Journal of Environment and Sociobiology

Manoranjan Paramanik ¹, Asit Mahato ¹, Subrata Raha ¹

Affiliations
1 Dept. of Botany, Sidho Kanho Birsha University Purulia, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Ajodhya hill located at the south boundary of Purulia district is a part of Chotanagpur Plateau and exhibits mixed dry deciduous forest. In the present work a systematic investigation of 12 parasitic and 6 epiphytic angiosperm taxa were documented from the forest as well as from the grassland and border of the rice fields situated at the foothills. Among the twelve parasites, eight are stem parasites and four are ischolar_main parasites on different hosts. A details record of their habitat, host range, nature of parasitism, flowering and fruiting time is discussed here and the voucher specimens are kept at S.K.B. University, Purulia.

The stem parasites like Dendrophthoe falcata (L.f.) Ettingsh, Viscum orientale Willd., Viscum articulatum Burm.f., Macrosolen cochinchinensis (Lour.) Teigh., etc, are detrimental to forest trees and reduce the timber value and ischolar_main parasites like Sopubia delphinifolia (L.) G. Don Striga angustifolia (D. Don) C.J. Saldana, etc, kill the soil binding grasses and thus they play an ecologically significant role in ecosystem. Some parasites and epiphytes are widely used by tribal people and their ethno-medicinal values are discussed in the present paper.

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Subrata Raha ¹, Manoranjan Paramanik ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Botany, Sidho Kanho Birsha University, Purulia, West Bengal, IN
2 Department of Botany, Sidho Kanho Birsha University Purulia, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Different trapping techniques and devices for capturing birds have been developed over the centuries. Most of the capture techniques utilize bait, decoys and recorded calls to attract birds to trapping sites. Almost there is no report from the plains of India and abroad regarding the use of plants for capturing wild birds. In the present investigation an attempt has been made to explore the traditional knowledge of tribal people for trapping the birds of Purulia district. In the present investigation the trapping strategies and the preparation of adhesive substances for capturing small and medium sized birds from the latex of Ficus benghalensis L., Ficus religiosa L., Ficus rumphii Blume, Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd ex Dell and the fruit pulp of Dendrophthoe falcata (L.f) Etting, are elaborately discussed with photographic documentation. The technique of poisoning of certain birds like heron and king fisher using seeds of Strychnos nuxvomica L. is also documented and presented here. The study explains the sport of bird hunting is very much unsustainable from conservation point of view.

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