Kerala Region Research Articles

Genus <i>Anomostomus</i> Laferte-Senectere (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalinae): Addition of a New Subgenus and New Species from South India

Genus Anomostomus LaFertè-Sénectère is represented by three species globally with two species known from Afrotropical region and one species, Anomostomus orientalis Andrewes from the Indian subcontinent (India, Sri Lanka and Indo-Pakistan border). A new subgenus, Tnaei subgen. nov. within the genus Anomostomus is described with a new species Anomostomus (Tnaei) devagiriensis sp. nov. from the Malabar coast region of Kerala in South India.

Impact of stone quarries on groundwater quality at Achenkovil River Basin, Southern Western Ghats, India: Investigation using WQI and GIS

AbstractThe quality concern of groundwater owing to human activities is mounting at a shocking rate in many of the river basins in Southern India. A study was carried out in this work to determine the quality of groundwater in the Achenkovil River Basin (ARB) in the Southern Western Ghats region of Kerala, India. A total of 25 dug well water samples were collected from the vicinity of aggregate quarries during the pre and post monsoon seasons of 2020–2021. The water quality index has been applied to categorize the water quality, namely, excellent, good, poor, etc. to infer the quality of water to the people and policy makers in the concerned area. The WQI results showed that 12% of the water samples in good and 28% depict in very poor category. The Hill‐Piper Trilinear diagram reveals that the groundwater of the study area falls under Ca2+/Mg2+, and HCO3− and SO42−, Cl−, Mg2+ types. The hydro‐chemistry of the rock‐dominant water type of the quarrying area is inhibited by geogenic‐processes along with the percolation of prevailing quarry leachate and infiltration into the nearby wells. The correlation matrix has been created and analyzed to observe their significant impetus on the assessment of groundwater quality. The overall quality of groundwater systems in the quarrying area, according to the various indices, is not fit for domestic consumption without mandatory quality treatment, but is suitable for irrigation.

Analyzing the streamflow teleconnections of greater Pampa basin, Kerala, India using wavelet coherence

Climate change is one of the major global threats which affects the streamflow variability. In order to disentangle the relationships between climatic oscillations (COs) and streamflows (SF), this study presents a framework for the identification of main climatic factors integrating Bivariate wavelet coherence (BWC), Multiple wavelet coherence (MWC), and Partial wavelet coherence (PWC) approaches. The application of this method is demonstrated by analysing the monthly SF-CO teleconnections of four stations belonging to the rivers of Greater Pampa region of Kerala, which was severely affected by the 2018 Kerala floods. To investigate the impact of these large-scale climatic patterns on the SF of this region, COs, specifically El Niño Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), are taken into consideration. The relationships between different SF-COs are statistically quantified with the help of Average Wavelet Coherence (AWC) and the Percentage of Significant Coherence (PoSC). The BWC analysis showed that the IOD is the dominant predictor for SF1 (AWC = 0.46, PoSC = 26.05%) and SF2 (AWC = 0.5, PoSC = 30.03%) stations while NAO is the dominant predictor for SF3 (AWC = 0.43, PoSC = 18.25%) and SF4 (AWC = 0.48, PoSC = 24.83%) stations. Addition of NAO to the most significant combination of SF-PDO-IOD from the two-factor analysis produced the highest coherence values for all the stations. The PWC analysis indicated a drastic reduction in coherence values with respect to the BWC analysis, indicating a strong interrelationship between different COs and SF.

Checklist of digenean fauna infecting fishes of Kerala region, India.

A checklist of digenetic trematodes of fishes (both freshwater, brackish and marine) from Kerala is prepared on the basis of scientific articles published during the period from 1970 to 2022. To date, 94 species (72 adults and 22 metacercariae) belonging to 26 families and 62 genera were documented. The largest Family reported here is Hemiuridae under which ten genera and 23 species have been documented. For each parasite species, information is provided on the host(s), developmental stage(s), site(s) of infection, geographical locality (-ies) and the published source(s). Available illustrations have also been presented. 'Keys to the Trematoda' Volumes 1 to 3 are followed for presenting taxonomic status. The checklist forms the first complete listing of digenetic trematodes infecting marine, brackish and freshwater fishes of Kerala, India. The current effort meets the demand for a checklist on diverse trematode fauna parasitizing fishes of Kerala which will be helpful to future researchers working on fish parasites.

