FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK

Director

During the past three decades, KFRI has made significant contributions totropical forestry research that has made the Institute well known globally. The vision of KFRI is to achieve excellence in forestry research and to use that competence to study and provide information for better management of our forests and for updating our policies to suit the changing local needs and global challenges. The mission of the Institute is to provide research support for the sustainable management of forests and environment, with particular emphasis on conservation of biodiversity, water and soil resources of the State. The research and extension projects undertaken by the Institute have not only been of local relevance but also of national and global Significance.
The integration of KFRI with other R&D Institutions of the State under the common umbrella of Kerala State Council of Science, Technology and Environment headed by the Chief Minister in 1993 was a turning point in terms of opportunities for inter-institutional research collaboration as well as access to adequate funds for specific research programmes. The Institute has identified certain priorities of research themes that it wishes to undertake during the next couple of decades. Essentially, these priority areas are identified after examining their relevance to society, our State and also the global environment.

One such important area identified is Biodiversity documentation, conservation and utilisation. The concept has been based on the recognition of the value of different biotic components to sustain human life on earth and that all natural systems are to be viewed in their more complete perspective for their effective conservation. The Institute has already initiated a few projects on documentation of biodiversity in different Panchayaths. Conservation of rare, endangered and threatened plant and animal species is another aspect of research at KFRI. The Institute has also initiated programmes to establish arboreta and live collections of rare and endemic plants including medicinal plants, palms, orchids, bamboos and canes. Research into vegetative propagation and micropropagation of forestry species has yet been another major activity of KFRI in the past decade.

 
DR. C. CHANDRASEKHARAN MEMORIAL AWARD

KFRI has received an endowment of Rs 3 lakhs from Mrs Indira Chandrasekharan to institute the Dr C. Chandrasekhran Endowment, the proceeds of which will be utilised to grant an annual Dr Chandrasekharan Memorial Award. The Endowment Committee will decide on the annual lecture and select the recipient of the Award which will be presented on September 11 or thereabout, coinciding with the death anniversary of Dr Chandrasekharan. The Award will consist of a citation, a gold medal and a cash prize. The recipient will be invited to be the guest of KFRI for a week at Peechi or Nilambur to familiarise himself/herself with KFRI’s current activities. The Award will be presented annually to a research student doing notable work in any aspect of forest conservation and management in Kerala as judged by the Endowment Committee. A notification inviting applications / nominations for the award will be published / communicated to all Universities and Research Centres. The short listed candidates will be called for making a presentation of their work at KFRI for making the final selection.

Ms Joyce Jose has been awarded the award for 2010. Details of the work follow.

Joyce Jose  

ANIMAL DIVERSITY OF MYRISTICA SWAMPS IN SOUTHERN KERALA WITH EMPHASIS ON HERPETOFAUNA
Ms. Joyce Jose

The Myristica swamp is a unique, naturally fragmented ecosystem needing special abiotic conditions for development. This ecosystem has been restricted into small patches along selected waterways of the Western Ghats. Anthropogenic causes have further fragmented this ecosystem. The total area of Myristica swamps in India is less than 200 hectares. Studies on the faunal diversity or on threats to this ecosystem were almost non-existent. In this context, a study on the general animal diversity, herpetofaunal assemblages and anthropogenic perturbations in the Myristica swamp patches of Kulathupuzha Forest Range, Anchal Forest Range and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary is relevant.
Objectives: 1) To prepare an inventory of the fauna of Myristica swamps in southern Kerala with emphasis on herpetofauna. 2) To identify the composition and assemblage structure of selected herpetofauna of Myristica swamps from an ecological perspective.3.   To identify the anthropogenic disturbances to the Myristica swamps and to formulate strategies for the conservation of Myristica swamps.
Results in a nutshell:
Fragmented swamp patches adding to a total area of only 149.75 ha provide habitat for 362 invertebrate species (Platyhelminthes-3 sp., Nemathelminthes-1, Annelida-4, Mollusca-10, Insecta-281, Myriapoda-6 and Arachnida-54) and 281 vertebrate species (Picses-14, Amphibia-56 species, Reptilia-55, Aves-129, Mammalia-27(inventory)). Myristica swamps contain 23% butterflies, 11% spiders, 8.4% fishes, more than 50% amphibians, more than 20% reptiles, 26.6% birds and 6.6% mammals of Kerala State. Of the animals recorded from the Myristica swamp 16.3% are endemic to Western Ghats and 24.2% of the vertebrates recorded from the swamps are red listed.
Quantitative sampling of herpetofauna in the Myristica swamps and analysis indicated the following. Sampling was complete. The composition of the amphibian and reptilian populations were dominated by a few species. Four amphibian species, Limnonectes keralensis** (29.3%), Rana temporalis (28.7%), Nyctibatrachus major** (15.1%) and Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (7.3%) contributed 80.2% of the total amphibians recorded from the transects. In reptiles Trimeresurus malabaricus** (22.8%), Xenochrophis piscator (8.9%), contributed to 31.7% of the total reptile population. Three species, Mabuya macularia (14.6%), Sphenomorphus dussumieri (12.7%) and Calotes ellioti** (6.7%), contributed to 34% of the total reptile population in transects.
Species diversity (S) and species abundance (N) inside the swamps were significantly higher than the S and N recorded from outside the swamps for both reptiles and amphibians. Different ecological preferences of the two groups (amphibians and reptiles), trophic levels and difference in mobility were reflected in the different responses (diurnal and nocturnal activity and sightings, seasonal fluctuations in S and N, species turnover between swamp and non swamp area, spatial distribution patterns, etc.) of these groups to environment and the sampling efforts.
The study may be used as a point of reference for further research and for formulating management and conservation strategies for the Myristica swamps of Southern Kerala.
*details are given in biodata
**endemic to Western Ghats