Forest Groves Research Articles

Soil organic carbon and nutrient characteristics of Anogeissus groves in old Opara forest reserve, Nigeria.

Forest-savanna transition zones of West Africa are uniquely characterized by forest groves, forest patches, or forest islands, the importance of which for sustainable resource management and their potential for carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling is often underrated. Our study conducted a comparative analysis of the soil organic carbon and nutrient characteristics of the Anogeissus groves in the old Opara forest reserve and their adjoining arable lands. We established 30 sampling frames of 100m × 100m plots with 15 frames per land use type. For each sampling frame, six observation points were randomly selected, and composite soil samples were collected at soil depths of 0-20cm and 20-50cm per observation point. Our results showed Anogeissus groves and their adjoining arable lands to exist on similar landscapes while the groves have enriched soil morphological characteristics (e.g., soil color), higher soil organic carbon (SOC), and better nutrient characteristics. There were strong positive relationships between SOC, effective cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and calcium, zinc, electrical conductivity, and copper. The significant soil organic matter accumulation in the groves accounts for the overall improved soil characteristics over the adjoining arable lands. Preserving the groves and similar Africanecosystems may be important in climate regulation, resources and biodiversity conservation, and ethnopharmacology for rural communities. Thus, a question arises: should more land be set aside for ecological conservation or for agricultural productivity?

Characterization of carbon fluxes, stock and nutrients in the sacred forest groves and invasive vegetation stands within the human dominated landscapes of a tropical semi-arid region

In the semi-arid plains of Southern India, outside the protected area network, sacred groves forests and the barren lands invaded by Prosopis juliflora are reckoned to be the major greenery, but have homogenous and heterogeneous vegetation respectively. This study attempted to compare 50 Sacred Groves Stands (SGS) and 50 monodominant Prosopis juliflora Stands (PJS) for the functional diversity, evenness, floral diversity, carbon stock and dynamics, carbon-fixing traits, dendrochronology of trees, soil nutrient profiles, and soil erosion. Quadrat sample survey was adopted to record stand density, species richness, abundance, basal area and leaf area index; composite soil samples were collected at depths 0–30 cm for nutrient profiling (N, P, K, and OC). Photosynthesis rate (µmole co2 m2/sec), air temperature (°c), leaf intracellular co2 concentration (ppm), ambient photosynthetic active radiation (µmole m2/sec), transpiration rate (m. mole H2O m2/sec) were determined for the 51 tree species existed in SGS and PJS using Plant Photosynthesis system. Structural Equation Model (SEM) was applied to derive the carbon sequestering potential and photosynthetic efficiency of eight dominant tree species using vital input parameters, including eco-physiological, morphological, and biochemical characterization. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model, in conjunction with ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS 10.3, was adopted to map soil loss. Carbon source/sink determinations inferred through Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) assessments showed that mature SGS potentially acted as a carbon sink (0.06 ± 0.01 g C/m2/day), while matured PJS acted as a carbon source (−0.34 ± 0.12 g C/m2/day). Soil erosion rates were significantly greater (29.5 ± 13.4 ton/ha/year) in SGS compared to PJS (7.52 ± 2.55 ton/ha/year). Of the eight selected tree species, SEM revealed that trees belonging to the family Fabaceae [Wrightia tinctoria (estimated coefficient: 1.28, p = 0.02) > Prosopis juliflora (1.22, p = 0.01) > Acacia nilotica (1.21, p = 0.03) > Albizia lebbeck (0.97, p = 0.01)] showed comparatively high carbon sequestering ability.

Akan Worldview on Human-Earth Relations for Environmental Conservation in Ghana

The idea that there is an interconnectedness between human beings and the natural environment is widely held by many people across the globe. Unfortunately, this nexus has become the cause of the global problem of pandemics, climate change and greenhouse gases. The 2020 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranked Ghana low at 39th out of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Employing the qualitative method and phenomenological approach, some Akan environmental conservation ideas inherent in human-earth relations were analysed. The paper argues that the Akan indigenous ecological knowledge, such as taboos, observance of earth's Sabbaths, keeping of sacred forest groves and ecological proverbs and wise-sayings are viable resources to be harnessed to theologize in eco-theology and for environmental sustainability.

