Keoladeo National Park (KNP) is one of the seven natural world heritage sites in India. In the ea... more Keoladeo National Park (KNP) is one of the seven natural world heritage sites in India. In the early 1970s, prompted introduction of Prosopis juliflora(Sw.) DC to the KNP was done. Initially it was introduced in small patches but gradually it got spread over the entire park and become serious threats to the biodiversity of park. Therefore, to remove this invasive plant from KNP, 4490 members of 1435 families from 15 villages actively participated and 230.84 metric ton of wood was removed from the park. A survey was conducted among randomly selected 100 villagers of different age group from 22 to 65 years (X = 43.7 ± 9.58) having family size in the range of 4 to 9 members in their families ( X= 6.04 ± 1.3) from different villages who participated in this programme. It was administered by using semistructured interview questionnaires to elicit opinions from the respondents and attitudes were measured by ten attitude statements and constructed an attitude index. Local communities strongly supported this programme as 91 % (X= 1.09 ± 0.28) of the respondents agreed with the statement that they have benefitted from this programme significantly. Results suggested that this participatory management programme has improved the livelihoods to some extent and provide positive conservation attitudes among communities.
Keoladeo National Park (KNP) is one of the seven natural world heritage sites in India. In the ea... more Keoladeo National Park (KNP) is one of the seven natural world heritage sites in India. In the early 1970s, prompted introduction of Prosopis juliflora(Sw.) DC to the KNP was done. Initially it was introduced in small patches but gradually it got spread over the entire park and become serious threats to the biodiversity of park. Therefore, to remove this invasive plant from KNP, 4490 members of 1435 families from 15 villages actively participated and 230.84 metric ton of wood was removed from the park. A survey was conducted among randomly selected 100 villagers of different age group from 22 to 65 years (X = 43.7 ± 9.58) having family size in the range of 4 to 9 members in their families ( X= 6.04 ± 1.3) from different villages who participated in this programme. It was administered by using semistructured interview questionnaires to elicit opinions from the respondents and attitudes were measured by ten attitude statements and constructed an attitude index. Local communities strongly supported this programme as 91 % (X= 1.09 ± 0.28) of the respondents agreed with the statement that they have benefitted from this programme significantly. Results suggested that this participatory management programme has improved the livelihoods to some extent and provide positive conservation attitudes among communities.
Seabirds are important indicators of marine ecosystem health. Species within the order Procellari... more Seabirds are important indicators of marine ecosystem health. Species within the order Procellariiformes are the most abundant seabird species group distributed from warm tropical to cold temperate regions including Antarctica. There is a paucity of information on basic biology of the pelagic seabird species nesting on the Antarctic continents, and long-term studies are required to gather data on their population demography, genetics and other ecological parameters. Under the ‘Biology and Environmental Sciences’ component of the Indian Antarctic programme, long-term monitoring of Antarctic biodiversity is being conducted. In this paper, we describe results of cross-species screening of a panel of 12 and 10 microsatellite markers in two relatively little studied seabird species in Antarctica, the snow petrel Pagodroma nivea and the Wilson's storm petrel Oceanites oceanicus, respectively. These loci showed high amplification success and moderate levels of polymorphism in snow petrel (mean no. of alleles 7.08 ± 3.01 and mean observed heterozygosity 0.35 ± 0.23), but low polymorphism in Wilson's storm petrel (mean no. of alleles 3.9 ± 1.3 and mean observed heterozygosity 0.28 ± 0.18). The results demonstrate that these panels can unambiguously identify individuals of both species (cumulative PIDsibs for snow petrel is 3.7 × 10−03 and Wilson's storm petrel is 1.9 × 10−02) from field-collected samples. This work forms a baseline for undertaking long-term genetic research of these Antarctic seabird species and provides critical insights into their population genetics
Abstract Three well-supported generalizations in conservation biology are that developing tropica... more Abstract Three well-supported generalizations in conservation biology are that developing tropical countries will experience the greatest biodiversity declines in the near future, they are some of the least studied areas in the world, and in these regions especially, protection requires local community support. We assess these generalizations in an evaluation of protected areas in India. The 5% of India officially protected covers most ecoregions and protected areas have been an important reason why India has suffered no documented species extinctions in the past 70 years. India has strong legislation favouring conservation, government investment focused on 50 Tiger Reserves, and government compensation schemes that facilitate local support, all of which brighten future prospects. However, many protected areas are too small to maintain a full complement of species, making connectivity and species use of buffer zones a crucial issue. Conservation success and challenges vary across regions according to their development status. In less developed areas, notably the biodiverse northeast Himalaya, protected areas maintaining the highest biodiversity result from locally-focused efforts by dedicated individuals. Across India, we demonstrate considerable opportunities to increase local income through ecotourism. Our evaluation confirms a lack of data, increasing threats, and the importance of local support. Research on biodiversity in buffer zones, development of long-term monitoring schemes, and assessment of cash and conservation benefits from tourism are in particular need. For policy makers, two main goals should be the development of monitoring plans for ‘eco-sensitive zones’ around protected areas, and a strong emphasis on preserving established protected areas.
