S.NO. REFERNCES ABSTRACTS 1 P. Siva Rama Krishna M. Sankara Rao

A review on significance and conservation status of IUCN assessed endemic plants of Eastern Ghats Hyderabad. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The eastern ghats, spread over three states of India, namely Orissa, AndhraPradesh and Tamilnadu. The region has rich floristic diversity where more than 3,200 species of angiosperms are reported constituting about 16% of flowering plants of India. A total of 145 plant species are endemic to this region. Indian Red Data Book a reference manual of threatened plants covered 44 plant species, of which only 7 species were assessed by IUCN. All the 7 species possess medicinal significance. Conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive in nature.An updated conservation status of the endemic species is important for the conservation biologists to take immediate progressive conservative action. The present review aimed to provide the importance and the current conservation status of Cycas beddomei,Glochidion tomentosum, Albizia thompsonii, Pterocarpus santalinus, Eriolaenalushingtonii, Isonandra villosa, Hildegardia populifolia.

2 Parthipan, M. & Rajendran, A. New Distributional Of Taxa In The Eastern Ghats Of Tamil Nadu. India National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats

The flora of the Eastern Ghats is not as well known as that of the Western Ghats Because of limiting factors like inaccessibility of certain areas. During the botanical explorations in the Yercaud hills of the Eastern Ghats of the Tamil Nadu have yielded interesting data showing that the flora of Eastern Ghats is equalling as rich and interesting as that of the Western Ghats. A few specimens of the taxa of Adiantum, Alysicarpus, Dalechampia, Caralluma, Drosera, Polygalaand Selaginella were collected. In order to check the identity, availability and abundance of the particular taxa, various regional, national floras and published research articles were referred. A thorough scrutiny of available literature revealed that these taxa were hitherto unrecorded from the entire region of the Eastern Ghats of India. Intensive and extensive collections in Yercaud hills clearly indicate that nine taxa viz., Adiantum capillus- veneris L., Alysicarpus naikianus Porkle,Dalechampia scandens L. var. cordofana (Hochst. ex Webb) Mull. Arg.,Caralluma diffusa (Wight) N. E. Br., Drosera pellata sub sps. auriculata(Backh. ex Planchon)Conn, Polygala sphenoptera Fresen.,

Selaginella eurynota A. Braun, Selaginellaminiatospora(Dalz.) Bak and Selaginella opaca Warb.are reported as new distribution record to the flora of Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu.

3 Shakun Mishra, Tripta Sapru1, Bharti Khare and S.K.Mahajan. Conservation of biodiversity in Nimar eco-region of Madhya Pradesh. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats

Present paper deals with the conservation and management of important plant and animal species of Nimar eco- region ( 21022' to 22013' N Lat., 74058'to 78014' E Long.. & 250.38 m above msl ) of M.P.that have now become vulnerable due to changes in environmental conditions. From biogeographical point of view , Nimar eco-region is a part of Central India which covers an area of 8204 sq. km. out of this 1941.965 sq. km. is occupied by the forests. Total area protected by the forest department only 107 hectares which needs to be increased in the present conditions. Due to large geographical area , variable climate and habitat conditions , it is rich in all aspects of diversity i.e. ecosystem, species and generic diversity. Wild life is a renewable resource, therefore its management is of utmost importance in order to maintain the yield. Our environment is invaluable; hence we have to maintain it at any cost. Every organism whether human or tiny creature found on this earth planet is ultimately associated with its environment. Without environmental factors like air, water, soil, light and heat , life is impossible. Due to day-to-day changes in these factors , every organism is adversely affected. Right from its birth till to-day , the earth has undergone enormous changes Due to rapid development of civilization, environment has been deteriorated and climate has changed considerably.On account of this we are facing very many serious problems like melting of mountainous ice, increase in sea level, destructive tides or Tsunami, uncontrolled floods, continuous rise in temperature, serious famine, depletion of ozone layer, destruction of forests, disappearance of rivers, deposition of garbage in dams,increase in salt in the soil, decrease in underground water level, extinction of flora and fauna and so on. Due to tendency of villagers to migrate in cities, there has been gradual decrease in grazing lands and cultivated fields since last few decades. Therefore we shall have to think seriously on this important aspect in this millennium.In past

centuries man has killed millions of wild animals due to several reasons and destroyed forests for timber, fuel and other purposes. The biodiversity of this tract has been threatened due to over exploitation ad habitat destruction and now it has become a major challenge. Many plant and animal species have become endangered. It has been estimated that nearly 100 species of mammals and 88 species of birds have become extinct during the last 2000 years and now every year one species each of mammal and bird reaches at the verge of extinction.. Botanical Survey of India, ZSI and FSI have studied and documented the plant and animal diversity of our country. Accordingly there are about 45000 plant species and 75000 animal species. In contrast to this Nimar ecoregion claims about 723 plant species and 142 animal vertebrate species, numerous insects and microscopic invertebrate species. In addition, this eco-region exhibits agroclimatic diversity. It is blessed with numerous aromatic and medicinal plants.In order to save the flora and fauna of this region, there is an urgent need to create public awareness. The concerning authorities may take strict action to those who are found to destroy the natural vegetation and wild life in the area. About four and a half decades before Late M.B.Shastri had published “The flora of Khargone” in 1963 and while going through this flora ,it has been found that more that 30 plant species are now gradually becoming less in number and they have reached at the stage of vulnerable. These species are important from medicinal point of view especially to the tribal people of this region. Important species that are in danger are mentioned here: :Psorelia corylifolia, Adhatoda vasica, Cissus triangularis, Gynandropsis gynandra (both Yellow and white varieties ), Tephrosea purpurea,Trianthema crystallina T.portulacastrum, Aristolochia bracteata, Solanum nigrum, Passiflora foetida, Maerua arenarea, Cadaba indica, Clematis triloba, Eriocalon spp. Zeuxine sulcata, Cuscuta chinensis, Indigofera Spp.,Abutilon,Asphodelus tenuifolius, Cardiospermum helicaccabum, Gloriosa superba, Salvadora oleoides, Biophytum sensitivum,Chlorophytum borivilianum, Piper beetle, Prosopis cineraria

Mimusops elangii and Bryophyllum spp . These various types of plant species are used to cure many human diseases viz. jaundice,leprosy, skin diseases, chronic bronchitis, hysteria, cancer, high blood pressureetc. But due to the destruction of these valuable plant species, the tribal people are facing many health problems. Hence in the present context the protection and conservation of these species in urgently required. In this connection people's awareness is necessary and they should be encouraged to cultivate such plants so that our valuable plant wealth may be saved. It is very essential that every one should share to make our earth planet healthier,safer and more productive. Of course, this is by no means an easy task but if there is goodwill and desire for peace and prosperity, then it can be achieved.

4 P. Harinath, *K.Suryanarayana and S. P. Venkata Ramana Insect diversity of Srisailam reserve forest in the Eastern Ghats of southern Andhra Pradesh. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

SrisailamReserve forest is the largest Tiger reserve in India. The reserve spreads over five districts, Nalgonda,Mahbubnagar, Kurnool, Prakasam, and Guntur District. The total area of the tiger reserve is 3,568 km2 (1,378 sq. mi.). The core area of this reserve is 1,200 km2 (460 sq. mi.).This reserve is located between Longitude: 78°30' to 79°28' East and Latitude: 15°53' to 16°43' North.The diverse fauna of Nallamala forest is makes this area interesting to a visitor. The insect life is enthralling with over several species of butterflies, moths and other insects. Srisailam forestis Southern dry mixed deciduous forest; southern tropical moist deciduous forest types intermingled with scrub, bamboo brakes and grasslands. Insect diversity conservation has received an enormous upsurge in recent years.Detailed insect surveys have been conducted from Aug 2013 to July 2014.In our periodical investigation earliernearly85 species of butterflies were recorded under 5 families. The family Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae were found dominated with 45 species respectively followed by Pieridae (17 species), Hesperiidae (09 species) and Papilionidae (14 species) were recorded. 25 species of Moths;10 species ofAnts; 13 species of Wasp;9 species of Bees from Hymenoptera;15 crickets species of Orthopetra; 10 bugs of Hemiptera; 14 of flyspecies of Diptera; 12 species of Dragonflies and 8 species of DamselfliesfromOdonata; one

lady bird beetle and 15 other beetles of Coleoptera; 6species from Thysanura;4 species of Mantodea and 5 species of Phasmatodea;3 species ofCentipedes, 5 species of Millipedes,6 species of Scorpions;10 species of spiders from Arachnida were identified, majority of the insects are very much required for pollination and some produce useful substances such as honey, wax, lacquer and silk.

5 Srinivasa Reddy CH and Ammani K. Flora and Fauna of Kondapalli Reserve Forest-A part of Eastern Ghats. Guntur National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats

Kondapalli reserve forest and hillocks range runs between Nandigama and vijayawada streching about 24km spreading and in 30,000 acres (120km2) with an elevation of 573m. A field study was made covering all seasons and 300 species of Angiosperms (253 dicots and 47 monocots) were reported. Transects and quadrates are two ecological tools used to quantify the relative abundance of species in the area. Raunkier system is used to classify life forms present in 25 random 25m2 quadrates of kondapalli site. The floristic spectrum considers the life form of each species, while in frequency spectrum , each species is weighted by its frequency. Frequency,abundance and importance value index is also caluculated. In florisitic spectrum t h e m o s t r e p r e s e n t e d l i f e f o r m s w e r e p h a e n e r o p h y t e s a n d t h e hemicryptophytes.During our study it was noticed that due to over harvestation ,the frequency of Givotia molluccana, with local name tella poniki, the main wood used in making kondapalli toys is very less in its abundance. Tectona grandis,Terminalia arjuna, Mitragyna parviflora, Tamarindus indicus, Pterospermum xylocarpum, Santalum album, Ficus sps etc., are the common tree flora. Atlantia monophylla and Bambusa arundiaceae are the dominant vegetation occuring as isolated patches. It is dwelling house of important medicinal plants like Salvodora persica,Hiptage benghalensis, aristalochia indica, Carmona retusa and Wrightia tinctoria.We observed diversified vegetation like Vanda tessellata predominant epiphyte on Tamarindus, Viscum, Cassytha and Striga (the common parasites) and Aegentia indica

the saprophyte. Adiantum, Actinopteris radiata and Marchantia are the common Pteridophytes and Bryophyte respectively. Pugmarks and faecal matter have confirmed the presence of carnivorus animals like leopards (Panthera pardus) , wild dogs (Cuon alpinus), bears, hyenas (Canis aureus), jackals and wolfs (Canis lupis pallipes). One civet cat (Vivarricula Indica)have been also recorded during our survey. Plenty of wild boars (Sus scrofa), Sambar (Cervus unicolor), Chital (Axis axis) , barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) and four-horned antelope (chowsingha) (Tetracerus quadricornis) have also been noticed. Other mammals like Rhesus monkey (Rhesusmacaque) langur (Presbytis entellus), hare (Lepus nigris collies) porcupine (Hystrixindica) are in good number. Peacocks and jungle fowl are the large avian fauna that inhabit the forests. Mining, grazing and anthropogenic activity are disturbing the ecological balance which may gradually leads to species extinction. Hence there is an urgent need and steps to be taken to conserve this diversified ecosystem.

6 Dr. S. Kameswaran Biological Activity study of Typha angustifolia and Syzygium cumini Collected from Eastern Ghats of India Using Penaeus monodon Andhra Pradesh, India. .National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats

Herbal plants represent important components of flora and are widely distributed in different regions of India. Based on ethnomedical significance, we have collected several medicinal plants used in traditional medicine from Eastern Ghats of India and evaluated for their biological activity. In the present study, a method utilizing tiger prawn (Penaeusmonodon fab.) lethality was used to screen medicinal plants for their biological activity. The powdered plant materials (each 25g) were individually extracted with water/hydroalcohol/alcohol (200 ml) and then filtered. The filtered extracts were screened by the tiger prawn lethality assay and showed significant toxicity to the tiger prawn (<65µg/ml).Typha angustifolia Linn. andSyzygium cumini Linn. The medicinal plants extracts have exhibited potent activity with LC 14.5 and 20.0, respectively. The results were analyzed 50 within the context of the available traditional knowledge and uses for these plants. Present study could be useful in the search for new antitumor compounds from the Indian flora.

