Livestock losses and hotspots of attack from tigers and leopards in Kanha Tiger Reserve,Central India

Carnivore attacks on livestock are a primary driver of human–carnivore conflict and carnivore decline globally. Livestock depredation is particularly threatening to carnivore conservation in Central India, a priority landscape and stronghold for the endangered tiger. To strengthen the effectiveness of conflict mitigation strategies, we examined the spatial and temporal patterns and physical characteristics of livestock depredation in Kanha Tiger Reserve. We combined livestock compensation historical records (2001–2009) with ground surveys (2011–2012) and carnivore scat to identify when and where livestock species were most vulnerable. Between 400 and 600 livestock were reported for financial compensation each year, and most (91–95 %) were successfully reimbursed. Tigers and leopards were responsible for nearly all livestock losses and most often killed in the afternoon and early evening. Cattle and buffalo were most at risk in dense forests away from villages and roads, whereas goats were most often killed in open vegetation near villages. A spatial predation risk model for cattle revealed high-risk hotspots around the core zone boundary, confirming the significant risks to livestock grazing illegally in the core. Such ecological insights on carnivore–livestock interactions may help improve species-specific livestock husbandry for minimizing livestock losses and enabling coexistence between people and carnivores.     

Tigers,Tribes, and Bureaucrats: the voluntariness and socioeconomic consequences of village relocations from Melghat Tiger Reserve,India

Relocations of indigenous peoples from protected areas to promote wildlife conservation have typically resulted in negative socioeconomic results for those displaced. The international indigenous peoples’ movement has begun to coalesce around the use of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) as a legal mechanism to prevent disadvantageous relocations. In 2006, India’s parliament passed the Forest Rights Act, which requires any village relocation of tribal people be conditional upon their FPIC. I used household surveys and qualitative interviews of relocated and forest (not-yet relocated) villagers from Melghat Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, to examine (a) the extent to which putatively voluntary relocations were conditional upon FPIC and (b) how such relocations affect socioeconomic metrics and overall quality of life for those relocated. I found that while consent to relocate was mostly free, consent was not fully informed across the villages examined. The socioeconomic results indicate that relocated villagers make a trade-off, leaving a familiar, healthier environment for better access to modern services and employment. Finally, I found that forest villagers in favor of relocation emphasized how the social and economic costs of remaining in the forest had become greater due to the relocation of neighboring villages. This field study suggests that strong implementation of FPIC and state responsiveness post-relocation are both necessary to safeguard forest-dwelling people from disadvantageous relocations.     

Thoron levels in the dwellings of Hyderabad city, Andhra Pradesh, India

Thoron and its progeny concentration levels were measured in the urban Hyderabad area using solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTD) based dosimeters. Measurements were carried out on quarterly cycles making four measurements at each location in a calendar year. More than 100 dwellings of different construction types were chosen for the study across Hyderabad city. The thoron concentration levels were found to vary between 8 and 330 Bq m(-3). The geometric mean value of thoron concentration was found to be 37.3 Bq m(-3) (GSD = 2.3) with an average of 55 +/- 57 Bq m(-3). Results were analysed for different category of houses with respect to their construction type. It was found that the dwellings with mud flooring had higher thoron levels.     

Organochlorine and organophosphorous pesticide residues in ground water and surface waters of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

A survey undertaken in Kanpur, northern India, has shown the presence of high concentrations of both organochlorine and organophosphorous pesticides in the surface and ground water samples. Liquid-liquid extraction followed by GC-ECD was used for the determination of these compounds. Among the various pesticides analyzed, high concentrations of gamma-HCH (0.259 microg/l) and malathion (2.618 microg/l) were detected in the surface water samples collected from the River Ganges in Kanpur. In the ground water samples collected from the various hand pumps located in agricultural and industrial areas, apart from gamma-HCH and malathion, dieldrin was also detected. The maximum concentration values of gamma-HCH, malathion and dieldrin were 0.900, 29.835 and 16.227 microg/l, respectively. Especially, the concentration of malathion was found to be much higher than the EC water quality standards in the ground water samples from industrial area posing a high risk to the common people. Pesticides like DDE, DDT, aldrin, ethion, methyl parathion and endosulfan were not detected in both the surface and ground water samples.     

Weather variability trends in Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh,India: influence on cropping systems and adaptation strategies

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Weather variability over the long run exhibits the trends of change in climate and forewarns for development and deployment of adaptation measures....     

