Sustainability and Biodiversity Conservation

An overview of the cultivation and commercialization of the caterpillar fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis sited in the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayan forests of Bhutan and Nepal

Norliana Munir, Aizi Nor Mazila Ramli, Prakash Bhuyar, Nur Izyan Wan Azelee — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Ophiocordyceps sinensis is a unique entomopathogenic fungus and valuable Chinese medicine resource that has been employed for treating various human conditions. Limited O. sinensis in the wild due to over-exploitation has led it to the brink of extinction. This caused a massive disparity between supply and demand, resulting in skyrocketing prices. The dumping of counterfeit products in the market also caused the need for quality control. In this review, effort has been made to understand the development of O. sinensis and its life cycle, in which the possible cultivation method can be discussed. Additionally, it also summarizes the analytical method for quality control measures in order to ensure the quality of artificially cultivated O. sinensis are on par or even better than the wild. Furthermore, the commercialization of artificially cultivated Cordyceps is lightly touched. Despite these challenges, research into the cultivation of Ophiocordyceps sinensis continues, as it has the potential to provide a sustainable source of the fungus for medicinal purposes. Some pharmaceutical companies have already developed products containing Ophiocordyceps sinensis, and further research may lead to the discovery of new therapeutic applications for the fungus. However, it is important to ensure that the cultivation and commercialization of Ophiocordyceps sinensis is done in an ethical and sustainable manner, to avoid further depletion of the wild populations of the fungus.

Avifaunal Diversity in Urban-Sprawl along the Rispana River Basin in Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Hritik Nautiyal, Sunny Joshi, Suneet Naithani — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The current study focuses on the observation of avifauna in the catchment area of Rispana river and its surrounding urban spaces in Dehradun. Direct observations were made to record the diversity of the avifauna to create a checklist. The study was carried out from January 2022 to December 2022. A total of 214 species were recorded belonging to 64 families during the study period. The maximum number of species belonged to the Muscicapidae family with the highest relative density of 10.74%, followed by Accipitridae and Picidae both with a relative density of 7.47% and 4.67%.

Helminth fauna of migratory waterfowl ducks and geese in Hokersar wetland of Kashmir, India

Muzaffar Rasool Mir, Shamim Ahmad Dar, Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Ulfat Jan — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths in migratory waterfowl- ducks and geese in the Hokersar wetland of Kashmir. For this purpose 18 dead migratory waterfowl (Mallards, Gadwall, Common Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler and Graylag Geese) were collected from various sites in Hokersar wetland for necroscopic examination. The overall prevalence of helminthiasis was 55.55%. The gastrointestinal helminths isolated were Notocotylus attenutus (16.66%), Paryphostomum radiatum (5.55%), Capillaria anatis (16.66%) and Epomidostomum anattinum (5.55%) and Hymenolepis abortive (11.11%). Incidence with respect to host and gender was also recorded during the present study.

Comparison of Carbon Stocks along an Elevation Gradient in Furi Forest, Central Ethiopia

Tolesa Negese — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

This study was conducted in Furi forest of central Ethiopia. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate total carbon stocks along an elevation gradient of Furi forest. Plant biomass and their carbon stock were organized along altitudinal gradient in different layers. A total of 48 quadrats of 20m x 20 m was laid at Lower altitude (LA), Middle altitude (MA) and Upper altitude(UA) of the forest with three horizontal transect and at 50m altitude interval were employed to collect the data. Soil samples were collected from two soil profiles (0-30cm and 30-60 cm) to analyze the soil bulk density (BD) and carbon percentage (%C). Valuation of aboveground and belowground biomass and carbon stocks were done and the results were analyzed statically in one-way ANOVA. Aboveground and belowground carbon stocks were significantly higher in MA gradient with 58.74 tonha^-1 and 11.74 ton ha^-1, respectively. However, UA had the lowest (P<0.05) AGC (49.76 ton ha^-1) and BGC (9.95 ton ha^-1) than others. Dead wood carbon was only found in the LA and MA altitudinal gradients. However, there was no significant difference in dead wood carbon (DWC). Lower altitude (LA), MA and UA had significant SOC value for both upper (0-30cm) and lower (30-60) layers.

Dietary patterns of a crop pest mammal species (Mastomys natalensis) inhabiting agro-field-protected area interface in Western Serengeti, Tanzania

Egidius Rwebuga, N, S, A — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Rodent pest control is challenging because of complex dynamics of their populations. We investigated the influence of seasons and habitats on food categories and diet breadth of Mastomys natalensis (Smith, 1834) through analysing 107 stomachs collected in Kijereshi Game Reserve and Nyamikoma village in western Serengeti-Tanzania, using kill traps. Plant materials (41%) and invertebrates (39.1%) dominated the animal’s diet in different seasons and habitats. Numerically, during the wet season, invertebrates dominated in the fallow land (90.0%) followed by the wooded grassland (83.3%) and maize crop fields (76.2). Plant materials were in large quantity in maize crop fields (27.6%) and least in in the wooded grassland (16.7%). Furthermore, seeds/grains were eaten more in maize crop fields (20.7%) as compared to fallow land (19.3%) and the wooded grassland (6.9 %). In contrast, in the dry season, plant materials occurred at a higher frequency in maize crop fields (85.7%) followed by fallow land (60%) and lastly the wooded grassland (50%). Seed/grain featured more in the diet in maize crop field (75%) followed by fallow land (44.4%) and lastly by the wooded grassland (36.4%). Invertebrates occurred with higher frequency in the wooded grassland (72.7%) followed by fallow land (66.7%) and lastly by maize crop fields (58.3%). Statistical tests on the effects of habitats and seasonality on the dietary patterns of M. natalensis, revealed non- significant effect of each individual variable respectively (p = 0.43) and (p= 0.81) respectively. Effect of seasonality and habitats on M. natalensis food categories were observed on plant materials but not in seeds/grains and invertebrates. The animal ate plant materials and seeds/grains substantially in the maize crop fields, suggesting that it is a potential pest. Therefore, combined management actions are needed which include clearance of bushy fallow lands and rodenticides application but preventively and remedially when there is a need