ID: 51667
Title: Harmonizing soil organic carbon estimates in historical and current data
Author: A.Velmurugan, Gopal Krishan, V.K. Dadhwal, Suresh Kumar, T.P. Swarnam and S.K.Saha
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 4, 25 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Clay, land use, oxidative combustion, soil organic carbon, Walkley and Black method
Abstract: Estimation of soil organic carbon (SOC) is indispensable in studies involving soils and global climate change. SOC retention in soil is a function of climate, vegetation and intrinsic soil properties. Historically, SOC estimates are based on wet digestion which gives low carbon recovery. This results in underestimation of its density and stock, however, most of the existing historical and current SOC data sets are based on wet digestion. Hence, we have compared the wet digestion with precise oxidative combustion method for SOC estimation, to develop factors for conversion of historical data into comparable values. It was found that the recovery percentage of SOC is lower than oxidative method and it further decreased with increase in clay content. In case of land use, the recovery percentage is higher in forest soils, followed by agricultural soils and the least in wasteland. A general correction factor of 1.42 and clay content specific correction factors of 1.35, 1.45 and 1.81 are recommended to convert historical data into current reliable SOC estimates.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51666
Title: Avian influenza surveillance in wild migratory, resident, domestic birds and in poultry in Maharashtra and Manipur, India, during avian migratory season 2006-07
Author: Shailesh Pawar, Satish Pande, Aniruddha Jamgaonkar, Santosh Koratkar, Bishwajoy Pal, Satish Raut, Madhuri Nanaware, Koninika Ray, Alok Chakrabarti, Sadhana Kode, Vishal Thite, Madhukar Khude, Satish Randive, Atanu Basu, Amit Pawashe, Aditya Ponkshe,
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 4, 25 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Avian influenza surveillance, faecal samples, migratory birds
Abstract: Indian reported outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in poultry in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh (February-April 2006); Manipur (July 2007); West Bengal (January 2008) and Tripura (April 2008). The role of migratory birds in the transmission of the HPAI H5N1 remains a subject of debate. Avian Influenza (AI) surveillance in wild migratory, wild resident, domestic birds and poultry was undertaken by National Institute of Virology (NIV) jointly with Ela Foundation, Pune, India during 2006-07. A total of 1968 faecal specimens (1369 droppings from wild migratory and wild resident birds; 474 droppings from poultry and 125 cloacal swabs from chickens and ducks) were collected. These samples representing 10 avian families of wild migratory birds, four families of wild resident birds totalling 36 species, were from eight districts of Maharashtra covering 20 water bodies and two districts of Manipur. The samples were screened for AI viruses by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real - time PCR and were processed for virus isolation in embryonated chicken eggs and cell culture. Two samples from wild ducks were positive for viruses other than AI, newcastle disease virus (NDV) and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). During the study period no sample was positive for Influenza A viruses, Influenza A (H5N1) or any other strain of HPAI by RT-PCR and virus isolation. In view of the recent HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in poultry in India, continued and more widespread AI surveillance is necessary to elucidate the role of wild migratory, resident, domestic birds and poultry in the transmission of AI viruses.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51665
Title: Assessing the vitality of Himalayan lichens by measuring their photosynthetic performances using chlorophyll fluorescence technique
Author: Sanjeeva Nayaka, Sanjay Ranjan, Pooja Saxena, U.V.Pathre, D.K.Upreti and Ruchi Singh
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 4, 25 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Chlorophyll fluorescence, ecophysiology, Fv/Fm , lichen, Himalayas
Abstract: Photosynthetic performances of 82 lichens occurring in Western Himalayas were determined using chlorophyll fluorescence. Fv/Fm ranged from 0.023 to 0.655, with terricolours Cladonia subconistea at alpine region having maximum value. Photosynthetic performances of alpine lichens were found to be better than those of temperate due to the influence of favourable climate, wet soil and rock in the region. As the study was carried out during early summer, most of the lichens started experiencing stress which is evident by their Fv/Fm values. As many as 10 chlorolichens (with green alga as photobiont) growing in temperate region are severely stressed and have values <0.1. The stress components in the study area are mostly water availability and high intensity light. The cyanolichens (with blue green alga as photobiont) have relatively lower Fv/Fm ranging from 0.075 to 0.315 . On the basis of their Fv/Fm values, the lichens in the present study are classified into three categories: normal, moderate and severely stressed with values ranging from 0.5 to 0.76, 0.3 to 0.49 and 0.01 to 0.29 respectively. The possible influence of crowded apothecia, growth form, substratum and association with moss towards the photosynthetic performance of lichens and their community are discussed.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51664
Title: Use of synthetic aperture radar polarimetry to characterize wetland targets of Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India
Author: Parul Patel, Hari Shanker Srivastava and Ranganath R. Navalgund
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 4, 25 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Polarimetric decomposition, Radar polarimetry, Synthetic Aperture Radar, Wetland
