[Botanical Survey of India, Zoological Survey of India, Forest Survey of India]
Botanical Survey of India (BSI)
Established in 1890 the Botanical Survey of India with its Headquarter in Calcutta and nine Circle / Field Offices located throughout the country, is involved in exploring the plant wealth of the country and identifying the species having economic potentiality for the welfare of mankind. The objectives of the Botanical Survey of India are categorized as follows :
Exploration and inventorisation of phytodiversity in general and protected areas, Hotspots, fragile ecosystems, sacred groves, etc. in particular.
Documentation of phytodiversity in the form of National, State and District Flora; the Flora of protected areas, Hotspots, fragile ecosystems, sacred groves, etc.
Monitoring of phytodiversity to evaluate the qualitative as well as quantitative changes in the biodiversity.
Identification of threatened species including endemics, their mapping, population studies and identification of ecosystems needing conservation.
Ex-situ conservation of critically threatened taxa in the Botanical Gardens through conventional and biotechnological methods.
Bio-prospective survey of plant resources of the country, to identify economically as well as ethnobotanically important species for their conservation and sustainable utilisation.
To prepare National Database on the above, including herbarium collections (incl. Types), live collection plant distribution, etc.
Environmental Impact Assessment studies as may be specifically called for.
Pharmacological studies on medicinal plants used by tribals.
Phytochemical, Palynological and Cytological studies to provide additional information to determine systematic position and taxonomic status of closely related taxa.
To collect and preserve plants and plant products, variously used by the people in the form of museum exhibits for general awareness amongst the masses.
Human resource development and education in the methodology of study of phytodiversity.
To organize environmental awareness programmes regarding role of plants in environmental protection and pollution amelioration.
The activities of the BSI during the year were as follows:
Botanical Exploration and inventorisation of phytodiversity
About 30 exploration tours were undertaken by various circle offices and units of BSI in different priority areas, Hotspots, fragile ecosystems of North Eastern India, Andaman & Nicobar Islands / Sikkim, South Western Ghats and Western Himalayas including Ladhak, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Garwhal Himalayas. A total of 6000 specimens have been collected, out of which 3100 specimens are identified and about 1550 have been inventorised by different circle offices / units of Botanical Survey of India.
Documentation of Phytodiversity
Final manuscript of 30 spp. of Amaryllidaceae and Hypoxidaceae, 8 spp. of Viscaceae and 34 spp. of Araceae and 5 spp. of Ischaemum have been completed.
State Flora
Editing of the Flora of Nagaland (Vol III & IV) has been completed and the same for Cyperaceae family for Flora of Madhya Pradesh (Vol III) and Flora of Mizoram (Vol II) are being finalized. Checklist of Malvaceae and Tiliaceeae, key to the species of genus Berbaris and final manuscript of 47 species of Dicots for Flora of J &K have also been completed. Approximately 159 species have been studied and final manuscript of 45 (approx) have been completed for Flora of Govind Pashu Vihar National Park.
Final manuscript of 55 spp. (approx) for Flora of Sikkim and Flora of Pench National Park (Maharashtra) have also been completed during the year.
Conservation
Total five tours were undertaken and 200 spp. collected. Forty-four rare and wild relatives of ornamental plants and plants of economic value from wild were collected for conservation and multiplication in the Indian Botanic Garden. Population studies of 66 rare and threatened species have been analysed to determine the status of taxa as per IUCN categories. Ex-situ conservation of 153 rare and threatened spp. has been carried out by multiplication at different experimental gardens of Circles office of Botanical Survey of India.
Cytological studies / Palynological studies / Botanical gallery / Plant physiology
Cytological studies have been carried out and chromosome number determined for 11 species of Acanthaceae and Papilionaceae. Palynological studies were conducted and phytographs of 9 species of Indigofera and 12 other plants were prepared. Reproductive capacity of 9 species of wetland species endemic to West Bengal were also determined.
Bioprospective assessment of phytodiversity
Five collection tours have been undertaken and 1000 specimens of wild plants of economic and medicinal value were collected and information stored for about 380 species. Phytochemical screening of 14 species of mangrove plants in West Bengal and Orissa and that of 4 species of Menispermaceae have been completed. Chemical screening of the seeds of Grensiar arbiculate (Tiliaceae) were carried out. Isolation of flavenoids from Baubimia veriegata and B. racemosa completed. 95 museum materials were collected from different parts of Orissa, West Bengal and Andaman Nicobar Islands during the year.
