Urban Forestry with Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation

Under AMRUT scheme Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation decided to develop four Forest gardens at Shahunagar, Laxmi nagar and Punawale with total 7200 forest trees, in collaboration with FORREST.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) is a flagship scheme of Central Government, which aims to provide cities with amenities including water supply, sanitation, open spaces and a pollution-free environment.

These PCMC garden were out of ordinary, as these aims to create “urban forest”. Forests differ from plantation in density and diversity of species. The planting of trees five feet apart, never become forest and cannot provide benefits of forest.

For creating the urban native forest we selected total 100 species. For each site at least 50 species were selected and planted densely that match our natural forest systems. Native trees like Umbar ( Ficus recemosa), Bahava (Cassia fistula), Kadulimb (Azadirachta india), Bakul (Mimusops elengi), Taman (Lagerstroemia indica) etc. were selected. Selected trees are medicinally important trees which will create a healing microclimatic conditions in the vicinity. 

From the day they are planted, the various species and individual trees are undergoing a process of natural selection through competition, resulting in the creation of a diversified natural forest.

Trees in the garden are already attracting butterflies, bees and birds.

Thanks to PCMC officials and our elective representatives this crucial change is happening in PCMC.

This project is not only about beautifying our city but and giving benefits to community at large of their health, quality of life, and well-being – locally and globally.

Aditi Learning Centre: A model for “Private Protected Area”

Today when rapid urbanization, habitat fragmentation, habitat destruction and change in land use are challenging ecosystem integrity and conservation, areas which are still green, support biodiversity and provide various ecological services become crucial.

Biological diversity is a global asset with colossal value. It has been declared as a legally binding treaty- the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) with three main goals as –Conservation of biodiversity; Sustainable use of biodiversity; and Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.

Aditi Learning Centre is one such Private Protected Area, which support biological diversity & provide ecosystem services, amid the more & more concretized setting.

It is located in Kusgaon village, in Kamshet, 48 km from Pune city.

Since 2009, Aditi Learning Center (ALC) is working on grass root level for supporting the intellectual, emotional and social growth of young women who desire to complete their education. Modules such as understanding sexuality, human migrations, origins of the earth & waste management help make the connections between the pockets of knowledge from their text books and real-life experiences. 

Interactions with guest speakers is a regular part of learning, which create appreciation for people who have stepped out of boundaries and raise questions through their work and life.

Organic farming is also being practiced at ALC where vegetables are grown for student’s meal.

Apart from this brilliant work, Aditi learning center area is also a model for “Private Protected Area” (PPA).

FORREST conducted Ecological Research at Aditi Learning Centre from January 2016 to Jan 2018 focusing on biodiversity, ecosystem services and factors affecting these. Season wise surveys were conducted throughout the period.

This was the baseline study to assess the ecology of these 11 acres of land. The baseline study outcomes are flora and fauna inventory, ecologically important features of the area, ecologically important flora and fauna species, ecological interventions and conservation management plan for the area.

Unusual Species richness, for 11 acres of area !

Mammals-8         Birds-88       Butterflies-54           

Dragonflies- 20    Reptiles-11   Other insects-59     

Frogs-3      Crabs-3     Spiders-10        Flora- 212

Assessment outcome shows that Aditi Learning Center has 468 species in total.

212 flora species in which one is endemic and 256 fauna species with two endemic species. The fauna species diversity is dominated by birds, followed by insects.

 How It was achieved!

Undisturbed area, habitat heterogeneity (diversity), connectivity and protection are major factors contributing towards conservation of species.

Presence of perennial & seasonal water bodies, natural vegetation- grassland, shrubs, trees, thickets and logs, rocks, boulders, loose soil, leaf litter, mulch provide prefect habitat to multitude of species.

No use of chemicals in the area is another significant factor which leads to such unusual species richness.

As the project area is protected it minimizes threats to habitat. Also, this land is connected to hills and part of undisturbed rural landscape which adds to the diversity.

Another crucial conservation initiative is growing forest at ALC, with “Miyawaki forest growing technique. In Miyawaki as the tree species are selected from natural forests, the original ecosystem is getting quickly restored. These forest patches are attracting many birds, insects and mammals already, in just 2 years of inception.

