BIO DIVERSITY

BIODIVERSITY

Our responsibility is to species, not to specimens; to communities, not to individuals -Sara Stein

167 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT - 2003

BIODIVERSITY

Current Status

Problems Causal factors Impacts

Hotspots Action Plan

168 BIO DIVERSITY

CURRENT STATUS Indegenous cattle breed The state of is a part of the highly biodiversity rich regions of . The state is endowed with great diversity of climate, topography and soils. It spans the seacoast with rich aquatic biodiversity and mangrove swamps at the mouths of estuaries. It harbours verdant tropical evergreen forests, paddy fields and coconut and arecanut orchards on the narrow coast flanked by the hills of Western Ghats. It bears deciduous woods, scrub Kilari bull Amruthmahal bull jungles, fields of sugarcane, cotton, groundnut, ragi and jowar in the Deccan plateau. The different environmental regimes support their own characteristic set of vegetation and animals. Karnataka supports 10% of total tiger population 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, 160 Deomi bull Hallikar bull species of reptiles (turtles, snakes, lizards and crocodiles), 70 species of frogs, and 800 species of fish. These figures give a good account of the floral and faunal diversity of Biodiversity is under constant pressure in all the major the state. ecosystems of Karnataka, i.e. in coastal and marine tracts, streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs, protected areas as The wealth of diversity of domesticated plants and animals well as forests outside protected areas, agro-ecosystems, in farms also holds much promise. The hill chain of and in urban ecosystems. This has been caused by four Western Ghats is known to have greater diversity of wild major factors, namely, relatives of cultivated plants than any other region of comparable size in the world. The aquatic biodiversity in • Un-sustainable harvests of living resources, Karnataka is very rich and harbors many endemic species. • Habitat destruction and fragmentation, • Impacts of pollutants, and PROBLEMS • Competition with colonizing, often exotic, invasive species.

Unsustainable harvests of natural resources have been a key factor for degradation of biodiversity. Vegetation in the forest areas have been under constant threat because of the unsustainable exploitation in the form of illicit felling, firewood and fodder collection etc. Unsustainable use of medicinal plants and non timber forest produces to some extent have affected the regeneration capacity of a few species such as Rouwolfia serpentina (Sarpagandha) and Gloriosa superba.

Kali river winding through Dandeli wildlife sanctuary

169 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT - 2003

Initiatives of the State Government

The state has initiated a number of biodiversity conservation measures in the past. Karnataka has declared around 16% of the total forest area under protected area network. Similarly, some of the aquatic hot spots of biodiversity have also been declared as sanctuaries. Due to the intensive conservation measures there has been appreciable increase in the wildlife population in the state of Karnataka over the years. To cite a few examples, the tiger population has increased gradually over the years, due to 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 populations also 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 largely due to reduction in fire and grazing damage to the forest owing to intensive conservation and protection measures. The increase in the canopy density signifies increase in biodiversity value of the forest. Further the forest department has documented the biodiversity wealth of forests in Uttara and Shimoga circles by establishing biodiversity monitoring plots in Western Ghat forests in collaboration with the French institute of Pondicherry by assessing the tree biodiversity, endemism, threat status and conservation value in different types of vegetation.

The state also has implemented the World Bank assisted eco-development project in Nagarhole National Park by addressing lively hood issues of the forest dwelling communities living in and around the National Park to reduce the anthropogenic pressure on the National park. The rehabilitation programs have been implemented in and around National Parks to make forest dependent communities self sufficient by introducing alternative sources of income. For effective protection, anti poaching squads and anti smuggling camps have been established. Due to ban on green felling imposed by the State Government as conservation measure, the state has been able to protect vast tracks of forests from degradation. Further the regeneration efforts made by forest department over the years have also contributed immensely in increasing the forest cover and biodiversity. The forest department has changed its strategy from monoculture to mixed plantation. The Non timber forest produce harvests have been regulated 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 and Management) Committees for involving people in management and protection of forest. LAMP societies have been exempted from 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 than 15000 formulations are found in Karnataka. The state has constituted the Karnataka Medicinal Plant Authority to promote medicinal plant conservation and development in the state.

The largest component of harvest from forest is by way indicate that there is not much cause of alarm in so far as of removal of biomass in the form of fuel for domestic their biodiversity status is concerned. use by the adjoining villagers and fodder grazed and browsed by the cattle population of the villages. Fish landings from in-shore waters have remained largely Increasing human and cattle population has put stagnant or actually declined over the last decade even tremendous pressure on the forests, impacting their as the number of mechanized fishing crafts has been regenerative capacity. Legal harvests from the forests going up. The composition of the catch has been have been minimal owing to a number of conservative changing, with choice species such as sharks, kingfish, policy measures such as banning of clear felling of forest pomphret, mackerel and prawns decreasing in size and and felling of green trees, stopping of concessions to abundance and being replaced by less preferred species wood-based industries, etc. Illegal harvest of timber, such as Squilla. Aquatic fauna of riverbanks and streams limited to teak, rosewood, sandalwood and a few other have been affected due to the various anthropogenic hardwood species, is a matter of concern. Cases of pressures. poaching of elephants and other wild animals, though on decline, need to be controlled. However, owing to rigid Habitat destruction and fragmentation has plagued some conservation measures, there has been increase in of the ecosystems in the state. Naval exercises have number of wild animals. The mortality figures of wild reportedly seriously affected off-shore islands like Netrani animals, including those of deaths due to poaching, and Anjadiv that are rich in coral beds, algae etc and form

