• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.249-256
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• 2009

The rare endemic plant, Smilax wightii, is generally distributed in shola forests at high altitudes in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the Western Ghats, southern India. To determine the ecological status of the species, we surveyed 11 major shola forests in that region. S. wightii has a limited distribution in all sholas (frequency value of < 13%). The density of the species is generally around $15/100\;m^2$ in the sholas except in Thiashola where it occurred at a density of 40 individuals/$100\;m^2$. The density of S. wightii was generally greater in the margins of the shoals, while the interior forests contained fewer individuals per unit area. The basal cover occupied by this species ranged between 2246 and $3144\;mm^2/100\;m^2$. The importance value index for S. wightii was >2 in all shoals, which indicates that the species occupies an important position in the lower stratum of shola forests of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.227-232
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• 2001

The biomass structure for three major components viz., the dominant grass, Chrysopogon zeylanicus Thw., the 'other grasses' and the'remaining species'and dry matter dynamics for total community were studied over a period of one year in an annual fire influenced subtropical humid grassland community in Western Ghats, India. The biomass of aboveground, belowground and litter compartments were high as in other humid grasslands and generally have positive correlation with rainfall, rainy days and relative humidity with the exception of litter parts. The above and belowground net primary productions (4,561 and 722 g/㎡, respectively) were also higher and were comparable with other humid tropical grasslands. The turnover of organic matter was rapid, Of the total input of 14.47 g/㎡ into the system, about 86.3% was allocated to above ground parts and 13.7% to below ground parts. The total disappearance was 2.56 g/㎡ and it was accounted to be 17.68% of the total output. The net surplus of dry matter (82.32%) in the post fire community indicates that the grassland was maintained in a seral stage. Hence it is suggested that prescribed burning may keep this ecosystem in a highly productive and seral stage.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.189-200
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• 2014

The tropical wet evergreen, tropical semi evergreen and moist deciduous forest types are projected to be impacted by climate change. In the Western Ghats region, a biodiversity hotspot, evergreen forests including semi evergreen account for 30% of the forest area and according to climate change impact model projections, nearly a third of these forest types are likely to undergo vegetation type change. Similarly, tropical moist deciduous forests which account for about 28% of the forest area are likely to experience change in about 20% of the area. Thus climate change could adversely impact forest biodiversity and product flow to the forest dependent households and communities in Uttara Kannada district of the Western Ghats. This study analyses the distribution of non-timber forest product yielding tree species through a network of twelve 1-ha permanent plots established in the district. Further, the extent of dependence of communities on forests is ascertained through questionnaire surveys. On an average 21% and 28% of the tree species in evergreen and deciduous forest types, respectively are, non-timber forest product yielding tree species, indicating potential high levels of supply of products to communities. Community dependence on non-timber forest products is significant, and it contributes to Rs. 1199 and Rs. 3561/household in the evergreen and deciduous zones, respectively. Given that the bulk of the forest grids in Uttara Kannada district are projected to undergo change, bulk of the species which provide multiple forest products are projected to experience die back and even mortality. Incorporation of climate change projections and impacts in forest planning and management is necessary to enable forest ecosystems to enhance resilience.

• Journal of Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.59-64
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• 2008

Soil erosion is a major problem in the case of forests in hilly terrains. Soil erosion removes the fertile topsoil, making unsuitable for growth and establishment of vegetation. In the present study, erosion prone areas in a forest region situated in the Moyar sub-watershed of Western ghats was identified using GIS with data collected from India. The thematic layers such as forest cover, slope and drainage density were used for analysis. In the erosion prone map, majority of area (48%) was under medium category, and about 35% of area was under high erosion prone category. Very high erosion prone category occupied 7% of the forest area. This erosion prone map would be an ideal spatial data to take up necessary management actions at appropriate places in this watershed to prevent erosion.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.259-267
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• 2012

Biomass changes, net primary production and transfer dynamics of dry matter in four subtropical humid montane grasslands at Ebbenadu, Korakundah, Thiashola and Wenlockdown in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), the Western Ghats, India, were investigated. Despite the early report of a higher density and dominance of $C_4$ species over $C_3$ species in these grasslands, no functional study of matter production had previously been carried out. Therefore, in order to determine the roles played by these two groups of species, the present study was attempted. The study revealed that the dry matter and net primary production contributed by $C_4$ species were much greater than those of its $C_3$ counterpart in all the grasslands. The turnover rate of aboveground dry matter for both $C_3$ and $C_4$ species was generally rapid, whereas it was slow for belowground parts, and litter components of $C_3$ and $C_4$ species together. In all grasslands, generally about 60% and 10% of the input were channeled to aboveground and belowground parts, respectively, by the $C_4$ species, whereas the $C_3$ species transferred only about 22% and 8% of dry matter to aboveground and belowground parts, respectively. The total disappearance of dry matter was 2.73, 2.10, 3.19, and $1.96\;g\;m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$ in Ebbenadu, Korakundah, Thiashola and Wenlockdown grasslands, which was 48.83%, 44.30%, 54.81%, and 41.09% of the total input, respectively, in these grasslands. This resulted in a considerable surplus dry matter production in all the grasslands studied. This balance sheet of dry matter in community function indicates that all the four studied grasslands were supporting the existing wild animals adequately in terms of pasture supply. The study further revealed that the stronger establishment of $C_4$ species rather than their $C_3$ counterparts, in terms of higher density and dominance, has driven them to play major roles in matter dynamics and system transfer functions in all the four grasslands studied. This fact evidenced that pasture from $C_4$ species for wild animals was determined to be higher in comparison to that of $C_3$ species.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2008