Community vulnerability and resilience in disaster risk reduction: an example from Phojal Nalla,Himachal Pradesh,India

International Disaster Risk Reduction Frameworks and Indian Plans advocate shared responsibility for reducing disaster risk, in which community vulnerability and resilience conditions are central. This paper presents a case study from the Indian Himalaya (Kullu District) of community vulnerability and resilience conditions following damaging floods, primarily the 1994 Phojal Nalla flood, through the concepts of community heritage and capital. Data were collected in the period 2013–2016, using semi-structured interviews (n?=?129), village reconnaissance and archival/contemporary data searches. The connections between heritage, capital, vulnerability and resilience are complex, but results demonstrate ‘knowledge’ is the principal driver of resilience conditions, via facets of heritage (e.g. religious infrastructure and activities, traditional architectural vernacular, and multi-generational attachments to place) and capital (e.g. income diversification, access to communication technologies, societal welfare measures and positive interactions with water). Persisting vulnerabilities stem from differential access to and implementation of best practice knowledge, governed by social, economic and political conditions. Further improvements in risk reduction require greater consideration of the following: (1) the integration of community local knowledge into the overall disaster management process; (2) the opportunities offered by mobile phone and other technologies for generating and sharing knowledge across society; and (3) the value of under-utilised knowledge of past disaster events, assembled from a systematic evaluation of oral, documentary and landscape evidence, to risk reduction.     

Radon level in dwellings and its correlation with uranium and radium content in some areas of Himachal Pradesh,India

LR- 115 plastic track detectors have been used to measure indoor radon level in some dwellings of Una district, Himachal Pradesh, India. The annual average radon concentration in dwellings in most of the villages falls in the range of the action level recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The radon values in some of the dwellings exceed the action level and may be unsafe from the health hazard point of view. The indoor radon values are in general higher in winter than in summer. Uranium, radium and radon exhalation studies have also been carried out in soil samples collected from these areas. A good correlation is obtained between uranium concentration in the soil and indoor radon in dwellings. The soil radon exhalation rate also correlates with the uranium concentration in soil.     

Identification of the processes controlling groundwater quality in shallow aquifers of Moradabad city,west Uttar Pradesh,India

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Present study has been carried out to identify the processes controlling groundwater quality of Moradabad city, Uttar Pradesh. A total 188 groundwater...     

Assessment of the red-crowned crane habitat in the Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve, East China

As wildlife habitat is in constant evolution, periodic monitoring is essential to assess its quality. In this study, the change to the red-crowned crane habitat in the Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve was detected from multi-temporal remote sensing data from 1992 to 2008 in a geographic information system. Habitat fragmentation was derived from both physical constraints and human disturbance. The changing habitat quality was assessed against five landscape indices. The results obtained from Landsat TM images indicate that potential habitat shrank 37.9 % during 1992–2001, but recovered 99.4 % by 2008. Suitable habitat shrank by 4,329 ha to a level below that of 1992 despite an increase of 4,747 ha in potential habitat due to an increase of 9,075 ha in fragmented areas. Both landscape indices and the red-crowned crane population reveal that suitable habitat was the most fragmented in 2001, but the least fragmented in 1992. Therefore, it is inadequate to just restore wetland through artificial diversion of channel flow to the Reserve to preserve the crane habitat. Commensurate efforts should also be directed at improving habitat quality by minimizing human activities and spatially juxtaposing water and reed marshes harmoniously inside the Reserve.     

Conservation perceptions and attitudes of semi-nomadic pastoralist towards relocation and biodiversity management: a case study of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Van Gujjars</Emphasis> residing in and around Corbett Tiger Reserve,India

This article examines the perceptions and attitude of the semi-nomadic pastoral community “Van Gujjars” on the use and conservation of natural resources in Corbett Tiger Reserve, India. In this research article, in-depth interview and questionnaire data (n = 340) about demography and perceptions were examined from both qualitative and quantitative information. Respondents have expressed their perception about their own territories, problems, attachments, positive or negative change that occurred during their stay in and around protected area. Respondents overall positive attitudes towards conservation scenarios despite high losses from wildlife while living around protected area suggest that they may support conservation if their livelihood needs are met. Most of the respondents support the concept of conservation, and some respondents have negative attitude towards management authorities, mainly because of restricted access to the forest resources. The study illustrates and suggests a number of options for the viability of resettlement of pastoralist community. A majority of respondents indicated that there is a need for public participation in planning and implementation of resettlement process. Resettlement of Van Gujjar community may be better if exercised with the consensus of all the stakeholders. Resettlement will provide better livelihood opportunity to the pastoral community and enhance the economic status of these people as the educational level increases in time, while also improving habitat recovery leading to better biodiversity conservation. Thus, resettlements could benefit both the pastoral people and the natural resources.     