Sacred groves: a model of Zagros forests for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation

SummaryForests are the most important carbon pools among terrestrial ecosystems, and ensuring less disturbance of sacred groves might constitute a form of forest management for carbon sequestration and climate change reduction. The carbon contents in Zagros oak sacred groves and silvopastoral lands were compared to determine the carbon sequestration potential of these forests. Using a nested sampling design, we measured total carbon content (tC ha–1; aboveground tree biomass, aboveground sapling biomass, belowground biomass, soil organic carbon, leaf litter, herbs and grasses and dead wood and fallen stumps) in both forest groves and silvopastoral lands. The mean total biomass and mean total carbon content varied between sacred groves (453.8 t ha–1 and 338.79 tC ha–1, respectively) and silvopastoral lands (89.4 t ha–1 and 113.46 tC ha–1, respectively). Mean soil organic carbon was significantly lower (71.44 tC ha–1) in silvopastoral lands than in sacred groves (125.49 tC ha–1). The mean total sequestered carbon dioxide (CO2) was 1243.36 tCO2 ha–1 in the sacred groves and 416.40 tCO2 ha–1 in silvopastoral lands. We conclude that human activities have reduced the CO2 absorption capacity of the forests. The substantial disparities between the landscapes emphasize the need to restore damaged forests, and sacred groves might be a useful model for increasing carbon storage in these forests.

Seasonal abundance of ticks collected at US Army Garrison Humphreys, Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea, 2019–2021

Tick surveillance was conducted annually from February–November 2019–2021 at US Army Garrison (USAG) Humphreys, Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea (ROK). Three general habitats, cut grasses, uncut grasses + herbaceous vegetation, and young mixed (deciduous and conifer) forest groves, were surveyed using tick drags. Ticks also were collected from Korean water deer, Hydropotes inermis argyropus, killed by vehicles at USAG Humphreys. A total of 53,428 ticks (18,004, 16,921, and 18,503 during 2019–2021, respectively) belonging to two genera and five species were collected by tick drag. Haemaphysalis longicornis (48,880; 91.49%) was the most frequently collected tick, followed by H. flava (2,501; 4.68%), Ixodes nipponensis (2,019; 3.78%), H. phasiana (27; 0.05%), and H. japonica (1; <0.01%). A total of 1,340 ticks belonging to two genera and three species were collected from 20/27 (74.07%) Korean water deer from January–December 2019–2021. Haemaphysalis longicornis (1,138; 84.93%) was the most commonly collected tick, followed by I. nipponensis (184; 13.73%), and H. flava (18; 1.34%). Ixodes nipponensis was collected from Korean water deer throughout the year, indicating that they were active during all seasons in the ROK. Haemaphysalis longicornis adults and nymphs were collected similarly from all habitats during March-November. Haemaphysalis flava was more frequently collected during the early and late seasons when there were relatively low temperatures. Unlike other species, I. nipponensis was collected more frequently in mixed forests from March-June. Adult male H. longicornis accounted for only 0.05% (3♂/5,769♀) of the total number of adults collected by tick drag, while no males (0♂/194♀) were collected from Korean water deer. In contrast, only H. flava males (15) were collected from Korean water deer, while both sexes of I. nipponensis (103♂/75♀) were collected during 2019–2021.

