that deeply rooted in human greed and its manifestation in various forms such as biodiversity losses, climate change and land degradation. All these three major components of global environmental challenges are linked together in a complex cybernetics network of feedbacks. If one component is altered, it will produce a change in the other components in more complex way than presently understood. To address these problems at their source will require understanding of human desires and how this can be balanced using yogic science for personal and social transformation. There are international initiatives for enhancing coordination between the individual/social behaviours and the links between climate change, biodiversity and desertification. There are also research challenges for unfolding the linkages between environment and security, particularly between environmental causes, such as natural disasters, water shortages and famine, and their effects on the security of people and societies. The issues of global food challenges and environmental degradation leading violent conflict are a recent focus of scientific investigation. One of the effects of environmental degradation is the large displacement of people creating a large flux of environmental refugees. All these linked problems require a rarely seen collaboration among scientists and spiritual masters. Therefore, science of wellbeing including noetic/yogic/consciousness-based spiritual sciences coupled with environmental science appears are quite essential in the present time. The quest is how to tailor such course curricula in universities that effectively establishes the memory of wholeness in students who will a part of solution in “Being”, “Thinking” and “Doing” for addressing global environmental challenges.



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Special Lecture

Burying Black Carbon (Char): Moving Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere to

Stable Soil Compounds

Galbraith J. Virgnia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA

E-mail: [email protected] Black carbon forms from incomplete combustion of carbon-containing materials, and is found in the atmosphere and all solid surfaces of the world. Black carbon has two main fractions: aerosol soot and particulate char. The char forms by pyrolysis where the available oxygen is very limited during combustion, releasing gases, liquid, char and (carbon-free) ash. Char produced from pyrolysis of biologic materials is called biochar. Biochar may be produced from a variety of biologic materials, including biofuels and agricultural or yard waste (coffee bean or rice husks, cut branches from palm, banana, shade trees, tea, or coffee, tall grasses such as miscanthus, bamboo, corn stalks, straw, manure, or compost). Biochar retains the much of the physical structure of the source material but is reduced in moisture, density, sizeand weight. The biochar is a source of CEC and the pH tends to be neutral. The empty tubes, cavities and structures inherited from the source material provide very high surface area and strong capillary suction. Sustainable benefits as a soil amendment in soils that are acid, low in cation exchange capacity, or have a low available water-holding capacity include: capture of nitrates and possible reduction in nitrous oxide emissions, raising of soil pH, increased available water, microsites to house beneficial microbes, roots and hyphae, Increased CEC, decreased Al-toxicity, lowered bulk density, and longer-term carbon-storage. However, fine char is light-weight and must be pelletized with a binder for feasible spreading and to prevent inhalation and loss from wind erosion. Only the fine particles (colloids) move down easily into the soil, so the biochar should be incorporated near the plants to be benefitted, similar to band application of fertilizer. Biochar in pure form is not fertile and microbes rapidly remove the labile carbon, therefore a source of fertility should be mixed with the biochar before pelletizing or briquette-making. Sustainable, renewable sources of fertility include vegetable compost, urine, effluent and manure from free-ranging animals raised without excessive metals and hormones and antibiotics. The number of kg∙ha-1 needed to completely change the soil chemistry in farm fields or forests would be too thick to incorporate in one year, so spot applications or small plots make more sense. A few logical uses of pelletized char-fertility mix include adding a scoop under a seedling during planting and later as an annual fertilizer, or mixing in 50% by volume with the soil in community and home gardens. The use of biochar as a soil amendment has long-term advantages, because the carbon is known to persist for several hundreds to a few thousands of years in soils. Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methaneare released during pyrolysis, but this can be minimized by slow burning at lower temperatures (400°C). Since carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere only 10-200 years, mining the atmosphere of carbon through photosynthesis, using slow, cool pyrolysis to convert it to biochar, and burying it in the soil for thousands of years makes good sense as a way to offset current greenhouse gas emissions.



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DAY 1

SESSION 1


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Forest Resource Management, Sustainable Development and Environment: a

Case Study in Reserve Forests of Sivasagar District, Assam, India

Borah A.C.

Department of Geography, Nazira College, Sivasagar, Assam E-mail: [email protected]

The state of Assam has a rich forest cover encompassing nearly a quarter of its land area. The whole region is a part of global bio-diversity hot-spot and also a part of two endemic Birds area i.e. Eastern Himalayan and Assam plain. It has widely differing habitats. In the Eastern and Southern area of the state there are tropical wet evergreen forest occur, mainly the parts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Jorhat, N.C. Hills Cachar and Hailakandi district. In spite of this, the ecosystem of the forest area becoming gradually worse day by day because of the anthropogenic factors like cutting of trees, land encroachment, human settlement and due to the lake of awareness of people, it is become threatening to the life of plants and animals, gradual degradation and reduction in the diversity of wild life. Studies revealed that, the forest here continue be deforested and deteriorated under the impact of rising unsustainable long harvest, poor management, small tea cultivation, shrinkage of forest area, the wild species are gradually disappearing from the district. Degradation of environment has become a global concern today. In the name of development, economic and scientific, man has played simply a role in the destruction of nature. The adverse impact of human activities on nature has created an ecological imbalance causing pollutions, acid rains, depletion of ozone layer etc. This has posed a serious threat to human existence. For existence our immediate need is a better ecological understanding so as to minimize the environmental disturbance. We need to formulate the principle to co-exist with nature. We need to know the controlled use of natural resources. The reserved forests are integral part of the wild life. A herd of wild elephants comprising about 70 to 80 numbers almost regularly inhabit here. Representative patch of most unique Assam Tropical Evergreen Forest comprising some notable species such as Hollong, Mekai, Sam, Sopa, Gonsoroi, Hollock, Urium etc. Home for myriads of wild mammals such as leopards, civet cats, jungle cat, clouded leopard, and jackal. Barking deer, pangolin, different arboreal animals such as rhesus macaque, Assamese macaque, slows Lorries, giant squirrel, etc. The reserve forests are also rich with reptiles such as Indian python, king cobra, viper, rat snake, krait, different turtle, etc. and with avifauna such as adjutant storks, open billed stork. Lapwing, hornbills, minivet, emerald dove, oriole, tree pie, falcon, eagle, drongo, bulbul, different kingfisher, hill myna, etc. Plays an important role on soil conservation and maintains water cycle in the surrounding area through which water availability in the steams and rivers remain perennial in the area. But such habitats decrease day by day resulting the lost of biodiversity. In this background, an attempt has been made here to study the present trend of biodiversity in this R.Fs. The main objectives of this study were to present status of the Reserve Forest of the district; to identify the threatened wild life of these Reserve Forests and to suggest the possible measures for conservation, propagation and sustainable management of bio-resources. The study is based on data collected from primary and secondary sources. Prime emphasis is given to primary data. Secondary data are obtained from District Forest Office and journals published from time to time, Economic survey of Assam, District at a glance, Sivasagar, and other published and unpublished articles. Primary data are collected through field survey.



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Assessing Carbon Stock from Shree Dhaneswori Mayaltar Community Forest

Pradhan B.M. *1, Manandhar M.1 and Gosai K.R.2 1*Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal.

2Khowpa College, Bhaktapur, Nepal *E-mail: [email protected]

Forests are natural carbon sink and play an important role in sequestration of the atmospheric carbon into biomass and soil. Estimation of total biomass and soil carbon sequestered in any community forest is very important as it gives ecological and economic benefits to the local people. Forest land use plays a significant role in stabilizing the accumulation concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Terrestrial ecosystem, in which carbon is retained in above ground biomass, under ground biomass in soil which plays an important role in the global carbon cycle. The study was carried out to estimate the carbon stock of Shree Dhaneshwori Mayaltar Community Forest of Ugratara Janagal VDC-8, Kavre. Altogether 149 trees and 10 soil samples was taken for research. A total 43% of the dry biomass of trees was taken as organic carbon content. Walkey-Black method was used for calculating Soil Organic Carbon (SOC). The aboveground biomass of Shree Dhaneshwori Mayaltar Community Forest was 472.37 t/ha, root biomass was 70.85 t/ha, Soil Organic Carbon was 36.20 t/ha, and average carbon content of the CF was 269.7934 t/ha. The above ground biomass organic carbon was 203.12 t/ha and below ground biomass organic carbon was 66.67 t/ha.



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Impact of Invasive Broussonetia papyrifera on the diversity of Understorey Vegetation of Dry Deciduous Forest in the Lower Shiwalik Region of North

Western Himalayas, India

Batish D.R.1,*, Negi A.1, Surabhi P.2, Singh H.P.2 and Kohli R.K.1

1Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India 2Department of Environment Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India

*E-mail: [email protected]

World over, there is growing concern regarding the negative impacts of invasive plants on the native biodiversity. However, there are only a few quantitative studies in this regard. A study was conducted to make a quantitative assessment on the diversity of floor vegetation in the dry deciduous forest invaded by Broussonetia papyrifera (Paper Mulberry, Moraceae), a fast invading tree species of these forests. In comparison to the uninvaded adjoining forest (to serve as control, referred to as BC), an alteration in the composition of floor vegetation in the Broussonetia invaded area (BI) was observed. In general, there was reduction in the number of species in the B. papyrifera invaded forests compared to control. In contrast to 34 species in BC, there were only 11 species in BI registering a reduction of 68%. Further, there was a significant reduction in the alpha diversity of species in BI compared to BC indicating that only a few (possibly resistant to change in area in response to B. papyrifera) remain in the invaded area. Besides, the indices of richness (depicting numerical strength of the flora) and evenness (pattern of distribution) were also reduced in the invaded sites compared to control. An increase, however, was observed in index of dominance indicating further a decline in the species diversity in BI compared to BC. A negative correlation was observed between the increasing density of Broussonetia trees in the forest and diversity (number of different types of species) of understorey species. All these observation clearly indicate that invasion of Broussonetia has a serious impact on the local flora found under the canopy of natural dry deciduous forests. For its restoration, an effective ecological approach should thus be adopted in order to reverse this impact.



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Understanding Environmental and Social Change in the Himalaya using Photo Elicitation Methods

Nyaupane G.P.

Senior Sustainability Scientist Arizona State University, USA

E-mail: [email protected] There is a plethora of research on environmental and social change in the Himalaya. However, most of these studies are guided by the western epistemology, in which local knowledge, values, traditions and perceptions are considered less important than so called “scientific knowledge.” This study aims to investigate how locals and outsiders view social and environmental changes differently using photo elicitation methods. The data for this study was collected using historic photographs representing various human and environmental changes in the Khumbu (Mt Everest) region of Nepal as stimuli in two photo sorting tasks (multiple sort and Q sort). The multidimensional scaling models of multiple sort data revealed two major dimensions of changes including physical and cultural landscape, and internal and external change. The Q sort data shows that there are differences between local residents and outsiders. Local residents’ and outsiders’ perspectives differ on modernization and how the environment is viewed. Locals’ perceptions of environmental change are guided by a utilitarian view, whereas outsiders’ perceptions are guided by aesthetic values. Findings of the study have implications on academic debate and policies on sustainable development in mountain regions.


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Plant Bioactive Benefiting Sericulture Industry

Singh R.

Chemistry Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun -2468006, India E-mail: [email protected]

In Dehradun Valley sericulture is subsidiary occupation. Only two crops are being practiced by the Sericulturist of the area. Rearers are facing the problem of shortage of leaf quality and quantity during V stage of silkworm larvae, which leads to poor harvest of cocoons, resulted in low returns to the farmers. These problems are mainly due to adverse effect on the physiology of the silkworm and can be dealt through regulation in the physiological process. Some weeds are reported to have the insect growth regulatory effect (hormonal) on growth and development and uniform maturation in silkworm without any adverse effect on economic traits. Achyranthes aspera (Family: Amaranthaceae) occurs as a weed throughout India. Recently we have isolated and characterized three oleanolic acid glycosides from A. aspera. The

structures of these compounds were elucidated as 3-O- -L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 4)- -D-

(glucopyranosyl uronic acid) - Oleanolic acid [A], 3-O- -L-rhamnopyranosyl- (1 4) - -D-

(glucopyranosyl uronic acid)- Oleanolic acid-28-O-- -D-glucopyranoside [B], 3-O- -L-

rhamnopyranosyl- (1 4)- -D-(glucopyranosyl uronic acid)- Oleanolic acid-28-O- -D-

glucopyranosyl (1 4)- -D-glucopyranoside [C], Spinasterol [D], Stigmasterol [E], α-Spinasterol

acetate on the basis of 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 2D NMR, MS spectral data and -sitosterol by direct comparison with an authentic sample. Literature survey reveals that no report was found on growth, development and maturation in silkworm, Bombyx mori L on treatment with the extractives of roots and leaves of A. aspera. We have developed a novel green formulation from A. aspera and tested at Sericulture Research Station, Sahaspur, Dehradun, India on Bombyx mori L at rearing house. This is an important aspect of the research work not dealt earlier in literature.



