Journal of Biodiversity and Ecological Sciences
Volume:2 Issue: 2, 2012

Community structure and composition are important factors affecting diversity patterns in plant communities. Pertinently، species diversity along altitudinal and latitudinal gradient differs in different layers at different scales. Thirteen community groups characterized by different dominants in the tree layer were distinguished. These include Himalayan subtropical scrub (580-850 m asl)، Northern dry mixed deciduous forest (600-1100 masl)، Himalayan subtropical pine forest (780-1450 masl)، Lyonia / Alnus / Rhododendron forest (1250-1500 masl)، Mixed Oak forest (1300-2150 masl)، Rhododendron - Oak mixed forest (1600-2200 masl)، Pine / Oak mixed forest (1400-1750 masl)، Pure Cedrus deodara forest (1450-1700 masl)، Taxus wallichiana forest (2000-2580 masl)، Deodar / blue pine mixed forest (1900-2600 masl)، Fir / Spruce mixed forest (2700-3250 masl)، pure Betula forest (3100-3500 masl)، and alpine scrub (above 3500 masl). Distribution of importance values of dominants explicitly indicated a vertical pattern of these forest types. The sub-tropical and temperate elements of vegetation reveal predominance of closed canopy forests، wherein the sub-tropical tree species outnumber the temperate tree flora. The community analysis was performed using stratified random sampling involving 0. 01 % of the total area for each community. The pattern of plant diversity as observed by the values of species richness and diversity indices show a decreasing trend from lower to higher altitudes. The study suggests that distribution and species richness are largely regulated by physiography (altitude، latitude، slope، aspect etc.) and climatic factors.

Soil erosion is the most extensive process of land degradation worldwide that has negative impacts on sustainable development. In many hilly cultivated areas، erosion caused by tillage is at least as important as water induced soil erosion. In particular، the effect of tillage erosion on fertile loess soils is of high importance. We examined the effect of tillage on intensively cultivated and hilly loessial sub-catchments in the north-east of the Golestan Province، Iran. In this study، different strategies to assess the soil erodibility factor in two sub-catchments with different management policies، which include tillage and grazing، are considered. Different interpolation approaches are compared using cross-validation. For the first sub-catchment، all spatial modelling strategies forerodibility in terms of the K-equation result in the same mean value. However، this is not the case for the second sub-catchment. Tillage and grazing have a substantial effect on soil erodibility، but different strategies of implementing the K-equation may not give this result. Both sub-catchments have the same range of local uncertainty. We conclude that in case of mapping and assessing uncertainty، two different modelling strategies should be used.

Tuskers in north India are combating for existence; and in this combat, either they are dying or killing people. Due to shrinkage of their large migratory corridors, slowly they lead to adapt to exist with humans and this has increased serious man–elephant conflict around Rajaji National Park and adjoining habitats. Since March 2007, 34 male elephants have died due to various reasons accounted primarily for unnatural deaths. However, 59 human deaths were also occurred since September 2006 in encounter with elephant at different parts of Rajaji–Corbett National Parks and corridor. The mortality rate for males was significantly higher than for females. Here, I report on the tusker’s battle for existence in Shivalik Elephant Reserve and conservation status. Such reports are highly required to know the status and our competence in illustrating success and failures of wildlife management besides achieving the goals of Project Elephant. Drastic changes in the land use pattern, increasing vehicle traffic on motor roads running across elephant’s habitat and ongoing anthropogenic activities inside the forest are expected to lead to a severe threat and unusual behavioural changes in elephants. In addition, some changes in tusker’s behavioural responses were also observed, which corroborate their irate behaviour. Understanding how animal populations react to such vast adverse activities and their behavioural response is thus essential for addressing future challenges for wildlife management and conservation. There have been little scientific studies available on such type of catastrophic impacts even though such reports are highly required to know the status and our competence in illustrating success and failures of wildlife management besides in conservation of an endangered wildlife.

Present study deals with quantitative assessment of the woody species of the western part of Kachchh region of Gujarat state. Based on the species composition of vegetation, the study area was classified into the four major habitats such as Acacia habitat, Prosopis habitat, mixed thorn habitat and mixed habitat. To understand the habitat characteristics data on various aspects like density, abundance, percentage frequency, Important Value Index and species diversity (H’) index were calculated. During present study a total of 13 tree and 37 shrub species were recorded. Results shows that, Acacia senegal and Prosopis juliflora were the most dominant and well distributed within all habitats. All habitats were heterogeneous in nature which reveals the habitat facing threats of defragmentation due to illegal cutting of native species. Due to unique ecological integrity of Acacia forest and mixed thorn forest in the study area, some conservation significance forest patches of these habitats would be proposed as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESAa). Considering the high species diversity, some of the Reserve Forests should be give more attention towards the conservation through Forest Department. Some of them should also be trait as the natural seed bank for threatened species of arid region.

Sunflower [Helianthus annuus (L.) Koch.] contains watersoluble allelochemicals that inhibit the germination and growth of other species. This characteristic could be used in weed management programmers''. Greenhouse and laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effects on Vaccaria hispanica and Acroptilon repens. Its effect on two weedy species V. hispanica and A. repens was studied with a view to explore its herbicidal potential. Germination of both the weeds was reduced with increasing concentration of sunflower and a dose-response relationship was observed. This provided information on LC50 and Inhibition threshold concentrations of sunflower that could be useful for future studies. Further, sunflower also inhibited the growth of both the weeds in terms of root and shoot length and seedling dry weight. Inhibition of root growth was greater than that of shoot growth. Similar observations were made when the test weeds were grown in soil amended with different concentrations of sunflower. In addition to growth, there was a reduction of chlorophyll content in the growing seedlings. It also caused water loss in the weedy species. The study, therefore, reveals that sunflower exerts an inhibitory effect on the growth and development of both weeds and can be further explored as an herbicide for future weed management strategies.

The Sapindus emerginatus Vahl is an economically important tree which possess medicinal and as well as cosmetic properties. The mycoflora study showed that seed was composed of 20 isolates belonging 12 genera viz., Aspergillus, Botrytis, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Gleosporium, Mucor, Paecilomyces, Pencillium, Phomopsis, Phoma, Rhizopus. The diversity of fungi found on seeds using agar plate and blotter methods is reported and the variations of fungal flora harbored are compared. Agar plate method yielded quantitatively as well as qualitatively more fungi than blotter method. In vitro study of fungicides (Dithane M-45, Captaf, Blitox, Bavistin and Emisan) was also undertaken to check their efficacy to inhibit the seed fungi. Among the fungicides tested, Emisan, Dithane M-45 and Captaf were highly effective in restraining the seed born fungi.

In recent years an increasing number of state-based protection schemes have asserted ownership over biodiversity goods and services through various forms of cultural documentation such as registry, archives, databases, texts and inventories. Natural resources are no way bounded by political boundary imposed by different nations. No man can hold the ownership on any plant or animal. Biological diversity doesn’t follow strict political boundaries of nations and doesn’t obey the artificial rules imposed on them based geographical limitations by man. This review clearly elucidates the how biological diversity is used and claimed by various groups of parties. It also encompasses the complex nature of biological diversity and its ownership claims.