5 - Transformations in Beliefs and Practices of Ecological Inviolability: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Mamfe- Akuapem Sacred Forest in Ghana

Sacred forests, also known as ethnoforests or forest groves, in Africa are a part of the construction of the cosmology of Africans and their effort to seek ecological harmony and biodiversity equilibrium. In sum, sacred forests are sites of deities and ancestors; ritual discourse and genealogical affirmations; and superstructures of social formations, ontology and eschatology. Much of what we know about sacred forests in Ghana and their significance comes from botanists, environmentalists, agriculturalists, anthropologists and archeologists. For their part, historians have shied away from studying sacred forests because of the paucity of written sources: colonial reports and Euro-Christian missionary accounts did not have cogent narratives on sacred forests. At best, colonial agents and Christian missionaries marginally framed African sacred forests in pejorative connotations and dismissed them as atavistic monuments of fetishised sites. What is not in doubt, based on oral history and oral tradition, in fact, major historical sources, is that African sacred forests have utilitarian uses as sites of sustained conservation. This article examines the history of transformation in beliefs and practices associated with a 150-year old sacred forest in Mamfe Akuapem, Ghana. The central thesis that informs the study is that African sacred forests, broadly framed as forest conservation, were closely intertwined with deification of land reserved for biodiversity and shaped by ontological beliefs.

Steppes to Health: How the Climate-Kumys Cure Shaped a New Steppe Imaginary

This paper examines the rise of the “climate-kumys cure” in late imperial Russia and how it shaped perceptions of the steppes as a “curative place.” By positing that kumys (fermented mare's milk), a traditional food produced by steppe nomads, interacted with unique qualities of the steppe climate—including aromatic air, abundant sunshine, cool forest groves, rich feathergrasses, and brilliant wildflowers—to cure tuberculosis patients of their symptoms, the climate-kumys cure produced an imaginary of the steppes that contrasted with traditional Russian views of the steppes as barren, monotonous, and even dangerous. Knowledge about the steppe climate produced by proponents of the climate-kumys cure harmonized with Soviet medical professionals’ ideas about forging workers’ bodies and restoring their minds. An understanding of the steppes as healthy, however, did not stop the spread of disease, nor did it lead to preservation. Even as the climate-kumys cure rose in popularity, the steppes that had given rise to kumys were vanishing.

Měkkýši přírodní rezervace Hutě a jejího okolí v CHKO Bílé Karpaty [Molluscs of the Hutě Nature Reserve and its surroundings in the White Carpathians PLA

The Hutě Nature Reserve is located in the central eastern part of the White Carpathians PLA, near the Žítková village. The reserve protects a preserved and topographically heterogeneous area composed of forest groves, meadows, pastures, and spring fens with a high diversity of submontane and thermophilic plant and animal assemblages. The species composition of molluscs (9 out of 10 ecological groups represented) consists mainly of woodland dwellers, which account for the majority of species diversity (30 spp.; 52%), followed by ubiquitous (9; 16%), hygrophilous (5; 9%), hygrophilous woodland dwellers (4; 7%), aquatic (4; 7%) and open-habitat dwellers (3; 5%). Vertigo moulinsiana (EN), internationally protected under Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive, Daudebardia brevipes (VU), Ambigolimax nyctelius (NT), Orcula dolium (NT) and Bythinella austriaca (NT) are species of conservation concern. To retain favourable habitat conservation status, the spring fens with V. moulinsiana occurrence must be managed extensively by grazing or mowing, while the forests must remain in a non-intervention regime.

Synergistic impacts of anthropogenic fires and aridity on plant diversity in the Western Ghats: Implications for management of ancient social-ecological systems