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DAY 1

SESSION 2


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Potential Income of community forests From Forest Carbon Sequestration (a case study of Mahottary district, Nepal)

Dutta I.C.1*, Mandal R.A.2 and Acharya N.3

1Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu 2REDD cell, Ministry of Forest and Soil conservation, Kathmandu

3Institute of forestry, Pokhara, T.U. *E-mail: [email protected]

The community forest users have been managing and generating income from selling the forest products such as timber, firewood, grasses and Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) but they are unknown about the potential value of forest carbon being sequestered by forest vegetation. Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation has major focus on forest carbon trade. The present paper deals with potential income from Forest Carbon. The above ground and below ground forest carbon stock including soil carbon and potential value of forest carbon stock change in Community Forests (CFs) were assessed. The data were collected from three community forests namely Indrakali, Newar Danda Kami Danda and Kalidamar CFs. The stratified random sampling was applied to collect biophysical data. The height and diameter at breast height, were of trees were measured with the help of Clinometer and diameter tape respectively. The collection of sample of other C pools and soil samples were collected from each strata in these CFs. The above and below ground biomass was calculated. The root carbon was calculated by using the conversion factor. Soil samples were analyzed in lab for soil organic carbon determination. The data were analyzed1 by using simple statistics. Total C stock of three CFs was calculated as 115027.959 tons. The average annual increment of carbon stock was found 1.25 ton /ha which is equivalent to 4.52 tons CO2 per ha. The potential monetary value was found US $22.91 per ha at the minimum rate of US $5/ton. This showed the additional potential income that can be claimed for carbon trade for community forest users besides the income they are generating from sale of forest products to fulfill their basic needs.



19

Enhancing the sensitization of Natural Resource Management through Agriculture intensification in Middle Mountain region of Nepal

Tiwari K.R. 1*, Balla M.K. 1, Pokharel R.K. 1 and Sitaula B.K. 2

1Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University Pokhara Nepal. 2 Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway


A study was conducted in the Pokhare Khola watershed of Middle Mountain in Nepal to assess agricultural intensification and its impact on natural resource management. An assessment was carried out using combined quantitative and qualitative data collected from community forestry user groups, house hold survey, focus group discussion, key informant interview and field observation. A change from the traditional cereal based cropping system to intensive vegetable production in Middle Mountain has been observed due to increasing use of natural resources and its management such as use forest resource collection, multiple uses of water resources and soil management in their farming. Increasing dependencies on natural resources in the changing context found to be both positive and negative impact in natural resource management. Increased the farm income and food security through intensive vegetable production has enhanced local farmers sensitization towards natural resource management. The study supports the “more people less erosion theory”. The research found that intensive vegetable farming in the study area has increased the forest resource collection and utilization up to 20 % than other farming, increased use of water resources and decreased soil quality. However, increased the dependency on community forestry for resource collection, more demand of water and maintain the better soil quality for vegetable production local farmers were adopted different conservation measures such as soil conservation practices, changing cropping pattern, soil fertility management, water resource protection, crop diversification, and rainwater harvesting. Additionally, local farmers were aware to the resource conservation, increased participation in community forest management, plantation in the degraded land, particularly women, poor and disadvantage groups.



20

Forest, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Carbon Sequestration in an Indian Tropical Forest

Tripathy P.*, Chitale V.S. and Behera M.D.

Spatial Analysis and Modeling Laboratory, Centre for Oceans, Rivers, Atmosphere and Land Sciences (CORAL), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur-721302, W.B., India


Forests play a significant role in the global carbon cycle. Variability in weather, species, stand age, and current and past disturbances are some of the factors that control stand-level C-dynamics. In the present study, the NASA-CASA (Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach) simulation model based on satellite observations of monthly vegetation cover from MODIS sensor was used to estimate the net primary productivity (NPP) of Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS), Uttar Pradesh, India for the year 2001 and 2010. The WLS is mainly covered with the dominant vegetation types such as Sal (Shorearobusta) mixed moist deciduous forest, teak (Tectonagrandis) plantation, mixed moist deciduous forest, lowland swamp forest and grasslands. The species diversity and dominance index were calculated based on Shannon-Weiner(H’) and Simpson’s index (C) respectively for the year 2010. The point diversity values ranged of 0.29 to 2.01 in Sal mixed moist deciduous forest, whereas from 0to 1.92 in teak plantation, whereas the Simpson’s dominance index ranged from 0.15 to0.869 in SMMD and 0.26 to 1 in TP. The total annual NPP varied from 278 to 1293 gCm-2yr-1 during year 2001 and from 152 to 1292 gCm-2yr-1 during year 2010.There was no significant change in the higher NPP range; however, the lower NPP range showed a gain of approximately 250.05 gCm-2yr-1 in 2010 as compared with 2001. The annual NPP was analysed across dominant vegetation types, where Sal mixed moist deciduous (SMMD) forest showed the highest annual NPP than teak plantation (TP). The reasons for lower NPP in TP as compared to SMMD could be as follows: i) TP is an artificially introduced/ managed ecosystem with lower diversity value (H’) than SMMD, which has resulted in decline insoil moisture due to absence or scarcity of ground flora hence affecting the functioning of the plant; ii) there is a prominent difference in phenologies of Teak (Tectonagrandis) and Sal (Shorearobusta), which clearly indicates deciduous nature of Teak and semi-evergreen nature of Sal; iii) Teak remains leafless during most of the summer months to avoid excessive loss due to transpiration, hence lacks photosynthetic apparatus resulting in decline in NPP even though the temperatures are higher and the sunlight availability is abundant; iv) On the contrary Sal remains leafless for 15-20 days in alterations demonstrating semi-evergreen habit, hence resulting in efficient functioning and thus confirming higher productivity; v) Being an introduced species Teak has shown a better survival rate but poor growth rate, thus highlighting the unsuitability of environmental conditions or lack of adaption in the plant; vi) Though, the average age of the trees under SMMD is higher compared to TP, SMMD showed a higher productivity than that of TP, indicating the suitability of the environmental factors in the study site; vii) LAI and ƒPAR are also vital components in estimation of productivity, which differ within vegetation types thus resulting in variable NPP amongst the vegetation types of the same ecosystem. This clearly indicates the fact that natural ecosystems in tropics are highly diverse and highly productive as compared to managed ecosystems/ plantations.



21

Important Medicinal Plants of Sub-Himalayan region in high altitudes of Bageshwar District of Uttarakhand

Paliwal, A. K.1*, Prabhakar, C.J.2, Paliwal, D. P.3, Dixit V.1, Kanta C.1 and Kumari D.4

¹ Department of Botany, Govt. P.G. College, Bageshwar-263642- Uttarakhand

² MSSO, Central Silk Board, Guwahati, Assam, India ³ Research Extension Centre, Central Silk Board, Bageshwar-263642- Uttarakhand

4 Department of Zoology, S. S. J. University Campus, Almora- Uttarakhand *E-mail: [email protected]

Medicinal plants are gaining wide attention and popularity for primary healthcare, one possible reason for their widespread use is the perception of them having lesser side effects. Bageshwar district is known for its sceneric beauty and diverse plant species due to much altitudinal variations. It covers an area of 2,286 sq. km. and situated on the bank of two holy rivers Gomti and Saryu, with at 29º 50’ latitude and 79º 46’ longitude. The present study was representing 18 species belonging to different families which are found above 2000 AMSL altitude and are used by the indigenous communities and tribals for cure of various ailments such as Fever, Asthma, Skin diseases, Jaundice, Dysentry, Cough, Pulmonary troubles. Coptis teeta Wall., Delphinium denudatum Wall., Berberis aristata DC., Thea sinensis L., Bergenia ligulata Wall., Nardostachys jatamansi DC., Saussurea lappa (Decne.) Sch-Bip., Saussurea obvallata (DC.) Clarke, Cuscuta reflexa Roxb., Picrorhiza kurrooa auct. non Royal, Chenopodium album L., Urtica dioca L., Myrica nagi Hook. f., Boerhavia diffusa L., Swertia angustifolia Buch. Ham. ex D. Don., Datura stramonium L. etc. are some important medicinal plants found during exploration of high altitude of Bageshwar district.



22

DAY 1

SESSION 3


23

Assessing Spatial Vulnerability for Landslide Threat in Hilly Areas of Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India

Ganapathy G.P1*, Rao D.2 and Sekar S.K.1

1Centre for Disaster Mitigation and Management, VIT University, Vellore 632014, India 2National Intelligence Grid, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, New Delhi - 110011, India


Globally landslides hazard is one of the common in most hazard in the hilly areas. Vulnerability analysis in landslide disaster prone areas is an important task for physical planning, and land use planning in particular, especially with regard to decision making for a new development and disaster preparedness. The hilly areas of India, especially the Northwest Himalaya, Northeaster States and part of Western Ghats are well known for landslide threat. A study on spatial vulnerability assessment is carried out for the part of Nilgiris district in the Western Ghats of India with the help of remote sensing and GIS. A spatial database is created for past landslide histories in the study area. The critical facilities, transportation and lifeline utilities that are potential threat under the Very high to Severe landslide hazard areas were identified. In GIS platform database created for the study area which includes, Tourist Spots, Banks, ATM’s, Educational Institutions, Hospitals, Bus Stops, Railways Stations etc., These are the elements at risk during a landslides. From the study it has been found that the eastern part of the study area is more prone to landslides. The historical landslide inventories very clearly reveal most of the landslides are trigged by the human and cultural activities. Out of 36 utilities in the study area about 65% critical facilities and 36% of transportation and life line utilities are vulnerable to severe landslide threat. The output of the present study can be used as first hand information for the decision makers and planners and also helpful for the further developmental activities in the landslide prone areas of Nilgiris District of India.



24

Cyanolichen Genus Peltigera in India: Diversity And Ecological Preferences

Khare R.1, 2*, Rai H.1, 2, Upreti D. K.2, Nayaka S.2, Gupta R.K.1

1Department of Botany, Pt. L. M. S. Govt. P.G College, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Uttarakhand-249201, India

2Lichenology Laboratory, National Botanical Research Institute, CSIR, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh-226001, India


Cyanolichens constitutes a separate group of lichens having cyanophycean algae either alone (bipartite) or along with a green primary photobiont (tripartite). They are an exclusive group of lichen endowed with the capability of nitrogen fixation, enriching the substrate and playing an important role in nutrient cycling of the ecosystem. Peltigera (Peltigeraceae, lichenized Ascomycota) is one of the most widespread foliose cyanolichen genera integrating bi- and tri membered associations involving fungi, green algae (Coccomyxa) and cyanobacteria (Nostoc). In India, the genus is represented by 17 recognized species (15 bipartite and 2 tripartite), including one new record Peltigera lepidophora (Nyl.). The genus commonly occur in humid or moist, mainly shady habitats or on the forest floor and commonly distributed in Western Himalaya. About 500 Peltigera specimens collected recently and, lodged in lichen herbarium, National botanical Research Institute, LWG were analysed for their ecological preferences (altitude & substratum) and their distribution in various Lichenogeographical regions of India, using multivariate analysis (PCA & cluster analysis). The genus is predominantly terricolous followed by inhabitancy on rocks (saxicolous) and bark (corticolous). Altitudinal distribution showed that all the species of the genus preferred temperate (1500-3500 mt.) to alpine regions (above 3500 mt.) regions, clearly avoiding tropical to subtropical habitat. Peltigera species contributes nitrogen through leaching and decay, fundamentally influencing the nitrogen dynamics of the substratum (soil). Their distribution and diversity along landuse gradients make them an appropriate tool for habitat health calibration as they rarely inhabit areas with anthropogenic activities.



25

Conservation of natural resources through ‘socio-cultural-religious practice’: a glimpse of Sacred Groves of Himachal Himalayas in India

Narta U.K.

Department of Botany, Government Post Graduate College, Seema (Rohru), Himachal Pradesh -171207, India. E-mail: [email protected]

In Himachal Himalaya commonly referred to as dev-bhumi (land of Gods) in India, the overlap of geography, religion and culture has created a situation that has favoured their integration with sustainable natural resource use and management. Such integration is exemplified in the institution of devban (Sacred Groves) or forests of the God. Sacred Groves are more or less patches of climax vegetation preserved on religious grounds and these undisturbed forest patches mostly exist due to certain taboos and strong beliefs supplemented by mystic folklores, which are the indicators of conservation ethics of local community. The advent of modern civilisation is gradually changing the life and culture of the aboriginals, but the institutions of Sacred Groves have withstood these waves of change. Perhaps that is why the significance of these local-level, traditional community based initiatives of conservation of natural sources is increasingly being acknowledged and emphasized globally. The present paper attempts to present the status, traditional belief, taboos and effectiveness of Sacred Groves in natural resource management in some hilly districts of Himachal Pradesh in India.



26

Diversity and distribution pattern of alpine vegetation along Kukush Lake

(Langer-Shandur valley) in Northern Pakistan (ORAL)

Mashwani Z.R.*1,2, Khan M.A.2, Ahmad M.2, Ullah Z.2 1 Department of Botany, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi

2 Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. *E-mail: [email protected]

The convention on biodiversity (CBD) emphasizes not only on the qualitative but also on the quantitative aspects of diversity of species, which is central to understanding the conservation processes. Such quantitative information are lacking specially in the Hindukush alpine zone of Pakistan. Kukush Lake is a high altitude lake located in Langer-Shandur Valley of Hindukush Mountains in the Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan. The distribution of plant communities and the pattern of spatial species diversity were studied along alpine Kukush lake. Vegetation data was collected at 8 sites by using line intercept method. Two Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) and Deterrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) were used to identify the existing vegetation associations and key environmental variables regulating them. TWINSPAN clearly identified three plant communities i.e. Saxifraga -Ephedra-Artemesia, Betula-Epilobium-Salix, Artemesia-Nepeta-Bromus. DCA clearly separated the identified associations along the first two axes. Vegetation exhibited significant variation in the diversity and distribution along the sampled sites. These variations may be attributed to the prevalent anthropogenic and livestock disturbances. The implications of the results are discussed and recommendations are suggested for conservation and sustainable utilization of vegetation.


