Journal of Environment and Sociobiology

Mousumi Banerjee ¹, Ambarish Mukherjee ²

Affiliations
1 Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission Institute of Advanced Studies, Kolkata, West Bengal, IN
2 Department of Botany, Burdwan University, Burdwan - 713104, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Deoghar, one of the oldest towns of the Jharkhand state, is with religious importance of high esteem. The place at present is highly congested and the population overgrowth has much exceeded the carrying capacity to push the prevailing infrastructure to the stage of critical derangement. The State as well as Central government has taken initiatives to launch infrastructure development programmes in and around the town. For addressing the issues of ecological solutions to the problems emanating from developmental activities, a fact finding survey was considered necessary by the present authors to evaluate the status of different variables pertaining to water and air factors of the environment in and around Deoghar. As such the present work was kept concerned with the assessment of the impact of developmental activities on water quality of the sites in question. Data reveal the fact that groundwater in the project area in general is soft, with the hardness level below the desirable limit of 300 mg/l., the samples being free from heavy metals like cadmium, arsenic, lead, chromium, etc. Groundwater samples drawn from tube wells were seen to remain free from fecal coliform and total coliform and hence potable and suitable for human consumption after treatment process. Surface water quality data revealed the samples from monitoring stations to be well within the standard prescribed by CPCB for Class B, Class D and Class E types of water for most of the parameters except for oil and grease. None of the heavy metals of interest are in unacceptably high concentration.

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Goutam Bala ¹, Ambarish Mukherjee ¹

Affiliations
1 UGC Centre for advance studies, Department of Botany, University Burdwan, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

An inventory of wetlands, which includes the gathering of information on (i) location, size, biotic and abiotic features and status of these resources, (ii) characteristics, function, treats and positive actions related to the use of the wetlands and (iii) design and development, is a prerequisite database for effective management and monitoring. This can be accomplished effectively if the inventory is prepared using methods that identify distinct wetland units and provide information of the particular wetland. To achieve this, an inventory of 75 wetlands of Nadia district of West Bengal, India has been prepared, adopting modified classification system used by Zalidis et al. (1997).

Keywords

Wetlands, Inventory, Mapping of Wetland Status.

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Goutam Bala ¹, Ambarish Mukherjee ¹

Affiliations
1 UGC Centre for Advance Study, Department of Botany, University Burdwan, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Floodplain wetlands in Nadia district, West Bengal are very complex and unique biotopes due to several geo-morphological factors. Heavy infestation of hydrophytes aggravates the situation to its worst extent in these shallow nutritionally enriched water bodies, pushing them further to the dying situation silently. The overall nutrient status of all the six wetlands in the district is not balanced because the overall production process is being disturbed. So, a holistic and concerted management approach is the immediate need to revitalize the potentialities of such ecosystem by slowing down their process of extinction in order to conserve the rich pool of biodiversity thriving therein.

Keywords

Wetland, Sediment, Physico-Chemical, Productivity.

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Tripti Bouri ¹, Ambarish Mukherjee ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Botany, Khalisani Mahavidyalaya, Khalisani, Chandannagar, Pin-712138, West Bengal, IN
2 UGC CAS, Department of Botany, Golapbag, Burdwan University, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Through extensive field work and intimate contact with tribal groups settled in Durgapur Forest Range of Burdwan district a precise account of 187 plant species was prepared as source of phytoresources in form of NTFP (Non-Timber Forest Produce) along with the indigenous traditional knowledge about their uses. In the context of commercial prospect an item wise enumeration of NTFPs along with their uses was prepared. The species that could be recorded from field survey are in number 22 as source of edible fruits, 10 for minor wood works, 9 each for miscellaneous purposes including making of basket, mat, hand-fan, broom, etc. and 6 for leaves, 8 each for flowers and tannin and Gum, 7 for extraction of oil, 6 for getting fibers, 3 for resins and 1 for floss.

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Soma Chanda ¹, Ambarish Mukherjee ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Botany, Mahishadal Raj College, Purba Medinipur-721628, West Bengal, IN
2 UGC CAS (Phase II), Department of Botany, Golapbag, Burdwan University, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Non-timber forest produces (NTFPs) include all such resources that can be availed from forests without felling of trees. As such, they form an integral part of lives of tribal communities surviving in and around forests in good understanding with them. Through extensive field work of 5 years in Ayodhya hills and adjoining areas as many as 125 plant species occurring in their ambience could be documented which have indigenous traditional use in the area. In the context of commercial prospects an item-wise enumeration of NTFPs along with their uses was prepared. The phytoresources that could be recorded from field survey are 19 species of fruit plants, 4 species for lac culture, 3 resin yielding species, 3 for tannin and gum, 6 species for oil seeds and 11 species have minor carpentry for making sticks, toys, handles of hoes and other agricultural implements.

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Moumita Das ¹, Abhijit Bandyopadhyay ¹, Ambarish Mukherjee ¹

Affiliations
1 UGC Centre for Advanced Study (Phase II), Department of Botany, The University of Burdwan, Burdwan, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

The present work is an outcome of thorough autecological study of Elephantopus scaber L. which is an exotic element in Indian flora that has turned out to be an ethnomedicinal plant with therapeutic reputation through interactions with the tribal communities dwelling in the forests. The species was found to get well naturalized in Indian forests, especially in the dry deciduous Sal forests. The species is a native of Mexico which might have gained entry into India probably in the form of seeds. Possibly they were inadvertently introduced along with seedy cereal crops like wheat, maize, barley, etc. in the northern part of the country. They had escaped into wilderness of dry deciduous forests in north spreading subsequently in other regions that sustain such type of forest.

