Year – 1/Issue – 12/ August – September’16
World after 5th Extinction Featured Topic : We are at…. WAR RISK (Part – 10) Editors’ Desk : Eco-restoration and Gadgil Report Story Room : Punarjani: A Tale of Nature Reclamation Theme Poster : Sea of Milk Arnab Basu
Globalization: The West's Modern Empires Until the sixteenth century the ecological impacts of wars were largely limited to areas of conflict and their source locations for wood and metals. Then pressures on the biosphere rose, as the era of the imperial nation-state and large-scale capital and industry accelerated the technological impacts associated with global trade and transport. The frontier wars of European conquest were the cutting edge. Over a half millennium European empires, later joined by the United States, dismantled non-state societies in temperate forests, savanna lands, and tropical rainforests. The Western empires commanded weaponry that ultimately overwhelmed all opponents by the late nineteenth century
In Latin America even in the 1500s the impacts of conquest registered on lowland coastal zones and riverine forests, the highlands of Mexico and the Andes, where sheep and goats came to rule degraded pasture lands, and the wide natural E-mail: natural_destination@yahoo.com Website : www.exploringnature.org.in
Early ecological damage outside Europe reflected the navies' needs for construction timber and naval stores. By the 1700s European navies began cutting the hardwood and white pine stands of north eastern North America, the coastal hardwoods of Brazil, and later the teak forests of monsoon Asia, to find substitutes for the depleted English oak and Scandinavian conifers. 1|Page
The most fundamental ecological impact of Europe's global conquests occurred in the Americas, where Europeans brought with them epidemic diseases that were a holocaust for the indigenous people. Up to 90 percent of the indigenous American population had died by the late sixteenth century. This depopulation led to widespread abandonment of cultivated lands and reversion to secondary forest, often for long periods.
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grasslands where cattle soon prevailed. Aside from these cases, the systematic study of environmental changes caused by warfare in Latin America has barely begun. In an ironic case of warfare and epidemic disease, by the 1700s Iberian-Americans who had settled in the New World were relatively immune to malaria and yellow fever. The dreaded twin diseases were their allies in defending their colonial empires against newcomer challengers from northern Europe, until the collapse of the Old Regimes in Spain and Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars. In North American woodland settings the impact of endemic frontier warfare was somewhat different. There Europeans followed up their conquests by settling on the land and clearing temperate forests far more readily than they could anchor themselves in tropical forest zones. In contrast to Latin America, where populations did not recover to their pre-1492 levels until around 1800, the native populations of North America were fully replaced by North European immigrants in much shorter order, and croplands replaced forests.
Editors’ Desk :
Eco-restoration and Gadgil Report Restoration ecology emerged as a separate field in ecology in the 1980s. It is the scientific study supporting the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human intervention and action. The term "restoration ecology" is therefore commonly used for the academic study of the process, whereas the term "ecological restoration" is commonly used for the actual project or process by restoration practitioners. Land managers, laypeople, and stewards have been practicing ecological restoration or ecological management for many hundreds, if not thousands of years, yet the scientific field of "restoration ecology" was not first formally identified and coined until the late 1980s, by John Aber and William Jordan when they were at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They held the first international meetings on this topic in Madison during which attendees visited the University of Wisconsin's Arboretum—the oldest restoration ecology project made famous by Professor Aldo Leopold. The study of restoration ecology has only become a robust and independent scientific discipline over the last two decades, and the commercial applications of ecological restoration have tremendously increased in recent years. There is consensus in the scientific community that the current environmental degradation and destruction of many of the Earth's biota is considerable and is taking place on a "catastrophically short timescale". An estimate of the current extinction rate is 1000 to 10,000 times more than the normal rate. For many people biological diversity, (biodiversity) has an intrinsic value that humans have a responsibility towards other living things, and an obligation to future generations. 2|Page
