167 BIODIVERSITY Our responsibility is to species, not to specimens; to communities, not to individuals -Sara Stein
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BIO DIVERSITY
BIODIVERSITY
Our responsibility is to species, not to specimens; tocommunities, not to individuals
-Sara Stein
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BIODIVERSITY
Current Status
Problems
Causal factors
Impacts
Hotspots
Action Plan
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CURRENT STATUS
The state of Karnataka is a part of the highly biodiversityrich regions of India. The state is endowed with greatdiversity of climate, topography and soils. It spans theseacoast with rich aquatic biodiversity and mangroveswamps at the mouths of estuaries. It harbours verdanttropical evergreen forests, paddy fields and coconut andarecanut orchards on the narrow coast flanked by thehills of Western Ghats. It bears deciduous woods, scrubjungles, fields of sugarcane, cotton, groundnut, ragi andjowar in the Deccan plateau. The different environmentalregimes support their own characteristic set of vegetationand animals. Karnataka supports 10% of total tigerpopulation and 25% of elephant population of the country.
The state has around 4500 species of flowering plants,600 species of birds, 160 species of mammals, 160species of reptiles (turtles, snakes, lizards and crocodiles),70 species of frogs, and 800 species of fish. These figuresgive a good account of the floral and faunal diversity ofthe state.
The wealth of diversity of domesticated plants and animalsin farms also holds much promise. The hill chain ofWestern Ghats is known to have greater diversity of wildrelatives of cultivated plants than any other region ofcomparable size in the world. The aquatic biodiversity inKarnataka is very rich and harbors many endemic species.
PROBLEMS
Biodiversity is under constant pressure in all the majorecosystems of Karnataka, i.e. in coastal and marine tracts,streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs, protected areas aswell as forests outside protected areas, agro-ecosystems,and in urban ecosystems. This has been caused by fourmajor factors, namely,
• Un-sustainable harvests of living resources,• Habitat destruction and fragmentation,• Impacts of pollutants, and• Competition with colonizing, often exotic, invasive
species.
Unsustainable harvests of natural resources have beena key factor for degradation of biodiversity. Vegetation inthe forest areas have been under constant threat becauseof the unsustainable exploitation in the form of illicit felling,firewood and fodder collection etc. Unsustainable use ofmedicinal plants and non timber forest produces to someextent have affected the regeneration capacity of a fewspecies such as Rouwolfia serpentina (Sarpagandha) andGloriosa superba.
Kilari bull Amruthmahal bull
Deomi bull Hallikar bull
Indegenous cattle breed
Kali river winding through Dandeli wildlife sanctuary
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Initiatives of the State Government
The state has initiated a number of biodiversity conservation measures in the past. Karnataka has declared around 16% of thetotal forest area under protected area network. Similarly, some of the aquatic hot spots of biodiversity have also been declaredas sanctuaries. Due to the intensive conservation measures there has been appreciable increase in the wildlife population inthe state of Karnataka over the years. To cite a few examples, the tiger population has increased gradually over the years, dueto Project Tiger conservation strategy. From a population of 100 in 1973 to 402 in 2002, the significant rise in tiger population,which is a flag ship species, reflects the overall improvement in the habitat. Similarly the elephant and other herbivore populationsalso have over the years shown an increasing trend. The State of Forest Report 2001, published by Forest Survey of India (FSI)has shown that the forest cover in the state has increased to 19.29 percent in 2001 from 16.92 percent in 1999. This is largelydue to reduction in fire and grazing damage to the forest owing to intensive conservation and protection measures. The increasein the canopy density signifies increase in biodiversity value of the forest. Further the forest department has documented thebiodiversity wealth of forests in Uttara Kannada and Shimoga circles by establishing biodiversity monitoring plots in WesternGhat forests in collaboration with the French institute of Pondicherry by assessing the tree biodiversity, endemism, threat statusand conservation value in different types of vegetation.
The state also has implemented the World Bank assisted eco-development project in Nagarhole National Park by addressinglively hood issues of the forest dwelling communities living in and around the National Park to reduce the anthropogenic pressureon the National park. The rehabilitation programs have been implemented in and around National Parks to make forest dependentcommunities self sufficient by introducing alternative sources of income. For effective protection, anti poaching squads and antismuggling camps have been established. Due to ban on green felling imposed by the State Government as conservationmeasure, the state has been able to protect vast tracks of forests from degradation. Further the regeneration efforts made byforest department over the years have also contributed immensely in increasing the forest cover and biodiversity. The forestdepartment has changed its strategy from monoculture to mixed plantation. The Non timber forest produce harvests have beenregulated keeping in view conservation of the threatened species to prevent the declining population. Machilus macarantha(Gulmavu) and Halmaddi are such examples. The state has constituted more than 3700 JFPM (Joint Forest Planning andManagement) Committees for involving people in management and protection of forest. LAMP societies have been exemptedfrom paying royalty in order to help tribals dwelling close to forest areas.
The state is rich in medicinal plant resources. It is roughly estimated that around 4000 species of medicinal value with more than15000 formulations are found in Karnataka. The state has constituted the Karnataka Medicinal Plant Authority to promotemedicinal plant conservation and development in the state.
The largest component of harvest from forest is by wayof removal of biomass in the form of fuel for domesticuse by the adjoining villagers and fodder grazed andbrowsed by the cattle population of the villages.Increasing human and cattle population has puttremendous pressure on the forests, impacting theirregenerative capacity. Legal harvests from the forestshave been minimal owing to a number of conservativepolicy measures such as banning of clear felling of forestand felling of green trees, stopping of concessions towood-based industries, etc. Illegal harvest of timber,limited to teak, rosewood, sandalwood and a few otherhardwood species, is a matter of concern. Cases ofpoaching of elephants and other wild animals, though ondecline, need to be controlled. However, owing to rigidconservation measures, there has been increase innumber of wild animals. The mortality figures of wildanimals, including those of deaths due to poaching,
indicate that there is not much cause of alarm in so far astheir biodiversity status is concerned.
