Journal of Biodiversity and Ecological Sciences
Volume:2 Issue: 3, 2012

Over the three decades various agroforestry systems has been introduced in Madhupur Sal forest in order to check over-exploitation, encroachment and agricultural expansion. An explanatory survey has been conducted to assess the impacts of banana based agroforestry system through respondents’ survey using a semi structured questionnaire, soil properties analysis and quantitative analysis of species diversity. Total sixty farmers engaged in banana based agroforestry have been interviewed randomly from the two ranges of Madhupur National Park. A total of 50 plots (10m x 10m) were established randomly for quantitative analysis of species and twenty soil samples were collected for soil analysis from two land uses (25 in each) i.e. banana based agroforestry land use and in the Sal forest of Madhupur NP. Results obtained from soil analysis revealed that soil pH condition (4.62) and average organic matter (OM) content (2.57%) was higher in banana based agroforestry soil than that of Sal forest (pH 5.03 and OM 2.02%). Conversely, the amount of moisture content (11.62%) and Sulphur (S) were higher in Sal forest (66.06 µg/g soil). Biological diversity indices were calculated in order to check the status of species diversity for both land use systems. Indiscriminate use of fertilizers, chemicals in soil together with clearing forest for banana cultivation have been reducing the coppicing power Sal trees and destroying the biodiversity of the forest. A sustainable forest management plan giving priority on Sal trees on all degraded areas and creating alternative income generation activities for banana cultivators has been recommended highly in order to maintain the uniqueness of the forest

Lebialem-Mone Forests Landscape is located in Western Cameroon and constitutes a transitional zone of rainforest and forest savannah. This study assessed large mammals’ diversity with focus on the Cross river gorilla and anthropogenic activities in the Lebialem-Mone Forest Landscape, Cameroon. A total of 36 transects of 4x4 km grid were surveyed. Relative density was estimated for mammal signs and human activities using DISTANCE. All data on large mammals were lumped together and encounter rates for each transect estimated for the determination of biodiversity hot spots. Spatial distribution maps were produced using geo-referenced relative densities that were imported into Arcview 3.2 for shape files production and finally into ArcGIS 9.2. This study documents the abundance and distribution of 7 species of large mammals including 2 great apes; Pan troglodytes elliotti and Gorilla gorilla diehli. The overall Relative Density of large mammals in the forest landscape was estimated to be 0.64 signs per km with high potential for great apes. The highest mean encounter rates for human activities in the study area were recorded for hunting. The findings of this survey indicate that the forest landscape lodges a fragile and important population of great apes and large mammals. The levels of hunting and agricultural activities eventually increase the pressure on the wildlife populations and the landscape.

Despite the general acceptance and wide promotion of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM), the success of CBNRM remains debatable, as there is paucity of information on the effectiveness of this management approach. The ecological integrity of the Afadjato-Agumatsa Community Nature Reserve (AACNR) was assessed after a decade of community management. Vegetation cover changes and small mammals were used as bio-indicators. Time series satellite images of the AACNR showed significant increase in the forest cover and decreases in shrub, grass and build-up covers after a decade of conservation. A total of 3,360 trap-nights yielded 82 small mammal individuals belonging to two orders (Rodentia and Eulipotyphla) and two species, Praomys tullbergi (soft-furred rat) and olivieri (Olivier’s shrew), giving a trapping success of 5.5%. Praomys tullbergi formed about 98% of the total number of individuals, and recorded a relative abundance of 2.4%. Small mammals diversity at the AACNR was low (H’ = 0.119; D = 0.92). The absence of savanna species like Lemniscomys spp. (striped grass rats) and Mastomys spp. (multimammate rats) and the widespread and dominance of the forest species P. tullbergi, coupled with the changes in vegetation cover suggest that the forest ecosystem of the AACNR is of high ecological integrity.

Ghana’s conservation philosophy dates from 1878 when colonial masters adopted Protected Areas for natural resource conservation (Sasu، 2004). Since then، Ghana has experienced several policy changes leading to the current 1994 Forest and Wildlife Policy. The implementation of conservation policies has met challenges including opposition from indigenous people deprived of access to natural resources. In 2000، the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission developed the Collaborative Wildlife Management Policy to address this (Ghana Wildlife Division، 2004) and the Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) approach was developed to involve communities in conservation initiatives (Ghana Wildlife Division، 2004). CREMAs have now been in existence for nine years but the contribution to conservation has not been objectively accessed. This paper sets out to rectify this and determine the achievements of CREMAs for wildlife conservation، the impact on livelihoods and the future potential of this approach.

In the present communication an attempt has been made to correlate the seasonal change of macrophytes diversity and physico-chemical characteristics of water and soil in Kathgola Dighi, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Diversity indices of 48 plant species and the regulatory effects of the four physico-chemical parameters of water and six soil parameters on the plant diversity were assessed. The macrophytes diversity, richness and evenness were high in monsoon but the dominancy was high in the months of mid-summer and mid-winter. The Euclidean distance of seasonal variation of macrophytes diversity and physico-chemical parameters of soil and water revealed that the wetland plants diversity were changed with the seasonal changes of physico-chemical parameters.

The value of medicinal plants in traditional healthcare practices provides clues to latest areas of research and in biodiversity conservation is now glowing. However, information on the uses of plants for medicine is deficient from interior areas of Himalaya. Keeping this in view the present study has been conducted to study the diversity, utilization pattern and indigenous uses of floristic diversity in Murari Devi and surrounding areas of Mandi Disrtict in Himachal Pradesh, India. A total of 220 species of medicinal plants belonging to 88 families and 184 genera were recorded and used by the inhabitants of the area. These medicinal plants comprise of 31 trees, 134 herbs, 50 shrubs and 05 ferns. From the total 35 were near endemic to Indian Himalayan Region. The present study represents an area specific approach for short or long term management planning in the study area, using information on different attributes.

Soil is considered as the most important ecological component for terrestrial environment. In this paper an attempt was made to draw a relationship between different edaphic factors of soil namely, organic carbon, organic matter, pH and water holding capacity. The study revealed that these factors were interdepended and different from that of suitable amount in the present study areas and that was probably due to rapid and huge urbanization and deforestation.