Do carbon stocks and floristic diversity of tropical homegardens vary along an elevational gradient and based on holding size in central Kerala, India?

Homegarden (HG) agroforestry combines biological carbon (C) sequestration with biodiversity conservation outcomes. Although C stocks and species richness of HGs vary along elevational gradients and as a function of holding sizes, there is no consensus on the nature and magnitude of such variations. Field studies were conducted in the Western Ghats region of central Kerala, India (180 homesteads in 20 selected panchayats), to evaluate the effects of elevation (near sea level to 1938m) and garden size (162-10,117 m2) on aboveground C stocks and floristic diversity. The C stocks (per unit area) of HGs (arborescent species) were highly variable (0.63-93.65Mgha-1), as garden management was highly individualistic and it exhibited a weak negative relationship with elevation. Likewise, there was a weak negative relationship between C stocks and garden size. Tree stocking levels (stems/garden) and species richness (species/garden) positively impacted total C stocks per garden. Floristic diversity was high in the study area (753 species) and included many rare and endangered species (43 IUCN Red-Listed species) making homegardens circa situm reservoirs of biodiversity. Elevation and holding size exerted a weak negative linear relationship on Simpson's floristic diversity index, whichranged from 0.26 to 0.93 for thearboreal species. Homegardens, regardless of elevation or size, contribute to C sequestration and agrobiodiversity conservation and help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Climate Action (SDG-13) and conserving agrobiodiversity (SDG-15, Life on Land).

Alternanthera flavescens (Amaranthaceae), a new addition to Flora of India

AbstractSome populations identifiable as Alternanthera flavescens were discovered in the Kerala region (SE‐India), representing the first record of the national Flora. A macro‐ and micro‐morphological description based on the plants found, as well as ecological notes, are given. The phenotypic plasticity observed was also discussed.

Effect of Polypharmacy on Adverse Drug Reaction Among Geriatric Patients at Tertiary Care Hospital

BACKGROUND: Polypharmacy and Drug -related problems (DRPs) have been shown to prevail in hospitalized patients. We evaluated the prevalence of polypharmacy and investigated relationship between polypharmacy and adverse drug reaction occur with it. The present study was designed to identify the adverse drug reactions occur due to polypharmacy. METHODOLOGY: This observational study was conducted for 6 months in the various department of a tertiary care Super speciality Hospital at Malabar region of Kerala. The patients were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: A total of 60 geriatric inpatients were selected, of which approximately 60% were male. About 38% of population had co-morbidities (1-4) lead to more number of prescribed medications. More number of patients were admitted in general medicine department (43%) and secondly in neurological department (26%) followed by gastroenterology (15%) and general surgeon (5%). From the selected population, 30%of people occurred with adverse drug reactions. Among them 94.4% were assessed as possible cases by Naranjo’s algorithm scale CONCLUSION: Polypharmacy among geriatric patients is mainly due to the co-morbidities. This study concluded that polypharmacy among geriatric patients were high and a part of them (30%) were occurred with adverse drug reactions. Efforts should be made to improve appropriate medication and quality of life of geriatrics. Educational programmes need to be implemented and can improve the awareness of health care workers. Pharmacists also have a key role in improving appropriate use of medications. Keywords: Polypharmacy, geriatric, concomitant, drug interaction, Naranjo’s algorithm

First Record of Three Species of <i>Helochares</i> (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) From Western Ghats of India

Hydrophilidae is one of the families of aquatic beetles which are known as water scavenger beetles. There are about 212 species of aquatic beetles belonging to Hydrophilidae from India. 10 species of genus Helochares Mulsant, 1844 had been reported from India out of which two species has been reported from Western Ghats. The present study documents three more species namely Helochares crenatus Régimbart, 1903, Helochares lentus Sharp, 1890, Helochares negatus Hebauer, 1995 from Western Ghats region of Tamil Nadu and Kerala as new records.

Perceptions of Indian Healthcare Practitioners Regarding the 2022 Outbreak of Monkeypox Disease.

