Newsletter Forest Institute, Peshawar

Chief Patron: Syed Said Badshah Bukhari Editor: Tanvir Ahmad Qureshi October - December, 2009 Director General Extension Specialist

COMMUNITY FORESTRY TRAINING Muhammad Tahir Laeeq Senior Research Officer

Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI) has a commendable record of producing forestry professionals, enhancing the skill of field staff of Forest Departments through in- service trainings and delivering the technical know-how to farming community in various forestry related fields. In continuation of this service a training programme was organized for the Farming Community of FATA from November 7 to December 15, 2009 with the support of FATA Rural Development Project. The purpose of this training programme was to provide basic technical information on various forestry related fields to farmers and make them aware about importance of tree planting. The Director General PFI Syed Said Badshah Bukhari distributing certificates among the course participants This training programme consisted of 10 training courses, each course of one day duration. The training courses were carried out on Nursery Raising Techniques, On completion of the training courses, a 2009 UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE Planting Techniques, Apiculture, Range ceremony was held on 15th December, CHANGE CONFERENCE Management, Sericulture, Seed Collection, 2009 to award the certificates to course Extraction & Storage, Wildlife & Fisheries, participants. is one of the major Wood Utilization and Cultivation of envirmental challenge for sustainable Medicinal Plants. In addition to these Syed Said Badshah Bukhari, Director livelihood and development across the courses, four exposure visits were also General, PFI as Chief Guest and officials globe. The world community has taken conducted. During these exposure visits of FATA Rural Development Project cognizance of the issue through kyoto the participants were given awareness on including, Mr. Arif Rauf, Agency Project protocol of 1997, but a lot of work has to be Bee Keeping activities, utilization of wood Manager, Mr. S.M. Nasim Jan, Training done to avert the deterioating trend. In this in the industry, Wildlife species of Pakistan, Coordinator, Mr. Adeel Khattak, Senior connection, the 2009 United Nations fisheries and nursery plants production by Social Organizer, Mr. Javed Akhter, Climate Change Conference, commonly farmers. In the above mentioned ten Community Programme Manager and Mr. known as the Copenhagen Summit, was training courses 68 participants attended Kazim Jan, Community Mobilizer also held in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 7 the course, while 41 participated in the attended the ceremony. December and 18 December. A senior exposure visits. level delegation from Pakistan, participated Mr. Tahir Laeeq, Training Coordinator in the event to represent the national presented a brief of the training activities perspective on the subject. and appreciated the support of colleague officers as resource persons in running the training programme successfully.

The Director General, PFI highlighted the importance of forests in the environment and appreciated the efforts of FATA Rural Development Project in skill Development and creating awareness about environment

among people of FATA.