7 MadhusudanReddy Narra1*, Rudra Reddy Regatte Many Facets of Threats to Faunal Diversity of Easternghats, a Synaptic View. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

India is one of the 17 mega diverse countries in the world with 2.4% of the land area, accounting for 7-8% of the species of the world, including about 91,000 species of animals and 45,500 species of plants that have been documented in its ten bio-geographic regions. Western gahats, North East Himalaya and Easternghats are known as biodiversity hotspots of our country. Biodiversity in Easternghats is unique. It is vulnerable in many ways due to its narrow distribution, detached nature of hill ranges,population and development pressures. This paper attempt to elicit the situation and facets of threats to faunal diversities and conservation measures in the hills.

7 k.m.basha, p.siva kumar reddy, k.v.rami reddy, m.john paul Medicinal plant resources of guvvula cheruvu,eastern ghats. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Guvvala cheruvu Ghat are situated in between 14° 15” S - 14° 19” North latitude and 78° 39”W - 78° 52”East longitude. The forests in the YSR District extended over 4978 sq. kms. forming 30.92% of the total geographical area. The area of Guvvalacheruvu forest is 108.7 sq.kms. There is a ghat way passing through the East and west beats of the Guvvalacheruvu reserve forest known as Guvvalacheruvu pass.The elevation of the hills through the forest is not uniform. The lowest altitute is 300 m above mean sea level and the Highest altitude is 750 m above mean sea level. Vandatessellata(Roxb)Hook.is the only species observed as epiphyte in this area. Comparatively ferns and their allies are very poor in these hills. The common representatives are Actinopterisradiata (Koenig ex Sw)Link.Adiantumincissum Forsk. Chelanthus ciadioidesDomin.andChelanthustenuifolia (Burn.f.) Sw.The people who are living in and around the Guvvalacheruvu hills are depending on the forest for the dible fruit yielding plants. Carissaspinarum L.Mant. Grewiatenax Forssk.,Limoniaacidissima L., Mangiferaindica L. Ziziphusmauritiana Lam, Buchananiaaxillaris(Desr) which yields delicious seeds ( Kadapa almond) are very common in these forests.Pterocarpussantalinus Lf. (red sanders and Santalumalbum L. (sandal wood) are very important trees in these hills. Due to rampant smuggling, the Government is losing huge revenue and there is danger of extinction of this endemic taxa from these hills The medicinal Plants are Acalyphaindica L., Achyrantheseaspera L.,

Calotropisgigantean ),cardiospermumcanescens Wall, Cassiafistula L.Chloroxylonswietenia Dc., Gloriosasuperba L.due to rampant smuggling, there is danger of Extinction of this endemic trees from these hills. The endemic plants are AcalyphaalnifoliaKlein ex Willd. Andrographis beddomei Clarke,Bridelia cinerascens Gehrm.,Cassia Montana Heyne ex Roth ,Chloroxylon swietenia DC.,Croton scabiosus Bedd.Knoxia wightiana Wall. Ex.& Arn.,Pterocarpous santalinus L.f.The endangered plants arePterocarpousm s a n t a l i n u s L . f . , S a n t a l u m a l b u m L . , L i t t l e k n o w n t a x AndrographisbeddomeiC.B.clarke., CordiadomesticaRoth. Besides these Pterocarpus santalinus, Santalum album are very important trees in these hills. Human inhabitation is increasing at an alarming proportion to degrade the medicinal plant wealth of these hills. Hence there is an imperative need to prepare acomprehensive medicinal plant data of this region. The present study is to be useful for conservation of germplasm.

8 Dr. S. Kameswaran Biological Activity study of Typha angustifolia and Syzygium cumini Collected from Eastern Ghats of India Using Penaeus monodon Andhra Pradesh, India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Herbal plants represent important components of flora and are widely distributed in different regions of India. Based on ethnomedical ignificance, we have collected several medicinal plants used in traditional medicine from Eastern Ghats of India and evaluated for their biological activity. In the present study, a method utilizing tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon fab.) lethality was used to screen medicinal plants for their biological activity. The powdered plant materials (each 25g) were individually extracted with ater/hydroalcohol/alcohol (200 ml) and then filtered. The filtered extracts were screened by the tiger prawn lethality assay and showed significant toxicity to the tiger prawn (<65µg/ml).Typha angustifolia Linn. andSyzygium cumini Linn. The medicinal plants extracts have exhibited potent activity with LC 14.5 and 20.0, respectively. The results were analyzed 50 within the context of the available traditional knowledge and uses for these plants.Present study could be useful in the search for new antitumor compounds from the Indian flora.

9 Dr. Kalyani Bai Kunte, Prof. Yellamma Kuna,

Bacopa monniera, a natural nootropic plant of eastern ghats.A.P. India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Natural Nootropics are growing in popularity as more and more people express a preference for herbal supplements. The effects of Bacopa monniera as a Nootropic will be the best experienced with long-term consistent usage. Bacopa monniera, named popularly as 'Brahmi' in the Ayurvedic texts has been extensively used in India for almost 3000 years. The genus Bacopa includes over 100 species of aquatic herbs distributed throughout the warmer regions of the world. The herb can be found at elevations from sea level to altitudes of 4,400 feet, especially in Eastern Ghats of India and is easily cultivated if adequate water is available. The name 'Brahmi' is derived from the word "Brahma", the mythical "creator" in the Hindu pantheon. According to Hindu concepts, the brain is the center for creative activity. Thus, any compound that improves this faculty of the brain is called Brahmi. Other Sanskrit names for this plant are "Bahuphene", “Atiphena" and "Phenavati". The word "Phena" means "foaming property" when mixed with water, Bacopa plant parts produce a stable froth that is attributed to the saponins present in the plant. The primary medical ingredient derived from the Bacopa Monniera plant is the bacopa saponins alkaloid. Flowers and fruits appear in summer and the entire plant is used medicinally. The major chemical entity shown to be responsible for neuropharmacological effects and the nootropic action or antiamnestic effect of Bacopa monnierais Bacoside A usually co-occurs with Bacoside B. Pharmacologically, it is understood that Brahmi has an unusual combination of constituents that are beneficial in mental inefficiency and illnesses and useful in the management of neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Schizophrenia etc.

10 K.SUDHA RANI, M.Sc., M.Phil., M.J.SANDHYA Sacred groves in southern eastern ghats, india are they better managed than forest reserves. Guntur.

We test the generally held belief that sacred forests are better managed than forest reserves. Towards this end, tree diversity, population structure and their relation to site disturbances were studied in five replicate stands each of sacred forests and reference Reserve forests in southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. In each of the

National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

study sites, two belt transects of size 5 x 1000 m were laid down randomly for assessing tree species.A total of 7836 trees belonging to 158 species were inventoried in all the stands. The stands in the sacred forests were more diverse, had higher basal area, and showed fever signs of disturbance than the reference forest stands, supporting the view that local communities afford better protection and management to sacred groves. We suggest that the long-term sustenance of biodiversity in sacred forest sites require an integrated approach involving local communities as well the government sector.

11 B. Narasimha Reddy, Global Warming – A Threat to the Eastern Ghats. Srikalahasti. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Global warming is threatening the health of forests around the world. As the temperature raises, weather patterns and availability of water also changes, which ultimately alters the ability of trees to survive. As it is evident from the frequent fires in Sesachalm hills, the risk of forest fires1 is increasing in Eastern Ghats due to the higher temperatures during summer season. Any significant loss of forest cover due to wild fires could accelerate the climate change by decreasing the forest carbon reserves ultimately affecting the water cycle. The higher temperatures due to global warming also enhance the bacterial survival2 rates of forest pets which is detrimental to the health of forests in Eastern Ghats. Due to low rain fall caused by global warming, the shift in the forest type patterns1 is likely to be observed with the increase in temperature which is evident from the fact that the extent of thorn shrubs in place of deciduous forests is increased in and around southern Eastern Ghats in the recent past. Due to global warming, the frequency of cyclones generated from the Bay of Bengal3,4 is decreased but their intensity is increased as it is observed in case of super cyclone Hudhud. The high velocity winds during super cyclone have uprooted many valuable species causing severe damage to the biodiversity in northern Eastern Ghats. The destruction of mangrove forests along the east coast has further increased the risk of high velocity cyclone winds which can cause damage to the biodiversity of Eastern Ghats.

12 Y.Yohan and M.Deepa Floral diversity in India, National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Floral diversity refers to the variety of plants occurring in a particular region or time. It generally refers to the diversity of naturally occurring indigenous or native plants. The Indian Flora accounts for 11.4% of the total recorded plant species of the world and about 28% of the plant species are endemic (species confined to a particular geographical region) to India. Angiosperms are the largest plant group in India comprising a total of 17,817 species, constitutes 38.15% of floral diversity of the entire country, followed by fungi comprised of 14,698 species, representing 31.38%. The country also has high level of cryptogam (bryophytes and pteridophytes) diversity.A total of 2,479 species of pteridophytes and around 1265 of bryophytes have been recorded from India so far. The bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) are also significantly rich in the Himalayas, Nilgiris, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Algae and fungi have widespread distribution in India. Lichens are composite organisms consist of symbiotic algae and fungi found very rich in the Western Ghats, Eastern and Western Himalayas and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Most of the ferns and gymnosperms (including cycads, pines, firs, junipers, etc.) grow in cool temperate zones of the Himalayas, and in the mountainous regions of southern India, especially in the Western Ghats. According to current estimates, the Indian flora represents nearly 12% of the global floral diversity. The significance of the Indian flora is further evidenced by the number of species of wild relatives of crop plants in different regions of the country. Conservation is a protective measure to prevent the loss of genetic diversity of all species, to save species from extinction and ultimately to protect all the ecosystems from damage so as to promote their sustainable utilization.

13 SWAROOPA. MARALLA Biological Diversity, Endemic Relics And Cultural Antiquity Of Eastern Ghats. Andhra Pradesh, India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The Eastern Ghats, also known as Purva Ghaṭ or Mahendra parvatam, are a discontinuous range of mountains running parallel to the Bay of Bengal along India's eastern coast from West Bengal state in the north, through Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. The Deccan Plateau lies to the west of the range, between the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats. The

coastal plains lies between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. The four major rivers of southern India, the Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna and Kaveri run through these mountain ranges. The region harbours more than 3,700 vascular plants which include 380 species of legumes, 200 species of orchids. Grasses dominate the landscape with over 400 species.Over 40 per cent of the plant species i.e., nearly 1,400 species have medicinal properties.Endemic fauna to Eastern Ghats are Jerdon's Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus), Gray slender loris (Loris lydekkerianus). The rare gecko's found here are Indian golden gecko (Calodactylodes aureus), Rock Gecko Hemiphyllodactylus aurantiacus), Sharma's Skink (Eutropis nagarjuni), Ongole bull, an claimed bovine breed, Scarecrow spider which is susceptible to be declared as endangered, and plant species like Cycas beddomei (Critically Endangered), Decalepis hamiltonii (Endangered), Hildegardia populifolia (Vulnerable), Phyllanthus indofischeri (Vulnerable), Pimpinella tirupatiensis (Endangered), Pterocarpus santalinus (Endangered), Shorea tumbaggaia (Endangered), Syzygium alternifolium (Endangered), Terminalia pallida (Endangered), Urginea nagarjunae (Endangered), and Zingiber roseum (Endangered). Chenchu, a tribal community inhabiting the Nallamalai Hills of Andhra Pradesh is seen in these ghats. The Eastern Ghats is the homeland for many buddhist ruins from Odisha to south Andhra, and has Buddhist sites, which provide a panoramic view of the history of Buddhism from 3rd century B.C. to 14th century A.D. The Eastern Ghats are considered as abodes of many famous Hindu pilgrimage sites. The Eastern Ghats also harbours a wide list of Sanctuaries and National parks, many hills, minor rivers, and waterfalls providing a great aesthetic sense.