Introduction Although only a few cases of monkeypox have been reported in India so far, it is vital for healthcare practitioners to have sufficient knowledge about its epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the perception of Indian healthcare practitioners regarding the 2022 outbreak of monkeypox disease. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 500 medical and dental practitioners from various regions of Kerala, India. The Chi-squared test for proportion was used to determine the significant difference in the knowledge levels of the participants. Binary logistic regression (multivariate) was used to understand the knowledge of healthcare professionals regarding the 2022 outbreak of monkeypox disease. Results A total of 424 healthcare professionals completed this survey. Overall, the level of knowledge was good in 64.9% and poor in 35.1% of the participants (p<0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis did not show any statistical significance (p > 0.05) in terms of demographic characteristics. However, in this sample, participants with 6-10 years of work experience were more likely to have improved knowledge scores (odd's ratio OR 1.764). Similarly, participants between the age of 30-40 years were also likely to have improved knowledge scores (OR: 1.065). Conclusions Indian healthcare professionals had an overall good level of knowledge regarding the 2022 outbreak of monkeypox. However, a low level of knowledge was found related to the clinical presentation and immunization of monkeypox. This may be due to the low prevalence of monkeypoxin this region.

Weed Dynamics in Acid Saline Pokkali Ecosystem of Kerala

Background: Pokkali is a versatile rice- fish system of cultivation, producing naturally organic rice along the waterlogged coastal regions of Kerala. The weed flora of Pokkali rice fields is different from other rice ecosystems. Diverse weed flora appears in low saline phase, when rice is cultivated, but they dry up and decompose in high saline phase. With time, significant deviations have been reported in various climatic parameters and as a result, the weed spectrum has also undergone changes. Methods: Two level stratified surveys and anotomical studies were conducted during Kharif 2017 and 2018 to study the weed flora in five major Pokkali growing blocks of Kerala. Two panchayaths (political village units) from each block and two padasekharams (group farming units) in each panchayath were selected for surveying. To understand the adaptive mechanism of weeds in saline soil condition, anatomical studies were performed on individual weed species. Result: Cyperaceae family dominated in the ecosystem with more number of species. Diplachne fusca and Eleocharis dulcis were the major weeds. Echinochloa crus-galli, a dominant weed reported in earlier weed survey was found confined to very few locations and the frequency got reduced from 80% to 12.5%. In addition, Sphenoclea zeylanica was observed as an emerging weed with notable morphological adaptations. Floating ferns like Najas graminea and Hydrilla verticillata caused problems to aeration in the water in fields.

Increasing the Women Empowerment through Kudumbashree in Kerala Region

Increasing the Women Empowerment through Kudumbashree in Kerala Region

Diversity of Epilithic Nostoc spp. from Western Ghats Regions of Kerala, India

Western ghats (Biodiversity hotspot) of Kerala is abundant in cyanobacterial species diversity. The cyanobacterial genus &lt;i&gt;Nostoc&lt;/i&gt; inhabits on natural rock surfaces, thus play an important role in terrestrial ecosystems by colonizing in new and unsettled ecological niches. The abiotic factors like temperature, pH, humidity, micro and macro nutrients contribute to the abundance of &lt;i&gt;Nostoc &lt;/i&gt;spp. on the rock surface. &lt;i&gt;Nostoc&lt;/i&gt; spp. act as a potential candidates for eco-friendly and sustainable agriculture. Even though, their substantial importance to the environment most of the &lt;i&gt;Nostoc&lt;/i&gt; spp. are unexplored, especially from Western ghats region of Kerala. Hence, the present study investigated the diversity of epilithic &lt;i&gt;Nostoc&lt;/i&gt; spp. from Western ghats regions of Kerala. A total of 25 epilithic &lt;i&gt;Nostoc&lt;/i&gt; spp. were identified in this study. Among the 25 species, &lt;i&gt;Nostoc tibeticum&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;N. indistinguindem &lt;/i&gt;are new records from India.