27

DAY 2

SESSION 4


28

Conserving Water: Mountain Forests Hold the Key for the SAARC Region

Lal A.K. Mountain Ecology Division,

SAARC Forestry Centre, Thimphu E-mail: [email protected]

Conservation of water to the maximum possible extent and its subsequent optimal use has been one of the top national agenda of the SAARC Countries. Yet, scarcity of water has been a serious problem in the Region especially in the mountains. Only 16 to 18% of rainwater is conserved and against a total water flow equal to 1869 km3 the Region uses only 550 km3 i.e. 30% and remaining 70% goes waste into sea causing extensive flood damage en route. The result is that water has become precious resource. The situation may aggravate in future due to the growing water scarcity in the river basins. It is now no secret that the considerable investments that the countries have made in the surface storage mechanical and engineering measures is yielding disappointing results. Also, these structures have taken a very heavy social and environmental costs such as considerable damage to rich flora and fauna, submergence of precious forest lands and large scale displacement of local people. Forest cover of the mountainous region is the most important and most effective biotic impediment in reducing run off and enhancing ground water storage. Studies carried out indicate that in the small watershed Afforestation reduces run off by 28% and peak rate flow by as high as 73%. Recent studies have also established that average figure for total annual evaporation from a forested area is 18% less than from an open area. Water regimes and their utilization can, therefore, be much improved by increasing biomass cover especially the forests. The increased cover will significantly increase infiltration and thereby ground water storage; will decrease surface evaporation; and reduce surface run off. The forests could become better, more eco friendly, more durable storage reservoirs of water. The time has thus obviously come to reconsider our traditional approach of conserving water. The need of hour is policy shift and priority shift. The Paper highlights the existing water scenario in SAARC Region, crystallizes key issues and describes the option in detail.



29

Tribal’s Practices in Natural Forest Resources Management of Western Ghats

(India) and Traditional Knowledge for Climate Change Adaptations

Paimpillil J.S. Center for Earth Research and Environment Management, Cochin, India


The forest tribals (Adivasis) have confronted the extremes of climate change for generations and had developed a large arsenal of practices to survive and adapt to an increasingly dangerous climate. They observe climate change and react to it positively by making use of their traditional knowledge and ancestors’ rich experiences. They use diversified adaptation strategies to survive and ensure their food security. The tribals in Wayanad, Kerala have ensured their food security even in the years of heavy rain and flooding and in years of severe drought. Over the decades, they have developed certain agricultural practices and varieties of paddy seeds that can withstand flooding for more than two weeks and can be sown and raised when there is no rain. In order to survive in the changing climatic conditions, they had developed diversified adaptation strategies suitable to every land and region. A number of interesting adaptation strategies emerged, based on their experience of the tribals in the area. In drought conditions they use traditional seeds like Mulanpuncha, Kalladian and Onavattam. The night moisture is sufficient for them to germinate. After a month or so, when there is a little rain the crop takes advantage and grows well. The adivasis also have their own ways of knowing when there will be floods and when drought. For example, if certain mushrooms grow in abundance before the rainy season, it signifies that there will not be enough of rain forthcoming. These tribal farmers have indigenous method of soil classification, fertility management, soil and water conservation through selected plants/trees/shrubs and cultural practices, creating micro-environment, seed selection and conservation, planting methods, weed control, maintaining the indigenous gene pool of location specific rice varieties, cropping systems and local techniques of insect pest management. Indigenous knowledge though being utilized by Indian forest communities in the forest resource management and conservation of biodiversity, it is not widely utilized by the scientific community since they are not incorporated in the manuals. In order to effectively use the vast store of traditional knowledge to aid in climate change prediction and adaptation, a multiuser-friendly knowledge management system must be set up to collect, classify, test and disseminate this essential data to those who need it.



30

Distribution of Costs of Pesticide Use by Household Economies Atreya K.1*, Sitaula B.K.1 and Bajracharya R.M.2

1Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), Post box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway

2Aquatic Ecology Centre, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal *E-mail: [email protected]

Pesticide use per hectare of arable land estimated for Nepal equals 151.2 g active ingredient (ai) which is considered very low. However, low use does not necessarily entail minimal risk to human and environmental health, particularly with respect to increased pesticide use for vegetable crops in the urban and peri-urban areas due to increased demand of fresh vegetables by city dwellers. The literature across the country observed that benefits of pesticide use in vegetable production across household category are skewed and inconsistence. And, despite studies on burden of pesticide use and exposure; its distribution by household economies is poorly studied. It is hypothesized that exaggerated and incompetent pesticide use is likely to affect human health that may lead to decline in human productivity, economic loss – that may marginalize the ‘poor’ farmers. Thus, a study was conducted on the Ansikhola watershed of Kavrepalanchowk District of Central Nepal. Data were collected in three stages: (i) initial household survey undertaken during May - June 2008, (ii) monthly visit surveys for six months accomplished during June – Nov 2008, and (iii) final household survey conducted during Nov – Dec 2009.As the primary focus of the study was to investigate the potential relationship of pesticide use to household category, we grouped household into ‘large –scale’ who owns more than 20 ropani (1 ha) of agricultural land, and ‘small-scale’ having less than 10 ropani (0.5 ha) and ‘medium-scale’ in between (>0.5 and < 1 ha). The study finds that the sum total of direct and indirect cost of pesticide use and exposure appeared to be the highest for medium-scale household, the economic burden in relation to incomes was the highest for small-scale household. On the basis of area under vegetables, small-scale household incurred highest economic burden of pesticide use (23% higher compared to the large-scale household), but the cost was found statistically indifference among household category. Overall, the cost of pesticide use and exposure estimated constitute 15% of total agricultural income, and/or 5% of total household gross income. For small-scale households, the estimated cost is equivalent to 18% of agricultural income and 6% of total income. Small scale household are not only deprived from benefits of agriculture intensification, but also incurred highest burden of pesticide use.



31

Assessment of Fertilizer Policy, Farmers’ Perception and Implications for Future Agricultural Development in Nepal

Raut N.1*, Sitaula B.K.1, Vatn A.1and Bajracharya R.M.2

1 Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric)

Agricultural University of Norway, P.O. Box 5001, N-1432 Ås, Norway 2Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal


This paper assesses genesis and changes of fertilizer policy over the period of time; assess on farmers’ awareness towards the recent subsidy policy; and perception of farmers towards the extension services and analyzed the environmental implications of concentrated application of chemical fertilizer in order to link their potential implications on food security. Mixed methods were used to collect data. Results indicate that changes in fertilizer policy have been occurred in four different phases: Phase without subsidy, phase with subsidy, phase with deregulation of fertilizer trade and current phase with subsidy in fertilizer. However, timely supply of fertilizers to the farmers by the government has always been a problem. Because of this farmers have to rely on the fertilizers with unknown labels and of low quality. Only few farmers (11.6 %) know about the recent changes in the fertilizer policy and out of which majority of them (44.4 %) were satisfied with the new scheme. Farmers’ perception and the soil analysis result showed a significant decrease in the soil pH under intensified agricultural land. The inefficient extension services would influence on farmers actions on fertilizer application as farmers are not aware of what and how much to use. This increases yield in short term whereas in long run, it will finally influence on the soil quality and potentially worsen the food insecurity situation in the country.



32

DAY 2

SESSION 5


33

Ecotourism, Natural Resource Conservation and Livelihood Generation: Issues for Mountain and Hill Regions with a Special Focus on Bangladesh

Huq S.M.M.

Department of Geography and Environment, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342 Bangladesh


Tourism is a significant and growing economic sector in many developing countries with a high level of poverty. It has been observed that lack of income generating activities and economic choices have forced the mountain and hill communities of some regions into the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources. If properly harnessed, tourism can offer useful opportunities for making the best use of mountain characteristics in livelihood generation and natural resource conservation. Ecotourism offers opportunities for people from poor, isolated mountain or associated hill regions to improve their quality of life through livelihood generation and poverty reduction. It has the power to empower local communities, sustain livelihoods, initiate new development, decrease gender disparity, and reduce environmental change through biodiversity conservation. With a review of the existing literature, this paper discusses the salient linkages among ecotourism, livelihood generation and natural resource conservation. Drawing examples from some mountain and hill regions of the world and giving a special focus on Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) region of Bangladesh, this paper addresses issues related to ecotourism initiatives, and strategies for natural resource conservation and livelihood generation. It focuses on ecotourism schemes that may help to reduce poverty and generate livelihoods. It is understood that ecotourism related initiatives should be centered on a clear strategy agreed and understood by the local community and all other stakeholders with an interest in ecotourism, livelihood creation and natural resource conservation. It is further noted that participatory and community based approaches in ecotourism can help building economic and social capital by reducing poverty and creating livelihood opportunities. These types of approach provide local communities with the capacities to translate ecotourism into broader and sustainable goals of environmental conservation and local community development.



34

Management of Socio-economic Impact on Upstream Population of Upper Hunza, Pakistan, After 2010 Attabad Disaster

Durrani S.A.K.* and Ali K.

Department of Environmental Sciences, Karakoram international University, Gilgit, Pakistan *E-mail: [email protected]

The potential impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident in mountain environment. Mountain ecological, social and economic systems are being affected including the water and other resources on which billions of people in mountains and downstream areas depend. Mountain regions with their fragile ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic emissions and greenhouse gases, there are indications that changes in temperature and other factors are taking place at a greater pace at higher altitudes than in the lowlands. Landslide, flood, earthquake and drought are the most frequently occurring and destructive type of natural disasters that often occur in Pakistan causing severe negative effects on livelihood of the people and the national economy. Attabad landslide was triggered on 4th January, 2010 at 11:30 hours with a complex sequence of catastrophic sudden impact events, killing 20 people and injuring many . The debris from landslide has also blocked Hunza River and created a lake of 26 km, downstream of Gulmit town. The disaster of Attabad has significant impact on agricultural lands, homes, fruit trees, infrastructure, loss of forest, biodiversity and in addition to immobility of goods and services nationally and internationally. This study is an attempt to explore the direct and indirect socio-economic impact of 2010 Attabad disaster on upstream communities of upper Hunza and recommendations for sustainable management after the disaster. The villages are located within an area of outstanding beauty and containing many historic buildings which have international importance including Baltit and Altit Forts. Due to Attabad landslide, Attabad village is completely destroyed and inundation of Attabad lake water badly affected Ainabad, Shiskat, Gulmit, Hussaini and Gulkin. Primary data was collected by means of structured questionnaires. Villages formed the basis for study units and the subjects were selected using stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaire was supplemented with focus group discussion (FGD) involving village chiefs and their advisors, farmer groups, women group and elderly people.GIS and remote sensing were used for mapping pre and post impacts of the disaster. The questionnaires were statistically evaluated to be able to present a total impact of this particular changing environment and its sustainable management.



35

Sustainable Pasture Management in Zeravshan Valley, Tajikistan: Solving Problem of Fodder Scarcity by a Better Management of Ecosystem Services

Avazov S.

Justus-Liebig University, Centre for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU), Senckenbergstrasse 3, 35390 Giessen, Germany

E-mail: [email protected] This research study was carried out within the framework of the Project "Land Use, Ecosystem Services and Human Welfare in Central Asia (LUCA)" to undertake a study into the environmental, economic and social impacts to solve fodder problems in transhumance and alpine pasture management which are a generic problem for sedentary and semi-nomad livestock systems in Zeravshan valley, Tajikistan. The data were amassed on current fodder management practices in eighteen villages through dehkan (farmer) and herder interviews and visual observation on local pasture sites. The interviews and discussions yielded more information on the decision-making processes that dehkans employ to determine the quantity and composition of feed offered to livestock at particular times of the year. Among the influences to decisions were constraints to grazing and knowledge of appropriate lopping regimes for different animal fodder species. Varying degrees of access to off-farm fodder sources and the numbers of livestock kept by different households were also seen to affect fodder management decisions. Development activities aimed at labour use to fodder collection and the exchange of local knowledge regarding local fodder management are most likely to result in improvements in the levels of fodder supply for the majority of households in the short term. The variations were discussed within site-specific dehkan groups and between group representatives at a series of workshops. According to the results, stable type, number of cattle, size of cultivated land, amount of labor per household and small ruminant flock existence in the village and number of small ruminant were found to be most important factors affecting household effectiveness. It was concluded that more robust and long-term studies should be conducted using a wider variation in grassland quality to confirm the study findings.



36

Hydroelectric Projects and Livelihood Issues of Tribals: a Case Study of Kinnaur District of the Himalayan State of Himachal Pradesh, India

Thapliyal R.1* and Jreat M.2

1Department of Geography, G. C. Banjar, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India) 2Department of Geography, G. C. Theog, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India)

*E-mail: [email protected] The development of hydro power projects in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh has recently become a major concern due to coming up of various contestations. It may be because the policies and planning measures have not paid adequate attention to the associated problems. Because of the rugged terrain, arid or semi-arid climate and poor soil conditions the carrying capacity of land is limited in the tribal district of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh. The area is inhabited mostly by the tribals highly dependent on forests and water resources (especially rivers) for their agriculture or horticulture based livelihoods. But due to the development of hydel projects in river Sutlej and its tributaries disruption of their livelihoods have further marginalised them. This paper focuses on the impact of hydro-electricity projects development in Sutlej basin on the livelihoods of tribals of Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It also examines and analysis the engagements of tribals with the nature (especially forests and rivers) and disruption of their economy and livelihoods due to the hydroelectric projects in this area. The method is primary data collection from tribal residents of this area through a sample survey and its analysis.