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Biological Diversity Act, 2003

The Biological Diversity Act, which came into force in February 2003, aims to promote conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits of India’s biodiversity resources. It provides for establishment of a National Biodiversity Authority at national level, State Biodiversity Boards at state level and Biodiversity Management Committees at the level of Panchayats and Municipalities.

The National Biodiversity Authority shall play a regulatory role with regard to access to biological resources by foreign citizens and grant of intellectual property rights. It shall play an advisory role in matters relating to the conservation, sustainable use and equitable 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 is to advice the state government on matters relating to conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components etc. It shall also 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 the purpose of promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity and chronicling of knowledge relating to biological diversity.The Act also envisages setting up of a local biodiversity fund, at every area notified by State Government, where any institution of self-government is functioning. This fund will include any grants and loans made by the National Biodiversity Authority, grants or loans made by State Biodiversity Boards, all sums received by the local committee from other sources etc.

People’s Biodiversity Register

A Biodiversity Information System (BIS) shall support the various bodies constituted under Biological Diversity Act. This system will be a mega-database linking a number of existing databases as well as those that will be newly developed. The component of 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 various traditional crop cultivars, and special properties of these cultivars. 2) Help people share their special knowledge of uses and management of biodiversity resources, access information on technologies of relevance for better management of biodiversity resources, provide information on prevalent prices and quantities 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 recognition and 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 the process of documentation and development of the Biodiversity Management Plans of local Biodiversity Management committees. 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-governmental organizations and community members, especially those active in community-based organizations will be involved.

171 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT - 2003 breeding grounds for fishes as well as birds like the white- African Catfish bellied sea eagle. The African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is an extremely hardy, fast growing and highly carnivorous fish that has been One of the few reported extinctions of plant species from surreptitiously introduced into India through Bangladesh. It is Karnataka is that of the grass, Hubbardia heptaneuron, banned by Government of India, which has instructed all State which was earlier found near the Jog falls prior to the Governments to totally prohibit its culture in ponds and tanks. In Karnataka, necessary steps which have been initiated to construction of the Linganamakki reservoir on the prevent its culture need to be strengthened. Sharavathy river. These changes have also affected the movement of fish along rivers and streams, for instance, birds. A comparison of the the upstream migration of fish to spawn during the lichen flora of Lalbagh monsoon leading to loss of fish diversity. A series of sacred garden in stretches of rivers and streams used to serve as major revealed that 18 of the 22 refuge of aquatic biodiversity, including fish like mahaseer, species noted in 1980 were now only few serve this function. no longer present in 1997, with most of the fruitcose Some of the state’s forest ecosystems have undergone (lichens with small fruit lets) degradation to some extent owing to uncontrolled grazing and foliose (leafy) species Lion Tailed Macaque by cattle, repeated fires, unsustainable removal of fuel gone, replaced by a wood and timber, etc. Some of the well stretched forest smaller number of pollution areas of Karnataka have been subjected to habitat tolerant crust-like forms. fragmentation, by large scale river valley projects, construction of railway lines , roads and encroachments. TRENDS In some of the degraded forests monoculture plantations of teak, Acacia species, Casurina species, etc. have been In the last few years the carried out for economic considerations. The biodiversity scenario in simultaneous extension of agriculture has led to a loss of Karnataka has been grassland and scrub savanna habitats and erosion of characterized by conserv- species such as partridges and quails dependent on them. ation and development Bonnet Macaque at The processes of commercialization of agriculture have oriented initiatives taken by Bandipur resulted in shrinking of sacred groves. Traditionally both government and non- protected species such as banyan, peepal, other Ficus government agencies. These initiatives in the areas of species, and peafowl etc., that were characteristic feature biodiversity documentation, policy, guideline and of the traditional agricultural landscape, are now affected. ecodevelopment works have led to substantial Open areas in urban ecosystems are also shrinking. So improvement at both species and habitat level. The Forest are the old irrigation tanks that constitute urban wetlands. Conservation Act and Wildlife Protection Act have Many have been drained, others are polluted and contributed immensely in reducing the pressure on natural eutrophicated, resulting in a loss of their biota, including forests. There is no longer any commercial exploitation indigenous fish communities and migratory waterfowl. of the evergreen forests occurring in Karnataka. The total forest area of the state has in fact increased in recent Instensive agricultural practices have also meant high years. Numbers of important flagship species like the levels of use of pesticides, bioaccumulation of the elephant and the tiger have also shown an upward trend pesticides and consequent erosion of biodiversity. Thus, in the last few years. The State Government initiatives in cotton growing tracts of Gulbarga and Raichur districts, rehabilitating tribals in Bandipur and Nagarahole National and river command areas of Kabini, Kaveri and Parks, have reduced the dependence on these forests Ghataprabha have witnessed reduction in populations of and also resulted in reduced man-animal conflict. Also

