550
N. Roy et al.
on The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened
Species as well as India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Moreover, the huge variety as well as numbers of livestock population puts enormous pressure on India’s shrinking natural resources. Land degradation has become
a major threat to the food security with as high as 37% of geographical land area
being affected (ICAR 2010).
Conservation inevitably involves social benefits and social costs both (Springer,
2009
http://www.conservationandsociety.org/article.asp?issn=0972-4923;year=
2009;volume=7;issue=1;spage=26;epage=29;aulast=Springer). In the chapter
(Chapter “Impact of Weather Shock on Food Insecurity: A Study on India”) on the
impact of weather shock on food insecurity involving determinants across space
and different social and religious groups, Mandal and Sarma identified rainfall deficiency, size of households and dependency ratio as probable factors inducing food
insecurity in India. The chapter by Kumar and Saikia (Chapter “Forest Resources
of Jharkhand, Eastern India: Socio-economic and Bio-ecological Perspectives”)
dealt with the socio-economic and eco-biological perspectives of forest resources
and the concerns associated with their over-exploitation in an eastern Indian state
of Jharkhand. Dhyani and Dhyani (Chapter “Local Socio-economic Dynamics
Shaping Forest Ecosystems in Central Himalayas”) observed that degradation of
forest eco-systems have failed to generate sufficient goods and services to support a
good quality of life for marginal communities living in Central Himalayas who are
directly dependent on these resources for their livelihood.
On one hand, natural resources act as indispensable production factors for agriculture and forestry, while on the other their indiscriminate use serve as emission sinks
and generate environmental pollution across the supply chain. Unsustainable use of
the resources for short term economic benefit may provoke irreversible ecological
and/or social change(s) (TU 2014a). Due to environmental variability and climate
change resources are compromised and already shrinking, which may further risk
their mismanagement (Stephenson et al. 2010). In Chapter “Carbon Sequestration
Potential of Trees in Kuvempu University Campus Forest Area, Western Ghats, Karnataka”, Narayana et al. highlighted the carbon sequestration potential of trees in
Kuvempu University campus forest area in Western Ghats of Karnataka state in
India. In his chapter (Chapter “Exploring Synergistic Inter Linkages Among Three
Ecological Issues in the Aquatic Environment”), Himangshu Dutta examined the
synergistic impact of climate change on aquatic environment while emphasizing the
linkages of climate change with eutrophication and species invasion. Using statistical
tools, the study further observed that aquatic ecosystems can effectively be conserved
against the harmful effects of global change.
Research is urgently needed at micro level to come up with adequate strategies
for sustainable conservation of key resources and biodiversity without depleting the
natural resource base. In this context, agro-biodiversity has come up as a major thrust
area in minimizing biodiversity loss and habitat destruction. The traditional approach
of agroforestry practiced by the indigenous communities in sensitive and vulnerable
landscapes of India’s north east as a potential alternative to the unsustainable use of
bioresources in terms of indiscriminate slash and burn agriculture (locally known as
N. Roy et al.
on The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened
Species as well as India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Moreover, the huge variety as well as numbers of livestock population puts enormous pressure on India’s shrinking natural resources. Land degradation has become
a major threat to the food security with as high as 37% of geographical land area
being affected (ICAR 2010).
Conservation inevitably involves social benefits and social costs both (Springer,
2009
http://www.conservationandsociety.org/article.asp?issn=0972-4923;year=
2009;volume=7;issue=1;spage=26;epage=29;aulast=Springer). In the chapter
(Chapter “Impact of Weather Shock on Food Insecurity: A Study on India”) on the
impact of weather shock on food insecurity involving determinants across space
and different social and religious groups, Mandal and Sarma identified rainfall deficiency, size of households and dependency ratio as probable factors inducing food
insecurity in India. The chapter by Kumar and Saikia (Chapter “Forest Resources
of Jharkhand, Eastern India: Socio-economic and Bio-ecological Perspectives”)
dealt with the socio-economic and eco-biological perspectives of forest resources
and the concerns associated with their over-exploitation in an eastern Indian state
of Jharkhand. Dhyani and Dhyani (Chapter “Local Socio-economic Dynamics
Shaping Forest Ecosystems in Central Himalayas”) observed that degradation of
forest eco-systems have failed to generate sufficient goods and services to support a
good quality of life for marginal communities living in Central Himalayas who are
directly dependent on these resources for their livelihood.
On one hand, natural resources act as indispensable production factors for agriculture and forestry, while on the other their indiscriminate use serve as emission sinks
and generate environmental pollution across the supply chain. Unsustainable use of
the resources for short term economic benefit may provoke irreversible ecological
and/or social change(s) (TU 2014a). Due to environmental variability and climate
change resources are compromised and already shrinking, which may further risk
their mismanagement (Stephenson et al. 2010). In Chapter “Carbon Sequestration
Potential of Trees in Kuvempu University Campus Forest Area, Western Ghats, Karnataka”, Narayana et al. highlighted the carbon sequestration potential of trees in
Kuvempu University campus forest area in Western Ghats of Karnataka state in
India. In his chapter (Chapter “Exploring Synergistic Inter Linkages Among Three
Ecological Issues in the Aquatic Environment”), Himangshu Dutta examined the
synergistic impact of climate change on aquatic environment while emphasizing the
linkages of climate change with eutrophication and species invasion. Using statistical
tools, the study further observed that aquatic ecosystems can effectively be conserved
against the harmful effects of global change.
Research is urgently needed at micro level to come up with adequate strategies
for sustainable conservation of key resources and biodiversity without depleting the
natural resource base. In this context, agro-biodiversity has come up as a major thrust
area in minimizing biodiversity loss and habitat destruction. The traditional approach
of agroforestry practiced by the indigenous communities in sensitive and vulnerable
landscapes of India’s north east as a potential alternative to the unsustainable use of
bioresources in terms of indiscriminate slash and burn agriculture (locally known as