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Pande, Anant

Updating India’s National Biodiversity Action Plan:The Process and Way Forward

Abstract Views :256 | PDF Views:86

Authors

Malvika Onial ¹, Biba Jasmine ², Yashaswi Singh ³, Anant Pande ¹, Chinnasamy Ramesh ¹, Kuppusamy Sivakumar ¹, Vinod. B. Mathur ¹

Affiliations
1 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun - 248 001, IN
2 University of Maryland, College Park, MD, US
3 Forest Research Institute, Dehradun - 248 006, IN

Source

Current Science, Vol 115, No 3 (2018), Pagination: 422-427

Abstract

The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan is the primary tool for implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the country level. A National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) was prepared for India in 2008, through an inter-ministerial consultative process. Five years later, it was considered necessary to align the existing NBAP in accordance with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (ABTs). This was achieved by formulating India’s National Biodiversity Targets (NBTs) and developing a monitoring framework using indicators, and through an evaluation of funding support for biodiversity conservation in India. The draft document was prepared and reviewed through a series of national stakeholder consultations and technical review meetings, based on which the ‘National Biodiversity Action Plan: Addendum 2014 to NBAP 2008’ was finalized. As part of its commitments to the CBD to accomplish the global ABTs, India must ensure effective implementation of the NBAP and meet the NBTs. This requires cooperation amongst all stakeholders including the relevant federal ministries and state level agencies along with a rigorous and time-bound application of the monitoring framework.

Keywords

Aichi Biodiversity Targets, Biodiversity Conservation, Convention on Biological Diversity, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, National Biodiversity Targets.

Full Text

References

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Prip, C., Gross, T., Johnston, S. and Vierros, M., Biodiversity Planning: an assessment of national biodiversity strategies and action plans, United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies, Yokohama, Japan, 2010, p. 247; http://archive.ias.unu.edu/resource_centre/UNU-IAS_Biodiversity_Planning_NBSAPs_Assessment_final_web_Oct_2010.pdf

NBAP, National Biodiversity Action Plan, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, 2008, p. 66; http://nbaindia.org/uploaded/Biodiversityindia/NBAP.pdf

MOEF, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, National Policy and Macrolevel Action Strategy on Biodiversity, New Delhi, India, 1999.

MOEF, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, National Environment Policy, 2006, p. 52; http://www.tnpcb.gov.in/pdf/nep2006e.pdf

MOEFCC, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP): Addendum 2014 to NBAP 2008, 2014, p. 75; https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/in/in-nbsap-v3-en.pdf

MOEFCC, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, India’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2014, pp. 142; https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/in/in-nr-05-en.pdf

IUCN Global Policy Unit, An Engagement Strategy for IUCN in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2013, p. 19; https://www.iucn.org/downloads/iucn_nbsaps_engagement_strategy_07_13_final.pdf

CBD, NBSAP training module version 2.1 – Module 1. An Introduction to National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, 2011, p. 18; http://www.cbd.int/doc/training/nbsap/b1-train-intro-nbsap-revised-en.pdf

CBD, Report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Indicators for the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, Convention on Biological Diversity, Geneva, Switzerland, 2015, p. 49; https://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/ind/id-ahteg-2015-01/official/id-ahteg-2015-01-03-en.pdf

Pisupati, B. and Prip, C., Interim Assessment of Revised National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) UNEPWCMC, Cambridge, UK and Fridtjof Nansen institute, Lysaker, Norway, 2015, p. 48; https://www.cbd.int/doc/nbsap/Interim-Assessment-ofNBSAPs.pdf

Detection and Mapping of Seagrass Meadows at Ritchie’s Archipelago using Sentinel 2A Satellite Imagery

Abstract Views :160 | PDF Views:79

Authors

Sharad Bayyana ¹, Satish Pawar ¹, Swapnali Gole ², Sohini Dudhat ², Anant Pande ², Debashis Mitra ³, Jeyaraj Antony Johnson ⁴, Kuppusamy Sivakumar ²

Affiliations
1 Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun 248 001, IN
2 Department of Endangered Species Management, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248 002, IN
3 Marine and Atmospheric Science Department, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun 248 001, IN
4 Department of Habitat Ecology, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248 002, IN

Source

Current Science, Vol 118, No 8 (2020), Pagination: 1275-1282

Abstract

This study presents an attempt to utilize seagrass data acquired from field surveys to compare classification models for mapping seagrasses using Sentinel -2A satellite data. Out of three models tested , viz. Random Forest, Support Vector Machine and K-Nearest Neighbor; Random Forest classification model proved most effective in the given scenario with 0.99 model accuracy. Seagrasses present as deep as 21 m were detected post water column correction, presenting the capability of Sentinel-2A satellite in detecting submerged benthic habitat.