172 BIO DIVERSITY as a result of the ban on extraction of the commercially Destructive fishing methods valuable species, the forest vegetation has recovered 1. During low water levels in rivers, the fish congregate in appreciably over the years. pools and are killed by dynamiting or poisoning. 2. Small-meshed nets operated almost everywhere destroy With regard to aquatic biodiversity, implementation of juveniles and immature fish. During monsoon the fishes breed and these gravid fishes are caught in the upper Coastal Regulatory Zone regulations will result in better reaches when fresh water enters the reservoir. protection of beaches and mangrove forests, and of inter- 3. River fishes congregate at the foot of the dams when the tidal biodiversity in the coming years. Initiatives such as reservoir overflows. Excessive harvests of these fishes the constitution of a Wetlands Authority and an deplete the stocks. Aquaculture Board may also reverse some of the trends of depletion of fresh-water biodiversity. Mechanisms are being put in place to promote on-farm conservation of crop and livestock genetic resources. In addition to this the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act are expected to create positive incentives for maintenance of biodiversity. At the same time the shift towards more sustainable agricultural practices may gain ground in the coming years and help reduce the pace of the on-going processes of erosion of agro-biodiversity. However in some of the non-forest sectors like agriculture, horticulture, fisheries the conservation measures need Indian Roller to be strengthened to prevent biodiversity erosion. pollutants. The pressures of pollutants, especially on With not much to gain from the protected areas, there aquatic biodiversity if continued will affect the aquatic have been increasing pressures of grazing and collection biodiversity in coastal areas. Some of the tanks, which of fuel-wood and other forest produce on the forest areas are major wetland habitats for indigenous biodiversity, are outside the protected area network. The continuing growth being lost. of rural populations and livestock has put tremendous pressure on these forest tracts for cultivation, for grazing The forest ecosystems have been subjected to some form of livestock, and for collection of minor forest produce. of fragmentation or the other due to anthropogenic and While Karnataka has on the whole been quite successful developmental activities restricting the free movement of in managing, and even adding to the protected areas, animals and flow of pollens impacting the bio-diversity. more focus should be laid on the biodiversity rich habitats However it is gratifying to mention that the fragmentation adjoining the protected areas. This will help in reducing trend has slowed down considerably due to many the pressure on the protected areas. conservation initiatives and implementation of Forests Conservation Act, 1980. The pressure on offshore deep water zone has been gradually increasing and is likely to continue with greater CAUSAL FACTORS intrusion of foreign fishing fleets and technological progress in off-shore drilling and mining activities. In There are many-fold causes, which have put immense coming years, the shallow coastal waters are likely to be pressure on Karnataka’s biodiversity. Aquatic biodiversity severely stressed with increasing industrial activity in has relatively suffered in the absence of an adequate coastal regions. Pressure is likely to mount further with framework for its conservation, and also due to the focus increasing demands on water as a resource for irrigation, of conservation efforts having been on the forest domestic and industrial uses, as well as a sink for ecosystems and on the larger birds and mammals. The

173 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT - 2003 forest bio-diversity is well protected due to very stringent policy framework and the conservation initiatives. However the non-forests bio-diversity on the common lands and water bodies suffer from lack of proper policy and regulations.

Maintenance of the integrity of the protected areas and the habitat continuity outside protected areas are some of the issues, which require immediate attention. This concern is reflected in the currently on going mining activities in an enclave within the Kudremukh National Blackheaded Oriole Racquet tailed Drongo Park. However now, there is a Supreme Court direction to close down the mining activities by 2005.

Absence of sustainable biomass based livelihoods for rural population have led to intensification of agriculture. The loss of traditional respect for nature has led to liquidation of some of the most notable elements of the Pheasant tailed jacana natural biodiversity in the agro-ecosystems, such as peepal and other trees of genus Ficus, an important keystone resource supportive of a wide spectrum of other biodiversity elements. The urban demands have influenced the agro-ecosystems, one of the most striking examples being the felling of peepal and other large trees to fuel the brick kilns. Proper long-term planning of urban growth, waste disposal and transport infrastructure will go a long way in avoiding disruption of watersheds, deterioration of urban wetlands, as well as destruction of Black bulbul terrestrial biodiversity. development, growth of urban centers and the on-going intensification of agriculture call for larger and larger The considerable pressure of mechanized fishing on the supplies of water. This inevitably leads to destruction of coastal and marine biodiversity is in part due to over- natural aquatic habitats and erosion of aquatic biodiversity. capitalization of industry. Mechanized fishing also leads Disruption of migration routes of spawning fish and eels to substantial levels of by-catch, i.e. aquatic organisms migrating to the sea has also contributed to the decline caught in the net, killed and discarded. These include of several fish species. There have been cases of dolphins and marine turtles. Recent decades have also encroachment of water bodies for construction in growing witnessed a growing trend of employment of destructive urban centers and for cultivation in rural areas. Tanks have fishing methods such as dynamiting leading to large-scale therefore tended to become shallow and dry up with a fish kills, including those of juvenile stages, and reduction in the inflow of water. consequent elimination of several fish species. Pollution has a significant impact on biodiversity. The growing demand for industrial and urban Deviations in implementation of pollution control development and major naval facilities in the coastal measures along with some inadequacies in monitoring districts of Karnataka are putting pressure on the natural are some of the problems, which this sector is facing. coastal habitats. The ever increasing demand for industrial