Nesting sites of cavity nesting honey bees (Apis spp.) in natural ecosystems of Kerala, India

Natural colonies of cavity nesting honey bees are important for the conservation of bees. This study was aimed to determine the nesting habitat, nesting sites, nest height, and nest characteristics of naturally occurring cavity nesting honey bees in Kerala. The results showed that primary forests, disturbed or agricultural land as well as undisturbed lands were found to be the nesting habits of cavity nesting bees in Kerala. Among the nesting sites, tree hollows were the prevalent nesting sites of cavity nesting bees in Kerala wherein, the predominant tree species was Tectona grandis. The nest height of honey bee colonies from ground level varied from 0 cm to 600 cm and the number of combs in a colony varied from five to twelve. No significant differences were observed in the nest height and number of combs in the honey bee colonies in hill and plain regions of Kerala. Biserial correlation analysis revealed that in the plain regions, the proportion of parallel arrangement of combs to the direction of nest entrance was high (0.83) whereas in hilly regions the proportion of comb arrangement at right angles to the nest entrance was high (0.88).

Unlocking Hidden Water Resources: Mapping Groundwater Potential Zones using GIS and Remote Sensing in Kerala, India

The study describes a case study from an ecologically fragile region of Kerala, India, in which GIS and remote sensing techniques were used to identify groundwater potential zones (GWPZ). The study area has been adversely affected by pollution from various sources, and residents have become reliant on groundwater for their drinking water needs. Here, the Weighted Index Overlay Analysis method was used to identify the potential groundwater zones to assign ranking values to different classes of individual thematic maps based on their mediating and moderating influence on groundwater potentiality. Twelve thematic layers were used. The results of the GWPZ were validated by overlaying samples on the potential zones in the GIS environment. The study emphasizes the importance of GWPZ mapping for planning new abstraction well locations to meet increasing water demand and improve the awareness of groundwater availability for sustainable development.

Assessment of growth and yield parameters in Arecanut (Areca catechu L.) through correlation and path analysis under hilly zone of Karnataka

Arecanut (Areca catechu L.) commonly called as betel nut is a high value commercial cropof coastal and Malnad region of Kerala and Karnataka. The present study was carried outat Agricultural and Horticultural research station Sringeri, UAHS Shivamogga in 2018. Thestudy attempts the correlation studies in the germplasm will help to understand the mutualrelationship among various traits and thereby assist in selecting the character contributingto the yield. In addition to this the selection for yield directly is ineffective as yield is affected by many other traits. The highest positive significant for the association of fruit yield per palm was with the fresh kernel weight per palm (0.96g) followed by dry weight of husk per palm (0.89g) and fresh weight of husk per palm (0.89g). Path analysis revealed that nineteen out of thirty-four characters recorded that fruit volume (2.40cc) had highest positive direct effect on fruit yield per palm followed by fresh fruit weight (2.17g) and breadth of leaf sheath (2.11m). It can be concluded that growth and yield characters may be considered in selection criteria for the improvement of yield in arecanut.

Impact of removal of rubber plantations for urbanization on CO2 mitigating capacity by the loss of carbon sink in Kerala state, India

Mitigating climate change and global warming through carbon sequestration by tree ecosystems is of prime importance since they are cost-effective, environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable. Urbanization is a part of development, and rubber plantations are usually removed for this purpose, especially in Kerala, the southern state of India. Besides latex, the economic produce, and the associated income, the rubber tree is a fairly good sink for carbon in its biomass, with an average carbon content of 42 per cent and substantial carbon stock in the soil. In the present study, an account of total carbon loss by the removal of rubber plantation for urbanization and developmental activities are given. The present popular clone (RRII 105) existing in major share (85%) of the total rubber cultivation in India accounts for carbon sink loss 57 t ha-1, 57.5 t ha-1, 43.2 t ha-1 for 23 years and 148 t ha-1, 75 t ha-1 and 62.1 t ha-1 for 30 years from biomass, litterfall and sheet rubber respectively. The recent clones RRII 414, RRII 429 and RRII 417 have higher growth rates and higher biomass (44-50 per cent) carbon sink loss compared to the existing popular clone RRII 105. The carbon sink loss in the form of stored carbon in soil is 56.5, with a soil carbon content between 1.2 to 2 per cent. Due to the growth variation in diverse environments with extreme climatic conditions, the clones recorded differences in carbon stock and carbon sink loss. The central region of Kerala showed a higher loss, and a lower loss was in the drought-affected northern region than the southern region. The total carbon sink losses for 23 and 30 years were 214.2 and 341.5 t ha-1, respectively. This study points out that the serious carbon sink loss due to the removal of rubber plantations results in disturbing the self-sustained, carbon-friendly and economically sound perennial rubber ecosystem. Vegetation having higher C-sequestration potential and trees with higher lignin content is essential to increase carbon capture for mitigating the impact of the removal of plantations. From the present study, it is clear that the removal of rubber plantations is affecting the carbon sink loss, thereby the CO2 mitigating capacity, and is a serious matter of concern.

