| Sanction Date: | 20.03.2025 | |||
| Project Category | MG | |||
| Year | 2024-2025 | |||
| Project Duration | 3 Years | |||
| BTA : | BCM | |||
| Project Site/ State/ Districts/ Villages Covered: |
Eastern Himalayas |
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| Organization/ Implementation Agency: | Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Western Regional Centre, Pune, Maharashtra | |||
| Project Partners: | S.No. | Name | ||
| 1. | Botanical Survey of India, Western Regional Centre, Pune, Maharashtra | |||
| Lead Proponent: | Dr. A. Benniamin |
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| Project Brief Description: | Pteridophytes are extremely diverse group, occupying varied physical and biological substrates such as soil, rocks, and branches and boles of vascular plants. These organisms are very sensitive to many environmental parameters like temperature, humidity, wind and air pollution and are used as indicators of atmospheric pollution and climate change. Recently, throughout the world, studies on Pteridophytes as bio-monitoring agents and bio-indicators of environmental changes have gained importance. Detailed work on these aspects has been carried out in many countries, even though such studies are not done in India. Due to industrialization and urbanization the natural resources of Karnataka has been subjected to fast environmental degradation in many pockets. Since industrial and atmospheric pollutions are increasing in all cities, it is important to find ways and means of rating them for human health.Since Pteridophytes can serve as good indicators, the proposed project will be able to relate the damage in some of the tropical Pteridophytes against the concentration of pollutants. No work has been carried out on the environmental and climate change aspects using Pteridophytes from Eastern Himalays. Hence, the present research proposal with the broad objectives such as survey of and analysis of Pteridophytes in the study area and to determine the level of pollutants in the Pteridophytes thallus, to assess the physiological performance of selected Pteridophytes species in response to pollutants and to identify indicator species for selected pollutants, and to determine the diversity pattern of Pteridophytes along altitudinal gradient with respect to the climatic scenarios. Pollution monitoring studies will be carried out by evaluating the Pteridophytes samples. The concentration of the pollutants can vary in the atmosphere and the response of the Pteridophytes to these variations can be identified by chemical bioassays and physiological measurements for both natural population in the study area as well as the transplanted Pteridophytes from unpolluted areas to this location. Climate change studies will be carried out by laying series of quadrat along different elevational gradients in different habitats of the study area. Species within the quadrats will be geotagged and identified. Species diversity, community composition and species turnover studies will be analysed based on the data available from the quadrat study. The project on completion is expected to yield - a baseline data on the Pteridophytes in the impact zone of study area, reveal the impact of pollution on Pteridophytes in the industrial hotspot area, an indicator Pteridophytes species for the respective pollutants, data on distribution, diversity and richness of Pteridophytes along altitudinal gradients in different vegetation and Pteridophytes distribution in relation to the climatic factors. | |||
| Beneficiaries/ Stakeholders: |
1. Local Communities, 2. Biodiversity Conservationists, 3. Policy Makers, 4. Students and
Researchers, 5. Protected Area Managers, 6. National Biodiversity Authorities, 7. Local
Governments, 8. Eco-Tourism Operators, and 9. Global Biodiversity Networks.
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| Activity Chart | ||||
| Total Grants (in Rs.) | Rs. 23,496,800/-(Rupees Two Crore Thirty-Four Lakh Ninety-Six Thousand Eight Hundred Only) | |||
| Project Objectives | Quantifiable Deliverables | Monitoring Indicators |
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• Assess Climate Change Impacts:
To evaluate how changes in
temperature, precipitation, and
extreme weather events affect the
distribution and diversity of
Pteridophytes in the Eastern
Himalayas. • Map Species Distribution: To create detailed maps of Pteridophyte species distributions using GIS tools, integrating climate and ecological data to identify vulnerable species and habitats. • Examine Ecological and Climatic Drivers: To identify the key climatic and ecological factors (e.g., temperature, humidity, altitude) that influence Pteridophyte diversity and habitat suitability in the region. • Develop Climate-Adaptive Conservation Strategies: To propose conservation strategies that incorporate climate change adaptation measures, ensuring the long-term preservation of Pteridophyte species and their ecosystems. • Engage Local Communities: To involve local communities in data collection and conservation efforts, ensuring the integration of traditional ecological knowledge and fostering sustainable resource management practices. |
• A catalogue of Pteridophyte
species in the Eastern Himalayas,
including species identification,
distribution, and habitat details. • A detailed report analyzing how climate change is affecting Pteridophyte species distribution, reproduction, and survival in the region. • Restoration plans for key Pteridophyte habitats in the region, with detailed strategies for ecosystem rehabilitation. • Training programs for at least 200 local community members on biodiversity monitoring and sustainable conservation practices. • A policy brief with actionable recommendations for integrating Pteridophyte conservation into national climate adaptation and biodiversity policies. • GIS maps showing current and predicted distribution of Pteridophyte species in response to climate change. • At least 3 peer-reviewed scientific papers based on the findings of the project. • Community-based conservation programs that ensure long-term protection of key Pteridophyte species. |
• No. of species showing distributional shifts. • No. of species and habitats mapped. • No. of environmental variables analysed. • Feasibility and effectiveness of proposed conservation measures. • Policy adoption or implementation at local/state levels. • No. of community members trained and engaged. • Citation impact and influence on conservation policies. • No. of research papers, technical reports, and policy documents published. |
| S.No. | Name (Sanctioned) | Salary (Sanctioned) |
| 1. | 03 SRF | @ Rs.42,000/- + 30% HRA |
| 2. | 03 JRF | @ Rs.37,000/- + 30% HRA |
| 3. | 02 SPF | @ Rs.28,000/- + 30% HRA |
| 4. | 02 JPF | @ Rs.24,000/- + 30% HRA |
| 5. | 01 Field Assistant | @ Rs.20,000/- |
| S.No. | Name of Equipment (Sanctioned) | Cost (in INR) |
| 1. | :01 Laptop Apple@1.90Lac,02 NIKON SLR@3Lac, Arc GIS Software @1.10 Lac, Nikon Compound Microscope@3Lac, 03GPS @1 Lac, 01 Video Camera @1 Lac, Software viz., Ent or Bioclim modeling tools@1Lac. | 1,600,000/- |