Identifying the impacts of anthropogenic fires on biodiversity is imperative for human-influenced tropical rainforests because: i) these ecosystems have been transformed by human-induced fires for millennia; and ii) their effective management is essential for protecting the world's terrestrial biodiversity in the face of global environmental change. While several short-term studies elucidate the impacts of fires on local plant diversity, how plant diversity responds to fire regimes over long timescales (>100 years) is a significant knowledge gap, posing substantial impediment to evidence-based management of tropical social-ecological systems. Using wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats of India as a model system, we discuss the synergistic effects of anthropogenic fires and enhanced aridity on tropical plant diversity over the past 4000 years by examining fossil pollen-based diversity indices (e.g., pollen richness and evenness, and temporal β-diversity), past fire management, the intervals of enhanced aridity due to reduced monsoon rainfall and land use history. By developing a historical perspective, our aim is to provide region-specific management information for biodiversity conservation in the Western Ghats. We observe that the agroforestry landscape switches between periods of no fires (4000-1800 yr BP, and 1400-400 yr BP) and fires (1800-1400 yr BP, and 400-0 yr BP), with both fire periods concomitant with intervals of enhanced aridity. We find synergistic impacts of anthropogenic fires and aridity on plant diversity uneven across time, pointing towards varied land management strategies implemented by the contemporary societies. For example, during 1800–1400 yr BP, diversity reduced in conjunction with a significant decrease in the canopy cover related to sustained use of fires, possibly linked to large-scale intensification of agriculture. On the contrary, the substantially reduced fires during 400–0 yr BP may be associated with the emergence of sacred forest groves, a cultural practice supporting the maintenance of plant diversity. Overall, notwithstanding apparent changes in fires, aridity, and land use over the past 4000 years, present-day plant diversity in the Western Ghats agroforestry landscape falls within the range of historical variability. Importantly, we find a strong correlation between plant diversity and canopy cover, emphasising the crucial role of maintenance of trees in the landscape for biodiversity conservation. Systematic tree management in tropical social-ecological systems is vital for livelihoods of billions of people, who depend on forested landscapes. In this context, we argue that agroforestry landscapes can deliver win-win solutions for biodiversity as well as people in the Western Ghats and wet tropics at large.

Wood Products for Cultural Uses: Sustaining Native Resilience and Vital Lifeways in Southeast Alaska, USA

Ongoing revitalization of the >5000-year-old tradition of using trees for vital culture and heritage activities including carving and weaving affirms Alaska Native resilience. However, support for these sustained cultural practices is complicated by environmental and political factors. Carving projects typically require western redcedar (Thuja plicata) or yellow cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis) trees more than 450 years of age—a tree life stage and growth rate inconsistent with current even-aged forest management strategies. Herein, we qualitatively assess the significance of wood products to rural communities and Indigenous cultures with implications for natural heritage sustainability. In partnership with Alaska Native Tribes, we engaged local youth programs to lead community discussions throughout southeast Alaska to provide specificity to the suite of cultural activities linked to regional forest lands. Results from 58 discussions across 11 southeast Alaska communities (primarily Alaska Native participants) highlighted the cultural importance of forest products including totem poles, dugout canoes, longhouses, woven hats, and woven baskets. Findings indicated spiritual well-being, health, education, tourism, and livelihood significance attributed to these products. Participant-suggested management strategies for increasing supply and expanding access to trees on public lands included: engaging local artisans in forest planning, selecting and delivering specific trees to roads as part of ongoing timber sales, allowing bark removal prior to forest-timber sales, simplifying the tree-acquisition permit process, and setting aside cultural forest groves to sustain trees seven generations into the future. By facilitating discussions, this study fostered relevant place-based youth and community engagement, benefiting youth and enhancing community knowledge transfer while simultaneously summarizing the significance of forest products for resilient culture and heritage activities. Forest management plans aiming to support Alaska Native lifeways may benefit from improved understanding of Indigenous perspectives and worldviews; designation of “culture market values” and “culture targets” can help deliver a broad array of ecosystem services.

Millennial-scale vegetation and climatic changes from an Early to Mid-Holocene lacustrine archive in Central Ganga Plains using multiple biotic proxies