Fish landings from in-shore waters have remained largelystagnant or actually declined over the last decade evenas the number of mechanized fishing crafts has beengoing up. The composition of the catch has beenchanging, with choice species such as sharks, kingfish,pomphret, mackerel and prawns decreasing in size andabundance and being replaced by less preferred speciessuch as Squilla. Aquatic fauna of riverbanks and streamshave been affected due to the various anthropogenicpressures.
Habitat destruction and fragmentation has plagued someof the ecosystems in the state. Naval exercises havereportedly seriously affected off-shore islands like Netraniand Anjadiv that are rich in coral beds, algae etc and form
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People’s Biodiversity Register
A Biodiversity Information System (BIS) shall support the various bodies constituted under Biological Diversity Act. This systemwill be a mega-database linking a number of existing databases as well as those that will be newly developed. The componentof the Biodiversity Information System (BIS) appropriate to the local level has been termed as “People’s Biodiversity Register(PBR)”.
Karnataka is one of the first states to have Biodiversity registers in some areas by involving local community, teacher, students,etc for documenting the biodiversity wealth.
The Peoples Biodiversity Register will have following functions:
1) Help people access information of significance in management of their crops and livestock, availability of seeds of varioustraditional crop cultivars, and special properties of these cultivars.
2) Help people share their special knowledge of uses and management of biodiversity resources, access information ontechnologies of relevance for better management of biodiversity resources, provide information on prevalent prices andquantities of that species to help estimate the level of commercial demand for the species.
3) Help continuation of traditional practices of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by facilitating their recognitionand incorporation in the Biodiversity Management Plans of local Biodiversity Management committees.
4) Help empower women and other weaker sections of communities intimately linked to biodiversity by involving them in theprocess of documentation and development of the Biodiversity Management Plans of local Biodiversity Managementcommittees.
5) Help preserve the biodiversity related knowledge of people for the posterity through its codification and recording.6) Help people publicize the nature of their special knowledge without disclosing full details, thereby opening avenues for
arriving at contractual agreement with commercial enterprises interested in access to such knowledge.7) Help local communities claim rewards in national conservation programmes.
In the preparation of Biodiversity register, concerned government departments along with technical experts in life sciences,resource management and information management, school and college teachers, students, workers with non-governmentalorganizations and community members, especially those active in community-based organizations will be involved.
Biological Diversity Act, 2003
The Biological Diversity Act, which came into force in February 2003, aims to promote conservation, sustainable use and equitablesharing of benefits of India’s biodiversity resources. It provides for establishment of a National Biodiversity Authority at nationallevel, State Biodiversity Boards at state level and Biodiversity Management Committees at the level of Panchayats andMunicipalities.
The National Biodiversity Authority shall play a regulatory role with regard to access to biological resources by foreign citizensand grant of intellectual property rights. It shall play an advisory role in matters relating to the conservation, sustainable use andequitable distribution of biological resources.
As per the provisions of the Act, the state has set up the State Biodiversity Board, with the Hon’ble Minister for Information,Ecology & Environment as chairperson, five ex-officio members and five non-official members. The State Biodiversity Boards isto advice the state government on matters relating to conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components etc. It shallalso regulate access of Indian citizens to any biological resources.
The Act provides for constiution of Biodiversity Management Committees that are to be constituted in each local body for thepurpose of promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity and chronicling of knowledgerelating to biological diversity.The Act also envisages setting up of a local biodiversity fund, at every area notified by StateGovernment, where any institution of self-government is functioning. This fund will include any grants and loans made by theNational Biodiversity Authority, grants or loans made by State Biodiversity Boards, all sums received by the local committee fromother sources etc.
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breeding grounds for fishes as well as birds like the white-bellied sea eagle.
One of the few reported extinctions of plant species fromKarnataka is that of the grass, Hubbardia heptaneuron,which was earlier found near the Jog falls prior to theconstruction of the Linganamakki reservoir on theSharavathy river. These changes have also affected themovement of fish along rivers and streams, for instance,the upstream migration of fish to spawn during themonsoon leading to loss of fish diversity. A series of sacredstretches of rivers and streams used to serve as majorrefuge of aquatic biodiversity, including fish like mahaseer,now only few serve this function.
Some of the state’s forest ecosystems have undergonedegradation to some extent owing to uncontrolled grazingby cattle, repeated fires, unsustainable removal of fuelwood and timber, etc. Some of the well stretched forestareas of Karnataka have been subjected to habitatfragmentation, by large scale river valley projects,construction of railway lines , roads and encroachments.In some of the degraded forests monoculture plantationsof teak, Acacia species, Casurina species, etc. have beencarried out for economic considerations. Thesimultaneous extension of agriculture has led to a loss ofgrassland and scrub savanna habitats and erosion ofspecies such as partridges and quails dependent on them.The processes of commercialization of agriculture haveresulted in shrinking of sacred groves. Traditionallyprotected species such as banyan, peepal, other Ficusspecies, and peafowl etc., that were characteristic featureof the traditional agricultural landscape, are now affected.Open areas in urban ecosystems are also shrinking. Soare the old irrigation tanks that constitute urban wetlands.Many have been drained, others are polluted andeutrophicated, resulting in a loss of their biota, includingindigenous fish communities and migratory waterfowl.