14 Dr.H.R.Anitha.,DR.D.Ratnaprabha.,Y.Ramesh Babu. Biodiversity of fauna in Eastern

Ghats.Telangana. National Conference on Conservation of

The eastern Ghats is a discontinuous range of mountain situated along eastern coast of India. It stretches from Mananandi Basin in the north to nilgiri Hills in south, covering a distance of 1700 KM and spreading over an area of 75,000 Sq. Km. Eastern Ghats supports a rich array of tropical forests.The main threats facing the northern Eastern Ghat's

Eastern Ghats. include deforestation, Hydropower projects, Bauxite mining and road widening. Little is known about the biodiversity of the northern eastern Ghats and the Papikonda National park in particular, as no comprehensive studies on species diversity have been conducted so far. As of now, 376 bird species have been recorded form the entire eastern ghats region, most of which are also found in Papikonda and the surrounding forests of the Northern Eastern Ghats. Some of the rare birds found here include the Abbott's Babbler, and Little spider hunter. The mammalian fauna of the region includes the tiger, leopard, jungle cat, rusty spotted cat, sloth bear, Indian wild dog, jackal, Palm civet, small Indian civet, gaur, sambar, and chital. The most exciting news in recent times has been the discovery of the rare golden gecko, which inhabits rocky boulders in moist deciduous forest patches and the jeypore ground gecko, which inhabits forests in the northern boundaries of Papikonda and from other areas in the northern boundaries of Papikonda and from other areas in the northern Eastern Ghats region. The golden gecko had been previously known only from Seshachalam and Velikonda, ranges of the Southern Eastern Ghats of AP and from Arcot district of Tamilnadu. The gecko has also been recently discovered in the niyamgiri hills in theNorthern Eastern Ghats of Odisha. Two species of Spider and one each species of Scorpion and mantis has also been discovered recently from the Nallamala Hills.

15 A. Madhusudhana Reddy Conservation of vascular plants in Yogi Vemana University Botanical Garden, Kadapa. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Yogi Vemana University Botanical Garden established in 2007 is being maintained by the department of Botany. It is one of the significant gardens in the state universities; extended over 20 acres is located within the University campus, 15 km away from Kadapa city on the Kadapa-Pulivendula Road. The objective of the garden was ex situ onservation of rare/threatened plants of the region and building public awareness on the rich plant diversity through garden display and educational programmes /college/school students as well as the general public. At present the garden has a live collection of more than 5500 plants spread over 650 species; indigenous and exotic plant species including some endemic and hreatened species. Visualizing

the threats to plant resources across the globe and in our own home yards, Seshachalam hills and Eastern Ghats, Yogi Vemana University has took a lead in establishing an ex situ conservatory for selected plant species. YVU Botanical garden has a network of green houses and pen lands for maintaining a diversity of plants.

16 Dr. B. Aparna Biodiversity in eastern ghats. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Eastern Ghats is enormously rich in its plant wealth including its vast heritage of agro biodiversity. It is one of the major phyto geographical regions of our country with about 2000 species of vascular plants of which 21% are endemic and with 160species of cultivated plants. As many as 452 endemic species belonging to 243 genera and 78 families are reported from the Eastern Ghats this region is also enriched with agri-horticultural endemic diversity. Significant ethnic diversity is reported in rice, sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, Italian millet, proso millet, kodo and barnyard millet. In medicinal plants diversity more than 1800 taxa are reported to occur in Eastern Ghat region. The endemic species of Eastern Ghats region are classified as Palaeo endemics. Most species belonging to moist deciduous (173) dry deciduous (121) semi evergreen (63), scrub(15) and others (18) species. The rich of diverse heritage of traditional indigenous floristic wealth including agro biodiversity in Eastern Ghats as the fragile ecosystem is highly threatened. The Eastern Ghats is an important area in India and the rich diversity of floristic wealth including with potential agro biodiversity and conservation of these biodiversity it's sustainable use and protecting the environment is the need of the hour.

17 Pratima Mathad Rajasamarsen K Modi A phytodiversity study in the avisiddalingeshwara sacred grove karnataka , India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats

Sacred groves are one of the finest examples of traditional in situ conservation practices, which dates much prior to the modern concept of wildlife reserves. Theforestsarethepropertyofthegodsofthevillagesinwhichtheyaresituated. The present status of sacred groves is a matter of deep concern as they are on a path of gradual decline and disappearance. It is surprising that the phenomena of sacred groves have not been documented in Yadgir district of Hyderabad Karnataka Region.The

present studydeals with floristic composition of angiosperms grown and nurtured in sacred grove located in Chintanapalli of Yadgir district. Study revealed 218 species spreads under 176 genera belonging to 54 families among those 82 species are investigated medicinally important and 14 are Red listed one.Among the species studied 36 are trees,67 shrubs, 97 herbs, 11 twiner/climbers 07semi hydrophytes.The interesting result is Terminalia arjunaenriched sacred grove.

18 Saivenkatesh korlam, Sujana papani,b.thirupal reddy, m.vishnu priya Species of Cassia L. As a Part of Vegetation of The Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh . National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The Eastern ghats popularly known as Mahendra Parvata, are discontinuous mountain ranges, run in parallel to the Bay of Bengal, from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the south passing including Andhra Pradesh. The Species of Cassia L. genus belongs to the family Caesalpiniaceae, are remarkably being used in various applications medicinally and industrially by the large group of humans. Standard literature revealing that the Eastern Ghats, the richest source of biodiversity of plants are enriched with large number of species of this genus.Out of the available 19 species, Cassia alata, C. fistula ,C. montana , C. suffruticosa , C. surattensis(C .glauca ) are the main species of the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh state. Remarkably in the literature, C. uniflora of Nallamalai hill ranges of the Eastern Ghats reported as the worst Exotic species causing Biological invasion by spreading throughout the region within a decade of time period. Most of these species are in usage by the various ethnic groups of the Eastern Ghat regions as Ethnomedicine or Natural medicine for curing various ailments of human beings and animals of great economic importance. Finally conclusion can be made that Cassia L. species are having their rich abundance and diversity in their morphology are contributing towards the Biological diversity.

19 T.Mastan, S.Nazaneen Parveen andM. Sridhar Reddy. Assessment of tree diversity in a tropical dry forest in Sri Lankamalla wild life sanctuary of southern Eastern Ghats. Kadapa. National Conference on Conservation of

The hill ranges of Sri Lankamalla forests of southern Eastern Ghats sustain tropical dry and dry deciduous forest types. The topography of this forest is hilly with numerous valleys, undulating plateaus and flat regions with an average elevation from 190m to 480m. Two plots were laid to inventory the tree diversity and structure; one plot of 100m X 100m size in flat region and another of 25 quadrats of size 20m X

Eastern Ghats. 20m plots in the hilly slope areas. All trees >30cm gbh were enumerated. A total of 2004 tree individuals that belongs to 35 families and 74 genera were inventoried. They occurred with a range of 747 to 1247 tree individuals belonging to a range of 64-68 species per hectare. Species richness diversity of 3.13 indicates a moderate level of richness in these forests. According to the dominant basis, the forest can be recognized as Pterocaropus santalinus - Hardwickia binata - Anogeissus latifolia type. The top ten tree species have registered a total 58% of the tree individuals and 56% of the total IVI value. Further, a total of 54 tree species (58%) have registered less than 10 individuals and remarkably 31 species (33%) have recorded less than two individuals. This pattern suggests that few tree species have dominated the dry forests and many tree species registered less number of individuals. Large number of inventoried tree individuals (80%) were observed in 30-60 cm gbh class followed by 17% in 60-90 and just 3% in >90 cm gbh suggesting that only few tree species have a capacity to attain high gbh value. The Sorenson similarity index value of 0.575 and a different set of indicator tree species at different elevation positions indicate a significant variation among the forests that occur in flat and slope regions. The results indicate that factors like elevation and disturbance influence the tree composition and structure within these dry forests.

20 D.S.Ravani & S .Veena Biological environment of eastern ghat how to protect bio-diversity from damage Hindupur, National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats

Bio-diversity means variety live forms in the habitat whether it is local environment or entire planet in bio- diversity. Here every organism gets mutual benefits.In Eastern Ghats we observe different kinds of plants and animal communities. Plant diversity and conservation of typical semi-evergreen forests in on the hills and some hot spots. India is one of the richest countries in bio-diversity. It has 16 major forest types. In India 23% of total geographical area is covered by forests. It is one of the 17 mega diversities in the world. It provides us food security, water recharge, climate regulation and many other services for organism survival. Humans have learned a lot from other species and natural phenomena; bio-diversity is still providing us with answer to many

unsolved questions. Due to reduction in the forest area its floral and faunal diversity is becoming extinct. Loss of habitats, due to some development over exploitation, over consumption, increases the population, unregulated trade patching. Soil pollution is caused due to greater usage of chemical fertilizers, pesticides. Due to usage of these harmful chemicals some of the useful microbes in the soil are destroying day by day. If we continue the same heavy usage of these chemicals, in coming futures we won't be able to see present environment. In order to protect biological diversity we should manage a certain area of land and water in a proper way with out disturbing the bio-diversity, including objects. Forests should be saved from fire accidents and cutting down woods. Animals are suffering from serious threat for the survival and reproductions because, the living conditions are no longer supporting them due to many changes occurred. To become free from this problem the animals should be grown up in zoos and zoological parks with special care and interest.

21 L.Laxman Kumar. Eastern Ghats: Biodiversity Conservation and Protection of Hotspots Hyderabad. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats

Eastern Ghats is a major biodiversity region with varied flora, fauna, land Scape. Eastern Ghats are older than Western Ghats.These Ghats are originated from a series of discontinuous mountain ranges running generally from north-east to south- west parallel to the coast of the bay of Bengal. The mountain ranges are rich in biodiversity, its forest range from dry deciduous mixed forest to semi ever green rain forest. There are five ecological hotspots with endemic and endangered species in India, out of which two are in Eastern Ghats. These mountains the source for many small medium rivers along the east coastal plains of south India. Godavari, Krishna, Tungabhadra, Mahanadi and Kaveri are the rivers flowing through Eastern Ghats. Asia's biggest tiger reserve, Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger sanctuary is located in the Nallamala range of Eastern Ghats. Biodiversity is both essential and intrinsically valuable in its own right. It is a function of web of interactions taking place between plants and animals. The interactions between them are very complex, intricate and function in association with the Abiotic environment. Since biodiversity is the key for the

structural and functional integrity of ecosystems and it is the foundation for the very survival and sustainability of life on this planet, it is imperative to understand the interactions and interrelationships that exist between plants and animals. In the present study, the cause and effects of environmental degradation and its effects on species of plants and animals, the conservation measures for biodiversity and protection of hotspots have been discussed.

23 Dr. M. VANI & Dr. P.S.POORNIMA Endemic and endangered fauna in tirumala and tirupati. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

We are well acquainted with the fact that India has a highly varied floral and faunal diversity. Conservation of Biodiversity and sustainable development of any ecosystem is a multifaceted activity. Aiming at the goal present study delineates check list of flora and fauna encountered in the campus of Sri Venkateswara Wild Life sanctuary and Sri Venkateswara National Park, Tirupati. Sri Venkateswara wild Life Sanctuary surrounds Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams enclosure which is the abode of Lord Venkateswara. The sanctuary spread over in the districts of Kadapa and Chittoor and located in Seshachalam hills of Kadapa district and Tirumala hills of Chittoor District which is one of the Biodiversity conservation centres of Eastern Ghats. Majority of hilly area is composed of granites and gneisses. Soils are reddish brown loam. Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park has developed on the mythological theme of keeping the animals found in Puranas, Vedas and Epics as exhibits. An area of 2212 Hectors was demarkted for Sri Venkateswara Zoo Park development. The Zoo harbors 22 species of 261 mammals, 33 species of 249 birds and 5 species of 98 reptiles totaling 60 species 608 in number. The versatile micro ecological habitat formed at various attitudes of the closely set hills helped in the existence of rare and Endemic Fauna specific to this region. The endemic fauna as follows. 1. Slender Loris 2. Golden Gecko 3. Indian giant Squirrel 4. Mouse Deer

5. Yellow browed Bulbul 6. Starred Tortoise The present paper highlights Endemic Fauna in this region and disseminating the information on Biodiversity.

24 Imran Siddiqui, Preethi Sridharan, Identifying areas of conservation priority for a recovering tiger metapopulation in Andhra Pradesh, India National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats

While the vast majority of tigers persist today in Protected Areas of low human disturbance, few of these 'source sites' house tiger populations close to theirpotential carrying capacity. Assisting the recovery of tiger populations in these source sites can substantially contribute towards boosting global tiger numbers. In addition, these recovery efforts need to be substantiated by conservation at the landscape scale to ensure long-term persistence of tigers. However, this recovery needs to be substantiated by tiger conservation in c. 20,000 km2 of potential tiger habitat in the larger landscape that encompasses NSTR. A key information requirement in this regard is the distribution of the species across the state. Such information can serve as a baseline for comparison with future monitoring and allow for prioritization of locations that have conservation potential for, or pose potential threat to, tiger population recovery. The specific goal of this project is to map the current distribution of tigers in the landscape encompassing NSTR, so as to identify areas for management focus. Specific objectives include assessment and mapping the current distribution of tigers in the state and factors that drive tiger occupancy, also mapping threats to tiger distribution and population recovery. Occupancy Survey will be conducted throughout the landscape of Andhra Pradesh, following protocols that have been successfully established in other landscapes in South India. This survey will result in identification of areas having high conservation potential falling outside existing Protected Areas (PAs) and areas with high intensity if threats falling within PAs. This study will help enhance technical capacity of park managers and enable effective monitoring of tigers in this landscape. Overall, this project will contribute to tiger population recovery in NSTR and its surrounding landscape.

