From the Editors’ Desk….. Biodiversity, which is defined as the variety and variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur, is measured at three levels – the gene, the species, and the ecosystem. Forest is a key element of our terrestrial ecological systems. They comprise tree- dominated vegetative associations with an innate complexity, inherent diversity, and serve as a renewable resource base as well as habitat for a myriad of life forms. Forests render numerous goods and services, and maintain life-support systems so essential for life on earth. India in its geographical area includes 1.8% of forest area according to the Forest Survey of India (2000). The forests cover an actual area of 63.73 million ha (19.39%) and consist of 37.74 million ha of dense forests, 25.51 million ha of open forest and 0.487 million ha of mangroves, apart from 5.19 million ha of scrub and comprises 16 major forest groups (MoEF, 2002). India has a rich and varied heritage of biodiversity covering ten biogeographical zones, the trans-Himalayan, the Himalayan, the Indian desert, the semi-arid zone(s), the Western Ghats, the Deccan Peninsula, the Gangetic Plain, North-East India, and the islands and coasts (Rodgers; Panwar and Mathur, 2000). India is rich at all levels of biodiversity and is one of the 12 megadiversity countries in the world. India’s wide range of climatic and topographical features has resulted in a high level of ecosystem diversity encompassing forests, wetlands, grasslands, deserts, coastal and marine ecosystems, each with a unique assemblage of species (MoEF, 2002). Surveys conducted so far in India have inventoried over 47,000 species of plants and over 89,000 species of animals over just 70% of the country’s total area (MoEF, 1999). India’s biogeo- graphical location at the junction of the Agrotropical, Indo-Malayan and Paleo-Arctic realms has contributed to the biological richness of the country. The endemism of Indian biodiversity is high - about 33% of the country’s recorded flora is endemic to the country and is concentrated mainly in the North-East, Western Ghats, North-West Himalaya and the Andaman and Nicobar islands. About 62% of the known amphibian species and 50% of the lizards are endemic to India, the majority occurring in the Western Ghats (MoEF, 1999). Genetic diversity comprising native spe- cies and land races is concentrated in the areas of the Western Ghats, Northern Himalayas, South- ern plateau, Central India and Northwestern Himalayas. The broad vision for biodiversity in Agenda 21 is its conservation and sustainable use ac- companied by equitable benefit sharing mechanism. This includes a focus on enhancing national biodiversity protection measures involving the development of national strategies; mainstreaming of biodiversity concerns; ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits accruing from biodiversity; country-wide studies on biodiversity; fostering traditional methods and indigenous knowledge; encouraging biotechnological innovations along with the suitable sharing of their ben- i efits and promoting regional and international cooperation. The MoEF is also the focal point for implementation of the Convention on Biological Diver- sity. The mandates of the Ministry inter-alian include survey of flora, fauna, forests and wildlife, and conservation of natural resources. The Biodiversity Bill is an important mechanism for regulat- ing access to biological resources and in establishing benefit-sharing arrangements. The