Instensive agricultural practices have also meant highlevels of use of pesticides, bioaccumulation of thepesticides and consequent erosion of biodiversity. Thus,cotton growing tracts of Gulbarga and Raichur districts,and river command areas of Kabini, Kaveri andGhataprabha have witnessed reduction in populations of
birds. A comparison of thelichen flora of Lalbaghgarden in Bangalorerevealed that 18 of the 22species noted in 1980 wereno longer present in 1997,with most of the fruitcose(lichens with small fruit lets)and foliose (leafy) speciesgone, replaced by asmaller number of pollutiontolerant crust-like forms.
TRENDS
In the last few years thebiodiversity scenario inKarnataka has beencharacterized by conserv-ation and developmentoriented initiatives taken byboth government and non-government agencies. These initiatives in the areas ofbiodiversity documentation, policy, guideline andecodevelopment works have led to substantialimprovement at both species and habitat level. The ForestConservation Act and Wildlife Protection Act havecontributed immensely in reducing the pressure on naturalforests. There is no longer any commercial exploitationof the evergreen forests occurring in Karnataka. The totalforest area of the state has in fact increased in recentyears. Numbers of important flagship species like theelephant and the tiger have also shown an upward trendin the last few years. The State Government initiatives inrehabilitating tribals in Bandipur and Nagarahole NationalParks, have reduced the dependence on these forestsand also resulted in reduced man-animal conflict. Also
African Catfish
The African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is an extremely hardy,fast growing and highly carnivorous fish that has beensurreptitiously introduced into India through Bangladesh. It isbanned by Government of India, which has instructed all StateGovernments to totally prohibit its culture in ponds and tanks.In Karnataka, necessary steps which have been initiated toprevent its culture need to be strengthened.
Lion Tailed Macaque
Bonnet Macaque atBandipur
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as a result of the ban on extraction of the commerciallyvaluable species, the forest vegetation has recoveredappreciably over the years.
With regard to aquatic biodiversity, implementation ofCoastal Regulatory Zone regulations will result in betterprotection of beaches and mangrove forests, and of inter-tidal biodiversity in the coming years. Initiatives such asthe constitution of a Wetlands Authority and anAquaculture Board may also reverse some of the trendsof depletion of fresh-water biodiversity. Mechanisms arebeing put in place to promote on-farm conservation ofcrop and livestock genetic resources. In addition to thisthe provisions of the Biological Diversity Act are expectedto create positive incentives for maintenance ofbiodiversity. At the same time the shift towards moresustainable agricultural practices may gain ground in thecoming years and help reduce the pace of the on-goingprocesses of erosion of agro-biodiversity. However insome of the non-forest sectors like agriculture,horticulture, fisheries the conservation measures needto be strengthened to prevent biodiversity erosion.
With not much to gain from the protected areas, therehave been increasing pressures of grazing and collectionof fuel-wood and other forest produce on the forest areasoutside the protected area network. The continuing growthof rural populations and livestock has put tremendouspressure on these forest tracts for cultivation, for grazingof livestock, and for collection of minor forest produce.While Karnataka has on the whole been quite successfulin managing, and even adding to the protected areas,more focus should be laid on the biodiversity rich habitatsadjoining the protected areas. This will help in reducingthe pressure on the protected areas.
The pressure on offshore deep water zone has beengradually increasing and is likely to continue with greaterintrusion of foreign fishing fleets and technologicalprogress in off-shore drilling and mining activities. Incoming years, the shallow coastal waters are likely to beseverely stressed with increasing industrial activity incoastal regions. Pressure is likely to mount further withincreasing demands on water as a resource for irrigation,domestic and industrial uses, as well as a sink for
pollutants. The pressures of pollutants, especially onaquatic biodiversity if continued will affect the aquaticbiodiversity in coastal areas. Some of the tanks, whichare major wetland habitats for indigenous biodiversity, arebeing lost.
The forest ecosystems have been subjected to some formof fragmentation or the other due to anthropogenic anddevelopmental activities restricting the free movement ofanimals and flow of pollens impacting the bio-diversity.However it is gratifying to mention that the fragmentationtrend has slowed down considerably due to manyconservation initiatives and implementation of ForestsConservation Act, 1980.
CAUSAL FACTORS
There are many-fold causes, which have put immensepressure on Karnataka’s biodiversity. Aquatic biodiversityhas relatively suffered in the absence of an adequateframework for its conservation, and also due to the focusof conservation efforts having been on the forestecosystems and on the larger birds and mammals. The
Destructive fishing methods1. During low water levels in rivers, the fish congregate in
pools and are killed by dynamiting or poisoning.
2. Small-meshed nets operated almost everywhere destroyjuveniles and immature fish. During monsoon the fishesbreed and these gravid fishes are caught in the upperreaches when fresh water enters the reservoir.
3. River fishes congregate at the foot of the dams when thereservoir overflows. Excessive harvests of these fishesdeplete the stocks.
Indian Roller
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forest bio-diversity is well protected due to very stringentpolicy framework and the conservation initiatives.However the non-forests bio-diversity on the commonlands and water bodies suffer from lack of proper policyand regulations.
Maintenance of the integrity of the protected areas andthe habitat continuity outside protected areas are someof the issues, which require immediate attention. Thisconcern is reflected in the currently on going miningactivities in an enclave within the Kudremukh NationalPark. However now, there is a Supreme Court directionto close down the mining activities by 2005.