Abstract: Timely and accurate information about various habitats of a wetland ecosystem is necessary for the assessment, monitoring and management of a wetland. In this article, the state-of-the-art Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PolSAR) data have been analysed to characterize various components of a wetland ecosystem. SAR polarimetry has received negligible attention in India, mostly owing to lack of data over the Indian sub-continent. With a recent DLR-ESAR (Experimental-SAR) flight over India, it was possible to conduct a detailed, planned experiment to explore the potentials of SAR polarimetry. This study has been carried out using fully polarimetric, multi-frequency DLR-ESAR data over parts of a world heritage and Ramsar site, the Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India. Scattering models based on physical principles have been applied to characterize the wetland targets like open-water habitat, various types of aquatic vegetation with or without standing water, along with various species of forested areas. Entropy, alpha angle and anisotropy have been derived by performing eigen vector-based target decomposition on L-and P-bands fully polarimetric SAR data, enabling us to understand the differences in wetland targets in terms of their scattering behaviour at the L- and P-bands. A significant outcome of this study is that it explores and demonstrates the potential of the state-of-the-art technique of PolSAR for characterizing scattering behaviour of various components of a wetland ecosystem, which is a less explored application of SAR, particularly in the Asian countries.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51663
Title: A study on acoustics of conch shell
Author: Saroj Kumar Rath and P.C. Naik
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 4, 25 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Conch shell, conical horn, mode-locking, sound spectrum
Abstract: The mechanism of generation of musical sound in conch shell excited by lip vibration is presented with reference to up-to-date literature on operation of wind instruments. The process of ' mode-locking ' is indicated in the context of our observed spectrum. The spectrum of conch sound is explained with reference to the geometry of conch shell and its equivalence as a conical horn, where the nature of spectra fairly agrees with the theory.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51662
Title: Advance and retreat of Chaurabari glacier
Author: Rameshwar Bali
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 4, 25 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: None
Abstract: None
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51661
Title: A need for online herbaria in India
Author: Mandar N. Datar, Vinaya S. Ghate
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 4, 25 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: None
Abstract: None
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51660
Title: A novel nesting behaviour of a treefrog, Rhacophorus lateralis in the Western Ghats, India
Author: S.D.Biju
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 3, 10 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Leaf folding, leaf nesting, Rhacophorus lateralis, treefrog, Western Ghats
Abstract: Nest building by leaf folding is a rare behaviour in anuran amphibians, with previous reports for only two genera, the Subsaharan African Afrixalus, and Central and South American Phyllomedusa. This communication reports a specialized nest building behaviour of an Indian treefrog Rhacophorus lateralis, which was observed in natural habitat at Kalpetta in Wayanad District, Kerala. This behaviour of leaf folding is the first report in the family Rhacophoridae, and in the Asiatic amphibians. Nesting behaviour of R.lateralis is unique among Rhacophorus - a purse-like nest is made over water by folding a single leaf around the egg mass (embryos and translucent foam) by the female alone after oviposition. The function of this parental investment is to prevent desiccation of eggs in open sunlight. This paper also documents the multiple leaf nesting behaviour of other two species of this genus, R. calcadensis and R.pseudomalabaricus, and the previously documented nesting behaviour of R.malabaricus using more than one leaf.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51659
Title: The Great avulsion of Kosi on 18 August 2008
Author: Rajiv Sinha
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 3, 10 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Floods, Ganga plains, Kosi barrage, river dynamics, river management
Abstract: The 18 August 2008 avulsion of the Kosi River draining the parts of north Bihar in eastern India may well be regarded as one of the greatest avulsions in a large river in recent years. The Kosi River shifted by ~120 km eastward, triggered by the breach of the eastern afflux bund at Kusaha in Nepa at a location 12 km upstream of the Kosi barrage. This event was widely perceived as a major flood in the media and scientific circles. Although a large area was indeed inundated after this event, it is important to appreciate that this inundation was different from a regular flooding event.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51658
Title: Multi-frequency and multi-polarized SAR response to thin vegetation and scattered trees
Author: Hari Shanker Srivastava, Parul Patel, Yamini Sharma and Ranganath R. navalgund
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 3, 10 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Cross-polarization, multi-frequency SAR, multi-polarized SAR data, scattered trees, vegetation
Abstract: This communication highlights the results of a study carried out to understand the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) response to thin vegetation volume at L, C and X bands as well as cross - polarizations at L and C bands, and the X band at VV polarization. The sensitivity of SAR backscatter to the vegetation volume varies with the frequency, polarization and incidence angle at which the canopy is illuminated. Multi-frequency, multi-polarized SAR response of thin linear vegetation along the roadside, small thorny hedges along the boundary of the farmers ' s fields and scattered cluster of trees was studied for this purpose. It was observed that cross-polarized signals were able to pick up signals better from a very thin vegetation volume among the polarization responses and the L band was the most sensitive among the frequencies.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51657
Title: Prioritization of habitats and communities for conservation in the Indian Himalayan Region: a state-of -the -art approach from Manali Wildlife Sanctuary