Farmers perception and awareness of climate change: a case study from Kanchandzonga Biosphere Reserve,India

This study was an attempt to document the indigenous Lepcha people’s perception on climate change-related issues in five villages of Dzongu Valley located in Kanchandzonga Biosphere Reserve, India. Personal structured questionnaire was used for interview of 300 households selected randomly. Results showed that 85 % of the households have perceived climate change, mainly in the form of increasing temperature and unpredictable pattern of rainfall. In terms of climate change-related events, 75 % of the households believed that wind is becoming warmer and stronger over the past years. Majority of the households have observed changes in crop phenology, while about 90 % agreed that the incidences of insect pest and diseases have increased over the years, especially in their large cardamom crop. A comparison of community perceptions, climatic observations and scientific literature shows that the community have correctly perceived temperature change, unpredictable occurrence of rainfall and increased incidence of insect pest and diseases, which have largely influenced the experiences and perceptions regarding climate-related events. Results reveal that households have adopted the use of locally available material as mulches against soil erosion, to conserve the soil moisture and manage soil temperature. Majority of the households have diversified their cropping system through traditional agroforestry systems and intercropping. Unfortunately, most of the households were unaware about the scientific sustainable approaches to combating impact of climate change. This documentation will aid in assessing the needs in terms of actions and information for facilitating climate change-related adaptation locally in Sikkim state of India.     

Land use and land cover change affecting habitat distribution in the Segara Anakan lagoon, Java, Indonesia

This study quantifies and spatially characterizes land use and land cover changes in the Segara Anakan lagoon (SAL), Java, Indonesia, from 1987–2006. Classification of four satellite (SPOT) images from the years 1987, 1995, 2004 and 2006 and field ground truth data from 2004 and 2005 were used for map generation. The results show major changes in the western area of the SAL, with large area increases of rice fields, dry land agriculture, aquaculture and rural areas, and decreases in mangrove cover, mud flat and lagoon area. In the eastern area, minor decreases in mangrove area and increase in aquaculture, rural and industrial areas were also observed. Changes are due to the filling of the lagoon with riverine sediments derived from the hinterland and to mangrove conversion and resources exploitation. The results of this study provide basic information which is required for developing measures towards a sustainable management and conservation of the SAL.     

Assessing land use change and potential environmental quality in Chandernagore Municipal Corporation,India

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The study has focused on portraying the spatio-temporal changes in land use pattern from 2011 to 2019 and has tried to assess the environmental quality...     

The impact of invasive aquatic plants on ecosystem services and human well-being in Wular Lake,India

Regional Environmental Change - Alien invasive species cause significant impacts on ecosystems and economies, but the impacts on human well-being and livelihoods are less well known. Negative...     

Climate change effect on soil carbon stock in different land use types in eastern Rajasthan,India

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Global change in climate might have potential effect on both SOC stock and carbon sequestration capacity in soil. Predicting soil carbon stock in...     

Comparative analysis of land use and lake water quality in rural and urban zones of south Chennai, India

Chennai city, the capital of Tamil Nadu state in South India, has been experiencing rapid expansion since the last two decades, resulting in major changes in land use and degradation of wetlands. Small lakes in the peri-urban areas face severe strain on their environment due to transition of rural to urban conditions, leaving at stake their aquatic health and intended uses. This paper studies the role of urbanization and land use changes in the water quality of peri-urban (Rajakilpakkam) and rural (Vengaivasal) lakes. Water samples were collected and analysed for temperature, total dissolved solids, major ions, nutrients and biological oxygen demand as per standard methods. The temperature, pH and biological oxygen demand did not differ between lakes, while total dissolved solids (p = 0.008), alkalinity (p = 0.000), total hardness (p = 0.001) and phosphate (p = 0.000) were significantly higher in Rajakilpakkam. Seasonal and spatial variations in water quality between the lakes showed the direct impact of rapid and uncontrolled growth of built-up areas in the catchment area, in enhancing waste water inflows with inorganic salts and nutrients in Rajakilpakkam lake compared with Vengaivasal lake. Urbanization of the catchment and encroachments in Rajakilpakkam lake tends to reduce the social interdependence of lake and community and promote disuse, leading to decline in water quality. The impending environmental costs caused by urbanization to these lakes will only be tackled, if the main issues of domestic and industrial discharges and encroachments are addressed properly.     