Absence of sustainable biomass based livelihoods forrural population have led to intensification of agriculture.The loss of traditional respect for nature has led toliquidation of some of the most notable elements of thenatural biodiversity in the agro-ecosystems, such aspeepal and other trees of genus Ficus, an importantkeystone resource supportive of a wide spectrum of otherbiodiversity elements. The urban demands haveinfluenced the agro-ecosystems, one of the most strikingexamples being the felling of peepal and other large treesto fuel the brick kilns. Proper long-term planning of urbangrowth, waste disposal and transport infrastructure willgo a long way in avoiding disruption of watersheds,deterioration of urban wetlands, as well as destruction ofterrestrial biodiversity.
The considerable pressure of mechanized fishing on thecoastal and marine biodiversity is in part due to over-capitalization of industry. Mechanized fishing also leadsto substantial levels of by-catch, i.e. aquatic organismscaught in the net, killed and discarded. These includedolphins and marine turtles. Recent decades have alsowitnessed a growing trend of employment of destructivefishing methods such as dynamiting leading to large-scalefish kills, including those of juvenile stages, andconsequent elimination of several fish species.
The growing demand for industrial and urbandevelopment and major naval facilities in the coastaldistricts of Karnataka are putting pressure on the naturalcoastal habitats. The ever increasing demand for industrial
development, growth of urban centers and the on-goingintensification of agriculture call for larger and largersupplies of water. This inevitably leads to destruction ofnatural aquatic habitats and erosion of aquatic biodiversity.Disruption of migration routes of spawning fish and eelsmigrating to the sea has also contributed to the declineof several fish species. There have been cases ofencroachment of water bodies for construction in growingurban centers and for cultivation in rural areas. Tanks havetherefore tended to become shallow and dry up with areduction in the inflow of water.
Pollution has a significant impact on biodiversity.Deviations in implementation of pollution controlmeasures along with some inadequacies in monitoringare some of the problems, which this sector is facing.
Blackheaded OrioleRacquet tailed Drongo
Pheasant tailed jacana
Black bulbul
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Siltation and organic pollution have promoted rampantgrowth of exotic weeds like water hyacinth in freshwaterecosystems. Forest, scrubland and grassland habitatshave also been subjected to invasion by exotic weedslike Eupatorium and Parthenium.
IMPACTS
The area covered by the exclusive economic zone offthe coast of Karnataka is extensive and clearly deservesattention. We have little data on the biodiversity resourcesof this vast tract, although it is acknowledged that there
has been degradation of beaches and mangrove forestsalong the coast, and over-fishing, pollution problems andserious disturbance of the sea bottom habitats throughtrawling in the sea. The erosion of coastal and marinebiodiversity of Karnataka would lead to potentiallysignificant losses of biodiversity from a global perspectivesince the Indo-Australian marine biogeographic region isthe richest in the world. Marine organisms are nowconsidered as the most promising source of bioactivecompounds by the pharmaceutical industry. Since so littleis known of our marine organisms, it is likely that thereare on-going extinctions of biodiversity resources of mucheconomic potential, of which we are quite unaware.
Medicinal Plants
The Government of Karnataka has formed a society under the name ‘The Karnataka State Medicinal Plants Authority’, to look intothe medicinal plants related issues including conservation, cultivation, and development of medicinal and aromatic plants. In addi-tion to this the Karnataka Forest Department, in coordination with FRLHT, has taken initiative in the field of in-situ conservation,resulting in setting up of a network of Medicinal Plant Conservation Areas (MPCA) across different forest types.The medicinal uses of some of the plants are given below.
Gloriosa superbaGowri gaddeParts used: Tuberous rootUses: The root of Langali isused in the form of powder totreat Arthritis (vatarakta),piles, boils, for extraction offoreign body, for easydelivery, baldness, scrofula and ear diseases.
Soymida febrifugaIndian redwood, Swami mara,Parts used: BarkUses: It’s a rich source of tannin.Used in treating malaria, dysentery &rheumatic pains
Semecarpus anacardiumMarking nut, Gudde geruParts used: fruitUses: Used for treatingleukemia, rheumatism &asthma
Rauvolfia serpentinaSarpagandaPart used: RootUses: The root of Sarpagandhais used in the form of powder totreat mental diseases,poisoning, vomitting anddiarrhoea.
Embelia ribesVidangaParts used: Fruits and rootUses: The fruits and root ofVidanga is used in the form ofpowder and paste to treatworms, heart-diseases, skindiseases, headache,jaundice, poisoning and as rejuvenative.
Oroxylum indicumSyonakaPart used: Root-barkUses: The juice of syonakaobtained by closed heating isuseful in diarrhoea. Oil cookedof syonaka is useful fordiseases of ear.
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The depletion of in-shore fish stocks, coupled withmarketing of much of the catch in distant places wouldmean a substantial reduction in the availability of easilyaffordable protein sources for weaker segments ofKarnataka’s coastal population. This decimation ofindigenous freshwater fish population has been estimatedby local people to be as high as 25% of the original levelsin Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. This hasmanifold health impacts, although, it has been to an extentoffset by the successful culturing of a few species of carps.However, these cultured carps are generally auctionedand not available to the poorer segments of the populationas the indigenous fish.