Mounting, Stitching and label pasting of about 8000 specimens have been completed by different Circle offices / units of Botanical Survey of India. About 3000 specimens were identified and 4500 specimens accessioned. 1500 specimens were indexed and about 4000 specimens were incorporated in the herbarium of different circle offices. During the year 252 photographs and 50 illustrations were prepared and 350 books and journals were purchased by different circle offices.
Publications of BSI brought out during the year were as follows :
Flora of Bilaspur District, M.P. (Vol 2)
Ethonobotany of Totapara, North Bengal.
Flora of Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra
70 research papers / scientific articles in different national and international journals.
A database relating to Medicinal plants, type collection and rare and threatened species has been developed.
Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah has monitored eight projects of EIA study all over India.
Herbarium methodology training was conducted during May, 1999 at Southern Circle, BSI, Coimbatore in which candidates from different colleges of Kerala joined the training programme.
Regular environmental film shows are being organised by Industrial Section Auditorium of BSI to incubate awareness among the people.
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
Introduction
The Zoological Survey of India, with its headquarter at Calcutta and sixteen Regional stations located in different parts of the country is involved in the exploration, studies and inventorisation of faunal resources of the country. During the year, it continued to persue these objectives with renewed thrust on biodiversity.
Faunal explorations and research works undertaken were broadly under four major programmes a) Fauna of States, b) Fauna of Conservation areas and c) Fauna of Important Ecosystems and d) Ecological Studies.
Highlights of various activities undertaken by ZSI during the year are as follows :
Faunal Exploration and Surveys
Altogether 75 extensive faunistic surveys were undertaken covering seven States, 15 conservation areas and five ecosystems. Detailed taxonomic studies were carried out on the material collected during these as well as earlier surveys. Beside these, ecological studies including status survey of endangered animals were carried out under nine different projects.
Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem
Surveys were conducted in Palakkad district of Kerala for faunal resources.
Wetland Ecosystem
Important wetlands surveyed during this year comprised of Jaikawadi and Nathsagar of Maharashtra and wetlands in Keoladeo Ghana National park of Rajasthan.
Estuarine Ecosystem
Estuaries of Hooghly Matla in West Bengal and Krishna in Andhra Pradesh were further surveyed.
Coastal and Marine Ecosystem
Faunal explorations were carried out in the coastal waters of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
National Parks
Faunal diversity surveys were carried out in Satpura (Madhya Pradesh), Pench and Tadoba (Maharashtra) National Parks.
Biosphere Reserves
Seven Islands of Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve were surveyed.
Wildlife Sanctuaries
Surveys were conducted in Wildlife Sanctuaries of Pachmarhi and Bori (Madhya Pradesh), Saipung (Meghalaya) and Biligiri Rangaswamy (Karnataka)
States and Union Territories
Under this programme surveys were conducted in Andhra Pradesh (Anantapur, Chittor, Cuddapah, Guntur, Krishna, East and West Godavari districts) Arunachal Pradesh (Dibang Valley), Assam (Goalpara), Gujarat (Kutch and Banaskantha), Karnataka (Dakshin Kannada, and Kodagu), Kerala (Kottyam), Maharashtra (Pune), Madhya Pradesh (Jabalpur, Mandla, Rajnandgaon and Sidhi), Nagaland (Dinapur and Kohima) and Uttar Pradesh (Azamgarh, Allahabad, Ballia, Bahraich, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Gazipur, Mirzapur and Sultanpur districts)
Ecological Surveys
Some Islands in Sundarbans (West Bengal) (Coastal Biomonitoring).
Some East Calcutta wetland (plankton and benthos ecology)
Coral reef of Andaman & Nicobar (Faunal association)
A newly emerged island at Sunderban Delta (Faunal succession)
Identification of new Taxa
During the year detailed taxonomic studies resulted in the discovery of a total of 8 species of Insecta (4 of Diptera : Chloropidae, 2 of Hymenoptera : Torymidae and 2 of Hymenoptera : Pteromalidae).