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The Copenhagen Accord was drafted by General formally opened the meeting by the US, China, India, Brazil and South welcoming the participants. PowerPoint Africa on December 18, and judged a Presentations were given by the Directors, "meaningful agreement" by the United Project Directors and Coordinator States government. It was "recognised", sericulture on the working/progress of their but not "agreed upon", in a debate of all respective divisions and on going projects the participating countries the next day, at PFI. Presentations were also given by and it was not passed unanimously. The Raja Muhammad Zarif on Strategic document recognised that climate change Research Plan of PFI, Dr. Ghulam Ali is one of the greatest challenges of the Bajwa, on his Ph.D and Mrs. Ghazala present and that actions should be taken to Yasmeen on her MS study abroad. keep any temperature increases to below On completion of the training course, Detailed discussions were made at the end 2°C. The document is not legally binding certificates were awarded to the course of each presentation, for the improvement and does not contain any specific participants in a ceremony arranged on in working of each division/project. In the commitments for reducing CO2 emissions. 19th October, 2009 in the Committee Room end, The Director General, PFI made Leaders of industrialised countries, of PFI. The Chief Conservator of Forests, presentations on Problems and issues of including Barack Obama and Gordon Azad Jammu & Kashmir (Chief Guest), the PFI & Revitalization of PFI, and Brown, were pleased with this agreement Director General P.F.I, Mr. Ashiq Ahmed emphasized that PFI shall act as a team to but many leaders of other countries and Khan, Advisor to Ministry of Environment improve its image and output. non-governmental organisations were Senior Officers of PFI and the course opposed to it. Notwithstanding the participants attended the ceremony. SECURITY MEASURES differences among various countries, the Yousaf Khan, entire community of nations have to Administrator Estate COMPUTER TRAINING COURSE participate and move fast to arrest and Apropos of coping with the prevailing revert the undesirable trends in global incertitude regarding Law & Order A computer training course was conducted climate. situation, Pakistan Forest Institute took by Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar proper measures and improvised security from 26th to 31st October 2009. The course TRAINING OF FIELD STAFF OF AJK of the Campus. Under the guidance of was sponsored by FATA Education FOREST DEPARTMENT Director General, PFI. Flow of traffic and Foundation. Initially 24 participants were pedestrians has been ceased through all nominated for the said training but due to Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI) is the entries except the main gate, where security situation, the participants from the continuously rendering its services to every visitor is checked in a polite manner. above-mentioned Agencies and FR produce forestry professionals and up-date All the vehicles are provided with stickers Peshawar did not attend the training and the skill and knowledge of field staff of issued by Campus Coordination only 15 participants (Ministerial Staff) from provincial and regional forest departments Committee (CCC), without which no FATA Directorate, Peshawar attended the through short training courses. With this vehicle is allowed to enter the campus. training. The objective of this training was endeavour, Forestry Research Division of the Institute conducted a training course on to build the capacity of ministerial staff in “Forest Resource Conservation” for 33 Microsoft office, which includes Microsoft Range Forest Officers of Forest Word, Microsoft Excel and Power Point. Department, Azad Jammu & Kashmir from The training was designed in two parts, in October 13th to 19th, 2009. first session basic concept of each nd programme was explained and in the 2 The opening session of the training course session, the participants were engaged in was inaugurated by the Director General, practical exercise (On hands exercise). Pakistan Forest Institute. The Course- Coordinator, Mr. Tahir Laeeq, Senior Research Officer gave an introduction of the course. The Director General, PFI Moreover, almost all the openings have welcomed the participants and explained been blocked with barbed wire to stop the the importance of forests of Azad Kashmir flow of miscreants in the premises. The and emphasized on their conservation. Armed Guards on duty are quite alert to The training course covered important impede any untoward incident in the residential and official area. subjects of forestry including Silviculture, Seed Technology, Range Management, ALKALOIDS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE Soil Conservation, Tree Measurement. Tanvir Ahmad Qureshi Forest Chemist Moreover, important MEETING ON WORKING OF PFI & Sanam Zarif Satti, Biochemist like , Climate Change, A review/ coordination meeting was held were also discussed in under the chairmanship of the Director Alkaloids are naturally occurring chemical detail during the training course. The General, Pakistan forest institute, compounds containing basic nitrogen subject specialists of PFI delivered lectures Peshawar in Committee Room of the PFI atoms. The name derives from the word and gave practical demonstration wherever on 19th & 22nd December, 2009. After alkaline. Alkaloids have been defined in needed. recitation from Holy Qur’an, the Director various ways, but one definition comes fairly close to actuality. An alkaloid is a