There has also been depletion of biodiversity in riverineand estuarine ecosystems of Karnataka. Some of thefish species that have thus become threatened include:Labeo fimbriatus, L. calbasu, L. bata, L. porcellus, Puntiuspulchellus, P. carnaticus, P. dorsalis. P. narayani., P. puckelli,Gonoproktopterus curmuca, G .dubius, G.kolus,G.micropogon micropogon, G. thomassi, Mystus krishnensis,Neotropius khavalchor, Channa marulius,and C.striatus.Other notable instances of relative erosion of aquaticbiodiversity involve the flagship species like crocodilesand otters. Karnataka has some natural swampy habitats,but practically no natural lakes. Its extensive network ofirrigation tanks, estimated at around 45000 was builtbetween 13th and 19th centuries and had become majorrefuge for aquatic life and resident and migratorywaterfowl. They had extensive vegetation in thecatchment areas. Much of this biodiversity is underconstant pressure. Some of them earlier constitutedtemple tanks, with a strict protection for fish, turtles andother biota. Many of these sacred water-bodies however
no longer enjoy the same protection. The larger reservoirsconstructed over the last century are biologicallyimpoverished. All such water-bodies have tended to bestocked by a small number of cultured fish species suchas Catla and Tilapia.
The impacts of the protected areas system have been,up till the present time, quite positive, promotingconservation of some of the flagship species such as tiger,panther, elephant and sambar, along with the moistdeciduous forest biota.
Since the Western Ghats biogeographic province is oneof the world’s biodiversity hot-spots, erosion of biodiversityin these humid forests would lead to adverse impact onbiodiversity from a global perspective. Also the importantgenetic resources such as wild relatives of cultivatedplants would be at stake. Erosion of the forest resourceswill result in an inadequate availability of biomassresources such as fuel-wood, bamboo, fencing andthatching material for rural population, notably for the ruralartisans. The dry forest tracts of Karnataka have for longsupported large numbers of pastoral communities, manyof them nomadic shepherds. An erosion of the biodiversityresources of these tracts will mean serious shortages offodder for their livestock.
Fragmentation of forest habitats has led to increase inman-animal conflicts, especially in case of elephantsattempting to move along their traditional migratory routes.The loss of grazing lands and other uncultivated landsthat used to be a vital ingredient of Karnataka’s agro-ecosystems has resulted in scarcities of biomassresources for the rural population resulting in increasedpressure on forests.
Plants yielding dyes
Hardwickia binataKamara, AcheParts used: LeavesUses: Leaves yield a richgolden colour hithertounexploerd. Hard and sustain-able tree cultivable throughoutKarnataka, grows in all climaticconditions.
Mallotus philippensisKamalatree, Kumkumada maraParts used: FruitsUses: The glandular part of the fruitsyield a dye called kamala powderwhich gives a rich golden red color.It is also used a good coloring agentin food processing.
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One positive impact of the introduction of the exotic treespecies like Acacia auriculiformis, Eucalyptus andCasuarina equisetifolia in some of the degraded foresttracts of the state has been the increased availability offuel wood. Extensive plantations of the latter two speciesin private lands in a number of districts have alsoconsiderably eased the fuel wood scarcity in the nearbytowns and villages. Even the plantations that have beenmanaged for pulpwood supply have yielded considerablequantities of fuel wood resulting in reduced pressure onthe nearby natural forests.
The 1960s saw ushering in of the “Green revolution”dependent on intensification of inputs of canal irrigationand agro-chemicals. The 1980s saw extensive diggingof bore-wells to tap ground water resources. Theintensification of agriculture has resulted in losses of on-farm cultivated plant and domesticated animal geneticdiversity. Replacement of large variety of local land racesby a small number of high yielding varieties of a smallerset of crops and of cattle & poultry has resulted in reductionof agro and livestock biodiversity. Of course, a significantfraction of these genetic resources has been preservedin national and international seed collections. This,however, does not permit continuation of the evolutionaryprocesses. Also there are distinct possibilities of loss ofbiodiversity from as yet little understood effects of thenewly introduced Genetically modified
organisms(GMO).The last few years are, however,witnessing a move towards encouragement of moresustainable agricultural practices, including employmentof integrated pest management techniques.Urban settlements along with the transport network ofhighways connecting them constitute the most rapidlyexpanding ecosystem of the Karnataka state. Given thehigh value of urban land, there is little scope formaintenance of natural biological communities within thisecosystem. So the urban ecosystems are losing much oftheir biodiversity, including the communal roosts of birdslike mynas and parakeets and fruit bats, which take shelterin urban areas, although they obtain most of their food inthe surrounding rural hinterlands. In their structure, theurban ecosystems most resemble rocky cliffs and caves,and hence are now characterized by species like bluerock pigeons and house swifts that prefer these habitats.Over all, the urban populations are subject to anincreasing alienation from the natural world, which mayhave long-term health impacts, and may lead to anincrease in stress related disorders.
Given the substantial pollution load on the sea, it ispossible that the sea foods being consumed carry heavymetals, antibiotics and pathogens with significant healthimplications. Eutrophication of the water-bodies coupledwith growth of weeds like the water hyacinth has led toan increase in the population of vectors of diseases like
Plants with aromatic and medicinal properties
Ocium basilicumSweet basil, Kama KasturiParts used: Arial part of the plantUses: Used as a flavoring agent inconfectionery, baked goods, sauces,pickles, fancy vinegars, spiced meats &beverages
Cymbopogon martiniParts used: LeavesUses: Source of palmarosa oil. Used inmanufacture of soaps, cosmetics andinsect repellents.
Mesua ferreaNagasampigeParts used: Flower, seedsUses: Flowers used for cough.Stamens impart a pleasant aroma,useful in bleeding disorders
Curcuma aromaticaWild Turmeric, Kasturi ArishinaParts used: RhizomesUses: It’s a good wound healer,substitute for turmeric in food and hasantidiabetic properties.
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the mosquitoes with negative health consequences.Extensive application of pesticides has led to a decimationof soil microbiota, reducing the fertility of farm soils.Pesticide residues in farm-produced food too are probablya notable health hazard.