Taxonomic Studies
The research works carried out on fauna collected from different States, conservation areas and other ecosystem are as follows :
Fauna of States
Details of number of specimens and species identified, based on the collections made from different States are given in Table - 1
Groups of Animals Identified
(Total number of specimens and species in parenthesis)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- States surveyed Protozoa Bryozoa Annelida Apterygota Odonata Isoptera Hemiptera Hymenoptera Lepidoptera Coleoptera Diptera --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andhra Pradesh 49(12) 39(5) 33(5) 286(20) 40(14) 66(15) 66(15) Arunachal Pradesh 20(4) 20(4) 15(3) Gujarat 40(18) Himachal Pradesh Karnataka 70(12) Madhya Pradesh 232(60) Maharashtra 5(3) 4(2) 3(3) Manipur 47(10) 20(6) 23(3) Mizoram 93(13) 16(4) 350(38) 19(8) Nagaland 50(35) 25(6) 5(2) Rajasthan 83(4) 870(35) Sikkim 29(9) 144(12) Tamil Nadu 13(3) Uttar Pradesh 15(1) 32(2) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- States surveyed Orthoptera Arachnida Acarina Crustacea Chilopoda Mollusca Echinodermata Pisces Amphibia Reptilia Mammalia ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andaman & Nicobar Is. 12(4) 25(5) 50(5) Andhra Pradesh 221(35) Arunachal Pradesh Assam 205(3) 1268(80) 5(2) Bihar 4371(15) Goa 47(3) Himachal Pradesh 2(2) Karnataka 11(8) 3791(65) 23(5) 23(9) Kerala 15(3) Madhya Pradesh 165(8) 113(4) 40(3) Maharashtra 9(2) 36(7) 26(9) 4(2) Manipur 250(52) 20(6) Mizoram 60(4) 35(8) 350(38) 125(25) 25(3) Nagaland 84(20) 1(1) Pondicherry 50(11) Sikkim 95(12) Tamil Nadu 630(27) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tandoba National Park, Maharashtra : 27 examples belonging to 6 species of Crustacea and 13 examples pertaining to 10 species of Odonata were identified.
Pench National Park Maharashtra : 96 examples consisting of 5 species of Thysanoptera, 5 examples belonging to 4 species, of Arachnida, 4 examples pertaining to 3 species of Crustacea, 5 examples pertaining to 2 species of Reptilia and 1 example belonging to 1 species of Mammalia were identified.
Eraviculam National Park, Kerala : 25 examples consisting of 13 species of Lepidoptera, 25 examples belonging to 1 species of Mollusca, 7 examples of 4 species of Hymenoptera and 8 examples pertaining to 6 species of Reptilia were identified.
Melghat Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra : 2 examples (4 species) of Crustacea, 9 examples (5 species) of Arachnida, 24 examples (8 species ) of Lepidopetra, 18 examples (4 species) of Myriapoda, 18 examples (6 species) of Mollusca, 22 examples (12 species) of Odonata, 231 examples (16 species) of Pisces, 6 examples (3 species) of Amphibia were identified.
Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu) : 31 examples (8 species) of Crustacea and 289 examples (75 species ) of Pisces were identified.
Pachmarhi (Madhya Pradesh) : 64 examples pertaining to 8 species of Coleoptera were recognised.
Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu :12 examples (6 species) of Reptiles, 599 examples (24 species) of Pisces and 107 examples (12 species) of Amphibia were determined.
Bhim Bandh Wildlife Sanctuary, Munger : 42 examples (9 species) of Lepidoptera, 45 examples (4) species of Pisces and 27 examples (2 species) of mammalia were determined.
Saipung Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghalaya : 123 examples (29 species) of Pisces and 44 examples 4 species of Amphibia were determined.
Annamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu : 23 examples (5 species ) of Amphibia and 3 examples (3 species) of Reptiles were determined.
Bilgiri Rangaswami Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka : 7 examples (2 species) of Arachnids and 2127 examples (22) species of Pisces were determined.
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala : 3 examples (3 species) of Reptiles and 23 examples (5) species of Amphibia were identified.
Nalsarovar, Gujarat : 3 examples (3 species) of Diptera and 3 examples (1 species) of Dermoptera were determined.
Nathsagar, Maharashtra : Qualitative analysis of a few samples of Plankton consisting mainly of Rotifera, Cladocera, Ostracoda and Copepoda were carried out.
Asan Reservoir, Dehra Dun : 326 examples (10 species) of Mollusca were studied and identified.
Keoladeo Ghana, Rajasthan : Odonata collections were sorted out for further study.
Tropical Rainforest Western Ghat Ecosystem : 68 examples (22 species) of Odonata, 160 examples (20 species) of Hymenoptera 90 examples (9 species) of Pisces, 68 examples (9 species) of Amphibia and 9 examples (7 species) of Reptilia were determined.
Krishna estuary, Andhra Pradesh : 149 examples (15 species ) of Polychaeta, 245 examples (30 species) of Crustacea, 399 examples (2 species) of Mollusca and 969 examples (70 species ) of Pisces were identified.
