Ecology & environment
“In Central India, individual plant species figure in the first fruit ceremonies of the adivasi (indigenous) communities. During certain periods of the year, their fruits, flowers, leaves or seeds are not collected or consumed. This allows those species to rest for a few weeks or months during crucial periods for their growth or regeneration. The norms around these practices or methods are often embedded within the cultural-religious traditions of communities. As a knowledge system being transferred between generations, seldom are they explained or discussed in terms of ecology or conservation.” – Madhu Ramnath in “How culture threatens species A note on Caryota urens in South India” (Current Conservation 16.3, accessed 4 December 2022)
https://www.currentconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/16.3.pdf
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=20305
Video | Synopsis: “Have you seen the arana?” Documentary by Sunanda Bhat – Kerala
Director: Sunanda Bhat | Producer: Songline FilmsGenre: Documentary | Produced In: 2012 | Story Teller’s Country: India Synopsis: The film interweaves contemporary narratives with an ancient tribal creation myth to explore the effects of a rapidly changing landscape on lives and livelihoods. A woman’s concern over the disappearance of medicinal plants from the forest, a farmer’s … Read more
Interaction between different species for the plants and animals in India’s biodiversity hotspots: The need for maintaining rain forests – Western Ghats
The Hindu, September 16, 2013, S & T » Environment | Read the entire article and view the slideshow here >> The Great Hornbill is the king of the canopy in the rainforests and the Western Ghats is one of the best places to see these hornbills. The rainforests of the world cover less than 6 per cent … Read more
India’s tribal cultural heritage – Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state of the country but has a small tribal population [namely] five major Scheduled Tribes and about 18 other tribal groups. Source: “An analytical study of socio-economic conditions of tribal farmers in Bijnor district of U.P. State”, PhD thesis by Mohammad Awais, 2013URL: https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/jspui/handle/10603/11218Date Visited: 14 September 2022 “Natpurwa … Read more
Sharing valuable rice varieties with farmers: Biodiversity for the sake of “vital nutrients and the ability to withstand flood, drought, salinity or pest infestations” – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha Maharashtra & West Bengal
IN BRIEF India originally possessed some 110,000 landraces of rice with diverse and valuable properties. These include enrichment in vital nutrients and the ability to withstand flood, drought, salinity or pest infestations. The Green Revolution covered fields with a few high-yielding varieties, so that roughly 90 percent of the landraces vanished from farmers’ collections. High-yielding … Read more