The Indo-Gangetic floodplains have many abandoned meander cut-offs and oxbow lakes that can serve as potential archives for high-resolution paleoclimatic reconstruction. Previously, a few of these lakes have been investigated for understanding the regional Holocene climatic history, but these studies are generally limited by a lack of high chrono-stratigraphic resolution. To develop an understanding of the role of local and/or regional climate forcings, an oxbow lake (Baraila Tal) in the Central Ganga Plains has been studied using multiple biotic proxies such as pollen, phytoliths, diatoms, and sponge spicules. Millennial-scale climatic fluctuations and vegetation history for the Early to Mid-Holocene period have been reconstructed using 17 AMS radiocarbon dates from two trenches, 3–4 m deep. Five major biotic zones have been delineated between 13.2 and 4.8 kyr BP. Zone I (∼13–12 kyr BP) shows small patches of dry tropical woody flora along with tall C4 grass indicating a moderately dry climate. The presence of low-temperature herbs indicates an active NE monsoon but the paucity of arboreals indicates a weakened Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM). The high percentages of Phacotus lenticularis cysts in Zone II (12–9 kyr BP) indicate the presence of stagnant, lime-rich inland waters under relatively colder climatic conditions. The appearance of evergreen forest groves around 11.5 kyr BP indicates an increase in humidity, and lake deepening was inferred between 10.9 and 10.3 kyr BP. Sediment accumulation rate shows a sudden drop at ∼10.3 kyr BP indicating a complete cut-off of the oxbow lake from the fluvial channel. Zone III (9–8 kyr BP) records millennial-scale drying with a complete absence of aquatic pollen between 8.9 and 7.7 kyr BP. The expansion of short C4 grass in Zone IV (8–7 kyr BP) further indicates drier conditions. Zone V (7 –∼5 kyr BP) shows very high percentages of sponge spicules that flourish in clear waters, and represents a strengthened ISM and a subsequent lake expansion.

Anteaters on the edge: giant and lesser anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla and Tamandua tetradactyla) at their geographic distributional limits in Paraguay

ABSTRACT Species tend to be less abundant at the limits of their geographic distribution. Giant and lesser anteaters have their southernmost limits in Argentina and Paraguay, where scarce information exists regarding their ecology and conservation. We present a study carried out in the Paraguay River floodplain, in an area dedicated to cattle rearing using native grasses in a subtropical flooded savanna associated with naturally occurring forest islets, wetlands and palm groves. Using camera-traps within three different forest types, we estimated parameters related to habitat preference, social behavior and activity patterns of both species. Results show that capture success was greater in the Floodable sub-humid forest islets (FSF), compared to other types of forests: Riparian forests associated with wetlands (W-RF) and Mesoxerophytic semi-deciduous forests dominated by Schinopsis balansae (MXF). Most detections corresponded to solitary anteaters, although mother-young pairs were occasionally observed during summer. Both species showed a nocturnal and crepuscular activity pattern with a peak of records around midnight. Myrmecophaga tridactyla was detected between 11°C and 26°C, while Tamandua tetradactyla occurred between 15°C and 23°C. Future research that incorporates systematically taken data in other different habitats, including grasslands and shrublands, during all seasons of the year is recommended.

Study on modern vegetation distribution in Sevan Tal area, Raebareli District, Uttar Pradesh

Pollen analysis of ten surface sediment samples from Sevan Tal, Raebareli District (U.P.) reveals a good assemblage of arboreals (trees & shrubs) comprising Holoptelea integrifolia, Acacia nilotica, Syzygium cumini, Madhuca indica and Shorea robusta, etc. However, plant diversity in forest groves has been observed in eastern and southern fringes but are less diversified in northern and western flanks due to arable and heathland, respectively in the area. Together with av. 4% shrubs, the trees constitute av. 23.3% arboreal pollen. Even then, in general, the reduced frequencies of the trees could be ascribed to their low pollen productivity since they portray a strong tendency of entomophily. Among the non–arboreals, Poaceae with av. 35% pollen subdues the other herbaceous elements. The substantially increased frequencies of cultural taxa, viz. Cerealia, Chenopodiaceae/ Amaranthaceae (Cheno/Am), Artemisia, Cannabis sativa and Brassicaceae, more particularly on the northern and western flanks, truly reflect the intensive agriculture practice in the region. The consistent presence of marshy taxa such as Cyperaceae coupled with Polygonum plebeium, P. serrulatum and Liliaceae suggests the intermittent wetlands in the proximity of the lake. In all, the representation of the non–arboreals corresponds closely with their factual occurrence in the ground flora, constituting the largest chunk of av. 75% pollen. The frequent record of Potamogeton together with Lemna, Typha, etc. denotes the existence of the lakes around the sampling provenance. This comparative database on pollen vis–à–vis vegetation relationship serves as modern analogue for the appropriate assessment of the pollen sequence from the sediment deposit in terms of past vegetation and climate change in the Central Ganga Plain. Moreover, the representation of the arboreals, particularly trees, in the spectra symbolizes the prevailing climatic condition in the study area.