25 Komire Shankar, Imran Siddiqui We carried out a field study on prey preference of the three sympatric

Prey Preference of the three Sympatric Large Carnivores (Tiger, Leopard and Dhole) in NAgarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve of Andhra Pradesh. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats

large carnivores, the tiger (Panthera tigris), the leopard (Panthera pardus) and the dhole (Cuon alpinus) in Nagarjuna sagar – Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) of Andhra Pradesh, Southren India. The study area was divided in separate study units, Study area 1(SA1) and Study Area 2 (SA2), 16, 61, 69 and 64, 48, 66 scat samples of tiger, leopard and dhole respectively were collected in SA1 and SA 2. Chital and Sambar constituted 57.96 - 85.91% of prey in Study area 1, in Study area- 2, Chital and Sambar constituted 60.71 – 71.42% of prey for all three predators. In the case of relative biomass Sambar and Chital constituted (74.4 –95.68%) in study area 1 and (74 - 91.61%) in study area 2. Taking into account the relative number of individuals consumed by three predators, chital was most consumed in Study area 1 and in study area 2 hare was the predominant prey. Among the predators high dietary niche overlap observed in two study areas were (0.86 – 0.93%) and (0.88 – 0.95%) respectively. According to above results chital and sambar were major prey species for three predators in Study Area-1 and Study Area-2 respectively. The results of this study and analysis indicates the relative biomass of Sambar is higher in Study Area 2 in comparison to Study Area 1 and previous studies on tiger densities in NSTR suggest that density of tiger in study area 1 shows 1.25tigers/100sqkm and study area 2 shows 3tigers/100sqkm (Panthera and Hyticos unpublished data). On comparing the two studies it can be inferred that prey preference is higher towards larger ungulates such as Sambar and Chital.

26 Dr. P,Giridhar and S.R.K. Neeraia Biodiversity Conservation through Biosphere Reserves Anantapuramu, AP. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats

India is the seventh largest country in the world and it is one of the 12 mega biodiversity countries in the world. The country is divided into 10 biogeographical regions. The diverse physical features and climatic situations have formed ecological habitats like forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems and desert ecosystems, which harbor and sustain immense biodiversity. The strategies for conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity have comprised providing special status and protection to biodiversity rich areas by declaring them as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere

reserves etc. Out of the total geographical area of the country 4.2 per cent area has been earmarked for extensive conservation of habitats and ecosystems. In- Situ conservation includes national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves and protected areas. India has a wealth of about 95 National Parks, 515 Sanctuaries and 17 Biosphere reserves. The results of this network have been significant in restoring viable population of large mammals and reptiles such as tiger, lion, rhinoceros, crocodiles and elephants. Conservation and sustainable use of biological resources based on local knowledge systems and practices is ingrained in Indian ethos. The concept of environmental protection is enshrined in the Indian constitution in articles 48a and 51a (g). Biodiversity conservation through national parks, sanctuaries and biosphere reserves are the best way protection of animals and plants in their own natural habitats.

27 Imran Siddiqui, Rahul Pandey, Komire Shankar Estimating Tiger Densities in the largest Indian Tiger Reserve,Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve. (NSTR) National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

National Tiger Conservation Authority has taken a leap from traditional pugmark census and adopted a sampling-based, scientific and robust method of counting tigers. The Andhra Pradesh forest department has embraced the new protocols prescribed by NTCA and appointed a Wildlife Biologist as an 'outside expert' for technical support. The first ever science based monitoring of tigers in India's largest tiger reserve started in 2012 at NSTR. The whole area of NSTR was divided into several individual study units (study area 1, study area 2, study area 3) for effective sampling. The monitoring begins with a Signs Survey using GIS and in collaboration with forest guards for identification of probable areas for the deployment of cameras. Study area 1, covering an area of 420 km2 was monitored using camera traps for 45 days in April 2012. Similarly, in November 2012, post monsoon, another monitoring session was conducted for 49 days in the study area 2, covering an area of 400 km2. Adjoining the first study area is the third study area, covering an area of 380 sqkms. Camera trapping was done for 65days in study area 1(15 days) and study area 3 (45 days), during the summer from April to June 2013. Identification of tigers was carried out using compare extract program and Capture/Recapture analyses were

done using Program Mark and Program SPACECAP. A total of 9 tigers were identified (2 males, 6 females and 1 sex unidentified along with 3 cubs). The tiger density estimate was 2.45 (S.D. ±0.41) tigers/100 km2 in study area 1. In Study area-2 at Mannanur, a total of 5 individual tigers (3 Males and 2 Females) were photographed in 27 recaptures. The tiger estimate was 1.08 (SD ±0.10)/ 100 km2. In Study area-3, 8 individual tigers were identified (6 females and 2 males) and the tiger estimate was 2.00(±0.35) tigers/100 km2. The result of the study indicates, direct correlation between tiger densities and human presence, areas with more number of people per capita has negatively influenced tiger densities.

28 Prof.G.Geethanjali, Conciousness, Concern, Commitment and Competency towards the Conservation of Eastern Ghats. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Global warming is a cumulative threat not just to the world on the whole, but also to prized natural chains like the Eastern Ghats.“The effects of global warming add a catastrophic threat towards a mass extinction of global biological diversity. We must remember that 25 per cent of the Eastern Ghats are in Tamil Nadu and a great amount of our State's biodiversity, ethnic diversity, mineral wealth and catchment for watersheds lie in this region.” The extinction threat was estimated to be between 15 and 37 per cent by the year 2050. “Some of the most significant and insidious threats to biodiversity and ecosystem processes include climate change, deforestation and urban development, “ Plains on the east coast of India can be wealthy only if the Eastern Ghats remain healthy and it is the responsibility of the public to conserve the ecological niche provided by these mountains, opined panelists at a seminar on environmental protection of Eastern Ghats.In this backdrop the focus of this paper is on how to conserve the rich biodiversity that exisists in the Eastern Ghats.We should have conciousness, concern, commitment and c o m p e t e n c y t o t a c k l e t h i s i s s u e w i t h a g r e a t s t r a t e g y . Various important issues such as ecological and social impacts of bauxite mining are also of great concern . The lack of awareness about Eastern Ghats and the value of tribals among people residing in the plains is also alarming,bauxite mining would cause ground water contamination,

massive displacement of tribal communities, water scarcity due to excessive use by mining companies and would have impact on generations of tribal communities. The disappearance of tropical forests comes at a time when our knowledge and understanding of their structure and dynamics is inadequate (Hubell and Foster, 1992) which is crucial for its sustainable use and conservation (Barthlott et al.,2007). Although permanent conversion of forest land in countries like India has slowed down in the last one decade on account of strict environmental regulations (Anonymous, 2009), selective removal of trees from managed forests by way of logging and illegal felling has affected the structure and growth of Indian forests essential to maintain a balanced population and resulting diversity in Indian forests (Sukumar et al., 1992). Sustainable management and conservation of natural forests requires holistic understanding of the ecosystem structure and functions with the interacting biotic and abiotic elements (Hubbell and Foster, 1983; Ashton et al., 2004). Reliable data on temporal and spatial composition in species, its vulnerability, and response to climatic changes specific to ecosystem and forest types are crucial in designing conservation strategy to prevent degradation of natural resources. Observations made on India's tropical forests have mphasized the impact of disturbance especially on regeneration of tree species (Uma Shankar, 2001; Murali, 1996) making it imperative to look into different major forest types, particularly of dry forests of eastern part of the country where slash burn agriculture and NTFP extraction by rural and tribal folks are most intense which creates long term impact on forest composition and regeneration.

29 Gowsiya Shaik1 and Santosh Kumar Mehar Medicinally useful trees of eastern ghats of Andhra Pradesh. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats

Eastern Ghats are rugged, hilly terrain running parallel to the eastern coast of India. Covering an area of 75,000 sq. km., Eastern Ghats contain three zones: the northern Eastern Ghats, the middle Eastern Ghats, and the southern Eastern Ghats. The northern and middle portions of Eastern Ghats belong to Andhra Pradesh. Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh are spread over the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh namely, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari,

West Godavari, Guntur, Krishna, Nellore, Prakasam, Anantapur, Chittoor, Cuddapah, Kurnool fall under the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh are rich with diversified species of fauna and flora. Trees of Eastern Ghats are rich with medicinally useful species. There are 510 indigenous and naturalized trees in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. These belong to 73 families and 252 genera. Euphorbiaceae is the dominant family among 73 families. Ficus, Cassia, Terminalia, Euphorbia, Grewia are some of the dominant genera. These trees are medicinally efficient. These are in being use as antimicrobials, anti-oxidants, anti-cancerous, anti-diabetic and so on.

30 V. Srinivasa Rao and B. Ravi Prasad Rao carbon stocks of nallamalais in southern eastern ghats, India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The study is intended to estimate the standing biomass and carbon stocks of Nallamalais, Centre of Plant Diversity, lies between 15° 20' to 16° 30' Northern Latitude and 78° 30' to 80° 10' Eastern Longitudes, located in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. The hill ranges extended over an area of 7640 km2 and the elevation ranges 300-950m above MSL. The average annual temperature varies from 24 to 29°C and average annual rainfall is 740 mm. The geological formation known as the 'Archaens', the non-fossiliferous rocks formed about 2000 million years ago. The major rivers are Krishna and Gundlakamma. The soils are red, black and mixed type. The vegetation is tropical deciduous and scrub type. Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) and Gundlabrahmeswaram (GBM) Wildlife Sanctuary are the two Protected Areas in the study area. A total of 30 randomly stratified sample sites comprising 12 ha area were inventoried following a non-destructive method. A total of 306 plant taxa belonging to 215 genera and 61 families were recorded in the sampled inventory. The dominant family is Fabaceae (54 species) followed by Poaceae (32 species). With respect to life forms, trees are represented by 124 species; liana 6 species; shrubs 18 species and herbs 158 species. The total standing biomass and carbon stocks of the study area are estimated as 56.047 Mt and 26.34 Mt respectively. Among all life forms, trees are the main contributors of standing biomass and carbon stocks in the study area

accounting for 96.72% of the above-ground live biomass. The carbon stock accounted for Nallamalais is equivalent to 97.568 Mt of sequestered atmospheric carbon dioxide. With respect to total carbon stock of Indian forests worked out in different studies, Nallamalais share 0.26% to 0.90% of the total carbon stocks of India.

31 V. Srinivasa Rao*, K. Thulsi Rao‡, A.K. Naik¶ and B. Ravi Prasad Rao Above-ground biomass and carbon stocks in tropical dry and moist deciduous forests of nallamalais, eastern ghats, andhra pradesh, India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The present study carried out as a part of Vegetation Carbon Pool (VCP) Assessment project funded by Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Department of Space and is aimed to estimate above-ground biomass and carbon stocks of different lifeforms in tropical dry and moist deciduous forests of Nallamalais, one of the centers of plant diversity of India, located in central part of the Eastern Ghats. The study used a non-destructive method of biomass estimation. From the sampled inventory it is found that the dry deciduous vegetation with 114 species comprising a total of 1737 tree individuals with a mean basal area of 16.37±9.12 m2 ha-1, 61.52±41.66 Mg ha-1 above- ground biomass and 26.83±15.69 Mg ha-1 carbon, the moist deciduous vegetation with 115 species, comprising 1431 tree individuals with a mean basal area of 29.78±4.83 m2 ha', contributing 110.37±26.12 Mg ha-' above-ground biomass and 52.24±12.48 Mg ha-1 carbon. It is revealed that the moist deciduous forests are more efficient in terms of sequestering atmospheric carbon.