HOTSPOTS
One may visualize two kinds of hotspots, hotspots of hopei.e. the hotspots still rich in biodiversity and excellent sitesfor focusing ongoing and future conservation efforts, andhotspots of despair i.e. those which have been subject tosome degradation, and therefore require more focus onrestoration efforts. The details of these two kinds ofhotspots as identified for the state are provided inAnnexure A and B respectively.
There is a need to organize new inter-disciplinary, multi-scaleand multi-agency initiatives, towards inventoryingbiodiversity and associated knowledge, through periodicmonitoring. Such a programme should focus, not just onbiodiversity rich or protected areas, but on the entirelandscape and waterscape. It would need to involve anumber of scientific and technical agencies such as forest-fishery- agriculture departments; Botanical and ZoologicalSurveys, Universities, Agricultural Universities andpertinent research institutions. This scientific effort willhave to be complemented by Community BasedInventories involving schools and colleges, localknowledgeable individuals, community leaders, VillageForest Committees, and Panchayat institutions. TheseCommunity Based Inventories may focus on organismsand issues familiar to people such as on medicinal plants,fish and shellfish, sacred groves, ponds and other sacredsites, sacred trees such as Ficus and sacred animals likemonkeys. They must also focus on crop genetic diversity,especially of fruit trees such as Jackfruit, Mango, Garcinia,Tamarind, and sustainable use practices such asprotection to fishes migrating upstream for spawning.Special efforts will have to be put in developing thecapacity of tribals, fisher folk, farmers, pastorals, vaidyasand other folk ecologists, who have significant knowledgeon local biodiversity resources, to contribute to communitybased biodiversity inventorying and monitoring as alsoconservation and sustainable use efforts. New bridges
will have to be built for the technical experts, involved inscientific inventories, to link the scientific and communitybased inventories. All this information will have to beorganized as a computerized, distributed informationsystem with regulated access to safeguard intellectualproperty rights concerns. The People’s BiodiversityRegisters visualized as a part of the follow-up to theBiological Diversity Act could serve as useful instrumentsin this context.
Since good management of biodiversity is dependent onproper management of habitats, there is need to pay moreattention to important issues of quality and connectivityof habitats. There is also a need to identify and monitorappropriate indicators of quality of different habitat types,e.g. birds and butterflies as indicators of quality of foresthabitats, or aquatic micro- and macro-invertebrates andfishes as indicators of quality and level of pollution inaquatic habitats. Proper databases need to be createdon degradation and fragmentation of habitats, with a focuson key habitats such as forests and wetlands. The saiddatabase should put to good use the Indian RemoteSensing Satellite imageries, linking it to the GeographicalInformation System. This information base should, in turn,be linked to the scientific and community basedinventories of biodiversity.
The current procedures of pollution control needreconsideration. There is a need to implement the“Polluter pays” principle, scaling penalties to the level ofpollution damage as well as creating positive incentivesfor good performance. Monitoring of physical andchemical parameters needs to be supplemented by useof biodiversity indicators that are more easily discernible.Costs of biodiversity conservation should be charged tothose responsible for its destruction. New policies,legislation and institutions needed to do this need to beput in place.
Wildlife Protected Areas such as wild life sanctuaries andnational parks constitute the mainstay of biodiversityconservation efforts. It is necessary to broaden theapproach to conservation of biodiversity to aquatic as wellas semi-arid ecosystems, and to lands and waters otherthan those under the control of Forest Department. The
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concept of “heritage sites” of the Biological Diversity Act,Biosphere Reserves and Ecologically Sensitive Areasneeds to be developed in this context.
Current policies governing protected areas, which focusmore on eco-development and participatory approach,need to be continued and strengthened. As far as possible,the protected areas management too should be broughtunder a participatory regime.
One of the primary causes of degradation of our forestecosystem has been the tremendous pressure put on itbecause of fuel wood removal for domestic use andgrazing by village cattle. In view of growing human andcattle population, the pressure on our forests will increasefurther. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the fuelwood and fodder requirements of the rural population areprogressively met from sources other than the forests. Apossible option for doing this is to encourage farm forestryand agro forestry in private lands. Judicious farm forestry
Sacred groves of Karnataka
Sacred Groves are segments of the landscape, containing trees and other forms of biodiversity and geographical features thatare delimited and protected by human societies because it is believed that to keep them in a relatively undisturbed state is anexpression of important relationship to the divine or to nature. They represent the first major effort by the local communities inconserving the biodiversity. Since these patches have remained undisturbed since long, they appear as isolated fragments of adense forest.
.In Karnataka sacred groves are found all along the western ghats though known by differentnames like Devarakaadu (God’s forest), pavitra katte , Suggi devara bana, Pavithravana(sacred forests), nagavana, etc. But wherever they occur, sacred groves are of greatecological and cultural interest. There are stated to be more than 1500 major sacred grovesin the state of Karnataka. In Coorg alone Devarakadus are said to have been distributed inan area of about 15,500 acres. Out of 296 revenue villages in the district, Devarakadus aredistributed in 273 revenue villages.
The devarakadu in Kodagu district have some of the commercially very valuable timberspecies like Dysoxylum malabaricum (White cedar), Diospyros ebenum (Karimara,Blackwood), Dalbergia latifolia (Rosewood), among others. Though many forests fallingunder these Devarkadus don’t form part of either reserve forests or protected forest yetthey have enjoyed the highest kind of protection from people residing around these forestsfor religious reasons for a long time.
Ecologically, sacred groves tend to be fragments of the original ecosystem in a given region,although in some cases local people plant trees in groves and there were and are grovesconsisting entirely of planted trees. Because they are protected, the groves that are derivedfrom natural forests often shelter plant and animal species that may have disappearedelsewhere in the region. Thus they serve as refugia and possible centres of dispersal andrestoration.