This chapter sets the overall context by providing a brief overview of the historical and current... more This chapter sets the overall context by providing a brief overview of the historical and current status of wild tiger populations and social, cultural, and scientific perspectives on the tiger.
Hypobaric hypoxia at high elevation represents an important physiological stressor for montane or... more Hypobaric hypoxia at high elevation represents an important physiological stressor for montane organisms, but optimal physiological strategies to cope with hypoxia may vary among species with different life histories. Montane birds exhibit a range of migration patterns; elevational migrants breed at high elevations but winter at low elevations or migrate further south, while high-elevation residents inhabit the same elevation throughout the year. Optimal physiological strategies to cope with hypoxia might therefore differ between species that exhibit these two migratory patterns, because they differ in the amount time spent at high elevation. We examined physiological parameters associated with blood-oxygen transport (haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit (the proportion of red blood cells in blood)) in nine species of elevational migrants and six species high-elevation residents that were sampled along a 2200 m (1000–3200 m) elevational gradient. Haemoglobin concentration increased with elevation within species regardless of migratory strategy, but it was only significantly correlated with haematocrit in elevational migrants. Surprisingly, haemoglobin concentration was not correlated with haematocrit in high-elevation residents, and these species exhibited higher mean cellular haemoglobin concentration than elevational migrants. Thus, alternative physiological strategies to regulate haemoglobin concentration and blood O<sub>2</sub> carrying capacity appear to differ among birds with different annual elevational movement patterns.
This report describes the activities and achievements in 2011 of the Indo- Norwegian pilot projec... more This report describes the activities and achievements in 2011 of the Indo- Norwegian pilot project on capacity building in biodiversity informatics for enhanced decision making, improved conservation and sustainable development in India. The pilot project is initiated and funded by the Norwegian Ministry for Foreign affairs, the Norwegian Environmental Ministry and the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. The pilot project is also highly welcomed and explicitly supported by the Government of India. Capacity building has been identified as an essential component of IPBES. The Norwegian Government acknowledges the need for capacity building and has developed and initiated several projects addressing capacity building needs in partner countries. The Norwegian Institute for Nature research (NINA) were during the spring 2011 invited by the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management to initiate and coordinate a pilot project on ca-pacity building under IPBES. India was early iden...
Methods For Monitoring Tiger And Prey Populations, 2017
This chapter sets the overall context by providing a brief overview of the historical and current... more This chapter sets the overall context by providing a brief overview of the historical and current status of wild tiger populations and social, cultural, and scientific perspectives on the tiger.
Keoladeo National Park (KNP) is one of the seven natural world heritage sites in India. In the ea... more Keoladeo National Park (KNP) is one of the seven natural world heritage sites in India. In the early 1970s, prompted introduction of Prosopis juliflora(Sw.) DC to the KNP was done. Initially it was introduced in small patches but gradually it got spread over the entire park and become serious threats to the biodiversity of park. Therefore, to remove this invasive plant from KNP, 4490 members of 1435 families from 15 villages actively participated and 230.84 metric ton of wood was removed from the park. A survey was conducted among randomly selected 100 villagers of different age group from 22 to 65 years (X = 43.7 ± 9.58) having family size in the range of 4 to 9 members in their families ( X= 6.04 ± 1.3) from different villages who participated in this programme. It was administered by using semistructured interview questionnaires to elicit opinions from the respondents and attitudes were measured by ten attitude statements and constructed an attitude index. Local communities strongly supported this programme as 91 % (X= 1.09 ± 0.28) of the respondents agreed with the statement that they have benefitted from this programme significantly. Results suggested that this participatory management programme has improved the livelihoods to some extent and provide positive conservation attitudes among communities.
Keoladeo National Park (KNP) is one of the seven natural world heritage sites in India. In the ea... more Keoladeo National Park (KNP) is one of the seven natural world heritage sites in India. In the early 1970s, prompted introduction of Prosopis juliflora(Sw.) DC to the KNP was done. Initially it was introduced in small patches but gradually it got spread over the entire park and become serious threats to the biodiversity of park. Therefore, to remove this invasive plant from KNP, 4490 members of 1435 families from 15 villages actively participated and 230.84 metric ton of wood was removed from the park. A survey was conducted among randomly selected 100 villagers of different age group from 22 to 65 years (X = 43.7 ± 9.58) having family size in the range of 4 to 9 members in their families ( X= 6.04 ± 1.3) from different villages who participated in this programme. It was administered by using semistructured interview questionnaires to elicit opinions from the respondents and attitudes were measured by ten attitude statements and constructed an attitude index. Local communities strongly supported this programme as 91 % (X= 1.09 ± 0.28) of the respondents agreed with the statement that they have benefitted from this programme significantly. Results suggested that this participatory management programme has improved the livelihoods to some extent and provide positive conservation attitudes among communities.