32 P. Jyothi Chaitanya, and N. Lakshmi Bhavani Genetic Diversity Analysis and conservation of Pterocarpus santalinus L an Endangered Medicinal Tree of Eastern Ghats. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

To assess the genetic diversity in Pterocarpus santalinus L. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markerswere used in the present study. Plant material was collected from six natural populations of Andhra Pradesh (Chittoor) and Telangana region (Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal and Nalgonda) of India. Plants from six different regions were analysed using 20 most informative RAPD primers which amplified scored DNA bands showing polymorphism. Cluster analysis (unweighted pair group method UPGMA) with arithmetic average formed two major clusters which illustrated that most individuals from a given population tend to cluster together and therefore are 75% genetically similar. Similarity index revealed the

close relationship of Chittoor genotype with the order of Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal and Nalgonda. Hyderabad genotype has shown more similarity to Karimnagar and Warangal followed by Nalgonda and Khammam. The maximum similarity of 89% was observed between Hyderabad and Nalgonda genotypes. Minimum similarity of 61% was recorded between Chittoor and Warangal. The present study revealed a close relationship of native genotypes of Pterocarpus santalinus L from Chittoor with Hyderabd genotypes when compared to genotypes of other regions under study. The genetic diversity information reported in this study of Pterocarpus santalinus L populations is very important component for efficient conservation and effective management of its genetic resources and to develop SCARs for population structure in order to formulate effective conservation plans.

33 Fathima nazneen h, arun kumar naik b, p. chandramati shankar, madhusudhan reddy. Comparative studies of effect of some plant growth regulators and coconut water on callus induction in tinospora cordifolia(willd.)miers–a medicinal plant of kadapa region of eastern ghats. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Tinosporacordifolia(Willd.)Miers (Menispermaceae) is an important medicinal plant, perennial climber, distributed throughout tropical India, South Asia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, China and in Srilanka. It possesses anti stress, anti diabetic, anti ulcer, anti-oxidative, radio protective, hepatoprotective, immunomodulator, and learning and memory enhancing properties. A variety of constituents such as alkaloids, diterpenoid lactones, glycosides, steroids, sesquiterpenoid, phenolics, aliphatic compounds and polysaccharides have been isolated from thisplant. It is generally propagated by seeds which has poor viability and low percentage of germination. Multiplication by vegetative propagation takes long time hence Plant Tissue Culture is a tool which can be used for micropropagation, conservation and source for secondary metabolite production. One of the biotechnological approach among them is callus induction, which can be used for production of secondary metabolites. The objective of this study is to find innovative and economical method for establishment of callus cultures which can be used for production of secondary metabolites. This investigation was carried out to study the effect of some Plant Growth Regulators and Coconut Water on callus

Inductionusing vegetative parts such as Nodal explants. Callus induction was carried out using different concentrations of Auxins (2, 4-D, IAA, NAA), (1.0–7.0 mg/L) and cytokinins (BAP and kinetin), (2mg/L) alone and in combinations with 5-15% (v/v) Coconut Water. Among the different concentrations of Coconut Water tried, MS medium with NAA+ kinetin (6.0+2.0 mg/L) along with 5% (v/v) Coconut Water and MS Medium with 2,4- D,+kinetin (6mg/L+2mg/L) along with 10% (v/v) Coconut Watershowed best callus response (96.6%) in nodal explants, Whereas nodal explants showed the next best callusing response (93.33%) with 10% (v/v) Coconut Water on MS medium with NAA +BAP (4.0+2.0mg/L) and (7.0+2.0mg/L) respectively. Similarly with IAA + kinetin (7.0+2.0mg/L) + 10% (v/v) Coconut Water, response was 96.6%. The Sub-culturing time required was found to be longer in medium containing Coconut Water.

34 K.Chethana, A.Veerabhadrappa Biotechnology a better option for conservation of Bio-Diversity. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Natural resources are the richest treasure on this green planet.Energy, Matter and Bio-Diversity are combindly called as natural resourses.All live forms are completely dependent on these natural resources .Economic condition of countries mainly depends on the protection ond conservation of Bio-Diversity. India is one of the 17 Mega Biodiversity Countries of the world Eastern Ghats are one of the mega Biodiversity Hotspots in India. Damage and loss of Biodiersity is mainly due to de-forestation, Industrialization and Global warming. Biotechnology and Plant tissue culture gives a better option to conserve biodiversity. The two techniques namely Germplasm storage and Micro Propagation are developed to propagate and conserve the Endangered species of plants.Germs plasums storage is collection and storage of genetic resources at -196oC in liquid nitrogen. Insitu conservation involves the establishment of natural resources and exsitu conservation involves the use of botanical gardens and field plantation. Micro propagation is the rapid production of a large number of identical clones' invitro from plant meterials with in a short period and a less space it is an essential tool in plant conservation. Somatic embryo genesis and other vegitative propagation technologies offer new opportunities for tree beeding and

genetic resources conservation and restoration. Meristems culture can be effectively used to eradicate pathogenise from planting material and improve the crop and yield. Effective pollen collection, Gemination protocols developed for wide array of species of horticulture importance. Biotechnology application together with traditional techniques leads to sustain Biodiversity under rapidly changing in climate. Recent advances in genomic proteomic and metabolomic researches in future to leads to the discovery of new vitro techniques to conserve the Bio-diversity.

35 L. Nagi Reddy S. Nazaneen Parveen M. Sridhar Reddy and A. Madhusudhana Reddy. Population structure of Croton Scabiosus Bedd. in tropical dry deciduous forests of kadapa region. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Croton scabiosus (Euphorbaiceae) is a global endemic tree restricted to southern Eastern Ghats that occurs in high abundance in Kadapa dry forests. Population structure of Croton scabiosus was studied in 12 plots of size 5 X 200m totaling to 1.2 ha in four forest areas of kadapa region. A total of 464 Croton scabiosus tree individuals that formed nearly 56% of the total tree density were recorded in these forests. The average tree density is 84 trees per study site with a range of 46 – 128 indicating a high variation among the study sites. The enumeration also yielded a total of 131 Croton scabiosus tree saplings and 83 tree seedlings. The pattern of trees>saplings>seedlings indicate a reverse pyramidal shape suggesting a poor regeneration for the species. The average height of Croton tree is 3.75m with a range of 3 – 4.5m indicating the low canopy stature of the tree in the forests. Among the four study sites, Idupalapaya registered a high record of tree individuals, tree height and high proportion of high saplings and seedlings with values of 22% and 19% respectively. This study site also formed the less disturbed site among the four study sites indicating a moderate level of disturbance enhances the tree density and tree regeneration capacity. The associate tree species include Dolicahdrone atrovirens, Albizia amara, Wrightia tinctoria Acacia chundra and Pterocarous santalinus. The inventory also revealed a pattern of two episodes of flowering in January and September and conspicuous leaf change color from green to thick orange in November. Leaf initiation was observed in May and leaf maturation

occurred in June and leaf fall was observed in December, thus the tree possessed five months of leaf less period to overcome the harsh summer that prevails in these forests. A patchy distribution of seedling occurring in only 4 plots suggests a clumped nature of regeneration in few pockets only.

36 Ballu Harish1,A. Nikhil Sayi, R.Venkat Sheshu,K.ManjulaVani Automation of global telecommunication system data processing. Kukatpally, Hyderabad. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The Global Telecommunication System is defined as “The co-ordinated global system of telecommunication facilities and arrangements for the rapid collection, exchange and distribution of observations and processed information with the framework of world weather watch. Various parameters of atmospheric like temperature, humidity, etc can be extracted and displayed using different formats like BUOY, SHIP, RADOB As part of this programme INCOIS is involved in data exchange of oceanographic data in Indian Ocean region. Presently the data exchange is happening by encoding and decoding the data with reference to Manual on Codes (WMO No. 306) in ASCII format. Whereas GTS augments the speed of data exchange in a user friendly manner. The main objective of this project is to process and archive data in WMO No. 306 prescribed format, along with development of software for encoding and decoding of data in real-time. INCOIS receives different types of data through GTS, out of which the data from ocean stations/platforms have high priority like BUOY, SHIP, SYNOP, TESAC etc. Generating and publishing GTS data through WEB GIS.GTS data is downloaded from FTP using JAVA. Segregation is also done using JAVA. Then after it is decrypted and stored in separate database using java. The data in the database is displayed on web Gis here the map server is interface between them. But there should be apache server in order to run the mapserver.The aim of this project is to provide the data to end user at INCOIS with geospatial solutions, where the software provides the visualization of data and plotting data graphs based on user requirement.

37 Chkranthi1M.santhosh,B.Harish, Dr.A.Ram Murthy Stock Mapping For Forest (Cherla)

Forest Canopy density is an important factor in evaluation of forest status. Estimation of density is an essential part of forest inventories. Remote sensing methods assess the forest status based on

Conservation Working plan Using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System. Hyderabad. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

quantitative and qualitative data analysis derived from “training areas”. In this study, IRS-P6, LISS III data from cherla forest reservoir were analyzed to investigate the potential of this sensor for density coverage map. At first, the bands were controlled according to radiometric and geometric errors. No radiometric distortion was found. Geometric corrections were performed by ground control points with orthorectified images, the rectification level with precision of less than half pixel (0.35 pixels). To reduce the soil reflectance, suitable vegetation indices were prepared using soil line parameters. Ground truth map was prepared through sampling in 17% of whole area. Ground truth map was used in order to evaluate the correct conclusion of classification of image. In this research we use unsupervised and supervised classification. Supervised classification was accomplished utilizing Maximum Likelihood, Minimum Distance to Means and Parallelepiped classifiers. Density classification was performed considering four density classes consisting of thin(0- 25%), semi-dense(25-50%), dense(50-75%) and full dense(75-100%)coverage. In this way, Maximum Likelihood classifier presented the overall accuracy equal to 80.41percent.

38 K.R.L. Saranya & C. Sudhakar Reddy Quantifying the changes in forest cover of Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Eastern Ghats using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Forests plays very important role in maintaining stable ecosystem. There is a need to evaluate forest cover change and to understand the conservation effectiveness in biosphere reserves. The objective of the study is to quantify changes in forest cover of Similipal biosphere reserve, Odisha, India at a multi decadal scale. A spatial framework of grid cells with 1 km x 1 km has been generated for time series to report the trends in spatial distribution of forest cover from the period 1930-2012 i.e. (1930-1975-1990- 1995-2000-2006-2012). The total forest area of biosphere reserve has been estimated as 4107.2 km2 in 1930. Within a period of eight decades, the forest cover loss was quantified as 970.8 km2 (23.6% of the total forest). Significant reduction in forest cover has been identified during 1930 to 1975 indicating a need for overall conservation of biodiversity in Similipal. The core zone of biosphere reserve receives high protection since 1975 which is part of Similipal wildlife sanctuary. From the spatial analysis, it was observed

that about 399 grids have undergone large scale negative changes of >75 ha of forest loss during 1930-1975, while 3 grids have shown >75 ha loss during 1975-1990. The annual net rate of deforestation for the period of 1930 to 1975 was calculated as 0.58, followed by 0.04 for 1975 to 1990 while, the annual rate of gross deforestation in 2006-2012 is estimated as 0.01 that is quite low as compared to national average (0.43) for 2009-2011 and global average of 0.6%. The influence of anthropogenic activities on forests such as conversion of forests to agriculture and transformation to scrub along with construction of dams has been identified as major drivers of deforestation. This study helps in quantifying and monitoring the changes within the protected area towards conservation effectiveness.

39 Mohammed Waaiz, Dr. Michel David, Abid Ali Assessment of Degradation of Sensitive zones in Eastern Ghats using Remote Sensing and GIS tools –Modelling approach, Kurnool Dist, AP. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

This present study assesses the sensitive zones and the forest density class prone to degradation using remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques in the Eastern Ghats (India). For assessing the vulnerability of degradation on different vegetation density, the drivers responsible for degradation were considered. LANDSAT MSS and IRS-LISS III satellite image was used to classify the vegetation density by applying Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) technique and to create the sensitive zone maps for two different time periods, 1973 and 2010 using weighted overlay analysis. About 47% of the present forest area isunder a low risk category, 24% is under medium risk category and about 7% (2517 ha) is under the highrisk category in 2010. The natural disturbances such as forest fire, wildlife grazing, and expansion of agricultural land induced by anthropogenic pressure over the decades are the reasons of forest cover change inEastern Ghats region. The area under no-risk zone has severely decreased, and medium and high risk zone has drastically increased when compared to 1973 where high prioritization for conservation planning is ideal.