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Medicinal Plants

The Government of Karnataka has formed a society under the name ‘The Karnataka State Medicinal Plants Authority’, to look into the 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.

Rauvolfia serpentina Soymida febrifuga Sarpaganda Indian redwood, Swami mara, Part used: Root Parts used: Bark Uses: The root of Sarpagandha Uses: It’s a rich source of tannin. is used in the form of powder to Used in treating malaria, dysentery & treat mental diseases, rheumatic pains poisoning, vomitting and diarrhoea.

Gloriosa superba Semecarpus anacardium Gowri gadde Marking nut, Gudde geru Parts used: Tuberous root Parts used: fruit Uses: The root of Langali is Uses: Used for treating used in the form of powder to leukemia, rheumatism & treat Arthritis (vatarakta), asthma piles, boils, for extraction of foreign body, for easy delivery, baldness, scrofula and ear diseases.

Oroxylum indicum Embelia ribes Syonaka Vidanga Part used: Root-bark Parts used: Fruits and root Uses: The juice of syonaka Uses: The fruits and root of obtained by closed heating is Vidanga is used in the form of useful in diarrhoea. Oil cooked powder and paste to treat of syonaka is useful for worms, heart-diseases, skin diseases of ear. diseases, headache, jaundice, poisoning and as rejuvenative.

has been degradation of beaches and mangrove forests Siltation and organic pollution have promoted rampant along the coast, and over-fishing, pollution problems and growth of exotic weeds like water hyacinth in freshwater serious disturbance of the sea bottom habitats through ecosystems. Forest, scrubland and grassland habitats trawling in the sea. The erosion of coastal and marine have also been subjected to invasion by exotic weeds biodiversity of Karnataka would lead to potentially like Eupatorium and Parthenium. significant losses of biodiversity from a global perspective since the Indo-Australian marine biogeographic region is IMPACTS the richest in the world. Marine organisms are now considered as the most promising source of bioactive The area covered by the exclusive economic zone off compounds by the pharmaceutical industry. Since so little the coast of Karnataka is extensive and clearly deserves is known of our marine organisms, it is likely that there attention. We have little data on the biodiversity resources are on-going extinctions of biodiversity resources of much of this vast tract, although it is acknowledged that there economic potential, of which we are quite unaware.

175 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT - 2003

Plants yielding dyes

Hardwickia binata Mallotus philippensis Kamara, Ache Kamalatree, Kumkumada mara Parts used: Leaves Parts used: Fruits Uses: Leaves yield a rich Uses: The glandular part of the fruits golden colour hitherto yield a dye called kamala powder unexploerd. Hard and sustain- which gives a rich golden red color. able tree cultivable throughout It is also used a good coloring agent Karnataka, grows in all climatic in food processing. conditions.

no longer enjoy the same protection. The larger reservoirs The depletion of in-shore fish stocks, coupled with constructed over the last century are biologically marketing of much of the catch in distant places would impoverished. All such water-bodies have tended to be mean a substantial reduction in the availability of easily stocked by a small number of cultured fish species such affordable protein sources for weaker segments of as Catla and Tilapia. Karnataka’s coastal population. This decimation of indigenous freshwater fish population has been estimated The impacts of the protected areas system have been, by local people to be as high as 25% of the original levels up till the present time, quite positive, promoting in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. This has conservation of some of the flagship species such as tiger, manifold health impacts, although, it has been to an extent panther, elephant and sambar, along with the moist offset by the successful culturing of a few species of carps. deciduous forest biota. However, these cultured carps are generally auctioned and not available to the poorer segments of the population Since the Western Ghats biogeographic province is one as the indigenous fish. of the world’s biodiversity hot-spots, erosion of biodiversity in these humid forests would lead to adverse impact on There has also been depletion of biodiversity in riverine biodiversity from a global perspective. Also the important and estuarine ecosystems of Karnataka. Some of the genetic resources such as wild relatives of cultivated fish species that have thus become threatened include: plants would be at stake. Erosion of the forest resources Labeo fimbriatus, L. calbasu, L. bata, L. porcellus, Puntius will result in an inadequate availability of biomass pulchellus, P. carnaticus, P. dorsalis. P. narayani., P. puckelli, resources such as fuel-wood, bamboo, fencing and Gonoproktopterus curmuca, G .dubius, G.kolus, thatching material for rural population, notably for the rural G.micropogon micropogon, G. thomassi, Mystus krishnensis, artisans. The dry forest tracts of Karnataka have for long Neotropius khavalchor, Channa marulius,and C.striatus. supported large numbers of pastoral communities, many Other notable instances of relative erosion of aquatic of them nomadic shepherds. An erosion of the biodiversity biodiversity involve the flagship species like crocodiles resources of these tracts will mean serious shortages of and otters. Karnataka has some natural swampy habitats, fodder for their livestock. but practically no natural lakes. Its extensive network of irrigation tanks, estimated at around 45000 was built Fragmentation of forest habitats has led to increase in between 13th and 19th centuries and had become major man-animal conflicts, especially in case of elephants refuge for aquatic life and resident and migratory attempting to move along their traditional migratory routes. waterfowl. They had extensive vegetation in the The loss of grazing lands and other uncultivated lands catchment areas. Much of this biodiversity is under that used to be a vital ingredient of Karnataka’s agro- constant pressure. Some of them earlier constituted ecosystems has resulted in scarcities of biomass temple tanks, with a strict protection for fish, turtles and resources for the rural population resulting in increased other biota. Many of these sacred water-bodies however pressure on forests.