Twenty-eight of 44 Indian Ceropegia species are endemic and their survival is threatened. As a step towards conservation, we implied in vitro methods for the sustainable propagule production in C. hirsuta, C. lawii, C. maccannii, C. oculata and C. sahyadrica. Effects of explant, growth regulators, sucrose and photoperiod were studied. High frequency microtuber production was achieved with the seedling-apical buds, grown on MS medium containing 4-6 mg $1^{-1}$ BAP, 3-8% (w/v) sucrose, under continuous illumination. Each microtuber, when subcultured proliferated to form a cluster of secondary microtubers. Every primary and secondary microtuber bore at least one shoot-bud and a root primordium. Each tuber (formed with any of the significantly effective treatments) weighed more than 500 mg, enough to plant directly in non-sterilized soils. Microtubers could be produced and proliferated round the year. Proliferation could be solely attributed to in vitro procedures as these plants bear solitary tubers in vivo. Microtubers could be sprouted in vitro to prepare ready to pot plantlets. As, this novel method succeeded for all five species, though they belong to different eco-physiological backgrounds, we recommend its implementation in the conservation programs for a broader range of Ceropegia species, supported by other integrated strategies.

• CELLMED
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.15.1-15.12
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• 2015

Comparative studies have established that the North-Eastern (NE) region of India which is a part of the Eastern Himalayan region is affluent in both traditional knowledge based phytomedicine and biodiversity. About 1953 ethno-medicinal plants are detailed from the NE region of India out of which 1400 species are employed both as food and ethnopharmacological resources. Nearly 70% of species diversity has been reported from the two Indian biodiversity hotspots-The Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas and these hotspots are protected by tribal communities and their ancient traditional knowledge system. Paris polyphylla Smith belongs to the family Melanthiaceae and is a traditional medicinal herb which is known to cure some major ailments such as different types of Cancer, Alzheimer's disease, abnormal uterine bleeding, leishmaniasis etc. The major phytoconstituents are dioscin, polyphyllin D, and balanitin 7. Phylogeny of Paris was inferred from nuclear ITS and plastid psbA-trnH and trnL-trnF DNA sequence data. Results indicated that Paris is monophyletic in all analyses. Rhizoma Paridis, which is the dried rhizome of Paris polyphylla is mainly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and its mode of action is known for only a few cancer cell lines. The current review determines to sketch an extensive picture of the potency, diversity, distribution and efficacy of Paris polyphylla from the Eastern Himalayan region and the future validation of its phytotherapeutical and molecular attributes by recognizing the Intellectual Property Rights of the Traditional Knowledge holders.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.303-310
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• 2015

The increasing emergence of lead drugs for the resistance produced by the pathogenic strains and arrival of new diseases have initiated the need for searching novel metabolites with best anticancer and antimicrobial properties than the existing one. With this view, the investigation was conducted for the isolation, identification, and biological evaluation of potential endophytic fungi of Aegle marmelos, a medicinal tree used for more than three decades, for curing various disorders. A total of 169 endophytic fungal strains obtained from sampling and among those 67 were pigmented strains. Upon antagonistic screening, five endophytic fungal strains exhibited antagonistic potentiality by inhibiting the pathogens. These five potent strains were characterized at molecular level by sequencing the amplified internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 and ITS 4 regions of rDNA and they were grouped under order Pleosporales, Eurotiales, and Capnodiales. The metabolites from the respective strains were produced in fungal culturing media and extracted using polar solvents. Further, the extracts of five endophytes manifested antimicrobial activity against tested clinical pathogens and Alternaria alternata (FC39BY), Al. citrimacularis (FC8ABr), and Curvularia australiensis (FC2AP) exhibited significant antimicrobial profile against 9 of 12 tested pathogens, showing broad spectrum activity. The antioxidant levels of all the five endophytes revealed the highest activity at least concentrations, and major activity was unveiled by the members of order Pleosporales FC2AP and FC8ABr. This research explains the value of endophytic fungal extracts and its significance of antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.239-249
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• 2018

The global mushroom industry has grown rapidly in recent years in terms of beneficial effects, market value, and demand. India has a wide range of agro-climatic conditions and is largely an agricultural country with a cultivated area of about 4.37 %, generating about 620 million tons of agro waste annually. Mushroom cultivation not only helps recycle agro wastes, but also fills the nutritional gap prevalent among a large population of India. Recently, government industrial policy and creative innovation has promoted research and other endeavors aiming towards the cultivation of mushrooms. Mushroom cultivation in India was initiated in Solan, in the mid-sixties. Mushroom cultivation has been successful in temperate regions of the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, and the hills of northeast India. Recently, many unemployed people have begun to adopt mushroom cultivation as a means of self-employment. It is high time that Indian mushroom cultivators and consumers became aware of the nutritional and medicinal values of cultivated and wild species of mushrooms. The total mushroom production in India between 2010 and 2017 was approximately 0.13 million tons, accounting for a 4.3% increase in the average growth rate of mushrooms per annum. In particular, the total production of white button mushrooms is the highest, with a share of about 73% of total mushroom production. In this review article, we have analyzed the current scenario of the Indian mushroom industry and its contribution to the economic growth of the country.