37

DAY 2

SESSION 6


38

Gender and Natural Resource Management in Indigenous Communities of Chittagong Hill Tracts

Das S.

Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box No. 273, Chittagong 4000, Bangladesh E-mail: sharmila_5348@ yahoo.com

Although there has been a lot of debate on the relation between women and the environment but it is well known that generally women involves more than men in the management of natural resources because of their roles and responsibility. The different roles and responsibilities of women and men in a natural resource management system are shaped by culture, social relations, and natural environments. The goal of this study is to quantify the involvement of men and women in the management of natural resources for developing data-base on men and women’s work responsibilities as per their traditional norms. The study has clearly demonstrated that both the men and women of indigenous communities are involved in management activities of available natural resources where overall involvement of women is higher than men. In addition to that, they developed indigenous technologies to protect and utilize the water resources through mechanical, agricultural and vegetative measures. Although women played predominant role in managing natural resources, there is little understanding and appreciation of their contributions to the community, and gender relations in the hilly regions remain unbalanced. Finally the information of the study emphasizes not only recognize the women’s significant roles and contribution but also to incorporate into various policies and practices that empower indigenous women and their communities.


39

Soil Environmental Quality Assessment in Naturally Rehabilitated Alluvial Soil Dumps of Raniganj Coalfield

Kumar S.1*, Chaudhuri S.2 and Maiti S .K.3

1,3Centre for Mining Environment, Indian School of Mines; Dhanbad 826004 (India) 2Dept. Of Mining Engineering, Indian School of Mines; Dhanbad -826004 (India)


Soil environmental quality is the capacity of a soil to function, within ecosystem and land use boundaries, to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant, animal and human health'. In the long-term, vegetative rehabilitation of mining wastes aims at, as far as possible, the proper ecological integration of the reclaimed area into the surrounding landscape, which is sustainable and requires minimal maintenance. This article presents here an indicator-based system of soil environmental quality that evaluates sustainable rehabilitation of mine waste through a set of five sub indicators, soil biological factor, moisture content factor, micronutrients factors, macronutrients factor and stocks of organic matter factor, and further combines them into a single General Indicator of Soil Quality (GISQ). The design and calculation of the indicators were based on sequences of multivariate analyses. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to assess soil quality overall. Our findings provide evidence that selected indicators can provide a definitive, quantitative assessment of soil environmental quality and lend credence to the value of our approach in quantifying relationships between soil function and indicators for specific areas.



40

Land Use Influence, Slope Aspect and Seasonal Dynamics of Soil Macrofauna In Mid-Hills of Nepal

Begum F.*1, 2, Bajracharya R.M.2, Sharma S.2 and Sitaula B.K.3

1Karakoram International University, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

2 Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Science, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal, 3 University of Life Sciences


The study addressed the integrated effect of land use practice, seasons and slope aspect influence on soil macro faunal abundance and taxa richness in the mid-hills of Nepal. Other objective was to see the relationship among soil biological and physio-chemical Indicators. Sampling was done in three different season’s i.e. pre-monsoon, post monsoon and winter from two different land use in the middle position of both north and south facing slopes. Soil Macrofauna was sampled using one transect with six replicates at each land use type using quadrate size (30*30) from two different depth(0-15) and (15-30) and visible organisms were handpicked and preserved in 75% alcohol. We found 481 macrofauna morphospecies belonging to 12 taxa comprising of Coleoptera (40.7%), Hymenoptera (Formacidae 19.7%), Lumbriculidae (13%), Aranea (5.8%), Isoptera (5%), other Macrofauna (5%), Hemiptera (3%), Diptera (2.9%), Gryllidae (2.7%) and Chilopoda (1%) respectively. Macrofauna densities were highly statistically significant with seasons and soil depth, weakly with slope aspect and non-significant with the land use. Macrofauna abundance was significantly higher during post monsoon followed by pre-monsoon and lowest in winter on both the aspects. While comparing both aspects faunal abundance was higher on North than south facing slopes. Macrofauna abundance was found higher in agriculture than forest land use. In post monsoon soil bulk density was negatively correlated with soil organic carbon and Macrofauna abundance while soil moisture was positively correlated with soil organic carbon and Macrofauna abundance. Overall data of three seasons indicated a significant positive correlation of Macrofauna abundance with pH and temperature of the soil. Seasons and slope aspect had greater impact on Macrofauna abundance than different land use type.



41

Soil Lichens: Surrogates of Land Use and Grazing Gradients in Himalayan Alpine Grasslands (Bugyals)

Rai H.1, 2*, Khare R.1, Upreti D.K.1, Gupta R.K.2, Nag P.3

1Lichenology Laboratory, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) - National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh-226001, INDIA

2Department of Botany, Pt. L.M.S. Government Post Graduate College, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Uttarakhand-249201, INDIA

3Department of Botany, Mahendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepalgunj, Banke-21900, Nepal


Lichens, the mutual composites of fungi (mycobiont) and green (phycobiont) or blue green (cyanobiont) algae, inhabit nearly all the terrestrial domains of earth. Soil inhabiting habitat subset (Terricolous lichens) of lichens, due their direct occurrence on soil, competition with other ground vegetation and sensitivity to anthropogenic pressures are suitable indicators for alpine regions. Himalayan habitats of India harbour maximum diversity of lichens. The changing land use pattern of native human population is affecting the fragile Himalayan plant biodiversity, which is exemplified by change in diversity and distribution patterns of lichens. Present study reports the effect of landuse and grazing gradient on diversity and distribution of soil lichens in Tungnath Bugyals in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, of Garhwal Himalayas, India. Soil lichens were sampled along the various gradients of land use and grazing in Tungnath Bugyal and were analysed using ordination methods (Principal component analysis, Cluster analysis) and correlation statistics (Pearson’s correlation coefficients). Human settlements, pasture lands and grasslands were the major landuse observed. The dominant landuse was pasturelands. Open alpine pasturelands were mainly confined at mid altitudes (3000 to 3400 m). A gradual decrease was seen in the soil lichen diversity from low grazed lower altitude areas (1200-3000 m) to highly grazed mid-altitude habitats. Among the various soil lichen growth forms only the tolerant growth forms (fruticose and compound) were found across the land use and grazing gradients of the Bugyal. Leprose, fruticose and compound growth forms of soil lichens were found indicative of the habitat conditions and grazing pressure in Tungnath Bugyal. Thus soil lichens are good indicators of land use and grazing pressures in alpine pastures of Himalayan habitats.



42

DAY 3

SESSION 7


43

Assessment of Heavy Metals in Determination of Groundwater Quality of Nira Basin, Pune District- Maharashtra

Gokule A.S.1*, Gunale V. R.2, Kusurkar R. S.3, Nissa Z.1

1Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Pune, Maharashtra, India 2 Department of Botany, University of Pune, Maharashtra, India

3 Department of Chemistry, University of Pune, Maharashtra, India *E-mail: [email protected]

Groundwater quality from Pune district is of major concern due to increasing urbanization, industrialization and agricultural runoff resulting in contamination of groundwater. Analysis of groundwater samples comprising 5 dug wells and 5 bore wells from the study area was carried out for pH, EC and heavy metal were determined using standard methods APHA (2000). Total 40 groundwater samples were analysed for 7 heavy metals viz. Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Mn, Cu and Pb during the period November, 2009 – May, 2011 for two consecutive post-monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons. The analysis was carried out in the study area with the objective of identifying the possible sources, distribution of heavy metals and their influence on groundwater quality. The results were compared with the standards of drinking water quality set by World Health Organization (WHO) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Since, the chemical composition of groundwater in the study area depends upon the recharge from river and rock-water interaction, the results were showing heterogeneous nature of heavy metal concentrations. In 35% of the total samples presence of Fe was above the tolerance level. Most of the samples showed the concentrations of Cu and Mn below the levels of detection. The concentration of Cr, Ni and Zn cross the permissible limit at one or two places. High Pb content was detected in pre-monsoon 2010. Correlations between various parameters were worked out from Correlation Coefficient matrix and significant correlations (positive and negative) were determined. Good correlation was exhibited by the pair Fe-Zn which was followed by Fe-Cu. The correlation between Fe and Zn was pronounced in pre-monsoon rather than post-monsoon. The pair Mn-Cu showed good correlation in pre-monsoon seasons. The results of the analysis are important in determining and visualising the sites which are affected by heavy metal contamination.


44

Impact of Dredging on Macrozoobenthic Community in Dal Lake Srinagar, Kashmir, India

Mushtaq B.1*, Yousuf A.R.2, Raina R.3, Wanganeo A.1, Bhat S.U.4 and Jehangir A.4 1Department of Environmental Science and Limnology

Barkatullah University, Bhopal India. 462026 2Department of Environmental Science/Centre of Research For Development (CORD)

University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India-190006 3Govt J. H. Collge Baetul MP. India-460001

4Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar- 190006 *E-mail: [email protected]

Dal lake a large shallow semi urban, eutrophic lake situated in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, is located in the heart of Srinagar (Latitude 34o 18’N Longitude 74o 91’E) at an average altitude of 1,583 M. This waterbody is under tremondus anthropogenic pressure as it receives good quantity of untreated sewage, fertilisers and organic wastes. Under the management strategies, dredging is carried out by the State Government through LAWDA (Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority ) in collaboration with Central Government for the purpose of ecological monitoring and restoration of lake ecosystem. The present work regarding the impact of dredging on benthic community assemblages before and after dredging at differnet sites apart from control sites (without dredging) in three different basins of Dal Lake namely Hazratbal, Nigeen and Nishat was carried out from August 2010 to April 2011. An analysis of data at control sites revealed 11 taxa in each basin dominated by Annelida (05), Mollusca (05) and Diptera ( 01). There were seven taxa shared by all three basins and one taxa of mollusca (Radix ovata) were restricted to Hazratbal basin and Sphaerium sp. to Nishat basin only. However, at dredging sites it was reavealed that before dredging there was presence of 12 taxa from all the three basins dominated by Mollusca (06) and Annelida (05) with only one representative from Diptera. There were six taxa shared by all three basins and two taxa of mollusca were restricted to Hazratbal basin only. Most benthic taxa counted were significantly more abundant before dredging and also at control sites. Species like Lymnea stagnalis, Aelosoma sp., Sphaerium sp., Erpobdella octoculata and Radix ovata were completely eliminated after dredging. Certain taxa like Tubifex tubifex, Limnodrillus hoffmeisteri, Branchiura sowerbyi and Chironomus sp., were found to have very high recovery rates witnessed by their presence immediately after few days thereby reflecting their high colonising potential in the soft mud rich in organic matter. Amongt the three basins studied recovery rate of early colonisers of benthic community was found higher in Hazratbal basin and Nigeen basin than Nishat basin where the first appearence of Choronomus sp., was observed after fifty days. Extended dredging cautions regarding the loss of benthic fauna in the long run which have started shown signs of low recovery for a few benthic species.



45

Availability of Water Resources in Two small Watersheds in the Dieng Highland

of the Central Java, Indonesia

Kusratmoko E.1*, Munir A.1, Setiawan A.1 and Suwarsono2

1Department of Geography, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, University of Indonesia 2 National Institute of Aeronautics and Space of Indonesia

*E-mail: [email protected] The Dieng plateau located in the Central Java, Indonesia, has a very important role for water supply in the downstream and the upstream area. The internal and external factors cause deforestation significantly since 1990 , followed with increasing the extent of land agriculture, particularly cultivation of potatoes and tobacco. The result is a serious environmental degradation in this area, which gives effect to the availability of water resources. This article discusses about the availability of water resources in two small watershed, namely the Sekular and the Semaling watershed. A survey of the water need ( agriculture and domestic purpose), supply situation (source of water, water discharge and water quality) and issues related to water as perceived by local farmers and the community leaders was carried out in both watersheds. The result of our research shows that at present the availability of water resources in both watersheds sufficient to the needs of domestic and farming. However, based on the population growth in the next 10 years the availability of water resources, particularly the Sekular watershed will be threatened, moreover, if the remaining forests nowadays transformed into farmland. Efforts have been made by people in the two watersheds for water supply sustainability reviewed in this paper.



46

Primary Production Dynamics of Three Dominant Macrophytes in Wular Lake, a Ramsar Site in Kashmir Himalaya

Dar N.A.1*, Hamid A.1, Hussain A.1, Bhat S.U.1, Ganai B.A.2 and Pandit A.K.1

1P.G Department of Environmental Science/Centre of Research for Development, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal Srinagar-190006

2P.G Department of Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal Srinagar-190006 *E-mail: [email protected]

The objective of this investigation was to analyze the primary production of the three dominant macrophytes by monitoring levels of biomass and estimating photosynthetic potential via the total chlorophyll content. The survey was conducted in Wular Lake, a Ramsar site in Kashmir Himalaya, throughout the growing vegetation period of the year 2011. The contents of biomass ranged from 8 g m-2 (minimum) and 175 g m-2 (maximum) in Ceratophyllum demersum to 350 g m-2 (minimum) and 3280 g m-2 (maximum) in Typha angustata. Chlorophyll A (Chl a) and chlorophyll A+B (Chl a+b) pigments ranged from 2.37 mg g-1 (Chl a) and 3.27 mg g-1(Chl a+b) in Typha angustata to 4.43 mg g-1(Chl a) and 5.76 mg g-1(Chl a+b) in Ceratophyllum demersum. A significant difference in growth dynamics were observed in all three macrophytic species. Our results show species specificity in the seasonal dynamics of pigment content. All the three macrophytic species exhibited significant differences in chlorophyll content between the seasons throughout the growing vegetation period. At the end of the vegetation period, these plants sink to the bottom and decompose.