40 Dr. N. Chendrayudu. Applications of Remote Sensing and GIS for Conservation of Seshachalam Hills of Eastern

Remote Sensing and GIS are two important modern techniques to manage natural resources. Remote Sensing can provide accurate information from remotely distributed areas or Universe. Geographers

Ghats. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

use the techniques of Remote Sensing to monitor or measure phenomena found in the earth's lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. Remote Sensing of the environment by geographers is usually done with the help of mechanical devices known as Remote Sensors. The GIS technology may help in getting prior information about the diameters of natural resources and also be used to proper management of diameters. GIS is capable of acquiring spatially induced data from a variety of sources, changing the data into useful formats, storing the data, retrieving and generating output required by the user. Therefore both Remote Sensing and GIS can be used for conservation of natural resources like bio diversity, environment, vegetation of different areas of Eastern ghats. Seshachalam Hills are the major part of the Eastern ghats. By evaluating land resources, Water resources, Water balance, Soils, Vegetation though Remote Sensing and GIS technology we can take the measure to control the forest degradation and to maintain ecological balance. By using Remote sensing and GIS, we can bring out Environmental Impact Assessment of Seshachalam Hills. Therefore the present paper deals about Application of Remote Sensing and GIS for the conservation of Seshachalam Hills of Eastern Ghats.

41 ADITHYE JAYATHE VRISTI. Relevance of ancient wisdom on weather forecasting for improving Agro – advisories. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

THE SUN GIVES RAIN. Rig-Veda highlight hydrological cycle. The water I carried away by wind which was heated due to sun. It travels in to upper levels of the atmosphere and becomes super cooled water droplets. After travelling much more heights gets condensed and start coming down to earth in the form of rain. This was also mentioned in Yajur-veda and, Sama-ved .we know that NADEENAAM AAGAROGATHIHI The river etc will discharge water into the sea. They lead from ea to sea. These water raised to the sky. The ancient Vedas have Many references in them on environmental protection, ecological balance, weather cycles, rainfall phenomenon, hydrological cycle and related subjects that indicate the high level of awareness of seers. Vaayupurana,Mastyapurana, Vishnu purana also mentioned about this.

In this context one has to recall our memory in remembering our ancient seers specially Varahamihira who has done lot of work on Rainfall must be appreciated. Basing on his works I am presenting my research work from 2000-2012 for 12 years of rain fall pattern. The water table has reduced in level which has resulted in erratic monsoon and weather. The seasons are deviating their normal track, calamities are alarming the mankind. Deforestation, modernization have destroyed the ecological balance. The rainfall pattern ha changed, calamities are increasing, droughts are alarming. As per “Brihtsamhita” Varahamihira has done lot of research on “Astrometerology”. He is the first man to design wind – vane and he made an instrument to measure rain with units around 500BC. Sreegarga, Kasyapa, Siddasena, Yavana and Kalidasa also wrote about clouds, seasons, rainfall etc. But out of all these ancient Rishis SreeVarahamihira's contribution was extremely good. He has recorded the amount of rainfall in each star during monsoon season. He has empathetically said cloud will give rain after 195 days of its formation. He has also given some wonderful ideas in the form of “Yogas” we can advise the farmer “What type of “Rabi” crop can be sown during that year. He has mentioned many principles to give long range forecast so that it will be useful to the farmers thereby to the people and also to the Nation which depends mainly upon food which in turn depends upon rain which is depending again upon “Cloud formation”. Hence, study of weather is important. He has clearly mentioned in particular stars if there is rain, there will be rain again and again in that star. I bow down to the ancient Rishis for their hard, sincere, methodical workdone. While he was discussing about “Pregnancy of the cloud”,when moon is in conjunction with any of the Lunar mansions i,e., Poorvashada, Utharashada, Poorvabhadra, Uttarabhadra and Rohini will yield copious rains, irrespective of season specially during months of Margasira, Pushya, Magha, Phalguna, Chaitra and Vaisakha and yield rain for 8,6,16,24,20 and 3 days respectively after 195 days.

42 Kousalya. L* &NarmathaBai. V Enicostemaaxillare is an important medicinal plant known for its anti-

Micropropagation of Enicostemaaxillare(Lam.) Raynal ssp. littoralis(Blume) Raynal. Tamil Nadu, India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

diabetic property and used in Indian traditional system of medicine. In the present study, high frequency regeneration protocol from nodal and in vitro derived root explants was developed. The nodal and in vitro derived root explants were cultured on MS basal medium fortified with different concentration of growth regulators such as BAP, KIN, TDZ and 2iP (0.5-2 mg/L) individually and in combinations for shoot bud induction and multiplication. The highest numbers of multiple shoots (102.00±6.24) were obtained on MS medium supplemented with BAP (2 mg/L) in combination with KIN (0.5 mg/L) from nodal explant. In vitro derived root explant produced 24.60±0.54shoots per explant on MS medium supplemented with BAP (0.5mg/l) in combination with KIN (1mg/l). Rooting was optimized on half-strength MS medium supplemented with IAA (0.5 mg/L) for both nodal and in vitro root derived plants. The rooted plantlets were transferred to paper cups containing vermiculite and hardening was successfully attained with 75% survival. The response of the nodal explant of Enicostemaaxillarewas found to be superior over in vitro derived root explant in terms of multiple shoot induction. This protocol can be used for large scale propagation and conservation of this important medicinal herb.

43 T.Vijaya, V.Asha Krishna, P.Sujathamma and G. Savithri. Tasar culture for tribal development in eastern ghats. Tirupati, A.P. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Sericulture involves the rearing of silkworms to produce cocoons, and then processing those cocoons to make yarn and fabric. Tasar is a variety of wild silk (Vanya Silk) produced by the tasar silkworm, Antheraeamylitta. This worm, unlike the mulberry silkworm, is only partly domesticated. Tasar is, therefore, reared in forest areas. The process requires round- the –clock vigil and, overall, dedicated husbandry for six to ten weeks. Tribal communities living in remote forested areas are usually engaged in tasar cocoon production. Conservation of forest biodiversity essentially requires community involvement, especially tribal's, because of their close association and treasured forest tradition. Tasar culture is a source of supplementary income for the poor families who are also engaged in small and marginal farming or migrating to other places in search of livelihoods as

tasar culture is forest based industry. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka.Tasar culture is well practiced traditionally in the state of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh where tasar food plants are abundant. Since cocoon production involves family labour, yields quick returns and requires simple technologies, it is ideally suited for these families. The activity requires very low initial investment, and the key requirements are labour which is available, and flora which is plentiful in these fringe forest areas. In view of t he significance of tasar culture for the tribal development, the authors made an attempt to discuss about the tasar culture for the sustainable development of tribal folk in Eastern Ghats.

44 S.K.M. BASHA , M.JOHN PAUL,E. RAJYALAKSHMI,UMAMAHESWARI, Ethno botonical study on sri penusila narasimha wildlife sanctury, eastern ghats. Nellore. A.P. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

SriPenusilanarasimha wildlifes ancturyis the highestpoint in the Eastern Ghats within Nellore district. The studysitespreadsbetweenLatitude 14°.18´N, Longitude 70°.28´atabout 3000Ft. above Sea Level. The approximate area is 100 hectares. The s a n c t u r y i s h a v i n g h i l l y t e r r a i n w i t h p l a t e a u s , r i d g e s , g o r g e s a n d deep Valleys which support dry deciduous forests with an under growth of grasses along with dry thorny and dry ever green forests surround the fringe. This is a famous preventive and curative medicine named after the village called 'Gonupalli'. A few families belonging to this village are still engaged in preparing this compound drug of powders made of several herbs gathered from the forests surrounding the village and sell it to the needy during the weekly bazaar congregations. The main herbs used in the preparation of 'Gonupallichoornam' are: bitters such as Andrographispaniculata (Burm.f)Wall.exNees in Wall (Nelavemu), Encostemaaxillare Lam.(Nelagurimidi), supposed to alleviate fevers burning urination and excessive Urination due to diabetes;nerve tonics such as Mucunapruriens (L) Dc.(Doolagondiviththulu) ,and curculigoorchioidesGaertn.(Nelataadiguddalu) and ferns such as Adiantumlunulatam L. (Hamsapaadi) Hemionitisarifolia (Burm.f)(Raamabaanam) Actinopterisradiata(Koenig ex Sw)Link.(Mayurasikhi)- supposed to be antiviral and immune-

modulators. Tribal people in penchalakona hill range have embarked on doing special rituals to worship medicinal plants called Gonupallichoornam local parlance. For the tribal people linge in far flunge areas of the agency collection of the medicinal plants from forest to prepare the choornam is not only a means of eking of livelihood but a tradition in vogue since centuries. The tribal people attach great importance to this medicine from both the economic and religious point of view. It is known for its rich medicinal values. However the dwindling forest cover and lack of remunerative price for their non-timber forest produce has become a cause of concern for the tribal people. In an effort to promote the age- old traditional occupation.

45 N. Srinivasulu1, B. SasiBhusana Rao1, P. Mallaiah1, G. Sudhakar1, T.Maruthi Prasad2, D. Saralakumari1 Antimicrobial activity of different solvent extracts of leaf, stem and seeds ofAchyranthesasperaon human pathogenic bacteria. Andhra Pradesh, India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The aim of the present study was to investigate invitro antibacterial activity of the various parts of AchyranthesasperaLinn in different solvents. Different parts such as leaves, seeds, stem and roots of AchyranthesasperaLinn were taken and extract was prepared with different solvents such as aqueous, ethanol, n-butanol and methanol to study invitro antibacterial activity on clinically important human pathogenic as well as opportunistic pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, streptococcus pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrobial activity was determined by the filter paper disc diffusion method. The methanol extract of the leaves and seeds showed higher significant antibacterial activity on E.Coli ,Proteus, klebsiellapneumoniaea, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, streptococcus pneumonia but ethanol extract of leaf showed significant antibacterial activity on Staphylococcus aureus than methanol seed extract. The aqueous extracts of leaf, stem and seeds showed low antibacterial activity. The results of our present study suggested that the methanol and ethanol extracts of the leaves, seed and stem of AchyranthesasperaLinn revealed a significant scope to develop a novel broad spectrum of antibacterial herbal formulation.

46 Dr. Vinita Pandey Tribal Empowerment: The Road to

Eastern Ghats undeniably is not only nature's paradise but also a biodiversity hotspot. With rich flora and fauna, Eastern Ghats is ripped

Conservation of Eastern Ghats. Hyderabad. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

with major rivers of south India. The significance of “Estuaries of India” increases manifold owing to its fertility, fishing environs and presence of rare and multiple medicinal plants. It also inhabits several tribal groups like Savara, Jatapu, Konda, Dora, Gadabaetc with rich tribal culture and ethos. Unfortunately, the most intelligent creation of nature – man and its activities is leaving no stone unturned for the destruction of its own creator- nature. Eastern Ghats is thus no exception. History has multiple examples to drive home the point that whenever man has disturbed the patterns of nature and has forced its activities ignoring the ecological sensitivities, man has suffered tremendously. The latest example being Uttarakhand. The conservation of Eastern Ghats thus becomes mandatory for man's own survival. There have been several initiatives, policies and efforts for the conservation of Eastern Ghats and its biodiversity. In this regard tribal empowerment can be a significant move. Tribals are the best conservators and protectors of their 'homes' (mountains and forests and its rich flora and fauna). However in the name of several development projects tribals are being displaced and are becoming homeless. Despite the constitutional provisions under the fifth schedule to administer the tribal areas and development much has not been done. Health and education are still very critical issues for the empowerment of tribal community. The efforts of civil society organizations for tribal empowerment in Eastern Ghats are a ray of hope. However there is a serious need to accelerate this process of empowerment to ensure that tribals become more efficient conservators and protectors of Eastern Ghats. The paper tries to present the various means of empowerment of tribal groups in Eastern Ghats and how tribal empowerment can be critical factor and contributor in conservation of nature's paradise.

47 MRS.P.G.SUNANDAMMA, The Eastern Ghats are today-environmental stress-natural resources. Hyderabad. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The Eastern Ghat areas of Visakhapatnam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh are coffee monoculture and the proposed bauxite mining. Monocultures might improve cash income, but it is important to understand whether tribal communities have the wherewithal to deal with the vagaries of an open market and to what extent incomes are

really being augmented. In addition, the effects of monocultures on the biodiversity of the region and in turn the food security of the tribal people are also areas of concern. The Eastern Ghats are today under severe environmental stress and many of the natural resources therein are not being managed on sound ecological principles to ensure sustainable yields. The forest cover in the Ghats is diminishing at a much faster rate than the replenishment, so also are there other changes that are affecting the social and economic milieu of the region. There are multiple causes for this—development activities, like hydro-electric dams, mining and irrigation projects leading to deforestation and displacement, government programmes like forestry and monocultures (coffee, cashew, etc) adversely impacting the environment, livestock and grazing affecting the vegetation, unscientific extraction of NTFP that is depleting the resources, forest fires caused accidentally or willfully destroying forest cover and in turn causing soil erosion, increasing tourism and its pressure on the ecology. All these have impacted the diversity and abundance of biodiversity and in turn the lifestyles of the people, primarily the adivasis of the region.

