Benthic Macrofaunal Assemblage in the Arid Zone Mangroves of Gulf of Kachchh-Gujarat

The total benthic macrofauna consisting of 62 species in 5 groups,viz. crustaceans(18),gastropods(17),bivalves(16),polychaetes(9) and fishes(2),was recorded in western Kachchh mangroves near Gujarat. The population densities of benthic macro-fauna ranged from 424 to 2393 ind.m-2,the diversity ranged from 1.84 to 2.45 bits ind.-1,the richness varied between 0.82 and 0.98,and the evenness varied between 0.64 and 0.81. Two maximum diversity values were recorded during winter and summer. The salin-ity ranged from 34 to 44,temperature varied between 17 and 37 ℃,and the acidity ranged from 7 to 8.9.

Fishery Resources in Arid Zone Mangroves in Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, Northwest Coast of India

The finfish and shellfish resources were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively in regard to their abundance in creek waters at three sites within a period of two years, fi＇om January 1999 to December 2000, in the western mangrove areas of Kachchh. The catch rate varied from 0.69 to 6.99kg·h^-1. It was low during monsoon （July to October）, which could be due to the freshwater-flow-induced salinity reduction in all the sites. Among 38 species recorded, 5 were shellfish and 33 were finfish. The spawning period of fishes was found to be during summer and early monsoon period （May to August）. Surface water temperatures varied from 17℃ to 37 ℃. Salinity values varied from 34 to 44 and the pH ranged between 7 and 8.9. Variation in dissolved oxygen content was from 3.42 to 5.85 mL L^-1. The high fishery densities in these semi arid mangrove creek areas were recorded during monsoon and early winter season.

New Discovery of Coral Rubbings in the North-Western Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, Western India-GIS Based Evaluation

The Gulf of Kachchh in western India, with its arid climate, large semi-diurnal tidal amplitudes, negative water balance and near-pristine water quality, is being extensively developed as oil importing bases for economic reasons in connection with its proximity to the oil exporting countries of the Middle East. Besides, new coral rubbings were sighted in Jakhau, north-western Gulf of Kachchh. Dredging in Mandvi of the north Gulf covering 3.5 km2 revealed a similar assortment of live corals with their associated flora and fauna. These pioneering observations demonstrate that there exist live corals of young polyps-colony of Favia sp. belonging to the family Faviidae in the north-western Gulf of Kachchh. The environmental parameters there were carefully recorded as: surface water temperature (℃) varying from 29 to 31.8, salinity (ppt), pH, dissolved oxygen (mgL-1) and total suspended solids (mgL-1) in the ranges of 37- 43.5, 7.7- 8.45, 5.4 - 6.8 and 11- 31, respectively.

Foraging ecology of the globally threatened Nilgiri Wood Pigeon(Columba elphinstonii)in the Western Ghats,India

Foraging ecology of the globally endangered Nilgiri Wood Pigeon(Columba elphinstonii) was investigated in the Western Ghats,India,using faecal sampling and direct observations.The birds fed on fruits of 39 plant species,on seeds of 11 species,flowers and leaf buds of four species and a few ground invertebrates.Direct observations across seasons showed nine plant species were selected more often(47% of observations),with fruits of the members of the family Lauraceae the most preferred.Gleaning accounted for 76% of feeding methods throughout the year.Feeding was mainly from twigs at the edges on the upper and middle canopy(> 6 m).Frequency of feeding on fruits correlated significantly with fruit abundance,which depended on rainfall.The present study indicates that the pigeon requires a wide variety of diets from different forest environments.Conservation of this species depends on preserving all habitat types required to meet their resource needs throughout the year.

Ambient Air Quality Surveillance and Indexing in and around Mining Clusters in Western Kachchh Region, Gujarat, India

Generation of baseline information about ambient air quality of any given region assumes significance, when the area is 1) an active mine site, 2) proposed to be mined out in future, and 3) industrialization in the area is in fast pace. Ambient air quality monitoring (with respect to SPM, RPM, SO2, NOx and CO) was carried out in and around two mining complexes in western parts of Kachchh district in Gujarat to generate baseline air quality status of the area. This area has two major mine complexes and various large scale industrial projects (thermal power plants, cement plants and several ports and jetties) are also in pipeline. Ambient air sampling was carried out in eight locations within five km radial distance from two major mine sites, i.e. Panandhro and Mata-na-Madh, with four locations for each mine site. Air Quality Indexing was done for all the locations, since it is a simplest way for the prediction of ambient air quality status of any region with respect to industrial, residential and rural areas. Of the eight locations studied the air quality for six locations fell under fairly clean (Light Air Pollution, AQI 25-50) category, while the rest (rural areas in the region), had relatively better air quality and fell under clean (Clean Air, AQI 10-25) category.

Status,structure and environmental variations in semi-arid mangroves of India

The semi-arid mangroves of the Gulf of Kachchh,the largest ecosystems on the west coast of India,are poorly studied in terms of vegetation structure and environmental parameters in spite of their conservation significance.Therefore,it is necessary to document the structural features of these mangroves in view of ongoing coastal industrial development.Mangrove forest structure in 10 locations on the northern and southern coasts of the Gulf of Kachchh were assessed using the line intercept transect method.Descriptions included density of young and mature age classes,tree heights,diameters at breast height(DBH)and aboveground biomass,along with seven significant environmental variables.Mature tree densities ranged from 350 to 1567 ind.ha-1,while average height and girth at breast height ranged from 1.0 to 6.8 m and 3.0 to 137.0 cm,respectively.The majority of trees(55.6%)were in B 1.8 m height class followed by a 1.9 to 2.4 m class(25.1%).DBH was most often in class 2 cm or lower than that.Among the canopy index classes,more trees were recorded in class ≤2 cm.The regeneration density was greater than the recruitment class.This study indicates that the poor structural attributes of Avicennia marina Vierth.var.acutissima Stapf and Mold dominated mangroves are largely due to aridity induced by scarce and erratic rainfall and high soil and water salinities.The results should be valuable in conserving and sustainably managing these mangroves in the face of developmental activities.