47

DAY 3

SESSION 8


48

Low Mercury Concentrations with Extremely Low Biomagnification Rates in Commercial Fish Species of Lake Phewa, Nepal

Sharma C.M.1,2, , Kang S.1, 3, Zhang Q.1, Pan K.4, Li Q.1, Wang X.4, Huang J.1, Sharma S.5

1Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environmental Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China 2Human and Natural Resources Studies Centre, Kathmandu University, Nepal

3State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, CAS, Lanzhou, China; 4Department of Biology, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong, China

5Aquatic Ecology Centre, Kathmandu University, Nepal *E-mail: [email protected]

Mercury (Hg) concentrations in different compartments (sediment, water and biota) of Phewa

Lake, Nepal wereinvestigated. Stable isotope ratios of nitrogen ( 15N) and carbon ( 13

C) were used to assess the food chain and trophic transfer of Hg in three commercial fish species: Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), Spiny Eel (Mastacembelus armatus), and African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Mean total mercury concentrations (THg mg kg-1, ww) in muscles of O. niloticus, M. armatus, and C. gariepinus were 0.019, 0.054, and 0.033, and methylmercury concentrations (MeHg mg kg-1, ww) were 0.015, 0.047, and 0,027, respectively. In an average, MeHg concentration contributed 82 percent of THg. The upper sediment layer and water column of the lake has comparable concentrations of Hg with other uncontaminated freshwater lakes. However, the THg bioaccumulation factors (BAF) for these three species are comparatively lower (6279, 18239, and 11202, respectively). The biomagnification rate of Hg through the fish

community was 0.059 per 15N (‰) which is extremely low compared to other similar studies.

The relationship between mercury concentrations against body size was significantly positive

only for O. niloticus (p < 0.05). Analysis of 15N and 13

C indicated that M. armatus occupies the higher trophic position followed by C. gariepinus, and O. niloticus. The mercury concentrations in fish muscles also followed the same trend, i.e., higher the trophic position higher the Hg concentrations. All investigated fish species had their diet from the lower trophic positions. Therefore, diet and trophic transfer are the most convincing factors to control bioaccumulation. At present, these commercially important fishes have low Hg concentrations and do not pose health risk for consumption. However, such a low concentrations of Hg in fish muscles, in spite of comparable levels of Hg concentrations in water and sediments to other similar lakes, indicates a complex phenomenon of trophic transfer and warrants more studies.



49

Water Quality Assessment of Vishav Stream, Kulgam, Kashmir Using Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Hamid A.*, Dar N.A., Hussain A., Bhat S.U. and Pandit A.K.

P.G Department of Environmental Science/Centre of Research for Development, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal Srinagar-190006


The present work reports the results of an intensive study on water quality and benthic macroinvertebrate fauna of Vishav Stream in Kashmir Himalayas. The research was carried out at five sampling sites of the stream from March to December, 2011. A total of 64 macroinvertebrate taxa were recorded belonging to Annelida-3 (Oligochaeta-1 and Hirudinae-2), Mollusca-5 (Gastropoda-4 and Bivalvia-1) and Arthoproda-56 (Crustacea-1, Arachinida-2 and Insecta-53). Among insects Ephemeroptera (10), Trichoptera (11), Coleoptera (6), and Diptera (14) dominated. Species composition assessment revealed the numerical dominance pattern in the order of: Hydropsyche sp., Ecdyonurus sp., Epeorus sp., Baetis sp., Chloroperlidae sp., Diamesinae sp., and Chironomous sp., while the least representative species throughout the study was found to be Tubifex tubifex, Glossophenia sp., Planorbus sp., and Corbiculus sp. The upper section of the stream supported a more diverse community than the lower section and therefore displayed the synchronization with the River Continuum Concept. The water quality was assessed using different biotic indices including Saprobic biotic index, Chandlers Biotic Index, Trent Biotic Index, BWMP, ASPT, NEPBIOS and their applicability as a tool for assessment of ecological status of the stream. Vishav Stream showed ‘excellent to good’ water quality conditions. Presently, it is under threat of anthropogenic disturbances, especially in the lower section.



50

Glacial Lakes as Sentinels of Climate Change in Central Himalaya, Nepal

Thakuri S.1,2,3*, Salerno F.1,3, Smiraglia C.2,3, D’Agata C.2,3, Viviano G.1,3, Manfredi E.C.1,3 and Tartari G.1,3

1Water Research Institute, National Research Council (IRSA-CNR), Via del Mulino 19, 20047, Brugherio (MB);

2Graduate School of Earth, Environment and Biodiversity, University of Milan, Via Mangiagalli, 34, 20133, Milan;

3Ev-K2-CNR Committee, Via San Bernardino, 145, 24126, Bergamo Italy *E-mail: [email protected]

Mount Everest region in the Himalayan mountain range, the Asian water tower, is most characterized by glacial lakes and debris-covered glaciers. A complete mapping and measurement of both these water resources conducted with the aim at understanding climate change impacts, using the medium-high resolution ALOS imagery (October 2008). The attention is focused on the conditions of formation of lakes, the greatest evidence of climate change impact at high altitudes characterized by debris covered glaciers. A total of 29 glaciers with 356.2 (±2%) km2 and 624 lakes with 7.43 (±18%) km2surface areas delineated. We examined in depth the underlining capability of ALOS imagery to properly characterize 64% of lakes (error <15%) in terms of surface whereas, concerning glaciers, this sensor allows correctly characterizing the whole resource (error 2%). Concerning the lake surfaces not directly connected with glaciers (unconnected-glacial lakes), we found they are correlated with the dimension of their drainage basin, while no correlation was found with the glacier cover in the basin. Considering the evaporation/precipitation ratio at these altitudes is around 0.34 the evolution of these lakes appears to be a helpful sign for detecting the precipitation trend. Regarding the formation process of supraglacial lakes on debris-covered glaciers, the main factors which seem responsible are the low velocity and high ablation rates at the glacier terminus. Our findings confirm that the slope of the glacier where lakes are located, mainly influencing the first factor, provides the boundary condition favorable for lake formation. Otherwise the novelty of this study is to have pointed out a further boundary condition. The slope of the glacier upstream is able to influence both of these. In fact the imbalance between the two glacier zones generates the down-slope passage of debris, snow and ice. We found the slope of glacier upstream is inversely correlated with the relevant total surface of the lakes downstream and the multiple regression model developed in this study, considering both slopes of the two glacier areas distinctly, has been able to predict 90% of the supraglacial lake surfaces. With regards to proglacial lakes, their formation is closely connected with the supraglacial ones. The result of the study is relevant for possible hazard management that is foreseen with the enlargement of the lakes at local scale. In conclusion, glaciers lakes show better, visible, and quick response to climate making it possible to map the long term impact of climate change on water resources.



51

Ecological Health Assessment of High Altitude Wetland Ecosystem through Biological and Physico-Chemical Indicators in Dirlay Lake,

Astore Gilgit Batistan Pakistan

Baig J.1*, Begum F.1, Khan B.2, Mumtaz S.1 and Imran1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Pakistan

2 World Wide Fund for Nature, Pakistan, Gilgit 15100 Pakistan *E-mail: [email protected]

The present research was conducted to study aquatic macro invertebrates, microorganism and physico-chemical parameters as bio-indicators of the ecological health of high altitude lake (Dirlay lake, Astore) in Pakistan. A total of 10 points with 03 replicas were selected for sample collection and testing. Physico-chemical parameters like pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO) and turbidity were tested on the spot using various probes whereas, bacterial contamination and electrical conductivity were tested using water samples in the laboratory. Analysis of the results for all samples revealed values for pH (7.7 to 9.5), turbidity (5 to -8), temperature (6.1oC t0 7.9o C), dissolved oxygen (16.25 mg/l to 19.08 mg/l) and electrical conductivity (43.8miµS to 76.9 miµS), respectively Escherchia Coli, Pseudomonas, proteous, salmonella and shigella were amongst major bacterial communities. A total of 2761 macro invertebrate taxa were recorded with Chironomidae (57.68%) and Trichoptera (11.95%) being the most abundant component of invertebrate community followed by Ephemeroptera (11.82%), Zygoptera (07.88%), Haliplidae (03.15%), Plecoptera (01.97%), Anisoptera (01.57%), Simuliidae (01.57%), Notonestidae (01.31%) and Corixidae (01.05%) respectively at different collection sites. Lake inlets were dominated by Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera while outlet was dominated by Plecoptera and Haliplidae respectively. As a whole the water quality of Dirlay Lake is fairly good, however it is threatened by anthropogenic disturbances, especially at one of the inlets to the lake that receives water from Dirlay River, overcrowded by human population on either bank.



52

DAY 3

SESSION 9


53

Storage and Sequestration Potential of Organic Carbon in Agriculture Soils of

Lowland Nepal

Adhikari S.1*, Bajrachraya R.M.1 and Sitaula B.K.2

1 Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal

2 University of Life Sciences, Norway *E-mail: [email protected]

Carbon (C) storage and sequestration in agricultural soils is considered to be an important issue

in the study of terrestrial C cycling and global climate change. This study assesses the storage

and sequestration potential of organic carbon (OC) in Terai’s agriculture lands lying on either

side of an important lake system in central Nepal. Five replicates within a 40m x 5m transect

along the east-west direction were taken for each site in two seasons to estimate above ground

biomass and soil OC within sample plot of 1m x1m. The investigated soil variables were organic

matter, organic carbon, bulk density, pH, total N, available P, and exchangeable K. Detailed soil

profile description of both the agriculture sites was also done. The biomass in grains in the post-

monsoon season was found to be higher in both the areas. Except for K, both soil N and P

showed statistical significant between the two sites (p<0.001). Significant difference in SOC was

observed due to seasons and cropping system between the sites, but not within the sites. The

SOC ranged from 0.56% to 2.7% during the study period indicating that management of

agriculture lands significantly influence the total C stocks in soils. It is therefore essential to

encourage farmers to adopt practices which enhance SOC accumulation in order for these soils

to serve as net sinks for C from the atmosphere and contribute to climate change mitigation.



54

Seasonal Influence on Air Pollution in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Majumder A.K.1, 2*, Bajracharya R.M.2, Carter W.S.3 and Islam K.M.N.4

1Department of Environmental Science, Stamford University Bangladesh

2Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Science, Kathmandu University, Nepal

3Department of Environmental Safety and Occupational Health Management, University of Findlay, USA

4Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh * E-mail: [email protected]

This paper presents the analysis and interpretation of seasonal influence on air pollution in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal at a network of ten high density road traffic intersections in during the period of February, 2008 to January 2009. The purpose was to understand the pollution trends associated with high density road traffic intersection considering particulate matter concentrations (PM2.5), representing the occupational and ambient air quality of the traffic police personnel of the Kathmandu valley. The study indicates that the seasons play a significant dominant role in controlling ambient PM2.5 loads at the high density road traffic intersection. The occupational and ambient PM2.5 concentration in high density traffic area and road intersection of Kathmandu Valley showed a marked monthly and seasonal variation. Monthly and yearly average occupational and ambient PM2.5 concentration at the high density traffic areas and road intersection greatly exceeded permissible level.



55

Riverbed Extraction and Physico-Chemical Parameters of Tinau River, Nepal

Dahal K.R. Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal.


This study was carried out during the period from June 2010 to March 2011 along the Tinau river. Five sampling stations were selected representing both highly polluted and less polluted sites as defined by USEPA. Physico-chemical parameters like pH, Electrical Conductivity, Arsenic, Iron, Phosphorous, Ammonia, Nitrate, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), and Lead were analyzed. The pH value in the selected reach of the River is high (Ranging from 7.5 to 9). Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) exceeds the permissible limit. It ranges from 200 to 1200 mg/l. Similarly nitrate and phosphorous concentration is also high. Tinau is the perennial River flowing from the Mahabharat Mountain passing through the Terai plains of Nepal, joins the Gangetic river system of India, weaving the civilizational thread of the two countries. This is also the major source of income of this region. District Development Committee (DDC) started to extract the riverbed materials for resource generation. It reached up to the maximum stage and river incision took place. Extraction activities are the major causes of the environmental degradation of this River. The River has two major Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems (FMIS) viz Sorha Chhattis and Chaar Tapaha. The extraction of the River caused the failure of the channel headwork and reduction of productivity.



56

Change Detection in Harangi Watershed using Multi-temporal Satellite Imagery

Ramesh H.

Dept. of Applied Mechanics and Hydraulics, National Institute of Technology Karnataka,

Surathkal, Mangalore 575025, India. E-mail: [email protected]

The remotely sensed satellite imagery is one of the widely used primary sources of data for land use/land cover classification and change detection analyses. It provides the spatial distribution of features and qualitative and quantitative information of features changes. Monitoring techniques based on multispectral satellite acquired data have demonstrated potential as a means to detect, identify and map changes in land use/land cover. It helps in identifying change between two or more dates that is uncharacterized of normal variation. Change detection is useful in many applications such as land use changes, stream morphometry, rate of deforestation/aforestation, coastal change, urban sprawl and other cumulative changes through spatial and temporal analysis techniques such as Remote Sensing along with digital image processing techniques. This paper discusses the land use/land cover analysis and change detection techniques for Harangi watershed considering temporal multispectral data (1990, 2000, 2002 and 2008) obtained from IRS 1C / 1D (Indian Remote Sensing Satellites). This case study in tropical forest including rainforest of Western Ghats of India serves as an illustration of different change detection phases derived from satellite multi-temporal data and integrated into an efficient and successful monitoring technique. The results have shown that there is change in some of the land cover like coffee plantations and increased agricultural activity.