Waterhole For Wildlife

Miyawaki Forest

Biodiversity indicates the health of the ecosystem. Thus, the ecological study directly suggests that Aditi Learning Center campus area along with it's peripheral area has a very healthy ecosystem.

Even though people play central role both in biodiversity conservation & get benefited by ecosystem services, both biodiversity & ecosystem services have intrinsic value—value of something in and for itself.

Thus, such areas which are kept in their natural state support high biodiversity & has high conservation value.

ALC is a model for private areas/lands/farms which can play important role in ecological sustainability and play a larger role in conservation.

Conservation of such green pockets have been proved to be a major contributor in conserving biodiversity & bring positive changes in ecology of the specific area.

Butterflies flutterbies

Butterflies are one of the most beautiful and charismatic insects around us.They belong to order Lepidoptera. Butterflies often have brightly coloured wings with unique patterns made up of tiny scales. Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet. They are one of the most studied group of insects too. Still a lot remains to be explored about them, like life cycle of particular species, their feeding habits at different stages etc.

A butterfly’s lifecycle is made up of four parts, egg, larva, pupa and adult. Butterflies can live in the adult stage from anywhere between a week and a year, depending on the species.

At larval stage butterflies feed on tender leaves, buds, flowers, fruits etc. Different species feed on different plant parts and variety of plants. At adult stage butterflies feed on nectar, minerals from damp patches or mud(called as mudpuddling), tree sap or pod sap, animal scat or dead animals. But nectar is an important food source of butterflies.

Many butterflies have developed interesting ways of defending themselves from predators. One method is camouflage, or “cryptic coloration”, where the butterfly has the ability to look like a leaf or blend into the bark of a tree to hide from predators. Some butterflies have tail like antenna and eye spots like eyes by which predator gets confused easily.  Another method is chemical defense, where the butterfly has evolved to have toxic chemicals in its body, they are also called as milkweed butterflies. These species of butterfly are often brightly coloured, and predators have learned over time to associate their bright colour with the bad taste of the chemicals. The greatest threats to butterflies are habitat loss due to residential, commercial and agricultural development also use of pesticides and de-weeding. Climate change is also threatening species of butterflies. 

For butterflies conservation, we can maintain home gardens or community parks with larval and nectar food plants for them.

In addition to this awareness should be created regarding Organic gardening methods or minimal pesticides and fertilizers usage.

In city areas, hills,open grasslands and scrub areas act as lungs of the city. These areas harbor and support urban biodiversity by offering food and suitable habitat to butterflies, to other insects and birds etc.

Conserving these hills and open areas will help in long term conservation of butterflies.

Birds in Our Neighbourhood

Birds bring an image of freedom in our minds. These colourful, chirping creatures occupy & adapt to almost every habitat. Birds are important part of ecosystem & food chain. They provide various ecosystem services like nutrient cycling, dispersion of seeds, as bio control agents, as scavengers in many ecosystems etc. With increasing urbanization, worsening pollution & decreasing green cover birds are one the most affected species. Their habitats are disturbed and degraded with which their population is declining, their nesting habits are changing and in this process, birds which cannot adapt fast to the changing environment are disappearing.

Some of the birds which are adapted to the hustle bustle & patterns of the city lives can be observed in our gardens, roadside trees and remaining open areas. Let’s get acquainted with the ecology of some of these birds which are present in our cities and in our neighbourhoods. 

(Glossary which you will need to understand birds has been provided in the end.)

First common bird which comes in our mind is House crow (Corvus splendens). They inhabit any area where humans live and reach highest numbers in dense human settlements where there is plentiful access to garbage, crops and livestock. House crow feeds on refuse around human habitations, carrion, small reptiles, eggs, nestlings, grain and fruits. It is an omnivorous scavenger which helps in cleaning the environment. Crows are absent where humans are few or absent, for example, deserts and dense forests. House Crows are intelligent and resourceful birds & exhibit play behaviour too. Crow has great invasive potential.