legislation primarily addresses the issue concerning access to genetic resources and associated knowledge by individuals, institutions or companies, and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of these resources and knowledge to the country and the people. The legislation provides for setting up of a three-tiered structure at national, state and local level. A major advancement for the cause of biodiversity conservation in the country and in compliance with requirement of the Convention on Biological Diversity is the drafting of the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) with funding support from GEF, the Global Environmental Facility. The strategy and action plan are very broad in scope and comprehensive in coverage and propose to prepare detailed action plans at sub-state, state, re- gional and national levels based on the framework Policy and Action Strategy on Biodiversity. NBSAP is India’s biggest planning and development process aiming at conservation and sustain- able use of biological diversity. India has enacted an umbrella legislation called the Biodiversity Act, 2002 (No 18 of 2003) and also notified the Biological Diversity Rules, 2004. The Act and Rules, no doubt, will be helpful to the implementers and to those seeking access to bio-resources. We are deeply indebted to all the contributors of this conference for ready response within a short notice. The financial assistance from National Biodiversity Authority, Government of India, Chennai is gratefully acknowledged. The support of the Patron of the conference Prof. P. Maruthamuthu, Vice-Chancellor, Madurai Kamaraj University and other organizing committee members is gratefully acknowledged. The help rendered by the Faculty of the School of Energy Sciences and the Research Scholars of the Centre for Biodiversity and Forest Studies is also gratefully acknowledged. Prof. Dr. S. Kannaiyan Dr. K. Muthuchelian D.Sc., Chairman Director National Biodiversity Authority Centre for Biodiversity and Forest Studies 475, 9th South Cross Street School of Energy, Environment and Natural Reources Kapaleeswarar Nagar Madurai Kamaraj University, Neelankarai Madurai - 625 021 Chennai - 600 041 E-mail : [email protected] ii CONTENTS Page No. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ACT - 2002 - Prof. S.Kannaiyan 1 TECHNICAL SESSION - I FLORISTIC ANALYSIS AND BIODIVERSITY TI–01 BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO EASTERN GHATS - T. Pullaiah 7 TI–02 STATUS OF PLANT DIVERSITY IN LABRANG VALLEY OF COLD DESERT IN DISTRICT KINNAUR, HIMACHAL PRADESH R. K. Verma, Vaneet Jishtu and K. S. Kapoor 8 TI–03 ALTITUDINAL FLUXES OF SIMILIPAL BIODIVERSITY R. K. Mishra, V. P. Upadhyay and R. C. Mohanty10 TI04 DIVERSITY OF CLIMBERS AND LIANAS OF NORTH ANDAMAN Asutosh Ghosh and P.K. Mukherjee10 TI05 ANGIOSPERM DIVERSITY IN RIPARIAN ZONES OF SOME BASIN WETLANDS IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH D. Balasubramanian, A.Arunachalam and K. Arunachalam 12 TI06 FLORISTIC STUDIES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MEDICINAL PLANT DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION OF SIRUMALAI HILLS OF EASTERN GHATS, SOUTH INDIA -S. Karuppusamy 1 3 TI07 ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON HERBACEOUS VEGETATION IN TWO DRY DECIDUOUS FORESTS IN DINDIGUL DISTRICT OF TAMILNADU B. Kamalakannan, M. Meenakshi Sundaram and S. Chandrasekaran 13 TI08 PLANT DIVERSITY AND ECOLOGY OF RIVER VARAHI BASIN AND ITS ENVIRONS- HOSANGADI, UDUPI, KARNATAKA