57

Climate change impacts and adaptation by the community in the Haor basin of Bangladesh

Chakraborty T.R.

Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh E-mail: [email protected]

Haors with their unique hydro-ecological characteristics are large bowl shaped floodplain depressions located in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh covering about 1.97 million hectors of areas and accommodating about 19.37 million people. There are 373 wetlands which is around 44% of the total area of the Haor basin. The region receives water from catchments slopes of the Shillong Plateau across the borders in India to the north and the Tripura Hills in India to the south. Flash flood is the main disaster in the haor area which engulfs the primary production sectors agriculture and fisheries and thus threatens the lives and livelihoods of the people. Normally first flash flood came between middle of April to end of April. But in the recent year first flash flood is coming much earlier. The late first rain is interfering fish breeding. Cold spell causing no grain in rice. To cope with the impact of climate change the community is practicing short duration crops and varieties. Haor was mono-cropper but currently atleast 14 species of crops are being cultivated by the community. Fish sanctuaries of different forms are being practiced by the community spontaneously. The impact of Climate Change in Haor basin has been studied in Madir Haor, Hakaluki Haor and Tanguar Haor since July 2009. Climate Change consultation and the Community Risk Assessment are the tools used in field the study. The present paper aims to justify the current practices and scopes of Ecosystem based Adaptation in the foothill.



58

DAY 2

POSTER SESSION I

The Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential of an Urban Area – a Case Study of Pimpri-Chinchwad Urban Area, India

Choudhari N.R.1, Mahajan D.M.2*, Gunale V.R.3 and Chaskar M.G.4

1Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Pune, Pune-411007, (India) 2Department of Botany, Waghire College, Saswad, Dist. Pune (University of Pune), (India)

3Department of Botany, University of Pune, Pune-411007, (India) 4Department of Chemistry, Baburoji Gholap College, Sangvi, Pune-411027 (India)

*E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

Soils are an important pool of carbon that can either act as a source or sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. Increasing soil organic matter stocks in urban ecosystems could potentially help to mitigate atmospheric changes by increasing soil carbon sequestration. Pimpri Chinchwad urban area is one of the largest industrial hubs in Asia, having more than 3000 industrial units. Most of the industries have developed green belts. The urban authorities have developed large number of gardens and parks. The present study was carried out in Pimpri-Chinchwad (India) urban area, in order to understand the soil carbon sequestration potential of this area. This area was divided into four zones viz. Residential zone, Public gardens and parks, Industrial zone and roadside, on the basis of vegetation density. Soil samples were collected from these zones at two depths, i.e. 15 cm and 30 cm, and analysed for total carbon sequestered. The soil carbon was estimated by using field study followed by laboratory analysis. The comparative account of carbon accumulated in the soil in the above stated four zones was done. For this study sampling plots of 1m × 1m were laid in perennial vegetation habitats. The soil collection sites were marked using Global Positioning System (GPS). Results obtained showed that highest amount of carbon (~ 627.3 tones/ha) was accumulated in the garden zone and the lowest amount of carbon (~196.4 tones/hector) was recorded from road side zone at the depth of 15 cm. At the depth of 30 cm highest value (~960.3 tones/ha) of carbon was recorded in garden zone while the lowest value was recorded in the residential zone (~351.8 tones/ha).




59

Physico-Chemical Status of River Gadavari at Kopargaon, District

Ahmednagar Ms. India

Dandawate R.R.* and Kardile H.K. Arts, Commerce & Science College, Sonai Tal. Newsa Dist. A. Nagar MS India


The Present investigation deals with the distribution and seasonal variation of certain physico-chemical parameters of water of river Godavari at Kopargaon, MS, India) during the year 2010-2011.The water quality is going to decline due to direct discharge of domestic waste, municipal waste and industrial wastes from various area of town. This directly or indirectly effect the biotic community of aquatic habitat. The gradual disposal of solid and liquid waste from surrounding, chemicals and rapid rate of encroachment with lack of proper maintenance together make this large water body polluted. The D.O. and B.O.D .levels has been marginally beyond permissible limits which is a serious threat to the aquatic life in the river.



60

Environmental Studies on River Water Quality of Narmada River System, at

Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, India - a Case Study

Dixit S.1*, Sharma S.1and Vishwakarma R.2

1Dept. of Chemistry, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal (M.P.), India. 2Dept of Chemistry, Swami Vivekanand College of Science and Technology, Bhopal (M.P.),India


Hydrochemistry of surface water like pH, EC, sulfate, chloride, nitrate, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, Fe, Zn Cu, Mn in the Narmada river system, was used to assess the quality of water for drinking and agricultural purposes. The samples were studied for 5 different stations during different seasons in the years 2010-2011. Chemical data were used for mathematical calculations for better understanding the suitability river water quality for drinking and agricultural purposes using statistical analysis like ANOVA. The results revealed that waters of some polluted stations like Korighat, Sethanighat and Dongarwara are unsuitable up to some extent, where as it is quite unsuitable during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons.



61

Effects of Man-made Constructions on Water Bodies and the Surrounding Landmasses

Dutta D.

Post Graduate Teacher (B.N.G.V. High School) Shantiniketan, West-Bengal, India.


Water bodies and its surrounding landmasses are one of the most important resources of our society. They can be used as water resources as well as land resources. They play a vital role in maintaining the balance of the eco-system. These places are the natural habitat of various aquatic and terrestrial animals including amphibians, reptiles even mammals. Different types of terrestrial and aquatic plants are also observed in this micro eco-system. But now-a-days, in the name of conservation of water bodies, many panchayets and municipalities even many individuals have started the process of building embankments on the waterbodies. This will certainly stop the erosion of the banks, but the eco-system of these water bodies is largely affected. Besides, in urban areas many man made constructions confine the water bodies. Consequently the open model of the eco-systems is being transformed into closed one. In this project; we have closely observed these changes and analyzed their effects. Moreover, we have thoroughly studied the nature of materials, used in making these embankments and their variable effects on respective water bodies. We have collected relevant data regarding p h level, temperature variation and bio diversity. After analyzing these data, it is found that the growth and reproduction rate of the aquatic animals are lesser in water bodies having cemented guard-walls, where as their growth and reproduction rate is much higher in water bodies having earthen embankments; in fact the latter are much richer in terms of bio-diversity. Therefore, we have strongly recommended not building any cemented guard walls on the water bodies. However, if there is an utmost need to check the erosion of the banks; we have suggested a more scientific way of building embankments in a more eco-friendly manner.



62

Study on Planktonic Biodiversity of the River Punarbhaba in Dinajpur District of

Bangladesh

Ferdoushi Z.

Department of Fisheries Management, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh,


The present study was designed to demonstrate some valuable information about the planktonic biodiversity of an important river of the North-west part of Bangladesh. Water samples were collected fortnightly from Punarbhaba river in Bangladesh along different points and analyzed. A total of 45 genera of plankton were recorded belonging to Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Euglenophyceae, Crustacea and Rotifera. From the findings of this study, Chlorophyceae was the most dominant group. On the other hand; Cyanophyceae was the least dominant group. Among zooplankton, Crustacea was the most prevailing assemblage contributing more than 70% of the total zooplankton. The findings of the research also revealed that maximum abundance of phytoplankton was occurred in September while the greatest abundances of zooplankton were found in the months of August and September. All of those phytoplankton and zooplankton concentration have direct relationships with different water quality parameters of the river.



63

Biological and Physiochemical Quality of Soils under Conventional and Organic

Farming in the Central Nepal Mid-hills

Gyawali A.J.*, Shrestha S. and Bajracharya R.M.


The soil resource is a vital component of our environment and the monitoring of soil properties is essential to achieving sustainable land use and soil quality. Few studies on soil have been conducted in Nepal, studies dealing with biological quality are lacking. Soil quality can be assessed using physico-chemical and biological indicators. Soil quality was assessed from two treatments, organic farm and conventional or non organic farm, with forest as control. Four replicates were analyzed from each site. Soil pH, water content, soil bulk density, soil organic carbon, soil texture, temperature, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, cation exchange capacity, meso and macro faunal abundance and biomass and Shannon weiner index were the parameters analyzed. Data was statistically analyzed using one way factorial ANOVA design at 0.05 significance level and correlation analysis. pH, water content, clay, sand, nitrogen and total meso faunal abundance varied significantly between the control and the treatments. All other measured parameters did not vary significantly. Even though in case of parameters like SOC, water content, Nitrogen and biological parameters; soil of organic farm was found to be of higher quality than non organic or conventional farm, the results and analysis of the data in this study indicated that the baseline soil properties of the soils did not vary significantly according to farming practice, that is, organic or conventional farm; this may be due to the small area of the organic farm and its close proximity to non organic farm. Forest soil however, was found to be of better quality than agriculture plots in case of almost all parameters.


64

Stream Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in the Bagrot Valley (Gilgit Baltistan,

Pakistan)

Hussain E. E-mail: [email protected]

This research was carried out within the project “Biodiversity conservation in Himalaya and Karakoram”, supported by the Italian Ev-K2-CNR Committee, in collaboration with three Italian research Institutes: the University Bicocca of Milan, the Natural History Museum of Verona (MCSNV) and the Natural Science Museum of Trento (MTSN). The study was conducted in Bagrote valley CKNP, to appraise diversity, distribution of zoobenthic taxa in relation to habitat type and environmental factors. Fourteen stations were sampled twice in two field surveys. Nine stations were selected on glacier fed streams (kryal and glacio-rhithral), one on a spring fed stream (krenal), and three on springs (limnokrenal and rheokrenal) and one in a glacial pond. In an additional “terrestrial” station, only adults were collected. At each station environmental factor (air, temp, pH and conductivity) and faunal sampling (kick and drift samples) were carried out. Adult were collected by sweep net and by Malaise trap. In all stations 7,991 aquatic specimens were counted of which Diptera and Ephemeroptera were abundant respectively 53% and 29% of individuals. Diptera were found with 8 families among these families chironomidea were dominant. Within non-Insects, Oligochaeta and Crustacea (Amphipoda and Ostracoda) were the best represented (54% and 37% of the non-Insect fraction respectively). The highest number of individuals and taxa was recorded in the krenal streams and springs respectively. Kryal and rheokrenal habitats were dominated by Chironomidae, glaciorhithral and krenal by Baetidae. The longitudinal pattern was analyzed in the Dubani stream, considering a distance of about 4 km. Richness and abundance increased with increasing distance from the glacier, with Chironomidae remaining dominant within the first two km downstream of the glacial snout. Baetidae prevailed more downstream. The highest diversity and abundance were recorded in autumn in glacier-fed stream, while the contrary in springs. The changes were mainly due to a significant increase of Baetidae and the appearance of many other insects (mainly Plecoptera) in Oct- November.



65

Bioremediation of Chromium Contaminated Soil under Laboratory Conditions

Jain A*., KavisrI M. and Priyadharshini B.

Department of Civil Engineering St. Peters College of Engineering and Technology, Chennai, Tamilnadu, INDIA

*E-mail: [email protected].

Soil samples and Bacterial strains were collected from the contaminated site of Tamil Nadu Chromates and Chemicals Limited (TCCL) premises, Sriperambadhur, Tamil Nadu, India. The strain which was isolated from the highly contaminated location had shown high Cr(VI) reduction potential. Cr(VI) reduction was evaluated both in aerobic condition. At higher initial concentration, Cr(VI) reduction was not complete even after 108 h, however, specific Cr(VI) reduction, unit weight of Cr reduced/unit weight of biomass was greater at higher concentration. It was found that a bacterial concentration of 10±1.0 mg/g of soil (wet weight) 50 mg of molasses/g of soil as carbon source were required for the maximum Cr(VI) reduction. The bioreactor operated at these conditions could reduce entire Cr (VI) (5.6 mg Cr(VI)/g of soil) in 20 days. The Cr(III) thus formed was found to be strongly attached to the soil matrix and the mobility of Cr(III) was negligible as evident from the low concentration of Cr(III) in the leachate. This study showed that bioremediation is a viable, environmental friendly technology for cleaning-up the chromium contaminated site at TCCL, Sriperambadhur, Tamil Nadu, India, and optimal operating conditions under laboratory conditions were evaluated.



66

DAY 3

POSTER SESSION II

Impact of Climate Change and its Effects on Livelihood and Adaptation Strategies, Issues from Kanchenjunga Conservation

Jha R.


The research explores climatic factors which are causing problems in the area, the main climate related problem, and importance of climate related problems compared to other problems. Although all the interviewed people had noticed changes in climate and most reported negative impact of specific climate changes, these problems were seldom mentioned when asked about the most important problems or negative changes in peoples’ lives. The Maximum, Minimum and Average annual temperature have been in increasing trend at the rate of 0.0540C, 0.0090C and 0.0320C per annum respectively. Precipitation trend is also increasing by 0.109 mm per annum .where the warming pattern has been found more pronounced in the high altitude. High altitude ecosystems are more vulnerable than low land ecosystem because of geographical conditions. Natural hazards like loss of biodiversity, water scarcity, low productivity, increment of invasive species, increment of disease and drought have increased in recent time which have played crucial role in reducing the livelihood of the people especially in the high altitude region. To reduce the effects, adaptation practices are being carried out in the sector of agriculture, water and forests, which are more traditional in approach and based on local level knowledge.