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Plants with aromatic and medicinal properties

Curcuma aromatica Ocium basilicum Wild Turmeric, Kasturi Arishina Sweet basil, Kama Kasturi Parts used: Rhizomes Parts used: Arial part of the plant Uses: It’s a good wound healer, Uses: Used as a flavoring agent in substitute for turmeric in food and has confectionery, baked goods, sauces, antidiabetic properties. pickles, fancy vinegars, spiced meats & beverages

Mesua ferrea Cymbopogon martini Nagasampige Parts used: Leaves Parts used: Flower, seeds Uses: Source of palmarosa oil. Used in Uses: Flowers used for cough. manufacture of soaps, cosmetics and Stamens impart a pleasant aroma, insect repellents. useful in bleeding disorders

One positive impact of the introduction of the exotic tree organisms(GMO).The last few years are, however, species like Acacia auriculiformis, Eucalyptus and witnessing a move towards encouragement of more Casuarina equisetifolia in some of the degraded forest sustainable agricultural practices, including employment tracts of the state has been the increased availability of of integrated pest management techniques. fuel wood. Extensive plantations of the latter two species Urban settlements along with the transport network of in private lands in a number of districts have also highways connecting them constitute the most rapidly considerably eased the fuel wood scarcity in the nearby expanding ecosystem of the Karnataka state. Given the towns and villages. Even the plantations that have been high value of urban land, there is little scope for managed for pulpwood supply have yielded considerable maintenance of natural biological communities within this quantities of fuel wood resulting in reduced pressure on ecosystem. So the urban ecosystems are losing much of the nearby natural forests. their biodiversity, including the communal roosts of birds like mynas and parakeets and fruit bats, which take shelter The 1960s saw ushering in of the “Green revolution” in urban areas, although they obtain most of their food in dependent on intensification of inputs of canal irrigation the surrounding rural hinterlands. In their structure, the and agro-chemicals. The 1980s saw extensive digging urban ecosystems most resemble rocky cliffs and caves, of bore-wells to tap ground water resources. The and hence are now characterized by species like blue intensification of agriculture has resulted in losses of on- rock pigeons and house swifts that prefer these habitats. farm cultivated plant and domesticated animal genetic Over all, the urban populations are subject to an diversity. Replacement of large variety of local land races increasing alienation from the natural world, which may by a small number of high yielding varieties of a smaller have long-term health impacts, and may lead to an set of crops and of cattle & poultry has resulted in reduction increase in stress related disorders. of agro and livestock biodiversity. Of course, a significant fraction of these genetic resources has been preserved Given the substantial pollution load on the sea, it is in national and international seed collections. This, possible that the sea foods being consumed carry heavy however, does not permit continuation of the evolutionary metals, antibiotics and pathogens with significant health processes. Also there are distinct possibilities of loss of implications. Eutrophication of the water-bodies coupled biodiversity from as yet little understood effects of the with growth of weeds like the water hyacinth has led to newly introduced Genetically modified an increase in the population of vectors of diseases like

