Category Archives: Nature

After 150 years, a fish gets a scientific name

Agriculture, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion

‘Humpback mahseer’ christened Tor ramadevii

After being popularly called ‘humpback mahseer’ for nearly 150 years, the giant game fish has finally got a scientific name.

The species, found in the Cauvery river, was recently christened Tor ramadevii, after noted ichthyologist K. Remadevi of the Zoological Survey of India. The DNA sequencing of the fish was carried out by a group of icthyologists from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, and Bournemouth University, UK, as part of the naming process.

The species was “brought to the attention of the scientific community in 1849, and the recreational angling community in 1873,” noted a research paper authored by Adrian Pinder of Bournemouth University and published in the scientific journal Plos One.

The fish was assigned the name after it was found possessing the same genetic and morphological characteristics of mahseer found inside the waterbodies of the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala ,  said Rajeev Raghavan, Assistant Professor, Department of Fisheries Resource Management, KUFOS, who was associated with the research.

The species had slipped the attention of conservationists in the absence of a scientific name. There was no legal and conservation cover for the species. The only solace for the species was that being in Chinnar, a protected area and a wildlife sanctuary, it was protected from fishing, said Dr. Radhavan, who is also the IUCN Freshwater Fish Red List Authority coordinator (South, North, East Asia and Oceania).

Though no population estimation has been carried out, historic records indicate a dramatic depletion in its numbers. Probably, the species may be on the edge of extinction, he said

Incidentally, The Hindu had reported the identification of the species Tor ramedevii from Chinnar in 2004.

Since the nomenclature, fisheries conservationists have started reviewing the conservation status of the species for updating the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The species qualifies to be categorised as Critically Endangered, Dr. Raghavan said.

The fish is endemic to the south Cauvery river system and its tributaries. The distribution of the species is now limited to “some small pockets in Coorg, Moyar, Bhavani, Kabini, Pambar, all the upstream tributaries of the Cauvery.”

The fish can grow up to a length of 1.5 metres and weigh up to 55 kg and qualifies as megafauna, researchers said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by K.S. Sudhi / Kochi – July 17th, 2018

Global laurel for Christ College team

Education, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
A team from Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology of Christ College, Irinjalakuda, which has been invited to the European Congress of Arachnology in Hungary.

Only Indians to participate in European Congress of Arachnology

A six-member team from the Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology (CATE) of Christ College, Irinjalakuda, has been invited to the 31st European Congress of Arachnology (ECA), which will be held at Vac, Hungary, from July 8-13.

They are the only Indians at the congress in which 150 arachnologists will take part from all over the world. “This is a prestigious recognition given on the basis of the contributions made by CATE to arachnological research,” said Sudhikumar A.V., who led the six-member team. Five budding arachnologists working under the guidance of Dr. Sudhikumar (Head, CATE) will present papers on Indian arachnology. Nafin K.S., research scholar, will present a paper on the diversity of spiders in Kole wetlands of Kerala and the role of spiders in biological pest control. Drisya Mohan, another member, will present a paper on the social behaviour of a rare spider (Stegodyphus sarasinorum) and the diversity of kleptoparasites (web parasites) associated with the web of this spider.

Diversity of spiders in the sacred groves of Kerala and the influence of environmental variables on them have rarely been explored. Sumesh N.V. will present a paper on this study. Forest fire has a devastating effect on the biodiversity of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS), a biodiversity hotspot of Kerala. Sudhin P.P. will focus on the effect of forest fire on the diversity of spiders in the WWS. Kashmeera N.A. will present an interesting study on the diversity of venomous spiders in Thar Desert, Rajasthan.

Dr. Sudhikumar will lay stress on global warming upon the feeding potential of a grassland spider, (Pardosa sumatrana), and its consequences on the food web which causes imbalance in the ecosystem. Travel expenses of the researchers are sponsored by European Society of Arachnology (ESA), University Grants Commission (UGC), and Department of Science and Technology (DST), Delhi.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Thrissur – July 04th, 2018

Eco-friendly solution to mosquito menace

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Aravind Gopal engaged in research work at a mini-laboratory set up in his residential courtyard.

Researchers find insecticidal properties in extracts of plants

Now, an eco-friendly solution to mosquito menace. Aravind Gopal, a 40-year-old postgraduate in Biochemistry, and P.J. Benny, Professor of Zoology at Pala St. Thomas College, have found good insecticidal properties in the extracts of as many as 20 commonly found plants in Kerala.

