Papers presented at a meeting held in Jodhpur on 16th-17th Mar. 1994.

Changing Faunal Ecology in the Thar Desert - dedicated to the fond memory of Professor Dr. Ishwar Prakash, the legendary rodentologist - is a unique mlange of scientific investigations on diversified ecological subjects pertaining to different organism groups, from as tiny as protozoa to as giant as mammals. Altogether sixteen contributions, including an original, up-to-date and authentic bio-bibliography of Dr. I. Prakash, make this volume an exceptional treatise penned by 24 expert scientist authors many of whom have spent a life in arid ecosystems including the Thar Desert. The book provides a crystal clear proof of the constantly changing behavioural ecology of animals in the Thar Desert which has been under an ever increasing impact of, among several imminent factors, the Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana (IGNP), one of the worlds largest irrigation systems of its type in a xeric environment. The change is discernible not only in structure and distribution of animals but in their resting, feeding, breeding and, as evident in case of parasites, the extent of parasitism as well as pathogenecity. Finally, this book offers the first well documented evidence of immense behavioral transformation in various different animal groups in the Tharp Desert a phenomenon of enormous significance for both conservation management and diversity inventorization activities of its faunal wealth.

The Great Indian Desert is characterized by harsh climatic conditions and different habitats, from grassland to abandoned human habitations. This book examines the regional climate and microclimatic regime of this desert and its diverse faunal inhabitants.

Thar Desert in India is one of the most well-investigated and densely populated regions amongst the world arid zones. A blend of crop and animal husbandries, conservative land use practices, coping mechanisms to minimize adverse effect of drought and a frugal lifestyle have been the characteristic features of its dwellers. Recent increase in biotic pressure has interacted with the fragile environment to create fearsome environmental problems. Governmental responses were prompt in form creating a strong research infrastructure for multi-disciplinary and multi-location research and demonstration on the one hand and in huge investment in irrigation from internally and externally sourced water, desertification control program and an accelerated socio-economic and infrastructure development, softening content of drought and strengthening of livelihoods on the other. Unlike several publications on the Thar, the current effort attempts a comprehensive, pragmatic and off-beat analysis of various developments and goes further to show how the situation today is a blend of both resource degradation and economic development. Recent studies have helped rebuild the past climate history that shows that the climate has been fluctuating during the geological history but reports suggest also that current anthropogenic global warming makes the desert more vulnerable in near future. An attempt has been made also to peep into the future of the Thar.

This is the first ever monumental and scientific documentation of the faunal wealth of the Indian Desert state of Rajasthan. This volume, the first of two, provides background on Rajasthan and covers species diversity and distribution of fauna. A scholarly contribution to the field of knowledge, it provides novel and vital information on the vertebrate faunal heritage of India’s largest state. Broadly falling under the Indo-Malaya Ecozone, the three major biomes of Rajasthan include deserts and xeric shrublands, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. The corresponding ecoregions to the above biomes are, respectively, the Thar Desert and northwestern thorn scrub forests, the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests, and the Upper Gangtic Plains moist deciduous forests. Contrary to popular belief, the well-known Thar or Great Indian Desert occupies only a part of the state. Rajasthan is diagonally divided by the Aravalli mountain ranges into arid and semi-arid regions. The latter have a spectacular variety of highly diversified and unique yet fragile ecosystems comprising lush green fields, marshes, grasslands, rocky patches and hilly terrains, dense forests, the southern plateau, fresh water wetlands, and salt lakes. Apart from the floral richness, there is faunal abundance from fishes to mammals. In this volume, the various flagship and threatened species are described in the 24 chapters penned by top notch wildlife experts and academics. The world famous heronry, tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and some threat-ridden biodiversity rich areas shall certainly draw the attention of readers from around the world.

This book brings together the latest information on the rapid advances and developments in the field of aquatic ecology. India is very rich in terms of biological diversity due to its wide range of habitats and climatic conditions. It is home to as much as 7 per cent of the world’s animal species, although it only accounts for about 2 per cent of the total landmass. The present work on biodiversity, ecology and conservation of aquatic resources represents original research in the field of aquatic biodiversity, wetland ecology and its applications with reference to the country’s aquatic resources. There are 19 chapters, each contributed by an expert in his/her particular field and offering novel approaches to various topics in the area of aquatic ecosystems.