The fundamental difference between restoration and other conservation efforts is analogous to the difference between disease prevention and treatment. Conservation attempts to maintain and protect existing habitat and biodiversity, whereas restoration attempts to reverse existing environmental degradation and population declines. Targeted human intervention is used to promote habitat, biodiversity recovery and associated gains. The possibility of restoration, however, does not provide an excuse for converting extremely valuable "pristine" habitat into other uses: as in medicine, it better to prevent than to treat. "Treatment" is generally less effective and more expensive than prevention, and "treatment" cannot always restore the condition before the "injury": some habitat and biodiversity losses are permanent Though restoration ecologists and other conservation biologists generally agree that habitat is the most important locus of biodiversity protection, the disciplines themselves have different focuses. Conservation biology as an academic discipline is rooted in population biology. Because of that, it is generally organized at the genetic level, looking at specific species populations (i.e. endangered species). Restoration ecology is organized at the community level, looking at specific ecosystems. Conservation biology's focuses on rare or endangered species limit the number of manipulative studies that can be performed. As a consequence, conservation studies tend to be descriptive, comparative and unreplicable. However, the highly
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Year – 1/Issue – 12/ August – September’16
manipulative nature of restoration ecology allows the researcher to test the hypotheses vigorously. Restorative activity often reflects an experimental test of what limits populations. Now, let’s look into this whole concept of eco-restoration from the current Indian eco-political perspective. The consciousness that preservation of nature and environment is essential for the existence of human life is getting strengthened day by day the world over. However, the report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), popularly known as the Madhav Gadgil report, and that of the High Level Working Group (HLWG), known as Kasturirangan report, have evoked opposition from all sections of the people. Exploring Nature has tried to critically assess these reports in order to remove the misconceptions among sections of proenvironment activists as to why the peasant movement, which always stood for conservation of environment, took a position against the implementation of WGEEP-HLWG reports by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) of the government of India. The Western Ghats and the eastern Himalayas in India have been classed among the eight “hottest hotspots” of biodiversity in the world. A study of the southern region, comprising the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu, showed that about 40 percent of the original vegetation cover was lost or land converted to other uses between 1920 and 1990. In the context of neo-liberalism where the level of environmental degradation due to reckless exploitation of natural resources by corporate houses has increased manifold, it is the working class and the peasantry that have to address the environmental challenges with utmost seriousness. In view of the environmental sensitivity and ecological significance of the Western Ghats, as well as possible impacts of climate change on this region, the MoEF constituted the WGEEP through an order dated March 4, 2010. The 14 member panel with renowned environmentalist Prof Madhav Gadgil as chairman held 14 meetings in one and a half years and submitted its final report on August 31, 2011. But the report was prepared without any consultation with the local population, people’s representatives and political parties. When the report was made public in March 2012, various peasant organisations, socio-political movements and all the six state governments levelled the widespread criticism that certain recommendations for conservation of nature and environment were against the fundamental rights and livelihood of the local residents, and would impede local development. The massive opposition compelled the MoEF to form the HLWG on August 17, 2012 under the chairmanship of famous space scientist and planning commission member Dr Kasturirangan to revisit the WGEEP report. The HLWG had 10 meetings and four field visits before it submitted its report on April 15, 2013.
States (99 in Goa, 64 in Gujarat, 1576 in Karnataka, 123 in Kerala, 2159 in Maharashtra and 135 in Tamilnadu) as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA). The intention was to impose the Indian Environment (Protection) Act on all these villages. This bureaucratic step invited widespread resistance and protest actions from the local population, which are still continuing. Humans are an integral component of nature and the existence and conservation of environment is intrinsically linked with human life. But a study of environmental degradation and its impact on various social sections or the society as a whole is not included in the above-said assignments for the WGEEP. Making recommendations for protection of the livelihood and fundamental rights of toiling people, including workers, peasants and tribal people who are dependents upon forest produce, was not included. The fundamental error of the Gadgil report emanates from this very trend of environmentalism ‘negating human livelihood to conserve environment,’ and this contradiction has fomented broad opposition from local residents and peasantry against the Indian state. Exploring Nature never opposes imposition of EPA, but not in disconnection with people.
In the context of pressure from the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal, the MoEF did not even consider the crucial aspect of whether the HLWG had addressed the concerns raised by the local people. It hastily initiated steps to implement the HLWG recommendations and declared 4,156 villages in six 3|Page
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Initially 4 acres of forest land was bought in 2008-09; then another 2.9 acres in 2009-10; in 3rd phase 5.83 acres land was purchased in 2010-11, in 4th phase 5 acre land was purchased in 2011-12 and in 5th and final phase 7.15 acre land was purchased in 2015-16.