Talking to The Hindu , they said extracts of two commonly found weeds,Merremia vitifolia or Manja kolambivalli or grape-leaf wood rose, and Mikania scandens, also known as climbing hemp weed, have shown very good insecticidal properties, with more than 90% insect repellent property.

Mr. Aravind has set up a mini-laboratory in his residential courtyard at Puthusserry-bhagom, near Adoor, to conduct field trials.

Dr. Benny said local bodies and government agencies could use even the crude extracts of these commonly found weeds as safe mosquito reduction agents in areas affected by mosquito-borne viral diseases. A present, various official agencies are learnt to be using hazardous chemical-based insecticides in mosquito eradication drives.

U.N. findings

Mr. Aravind said a report published by the United Nations in January, 2017 had put the average human casualty due to toxic exposure of pesticides across the world at 2,00,000 a year.

Reliance on hazardous pesticides is a short-term solution and the U.N. report lists an array of serious ailments such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, hormone disruption, birth defects, etc., as having suspected links to pesticides.

Pesticide-poisoning exceeds even fatalities from infectious diseases in some countries, he said.

Mosquito destroyers

Mr. Aravind said backswimmers, dragonfly and its larvae, damselflies and its larvae, diving beetles, frog and tadpole, native fishes, etc., were natural enemies of mosquito. Terrestrial and aquatic plants can provide healthy air that nourishes life.

Hence a social forest-cum-pond like that of the sacred grove (sarpa-kavu) of yore can preserve the biodiversity, provide fresh air and shelter to the predators of these pests, he said.

Mr. Aravind said while controlling pests, which form less than 1% of the insects, pesticides destroy the biodiversity and environment by killing or adversely affecting various other life forms, including more than 99% of the insects which are more integral to maintenance of the ecosystem.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Radhakrishnan Kuttoor / June 13th, 2018

Fresh water fish seed farm opened at Neyyar

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Thiruvananthapuram:

The state will soon turn self-sufficient in freshwater fish seed production, said fisheries minister J Mercykutty Amma. She was speaking after inaugurating the freshwater fish seed farm and fish hatchery training centre near Neyyar dam on Friday.

“Having freshwater lakes in the state, Kerala has immense potential in freshwater fish farming,” minister opined. “The challenge is to produce quality juvenile fish. Against the demand for 12 crore juvenile fish, the state could produce only 2 crore,” the minister said.

The freshwater fish hatchery was constructed spending Rs 3.44 crore. Six concrete feeding tanks having 24.6m length and 9.6m width, a pool platform having 12m width and 7m length and an FRP tank platform which is 9m long and 8m wide are arranged at the hatchery, besides a 158 square metre hatchery office building.

A fisheries training centre of 1,008 square metres has been constructed using Rs 3.2 crore. This two-storey building can accommodate 32 persons and the training hall has the capacity to house 75 persons.

The fisheries minister said that administrative sanction for Rs 7.46 lakh has been given for the third phase of development of the Farm.

MLA C K Hareendran presided over the function which was attended by Perumkadavila block panchayat president Sujathakumar, Kallikkad

Grama panchayat vice-president Shyamlal, district panchayat member Ansajitha Russal, block panchayat member M K Kumar, grama panchayat member R Latha of and assistant director of fisheries department Sheeja attended the event.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News / Thiruvananthapuram – June 10th, 2018

The smallest sea cucumber in India

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion
The smallest sea cucumber Thyonina bijui

Vizhinjam Bay is home to the animal which grows to a size of just 2 cm

The Vizhinjam Bay, a busy fishing ground noted for its biodiversity-rich marine ecosystem, is home to the smallest sea cucumber in India, scientists have reported.

Biju Kumar of the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, and his student Deepa Pillai stumbled upon the species while scouring the rocky coast during a biodiversity study in 2015.

The animal, which grows to a size of just 2 cm, is named Thyonina bijui, after Biju Kumar.

The specimen was identified as a new species by Professor Ahmed Thandar, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, while describing several species of sea cucumbers from the Indian Ocean.

The news about the discovery has been published in the international journal Zootaxa.

According to Dr. Kumar, this is the first species of sea cucumber endemic to the Kerala coast and is known only from Vizhinjam.

The animal inhabits shallow waters and has a barrel-shaped body.

It is reddish brown in colour, with plenty of tube feet all over the dorsal surface.

Sea cucumbers and starfish belong to the group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms.

