Save environment campaign (Concept of bio-diversity hotspot)

Mutum lnaobi Singh *

Deforestation at Charungkhou forest in Churachandpur district in May 2014 :: Pix - TSE / Lusenliu Pamei

Hunting of wild animals and birds by villagers living in and around the forests is not a new phencmenon in Manipur. Since time immemorial, like in other parts of this planet, the native tribes of Manipur also had depended on wild life for recreation and primary source of food {protein and fat}. Even today, the same tradition is still going on. The difference is, in the past, there were plenty of wild animals and birds with maximum forest cover and sparsely populated small villages. People then did not face any environmental problem.

There were perfect ecosystem all around with man and wild life living side by side in a balanced Biosphere. However, with times, things have changed, the situation now has become almost reversed. The forest cover of the State has alarmingly reduced and it is still shrinking day by day due to indiscriminate felling and burning of trees for meeting the demands of the fast growing population.

Today, one can witness the extent of devastation if one reach a nearby hill with half an hour ride by vehicle from Imphal at any direction of the State. Although the hills of Manipur look beautiful when viewed from a distance, it is quite a shocking scene when we see it on the spot. The ground reality is that there is hardly any big and mature trees grown in the site and whatever trees grown are also in the process of cutting down either for charcoal or firewood or timber.

This insane act of human has destroyed most of the natural habitats of wild life over the last few decades. lf the devastation of forest and wild life continues at the present level then the time is not far away from an Environment Catastrophe in the state.

It is evident from the fact that deforestation and environment degradation in Manipur have inflicted so much on the plant and animal world of the state.

lllegal hunting and poaching by villagers using fire arms and traps are tremendously increased nowadays. Mass destruction of forests by way of felling, burning and logging trees compelled the wild animals and birds to come out in the open seeking for new habitats which are limited in a few pockets. Almost all the species of wild animals and birds which were abundant at one time in the state have become critically endangered now. Even some of the endemic species of wild animals and birds that are rare in the world are regarded extinct today. The State Bird Nongin (Mrs. Hume's Pheasant Bird), the Green Peafowl the Hooded Crane etc are some example of such extinct or near extinct species.

In fact , today, we have not heard the wake up call of many birds at dawn, we have missed the charming sight of acrobatic kites & hovering hawks, the ever melodius Cuckoo, the sound of barking deer, the roar of the tiger, the movement of the magnificent Tuskers, the chattering of the monkeys and so on. The list is not going to end.

Fortunately, the State animal of Manipur called Sangai (Brow Antlered Deer) which once faced extinct some 60 years ago is now somehow safe.

Thanks to the Government of Manipur and the Department of Forest & Wild Life for its conservation initiative hy declaring Keibul Lamjao, the natural habitat of Sangai as a National Park in the year 1977. It is due to the conservation initiative of the Government af Manipur that the number of Sangai which was a mere 6 in the year 1953 has now risen to almost 200.

However, many rare species such as Mrs Hume's Pheasant (Nongin), Green Peafowl, Slow Loris , Hornbill, Manipur Bush Quail, Fish Eagle, Hooded Crane, Golden Cat, Assarnese Macaque, etc. which are listed in the IUCN Red List of endangered species are not lucky enough like Sangai. Perhaps the last few of these species are now facing the onslaught of man in the remote forests af Manipur till today.

While discussing about these vanishing birds and animals, one might think and ask that why we give so rnush importance and focus on the wild animals and birds ? Why so much hue and cry for these bloody wild animals and birds ? Don't we have other human retated problems to discuss ? The straight answer to these questions is "No" because there is no other option to choose as it is the only option we have as far as environmental issues are concerned.

As we all are aware of the fact that the Ecosystem of the Earth involves all the living organisms that are found in the planet. Every living organism, big or small share its contribution in the proeess of the ecosystem of the earth one way or the other- Plants use energy released from the sun and in turn they are used bv other living creatures as food and the cycle continues as plant & animal life forms, die and are consumed by micro organisms.

Birds and animals also play a great role in maintaining the ecosystem of the earth. Birds, help human beings in curtailing insects, pests and rodents as many predatory birds such as Hawks, Kites, Eagles, Owls prey on mice, rats, insects etc.

It is a matter of pride for all of us in Manipur that our State falls under the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Region which is one of the 34 Biodiversity Hotspots of the World. As we are aware of the fact that a Biodiversity Hotspot is a geographic area where more than 1500 endemic vascular plant species are present and at least 70% of its primary habitat is lost due to human pressure. Being fallen under the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot region, Manipur is home to a number of endemic faunal and floral species, the foremost among them being the Brow antlered deer, the Hoolock Gibbon ape and the Himalayan bear etc.