This contributed book is based on the current status of biodiversity in India, issues and challenges faced by the authorities involved in conservation efforts, and the imperative role of various direct and indirect stakeholders in biodiversity conservation. The book discusses the current status of different forms of biodiversity in India, challenges faced by stakeholders, issues and reasons for biodiversity losses, and efforts by government through various laws, policies, and programs in a concise and comprehensive manner throughout its many chapters. In this way, readers can access diverse information on Indian biodiversity through this book. It is compiled by leading experts in the field of conservation. In 18 chapters, it covers biodiversity of both fauna and flora, on land and in aquatic ecosystems, legal and policy aspects, as well as innovative conservation tool and techniques. It is useful for undergraduates and graduate students and also educates policy planners, bureaucrats, foresters, and researchers in India and abroad.

Medical Entomology has in course of time undergone a transformation from a mere traditional knowledge of the discipline to the one that stresses emphatically on harvesting a plethora of insects' infinite 'biomedical' properties. Our familiarity with the medically important insects and other arthropods has, therefore, been expanded in this book to explore unlimited biomedical significance of these tiny yet most successful creatures on earth with about four million species. In addition to having a first-hand information on the pestilent/ vectorial importance of arthropods, particularly various vector-borne infections, an ingenious attempt has been made to unveil their medicinal value in different contexts. Having au fait with the fact that environment plays a key role in regulating disease epidemiology of a given vector-borne infection, adequate emphasis is laid to trace the various pathways governing the linkages amongst the vector-pathogen-host triad. The book offers a detailed account of various poisonous and injurious arthropods, along with the venoms' action on the human being. The book should hopefully serve a good purpose to both the students of zoology and medicine as well as professional researchers.

The Himalaya, a global biodiversity hotspot, sustains about one-fifth of the humankind. Nestled within the north-western mountain ranges of the Himalaya, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) State harbours more than half of the biodiversity found in the Indian Himalaya. The wide expanse of State, spread across the subtropical Jammu, through the temperate Kashmir valley, to the cold arid Ladakh, is typical representative of the extensive elevational and topographical diversity encountered in the entire Himalaya. This book, the most comprehensive and updated synthesis ever made available on biodiversity of the J&K State, is a valuable addition to the biodiversity literature with global and regional relevance. The book, arranged into 7 parts, comprises of 42 chapters contributed by 87 researchers, each of whom is an expert in his/her own field of research. The precious baseline data contained in the book would form the foundation for assessing current status of knowledge about the bioresources, identify the knowledge gaps, and help prioritization of conservation strategies to steer the sustainable use of biodiversity in this Himalayan region. Given the breadth of topics covered under the banner of biodiversity in this book, it can surely serve as a model for documentation of biodiversity in other regions of the world. The book will be of immense value to all those who, directly or indirectly, have to deal with biodiversity, including students, teachers, researchers, naturalists, environmentalists, resource managers, planners, government agencies, NGOs and the general public at large.

The present book on the Biodiversity of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve deals with 539 species of higher plants and 361 species of animals (vertebrates). Besides geographical position and topography, the abiotic components, viz. geology, soils, water, climatic conditions etc., which determine the composition of biota in an ecosystem, have been discussed in details. Correct and valid names have been adopted for the floral and faunal elements along with local and English names. The keys have been provided for plant species from infra-specific to family level for easy identification. The short diagnostic description, phenology, ecology and distributional aspects have been provided under each plant species. Besides statistical analysis of floral composition, the phytogeographical and biological spectra have also been worked out to determine the routes of migration and phytoclimate respectively. Bioperspective value of the Reserve has been assessed to determine the economic potentiality and sustainable utilization of bioresources. The faunal diversity includes vertebrate fauna only, arranged in a classified manner. The shelter and feeding habits along with dependency of fauna on vegetation have been provided to determine plant-animal relationship and flow of energy. Details about endemic and threatened species of plants and animals, along with causes of threats, have been given for proper management of the Reserve. About 107 colour photographs of habitat and plants and animals with 36 illustrations of plant species have been provided. Several maps, pie charts, graphs, figures etc, along with data-tables, are appended to illustrate the findings. It is hoped that the book will prove a milestone in the management of the Reserve.