2 plant-derived compound that is toxic or formula. Caffeine was considered to be the and . On the basis of its physiologically active, contains nitrogen in major problem with the drink. Datura attractive figure and favorable wood a heterocyclic ring, is basic, has a complex stramonium (Jimsonweed), a plant found in properties, it is mostly used in furniture structure, and is of limited distribution in Virginia contains similar compounds. industry. the plant kingdom. ROLE OF HERBARIUM IN THE Quality of Shisham timber is influenced by Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH AND the percentage of sapwood in logs as it is organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, EDUCATION comparatively less durable than the and animals and are part of the group of Muhammad Shabir Mughal heartwood due to the presence of food natural products (also called secondary Forest Botanist material susceptible to insects and fungi. metabolites). Many alkaloids can be Pakistan has a diversity of climatic and Lower the percentage of sapwood, better purified from crude extracts by acid-base edaphic conditions which is reflected in the may be the market value of the log. A extraction. Many alkaloids are toxic to form of rich and diverse plant communities, study was undertaken to collect data for other organisms. They often have represented by over 6000 plant species of the percentage of sapwood in Shisham pharmacological effects and are used as herbs, shrubs, trees and climbers both native timber grown in Chichawatni and compare medications, as recreational drugs. and exotics. Ideally these plants communities with the data already collected for Shisham Examples are the local anesthetic and as well as individuals are studies in their timber grown in Changa Manga. stimulant cocaine, the stimulant caffeine, natural abode for research and education nicotine, the analgesic morphine, or the purpose and for taxonomical point of view. Sapwood antimalarial drug quinine. Some alkaloids But it is some times difficult to approach plant Heart wood have a bitter taste. habitats under financial constraint and rugged terrain. Moreover, the plants give best Isolated originally from Cinchona information when they are in full bloom and succirubra, quinine is one of 31 alkaloids this condition occurs only once or twice a with related structures, and the principal year. In order to overcome this obstacle, a antimalarial compound, in the plant. Prior herbarium was established in 1950. to approximately 300 years ago, malaria Cross surface of Shisham Wood was the scourge of Europe, likely having Plant Collections been introduced through the Middle East. The overall average sapwood percentage Malaria is caused by protozoa of the genus The herbarium is arranged according to in Shisham wood grown in Chichawatni Plasmodium, contained as spores in the Bentham and Hooker system of classification has been determined as 43% for an gut of the Anopheles mosquitoes, which as it is very simple and can easily accessible average D.B.H of 39cm and at an average then spreads the spores to humans when it to find out specimens accurately. This height of measurement of 3.99 meters. bites. As the Spanish and Portuguese herbarium is of international repute with code explorers began to colonize South “PPFI” from forestry point of view and many The reported value for sapwood percentage America, they discovered a cure for scientists are using it for taxonomical studies in Shisham wood grown in Changa Manga is malaria known to the native Indians. This of different plants. A number of students and 40% for an average D.B.H. of 46 cm and at a was the bark of the Cinchona trees. The of different educational Institution visits and nearly the same height of measurement. The use of Cinchona bark to treat malaria was benefits in plant identification and lower value of sapwood percentage in first reported in Europe in 1633, and the establishment of herbarium. Efforts are made Shisham wood grown in Changa Manga may first bark reached Rome about 12 years to collect plants from time to time from be because of the higher average diameter of later. Teas made from the bark cured different ecological regions of the country logs. On the basis of results it can be people suffering from malaria, one of the including. Out of 30,000 plant specimens concluded that the quality of Shisham wood major scourges in Europe at the time, and available, 18500 have been identified and grown in Chichawatni is almost similar to that the bark became known as Jesuit’s bark. documented covering 129 families, 872 grown in Changa Manga. genera and 2098 species. Seeds are Among the most famous of the alkaloids preserved in jars and plants specimens in CRANE – A BIRD OF LOVE are the Solanaceae or tropane alkaloids. showcases. A centaury old plant collection of Plants containing these alkaloids have 1902 is lying in herbarium and is well Mian Muhammad Shafiq been used throughout recorded history as maintained. Deputy Conservator Wildlife poisons, but many of the alkaloids do have Out of 15 species of cranes, Pakistan had valuable pharmaceutical properties. Herbarium Summary been home of four species i.e. Common Atropine, the racemic form of Crane (Grus grus), Demoiselle crane hyoscyamine, comes from Atropa No. Plants: 30,000 (Anthropodes virgo), Siberian crane (Grus belladonna (deadly nightshade) and is Documented: 18,500 lecogoranus) and Sarus Crane (Grus used to dilate the pupils of the eye. Families: 129 antigona). The Sarus crane has not been Atropine is also a CNS (central nervous Genera: 872 observed in Pakistan for three or four system) stimulant and is used as a Species: 2098 decades. However, in February 1993, treatment for nerve gas poisoning. seven birds were sighted in the Thar Scopolamine, another member of this class QUALITY OF SHISHAM TIMBER district of Sindh Province. The remaining is used as a treatment for motion sickness. GROWN IN CHICHAWATNI three species migrate across Pakistan Cocaine, from Erythroxylum coca, is PLANTATION (PUNJAB) along Indus flyway. Two species i.e. closely related in structure, is also a CNS G. M. Nasir, Logging officer Common crane and demoiselle crane are stimulant, and has been used as a topical anesthetic in ophthalmology. It is also a Shisham is an important commercial timber drug of abuse. Cocaine was found in very of Pakistan and grown on large scale in small amounts in the original Coca-Cola irrigated plantation such as Changa Manga

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width of 2.0 to 2.5 µm. Eucalyptus camaldulensis + + Eucalyptus tereticornis + + Grevillea robusta + + + Syzygium cummini + + + Terminalia arjuna + + Source: www.envis.nic.in