Water Retention Capacity of Soils in the Altai Region

Water retention curves (WRC) and some physical and chemical properties (particle-size composition, soil density, organic matter content, etc.) were determined for the major soil types of the Altai Region: southern chernozems of moderately dry steppe (Calcic Chernozems) and ordinary chernozems (Haplic Chernozems) of steppe with forest groves in local depressions, leached chernozems of the Altai foothills (Luvic Chernozems (Pachic)), and chestnut soils (Kastanozems) of dry steppe. These soils differ by texture. Overall, 420 soil samples were examined. The water retention curve was experimentally determined by centrifugation and capillarimetry, and approximated on the basis of the van Genuchten equation. The parameters of approximation were used for hydrological grouping of the soils by texture, which becomes heavier from the loamy sandy soils of dry steppe towards heavy loamy soils of the Altai foothills. The hydrophysical parameters are not differentiated along the soil profile and generally are in agreement with the humus accumulation process and the natural or anthropogenic soil compaction. An increase in parameter α reciprocal to the bubbling pressure is observed upon the transition from steppe Chernozems towards Kastanozems of dry steppe. The determination of this parameter is particularly important for modeling water and aeration conditions of irrigated soils and potential waterlogging. Quantitative descriptions of water retention curves with the use of approximation parameters made it possible to develop physically substantiated models for soil reclamation purposes.

On a Bird, the Phoenix

On a Bird, the Phoenix LACTANTIUS (Translated by A. M. Juster) There is a distant eastern place where, blessed by daybreak, eternal Heaven’s greatest gate lies open— and yet not in summertime nor winter dawn, but when sun glimmers in the sky in spring. There the plateau extends out into open fields; no barrow swells, no empty valley yawns, although this place ascends a dozen ells above our mountains, which are thought a lofty range. The sun-god’s grove is here with many planted trees and lush with grace in constant greenery. When fire from Phaethon’s chariot ignited sky, this place was free of damage from the flames. When flooding overwhelmed the world with waves, it rose above the waters that Deucalion sailed. There is no bloodless illness here, no sad old age, no bitter death, nor cruel anxiety, no monstrous crime, no frenzied lust for wealth, nor rage or fury joined with love for slaughter. Harsh sorrow, sleepless worries, destitution cloaked with rags, and violent appetite are gone. No storms nor winds of violent force are raging there, nor does frost cover earth with frozen dew. No cloud above the plains is stretching out its fleece, no water drops from swirling mist above, although a spring within it called “the spring of life”— clear, gentle, plentiful with pleasant waters, and flowing monthly during every season— refreshes the whole forest with floodwater. There grows a type of tree here with a stately trunk arion 27.3 winter 2020 2 on a bird, the phoenix that bears mild fruit that will not fall to earth. A mateless bird, the phoenix, haunts these forest groves— mateless because she lives renewed by death. A noted acolyte, she serves and follows Phoebus, a duty Mother Nature gave to her. When yellow-tinged Aurora reddens on her rise as she dispels the stars with rosy light, the phoenix dips her flesh in holy waves twelve times; twelve times she sips the water’s vital flow. She soars and perches on the highest of the treetops, the one location that observes it all, and, turning for the start of Phoebus being born, awaits the coming of his brilliant rays, and when the sun has struck the incandescent gate, and the first glinting light has flashed its gold, she starts to pour out melodies of sacred songs and summon daylight in amazing tones that neither flutes nor warbles of the nightingales can match with rhythms of Parnassian music (and do not think the dying swan can mimic it— or the Arcadian lyre’s dulcet strings!). Once Phoebus sends his horses on a path to Heaven and travels freely, crossing all the world, she claps three times by flapping wings repeatedly and—with her fire-lord praised three times—she calms, yet all the while she marks the fleeting hours both night and day with indescribable strange sounds. This priestess of the grove and oracle of woods, sole witness, Phoebus, to your mysteries, as she departs a thousand years of life by now and epochs have imposed their weight on her, she leaves her sweet old forest nest in her decline so that she may return to bygone youth, and, longing for rebirth, she flees the sacred site, then seeks a world where death retains control. She steers a rapid flight to Syria, to which Lactantius 3 she gave its former name, “Phoenicia,” and searches lonely deserts for the sacred grove here where it lurks within the distant woods. She then selects a lofty palm with its high crown, which takes its Greek name “Phoenix” from the bird, upon which no attacking animal can pounce— no slimy snake nor any bird of prey. Aeolus then confines the winds to arching caves so gusts do not disrupt the gleaming air or clotted clouds on southern winds repel the rays of sun in empty sky and harm the bird. Once there she builds herself a cradle (or a tomb) because she dies to live, yet spawns herself. She harvests here the scents and saps of fruitful trees, which Syrians and wealthy Arabs reap, which pygmy realms, Sabaean land, or India produce within a gentle, rounded valley. She...