67

Role of Soil Texture in Determining Interference Potential of Tropical Invasive

Weed Ageratum conyzoides

Kaur S.1*, Singh H.P.1, Kumari A.1, Ahuja N.2 and Chowhan N.2 Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University Chandigarh 160014, India

Department of Botany, Panjab University Chandigarh 160014, India *E-mail: [email protected]

Ageratum conyzoides L. (billy goat weed; Asteraceae), an annual invasive weed from tropical America, is now widespread in tropical and subtropical parts of south-east Asia. In India, it has spread extensively in Shivalik range of northwestern Indian Himalayas. The weed is commonly found in agricultural fields, wastelands, grasslands, pastures and even forests. Due to fast growth rate, quick regenerative and reproductive potential coupled with vegetative reproduction through stolons, weed has overtaken the dominated native communities in most of the areas. In agricultural fields, its infestation causes great havoc where it interferes with the growth and yield of crops. The phytotoxic influence of A. conyzoides is directly related to the release of phenolics, the water soluble allelochemicals, into the infested soil. We conducted a series of experiments to investigate the role of soil type (texture) on the phytotoxic potential of A. conyzoides. Weed residues were incorporated (2%; w/w) into sandy, clayey, loam, sandy loam and clayey loam soils. Compared to sandy soils (sand only and sandy loam), growth of O. sativa seedlings in loam, clayey loam and clay soil was less inhibited. However, in sand and sandy loam soil, O. sativa seedling growth was inhibited by ~92 and 87%, respectively. The amount of phenolics was also the maximum in sand followed by sandy loam. Thus, phytotoxicity of A. conyzoides is significantly influenced by the soil texture. Sandy soils enhance the phytotoxic potential of weed. This may be due to non-adsorption of phenolics to the sand particles and direct availability to the plant system thus causing maximum inhibition. The study concludes that soil texture plays an important role in determining the phytotoxicity of A. conyzoides in the infested soil.



68

Trends of Solid Waste Generation during Shandoor Polo Festival,

a Case Study

Khan B.1*, Ali F.1, Said A.2 , Khan M.Z.3, Khan G.1, Hussain E.1and Hussain S.T.2

1World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan 2Pakistan Wetlands Programme, Islamabad, Pakistan

3Karakorum International University Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan, 4Pakistan Wetlands Programme Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan


Shandoor polo festival, characterized by a unique mountain sport played at one of the highest plateaus of the world. The festival, in addition to unforgettable joyous movements brings environmental hazards such as solid waste generation. The issue has become serious concern for organizers of the sport and conservation organizations. The prime aim of the study was assessment of solid waste trends during Shandoor polo festival 2008, 2010 and 2011. Since 2007 World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF – P) has been active in raising visitor’s awareness about harmful impacts of the solid waste on Shandoor plateau. At the same time WWF – P initiated a study on trends of solid waste generation during Shandoor polo festival by collecting data 2008, 2010 and 2011. The study reveal that 15000, 4500 and 13466 visitors attended Shandoor polo festival during 2008, 2010 and 2011, respectively. It was found that per capita biodegradable solid waste generation (BDSW) has been flux during these events as 0.083kg in 2008, 0.268 kg in 2010 and 0.206 kg in 2011. Similarly the rate of total BDSW increased 30% in 2008; 50.67% in 2010 and 80% in 2011. Average Non biodegradable solid waste generation (NBDSW) has been change during these festivals as 0.195 kg in 2008, 0.395 kg in 2010 and 0.048 kg in 2011. Likewise the rate of total NBDSW decreased 70% in 2008, 49.32 % in 2010 and 20 % in 2011. In this study level of awareness about solid waste threats to Shandoor plateau were measured and assessed in 2008, 2010 and 2011. In 2008 visitors were unaware about prolong threats of solid waste and mostly preferred NBDSW items and less preferred BDSW items. WWF – P took initiative to save Shandoor from adverse impacts of the solid waste and other environmental pollution the awareness level has been increased in the visitors and other stakeholders to save Shandoor from solid waste.


69

Cyanobacterial Nuisance

Kumar M.1*, Bhushan B.1 and Gupta R.K.2* 1Department of Botany, Sahu Jain P.G. College, Najibabad-246763 U.P., India

2*Department of Botany, Pt. LMS Govt. P.G. College, Rishikesh-249201 U.K., India *E-mail: [email protected]

Blooms of Cyanobacteria (toxic blue-green algae) can produce health and environmental hazards in water, including water used for drinking or recreational purposes. Algal bloomsoccur naturally with phytoplankton or microalgae providing food for aquatic organisms.They describe an increase in the number of algal cells to a point where they can seriously reduce the water quality. Blooms can discolour water, form surface scums, produce unpleasant tastes and odors, and create problems for aquatic life. They may vary in colour from green to blue, red, brown, dark green or black. Some may be easily seen as a scum while others may be evenly spread throughout the water or concentrated at depth. Longer periods of calm weather conditions increase the bloom forming potential. Many blooms are composed of non-harmful species, while some species have the potential to produce toxins which cause health hazards in man and his pets. Animals die suddenly after drinking water heavily contaminated with this scum. Toxins may affect the nervous system (neuro-toxins) or the liver (Hepato-toxins). They can also cause skin problems such as skin rashes, swollen lips, eye irritation and redness and ear ache and itchiness, sore throat and asthma. Boiling the water is not the solution of the problem because some Cyanobacterial toxins when released to water form more toxic products that may persist for many months. Most common toxic cyanobacterial diversityin some permanent water bodies present in the sub-Himalayan belt of Uttarakhand Himalaya (India) comprisedAnabaena, Oscillatoria, Nostoc, Anabaenopsis, Lyngbya, Phormidium, CylindrospermumandMicrocystis, a well-known toxic cyanobacterial genus, as dominant. Microcystis bloom formation was remarkable between post-monsoon and summer.


70

Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Saussurea obvallata: an Ethno-Medicinal

Herb from Upper Himalayas

Negi K.1*, Kumari S.2, Singh S.2, Sharma A.2 and Singh H.P.1 1Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University Chandigarh 160014, India

2Department of Botany, Panjab University Chandigarh 160014, India *E-mail: [email protected]

Saussurea obvallata (Braham Kamal; Asteraceae) is a medicinal herb found in upper Himalayas at an elevation of 3000-4500 m. In India, it is found in alpine meadows, rocky slopes and along rivers in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Sikkim. Traditionally, the herb is used in Tibetan medicine system to treat various diseases like limb paralysis, headache, and bruises and cuts. However, no attempt has been made to validate its antioxidant activities. Therefore, we explored the antioxidant and scavenging activities of dried S. obvallata plants against hydroxyl and DPPH radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and for ferric reducing and iron chelating activity. Aqueous extracts (0.0625–1%; W/V) of S. obvallata exhibited scavenge hydroxyl, iron chelating and hydrogen peroxide in the range of 18 to 90% Further, the extracts

exhibited 25 83% DPPH radical scavenging activity. Upon investigation, the extracts were found to be rich in phenolics and flavonoids indicating their role in providing antioxidant activity of the herb. The present paper attempts to correlate the traditional uses of this endangered medicinally important herb, its ethno-medicinal value and biological activity.



71

Critical Resources in Mount Diwata Range, Agusan del Sur: Opportunities Towards Integrated Biodiversity Management and Conservation

Nuneza O.

Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology Tibanga, Iligan City Philippines

E-mail: [email protected] This project assessed the resource diversity in Mt. Diwata Range for better understanding of the landscape and management of critical resources. Five studies (flora, fauna, water quality, soil ecological diversity, socio-economic dimension) were conducted using a combination of methods. The floral survey revealed a total of 148 species (3 critically endangered, 4 endangered, 11 vulnerable species). High species richness with 215 vertebrate fauna (22 amphibians, 37 reptiles, 126 birds, 30 mammals) was recorded. The level of endemism was quite high (50% for amphibians, 51 % for reptiles, 48 % for birds, and 60% for mammals). Soil analysis results showed that the soil physico-chemical properties were in general within minimum productive levels and were not significantly different among elevation gradients. The earthworm population was few and limited to 3 species only. Results of the water quality assessment indicated that most of the physico-chemical parameters were at levels that fall within the standard values set by the DENR except in two most inhabited stations of Simulao Rivers. Bacteriological analyses of water samples from all stations indicate high counts of both total and fecal coliform. In general, the socioeconomic condition is characterized by poor access to human, financial, and physical capital. As the repository of indigenous knowledge, the indigenous people consider land as source of life and such other resources as the forest, water, and animals. The natives were found to engage in hunting, wildlife trade, kaingin, overfishing, logging or timber extraction, mining, and use of chemical fertilizers/pesticides. Findings of this project generally show an interrelationship among the biological, physico-chemical and socioeconomic components. It is a continuing challenge to address the needs of human well-being across ecosystems employing integrated approaches to biodiversity management and conservation of Mt. Diwata Range.



72

Water Quality and Littoral Diatom Assemblages in a High Altitude Himalayan

Lake (Gosainkunda) of Nepal

Raut R.*, Gurung S., Sharma S, and Bajracharya R.M. Aquatic Ecology Centre, School of Science, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Kavre

Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal


Lake Gosaikunda is located in Langtang National Park at an elevation of 4370 m above sea level. The lake is considered holy by by Hindus, and duringthe event of Janaipurnima (full moon festival in August) hundreds of Hindus and also Buddhists pilgrims visit this place leaving behind huge wastes, considered as a major threat. This study was conducted to assess the quality of lake water influenced by anthropogenic as well as natural impacts.. The samples were collected from inlet, outlet, human influence site, littoral zone, middle (Central) and the deepest point of the lake. The lake water was analyzed in laboratory for some major cations (Ca++, Mg++, Na+ & K+), anions (Cl-, SO4

-- & HCO3-) and some heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cd, Cr, Pb). Diatom samples

were also collected from different habitats (substrata) of the littoral zone of lake during October 2010. The most abundant diatoms found in the littoral zone were of the species Navicula, Achnanthes, Fragilaria, Gomphonema, and Eunotia.



73

Examination of The Effects of Manual Cutting to Control the

Spread of Mikania micrantha

Sandilya, M.M. E-mail: [email protected]

Mechanical control strategy particularly manual cutting is considered suitable in the context of Nepal because: (i) low cost labors are available, (ii) community forest users are contributing voluntarily in forest management activities, and (iii) cuttings have no side effects. However, local people and forestry practitioners believed that cutting Mikania could be counterproductive as it promotes their growth. In such context, any mitigation operations may lead towards social conflicts, which can be minimized through complete information. To inform policy, forest managers and forest users, this study examines the effects of different cutting regimes on the growth of Mikania and the regeneration of native species. For this study, experimental plots were established in August in Janakauli Buffer zone community of Chitwan National Park, Bachhauli, Chitwan. First, the forest patches where divided into two strata: open woodland (<20% canopy cover), and closed canopy (>20% canopy cover). Then, the open woodland stratum was subdivided into two blocks based on the cutting strategy: (a) remove Mikania only, and, (b) remove Mikania with other herbs. In closed canopy, only Mikania were removed. Four different treatments were defined in terms of cutting intensity: (i) no cutting, (ii) cutting once, (ii) cutting twice, and (iv) cutting thrice. A complete random block design was carried out to assign different treatments in the experimental plots. The gap between two consecutive cuttings was three weeks. One way ANOVA (LSD) and Multiple regression tests were carried out to analyze the data using SPSS software. The results show that Mikania was more abundant in open woodland than the closed canopy. Three consecutive cuttings can reduce Mikania by 88% and 92% in open woodland and closed canopy respectively. The ANOVA test indicates that the impacts of the treatments on regeneration of native vegetations were not statistically significant; however, the numbers of new regenerations were more in the three consecutive cutting plots. In the open woodland there is no significant difference between the effects cutting twice and thrice on the reduction in Mikania. In the closed woodland, all cuttings showed statistically significant impacts on Mikania. The multiple regression analysis indicates that cutting only Mikania produce better results than cutting Mikania with other life forms(except seedlings of trees and shrubs). In addition, the percentage of Mikania reduction is associated with the cutting intensity. This study concluded that manual cutting can be an appropriate strategy to maintain native ecosystem in the invaded landscape, which constraints the growth of Mikania and promotes native species.



74

Detecting the Climate-Sensitive Zones in Nepal, Central Himalaya: Design of a Forthcoming River Research Project

Shah R.D.T.*, Haase P., Pauls S.U. and Jaehnig S.

Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F) & Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Clamecystr. 12,

63571 Gelnhausen, Germany *E-mail: [email protected]

In the central Himalaya, rapid warming trend and shifted regional precipitation patterns have been observed over last 50 years. Regional climate modelling forecasts that the temperature will rise between 3.5 and 5.5oC in Indian sub-continent by 2100. It is expected that climate warming and shifting precipitation and runoff patterns will alter the existing biodiversity at a relatively faster rate in the Himalaya than in the rest of the world. Dealing with consequences of global climate change is difficult, particularly as many of the most pressing problems facing natural resources (e.g. changes in biodiversity and ensuing changes in ecosystem services) are poorly understood. Thus mitigation measures are difficult to prioritize. In this regard, the climate sensitive zone (CSZ) provides a means of identifying regions or areas most susceptible to climate change impacts. The CSZ is characterized by a climate sensitive biotic community that is expected to react quickly to changes in temperature and precipitation by shifting to higher altitude or latitude or both. The planned study aims to (1) detect the CSZ in the central Himalaya, (2) determine how anthropogenic influence impacts the CSZ and (3) model future potential range shift of the CSZ under different climate scenarios and varying anthropogenic pressures. The study is the first attempt to detect CSZ based on stream benthic invertebrates. Benthic invertebrate samples will be collected in streams ranging from ~1500 m asl to ~4000 m asl. Temperature loggers will be set up for 1 year at selected stream reaches. Hydromorphological and physicochemical parameters will be analysed in relation to biotic community structure. A total of 128 sites will be selected for biological samples and environmental parameters in the 3 years project. The identified stream CSZ will be valuable for climate research, development of mitigation measures and adaptive strategies to cope with rapidly changing global climate at minimum cost and resources. The research will help to establish a much needed, cost-efficient early warning system for climate change effects in running freshwater ecosystems.



75

Regulation of Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii) Forest Diversity- Does Allelopathy Play a Role?

Sharma N.1,2* and Kumar A.2

1Government College, Nalagarh, HP, India 2Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160014, India


Natural forests and plantations of Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii) often harbor poor floral diversity under them. One of the plausible reasons for this could be allelopathy – a type of plant-plant interaction. In order to demonstrate the role of allelopathy, a few experiments under conducted both under laboratory and experimental dome conditions. Under laboratory conditions, the extracts prepared from its fresh and decaying needles were found to be phytotoxic towards Bidens pilosa - a commonly occurring understorey species of the chir pine plantations. The early growth and establishment of the test plant was found to be significantly reduced upon treatment with needle extracts of the tree and the decline in growth was dose dependent. The extracts were found to be rich in phenolics – an important class of allelochemicals. A strong reciprocal correlation between amount of phenolics and growth decline was observed. In another set of experiments fresh and decomposing needle powders were amended in soil in different concentrations and seeds of test plant B. pilosa were sown. Here also a dose dependent growth retardatory effect was observed. Root and shoot length and biomass of the test plant were affected in response to the soils amended with needle powder. Here also the amended soils were enriched with phenolics like the water extracts. The study clearly pointed out the role of phenolic allelochemicals in retarding the growth of test plant. Chir pine thus exerts allelopathic effect on the understorey plants through its fresh and decaying needles that alter the diversity of plants under its plantations / natural forests.



76

Effect of Variation in Water Stress, Temperature, Light and CO2 on Germination and Germination Velocity Index of Some Dry Tropical Tree Species

Singh A.1,*, Batish D.R.1, and Singh H.P.2

1Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India 2Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India

*E-mail: [email protected] A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of variations in light quality, temperature, water stress and carbon dioxide against germination in seeds of five native dry tropical forest species viz. Acacia nilotica, Albizzia lebbeck, Dalbergia sissoo, Terminalia arjuna, and Terminalia chebula. It was observed that percent germination and germination velocity index (GVI) of all five species were highest under direct light and far-red light enhanced germination and GVI. However, seeds of tested tree species exhibited variations regarding the range of optimum temperature required for maximum germination. A temperature range of 30–35oC was found to be favorable for seed germination of D. sissoo, whereas germination was totally inhibited at 10 oC. Large-sized and late successional seeds had greater germination at nearly constant temperature, while small-sized and early successsional species had greater germination at fluctuating temperature. Expect A. lebbeck, GVI was highest with a high level of water stress in D. sissoo, A. nilotica T. arjuna and T. chebula. In contrast, D. sissoo, T. arjuna and T. chebula seeds were extremely sensitive to even a slight increase in stress level. In general, all the species showed a decline in germination with decreasing water potential. Seeds of D. sissoo were highly sensitive to even a slight increase in the level of water stress as both germination and GVI declined with the stress increase. Elevated CO2 enhanced seed germination only in A. nilotica, A. lebbeck and T. chebula., However, GVI increased due to CO2 exposure of seeds of all selected species except T. arjuna and T. chebula. In response to elevated CO2 the maximum germination was observed in D. sissoo (93.67%) and the minimum in A. lebbeck (61.33%), whereas GVI was the highest in A. lebbeck and the lowest in D. sissoo.



77

Phytochemical Activities of Leaf Extracts of Some Medicinal Plant against Aspergillus Niger a Causal Organism of Market Disease of Amla

Sonawane B.N.1* and Fatima S.2 1 ShriDnyneshwarMahavidayala, Newasa.

1,2 Maulana Azad Women’s College, Aurangabad. *E-mail: [email protected]

Amla (Embilica officinallis) is one of the most important fruit plant grown in India It is good source of vitamin-C. Among fruits Amla plant of India with a constant demand. In order to regulate the supply and to enable the farmer to get a remunerative price for the produce, long term storage of amla is a pre requisite. Losses of amla during storage are considerable mainly due to sprouting and contamination by microorganisms. Nearly 40 % of the production is losed during post harvest handling and sprouting, out of which microbial spoilage alone contributes approximately 15-20% of the total loss (Pantastico and Bantista, 1976; Bhagchandani et al., 1980). Aspergillus niger to know the fungicidal nature of their plant extracts. Though complete inhibition of the pathogen was not observed in any of plant extracts tested, but considerable amount of inhibition was noticed in some of them. Among the 10th plant extracts tested against Aspergillus niger Tinospora cordifolia ( 77.41%) were significantly superior over all other plant extracts. Next best was Boerhavia diffusa (74.07 %), Ocimum santum (70.00%), Tribulus teristrie (60.00%), Adathoda vasica showed less inhibitory effect (6.66%).



78

Comparision of Uptake of Aflatoxin B1 By Different Varities Of Groundnut Plants

(Arachis Hypogaea L.)

Sujit K.C.*, Snigdha M. and Venkateswaran G. Department of Food Microbiology, Central Food Technological Research Institute,

Mysore, Karnataka, India, 570020 *E-mail: [email protected]

Worldwide, approximately 25.7 million tons of groundnuts are produced. India is rated as the third largest producer of groundnut in the world with annual production of over 5-6 million tons. Aflatoxin contamination in groundnut is a major hazard to human and animal health and is one of the most important constraints to groundnut trade. However it is now recognized that aflatoxin produced in soil is not rapidly degraded by soil micro flora and the substantial amount of toxin present in the rhizosphere and rhizoplanes of the plant is absorbed by the root system and translocated to the foliage and fruits. This study is aimed at the comparison between 19 varieties of groundnut collected from major groundnut growing states of India, in their ability in absorbing aflatoxin B1. In this experiment, known amount of aflatoxin B1 was added to Hoagland’s solution and different groundnut seedlings were allowed to grow. Aflatoxin levels in Hoagland’s solution, root and stem of groundnut plants were quantified using HPTLC. In our preliminary study presence of this toxin was higher in roots at 3rd day, whereas at 7th day it was found to be translocated to shoot and a reduced concentration was observed in roots in both plants tested. The details of the transport/translocation of aflatoxin from soil to plants will be discussed in detail.



79

An Assessment of Forest Cover and Land Use Changes in Laljhadi Corridor by using GIS and Remote Sensing

Thapa P.S.


This study was carried out in the Laljhadi corridor area. The objectives were to assess temporal and spatial change (1979, 1990, 1999 and 2010) in forest cover and assess Land use and Forest Cover dynamics. The study has been done through GIS and remote sensing approach using Land Sat MSS image 1979, Landsat TM 1990, Landsat TM 1999 and Landsat TM 2010. ERDAS IMAGINE 9.2 and Arc GIS 9.2 were used for analysis. With the help of GPS ground truthing was done. GPS locations and topographic maps served as the basis for signature assignment. With those signatures, supervised classification was done to classify the area into three major classes viz. Forest area, Water body and Other than forest area. The analysis showed that there was reduction in forest area by 4632 ha with an annual deforestation rate of 149.41ha during the last 31 yrs. This study depicted that forest area that occupied about 73% has decreased to 60%, Water bodies has increased from 7% to 9% and other areas have increased from 20% to 31% of the total corridor’s area from 1979 to 2010 A.D. It was investigated that water bodies and other areas increased at the expense of forest. Laljhadi corridor is a transboundary corridor and identified as one of the biodiversity pocket area in Nepal. Hence, proper land use planning is essential for sustainable development of the corridor.


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Pods and Seeds Traits of Stereospermum suaveolens –An Endangered Medicinal

Plant

Tomar A.*, Pandey V.P. and Shukla P.

Centre for Social Forestry and Eco-rehabilitation, Allahabad *E-mail: [email protected]

Stereospermum suaveolens DC. (Family Bignoniaceae) is an endangered medicinal tree species, is an ingredient of Dasmula. Its barks, flowers, roots and leaves of S. suaveolens are used for remedies of diseases like heating, vomiting, eructation, piles, acidity, diarrhoea, gonorrhoea, loss of taste, malaria and other fevers. To exploit the potentiality of available resource base, variability and genetic analysis of Stereospermum trees were assessed for pod and seed traits as a scope for further breeding program. Keeping all this in view, an effort has been made to evaluate the extent of variation and relationship of pod and seed traits in Stereospermum trees. Mature pods were collected during November 2011 from Dehradun situated at 30o 20’ latitude,77° 52’ longitude and at 640 a.m.s.l. For pod and seed characteristics of S. suaveolens, the highest coefficient of variation (CV) of 38.19 % was observed in the pod length as the pod length varies from 14.4 to 49.2 cm with mean value 33.91cm.The number of seeds per kg varied from 25,641- 40,000 as this depends on size of the pods. Lowest coefficient of variation was observed in seed length with and without wings (6.09-6.60 %). However Seed width shared a variation of 10.12 %. The observations reveal that how much ever the pod characteristics differ, the seed characteristics, especially the length remains more or less the same. Thus the seed length and width look to be fairly independent of the pod size for this species. S. suaveolens trees will not only provide much needed fuel, timber, medicine etc but will also contribute towards improvement of environment. Its planting and conservation is thus recommended.



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Geomorphological Mapping of lower part of Lirung Glacier, Langtang Valley, Nepal

Tuladhar A.*, Kayastha R.B. and Kafle K.R.

Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Science, Kathmandu University *E-mail: [email protected]

Geomorphological mapping of the lower part of Lirung Glacier is prepared. Lirung Glacier is situated in the Langtang Valley, Rasuwa district, Central Nepal. Geomorphological mapping is done using field data and other secondary data with the help of GIS. Glacier boundary, ice cliffs, right and left lateral moraines, supraglacial streams, lake, englacial drainage site, and supraglacial ponds are mapped. The types of rocks mapped are Gneiss, Schist, Quartzite and Feldspar. Also, landslide, boulders, fluvial and lacustrine deposits are mapped. The debris contains matter of various sizes like silt, sand, gravel, pebbles and huge boulders. The ice cliff is located at 1.24 km of distance from the lake’s outlet and the length of the lake is 465 m. The length of the lake has increased by 51 m in comparison with its length given in topographical map of the ablation area of the Lirung Glacier in 1996 which is 404 m. (Aoki and Asahi, 1996). The average breadth of the lake is 207 m. Therefore, the area of the lake is about 96,255 m2. Global warming may have played an important role for the formation of ponds within the debris area of the glaciers in Central Nepal Himalaya. Glaciers studies are of high significance since the impact of global warming in glaciers are accelerating.


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Forest Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation - a Study of Satpura Hills of Madhya Pradesh, India

Upadhyay R.* and Upadhyay S.T.

Department of Botany Govt. P.G. College, Pipariya, Madhya Pradesh-461775


Madhya Pradesh is endowed with rich and diverse forest resources. Lying between lat. 21°04'N and long. 74°02' and 82°49' E, it is a reservoir of biodiversity. The geographical area of the state is 308,144 km2 (118,975 sq mi) which constitutes 9.38% of the land area of the country. The forest area of the state is 95,221 km2constituting 31% of the geographical area of the state and 12.44% of the forest area of the country. There are two parallel hill ranges Vindhya Range and Satpura Range in Madhya Pradesh. These forests provide a range of products and services for human value, due to biodiversity present in them. From ecological viewpoint this diversity has the potential to cater the needs human in multifarious ways. The Satpura ranges are heavily forested; but the area has been subject to gradual deforestation in recent decades, although significant stands of forests remain. These hills have rich biodiversity and provide habitat to several at risk and endangered species. Several protected areas are present in these hills, including Satpura National Parks, Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve, Melghat Tiger Reserve and the Bori Reserve Forest. The national parks and reserves in the Satpura range attract hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. They form a popular destination for trekking, fishing and adventure activities. Pachmarhi is also called as ‘botanist’s paradise’ as several excursion and botanical tours are daily operated in this region. The forests of this region are exploited for variety of purposes from timber to non-timber forest produce and also for educational study material. The present paper studies the biodiversity of this region, their Rare, endangered and threatened species, the economic regime for which they are exploited, challenges of conservation and the initiatives taken to conserve them.

mailto:E-mail:%[email protected]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vindhya_Range

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satpura_National_Park

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_parks_of_India

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachmarhi_Biosphere_Reserve

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melghat

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bori_Reserve_Forest

NUFU - Kathmandu Universityku.edu.np/env/MRMCE-2012/Abstract_program_booklet.pdf · (MRMCE 2012)...

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Transcript of NUFU - Kathmandu Universityku.edu.np/env/MRMCE-2012/Abstract_program_booklet.pdf · (MRMCE 2012)...