Of the 179 sea cucumbers reported from India, 37 species have been recorded from the Kerala coast.

Culinary delicacy

The larger species of sea cucumbers are overharvested for export as they are considered one of the culinary delicacies in China and many western countries.

The Government of India has listed all species of sea cucumbers (holothurians) under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, imposing a blanket ban on their harvesting from Indian waters.

Occurring only in marine ecosystems, the sea cucumber plays a critical role in ecosystem functioning by recycling nutrients and carbonates.

Often referred to as the earthworms of the sea, these animals are responsible for extensive shifting and mixing of substrate and recycling of sediments into animal tissue and nitrogenous waste which can be taken up by algae and sea grass.

Dr. Kumar feels that detailed investigations of the marine biodiversity of the Kerala coast, especially from the rocky shores and bays, would lead to the discovery of several new species.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by T. Nandakumar / Thiruvananthapuram – June 07th, 2018

Energy Management Centre, Kerala, a green, energetic building

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Energy Management Centre, Kerala | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

The main campus of Energy Management Centre, Kerala is a global star in the campaign for energy efficiency

After riding for half an hour in the blazing sun, entering the new building of Energy Management Centre, Kerala(EMC), near Chavadimukku, is, literally, a cool experience. The 43,000 square foot office building inside Sree Krishna Nagar was one of the six in the world and the only project listed from India in UN’s ‘Global Status Report 2017: Towards a zero-emission, efficient, and resilient buildings and construction sector’ released in May 2017.

For a long time EMC, an autonomous institution under the Government of Kerala, was operating out of a rented building near Thycaud. “It was in 2006, when I got to visit the Confederation of Indian Industry – Sohrabji Godrej Green Businesss Centre, that I set my mind on building something similar for EMC in Thiruvananthapuram. Although a plan was on paper by 2011, it took another five years for getting the required funds, administrative sanction and construction,” says K.M. Dhareshan Unnithan, director of EMC-Kerala. The building was inaugurated in 22 February, 2016.

Built on a hillside, the building is designed to be in tune with the terrain to avoid landscaping and tampering with the natural slope of the land. Offices, auditoriums and laboratories are all set around a central green courtyard, which slants from one end to the other. “This helps in draining of rain water from the top to the other end where they are diverted to two ponds that we have in this compound,” says Dinesh Kumar A.N., an energy technologist working at EMC, while showing me around the office.

Also, the building is oriented in such a way as to get maximum sunlight on the roof, where the solar panels are located, while the spaces inside it are designed for maximum availability of natural light. On a bright day, most of the spaces inside the building is lit completely by natural light, while artificial lights inside the building are all LED lamps and that is another way of saving energy. “At the same time most of the windows face north and south directions, which means they never face direct sunlight and that brings down the heat entering the buildings in a huge manner. It has contributed a lot to the energy efficiency of the building as we didn’t have to spend a lot on cooling,” Dhareshan adds. The cross ventilation and turbo vents too help in avoiding things from getting heated up inside the EMC office while solar reflectance index coating and high-albedo painting aids in insulation.

The entire campus is powered by 30 kilowatt grid-connected solar capacity. “We are only using a portion of what we are producing and the rest is being diverted to the grid and that makes us an energy positive structure,” says Dhareshan. All this has made the EMC building four times more energy-efficient than the highly energy efficient five-star rated buildings.

Green buildings, EMC scientists say, are the way to future. Although it might cost the common man a bit more than constructing a regular house, going for the green option would mean saving money in a big manner in future. Dhareshan adds, “There are already powerful wall-mounted batteries in the market that can be charged using solar panels. They don’t come cheap, but anything extra you spend on setting such a system would be retrieved within a time period while saving you a lot of money which would otherwise be used for paying energy bills.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Environment / by Aswin V.N. / Thiruvananthapuram – June 01st, 2018

Thottara Puncha rice brand to hit market by June

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature
The Thottara Puncha before harvest. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Government’s farming success story sees revival of 652 acres of paddy land

A rice bowl that had been lying almost fallow for over a decade has now been revived fully to produce some 1,500 metric tonnes of paddy in a joint effort by the Ernakulam district administration, Agriculture Department, paddy field collectives, and local bodies.

The rejuvenated Thottara Puncha, where 652 acres of paddy land were brought under cultivation last year, will now be a brand, with the rice produced here hitting the market in that name in the first week of June. The effort to breathe life back into the Puncha, trapped amid some nine hills, was spearheaded by District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla.