Forest imageries and political practice in colonial coastal Kenya

ABSTRACTThis article explores the transforming meanings of kaya forests in coastal Kenya during first half of the twentieth century. It focuses on the deployment of the kaya–indicating lowland coastal forests with a linguistic connotation of “home” – as discursive tool in the political practices of elder Mijikenda men in their interactions with the colonial state. From the mid-nineteenth- to early-twentieth century, kaya forests were assigned a variety of meanings, including as historical settlements, ancestral graveyards, and ritual sites. By the late-colonial period, the forests and forest authorities – or kaya elders – were central categories of political practice on the Kenya coast. The article argues that elder Mijikenda men and colonial officials generated novel ideas about the significance of the kaya forests as they collaborated to establish bodies of legitimate authority and demarcate lands for colonial forestry projects and development schemes. In the process, they reworked and standardized the meanings attached the forest groves which became a setting for – and symbols of – political action.

Pollen based vegetation and climate change records deduced from the lacustrine sediments of Kikar Tal (Lake), Central Ganga Plain, India

A 2.0 m thick sediment profile from Kikar Tal, Raebareli District is studied for the pollen assemblage to infer the vegetation and climate variability scenario during the Holocene period. Four distinct palynozones were demarcated based on the palynological succession in the core sediment. However, the radiocarbon dates for the profile could not be procured; therefore, the lake profile is corroborated with the chronology of adjacent lake ‘Chaudhary–Ka–Tal’, Raebareli District. It is envisaged that during 8,000–7,200 cal yrs BP, (Pollen Zone KT–I), forest groves with Holoptelea, Acacia, Madhuca indica, Syzygium and Prosopis as major tree taxa were present in the adjoining area of the lake. The forest groves were interspersed with wider stretches of open vegetation comprising grasses, Tubuliflorae, Liguliflorae, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, etc. and shrubs of Adhatoda vasica and Acanthaceae. This vegetation scenario reflects that the region was under a warm and humid climate during that time. The existence of lake is also envisaged by the presence of aquatic elements, Lemna and Typha. Subsequently, during 7,200–4,200 cal yrs BP (Pollen Zone KT–II), the forest groves became more diversified and dense in composition as evidenced by the expansion of most of the existing trees as well as presence of Emblica officinalis, Aegle, Adina cordifolia, Symplocos and Sapotaceae and thickets of Adhatoda vasica and Mimosa pudica. This significant change in the vegetation mosaic as a whole implies the initiation of a warm and more–humid climatic condition, owing to climate amelioration. The encounter of Cerealia and concomitant cropland weeds, viz. Cheno/Am. Cannabis sativa, Brassica, etc. suggests that the vicinity of the lake was under agrarian practice and other anthropogenic activities. The ground flora was still dominated by grasses; however, it also turned more profuse than before. The increasing trend of Cerealia coupled with concomitant cropland weeds signifies the augmentation in Cereal–based agrarian practice owing to favourable climatic condition. The lake expanded as manifested by the increase in aquatic elements, such as Typha, Potamogeton and Lemna during this period. During the time bracket of 4,200–1,800 cal yrs BP (Pollen Zone KT–III), the arboreals reveal a decrease in their frequency and diversity of major tree taxa with incursion of Moringa and Bombax ceiba suggesting warm and moderately humid climate with reduced monsoon. The last zone (Pollen Zone KT–IV), from 1,800 cal yrs BP–Present, elucidates open grassland vegetation corresponding to reduced monsoon precipitation, with the shrinkage of lake area. The presence of Cerealia and other culture pollen taxa suggests the prevalence of intense agrarian practice in the vicinity of the lake.