48 Swapna, B. An Ethnobotanical survey of plants used by tribal traditional healers of Kavali,Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

An ethno botanical survey was undertaken to collect information from Yanadi tribe of Cheruvukattasangham, Kavali, Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, India.Kavali is a part of Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt which is a Precambrian fold belt extending over 600km along the east coast of India from the North of Cuttack in Orissa to Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. Yanadi tribe is most prevalent in this region. Besides other usages of plants the practice of oral tradition for healthcare management of human and domesticated animals using herbal medicines is still prevalent among the inhabitants of the area. The study revealed that, the Yanadi tribe used 30 plant species belonging to 16 families to treat scorpion sting, snake bite, cold, helminthic diseases, body pains after delivery in women, dysentery etc. This paper reports the uses of medicinal plants used by tribal people in the form of juices, extracts, decoctions, pastes and powders. The information requires validation for clinical usage.

49 P. Neelima P. SanthaRao, K. Lakshminarayana, O. Aniel Kumar. Utilization Pattern of Non- Timber Forest Products among the Tribal Communities in parts of Northern Eastern Ghats covering Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh, India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The present study was carried out to document the traditional knowledge associated with the utilization pattern of NTFPs among the tribal communities in the agency areas which form the part of Northern Eastern Ghats covering Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh. It has been observed that the traditional knowledge of NTFP utilization is on sharp decline due to modernization and lack of interest of the younger generations of the ethnic groups. So proper documentation of the NTFP species and their utilization pattern among the tribal communities is necessary to understand the exploitation of green resources among them. In the present investigation a total of 156 species belonging to 63 families were recorded through field surveys and interaction with the tribal people of the study area using modified semi structure questionnaires. The present study reveals that the tribal communities have good traditional knowledge systems for selection and utilization of wild forest resources.

50 P.Neeraja and Dr.K.Anuradha and G.Vaniprasanthi. Environmental Education during School Age-Strategies, National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

School age is very important for children to learn different aspects and concepts in early life including environmental awareness. Human beings survival basically depends on environment in which they dwell. Development of mankind is closely associated with the environment. Hence, environment and development are interdependent. Relationship between man and environment has been point of discussion for a long time. The environmental damage already inflicted due to alarming on-going population explosion, rapid movement towards urbanisation and industrialisation, increasing needs of energy and fast scientific and technological advancement cannot be reversed unless there is collective thinking, will and effort. These public awareness and participation for bringing about an attitudinal change and finally restricting further damage to the environment. Environmental problems have attracted the attention all over the world during last twodecades. People are becoming increasingly conscious of variety of problems like global warming, acid rain, pollution in air, water and etc. Effective implementation of environmental management and conservation programmes depends on education, awareness raising and training in

the relevant areas. Especially the younger generation needs to be made aware of the deteriorating environmental condition. Formal environmental education is necessary at the school level. Without understanding method of conserve action of natural resources and the compelling need to do so, children cannot be motivated to participate actively in programmes on environmental conservation. Environment education and awareness thus assume critical importance. The 'Environmental Education, Awareness and Training' is an important for enhancing the understanding of people at all levels about the relationship between human beings and the environment and to develop capabilities/skills to improve and protect the environment. Hence, environmental education must be needs mandatory during school age. The present paper focuses on some of the best strategies for promoting environmental education like botanical tours, nature walk, conduct of exhibition and workshops etc.

51 D. Sahadevudu T.Nagaraju “Culture of Tribes inEastern Ghats - A Study National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Eastern Ghats land is composed by quite a few tribes which includes Savara, Jatapu, Konda Dora, Gadaba, Khond, Manne Dora and mukhaDora.The tribal people showcase a rainbow of oriental culture and cultural trappings, which are held beautiful in an ethnic kaleidoscope. These indigenous people have their own unique cultural heritage. These people follow the age old customs and traditions. Tribal economy is based on food gathering, hunting and fishing and thus revolves around forests. Even the large tribes like the Santal, Munda, Oram and Gond, who are settled agriculrurists, often supplement their economy with hunting and gathering. Many tribal people are practicing shifting cultivation. There are cattle-breeders among the tribes, notably the Koya. There are simple artisans too like the Mohali and Loharas, who practice crafts of basket weaving and tool making.Despite their poverty the tribal'shave retained their rich and colourful heritage of dance and music. Every tribal can sing and dance to the sound of pipe and drum. The Kondh tribes were famous in history for their human sacrifice.An interesting feature of the Bonda marriage is that Bonda girls prefer to marry younger boys. The best way to view members of

the tribe is by going to one of the local town markets. It is not considered safe to venture into their tribal areas.In the course of globalisation, it is not easy to keep cultures of the tribe alive.Government organisations, NGO's should work for protection of rights and culture of the tribal people. Research Instituteshave to concentrate on thetribal's connection to nature and to their native land, their traditional knowledge and compact community living.

52 K. Madhava Chetty and Mitta Mahendra nath. conservation strategy of some iucn redlisted medicinal plants in seshachalam biosphere reserve. Tirupati National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve located in southern Eastern Ghats of Chittoor and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh. It is spread over 475.9 Km2 and located between 79°19' to 79°23' East longitude and 13°17' to 13°43' North latitude and harbours IUCN Redlisted plants such as Cycas beddomei Dyer (Cycadaceae), Shorea tumbuggaia Roxb. (Dipterocarpaceae), Boswellia ovalifoliolata Bal. & Henry (Burseraceae), Indigofera barberi Gamble (Fabaceae), Pterocarpus santalinus L.f. (Fabaceae), Rhynchosia beddomei Baker (Fabaceae), Sophora interrupta Bedd. (Fabaceae), Terminalia pallida Brandis (Combretaceae), Syzygium alternifolium (Wt.) Walp. (Myrtaceae), Glochidion tirupathiense (Phyllanthaceae) ,Tripogon tirumalae (Poaceae), Pimpinella tirupatiensis Bal. & Sub. (Apiaceae) and Leucas indica (L.) R.Br. var. nagalapuramiana Chand. & Srin. (Lamiaceae). Taxonomic status, Population, Ethnobotanical claims and Bioconstituents and their activities were reviewed. This threatened taxa is under severe threat and become rare due to imbalance of multiple physical, chemical and biological factors. A significant implications for the conservation and ecology of these plant taxa and associated species and causes for rarity and their conservation strategies will be discussed in detail.

53 Murali O and Santosh Kumar Mehar Plants of Eastern Ghats used with proven medicinal potential National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Eastern Ghats are hill ranges with longitudes and latitudes of 13o30' – 19o07' N and 77o28' – 84o45' E, respectively. The vast region spreads over the parts of three states namely, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In Andhra Pradesh it covers Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Guntur, Krishna, Nellore, Prakasam, Anantapur, Chittoor, Cuddapah, Kurnool Districts.

Eastern Ghats are rich in Flora and Fauna. These are one of the biodiversity hotspots of Indian sub-continent. Floral diversity includes all types of plants starting from algae to angiosperms. A review of scientific literature and ethno-botanical data about the plants of Eastern Ghats shows that several species of plants are found in the Eastern Ghats which are used for various ailments. We have sorted out 24 plant species which are used to treat women disorder Leucorrhoea. Different parts of these plant species are used for treating Leucorrhoea; leaves of 8 plants namely Argemone Mexicana, Aristolochia indica, Cassia auriculata, C. montana, Hibiscus ovalifolius, Leucas aspera, Prosopis cineraria, Xanthium stumarium; shoots of 2 plants Tephrosia purpurea, Enicostemma axillarae; stem bark of 5 plants Bauhinia racemosa, Croton scabiosus, Givotia rottleriformis, Pongamia pinnata, Stercularia urens, S. villosa; roots of 4 plants Acrocephaluc indicus, Justicia gendarussa, Linocera zeylanica; root bark of Azadirachta indica; and, whole plant of 3 species Blumea mollis, Euphorbia heyneana, E. prostata; Fruits of Terminalia bellirica are used for the treatment purpose. These plants are the valuable sources of medicinal compounds for treatment of Leucorrhoea without any ill effect.

54 M. Abdul Naseer, A Live case of Collective Resistance against Industrial Pollution. Tirupati. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Pharmaceutical Industry is one of the essential enterprises required for human health maintenance and prosperity. But, its effluents are highly toxic. Effluents are the indispensable outflows, produced during the process of medicine manufacturing. To reduce effluents ill-effects, Pharmaceutical industries should have built-in Treatment Plants. In order to keep the effluents pollution at safe levels, Central and State Pollution Control Boards are established by the Governments. Since the maintenance cost of the Effluents Treatment plants is very high, Industries normally discharge the untreated effluents, into the environment. This paper is about a live case of Pharmaceutical Industry's untreated effluents discharge. In the vicinity of Tirupati town, One Pharmaceutical industry's untreated Effluents polluting the groundwater resources, for the past many years. As a result, the groundwater became harmful for consumption and cultivation purpose.

The affected people are agitating in all possible manners like conducting mass protests, submitting memorandums to the Government Officials, Political leaders, etc. This news was covered by media, on several occasions. A.P. Pollution Control Board's efforts to keep the Effluents pollution at safe levels are in vain. Hence, “CLOSURE ORDERS” were issued to the Pharmaceutical Industry, during the year 2011. The Pharmaceutical Industry managed the affairs and continued the production process. The A.P. Pollution Control Board once again issued 'CLOSURE ORDERS' during the month of September 2014. This time, the Industry filed a writ petition in the A.P. High Court, got statues quo orders and continuing the effluents discharge, as usual. As the judiciary process is beyond the means of poor village people, they approached “Helping Hands Foundation, Tirupati” for suitable help. Through this paper an attempt is made to draw the attention of all the environmental concerned personalities towards a live case of Pharmaceutical industrial pollution and its ill-effects on environment and the general public.

55 Cirra Umamaheswar Reddy. A collective action for a focus and conservation of Easternghats, Need of the hour. Telangana, India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Easternghats is one of the three prime biodiversity hotspots of India beside westerghats and northeastern hills. Also known as Malyadri, the discontinuous range of mountains set along eastern coast is an important bio-geographic unit with immense environmental, socio-economic, cultural and spiritual significance in the peninsula. The ecosystems and natural resources of these hills are under degradation and ever escalating pressures. Unlike the other two other hotspots of the nation, there has been less focus and collective action for conservation of easternghats. There is an imminent need for a strategic, positive and creative action from civil society and policy makers. The paper concisely attempts to pronounce the prominence of these hills, takes a synaptic view of current situation, touches upon the need for a national level action.

56 B. Raja Sekhar. Thanks to an ITDA project officer's initiative and

SRISAILAM: For years the Chenchus, a primitive tribal group inhabiting Nallamala forests faced a paradox. The Ashram and Gurukul schools,

regulation, Chenchu children are back to school. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

abounding in their regionwere not incentives enough to send their wards to pick up education. There was no monitoring whatsoever either by Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) or Tribal Welfare Department who turned a blind eye to the abysmal literacy rate among this tribe. A report published in these columns (The Hindu January 10, 2008), highlighting this mismatch, saw the Andhra Pradesh Human Rights Commission taking a serious note and seeking a report from the government. A year-and-half later, the situation appears to be changing. Ever since M. M. Naik, IAS officer took over as Project Officer, ITDA, Srisailam a few months ago, he took up bringing Chenchu children back to schools, on a mission mode. Thanks to his close monitoring of schools, surprise checks every week and punitive action against negligent staff, many Chenchu children are going to school. It may still take some time for Ashram and Gurukul schools to fill their seats to capacity, but a beginning has been made. The Ashram school at BrahmaramaChenchu Colony of Prakasam district whose sanctioned strength was 163 had just three Chenchu children in December 2007. Now the attendance has gone up to 45. Peddamanthanala's figures were 128 (sanctioned strength), 50 (attendance in 2007) and 90 (now), Chintamudipi 127, 25 and 85, Chilakacherla 135, 35 and 75 to 80. So were schools in Ahobilam (78, 22 and 60) in Kurnool and Udimitla (127, 30 and 80) in Mahabubnagar district. “This testifies that a committed bureaucracy can do wonders”, said M. SambasivaRao of Banjara Development Society, the NGO that works for the welfare of Chenchus.