177 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT - 2003 the mosquitoes with negative health consequences. will have to be built for the technical experts, involved in Extensive application of pesticides has led to a decimation scientific inventories, to link the scientific and community of soil microbiota, reducing the fertility of farm soils. based inventories. All this information will have to be Pesticide residues in farm-produced food too are probably organized as a computerized, distributed information a notable health hazard. system with regulated access to safeguard intellectual property rights concerns. The People’s Biodiversity HOTSPOTS Registers visualized as a part of the follow-up to the Biological Diversity Act could serve as useful instruments One may visualize two kinds of hotspots, hotspots of hope in this context. i.e. the hotspots still rich in biodiversity and excellent sites for focusing ongoing and future conservation efforts, and Since good management of biodiversity is dependent on hotspots of despair i.e. those which have been subject to proper management of habitats, there is need to pay more some degradation, and therefore require more focus on attention to important issues of quality and connectivity restoration efforts. The details of these two kinds of of habitats. There is also a need to identify and monitor hotspots as identified for the state are provided in appropriate indicators of quality of different habitat types, Annexure A and B respectively. e.g. birds and butterflies as indicators of quality of forest habitats, or aquatic micro- and macro-invertebrates and There is a need to organize new inter-disciplinary, multi- fishes as indicators of quality and level of pollution in scaleand multi-agency initiatives, towards inventorying aquatic habitats. Proper databases need to be created biodiversity and associated knowledge, through periodic on degradation and fragmentation of habitats, with a focus monitoring. Such a programme should focus, not just on on key habitats such as forests and wetlands. The said biodiversity rich or protected areas, but on the entire database should put to good use the Indian Remote landscape and waterscape. It would need to involve a Sensing Satellite imageries, linking it to the Geographical number of scientific and technical agencies such as forest- Information System. This information base should, in turn, fishery- agriculture departments; Botanical and Zoological be linked to the scientific and community based Surveys, Universities, Agricultural Universities and inventories of biodiversity. pertinent research institutions. This scientific effort will have to be complemented by Community Based The current procedures of pollution control need Inventories involving schools and colleges, local reconsideration. There is a need to implement the knowledgeable individuals, community leaders, Village “Polluter pays” principle, scaling penalties to the level of Forest Committees, and Panchayat institutions. These pollution damage as well as creating positive incentives Community Based Inventories may focus on organisms for good performance. Monitoring of physical and and issues familiar to people such as on medicinal plants, chemical parameters needs to be supplemented by use fish and shellfish, sacred groves, ponds and other sacred of biodiversity indicators that are more easily discernible. sites, sacred trees such as Ficus and sacred animals like Costs of biodiversity conservation should be charged to monkeys. They must also focus on crop genetic diversity, those responsible for its destruction. New policies, especially of fruit trees such as Jackfruit, Mango, Garcinia, legislation and institutions needed to do this need to be Tamarind, and sustainable use practices such as put in place. protection to fishes migrating upstream for spawning. Special efforts will have to be put in developing the Wildlife Protected Areas such as wild life sanctuaries and capacity of tribals, fisher folk, farmers, pastorals, vaidyas national parks constitute the mainstay of biodiversity and other folk ecologists, who have significant knowledge conservation efforts. It is necessary to broaden the on local biodiversity resources, to contribute to community approach to conservation of biodiversity to aquatic as well based biodiversity inventorying and monitoring as also as semi-arid ecosystems, and to lands and waters other conservation and sustainable use efforts. New bridges than those under the control of Forest Department. The

178 BIO DIVERSITY concept of “heritage sites” of the Biological Diversity Act, One of the primary causes of degradation of our forest Biosphere Reserves and Ecologically Sensitive Areas ecosystem has been the tremendous pressure put on it needs to be developed in this context. because of fuel wood removal for domestic use and grazing by village cattle. In view of growing human and Current policies governing protected areas, which focus cattle population, the pressure on our forests will increase more on eco-development and participatory approach, further. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the fuel need to be continued and strengthened. As far as possible, wood and fodder requirements of the rural population are the protected areas management too should be brought progressively met from sources other than the forests. A under a participatory regime. possible option for doing this is to encourage farm forestry and 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 that are delimited and protected by human societies because it is believed that to keep them in a relatively undisturbed state is an expression of important relationship to the divine or to nature. They represent the first major effort by the local communities in conserving the biodiversity. Since these patches have remained undisturbed since long, they appear as isolated fragments of a dense forest. . In Karnataka sacred groves are found all along the western ghats though known by different names like Devarakaadu (God’s forest), pavitra katte , Suggi devara bana, Pavithra vana(sacred forests), nagavana, etc. But wherever they occur, sacred groves are of great ecological and cultural interest. There are stated to be more than 1500 major sacred groves in the state of Karnataka. In Coorg alone Devarakadus are said to have been distributed in an area of about 15,500 acres. Out of 296 revenue villages in the district, Devarakadus are distributed in 273 revenue villages.

The devarakadu in Kodagu district have some of the commercially very valuable timber species like Dysoxylum malabaricum (White cedar), Diospyros ebenum (Karimara, Blackwood), Dalbergia latifolia (Rosewood), among others. Though many forests falling under these Devarkadus don’t form part of either reserve forests or protected forest yet they have enjoyed the highest kind of protection from people residing around these forests for religious reasons for a long time.

Ecologically, sacred groves tend to be fragments of the original ecosystem in a given region, View of the sacred grove, although in some cases local people plant trees in groves and there were and are groves Kodagu consisting entirely of planted trees. Because they are protected, the groves that are derived from natural forests often shelter plant and animal species that may have disappeared elsewhere in the region. Thus they serve as refugia and possible centres of dispersal and restoration.