One of the most common species of Bulbul which is found all across India and in our cities is Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer). This medium sized bird has a short crest, black head, greyish black body and scarlet red vent (back of the tail). Bulbul is found in dry scrub, open forest, plains and cultivated lands. Now it is adapted to urban areas & nesting is observed in homes & gardens. Red-vented bulbul feeds on fruits, petals of flowers, nectar, insects and occasionally geckos.This is a rather dominating bird.

One of the birds which have been part of our culture & literature. The Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus).The preferred habitat of Koel is light forests, cultivation & thick scrub. Koel feeds on insects & fruits.

One of the interesting facts about Koel is that it is a brood parasite which means It lays its egg in other bird’s nests. Koel  lays egg mostly in the nests of crows. These other birds raise Koel’s young’s as their own.

You must have seen this upright black n white bird chirping around in gardens. This is Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis).The male has black upperparts, head and throat & a white shoulder patch, with white underparts and long white sides of the tail. Females are greyish black above and greyish white below. They are common birds in urban gardens as well as forests. They are known for their melodious song. Try to listen to its call sometime. It is mainly insectivorous bird, but known to occasionally take flower nectar too.

Sunbirds are most common garden birds. The Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) is a small sunbird & like other sunbirds they feed mainly on nectar & sometimes eat insects. You can identify this bird with its very small size (hardly 10 cm) and curved bill. This down curved bill helps the bird to reach to nectar easily.

The male is glossy metallic bluish to purplish & females are olive above and yellowish below.

One small common garden bird is Indian Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius). It is a brightly coloured bird, with long upright tail, green upper body , creamy underparts and rust coloured forehead. This small bird is typically found in open farmland, scrub, forest edges and gardens. Tailorbirds get their name from the way their nest is constructed, which is made of leaves "sewn” together. Tailorbirds are insectivorous.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) which was a very common bird once in villages and cities is now has become a rare sight. It is so well adapted to living around humans that it frequently lives and even breeds indoors. It feeds mostly on the seeds of grains and weeds, but it is an opportunistic eater and commonly eats insects.

This small bird’s population is been declining due to various reasons , major found to be shortage of nesting sites caused by changes in urban building design and insufficient supply of insect food for nestling sparrows.

Birds are indicator of our environment health as they are highly visible species. You can help in bird conservation by gaining knowledge about their habitat and their requirements. Maintaining green patches, gardens are very important to provide habitat and food for birds. Not using chemicals in gardens i.e maintaining organic gardens help in conservation as it would make garden insects available as food for birds.

The value we gain from birds deserves serious investigation into causes of decline and provides additional rationale for the study and conservation of these unique animals.

Glossary

Ecology-Relationship & interactions  of the organisms with each other & with their environment.

Crest- Soft feathers common along the head, neck, and upper back of the birds.

Territorial behaviour- Animals defend territory or area where they live in by fighting or displaying dominating behaviour.

Brood parasites -are organisms that rely on other species to raise their young.

Invasive Potential- Species which has a tendency to spread ,which can cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health.

Start Observing birds which you can see in your neighbourhood. You can listen to their call & can observe what they eat. Make note of observation. 

Let them be in the Wild

Wild animals proliferate & live freely in the wild. Raising a wild animal as a pet is a tempting and exciting idea but it is not only denying animal of its natural habitat but it’s against law also.

Due to lack of awareness about wildlife conservation laws and conservation status of animals, wild animals are sometimes kept as pets. Parakeets, Turtles, Snakes, Monkeys all are scheduled animals which have been treated as pets since long.

Many of us own or aspire to own species of fishes, birds and turtles that may be caught from the wild and even illegally traded. By buying these, we become a part of the growing trade in wildlife that is becoming a prime conservation threat across the world today.

Few know that our favourite and well-known ‘mithu’ is a protected species in India. For centuries, parakeets have been kept as pets mainly because they are easy to keep & their ability to mimic. This demand of seeking parakeets as pets has led to an organized illegal trade in parakeets. Their chicks are captured brutally from the wild & sold as pets.

Let’s understand the terms Parrot and Parakeet first.

Parrot is a broad term for birds which includes Parakeets, Cockatiels, Lovebirds, Lorries, Macaws, Amazons, and Cockatoos are some other groups. Parrots have strong and curved bill, upright posture & zygodactyle feet means two digits directed forward and two backward. They are known of their attractive colours & the ability to mimic.