Coastal and marine ecosystem, Andhra Coast : 7 examples (2 species) of Polychaeta were determined.
West Bengal Coast : 7 examples of Platyhelminthis, 108 examples of Coelentrata, 112 examples of Polychacta, 204 examples of Mollusca, 2 examples of Echinodermata, 2 examples of Crustacea were collected and studied in the field.
Out of the material obtained during the Cruises of Sagar Sampada, a total of 2562 examples belonging to 7 species of Chaetognatha were identified.
The following research studies pertaining to various ecosystems were continued during the year.
Ecology of plankton and benthos in East Calcutta wetlands, oxbow lakes and large beels of southern West Bengal.
Studies on the fauna associated with coral reefs of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Studies on the inter-tidal fauna of Hoogly estuary.
Faunal succession in newly emerged island at Sunderban delta.
Biomonitoring in the coastal areas of West Bengal.
Status survey of Chinkara and Desert Cat in Gujarat.
Studies on the ecology, and behaviour of giant squirrel Ratofa bicolour gigantea (Mc Lelland) in North Bengal forests.
Studies on ecology and behaviour of Asian Elephat at Chandrika Wildlife Sanctuary.
Studies on ecology and behaviour of Macaca assamensis Mc Lelland in the forests of North Bengal.
Trichotaxonomic studies on some endangered mammalian species.
Cytotaxonomical studies on mammals.
Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies
EIA Studies were conducted for Bansagar Canal Construction project in Uttar Pradesh. A total of 2269 specimens (2254 invertebrates and 15 vertebrates) were collected and studied.
Identification of Advisory Services
ZSI Continued to render identification and advisory services free of cost to research and teaching institutes in India and abroad, Central and State Govt. Agencies, Non Governmental Organisations and individuals on Zoological matters. During this period, 177 queries pertaining to different faunal groups were attended to.
Development of National Zoological Collcections
The ZSI, which is the National repository of Zoological specimens, maintains the collection of a large number of identified examples of species belonging to almost all groups of animals of the country. The National Zoological Collections were further enriched by the addition of 24678 specimens belonging to 1025 species including 8 species new to science.
The following Training Courses were organised during the year :-
Tenth Training Course on collection, preservation and identification of Insects and Mites of economic importance.
Sixth Leadership course on Environmental Awareness and Wildlife Conservation.
Fourth Refresher Course on Collection and Preservation Techniques.
The following publications were released during the year:
Records of Zoological Survey of India, vol. 97, I, II and III
Occasional paper Nos. 170, 171, 172 and 173
Memoirs of ZSI, Vol 18(3) and 18(4)
Bibliography of Indian Zoology, Vol. 30.
Faunal Diversity in India
Bharat Ki Prani Vividhita (Hindi)
Handbook of Whales, Dolphins and Dugong
Manual of Environmental Impact Assessment
A total of 6550 copies of periodicals / books were sent in exchange to various institutes in the country and abroad.
World Environment Day and Wildlife Week were celebrated at ZSI, HQ, Calcutta.
Laboratory facilities and guidance were provided to a number of scientists both from the country and abroad in the laboratories of Headquarters and Regional stations of ZSI.
42 examples belonging to 15 species of Amphibia, Holotype and 10 Paratype of one species of Oribatid mites and 119 specimen of fishes of Brahmputra were received as donations of specimen by the ZSI.
A pilot project of GEF on the biodiversity of coral reefs associated fauna in Andaman and Nicobar Island was undertaken.
10 scientists and staffs of the Survey participated in seven training courses in different parts of the country. One scientist was also selected for participation in the Tenth Antarctica Expedition.
The Forest Survey of India, established in June 1981 is entrusted with the responsibility of survey of forest resources in the country. The FSI has four zonal offices located at Bangalore, Calcutta, Nagpur and Shimla with headquarters at Dehradun.
The objectives of Forest Survey of India are
To prepare a comprehensive State of Forest Report (SFR) including National Forest Vegetation Map (NVM) once in every two years, also prepare thematic map through use of remote sensing data with minimum essential ground truth verification in 10 years cycle.
To collect, store and retrieve necessary forestry related data for national and state level planning and to create a computer based National Basic Forest Inventory System (NBFIS).
To design methodologies relating to forest surveys and subsequent updating. This would include methodology for :-
Vegetation mapping including thematic maps through use of satellite imagery / aerial photographs.
Ground truth verification.
Growing stock and volume assessment.
To undertake work in regard to preparation of forest inventory in selected States / UTs on agency basis until establishment of their own resources survey units.
