Reckless denudation of forest wealth in India

Summary It has been shown in recent surveys, that in India there is an upward trend in the area of open forest, which has grown from 10.06 million ha to 26.32 million ha in a few years. But the closed forests of India have registered a fall from 36.02 million ha to around 33 million ha. The latter fact is both significant and disturbing. It proves that in spite of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the process of degeneration of forests, in India, constantly continues. It is obvious that a part of the open forests must have come from closed forests due to the reckless denudation of forests, carried out in the name of development. A massive afforestation/reforestation programme is desired to achieve the target of one third of the geographical area of the country to be under forest cover for proper ecological balance. India has to develop a sound National Forest Policy to meet the requirements of the country, to produce industrial wood, for forest based industries, defence, communication and other public purposes, and small timbers fuel wood and fodder for the rural community. In this context the decision taken by the Control Board of Forestry in December, 1987, is quite encouraging. It was resolved that the extraction of wood from the forests would be stopped and the country's need for timber and fuelwood would be met by importing wood and by means of farm forestry. The reconstitution of the National Wasteland Development Board and the planting target of 5 million ha p.a. are other positive steps in this direction. Extensive research is needed for a better and new approach to social and commercial forestry.Dr Om Prasad, the senior author, is a biologist in the Department of Zoology, University of Allahabad. He is responsible for developing a number of Environmental Biology Courses at graduate and post-graduate level. Besides being actively engaged in research on the adverse toxilogical effects of a number of commonly used food additives, he supports environmental protection activities including the provision of guidance to the Students Nature Club which is affiliated to WWF-India.Dr Pawan Kumar, after teaching for seven years in the Department of Forestry at Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Bihar, recently joined the Department of Environment of the Government of India where he is in charge of a number of environmental projects. Dr O.N. Pandey is a specialist in Forestry teaching at Birsa Agricultural University, India.     

Survey for cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis (Tinsley) and its natural enemies

Mealybug was considered to be a minor pest of cotton but it emerged as a major pest in 2006-2007 in North and Central zones. Extensive field surveys conducted in cotton fields during 2007-09 in Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab in the North zone and Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat in the Central zone indicated that Phenacoccus solenopsis was the only major species of mealybug recorded on cotton in North as well as Central zones except one location in Gujarat where Fenrrisia virgata Cockerrel was also recorded. Infestation of mealybug at most of the places in North and Central zones ranged from mild (10-20%) to high (40-60%) during 2007 and 2008 but reduced to traces in 2009. Extensive field survey indicated that Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Chalcidodea: Encyrtidae), an indigenous parasitoid, played a key role in reducing the insect pestinfestation. The parasitoid was first recorded in Delhi in July 2008 and by 2009 it was found in most of the cotton growing districts of North and Central zones. Its natural parasitization on P solenopsis could reach more than 90% at many locations. This is the most successful example of biological control of mealybug. Along with this parasitoid, another parasitoid, Promuscidea unfasciativentris Girault (Chalcidodea: Aphelinidae), was also recorded at most of the locations in smaller proportions.     

Remote Forest Refugia for Fijian Wildlife

Abstract:  On Pacific islands non-native rats and mongooses threaten many native species. In Fiji we compared visitation rates of rats and mongooses at bait stations and measured biomass of leaf-litter invertebrates to assess the relative predation pressure from these species in forest areas at different distances from the forest edge. Forest areas over 5 km from the forest edge had significantly fewer baits encountered by rats or mongooses than did natural forest areas nearer agricultural and urban habitats. Remote forest areas may function as a last refuge for island species threatened by predation from non-native rats and mongooses. The biomass of leaf-litter invertebrates in remote forest areas was higher, indicating a refuge effect for some taxa targeted by rats and mongooses. Protection of the few remaining large blocks of natural forests on Pacific islands may be the most cost-effective approach for conserving many island endemics threatened by rats and mongooses. Logging roads can compromise this refuge effect by acting as dispersal routes for rats into natural forests.