The plan is to market some 20 tonnes of rice initially, followed by another batch of 20 tonnes. Keecheri Service Cooperative Bank has completed collection of paddy, threshing, packing, and branding, said a release issued here.

Mr. Safirulla sought the support of Amballoor and Edakkattuvayal panchayats to cultivate some 350 acres of the 990 acres of the Puncha in Ernakulam district (the remaining 1,082 acres are in Kottayam) in 2016-17, and the results were stunning. “Preparation of fields itself was a challenge, but paddy field collectives worked in tandem to make it happen. This time around, we were able to bring under cultivation the maximum cultivable area — around 700 acres over nine paddy land collectives barring areas acquired for various projects, canals, farm roads, and irrigation channels,” said C.K. Prakash, general coordinator of the project.

Several departments, including irrigation, Land Development Corporation, and the State Electricity Board, supported the initiative. The canals were cleaned, and pumping facility was added to the sluices at Olippuram and Pulimukham (as a chunk of the Puncha being in low-lying areas will get heavily inundated during the monsoon).

“It posed some challenges, as not every area could be cultivated in October, which delayed harvesting too. We have now set up 12 high-power submersible pumps along the Puncha for de-watering, which will help us harvest the entire field by March next. This is going to drastically reduce the harvesting cost as well. And, the idea is to incorporate Kudumbasree in threshing paddy at our own mill and brand it,” said Mr. Prakash.

A Thottara Puncha Development Council will soon be formed, and a mill will be set up at a cost of ₹40 lakh. Terming it his pet project, Mr. Safirulla said all agencies and stakeholders had chipped in with verve to script the success story.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / May 25th, 2018

Farmer awarded, gives Governor a gift that grows

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

Tuber Man’s ‘seed pen’ germinates into tree after pen is disposed of

Shaji N.M., a farmer who was conferred the Biodiversity Award under special mention category by the National Biodiversity Authority, attracted many eyeballs during the award ceremony on Tuesday.

After receiving the award, he presented seed pens as return gift to the dignitaries, including Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan from whom he received the prize. “It is made of paper. You can use it as a normal disposable pen, and when the ink is exhausted, you can just throw it away. It contains a seed, which will give birth to a tree in future,” he explained.

Making seed pens is more like a hobby for Mr. Shaji, whose major occupation is conserving tuber species.

Started 20 years ago as a response to the drought conditions in Wayanad district where he lives, his passion has taken him places across the country, in search of newer tuber species. “I have a collection of 200 edible tuber species, including the rarest ones, besides herbs and medicinal plants on my four-acre land,” he says proudly.

He has shared the germplasm of the tubers with institutions such as Central Tuber Crop Research Institute and Kerala University.

Recipient of many awards, including National Plant Genome Saviour Award, Mr. Shaji’s conservation efforts are not limited to tubers; they extend to rice. He grows 17 traditional varieties of rice on the meagre plot, besides dabbling in fish farming, bee keeping and horticulture.

There were nine winners and 13 special mentions in total at the biodiversity award ceremony, among whom two were from Telangana.

Sangham Women Farmers Group from Medak won the award for ‘Sustainable use of Biological Resources’ for its efforts in traditional and organic methods of seed processing.

The Biodiversity Management Committee of Modi (Jheri) village of Kerameri mandal in Asifabad district won under special mention category, for conserving 26 native varieties of pulses and cereals. Among them, two varieties ‘Erra Machala Kandulu’ (a variety of pigeon pea) and ‘Vayunowka Jonna’ (a variety of sorghum) have been registered with the Plant Varieties and Farmer’s Rights Authority of India, while the recognition of another variety, ‘Balintha Pesalu’, is under way.

Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve Management Committee from West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh won the award for protecting the community reserve, while Lemsachenlok Organization ( Y.NukuluPhom), Longleng, Nagaland, received it in the Institutions category.

Awards were also given under Special Mention category to corporates such as Godrej & Boyce, Mumbai, and Coromandel International, Kakinada. Coringa BMC of East Godavari too won under this category.

There were five categories of awards — conservation of wild species, conservation of domesticated species, sustainable use of biological resources, replicable mechanisms for access and benefit sharing, and best biodiversity management committees.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Swathi Vadlamudi / Hyderabad – May 24th, 2018

Rare hill palm spotted in Kollam

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion

Road widening is threatening the palm seen at a tea estate near Thenmala

Unlike its cousin the arecanut palm, the hill areca Bentinckia condapanna is a rare sight. Now, researchers have spotted a population of the threatened wild palms in an abandoned tea plantation in Kollam district.