Complexities of local cultural protection in conservation: the case of an Endangered African primate and forest groves protected by social taboos

AbstractGlobally, some species and habitats receive protection through local belief systems (e.g. indigenous religions) and informal institutions (e.g. social norms and taboos). Where such systems represent the only form of protection for threatened species or environments, they may be critical to the survival of those taxa and sites. We evaluated the effectiveness of long-standing social taboos protecting the Endangered Sclater's monkey Cercopithecus sclateri and forest groves in a community complex in Nigeria. Across its range (southern Nigeria), Sclater's monkey is effectively protected only through informal institutions. At our study site, we conducted a census of the monkey population; measured the area of sacred groves; and compared our findings with estimates from 2010 and 2005, respectively. We observed a 36% increase in the monkey population (from 249 to 339 individuals) in a core survey area. No groves that we assessed in 2005 had been fully cleared. Although we observed a decline in tree cover for several sacred forests, most groves used regularly by monkeys had changed little. The social taboos related to monkeys and sacred groves remain largely intact; however, other factors threaten the monkey population and remaining forests in this community complex, including the removal of tree patches to accommodate the construction of large residential buildings and the demand for cropland, as well as increased dumping of waste in forested sites. This study highlights the conservation importance and limitations of local cultural protection, as well as the challenges presented when such protection conflicts with community-perceived development needs.

Changes in community perspectives on the roles and rules of church forests in northern Ethiopia: evidence from a panel survey of four Ethiopian Orthodox communities

Some of the only Afromontane forest in northern Ethiopia today is on lands managed by followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, where for centuries priests and communities have conserved forest groves around church buildings. The ecological value of the thousands of church forests in Ethiopia has been widely acknowledged, but little is known about the diverse local institutions that govern these resources, or how such institutions might be changing in response to Ethiopia’s rapid recent economic development. This study uses a unique panel survey to explore changes in community perspectives on the social and ecological roles of church forests, and rules governing church forest use, in four Orthodox communities over time. Our sample consists of 122 household surveys conducted in 2002 and a further 122 surveys from 2014, with 71 households interviewed in both periods. We find that reported uses of church forests vary across forests and over time, with larger forests more likely to be used for extractive purposes such as firewood and construction timber, while smaller forests have become more restricted to renewable or non-extractive uses such as natural medicines, honey, and prayer. Results of logistic regression suggest church followers’ support for preserving church forests increases with age and access to alternative sources of firewood – including exotic Eucalyptus spp. plantations which are increasingly widespread in northern Ethiopia. We also observe a shift since 2002 away from an expectation that church followers themselves hold responsibility for rule enforcement in church forests to a perceived sharing of responsibility by church authorities (i.e. priests) and government (i.e. police) in 2014. Together the progressive introduction of exotic tree species in church forests combined with the erosion of religious norms surrounding local forest governance may threaten the integrity and diversity of these unique social-ecological systems.

Huaorani Transformations in Twenty-First-Century Ecuador: Treks into the Future of Time. Laura Rival. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2016, 352 pp. $65.00, cloth. ISBN 978-0-8165-0119-9.

<i>Huaorani Transformations in Twenty-First-Century Ecuador: Treks into the Future of Time</i>. Laura Rival. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2016, 352 pp. $65.00, cloth. ISBN 978-0-8165-0119-9.