Culturally, sacred groves are of considerable interest because they exemplify phases of social interaction with the local ecosystem. The practices permitted or forbidden in them often 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 square kilometers in size and are therefore island-like in a landscape mosaic. They are vulnerable to invasions of exotic weed-like species and to natural or human caused disasters such as fire, diseases, predation by poachers, encroachment and deliberate destruction.

The sacred groves, which remained as prized possessions, are slowly degrading. Change Dieties inside the sacred grove in the values and lifestyles of people and economic attraction attached to the Sacred groves have greatly contributed to the decline in the status of the sacred groves. Large scale land encroachments are observed in many sacred groves.

Karnataka biodiversity board is making efforts to conserve these time tested examples of people’s efforts of bio-diversity conservation and revive the tradition of sacred groves.

179 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT - 2003 and agro forestry practices will improve the economic hadi lands need to be sustainably managed. condition of the farmers not only because of increased income through utilization or sale of forest produce but Special Security Areas, under control of armed forces, also because improvement in the fertility and moisture provide excellent opportunities for biodiversity status of the agricultural lands. Similarly, adoption of conservation that have been only occasionally exploited improved animal husbandry practices will result in the as in case of the National Defense Academy near . farmers maintaining lesser number of productive cattle The Government may work with armed forces to conserve rather than a large number of unproductive cattle. areas like Anjadiv Island under Sea-Bird Project of Indian Navy, prohibited zone around Kaiga Nuclear Plant and It is important to create a policy and regulatory framework Defence Establishment areas in Bangalore city. for the protection of coastal, marine and also freshwater biodiversity. This should incorporate provisions to bring There should be a proper policy on ecotourism under control many destructive fishing methods such as development, based on carrying capacity. use of dynamite, nets of small mesh etc. and ensure enforcement of closed seasons. Central Government’s Environmental considerations, in general, and biodiversity help may be sought to ensure coordinated action by all issues, in particular, must be main-streamed into the the coastal states and the involvement of Coast Guards. working of various Governmental agencies, as well as There is a need to further develop new participatory private sector. Thus the animal husbandry programmes institutions, such as Joint Fisheries Management focus on enhancing milk and meat production with little Committees. thought for the impact of cattle and goats on regeneration of natural vegetation. Minor irrigation focuses on desilting Karnataka’s 40,000 odd tanks are a significant habitat for of tanks without much consideration of how the desilting aquatic biodiversity, but have been viewed largely as a operations may affect aquatic life. It is therefore important source of irrigation and sites for culture of fish like carp. to create mechanisms for inter-sectoral co-ordination, e.g. They need to be assessed as potential biodiversity with new bodies such as Karnataka Medicinal Plants conservation sites and some proportion, say 5% Authority, to develop appropriate guidelines for the broad earmarked for biodiversity conservation purposes. Such spectrum of Governmental line departments, whose conservation efforts should focus not only on the water activities impinge on biodiversity resources. These body, but on the catchment as well. guidelines should focus on habitat integrity and connectivity, implementation of recommendations New institutions and instruments should be created to accepted in the course of environmental impact build on traditional practices such as conservation of assessments and also concepts like carrying capacity. sacred ponds, streams,sacred groves etc. The devarakadus of Kodagu provide a great opportunity to Given that our understanding of biodiversity is inadequate, initiate participatory approach to biodiversity conservation. we need to operationalize the “Precautionary Principle”. This principle suggests that while dealing with novel The Bio Diversity Act provides the regulatory framework situations, such as the use of Genetically Modified for the protection of biodiversity on private, community Organisms (GMO), we may not have full evidence of their and other non-forest lands and waters. There is a need likely impacts. Under such circumstances, it is appropriate to protect water bird breeding colonies, often on private to remain on the side of caution. However, while doing land as at Kokre-Bellur, groves such as Gunduthopes, so, we must also look at all the available evidences, and sacred plants and animals.Village forests and including that from other parts of the world, and keep in grasslands like the Halkar village forest in Kumta taluk of mind the imperatives of enhancing productivity. Uttara Kannada district, and community and privately managed woodlands such as soppinabetta, kumki and There is need to work towards the development of a

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Karnataka Bio diversity Information System

Karnataka Bio diversity Information System is an information system with spatial and non-spatial data aimed at consolidating information on floral and faunal diversity of the state of Karnataka especially the fragile environs of Western Ghats. Karnataka Bio diversity Information System has been developed by Karnataka Forest Department in collaboration with Department of Botany from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Indian Space Research Organisation, with funding and administrative support 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 on various queries with regard to their structural and floristic aspects. The package is organised around a GIS and specially customized to the requirement of establishing an operational bio diversity information system for the state of Karnataka. The package is optimum mix of spatial and non-spatial data for display, query and analysis. The species database also provides specific 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 broad distribution 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 been provided based on the secondary data.

