2006-07 - Kerala Forest Research Institute

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Annual report 2006-07Kerala Forest Research InstituteForest Ecology and BiodiversityConservation (FEBC)The thrust areas of research of the Divisionare ecosystem and landscape analysis, rehabilitationand restoration, population ecologyand dynamics, biodiversity evaluation andconservation of fragile ecosystems, traditionalknowledge system analysis and biodiversityinformatics.Inventorisation of biodiversity ofdifferent forest types and protected areas,evaluation of below-ground biodiversity,taxonomic studies and conservation of RETspecies of flora have been some areas ofresearch in the Division. Besides, the WildlifeBiology Discipline deals with inventorisationof fauna, endangered animals, man-wildlifeinteraction and wildlife census. Nursery andplantation technology of selected indigenoustimber species and rattans and ethno-biologicalstudies are other activities of the Division. AHerbarium representing the forest flora of theState, an Arboretum of rare and characteristicspecies of moist deciduous forests of Kerala,a Palmetum with about 80 species of palms, aCanetum with about 30 species of rattans, abio-resource nature trail, etc. are the majorfacilities of the Division.....................................................................................................................................................................................Forest Protection (FP)The Division with its Forest Entomology andForest Pathology diciplines undertakes researchon various aspects of microbes and insects inthe forest ecosystem. Further, eco-friendlytechnologies are being developed to managethe pests, diseases and weeds in forest plantations,mainly through biological means. TheDivision maintains authentic collections ofmicrobes and insects of Kerala forests and alsoof microbial pathogens of forest insects.Management of nursery and plantation diseases,diversity of plant pathogenic fungi in differentforest ecosystems, VA and ectomycorrhizalfungal diversity and biological control of weedsare the main areas of research in PathologyDiscipline. In Entom-ology Discipline, thethrust areas include monito-ring of forestinsect diversity, control of termites in plantations,wood damaging insects and teakdefoliator, traditional methods of post-harvestprotection of bamboo from insect borers, etc.The mass production technology of the biopesticideHyblaea puera Nucleo PolyhedrosisVirus (HpNPV) has been standardized, and theappli-cation technology has been transferredto stake-holders. The concept of butterflygarden has been popularized and technicaladvice provided to various agencies for theestablishment of butterfly parks.Forest Utilization (FU)Research and extension activities related towood structure, properties and utilization,consumption and bio-prospecting of nonwoodforest products with reference tomedicinal plants, their quantita-tive inventoryand sustainable extraction are the majoractivities of the Division of Forest Utilization.The Division has facilities like wood preservationplant, drying kiln, xylarium, medicinalplants garden and instruments like UniversalTesting Machine (UTM), image analyzer, NIRspectroscope, etc. The Division has undertakenextensive studies on wood structure, propertiesand preservative treatments for various timberspecies like teak, eucalypt and rubber wood.Also, anatomical and utilization studies ofbamboos, reeds and canes have been undertaken.The Division has developed implementshelpful for bamboo extraction.Forestry and Human Dimensions (FHD)The Division consisting of Forest Economics,Agro-forestry, Sociology and Urban ForestryDisciplines undertakes research on human8
Kerala Forest Research InstituteAnnual report 2006-07dimensions of forestry, including livelihood andrecreation, environmental conservation andlinkages between social and natural sciences. Themajor areas of research are natural/forestresource management, economic valuation,sustainable utilization of non-timber forestproducts, policy issues and strategic planning,sustainable forest management, participatoryrole of local communities in the conservationand sustainable management of forest ecosystem,resource use conflict and livelihood issuesand agro-forestry systems. Assessment ofsupply-demand position of wood for the state,estimation of availability of bamboo in homegardens, evaluation of the livelihood conditionsof bamboo workers in Kerala and establishmentof a model watershed with people’sparticipation are some of the recent achievementsof the Division....................................................................................................................................................................................Forest Information ManagementSystem (FIMS)The Division aims to meet the informationneeds of the stakeholders of forestry sectorusing modern tools of statistics, GIS andremote sensing. Creation of a database onbiophysical and socio-economic aspectspertaining to forests, forest sector analysis andprojections, mapping forest cover and biodiversityand modeling the growth dynamics ofplantations and natural forests for effectiveforest management are some of the majorworks carried out in the Division. The Divisionhas also developed a growth simulator for teakplantations in Kerala. Ecological studies on theShola forests of Kerala based on remotesensing data and simultaneous calibration ofallometric relations in teak stands were achievedusing multilevel models. Stand modeling,biodiversity mapping, ecosystem analysis, GIS,forest resource mapping, population analysisand organization of a data bank of forestry inKerala are programmes in various stages ofimplemen-tation.InstrumentationThis central facility caters to the material /chemical analysis needs of research, within andoutside the Institute. The Division providesadvanced instrument facilities for analysis andmeasurement to users from industries, R&Destablishments and academic institutions, cooperateswith professionals and academic staffand undertakes training and services forpersonnel from industries, R&D establishmentsand academic institutions. The Division isequipped with highly sophisticated laboratoryfacilities to carry out spectroscopic measurements,material/chemical characterization andstructure analysis.Extension and TrainingThe Division liaises with the users /stakeholders,facilitates transfer of technology tovarious stakeholders and conducts trainingprogrammes in different aspects of tropicalforestry like forest management, forest seedmanagement, medicinal plant cultivation,environmental impact assessment, biodiversitymonitoring and evaluation, remote sensing andGIS, root-trainer technology, clonal propagation,tree improvement and statistical applicationin forestry.Technical support is provided to the KeralaForest Department, other governmental andnon-governmental agencies and farmers onsite-species matching, site selection and nutrientstatus, fertiliser dosage, pest and disease controland conservation, utilization and marketing oftimber of forest species. Advice on resourcesurvey and estimation as well as wildlifemanagement and census are also provided. TheInstitute undertakes identification of plants,insects, animals and timber.9
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2006-07 - Kerala Forest Research Institute

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