Author: Man S.Rana and S.S.Samant
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 3, 10 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Communities, Conservation Priority Index, habitat degradation, protected area network
Abstract: The protected areas of Himachal Pradesh in the Indian Himalayan Region are facing high anthropogenic pressure due to grazing rights. Habitat degradation coupled with overexploitation of sensitive biodiversity elements has caused habitat alteration and rapid decrease in their populations. This has necessitated evaluation and prioritization of habitats and communities and suggest stratergies conservation. The present study has focused on these lines and has identified 13 habitats, 23 forest communities and 24 alpine communities. Each habitat and community has been evaluated for site representation, altitudinal distribution, species richness, native, endemic socio-economically important and threatened species. Based on cumulative values for these attributes, Conservation Priority Index (CPI) for the habitats and communities has been calculated. Amongst habitats, shady moist forest, bouldary, rocky, dry forest and alpine moist slope habitats respectively, showed high CPI, and were hence prioritized for conservation. Amongst communities, Betula utilis, Abies pindrow, Cedrus deodara and Picea smithiana in the forest zone and Rhododendron campanulatum, Rhododendron anthopogon, Cassiope fastigiata-Rhododendron anthopogon mixed, Carex nubigena-Carex setigera mixed and Rhododendron campanulatum-Rhododendron lepidotum mixed communities in the alpine zone respectively, showed high CPI and were hence prioritized for conservation. Regular monitoring of these prioritized habitats and communities is essentially required to understand the structural and functional changes in the natural vegetation and possibilities of habitat alterations due to overexploitation, habitat degradation and invasion by exotic/ non-native species. This would help in the proper management of habitats and communities of the Manali Wildlife Sanctuary.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51656
Title: Challenges of sustainable water quality management in rural India
Author: R.Srikanth
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 3, 10 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Data management, rural India, water quality monitoring, water quality standards
Abstract: High rates of mortality and morbidity due to water-borne diseases are well known in India. Serious degradation of water quality in urban India has often been attributed to indiscriminate disposal of sewage and industrial effluents into surface water bodies. Although some degree of intervention in terms of chlorination and monitoring of water quality exists in major cities and towns, rural India, which constitutes the bulk (70%) of the population, is usually deprived of such interventions. The population in rural India is mainly dependent on the groundwater as a source of drinking water. As a quality concern the groundwater is often found to be contaminated with fluoride, aresenic, iron and salts. In recent years, fluorosis has emerged as major public health issue in rural India. At the technical level, some progress has been made in the development and use of field-level diagnostic kits. Decentralization of health-related monitoring at the villages needs to be institutionalized and this requires capacity developement at all levels. This article discusses the various components that impact effective water quality management in rural India. Experience suggests that redesigning of data management programme at village, district and at national level, upgradation of district-level laboratories and addressing technical, legal and institutional components should become the first steps in achieving effective water-quality management and providing better health to millions of people living in rural India.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51655
Title: Is the Siachen glacier melting?
Author: R.K.Ganjoo, M.N.Koul
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 3, 10 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: None
Abstract: None
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51654
Title: On-farm water management practices in Punjab
Author: Samanpreet kaur, Satvinder Singh, Harjit Singh Gulati
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 3, 10 August 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: None
Abstract: None
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51653
Title: Genetic diversity assessment in intra- and inter- populations of Xylocarpus granatum Koen.: a critically endangered and narrowly distributed species of Maharashtra
Author: Smita B.Jugale, Leela J.Bhosale, Trupti D.Kad and A.B.Nadaf
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 97, No 5, 10 September 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: ISSR markers, intra- and inter- population variations, morphological variation, Xylocarpus granatum Koen
Abstract: The threatened mangrove species Xylocarpus granatum Koen. has been rediscovered after a period of nine decades from the West Coast of Maharashtra. On the basis of IUCN guidelines, the species is categorized as a critically endangered and narrowly distributed species of Maharashtra. When the inter- and intra-populations spread across the estuaries of Maharashtra Coast were studied, it was observed that the species shows considerable phenotypic variation with respect to leaflet size and shape, number of floral parts, number size of fruits per inflorescence, and also dimorphism in leaves. Hence, populations of X. granatum from three different localities representing the above -mentioned phenotypic variations were selected and assessed at biochemical level by protein profiling and at genomic level using ISSR markers. The analyses showed that even though the variation exists at phenotypic level, the inter- and intra- populations showed similarity in total protein pattern and 92% similarity at genomic level. Thus, it seems that the phenotypic variations in the inter- and intra- populations of X.granatum are probably epigenetic. The low genetic variation in this species threatens its own existence and strongly demands immediate appropriate conservation measures.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None