Story Room:
Arnab Basu
"Here is the means to end the great extinction spasm. The next century will, I believe, be the era of restoration in ecology." - E. O. Wilson, Biologist. The Society for Ecological Restoration defines "ecological restoration" as an "intentional activity that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem with respect to its health, integrity and sustainability". The practice of ecological restoration includes wide scope of projects such as erosion control, reforestation, usage of genetically local native species, removal of non-native species and weeds, revegetation of disturbed areas, daylighting streams, reintroduction of native species, as well as habitat and range improvement for targeted species. For millennia humans have left their mark on the world's forests, although it was difficult to see. By the twenty-first century, however, forests that humans once thought were endless are shrinking before their eyes. Forests are not only a source of timber; they perform a wide range of social and ecological functions. They provide a livelihood for forest dwellers, protect and enrich soils, regulate the hydrologic cycle, affect local and regional climate through evaporation, and help stabilize the global climate. Through the process of photosynthesis they absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and release the oxygen humans and animals breathe. They provide habitat for half of all known plant and animal species, are the main source of wood for industrial and domestic heating, and are widely used for recreation. When Mother Nature is in verge of extinction, its humans again who take the vow for her reclamation. 40 white collard professionals and sustainability enthusiasts of Kerala, started an initiative of eco restoration – Punarjani - on a 25 acre forest turned cultivation land in Noolittamala, a place within 500 meter aerial diameter of famous Paidalmala hill in the forest of Kerala. 10 km away from Alakode district of the state. The patch of forest which was converted into cultivation land and significantly lost its indigenous biodiversity; was bought in phases between 2008 and 2016 and reclamation work started in August, 2013 by dismantling an existing house.
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Although members of Punarjani started planation in the purchased land from the beginning and major planation was started in 2010, however till 2013 at the time of dismantling the existing house, they were not sure what to do there. The initial idea was to dismantle the existing house and build a new house by using reusable and natural materials, which could be used as night shelter for the local farmers, storage facility for forest produce, and also a place where
nature camp could be organized for local students. One of the members, Devan, who was also an architect associated with a company named COSTFOR, started working with a gentleman called Laurie Baker, who was an advocate for low costlow energy houses. Devan designed the house based on Laurie’s suggestion. They followed the original oval shaped base of the existing house.
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Foundation work started in August 2013 and finished by end of January, 2014. The plan was to construct a two storied building made of mud and bamboos, of which the diameter of the ground floor hall was 6 meter, which would be used for conducting workshops or as multi utility store room. The first floor would be used for staying purposes.
by land owners in pro rata basis. The ground floor basic construction was completed in 2015 and “Kudeeram” was ready for basic uses.
It was an experimental building for Punarjani to assess the feasibility of constructing houses by using locally available materials. Gadgil report on housing and usage of forest land was used as a concept. The existing house was built over a 1.5 meter dip ditch or water storage area. The same water was planned to be used for domestic purpose and recycling. Raw materials used for construction were thatches of areca (Areca catechu) nut and coconut tree, rubbles and soil. Two options were available for construction – Mardini process – where soil-cement blocks are used and soil stabilizes cement. Instead of cement lime was used as that was considered more eco-friendly. The other one was Cob building. Making buildings with dirt is an idea that's been around almost as long as man has been on earth. Cob building, a tradition from Cumbria and Southwest England, is like that, but on a bigger scale. It was used for centuries, dying out in the 1800s until interest in sustainable housing sparked a revival. Kevin McCabe made waves when he built the first new English cob house in 70 years in 1994 (and with four bedrooms and two storeys, it wasn't small). The traditional material for English cob was soil (clay-based) mixed with water and straw, sometimes with crushed flint or sand added. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, modern cob techniques remain much the same. The biggest development has been Oregon cob, where people mix the material into mud loaves, and then add them individually to the wall before treading them in. This method means houses can have walls that are stronger and thinner (generally 300-500mm thick on load bearing walls, as little as 100mm on others). For Punarjani, the Mardini process did not give good results, because the locally available soils were not suitable enough. Therefore, after finishing the foundation, the construction of ground floor started using Cob building method in January, 2014. In Cob building method, first the basic mud was prepared and mixed with cow urine to make a paste. Cylindrical balls were made out of it and kept one over another, without giving any space in between. Instead of steel, bamboo was used for reinforcement and roofing was done along with mud wall and areca nut and coconut trunks were used to hold the structure. The coconut tree trunk insulated with tar and plastic was buried in the soil for pillars. Sand and cement was used for roofing. The steels of old building were used to cover the ditch. By May, 2014 the roofing was completed. All the expenses of construction were borne