According to a recent study in the Journal of Threatened Taxa which publishes scientific articles to promote conservation, M. Divin Murukesh of Malappuram’s MES Mampad College and his colleague Ajith Ashokan discovered 76 adult palms and 66 seedlings of the hill areca near a road on the Arundel-Priya estate near Thenmala.

Although the palm is reported to grow in high elevations (between 1,000 and 2,000 metres above mean sea level) in the Western Ghats, the new population has been reported from a lower altitude of around 600 metres. The team also noticed birds (including the Malabar grey hornbill and Malabar barbet) and mammals (bats and bonnet macaques) feeding on the bright red fruits of the palm.

Road widening threat

The researchers spotted the palms growing on a slanting rock along the Kazhuthurutty-Arundel-Achencoil road which has been proposed for widening. “If the road is widened, these palms could be in danger,” says Mr. Murukesh.

According to them, the discovery could add to the importance of this site, which, along with five other estates in the area, has been proposed to form a potential wildlife corridor along the Aryankavu pass for the use of large fauna, including elephant and tigers.

Locally called condapanna, the hill areca grows only along steep rocky slopes of evergreen forests south of the Palakkad Gap in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is categorised as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

“The palms are also rare possibly because they cannot survive without mycorrhizal associations [beneficial fungi on their plant roots],” said Mr. Murukesh.

Plant regeneration from seeds was also very poor, said V.B. Sreekumar of the Department of Forest Botany at Thrissur’s Kerala Forest Research Institute. However, with more populations of the plants being discovered, they may not be as rare as previously thought, he said.

“But there are very few studies on the palm since it is very difficult to access the rocky cliffs where they grow. There have been no surveys to assess its current status either,” he said.

Kerala’s hill areca is one of the only two such species in the world; the other, Bentinckia nicobarica, is seen only on the Nicobar Islands.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Aathira Perinchery / Kochi – May 23rd, 2018

Group of tribesmen sets a model in pesticide-free farming

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature
Members of Surya Tribal Self Help Group harvesting beans from their vegetable garden at Kavadam in Wayanad district.

Five self-help groups, including three women’s groups, cultivate 16 acres of rented land

A group of tribesmen under the Kaniyampetta grama panchayat in Wayanad district of Kerala  has set a successful model in pesticide-free vegetable cultivation.

As many as 64 tribal families belong to Paniya and Mullakuruma tribal sects have grown 10 varieties of vegetables, including yard-long beans, bitter gourd, tomato, snake gourd, okra, and green chilli on 16 acres of rented land at Kavadom, Chittalur Kayakkunnu, and Nelliyambom near Nadavayal.

The vegetable promotion project was launched by the Scheduled Tribal Development Department under a special Central assistance to a tribal sub-plan in January. A sum of ₹9.64 lakh was provided for the purpose.

Five self-help groups (SHGs), including three women’s groups, have been constituted under the project and each group consists of 10 to 14 members. All expenses — including the rent of land, seeds, organic manure, pump sets for irrigation, agricultural implements, and wages — were borne by the department.

“Our produce is in good demand as our farming methods are transparent and can be viewed by anyone,” says A. Kavalan, tribal cheftain, Kavadam Paniya settlement, and president of the Surya SHG.

Lower prices

‘Though organic produce is priced at a premium, the SHGs sell vegetables at rates lower than the market price. Earlier, the members used to sell their produce to middlemen. Later, they entered into a tie-up with Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) to avoid middlemen and to get a better income, says A. Manojkumar, a Committed Social Worker of the department.

“We sold nearly one tonne of yard-long beans through Kudumbasree at ₹22 a kg .The harvest of other vegetables will start soon,” K. Meenakshi, president of Arya SHG, said.

“While vegetable traders in nearby towns sell vegetables procured from Gundlupet in Karnataka at a higher price, we are able to sell pesticide-free produce at 20% to 25% lower than the market rate,” she said.

Profit expectations

“We expect a profit of ₹15 lakh from the project this season,” says N.J. Reji, tribal extension officer, Kaniyampetta grama panchayat.

“We were able to provide 60 working days to 64 families in the past two months. The profit from the project will be utilised as a revolving fund to expand vegetable cultivation to ensure a sustainable income to tribal members,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by E.M.Manoj / April 28th, 2018