It is also home to many endangered species like Golden Cat, Clouded Leopard, Slow Loris, Spotted Linsang, Hog Badgers, Mrs. Hume's barred back Pheasant, Blyth's Tragopan, Burmese peafowl, Jungle fowl etc. Besides, Manipur is blessed with more than 4000 angiosperm plants, 430 medicinal plants, 500 orchid species, 34 species of edible fungi, 160 fish species, 21 aquatic birds. But unfortunately, many of these species have extinct from the soil in the recent past due to lack of awareness and conservation initiatives. Now, one can't exactly say that how many of these species are still present in the State.

In view of creating awareness, it will be helpful to discuss about the concept of Biodiversity Hotspot and the importance of the 34 Biodiversity hotspots that spread all over the world. The concept of "Biodiversity hotspot" was first suggested by British Ecologist Norman Myers in 1988 and it is meant to be used as tool for conservation programme by Governments, UN Agencies, Policy Makers, Global Organisations, Scientific Community and other Stakeholders concerned. It is not a complementary term as most of us think. It is rather a word of warning or caution because a particular geographic area or a region is declared as Biodiversity Hotspot only when 0.5% ie. about 1500 of world's total endemic species are present in the region and 70% of its natural habitats is lost due to human pressure. Here one should know that endemic species are those that can be seen only in that region.

So, all the 34 biodiversity hotspots of the world including Indo-Burma Biodiversity hotspot in which Manipur also falls need immediate conservation works considering the number of endemic faunal and floral species these regions harbour. In fact, these regions together store half of the world's endemic species of vegetation despite occupying only 2.3% of the world's total surface area . Further 42% of all the vertebrates of the Earth, 55% of all the species of fresh water fishes are found only in these 34 Biodiversity hotspot regions.

Coming to the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot region, it begins in eastern Bangladesh and spread across North Eastern India including Manipur, Part of western and southern Yunnan Province in China, Hainan Islands, China, Andaman & Nicober Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, and some parts of Malaysia covering an area of 23,73,000 Sq. Km. Previously, Indo Burma Biodiversity Hotspot was much bigger in area with the Himalayan regions of Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh falling under its area. But, with the declaration of Himalaya Biodiversity hotspot in 2004, a large part of Himalayan region is excluded from its original map.

However, it is still home to about 13,500 vascular plant species of which 7,000 (52%) are endemic (Van Dijk et al. 2004), of the 1277 bird species found in the region, 74 are endemic, (Van Dijk et al. 2004). Similarly, 71 of the 430 mammal species, 189 of the 519 non-marine reptile species and 139 of the 323 amphibian species found in the hotspot are endemic in the region (Van Dijk et al. 2004). The region also has 1262 types of fresh water fishes accounting for about 10% of the world total.

Unfortunately, this region has become one of the hottest biodiversity hotspots of the world mainly due to the following reasons:- 1) Large and rapid expansion of human population coupled with some of the fastest rates of economic growth in the world, 2) Expansion of Agriculture by way of (Shifting or Jhoom Cultivation), 3) Infrastructure Development such as Roads and Hydropower Dams, 4) Timber extraction and 5) Unchecked illegal trade of wild life.

Conclusion: it has been 15 years since Indo-Burma Biodiversity Region was first declared as one of the 34 Biodiversity hotspots of the world in 1999. But then we have noticed extinction of many species in the recent past and many more are on the verge of extinction now. Unfortunately, we have not seen any concrete conservation initiatives taken up by the Government of Manipur in the line of the concept of Biodiversity hotspot as it should have been.

As a result, the condition of the forest and environment in the State is degrading even faster than before. The current crisis of water in the State is mainly due to insufficient flow of water from the tributaries into the rivers. The drying of Imphal River bed at many places as early as in the month of April in the State is something we cannot ignore.

It is directly concerned with deforestation in the hills from where the streams that flow into the river are originated. So, if deforestation at the present level in the State is not checked immediately then we are bound to face many more environment related crisis in future. Let us join hands together to save the forests and environment of the State without further delay.

Else, the biodiversity treasure of the State could be just a history of the past. Let us not forget that human beings are also part of Nature and therefore any action against Nature will be self destructive and suicidal for ourselves. So, use of natural resources in a scientific and sustainable manner is the only answer to all environment related problems that we are facing.