Plant diversity and phenological pattern in the montane wet temperate forests of the southern Western Ghats,India

Plants diversity and phenological pattern of the trees were monitored in a montane wet temperate forest （shola） in the Kukkal Forest, Palni hills of the southern Western Ghats, India. Twelve random plots were selected for sampling the vegetation. For phenological studies, twenty-three fleshy fruit trees were identified in the study area and 10 individuals of each species were selected to record the phenological events fortnightly between April 2002 and April 2004. The phenological events were divided into vegetative and reproductive phases. A total of 2279 individuals were inventoried which belong to 83 species, 68 genera and 40 families. About 30% of the species were endemic to the Western Ghats. The most dominant species （〉 1 cm dbh） was Psychotria nilgiriensis var. astephana （Rubiaceae）, which accounted for 12% of the total sampled individuals. Lauraceae was the dominant family accounting for 20% of the individuals. Fruiting peak occurred in July 2003 and least in June 2002. During the peak period, fruits of 85 individuals of six species were observed. Syzygium tamilnadensis, Ilex wightiana and Beilschmiedia wightii fruited only once during the two years of study. The number of fruiting species showed no correlation with rainfall （r = 0.26, p = 0.2）, while a correlation was found with fruit abundance （r = 0.40, p 〈 0.05）. The results indicate that the montane wet temperate forest is unique in their diversity and a conspicuous display in phenology.

Local perceptions of grassland change and priorities for conservation of natural resources of Banni, Gujarat, India

This study was conducted in the Banni region of the Gujarat State,India,which is located in the western-most end of the country.The main objective was to investigate the local perceptions of grassland change,regeneration potentiality,socio-economic status and fac-tors that cause degradation of the vegetation resources in Banni.Participatory Rural Appraisal(PRA)was employed to generate the socio-economic profile of interviewed villages or hamlets.Information on vegetation deteriora-tion and changes in species composition significant for sustainable management of grassland was obtained through interviews with 51 elderly maldharies(pastoral-ists)and local inhabitants living in 31 villages in Banni.Local people had observed a change in the local surrounding habitats from grassland to woodland(domi-nated by Prosopis juliflora,locally called Gando Bavar)during their lifetime and considered it primarily a result of frequent intensive drought,constructed dams on flooding rivers in Banni,and declining rainfall.The socio-economic survey showed that the Banni communities are highly dependent on the natural grassland for various purposes.In particular,nine woody species were useful for construction of the traditional house called Bhunga,four for medicine and 22 for livestock fodder.Highly preferred and declining species were characteristically large wild thorny trees with edible fruits,viz.Acacia nilotica subsp.indica(Bavar),Prosopis cineraria(Kandho),and Salvadora persica(Kharijar).Some of the locally highly preferred grass species were also considered to be declining in the local environs;they included Dichanthium annulatum(Jinjvo),Cenchrus ciliaris(Dhaman),Sporobolus fertilis(Khevai)and Chloris barbata(Siyarpuchha).The study furthermore identified a close coincidence between the interest in conserving tree species diversity nearby the natural water resources and priorities of local inhabitants,which included protection of plenty of large trees(including many fruit tress,viz.Mangifera indicia(Ambo),Cordia dichotoma(Gunda)and Pithecellobium dulce(Gora-samli)),improvement of woody fodder tree and grass species regeneration,and reduction of overgrazing pres-sure on grasslands.Focusing management strategies on increasing the populations of such declining and highly preferred tree and grass species,by active restoration and grazing policies,would enhance the natural resource value and biodiversity wealth considerably and thereby the quality of life for the local inhabitants.The implications of the results are discussed and recommendations are suggested for conservation,management,and sustainable utilization of the fragile grassland ecosystem of the Banni region.

Untargeted secondary metabolite profiling and putative pathway deduction of a marine Ochrophyte-Iyengaria stellata(Børgesen)using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

This study divulges biochemical traits,mineral makeup,and the secondary metabolite outline of the less explored Ochrophyte,Iyengaria stellata(Børgesen)using untargeted metabolite profiling along the Pingleshwar coast,Kachchh,India.Macro mineral Na(4921.33±0.577 mg/100 g Dry Weight)and micro mineral Fe(859.76±0.98 mg/100 g DW)were found to be in the highest quantities.A total of 108 putative metabolites were detected using both,the positive electrospray ionization mode(+ESI)and negative electrospray ionization mode(-ESI of the Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Time of Flight(LCMS-TOF).The identified metabolites included steroids,terpenoids,ketones,esters,polyphenols,anthraquinones,tocopherol,etc.The metabolomics data obtained from the+ESI mode led to the inference of a putative glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway that shall provide valuable insights for future metabolic engineering studies.This study highlights the first attempt to decipher the secondary metabolite composition of I.stellata thereby further accounting for its potential as a natural source in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compositions.