In the state Meghalaya,northeast India,>80%of the forest lands are owned by local communities and managed by traditional institutions.These forests are under severe threats due to a number of human disturbances.The...In the state Meghalaya,northeast India,>80%of the forest lands are owned by local communities and managed by traditional institutions.These forests are under severe threats due to a number of human disturbances.The present study was conducted to assess the plant diversity and identify the community forests for priority conservation in Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.Floristic explorations carried out in the 87 forests reveals the presence of 1300 plant species of which 400 are either rare,endemic or threatened.Of the different forest categories,reserve forests had the highest number of species(1190),followed by sacred forests(987 species)and village forests(786 species).Majority of the forests(56)had high-species richness,irreplaceability level(42 forests)and vulnerability level(54).In terms of area,13.8%(1666.8 ha)fall under low risk while 1855 ha under high risk zone.High risk zone was mostly represented by village forests.An area of 7661.56 ha of community forests falls under high priority category and hence calls for immediate conservation actions.The conservation priority map generated in the present study will help to concentrate the protection strategy to the demarcated and adjoining areas and help conservationists and planners to evolve effective strategies for conservation of the community forests.展开更多
A study was conducted at two pair sites of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh to find out the effects of shifting cultivation on soil fungi and bacterial population. The first pair of sites with shifting culti-vatio...A study was conducted at two pair sites of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh to find out the effects of shifting cultivation on soil fungi and bacterial population. The first pair of sites with shifting culti-vation and village common forest-managed by indigenous community was at Madhya Para in Rangamati district and the second pair of sites with the shifting cultivated land and village common forest at Ampu Para in Bandarban district of Chittagong Hill Tracts. At both the locations with two different land uses, soil textures in surface （0？10 cm） and sub-surface （10？20 cm） soils varied from sandy loam to sandy clay loam. Soil pH and moisture content were lower in shifting cultivated land com-pared to village common forest. The results also showed that both fungal and bacterial population in surface and subsurface soils was significantly （p ≤ 0.05） lower, in most cases, in shifting cultivated land compared to village common forest at both Madhya Para and Ampu Para. At Ranga-mati and Bandarban in shifting cultivated lands, Colletrotrichum and Fusarium fungi were absent and all the bacterial genus viz. Coccus, Bacillus and Streptococcus common in two different locations with dif-ferent land uses. Common identified fungi at both the land uses and locations were Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Trichoderma and Penicillium. Further study can be done on the other soil biota to understand the extent of environmental deterioration due to shifting cultivation.展开更多
基金financial support to Ministry of Environment,Forest and Climate Change,Government of India(No.14/25/2011-ERS/RE).
文摘In the state Meghalaya,northeast India,>80%of the forest lands are owned by local communities and managed by traditional institutions.These forests are under severe threats due to a number of human disturbances.The present study was conducted to assess the plant diversity and identify the community forests for priority conservation in Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.Floristic explorations carried out in the 87 forests reveals the presence of 1300 plant species of which 400 are either rare,endemic or threatened.Of the different forest categories,reserve forests had the highest number of species(1190),followed by sacred forests(987 species)and village forests(786 species).Majority of the forests(56)had high-species richness,irreplaceability level(42 forests)and vulnerability level(54).In terms of area,13.8%(1666.8 ha)fall under low risk while 1855 ha under high risk zone.High risk zone was mostly represented by village forests.An area of 7661.56 ha of community forests falls under high priority category and hence calls for immediate conservation actions.The conservation priority map generated in the present study will help to concentrate the protection strategy to the demarcated and adjoining areas and help conservationists and planners to evolve effective strategies for conservation of the community forests.
基金This study was supported by United States Depart-ment of Agriculture (USDA), Grant No.: BG-ARS-123
文摘A study was conducted at two pair sites of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh to find out the effects of shifting cultivation on soil fungi and bacterial population. The first pair of sites with shifting culti-vation and village common forest-managed by indigenous community was at Madhya Para in Rangamati district and the second pair of sites with the shifting cultivated land and village common forest at Ampu Para in Bandarban district of Chittagong Hill Tracts. At both the locations with two different land uses, soil textures in surface （0？10 cm） and sub-surface （10？20 cm） soils varied from sandy loam to sandy clay loam. Soil pH and moisture content were lower in shifting cultivated land com-pared to village common forest. The results also showed that both fungal and bacterial population in surface and subsurface soils was significantly （p ≤ 0.05） lower, in most cases, in shifting cultivated land compared to village common forest at both Madhya Para and Ampu Para. At Ranga-mati and Bandarban in shifting cultivated lands, Colletrotrichum and Fusarium fungi were absent and all the bacterial genus viz. Coccus, Bacillus and Streptococcus common in two different locations with dif-ferent land uses. Common identified fungi at both the land uses and locations were Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Trichoderma and Penicillium. Further study can be done on the other soil biota to understand the extent of environmental deterioration due to shifting cultivation.