Culturally, sacred groves are of considerable interest because they exemplify phases ofsocial interaction with the local ecosystem. The practices permitted or forbidden in themoften reveal much about the attitudes of various societies to nature.
In Karnataka sacred groves are relatively small, from a fraction of a hectare to a few squarekilometers in size and are therefore island-like in a landscape mosaic. They are vulnerableto invasions of exotic weed-like species and to natural or human caused disasters such asfire, diseases, predation by poachers, encroachment and deliberate destruction.
The sacred groves, which remained as prized possessions, are slowly degrading. Changein the values and lifestyles of people and economic attraction attached to the Sacred groveshave greatly contributed to the decline in the status of the sacred groves. Large scale land encroachments are observed in manysacred groves.
Karnataka biodiversity board is making efforts to conserve these time tested examples of people’s efforts of bio-diversityconservation and revive the tradition of sacred groves.
Dieties inside the sacred grove
View of the sacred grove,Kodagu
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and agro forestry practices will improve the economiccondition of the farmers not only because of increasedincome through utilization or sale of forest produce butalso because improvement in the fertility and moisturestatus of the agricultural lands. Similarly, adoption ofimproved animal husbandry practices will result in thefarmers maintaining lesser number of productive cattlerather than a large number of unproductive cattle.
It is important to create a policy and regulatory frameworkfor the protection of coastal, marine and also freshwaterbiodiversity. This should incorporate provisions to bringunder control many destructive fishing methods such asuse of dynamite, nets of small mesh etc. and ensureenforcement of closed seasons. Central Government’shelp may be sought to ensure coordinated action by allthe coastal states and the involvement of Coast Guards.There is a need to further develop new participatoryinstitutions, such as Joint Fisheries ManagementCommittees.
Karnataka’s 40,000 odd tanks are a significant habitat foraquatic biodiversity, but have been viewed largely as asource of irrigation and sites for culture of fish like carp.They need to be assessed as potential biodiversityconservation sites and some proportion, say 5%earmarked for biodiversity conservation purposes. Suchconservation efforts should focus not only on the waterbody, but on the catchment as well.
New institutions and instruments should be created tobuild on traditional practices such as conservation ofsacred ponds, streams,sacred groves etc. Thedevarakadus of Kodagu provide a great opportunity toinitiate participatory approach to biodiversity conservation.
The Bio Diversity Act provides the regulatory frameworkfor the protection of biodiversity on private, communityand other non-forest lands and waters. There is a needto protect water bird breeding colonies, often on privateland as at Kokre-Bellur, groves such as Gunduthopes,and sacred plants and animals.Village forests andgrasslands like the Halkar village forest in Kumta taluk ofUttara Kannada district, and community and privatelymanaged woodlands such as soppinabetta, kumki and
hadi lands need to be sustainably managed.
Special Security Areas, under control of armed forces,provide excellent opportunities for biodiversityconservation that have been only occasionally exploitedas in case of the National Defense Academy near Pune.The Government may work with armed forces to conserveareas like Anjadiv Island under Sea-Bird Project of IndianNavy, prohibited zone around Kaiga Nuclear Plant andDefence Establishment areas in Bangalore city.
There should be a proper policy on ecotourismdevelopment, based on carrying capacity.
Environmental considerations, in general, and biodiversityissues, in particular, must be main-streamed into theworking of various Governmental agencies, as well asprivate sector. Thus the animal husbandry programmesfocus on enhancing milk and meat production with littlethought for the impact of cattle and goats on regenerationof natural vegetation. Minor irrigation focuses on desiltingof tanks without much consideration of how the desiltingoperations may affect aquatic life. It is therefore importantto create mechanisms for inter-sectoral co-ordination, e.g.with new bodies such as Karnataka Medicinal PlantsAuthority, to develop appropriate guidelines for the broadspectrum of Governmental line departments, whoseactivities impinge on biodiversity resources. Theseguidelines should focus on habitat integrity andconnectivity, implementation of recommendationsaccepted in the course of environmental impactassessments and also concepts like carrying capacity.
Given that our understanding of biodiversity is inadequate,we need to operationalize the “Precautionary Principle”.This principle suggests that while dealing with novelsituations, such as the use of Genetically ModifiedOrganisms (GMO), we may not have full evidence of theirlikely impacts. Under such circumstances, it is appropriateto remain on the side of caution. However, while doingso, we must also look at all the available evidences,including that from other parts of the world, and keep inmind the imperatives of enhancing productivity.
There is need to work towards the development of a
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realistic system of economic instruments such as accessfees, as positive incentives to encourage prudentutilization of biological resources and negative incentivesor penalties to discourage non-sustainable utilization ofbiological resources and biodiversity. It must be ensuredthat biodiversity conservation and sustainable use effortshelp enhance the quality of life of women and the weakersegments of the population. It should be ensured thatresources generated through ecotourism could supportconservation efforts. To accomplish these objectives, wecould motivate Panchayats with their BiodiversityManagement Committees established under the newBiological Diversity Act or Village Forest Committees orJoint Fisheries Management Committees, by conferringon them authority to charge access/ collection fees, tolevy fines on violators. These committees may be givenspecial social recognition or financial awards forbiodiversity conservation endeavors.
ACTION PLAN
Establishment of seabird conservation sitesIslands like Netrani and Anjidiv, important habitats forseabirds, are reportedly being affected by naval exercises.The State Government along with the Defence authoritiesshould protect the seabirds and other characteristic islandecosystems of Karnataka coast.