Bio diversity assessment in the Western Ghats has been done by collecting primary data through sampling. The state has been divided into 1920 grids of 10x10 km size and stratified. In each grid depending upon the bio diversity density and status the number of sample plots varied. In each grid minimum one sample plot was laid and in some as many as 20 sampling plots have been laid to capture the maximum diversity. In the first phase of Western Ghats area nearly 1300 sample plots have been laid to collect the primary data. Also the data available from the permanent bio diversity monitoring plots established by the Karnataka Forest 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 the whole state through survey and assessment. In the second phase, priority will be given to agro-bio diversity assessment and mapping.

The Karnataka Bio diversity Information System has been designed to be user friendly by providing access to information through multiple query routes. The user can type either common name or local names (vernacular), or scientific names to access the information of species. Similarly the occurrence and distribution of species can be accessed spatially through administrative units like taluk, district or forest administration units like Range, Divisions, Circles or National Parks. realistic system of economic instruments such as access ACTION PLAN fees, as positive incentives to encourage prudent utilization of biological resources and negative incentives Establishment of seabird conservation sites or penalties to discourage non-sustainable utilization of Islands like Netrani and Anjidiv, important habitats for biological resources and biodiversity. It must be ensured seabirds, are reportedly being affected by naval exercises. that biodiversity conservation and sustainable use efforts The State Government along with the Defence authorities help enhance the quality of life of women and the weaker should protect the seabirds and other characteristic island segments of the population. It should be ensured that ecosystems of Karnataka coast. resources generated through ecotourism could support conservation efforts. To accomplish these objectives, we Rehabilitation of threatened estuarine fishes could motivate Panchayats with their Biodiversity To rehabilitate important threatened fishes such as Milkfish Management Committees established under the new (Chanos chanos) and Kane meen ( Silage sahama), Biological Diversity Act or Village Forest Committees or captive breeding may be carried out and the fingerlings Joint Fisheries Management Committees, by conferring produced may be released in the estuaries. on them authority to charge access/ collection fees, to levy fines on violators. These committees may be given Promoting sustainable utilization of marine/estuarine special social recognition or financial awards for fish biodiversity conservation endeavors. a) Strict implementation of uniform “closed season” for marine fishing for the entire west coast, from 10 June to 15 August is expected to protect the brood

181 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT - 2003 stock of fishes from exploitation by the mechanized Conservation of the wild relatives of cultivated plants sector. Forests of Karnataka are rich in the wild relatives of b) Mesh regulations of nets necessary to exclude cultivated plants such as Mango, Jackfruit, Garcinia, juveniles and non-target species. Licenses for gooseberry, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, pepper, additions to the fleet of purse seines and trawlers turmeric, bitter gourd, snake gourd, pulses, brinjals, should be limited to sustainable limits grapes, yams, aroids etc. Forests and other wilderness c) Bottom trawling, which is very destructive to marine areas, which harbour the gene pool of such cultivated ecosystems, should be prohibited in Indian territorial plants, are to be identified and conserved. waters. d) Use of large trawl nets to be regulated, to minimize Conservation of domesticated animal biodiversity incidental catches and other damages to the sea Karnataka has a rich heritage of indigenous livestock, bottom ecosystems. poultry and pet breeds. The State should make e) Priority steps to be taken to identify fish breeding arrangements for documentation, monitoring and grounds and other sensitive areas and such areas encouragement through incentives, if necessary, for the should be declared as “Marine Protected Areas”. in situ conservation, breeding and distribution of this animal Periodical ban on catch and sale of over-exploited fish diversity. species to be implemented Genetically Modified Crops Conservation of biodiversity in riverine streches Detailed study needs to be conducted in multi location Fish congregations are noticed in 12 areas in certain before introducing genetically modified crops within state. riverine stretches. Of these 3 are declared as ‘Sanctuaries’. The others are also to be declared so. Capacity Building For Biodiversity Management Biodiversity management has tremendous potential to be Management of Protected Areas a huge enterprise with millions of stakeholders, including Degraded habitats outside protected areas must be villagers and forest dwellers. Capacity building for developed as buffers to withstand the pressures of the biodiversity management needs to be done at various peripheral habitations. levels: • Decision makers at State, district municipalities and Sacred groves and sacred trees and other traditional village panchayat levels conservation • School and college teachers and students Sacred groves and sacred trees of the Western Ghats • Biodiversity conservation training for local stakeholders and the west coast are excellent instances of community • Coast Guards for marine biodiversity protection. based conservation. Steps need to be taken to support • Private sector and strengthen the community efforts to safeguard and • Role of NGOs in biodiversity management is to be even restore the lost groves. Other traditional conservation strengthened. practices should be documented and encouraged. • A policy is also needed for in-situ conservation of agro biodiversity. Biodiversity friendly management of Soppinbettas and other woodlands should be promoted. Biodiversity Register Development and maintenance of Biodiversity registers The deemed forests such as Soppinbettas, Kumki and by the Biodiversity committees, JFPM committees, Hadi lands,which are rich in biodiversity, are to be Schools, Colleges, and other NGOs may be promoted to sustainably managed. document the bio diversity wealth of the area.

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