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Joydeep Acharya ¹, Ambarish Mukherjee ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Botany, Kalna College, Kalna-713409, West Bengal, IN
2 UGC-CAS (Phase II) Department of Botany, The University of Burdwan, Burdwan, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Caprifoliaceae Juss., popular as the family of "Honeysuckles", is a dicotyledonous family (Magnoliopsida) composed mostly of shrubs, vines and a few herbs having typically opposite leaves and flowers with tubular-funnel or bell-shaped corolla with five outwardly spreading lobes and five epipetalous stamens; 3-5 carpels having inferior ovary with more than one ovule in each of its locules and drupe or berry type of fruit. The Honeysuckles give us a lot of aesthetic pleasure with their beautiful flowers and showy fruits. They offer their ripe berries as food to different types of birds and attract insects with their extra-floral nectaries. Besides these, they feed the herbivores with their foliage. Considering the importance of ecological services rendered by the species of Caprifoliaceae in the montane forests and the fact that many species of this family have been perceiving threats of extinction, the present work was taken up to document the taxon from South Indian Hills (Western Ghats) since 2012. The study was initiated with a scrutiny of literature having relevance to various taxonomic aspects of Caprifoliaceae collaterally with documentation of authentic specimens preserved in different Herbaria in India. After knowing that Caprifoliaceae is a cold loving taxon with distribution mostly in the temperate regions of South Indian Hills, field surveys were accordingly scheduled.

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Sayani Biswas ¹, Ambarish Mukherjee ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Botany (CAS Phase II), Burdwan University, Pin: 713104, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

The present work, an outcome of thorough field survey, deals with the documentation of ethnomedicinal plants used by the folk communities in Joypur forest of Bankura district, West Bengal. Information collected from traditional practitioners of the area concerns as many as 30 plant species belonging to the 21 families, their local names, disease- curing properties, parts used, preparation and mode of administration. As taxonomic documentation of medicinal plants and documentation of their ethnomedicinal uses deserve topmost priority in contemporary scientific researches, much care has been taken in their identification and nomenclature.. This study attempts to draw attention for in-depth study on the concerned medicinal plants, the result of which is likely to provide novel, better and efficient remedies for many dreadful diseases. This kind of study is likely to prove useful for protection of intellectual property right (IPR) of the persons from whom the knowledge has been shared.

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Mousumi Banerjee ¹, Ambarish Mukherjee ¹

Affiliations
1 UGC CAS (Phase II), Department of Botany, Burdwan University, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Forests provide food, medicine, energy, shelter, various wood and non-wood products to sustain life. In addition, forest plants render numerous essential services as a component of global life sustaining system. The present work deals with certain utilitarian aspects of forest plants that were documented from the Tapovan, a sacred place which located 10 km from the Deoghar Town. It is mainly famous for Tapo Nath Mahadev, the temple of Lord Shiva. It is named Tapovan because in the olden days the van (forest) was a meditation spot (Tapobhumi). The present study shows how the socio-cultural and spiritual values influence the way human communities perceive plants and how religious beliefs and practices affect the way plants are understood, utilized and managed. Through field work and intimate contact with the persons who have spared their traditional knowledge as 188 plant species could be documented as phytoresources. The family-wise account of use potential of plants was analyzed to get a comprehensive idea about the percentage representation of prevalent plants in each category of use-pattern. The ornamental plants of the sites constitute majority in Tapovan area. Next to come are the shade-giving plants which constitute about 76% of total species recorded. The plants, parts of which are utilized particularly for offering to God considered as sacred are 13%. The species used as source of consumable vegetables constitute 16% and 26% species are used as fruits. There are good number of medicinal plants sustained in the area.

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Tripti Bouri ¹, Ambarish Mukherjee ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Botany, Khalisani Mahavidyalaya, Khalisani, Chandannagar, Hooghly, West Bengal, Pin-712138, IN
2 Department of Botany, Golapbag, Burdwan University, Burdwan-713104, IN

Abstract

Through extensive field work and intimate contact with tribal groups settled in Durgapur Forest Range of Burdwan district a precise account of 187 plant species was prepared as source of phytoresources in form of NTFP (Non Timber Forest Produce) along with the traditional knowledge about their uses. In the context of commercial prospect, an item-wise enumeration of NTFPs along with their uses was prepared. The species that could be recorded are as follows : 22 as source of edible fruits; 10 for minor wood works; 9 each for miscellaneous purposes including making of basket, mat, hand-fan, broom and for leaves; 8 each for flowers and tannin and Gum, 7 for extraction of oil, 6 for getting fibers, 3 for resins and 1 for floss.

Scientific harvesting, storage and handling of NTFPs need to be introduced and enhanced at grass ischolar_main level since these perspectives can play a potential role in imparting sustainability to the system in operation.

Keywords

Durgapur Forest Range, NTFPs, Scientific Harvesting, Awareness, Economic Benevolence.

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