Keywords

Depth Invariant Index, Ritchie’s Archipelago, Seagrass, Sentinel-2A.

Full Text

References

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Light-Weight Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Surveys Detect Dugongs and Other Globally Threatened Marine Species from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Abstract Views :278 | PDF Views:92

Authors

Sagar Rajpurkar ¹, Anant Pande ¹, Sajal Sharma ¹, Swapnali Gole ¹, Sohini Dudhat ¹, J. A. Johnson ¹, K. Sivakumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248 001, IN

Source

Current Science, Vol 121, No 2 (2021), Pagination: 195-197

Abstract

No Abstract.

Keywords

No Keywords.

Full Text

References

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Scars of hope and forewarn of a bleak future: post-mortem findings of dugongs (Dugong dugon) belonging to a relict population in the Gulf of Kachchh, India

Abstract Views :139 | PDF Views:72

Authors

Sameeha Pathan ¹, Anant Pande ², Kuppusamy Sivakumar ³, J. A. Johnson ¹

Affiliations
1 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248 001, India, IN
2 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248 001, India; Marine Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bengaluru 560 097, India, IN
3 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248 001, India; Department of Ecology and Environment, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605 014, India, IN

Source

Current Science, Vol 123, No 7 (2022), Pagination: 919-924

Abstract

A relict dugong population resides in the Gulf of Kachchh (GoK), Gujarat, India. Very little is known about this population stemming from a lack of focused studies and inadequate examination of previous strandings. The present study gathers crucial ecological information through a systematic post-mortem examination of stranded dugongs in GoK. As indicated through dorsal tusk-rake scars on two carcasses, this study presents records of derivative physical evidence. Progressive healing and differences in the width of the scars indicated more than two individuals had participated in a sexual agnostic or courtship event. Conversely, our findings report that both animals suffered relative effects of asphyxiation after fishing net entanglement. The implication of a prior pathological condition(s) in the form of dermal cysts, swollen mesenteric lymph nodes and endoparasites is also reported. Stomach content was examined for a qualitative dietary characterization. Halophila beccari, Halophila ovalis and Halodule uninervis were found in the stomach content. Other potential threats as well as fishing net microfilaments found in the stomach contents of both dugongs are discussed

Full Text

References

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Understanding dietary differences in Indian dugongs through opportunistic gut sampling of stranded individuals

Abstract Views :154 | PDF Views:78

Authors

Sumit Prajapati ¹, Chinmaya Ghanekar ¹, Sameeha Pathan ¹, Rukmini Shekar ¹, K. Madhu Magesh ¹, Swapnali Gole ¹, Srabani Bose ¹, Sweta Iyer ¹, Anant Pande ², Kuppusamy Sivakumar ³, Jeyaraj Antony Johnson ¹

Affiliations
1 Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248 001, India, IN
2 Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248 001, India; 2Marine Programme, Wildlife Conservation Society – India, Bengaluru 560 097, India, IN
3 Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248 001, India; Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605 014, India, IN

Source

Current Science, Vol 123, No 10 (2022), Pagination: 1259-1264

Abstract

We analysed gut samples of stranded dugongs from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, India, to understand their dietary preferences. We quantified seagrass fragments from the gut as leaf, stem and rhizome, and identified leaf fragments up to genera level by their morphological features and epidermal cell characteristics using an inverted microscope. The overall abundance of above-ground fragments (leaf, stem) was higher in all samples, which may suggest the dugongs use a cropping mechanism to forage. The ingested seagrass generic diversity was higher in Tamil Nadu (n = 5) dugong individuals than those in Gujarat (n = 2). A total of five genera were recorded from all samples, viz. Halophila spp., Halodule spp., Cymodocea spp., Enhalus sp. and Syringodium spp. In Tamil Nadu, Cymodocea spp. (46.24%) was the most dominant, followed by Halophila spp. (26.49%), Syringodium spp. (14.83%) and Halodule spp. (12.16%), with a low occurrence of Enhalus spp. (0.19%). In Gujarat, Halodule spp. (61.48%) was the most dominant, followed by Halophila spp. (30.20%). The recorded plastic and wood fragments suggest fine spatial scale threat mapping in dugong habitats

Keywords

Dugongs, foraging pattern, megaherbivore, necropsy, seagrass.

Full Text

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