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The 1st floor was constructed by WATTLE AND DAUB WALL method. Materials used were Coconut tree, Areca nut tree, Palm leaves. When the construction of ground floor was going on, the idea of eco-tourism or eco-restoration was not there in the mind of Punarjani members. But the whole idea got changed when the 1st floor construction was started, by a workshop as part of Punarjani Learning Series on Construction using Mud and Bamboo conducted at “Kudeeram” between 13th and 15th February, 2015. The objectives of Punarjani were laid down: 1. Noolittamala is the representative ecology of the upper ridges of Western Ghats. To establish an eco-restorative land use model of the upper ridges of Western Ghats was one of the key objectives; 2. To promote concept of green building by minimizing high energy material wherever possible; 3. To maximize the use of locally available materials in construction, that can be collected from agricultural land; 4. To increase concept of multipurpose usage of spaces, leading to conservation of space; and
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5. To promote eco-restoration concept by restoration of soil, water and biodiversity. The representative of Exploring Nature, was privileged enough to be hosted at Kudeeram by two of the stake holders of Punarjani – Samuel Thomas, an electrical engineer and a state government employee, who has devoted his life as a green crusader in the endeavour of eco-restoration and Padmanabhan (Paddy), a Hydrogeologist and a sustainability consultant associated with a billion dollar Multinational sustainability consultancy farm. Three of them also camped at the highest point of the Punarjani eco-restoration project, from where famous Paidalmala hill was visible. During a conversation with Samuel and Paddy on the success stories of Punarjani, Samuel told Exploring Nature that this forest land has been used by local community for agriculture for last 40-50 years. The crop yield was good as forest soil is enriched in forest humus. But in these 40 years, people added chemical fertilizers, which had degraded the soil property. To restore the soil property first thing they did as part of their eco-restoration project was planation and bringing back indigenous species. Since 2008, they have planted around 25 indigenous species, which were fast growing, food yielding, give good canopy and mulching and attracts bird species. They have also introduced around 10 new species. During exploration in the project area around 7 bird species were spotted and identified; 3 different butterfly species were also spotted and identified. The project area was also natural habitat for wild boar and mongoose as reported by local community. Nesting of king cobra was also spotted near bamboo trees.
To talk about future plan, Paddy told that the other plans are to develop this area as an environmental and biodiversity learning centre and climate monitoring centre. Information dissemination on eco-construction and nature farming is also in agenda. Community involvement in whole project is the fundamental principle. During May-July, 2016, Punarjani is planning to hold another workshop. The theme is yet to be decided, but most likely to be on nature farming, bamboo plantation, building bio fencing etc. On a more anthropocentric level, natural ecosystems provide human society with food, fuel and timber. Fundamentally, ecosystem services involve the purification of air and water, detoxification and decomposition of wastes, regulation of climate, regeneration of soil fertility and pollination of crops. Such processes have been estimated to be worth trillions of dollars annually – Punarjani’s initiative is one of many such great endeavours in right direction.
Refer the list below for flora and fauna identified during exploration in Punarjani eco-restoration project. While talking about waterbody restoration, Samuel told that there were 3 major 1st order water streams and 3 small 1st order streams. Water scarcity is a problem in Alakode, but in Noolittamala, water is available, though quantity is not much. After plantation started remarkable differences observed in the existing water streams. The Paidalmala forest area is not far from Punarjani, and they have no intention to put fencing in their area. Idea is not to restrict animal movement.
List of Folra and Fauna at Punarjani: Plant
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01
Mahagoni
02
Vatta
03
Pongalyam
04
Karingora
05
Kolamawal (introduced)
06
Mandaram (introduced)
07
Kaducca (introduced)
08
Star Apple (introduced)
09
Unnam
10
Chiptarata (introduced)
11
Bamboo
12
Tambagam (introduced)
13
Verla pine (introduced)
14
Mango
15
Kadaplon
16
Jack fruit
For Team Exploring Nature
17
Jamoon (introduced)
18
Sapota (introduced)
Editors’ Desk : Dwaipayan Ghosh Arnab Basu
19
Coffee
20
Pepper
21
Lemon
22
Pineapple
23
Ambaram (introduced)
24
Thanni
04 White napped flameback woodpecker 05
Paradise fly catcher – white
06
Racket tail drongo
07
Red vented bulbul
Butterfly 01
Common blue tiger
02
Southern bird wing
03
Common five ring
Title & Logo Design : Arijit Das Majumder Saikat Chakraborty Newsletter Design : Dwaipayan Ghosh
Bird 01
White cheecked or brown headed barbet
02
Scarlet minivet
03
Oriental magpie robin
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Theme Poster
:: Everything cannot be reclaimed – Sea of Milk – Photography by Pooja Menon:
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