57 N.S. Srinidhi, ManchalaLingaswamy, Md. NaziaThabassum. Role of NGO in the Conservation of Eastern Ghats. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The protection of environment is a pressing issue. Every person, organization and institution has an obligation and duty to protect it. Despite provisions in Indian Constitution providing for Environmental protection and many statutory provisions, the environment degradation continues. The main cause for environment degradation is lack of effective enforcement of various laws. In the present hour there is need for all the people to raise their voices against the human interference in degradation and depletion natural

resources of environment. The term NGO was once a word whose meaning was known to few but now it has created more wonders and has given solutions to many unsolved problems. Technically speaking NGO is defined as a non-governmental organization (NGO) a non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level. The importance of public awareness and NGOs involvement in environmental protection is acknowledged worldwide. Advocacy and awareness is especially crucial in promoting concepts such as sustainable development, natural resource conservation and the restoration of ecosystems. Appreciating the efforts of NGO's working in the environmental field, the present abstract throws a light on the role of NGO in conserving the natural resources. The Eastern Ghats ranging 1700 km stretch has unique biodiversity richness is in more danger when compared to the Western Ghats. The Eastern Ghats are under continuous stress from the impacts of economic development, agricultural expansion, road construction, and livestock grazing—as well as extensive harvesting of timber and wildlife threatening the wildlife of these Ghats. Currently, the biggest threat to the region is the fragmentation and loss of habitats due to development projects. The Role of NGO's in saving these Eastern Ghats: 1. Hosting People's Movements and Awareness programs to bring the issue to a national and International level of recognition. 2. Introduced STEP (STudents or Citizen's Environment Programme) for creating awareness on the need to conserve these Ghats. 3. To work collectively with Government for introducing the Environmental Training Institute which will bring out much more expertise findings in saving these Ghats. 4. To create innovative formulas or ideas which can be experimented in areas which are difficult for government agencies to make changes in providing expertise and policy analysis. 5. To play a major role in strengthening the environmental policy frame work for the conservation of Eastern Ghats.

6. Solidarity and support to environmental defenders and opposing developmental projects. 7. And finally by promoting the status of the Eastern Ghats for a World Hertitage Site as declared to that of the Western Ghats.

58 C. Sudhakar Reddy. Identifying Biodiversity Conservation Priorities in Eastern Ghats, Hyderabad, India. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Eastern Ghats, a phytogeographical region of India has rugged hilly terrain distributed in parts of five states, viz. Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Many studies in Eastern Ghats are site oriented; they do not provide sufficient information to support geographically specific conservation programs. Furthermore, there is need of tools and information for evaluating conservation effectiveness to direct future management. It is critical to prioritize conservation efforts for developing scientific support for preparation of conservation plans. Identification of conservation priorities for species to ecosystem level can help in taking appropriate management measures. The criteria of species diversity, endemism, vegetation types, terrain variability, climatic gradient and disturbance regimes provides a baseline data in habitat suitability assessment, exploration for microscale studies, corridor connectivity and planning. These surrogates can be effective at representing various aspects ofbiodiversity, such as ecological uniqueness, species distribution, species diversity and primary intact natural habitats. Eastern Ghats has forest area of about 71,186 km2whichrepresents 31.7% of the geographical area(Reddy et al. 2014). Eastern Ghats are home to more than 3,000 species of flowering plants (Reddy et al. 2006). There are about705 species of trees found in Eastern Ghats. About 192 species of Orchids were recorded in Eastern Ghats. Reddy et al. (2008) listed 147 species of endemic plants of Eastern Ghats, including the 44 species from Red Data Books (RDB). Of these 49 species are known from type collections, 21 species are known from type locality and 41 species are least known in herbaria. The figure of 44 threatened species underestimates the number of native species under risk. Of the 147 species of endemics, 91 species occur outside of Protected Area network. Of the 44 red listed species, 24 are not covered in current

Protected Area network and needs conservation priority. There is an increasing consensus ofecosystem priority for representativeness of Protected Areas. The current protected area network does not provide appropriate conservation for all ecosystem types and species level diversity. Semi evergreen forests and thorn forests are two important types missing in the protected area network of Andhra Pradesh. The high altitude land ecosystem (950m-1527m) of Andhra Pradesh is a gap conservation area, which represents many unique species. The dry deciduous forest is a dominant type which occupies 37192 km2 (52.2%) of the total forest area of Eastern Ghats, followed by moist deciduous forest (39.2%) and semi evergreen forest (4.8%) in 2013.

59 G. Swati, Y.B.Nagamani. Need of conservation of eastern ghats, nalgonda. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from west Bengal state in the north through odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. There are five ecological hotspots with endemic and endangered species in India, out of which two of them are in Eastern Ghats. For millions of years the Eastern Ghats have been cradles of life and civilization. The mountain ranges are rich in biodiversity, forests range from dry deciduous mixed forest to semi evergreen rain forest. Asia's biggest tiger reserve, Nagarjunasagar- Srisailam tiger sanctuary is located in the Nallamala range of Eastern Ghats. It is home for a rich variety of minerals, rivers, wetlands, and several ancient places of worship. Major rivers of peninsular India pass through the hill ranges. Small local rivers and streams originate and emanate in hills also are the vital source of water in the region. Today unfortunately these prominent mountain ranges are under tremendous stress, degradation and damage due to human greed, population pressure, unsustainable development, apathy by public negligence by public servants etc. Haphazard mining, logging, poaching, forest fires, unsustainable harvest of forest produce pilferage of rare species, smuggling and export of rare flora and fauna, encroachments of forest land and infrastructure development , myopic industrialization, springing up of habitations with as intention to colonize

and devour the forest . The forest area in the Eastern Ghats has shrunk to half of what it was at the beginning of our republic. Exponential growth and development accelerated the decline of the natural glory of Eastern Ghats has to stop.

60 C. Alekhya and N. Yasodamma MAJOR PEST THREATS OF Cycasbeddomei Dyer. (Cycadaceae)- PERITA, Tirupati. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The endemic Gymnosperm of Seshachalam Hill Ranges is facing a major threat by various pests during different stages of its growth. All most four types of different pests were attacking on the young leaves (Circinate leaves) by leaf scales Aulacaspisyasumatsui and aissetiacoffeae during June to August and totally covered the leaves with all their eggs and larvae in custard white color. And also Chiladespandava a butterfly with its caterpillars totally eat away the fresh leaf crown and also the young megasporophylls. There is another unknown bug with parrot green mouth and blackish brown body with parrot green –pinkish stripes also occurs during the same season on young leaf flushing and on megasporophylls crown. And it is also observed that three more pests on the microsporophylls or male cones during March-June. Derelomus species with transparent silky cream color on young microspores. Two bugs were observed as Weevil calandra and Trilobium species on mature male cones during June- August mostly with black color which consumes the total microspores. And also these bugs were observed on mature female cones and on seeds especially totally eat away the seed coat before falling from the plant. There is a risk for the development of Cycasbeddomei natural populations due to these pests. Hence it requires to work out on the natural pest management to control the above seven pest species for the conservationof endemic species.

61 A. Reshma T. Bhagavatha Priya, Sri Vidya Rani. N. Biodiversity and its conservation in eastern ghats, National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

The great diversity of habitats owing to varied climates and altitudes endorsed India's rich and diverse flora. The Eastern Ghats (EG) are endowed with an extensively rich variety of biological species, eological formations and different ethnic tribes. EG supports a rich array of tropical forests including pockets of moist deciduous, evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. About 2600 angiosperms, gymnosperms, pteridophytes and 160 cultivated plants are known from EG, which also

includes over 530 tree species, 1800 medicinal and 450 endemic plants belonging to 243 genera and 78 families.The EG is home to several unique taxa such as Shorea roxburghii G. Don(S. talura Roxb.),S. tumbaggaia Roxb., Pterocarpus santalinus L. f. (red anders), Cycas beddomei Dyer and some wild varieties of rice(Oryza granulata Nees & Arn., O. sativa Thw. and O. malampuzhaensis Krish. & Chand.). At least 50 dye yielding and 40 aromatic plant species are also known to occur in the region. Plants such as Bixa oreliana, Mallotus philippensis are source of the dye yielding plants. The region is also enriched with agrihorticultural diversity including valuable diversity in paddy, millets, Pigeon pea, Cowpea, brinjal, turmeric etc. Atleast 91 wild related species of crop plants are reported in the region. Loss of biodiversity is a very serious problem of the country. Deforestation is the main cause behind the current crisis and along with this global climatic change, shifting cultivation, soil erosion, unchecked expansion of urban areas etc are the other main causes of this problem. Conservation of biodiversity could be accomplished using both in situ and ex situ methods. In situ is applied mainly to wild species related to crop plants, to forest and pasture species. These species should be preserved, maintaining the genetic integrity of their nature state, as communities in stable environments. Ex situ conservation includes the use of botanical gardens and arboreta on one hand and genebank on the other. It is the chief mode of preservation of genetic resources, which may include both cultivated and wild material. In this regard, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), ICAR has initiated efforts in the form of collection, conservation and documentation of agrobiodiversity, including medicinal plant wealth of Eastern Ghats. The Eastern Ghats is an important area in India and the rich diversity of floristic wealth including with potential Agrobiodiversity and conservation of these biodiversity and sustainable use and protecting the environment is the need of the hour.

62 B. Sadasivaiah. Snakes are among the animals that have most influenced the human

Participatory conservation model for snakes - a case study from Mahabubnagar district, Telangana. National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

psyche since ancient times. In ancient times, many people worshiped snakes to try to appease them in order to avoid the evil they could cause. Attributes such as wisdom, cunning, power, fertility, sexuality and renewal of life have been attributed to them by different people in India and other countries. Snake are an important part of the natural food chain and play a vital role in the ecosystem balance. An example, snakes are helpful in reducing the population of rodents, and in turn they are prey to the most of the serpents and other animals. The snake poison is used to cure many dangerous diseases like cancer etc. Based on the above importance of snakes the authors started rescuing of snakes from in and around Wanaparthy Revenue Division, Mahabubnagar district of Telangana for the past two years and four months. A total of 546 snake of 18 species belongs to 6 families were rescued from the study area. More number of snakes was rescued in between August and December. An average 21 snakes were recorded for month in each year. The most common snakes in this area are Najanajanaja (215 individuals), Ptyas mucosa (108), Xenochropispiscator (55) and Eryxjohnii(41).The common krait (Bungaruscaeruleus) and Russel's viper (Daboirusselli) are rare in this area; only few individuals were noticed. The injured snakes were medically treated with the help of local Veterinary doctors. So far 546 different snakes were rescued and safely released into the forests. Najanaja were observed 24 hours and Ptyas mucosa found only during day times and Common Krait found between 4-11 pm only. Argyrogenafasciatus rescued only in between August-December, Daboiarusselii between October-December, Dendrelaphistristis between January-August. About 188 snake awareness programmes were organized voluntarily in various educational institutes and village meetings. Through this programme a good positive attitude is developing among the people of the area towards the snakes. The present paper dealt with the taxonomy, behaviour, timing and people attitude towards snake diversity and conservation.

63 G.L.Narasimha Prasad, Dr.N.Veera Kumari, Lecturer in Botany, Govt.Degree College(M),

Threat to Biodiversity in Eastern ghats. Anantapur National Conference on Conservation of Eastern Ghats.

Anantapur Eastern Ghats form a chain of mountain ranges and they are replete with piligrim centres and hill stations. Major parts of Eastern ghats are under tourist pressure. The piligrim centres like Tirumala and Srisailam are thronged with thousands of piligrims every day. As a result the biodiversity of Seshachalam and Nallamala forests are under threat. Seshachalam hills are identified as a biodiversity hotspot recently as the ecosystem of these forests area are encroached and threatened due to follwing reasons. - Greater tourist inflow - Pressure on water table - Throwing of polythene bags - Encroachment of forests by inhabitants - Smugglers activity - Denudation of forest cover Tourists exert enoromous pressure on these ghat areas. Increased vehicular traffic also results in abnormal behaviuoral changes in animals. Dissapearnce of land marks like tanks and ponds disturbs the migratory patterns of birds and animals. Red sandle smugglers also damage the forest ecosystem due to vested interests in these areas. Recent outburst of forest fire in Seshachalam and Vishakapatnam has left much of the flora and fauna charred to death.All these threats are caused by human intervention in these areas. The Eastern and Western ghats are considered as the last resort of biodiversity and they should be conserved and protected at any cost.