+ Suitable to tolerate B. bassiana sporulation on insect cadaver still decreasing while Siberian crane is has many forms but the most almost extinct on this flyway (Flyway No: The fungus has been reported from the drastic one is water pollution, which exists 4). Bahamas, East Siberia, Equatorial West as industrial effluent, sewage and sediments/slugs etc. The use of this waste In N.W.F.P. the cranes migrate through Africa, Central Africa, India, the Ivory water as a preferred alternative for land three different routes viz. Kashu, Bannu, Coast, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New base disposal/reuse for plantation has Kurram, Gambella, and on river Indus. Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey been promoted in most parts of the world, and many other Asian countries. It has which not only helps to increase the forest A study in Bannu, D.I. Khan and Lakki been isolated from diverse habitats ranging area but also participate in the stability of Marwat Districts was conducted. It was from running water, sand blows, sand economy and atmosphere of the country. observed that the live catching of cranes is dunes and desert soils. It is common in In view of this scenario, following a traditional activity. During hunting alpine, heathland and peat bogs soils, soils indigenous tree species are suggested, seasons (spring and autumn) all the with savannah type vegetation, and forest which have considerable potential for hunters leave other activities and go for and cultivated soils. It has also been wastewater control. hunting. The majority of hunters are isolated from rhizoplane of peat bog plants, farmers while others are servicemen and the rhizosphere of clover, dead barks of PFI SCIENTIST COMPLETED HER trees, nests, feathers and droppings of MS DEGREE businessmen. Their party comprises of 10- 25 persons. The hunting method which is free-living birds. The viable airborne B. Ms Ghazala Yasmeen, Assistant Forest mostly used is called “SOYA” while only bassiana conidia have been isolated at a Ecologist, joined back her duty at PFI on few hunters use weapons for hunting. concentration of 0.2 CFUs m-3 from the air 3RD November 2009 after completion of in Turin (Italy). In Japan, B. bassiana was M.Sc. from the School of Forest and It has been observed that the number of isolated from the air of a forest ranging Ecosystem Science, University of hunters are increasing. Mostly, the capture from zero to 3.1x103 CFUs m-3 day-1. Melbourne Australia. Thesis title was cranes are used as pets and gifts to VIPs “Aspects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in and other friends. Only few poor hunters B. bassiana has caused infectivity in Australian native woody legumes”. She sell the capture cranes in the market. The several orders of class Insecta. Based on competed and won the AusAID scholarship trained cranes are more expensive than worldwide data 707 insect species have as ADS (Australian development the untrained ones. been enlisted as hosts of B. bassiana. scholarship) a two year’s Master level These species belong to 521 genera, 149 In order to conserve the migratory crane Degree course on Pakistan basis. families of 15 insect orders. Apart from species a hunter education programme class Insecta, 13 species of seven genera Research work was based on field work and establishment of a network of crane belonging to six families of class Acarina and followed by the green house refuge in crane hunting area is proposed. reported to be hosts of B. bassiana. In experiment. The study was focused to assess the effects of fires on soil N and P BEAUVERIA BASSIANA - A addition to the class Insecta and Acarina levels and the role of legumes to recycle BIOCONTROL AGENT infectivity of B. bassiana has been reported also in phylum Gastropoda these nutrients back in to the system. The Dr. Ghulam Ali Bajwa results were of great interest for land Beauveria bassiana is a well-known POLLUTION TOLERANT TREES managers, Ecologists and department of sustainability and environment. entomopathogenic fungus which has a Tanvir Hussain worldwide distribution, and is used for Assistant Wood Technologist SHORT NEWS biological control of pest insets for more Environmental pollution is increasing due than 100 years. B. bassiana was first to rapid and industrialization. Raja Muhammad Zarif took over the observed in silkworm in about 900 AD in The attention of whole world is now charge of Director, Biological Sciences Japan. Historically, a 25 million year old focused on this problem and a number of Research Division on 17-12-2009. Earlier worker ant embedded in amber was strategies are being adopted to combat this he was working as Director, Forest discovered with a fungus similar to the threat. Education Division.

present day B. bassiana isolate. The Mr. Hakim Shah, took over the charge of mycelia of B. bassiana are white or slightly Botanical Different wastewater Director. Forest Education Division on 17- yellowish with a white fluffy to powdery Name /industrial effluent Sewage Textile Tannery 12-2009. Earlier he was working as appearance. The conidia (asexually Acacia Director, Forestry Research Division. + + produced spores) are formed in clusters nilotica Mr. Tahir Laeeq took over the charge of like snow or cotton balls and are borne Azadirachta + + + Director, Forestry Research Division on 17- singly on a distinct apical zigzag rachis indica Bombax 12-2009. Earlier he was working as Senior also called sterigmata. The conidium is a ceiba + Research Officer. single celled, smooth walled, dry and Casuarina + + hyaline with a length of 2.0 to 3.0 µm and equisetifolia

All the Field Forest Officers are requested to send their articles on the following address: 4 Syed Said Badshah Bukhari, Director General, Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar Ph.No.091 9216123 email: [email protected]