Hunting of kebung (Ratufa bicolor) and other squirrel species from morang forest by the Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh,India: biocultural conservation and livelihood dimensions

Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India is considered a biocultural diversity hotspot, with diverse tribal peoples and immense floral and faunal diversity. This rich diversity, sustained through the morang (community forests) and jhum (slash and burn) cultivation systems, is the backbone of native communities’ livelihood security. Kebung (Ratufa bicolor) and other squirrel species are intricately related to biocultural systems of the Adi people of Arunachal Pradesh. Primary surveys and participatory rural appraisals were carried out in 20 villages of East Siang and Upper Siang districts of the state. Results indicated that Kebung squirrels are hunted from successional forests, including from morang and jhum lands. They are an integral part of the Adi sociocultural, economic and livelihood systems, being used for food, medicinal, ceremonial and other purposes. Hunting methods vary in the traditional and transitional Adi villages. Recently, kebung populations have diminished, and this is attributed to overhunting. In particular, a decrease in kebung populations in some morang and jhum habitats has threatened the biocultural resources of the Adi. Knowledge and management practices relating to kebung hunting are gradually eroding among the younger Adi generations. However, the community recently passed a resolution for kebung conservation, supported by the customary norms. We conclude with a discussion of policy requirements for sustainable management of kebung populations to maintain Adi biocultural and livelihood security.     

Effect of arsenic contamination on microbial biomass and its activities in arsenic contaminated soils of Gangetic West Bengal, India

A study was conducted to see the effect of arsenic contamination on soil quality indicators, viz., microbial biomass, soil respiration, fluorescein diacetate and dehydrogenase (DHG) activity in arsenic contaminated soils of West Bengal. All the parameters were significantly and negatively correlated with all the form of arsenic (bioavailable and total) but the microbial metabolic quotient was significantly and positively correlated with all forms of arsenic, indicating arsenic induced stress to the soil microbial community. This may be due to part of the microbial biomass, which is located in the inner parts of the micro-aggregates of soil, which is affected by arsenic accumulates present in soil particles. Linear regression analysis revealed that the bioavailable arsenic exerted greater inhibitory effect on the soil microbial population than the total arsenic content of soils. Water-soluble arsenic showed more inhibitory effect than NaHCO(3) extractable form, in their association with biological properties of the contaminated soils. Water-soluble form of arsenic was much more toxic than insoluble forms. This signified that with increase in bioavailability, the arsenic exerted more inhibitory effect on these parameters. It is thus suggested that the microbial biomass, fluorescein diacetate and dehydrogenase activity alone and expressed on a soil organic matter basis along with the soil respiration parameters can be helpful in assessing the effects of arsenic on the size and activity of microbial biomass in soils.     

Grazing,forest density,and carbon storage: towards a more sustainable land use in Caatinga dry forests of Brazil

Grazing is the main land use in semi-arid regions of the world, and sustainable management practices are urgently needed to prevent their degradation. However, how different grazing intensities affect forest density and ecosystem functions is often not sufficiently understood to allow for management adaptations that safeguard the ecosystems and their functions in the long run. We assessed the aboveground carbon stocks and plant densities along a grazing gradient in the semi-arid seasonally dry tropical forest of north-eastern Brazil (Caatinga). On 45 study plots, we analysed the aboveground carbon stocks of the vegetation and determined forest density and recruitment as well as the population structure of the most abundant tree species. Grazing intensity was accounted for based on the weight of livestock droppings and classified as low, intermediate, or high. Mean aboveground carbon stock was 15.74?±?1.92 Mg ha^?1 with trees and shrubs accounting for 89% of the total amount. Grazing at high intensities significantly reduced aboveground carbon stocks of herbs but not of other plant functional types. Instead, aboveground carbon stocks of trees and shrubs were negatively related to altitude above sea level, which is a proxy for reduced water availability along with lower anthropogenic impact. The population structure of the most common tree species was characterised by abundant recruitment, irrespective of grazing, whereas the recruitment of less frequent woody species was negatively affected by grazing. Overall, our data imply that grazing and forage management need to be adapted, including the reduction of free-roaming livestock and storage of fodder, to maintain carbon storage and forest density.