Rehabilitation of threatened estuarine fishesTo rehabilitate important threatened fishes such as Milkfish(Chanos chanos) and Kane meen ( Silage sahama),captive breeding may be carried out and the fingerlingsproduced may be released in the estuaries.
Promoting sustainable utilization of marine/estuarinefisha) Strict implementation of uniform “closed season”for marine fishing for the entire west coast, from 10June to 15 August is expected to protect the brood
Karnataka Bio diversity Information System
Karnataka Bio diversity Information System is an information system with spatial and non-spatial data aimed at consolidatinginformation on floral and faunal diversity of the state of Karnataka especially the fragile environs of Western Ghats. KarnatakaBio diversity Information System has been developed by Karnataka Forest Department in collaboration with Department ofBotany from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Indian Space Research Organisation, with funding and administrativesupport from Department of Ecology and Environment, Government of Karnataka.
The Karnataka Bio diversity Information System is capable of providing information related to plants and animal species onvarious queries with regard to their structural and floristic aspects. The package is organised around a GIS and speciallycustomized to the requirement of establishing an operational bio diversity information system for the state of Karnataka. Thepackage is optimum mix of spatial and non-spatial data for display, query and analysis. The species database also providesspecific information related to Rare, Endangered and Threatened and IUCN ratings. The faunal communities being non stationary,their distribution is region specific and data has been provided for the National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries and also broaddistribution across the state. In Karnataka Bio diversity Information System more than 3500 plant species have been documented,in addition to this, details of faunal diversity found in National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Karnataka have also beenprovided based on the secondary data.
Bio diversity assessment in the Western Ghats has been done by collecting primary data through sampling. The state has beendivided into 1920 grids of 10x10 km size and stratified. In each grid depending upon the bio diversity density and status thenumber of sample plots varied. In each grid minimum one sample plot was laid and in some as many as 20 sampling plots havebeen laid to capture the maximum diversity. In the first phase of Western Ghats area nearly 1300 sample plots have been laidto collect the primary data. Also the data available from the permanent bio diversity monitoring plots established by the KarnatakaForest Department were also used to map the diversity of plants and animals.
It is proposed to cover the remained parts of Eastern plain districts in the second phase of the project to complete the task for thewhole state through survey and assessment. In the second phase, priority will be given to agro-bio diversity assessment andmapping.
The Karnataka Bio diversity Information System has been designed to be user friendly by providing access to informationthrough multiple query routes. The user can type either common name or local names (vernacular), or scientific names toaccess the information of species. Similarly the occurrence and distribution of species can be accessed spatially throughadministrative units like taluk, district or forest administration units like Range, Divisions, Circles or National Parks.
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stock of fishes from exploitation by the mechanizedsector.b) Mesh regulations of nets necessary to exclude
juveniles and non-target species. Licenses foradditions to the fleet of purse seines and trawlersshould be limited to sustainable limits
c) Bottom trawling, which is very destructive to marineecosystems, should be prohibited in Indian territorialwaters.
d) Use of large trawl nets to be regulated, to minimizeincidental catches and other damages to the seabottom ecosystems.
e) Priority steps to be taken to identify fish breedinggrounds and other sensitive areas and such areasshould be declared as “Marine Protected Areas”.Periodical ban on catch and sale of over-exploited fishspecies to be implemented
Conservation of biodiversity in riverine strechesFish congregations are noticed in 12 areas in certainriverine stretches. Of these 3 are declared as ‘Sanctuaries’.The others are also to be declared so.
Management of Protected AreasDegraded habitats outside protected areas must bedeveloped as buffers to withstand the pressures of theperipheral habitations.
Sacred groves and sacred trees and other traditionalconservationSacred groves and sacred trees of the Western Ghatsand the west coast are excellent instances of communitybased conservation. Steps need to be taken to supportand strengthen the community efforts to safeguard andeven restore the lost groves. Other traditional conservationpractices should be documented and encouraged.
Biodiversity friendly management of Soppinbettas andother woodlands should be promoted.
The deemed forests such as Soppinbettas, Kumki andHadi lands,which are rich in biodiversity, are to besustainably managed.
Conservation of the wild relatives of cultivated plantsForests of Karnataka are rich in the wild relatives ofcultivated plants such as Mango, Jackfruit, Garcinia,gooseberry, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, pepper,turmeric, bitter gourd, snake gourd, pulses, brinjals,grapes, yams, aroids etc. Forests and other wildernessareas, which harbour the gene pool of such cultivatedplants, are to be identified and conserved.
Conservation of domesticated animal biodiversityKarnataka has a rich heritage of indigenous livestock,poultry and pet breeds. The State should makearrangements for documentation, monitoring andencouragement through incentives, if necessary, for thein situ conservation, breeding and distribution of this animaldiversity.
Genetically Modified CropsDetailed study needs to be conducted in multi locationbefore introducing genetically modified crops within state.
Capacity Building For Biodiversity ManagementBiodiversity management has tremendous potential to bea huge enterprise with millions of stakeholders, includingvillagers and forest dwellers. Capacity building forbiodiversity management needs to be done at variouslevels:• Decision makers at State, district municipalities and
village panchayat levels• School and college teachers and students• Biodiversity conservation training for local stakeholders• Coast Guards for marine biodiversity protection.• Private sector• Role of NGOs in biodiversity management is to be
strengthened.• A policy is also needed for in-situ conservation of agro
biodiversity.
Biodiversity RegisterDevelopment and maintenance of Biodiversity registersby the Biodiversity committees, JFPM committees,Schools, Colleges, and other NGOs may be promoted todocument the bio diversity wealth of the area.
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