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Language: English
From the preface:
"Conservation International recognizes a total of 34 biodiversity hotspots in the world, of which India is one among the 17 mega-diversity nations, having about 45 000 plant and 91 000 animal species occurring in diverse ecological habitats like forests, grassland, wetlands, freshwater, coastal, marine, desert and agro-ecosystems. North-East India represents the Indian part of the Indo-Burma mega-biodiversity hotspot that is being recognized by IUCN. A characteristic feature of NE India is that it acts as the transitional zone between India, Indo-Malaya and Indo-Chinese biogeographic regions, besides its location at the confluence between the Great Himalaya and the lndo-Burma region. Owing to variation in climate coupled with high humidity and rainfall, NE India stands as one of the richest sources of biodiversity. The Convention on Biological Diversity reiterated that it is the duty and responsibility of each country to document its natural resources, besides finding ways and means to use them in a sustainable manner so as to reap the benefits for the welfare of humankind.
Keeping the above concepts in view, the Centre of Advanced Study in Life Sciences of Manipur University organized a national symposium on “Biodiversity Status and Conservation Strategies with Special Reference to NE India” in March 2011, with the financial assistance from UGC, New Delhi. The present volume is the outcome of this symposium which records the occurrence of over 1 200 species of plants and animals in north-east India. This reveals not only the richness of this region but also emphasize categorically the diversity of species comprising of 50 species of soil and airborne fungi, 55 orchids, 52 edible fruits, and 50 medicinal plants, 75 each of woody plants, shrubs and herbs, 5 rotifers, 169 nematode worms, nearly 500 insects including 65 species of silk moths, 25 each of edible insects, lady bird beetles, aphids, parasitoids and 150 each of thrips and butterflies besides 120 species of fishes including 29 ornamental forms. The authors have not only taken the pain in enumerating the organisms authentically, but have also focused their status, utility and conservation strategies wherever possible. In addition, assessment of plant diversity in selected sub tropical forests, national parks, home gardens, and grasslands of NE India has also been highlighted in this volume. Due attention has also been paid on the ethno-botanical–cultural aspects and bio-resources like lichens, canes, edible fruits, fishes and insects etc. The invited article on sea weed diversity throws light on their scope, utility and conservation strategies while the other one specifies the impact of climate change on insect diversity. Variation in detoxifying enzymes in tea greenfly, chromosomal variation in fishes and artificial propagation of rainbow trout and golden mahseer are some of the additional highlights of this volume. Therefore, in a holistic and pragmatic approach, I am confident the contents presented in this proceeding will form a baseline data for academicians, administrators and motivated researchers."