K. Kotresha, T.C. Taranath and M. David 14 TI09 BIODIVERSITY CHARACTERIZATION AT LANDSCAPE LEVEL P.S. Roy, M.S.R. Murthy, S.P.S. Kushwaha, C.S. Jha, S. Sudhakar, Sarnam Singh, M.C. Porwal, C.B.S. Dutt, Sameer Saran, C. Jeganathan, G. Rajasekhar, Biswadeep Gharai, Udaya Lakshmi, Girish. S. Pujar, Ch. Sudhakar Reddy, P.K. Joshi, Arijit Roy and, Shivam Trivedi 15 TI10 FOREST BIODIVERSITY RESOURCES OF KERALA - J.K. Sharma 16 TI11 STUDIES ON THE ANATOMICAL ADAPTATIONS OF SOME LIANAS AND CLIMBERS OF INDIAN FORESTS - Soumi Bhattacharyya and P.K. Mukherjee 17 TI12 GENETIC DIVERSITY AMONG ONE-PARENT FAMILIES OF NEEM (AZADIRACHTA INDICA A. JUSS)- S. Ganesh Ram and C. Surendran 18 TI13 LACCASE ENZYME POLYMORPHISM AND GENETIC RELATIONSHIP IN GERMPLASM OF JATROPHA CURCAS L R.V. Kumar, Yogendra K. Tripathi, V. P. Yadav, S.P. Ahlawat and V.K. Gupta 19 TI14 PHYLOGENETIC PLACEMENT OF WITHANIA WITHIN SOLANACEAE- SUPPORT FROM MOLECULAR DATA Masood Majaz Ganaie, Pervaiz Hassan Qazi, Syed Mudasir Ahmad, Vijeshwar Verma, Zafar Reshi and Ghulam Nabi Qazi 20 iii CONTENTS Page No. TI15 DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF MORINDA SPP. IN INDIA G. Surendiran, E. Sagadevan and N. Mathivanan 21 TI16 FLORISTIC ANALYSIS AND DISTRIBUTION OF RATTAN IN MANIPUR AS A SUSTAINABLE BIORESOURCE - S. Padmabati Devi and P.K.Singh 21 TI17 SYSTEMATICS AND DISTRIBUTION OF EPIPHYTIC PTERODOPHYTES IN MANIPUR VALLEY - Y. Sanatombi Devi and P.K. Singh 22 TI18 SEASONALITY OF FLESHY FRUITING TREES IN THE SHOLA FOREST OF PALNI HILLS - S. Somasundaram and Lalitha Vijayan 23 TI19 BIOSYSTEMATICS STUDIES ON URGINEA INDICA KUNTH. LILIACEAE M.N. Shiva Kameshwari 23 TI20 EFFECT OF SIMAROUBA GLAUCA ON NATIVE FOREST IN TAMILNADU A CASE STUDY- P. Ratha Krishnan and J. Sundersingh Rajapandian 25 TI-21 STUDIES ON THE STRUCTURE OF CHARMADY RESERVE FOREST, DAKSHINA KANNADA DISTRICT OF KARNATAKA, INDIA. K. R. Chandrashekar and B. K. Vasanthraj 26 TI-22 A FLORISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE SHOLA FORESTS OF KUDREMUKH IN KARNATAKA - G. Krishnakumar 26 TECHNICAL SESSION - II BIODIVERSITY THREATS, ENDEMISM AND RET SPECIES TII01 REPRODUCTIVE ECOLOGY OF FOREST PLANTS OF INDIA: RESEARCH INSIGHTS AND MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS PERTAINING TO THEIR EXPLOITATION AND CONSERVATION - K.V. Krishnamurthy 30 TII02 STAND DYNAMICS AFTER SELECTIVE LOGGING IN A WET TROPICAL FOREST OF THE WESTERN GHATS, KERALA, INDIA - U.M. Chandrashekara 30 TII03 MORPHO PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOLOGY OF INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES OF WEEDS: A MAJOR THREAT TO BIODIVERSITY Pratibha Katiyar and M I Khan 30 TII04 IMPACT OF OIL FIELDS IN THE BIO DIVERSITY OF SOLA AND ABHOYPUR RESERVE FORESTS, ASSAM - Susanta Tanti, Manjit Gogoi & M. Islam 31 II05 THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY IN FOREST ECO SYSTEM SIXTH SENSE G. Rajaraman, S. Vivekanandan, G. Ragothuman, P. Radhakrishnan, 31 K. Vanangamudi. dhiparasakthi TII06 IMPACT OF TSUNAMI IN THE COASTAL FORESTS OF BARATANG ISLAND, M. ANDAMAN - A. Venkatesh, C.B. Pandey, S. Senthil Kumar and N.Ravisankar 32 TII07 IMPACT OF ROAD METAL MINING ON PLANT DIVERSITY OF RAJMAHAL HILLS (JHARKHAND) - Arun K. Pandey, Pragya Sourabh and Kumar Aishwarya 33 TII08 RANGELAND FIRE ORIGIN, INFLUENCES AND MANAGEMENT S.Manian, S. Paulsamy and R. Rathinasamy 34 TII09 INTERFERENCE OF SIXTH SENSE ACTIVITIES IN THE CARBON DYNAMICS OF FOREST ECOSYSTEM AND ITS MANAGEMENT OPTIONS A.G.