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and education about the native valuable species and
commercialization at local level to deal with
market involvement of the native species. But, all
these four factors need not work together
simultaneously, rather domination of materialistic
and commercial values and practices, which often
unsustainable in operation in society. This C4
continuum, if done consciously well, by keeping
the protection of IBCD richness in mind, it can
turn out to be an effective approach and strategy
for biodiversity conservation, more so that in
outside protected areas. In rural and tribal areas of
a country like India where multi-lingual, multiethnic
culture dominates, even without any legal or
regulatory mechanism, there is much scope for this
C4 approach as a strategy to “protect and
encourage customary use of biological resources in
accordance with traditional cultural practices that
are compatible with conservation or sustainable use
of requirements”- the article 10 (c) of CBD. The
study benefitted in strengthening this C4
continuum as described below.
1.Strengthening Conservation
The 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
that includes 350 vascular plant species from India
carries many endangered species in which 203 are
found in the Western Ghats. The once wide spread
'trees of outside forests' in the moist hilly regions
of many parts of Western Ghats are getting
vanished because of logging for wood, agricultural
development, pioneer settlements, drought, and
forest fires. Most of these species could be
multiplied and raised as agro-forestry.
Conservation succeeds only when people
understand the value of it and cooperate in such
efforts whole-heartedly. The present study
attempted to raise awareness of the public and the
leaders of religious institutions like temple, church
and mosque about the 'cultural and biological
richness' of the region and importance of
conservation of such richness and diversity. There
were 7153 seedlings raised in the five species and
contributed to a '50,000 RET Tree Planting
Campaign' under an initiative of M. S.
Swaminathan Research Foundation’s Saving
Endangered Species. Such a Tree planting campaign
that aimed at enhancing the tree diversity in
protected forests and outside forest areas in shade
grown coffee plantations will be a most efficient
and economical way to curb atmospheric carbon to
a greater extend. There is however, the allocation
of resources for research and development of
knowledge and sciences of local communities
about conservation is very inadequate today in this
part of the country. Support to cultural and
community based institutions is required to help
effective practices in community conservation and
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