Research reports on varied wildlife and environmental issues including human-wildlife conflict in Himalayan region, climate change impact on wildlife of the Indian Himalayan region and dominance and promiscuity aspects in social organisation of Gir lions among other issues related to wildlife will be presented at the Wildlife Institute of India’s thirtieth annual research seminar starting on Thursday. The two-day long ARS is slated to be inaugurated by the union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change secretary AN Jha and Additional Secretary MM Kutty at the institute on Thursday morning.
The WII director VB Mathur stated that one of the institsute’s mandate is to generate quality information and knowledge products in wildlife science through research and mainstreaming in capacity building programmes for various target groups along with providing advisory support to the Central and State Governments. The ARS has been a regular feature of the institute since it was launched in 1987. Officials aver that the ARS has emerged as an effective means of providing a platform for discussing the outcomes of research projects and their management implications.
The first technical session on the inaugural day will include a presentation on the new conservation initiative- endangered species recovery programme by YV Jhala. Institute scientist S Sathyakumar will make a presentation on addressing human-wildlife negative interactions in the Indian Himalayan region with focus on initiative under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies. Presentations on implementation of Monitoring System for Tigers — Intensive Patrolling and Ecological Status “MSTrIPES” Phase II by Qamar Qureshi, biodiversity conservation and Ganga rejuvenation under Clean Ganga Mission initiative by SA Hussain, addressing the research voids on marine mannals of southern Antarctica with focus on the challenges and opportunities by Anant Pande followed by discussion and comments of the chair and co chair will conclude the first technical session. The second technical session will comprise presentation on the management of carnivores and their prey with presentation of research report on validating and conserving tiger corridors in the easter Vidarbha landscape, Maharashtra by Indranil Mondal, factors governing spatial dynamics and breeding of tigers in Sariska tiger reserve by Dibyendu Mandal, dominance and promiscuity aspects in social organisation of Gir lions by Stotra Chakrabarti, large predators, meso-predators and prey interactions at spatial and temporal scale by Nilanjan Chatterjee. The next session focused on studies in the Himalaya will include presentation on participatory planning for management of biodiversity and ecosystem services in Kailash sacred landscape – India by Arti Kala, assessing climate change impact on wildlife of the Indian Himalayan Region by Tapajit Bhattacharya, causes of avian diversity gradients along the Himalaya by Suresh Kumar Rana and Ashutosh Singh, Himalayan wolf and its prey- an opportunist in a landscape of scarcity by Shivam Shrotriya, patterns of microhabitat utilisation by principal fishes of upper Subansiri River of Arunachal Pradesh mark the end of technical sessions on the inaugural day. The first technical session on the second day will be focused on wildlife monitoring with presentations on large landscapes and long-term monitoring: lessons for large mammal conservation from Terai Arc landscape by institute scientist K Ramesh, effect of small size and isolation on demography of tigers in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve by Ayan Sadhu and the effect of predator and habitat on Gaur group size and composition in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh by Navaneethan B. The finial technical session focused on conservation genetics will include presentations on conservation genetics and management of the Great Indian Bustard by Srinivas Yellapu and habitat use by Asian elephants in relation to cropping and crop raiding patterns in and around Rajaji tiger reserve in Uttarakhand by Rahul De. The Training, Research and Academic Council (TRAC) meeting is also scheduled to be held on the concluding day. Publications including ‘Wildlife Watch in the Indian Himalayan Region – Series-II by Dr MM Kutty, ENVIS Bulletin:Bibliography on the Fauna and Microflora of the Indian Himalayan Region by former ADG, wildlife, Vinod Rishi among others will also be released on the occasion.