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Showing papers by "Syed Ainul Hussain published in 2010"


Journal ArticleDOI
10 Dec 2010-Science
TL;DR: Though the threat of extinction is increasing, overall declines would have been worse in the absence of conservation, and current conservation efforts remain insufficient to offset the main drivers of biodiversity loss in these groups.
Abstract: Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this overall pattern conceals the impact of conservation successes, and we show that the rate of deterioration would have been at least one-fifth again as much in the absence of these. Nonetheless, current conservation efforts remain insufficient to offset the main drivers of biodiversity loss in these groups: agricultural expansion, logging, overexploitation, and invasive alien species.

1,333 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors quantified the value of provisioning services of mangrove forests to local livelihoods in terms of forestry and fishery products and found that 14.2% of the fuel need of each household was being met by the forests.
Abstract: The consumptive benefits of mangrove forests to subsistence economy receive little recognition. This paper quantifies the value of provisioning services of mangrove forests to local livelihoods in terms of forestry and fishery products. To examine the use of mangrove products, 324 households from 36 villages in the Bhitarkanika Conservation Area located in East Coast of India were surveyed using structured questionnaires. For estimating the contribution of mangrove forests to fish productivity, fish production was evaluated in three stages—inshore fishery, offshore fishery and the role of mangrove forests as nursery ground for fish and shellfish. The findings revealed that 14.2% of the fuel need of each household was being met by the forests. Other forestry products used were timber, honey and thatch grass. During the study, 14 species of fish and three of shellfish were recorded. The total catch for inshore fishery was estimated as 3.77 kg h−1 having market price of US$ 2.25. In offshore fishery the number of species caught as well as income from the catch was higher in areas with mangroves (US$ 44.61 h−1) than in those without mangroves (US$ 2.62 h−1). The market price of the forestry and fishery products used by the people was estimated as US$ 107 household−1 annum−1. The resources extracted from mangrove forests contributed to more than 14.5% of the total income of the household. This was around 30% for the households residing in the immediate vicinity of the forests. This study suggests that provisioning services provided by the mangrove forests are of significant importance to the coastal communities as they increase the resilience and sustainability of the local economy.

118 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used Stakeholder Analysis (SA) to identify important stakeholder groups and assess their relationships, relative power and importance in a case study of Corbett National Park, India.

85 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the economic value of selected ecosystem services of Corbett Tiger Reserve, India, and derived direct and indirect and opportunity costs through socioeconomic surveys, and showed that, though the benefits outweigh costs, they need to be accrued to local communities so as to balance the distribution of benefits and costs.

61 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the spatial characteristics and extent of anthropogenic disturbances affecting the mangrove forests of Bhitarkanika Conservation Area situated along the east coast of India by using remotely sensed data and GIS, supplemented with socioeconomic surveys.
Abstract: The dependence of coastal communities on mangrove forests for direct consumptive use due to the scarcity of alternate resources makes them one of the highly disturbed landscapes. This paper examines the spatial characteristics and extent of anthropogenic disturbances affecting the mangrove forests of Bhitarkanika Conservation Area situated along the east coast of India by using remotely sensed data and GIS, supplemented with socioeconomic surveys. The study reveals that resource extractions from these forests were considerable despite the protected status. Around 14% of the total fuel wood consumed annually in each of the household came from the mangrove forests of the Park. The patterns of consumption were spatially heterogeneous, controlled by the availability of alternatives, ease of accessibility, presence of markets, human density, and forest composition. The disturbance surface showed 30% of the major forest classes to be under high to very high levels of disturbance especially at easy access points. Besides, the distribution of economically useful species also determined the degree of disturbance. Resource use surfaces clearly identified the biotic pressure zones with respect to specific mangrove use and could be combined with the disturbance regime map to prioritize areas for mangrove restoration.

21 citations