A 3D Space-Time Non-Local Mean Filter (NLMF) for Land Changes Retrieval with Synthetic Aperture Radar Images

Sequences of multi-temporal synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images are routinely used for land-use land-change (LULC) applications, allowing the retrieval of accurate and up-to-date information on the state of the Earth’s surface and its temporal variations. Change detection (CD) methods that rely on the exploitation of SAR data are, generally, made of three distinctive steps: (1) pre-processing of the SAR images; (2) comparison of the pairs of SAR images; and (3) the automatic extraction of the “changed areas”, employing proper thresholding algorithms. Within this general framework, the reduction in speckle noise effects, which can be obtained by applying spatial multi-looking operations and ad hoc noise filters, is fundamental for the better detecting and classifying of changed regions. Usually, speckle noise filters are singularly and independently applied to every SAR image without the consideration of their inherent temporal relationships. In particular, most use local (spatial) approaches based on determining and averaging SAR backscattered signals related to neighboring SAR pixels. In this work, conversely, we explore the potential of a joint 3D space-time non-local mean filter (NLMF), which relies on the discrimination of similar features in a block of non-local SAR pixels extracted from the same or different SAR images. The theory behind non-local-mean filters is, first, shortly revised. Then, the developed space-time NLMF is applied to a real test case for the purposes of identifying flooded zones due to the massive inundations that hit the Kerala region, India, during the summer of 2018. To this aim, a set of 18 descending SAR images collected from the European (EU) Copernicus Sentinel-1 (S-1) sensor was exploited. The performance of the developed NLMF has also been assessed. It is worth remarking that the proposed method can be applied for the purposes of analyzing a heterogenous set of natural and/or artificial disastrous conditions. Further, it can also be helpful during the pre-processing stages of the sequences of SAR images for the purposes of CD applications.

Review on bagworms (Lepidotera: Pyschidae) study in India

Bagworms (Lepidotera: pyschidae) can be termed as switching pest, is a polyphagus defoliator of economically and ecologically beneficial plants traced in varied host ranging from ornamental plants to huge forest trees. Life history of some species studied intensively had revealed the potentiality of this phytophagus family. Case of bagworm been a salient characteristic of psychidae was known to utilize by tribes of Bastar for annual rainfall determination. Bagworm infestations were examined by many workers in selected region of Chhattisgarh and Kerala. Newly emerging pest of Indian forest has the potential to cause huge ecological and economical damage as proved earlier in region of Uttrakhand (Tons valley), Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Control measure specific to Indian species of bagworm is needed to deal the prevailing situation. The Indian peninsula and Himalayan region had remained untouched for exploration related to bagworms biodiversity. The available literature points clearly towards the need to initiate and explore more on behavior, biology, prevalence and integrated strategic methods to control bagworms infestation.

ETHNO PRACTICE IN BHUTONMADA: A REVIEW

Bhutonmada/Grahonmada is a Psychiatric condition characterized by abnormal behaviour in terms of an exhibition of strength, energy, valour and enthusiasm, defects in perception, retention and memory, abnormality of speech, and abnormality in perceiving self and environment. Bhutavidya deals with the possession of demons or evil spirits and their management. It is widely practised in many parts of India; however, Ethno-practitioners in some regions of Kerala and Karnataka who have proficient knowledge about Bhutavidya are treating patients successfully. A combined approach of Jyotishyashastra, and Daivavyapashraya, like Mantra-Homa-Bali and Bheshaja, are followed by such practitioners. In this approach, Jyothishyashastra is used as a tool for diagnosis, while a combined approach of Daivavyapashraya and Yuktivyapashraya is used in its treatment. This article presents the concept of Bhutavidya explained in Ayurveda along with descriptions of Ethno-practices narrated by a Bhutavaidya residing in Kasargod district of Kerala; information collected through an in-depth, focused Interview.

Invasive Succulents in Malabar Region of Kerala, India

Invasive Succulents in Malabar Region of Kerala, India