Seabirds are important indicators of marine ecosystem health. Species within the order Procellari... more Seabirds are important indicators of marine ecosystem health. Species within the order Procellariiformes are the most abundant seabird species group distributed from warm tropical to cold temperate regions including Antarctica. There is a paucity of information on basic biology of the pelagic seabird species nesting on the Antarctic continents, and long-term studies are required to gather data on their population demography, genetics and other ecological parameters. Under the ‘Biology and Environmental Sciences’ component of the Indian Antarctic programme, long-term monitoring of Antarctic biodiversity is being conducted. In this paper, we describe results of cross-species screening of a panel of 12 and 10 microsatellite markers in two relatively little studied seabird species in Antarctica, the snow petrel Pagodroma nivea and the Wilson's storm petrel Oceanites oceanicus, respectively. These loci showed high amplification success and moderate levels of polymorphism in snow petrel (mean no. of alleles 7.08 ± 3.01 and mean observed heterozygosity 0.35 ± 0.23), but low polymorphism in Wilson's storm petrel (mean no. of alleles 3.9 ± 1.3 and mean observed heterozygosity 0.28 ± 0.18). The results demonstrate that these panels can unambiguously identify individuals of both species (cumulative PIDsibs for snow petrel is 3.7 × 10−03 and Wilson's storm petrel is 1.9 × 10−02) from field-collected samples. This work forms a baseline for undertaking long-term genetic research of these Antarctic seabird species and provides critical insights into their population genetics
Abstract Three well-supported generalizations in conservation biology are that developing tropica... more Abstract Three well-supported generalizations in conservation biology are that developing tropical countries will experience the greatest biodiversity declines in the near future, they are some of the least studied areas in the world, and in these regions especially, protection requires local community support. We assess these generalizations in an evaluation of protected areas in India. The 5% of India officially protected covers most ecoregions and protected areas have been an important reason why India has suffered no documented species extinctions in the past 70 years. India has strong legislation favouring conservation, government investment focused on 50 Tiger Reserves, and government compensation schemes that facilitate local support, all of which brighten future prospects. However, many protected areas are too small to maintain a full complement of species, making connectivity and species use of buffer zones a crucial issue. Conservation success and challenges vary across regions according to their development status. In less developed areas, notably the biodiverse northeast Himalaya, protected areas maintaining the highest biodiversity result from locally-focused efforts by dedicated individuals. Across India, we demonstrate considerable opportunities to increase local income through ecotourism. Our evaluation confirms a lack of data, increasing threats, and the importance of local support. Research on biodiversity in buffer zones, development of long-term monitoring schemes, and assessment of cash and conservation benefits from tourism are in particular need. For policy makers, two main goals should be the development of monitoring plans for ‘eco-sensitive zones’ around protected areas, and a strong emphasis on preserving established protected areas.
This chapter sets the overall context by providing a brief overview of the historical and current... more This chapter sets the overall context by providing a brief overview of the historical and current status of wild tiger populations and social, cultural, and scientific perspectives on the tiger.
Hypobaric hypoxia at high elevation represents an important physiological stressor for montane or... more Hypobaric hypoxia at high elevation represents an important physiological stressor for montane organisms, but optimal physiological strategies to cope with hypoxia may vary among species with different life histories. Montane birds exhibit a range of migration patterns; elevational migrants breed at high elevations but winter at low elevations or migrate further south, while high-elevation residents inhabit the same elevation throughout the year. Optimal physiological strategies to cope with hypoxia might therefore differ between species that exhibit these two migratory patterns, because they differ in the amount time spent at high elevation. We examined physiological parameters associated with blood-oxygen transport (haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit (the proportion of red blood cells in blood)) in nine species of elevational migrants and six species high-elevation residents that were sampled along a 2200 m (1000–3200 m) elevational gradient. Haemoglobin concentration increased with elevation within species regardless of migratory strategy, but it was only significantly correlated with haematocrit in elevational migrants. Surprisingly, haemoglobin concentration was not correlated with haematocrit in high-elevation residents, and these species exhibited higher mean cellular haemoglobin concentration than elevational migrants. Thus, alternative physiological strategies to regulate haemoglobin concentration and blood O<sub>2</sub> carrying capacity appear to differ among birds with different annual elevational movement patterns.
This report describes the activities and achievements in 2011 of the Indo- Norwegian pilot projec... more This report describes the activities and achievements in 2011 of the Indo- Norwegian pilot project on capacity building in biodiversity informatics for enhanced decision making, improved conservation and sustainable development in India. The pilot project is initiated and funded by the Norwegian Ministry for Foreign affairs, the Norwegian Environmental Ministry and the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. The pilot project is also highly welcomed and explicitly supported by the Government of India. Capacity building has been identified as an essential component of IPBES. The Norwegian Government acknowledges the need for capacity building and has developed and initiated several projects addressing capacity building needs in partner countries. The Norwegian Institute for Nature research (NINA) were during the spring 2011 invited by the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management to initiate and coordinate a pilot project on ca-pacity building under IPBES. India was early iden...
Methods For Monitoring Tiger And Prey Populations, 2017
This chapter sets the overall context by providing a brief overview of the historical and current... more This chapter sets the overall context by providing a brief overview of the historical and current status of wild tiger populations and social, cultural, and scientific perspectives on the tiger.
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Papers by Vinod B Mathur