Parakeets  are a type of parrots known for their long tail feathers which distinguishes them from other parrots.

Parakeets are under schedule IV of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Despite the blanket ban since 1990-91 on trade in all India bird species, hundreds of parakeets are collected and traded annually in India.
They are taken from the wild and smuggled to various parts of the country and beyond. The bulk of the trade is in three to four week old chicks.
Adult parakeets are traded throughout the year, with chicks are traded between December and June. For every bird that reaches the market place, several are believed to die en route.

Of the 12 native species, eight which are regularly found being illegally trade are-Alexandrine parakeet, Rose-ringed parakeet, Plum-headed parakeet, Red-breasted parakeet, Malabar parakeet, Himalayan parakeet, Finsch’s Parakeet and Vernal Hanging-parrot.

The Alexandrine Parakeet is one of the most sought after species in the Indian live bird trade and is traded in large volumes throughout the year. This is the parakeet most of us have seen in cages, at homes.
The chicks of this parakeet are collected from forested areas and transported to bird markets in Indian cities & to bird markets in various parts of the world.

Due to this, a very common bird once in India, is now Near threatened, as per IUCN red list category. (The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN, is a global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. IUCN red list is the catalogue evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species of all over the world)

Other three species of Indian parakeets—Nicobar, Long-tailed & Derby’s Parakeets are also considered by IUCN as Near Threatened with extinction. Illegal trade of this bird is the biggest threat to its survival.

Trade in foreign birds is restricted by CITES -Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species, to which India is a signatory ,assures full protection to all migratory species, making it illegal to trap, capture, keep, kill or trade these birds.

Despite the restriction on trade in many countries however, the market still operates both legally and illegally.

Treaties & bans are not being effective in preventing the illegal wildlife trade of parakeets and parrots. We are more closely linked to the wildlife trafficking market than we think we are. Only decreasing its demand as pet, will protect this bird from being hunted. Mass awareness is the key to the conservation.

Turtle as pet

Turtles or tortoise are also treated as pets due to their low maintenance.

Tortoises and turtles are both reptiles with their both shielded by a shell. The major difference between the two is that tortoises dwell on land, while turtles live in the water some or nearly all of the time. Both are very shy animals.

The Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 lists all species of marine turtles in Schedule I of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 thereby offering them the highest degree of protection. Sea turtles and their habitats are also protected by other coastal laws.

Asian giant soft shell turtle, Eastern hill turtle, Indian soft shell turtle, Green sea turtle, Hawksbill turtle, Indian soft shelled turtle, Indian tent turtle, Cochin forest cane turtle, Leather back turtle, Logger Head Turtle, Olive Ridley sea turtle, Peacock soft shell turtle, Painted roofed turtle, Spotted black terrapin are all protected under scheduled II & Indian star tortoise, Travancore tortoise & Sal forest tortoise are under schedule IV of The WPA, 1972.

The Indian star tortoise, which is extremely popular as a pet across the world, is relentlessly smuggled out from the forests of India. Other species available for sale commonly like red-eared slider, red-crowned roofed turtle would most likely be wild-caught and illegally traded.

Turtles kept at home will not survive in a small tub. They need the right lighting, temperature and water .Countless pet turtles die from being kept in inadequate conditions. Turtles shipped by mail and other delivery services often die on the way.

People sometimes turn turtles loose their pets, thinking they are "freeing" them, but it's illegal to release them anywhere in the wild without knowing its natural habitat or range. To release any animal in the wild, it’s very important to know its ecology & its natural habitat. To release back any wild animal, one should take help of authorized wild animals care centres or experts.

India is a signatory to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and the CMS (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals). CITES regulates international trade on sea turtles and their products.

The legal trade in other Asian countries appears to be undermining India’s efforts to protect the Turtles & Tortoise.

It is important to note, wildlife laws and enforcement efforts stand little chance of success unless consumer demand for protected wildlife is also addressed.

If you would like to protect the earth and the animals & help in conservation, do not seek wild animals as pet & create awareness among about it.

(This Article has been appeared in "Tell-Tail" Magazine May-July 2017 issue)