To impart training in modern forest survey techniques to foresters at various levels of responsibility in States /U/GOI.
To support and oversee technique / inventory work by State / UT forest departments.
The activities of the FSI undertaken during the year were as follows :
One of the main objectives of Forest Survey of India is to assess the forest cover and monitor, on a two year cycle, the broad changes in forest vegetation cover of the country by using multi-satellite data on 1:250,000 scale. The first assessment of the forest cover of the country was done based on visual interpretation of satellite imageries for the period 1981-83 and the first National Vegetation Map was prepared in 1987 on 1:1 million scale. Since then six reports have been published. The work of the seventh report is almost completed and proposed to be published in the middle of the year 2000. Forest Survey of India used Landsat data earlier but now use Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) data for the assessment of the forest cover. In the seventh assessment, data of IRS1C / 1D is also being used. Visual interpretation method of satellite is being phased out gradually by Digital Image Processing (DIP). Five high end workstations for DIP were commissioned in May 1999 which has been utilised for processing for satellite data of 12 states of the country comprising seven North-Eastern States, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashta and Andhra Pradesh.
Forest Survey of India is engaged in preparing thematic map on a scale of 1:50,000 by interpretation of aerial photographs. These maps depict the forest types, species composition, crown density of forest cover and other land use. Every year about 5,000 aerial photographs corresponding to 260 topographical sheets (1:50,000) of Survey of India have been interpreted. Keeping inview the problems associated and relatively older data available in the aerial photos, this activity is being phased out. One work station is being provided to each zonal office who in turn will use satellite datas of high resolution (IRS 1C / ID-PAN Data) to prepare updated thematic maps with intensive ground truth and support state forest departments in preparation of Working Plans.
Inventory Survey of Non-forest Area
Keeping in view the important role played by tree plantations and to assess the impact of social forestry and other forestry extension programmes in meeting fuelwood, timber needs of the people and raw material requirements of wood based industries, survey of plantation outside conventional forest was started by the Forest Survey of India in 1992. The survey, in Harayana has been completed and of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan are in advanced stage. This activity is gaining popularity because unknown wood resources growing outside forests has tremendous potential to meet societys need.
Since its inception as Pre-investment Survey of Forest Resources (PISFR) in 1965, field inventory has been one of the most important activities of Forest Survey of India. During the sixteen year of existence, PISFR carried out ground inventory over a forest area of 2.28 lakhs sq. km in India and 0.38 lakhs sq.km in Nepal and Bhutan. After creation of the Forest Survey of India in 1981, it has carried out field inventory in an additional area of 4.22 lakhs sq. km till 1998. Methodology adopted by the Forest Survey of India for carrying out field inventories ha based on the stratified random sampling with 0.01 intensity of sampling.
An inventory report prepared by the Forest Survey of India gives details of area estimates, topographic description, classification, rate of forest (healthy or degraded), ownership pattern, estimation of volume and other growth parameters such as height and diameter in different types of forest, estimation of growth, regeneration and mortality of important species, volume equation and wood consumption of the area studied. Forest Survey of India has planned to cover the growing stock assessment of the whole country in a short period of 4-5 years.
Forest Survey of India organizes eight to ten training programmes for forestry personnel of different level of responsibility on application of remote sensing techniques in forestry, GIS, forest inventory and electronic data processing. The duration of training varies from one week to four weeks depending on the level of personnel. One week compulsory training course is organized for the Indian Forest Services Officers. Two week training course is organized for the Working Plan and SFS Officers to expose them to the use of remote sensing techniques in preparation of working plans, updating stock maps, ground inventory and data processing. Four-week training is imparted to Forest Range Officers to train them in interpretation of satellite data and aerial photographs, forest inventory and electronic data processing. The skills of the technical staff of Forest Survey of India are also updated through suitably designed training course. A computer lab with fifteen computers alongwith appropriate softwares has been established to make the training more effective.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Forest and Plantation Development Corporation Ltd.
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands Forest and Plantation Development Corporation Ltd., a Government of India Undertaking has an authorised capital of Rs. 600 lakhs. The paid-up share capital is Rs. 359.18 lakhs, all the shares being held by the Central Government. The Company started functioning in 1977 and is a category C Central PSU. The Corporation has also financed its capital from the resources generated internally. The Department of Public Enterprises has given a status of Mini Ratna to the Corporation. The main activities of the Corporation during the year were timber logging and regeneration, oil palm cultivation and processing and commercial management of rubber plantation. The Corporation is trying to diversify its activities wherever possible within the ambit of its objectives.