Kerala Forest Research Institute

About: Kerala Forest Research Institute is a facility organization based out in Thrissur, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Hyblaea puera. The organization has 310 authors who have published 326 publications receiving 3539 citations.

Review Article. Organochlorine pesticides, their toxic effects on living organisms and their fate in the environment

Abstract: Organochlorine (OC) pesticides are synthetic pesticides widely used all over the world They belong to the group of chlorinated hydrocarbon derivatives, which have vast application in the chemical industry and in agriculture These compounds are known for their high toxicity, slow degradation and bioaccumulation Even though many of the compounds which belong to OC were banned in developed countries, the use of these agents has been rising This concerns particularly abuse of these chemicals which is in practice across the continents Though pesticides have been developed with the concept of target organism toxicity, often non-target species are affected badly by their application The purpose of this review is to list the major classes of pesticides, to understand organochlorine pesticides based on their activity and persistence, and also to understand their biochemical toxicity

Soil organic carbon dynamics: Impact of land use changes and management practices: A review

Abstract: Global climate change has resulted in changes to the earth's geological, ecological, and biological ecosystems, which pose a severe threat to the existence of human civilization and sustenance of agricultural productivity vis-a-vis food security. In the last several decades, climate change has been linked to erratic rainfall distribution patterns and large variations in diurnal temperatures, because of a rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration. This, in turn, is thought to make world agricultural production systems more prone to failure. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important component for the functioning of agro-ecosystems, and its presence is central to the concept of sustainable maintenance of soil health. Soil is the largest terrestrial carbon sink and contains 2- and 3-times more carbon than the carbon in the atmosphere and vegetation, respectively. Therefore, a meager change in soil carbon sequestration will have a drastic impact on the global carbon cycle and climate change. The SOC has different pools and fractions including total organic carbon (TOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), permanganate oxidizable carbon (KMnO4-C), and mineral associated organic carbon (MOC). Each has a varying degree of decomposition rate and stability. Researchers have identified many ways to offset the effect of climate change through modification of carbon sequestration in the soil. Identification of location-specific, suitable land use and management practices is one of the options to mitigate the impact of the climate change. It can be done by re-balancing different carbon pools and emission fluxes. Labile organic carbon pools including MBC, POC, and KMnO4-C are the most sensitive indicators for assessing soil quality after the adoption of alternate land use and management practices. Information on soil aggregation and SOC stabilization helps for long-term sequestration of carbon in the soil. Here we review the progress of work on SOC dynamics in the major ecosystems of the world. The information should enrich understanding of carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation strategies.

Tropical Forest Insect Pests: Ecology, Impact, and Management

Abstract: Tropical Forest Insect Pests, first published in 2007, promotes a better theoretical understanding of pest population dynamics, and causes of forest insect outbreaks in the tropics. Covering pests of both natural forests and plantations, it examines the diversity of tropical forest insects; their ecological functions; the concept of pests; and the incidence of pests in natural forests, plantations, and stored timber. General issues on which foresters and forest entomologists hold strong traditional views, such as the severity of pest incidence in plantations vs. natural forests, in plantations of exotics vs. indigenous tree species, and in monocultures vs. mixed plantations are discussed. The final section looks in detail at specific insect pests of the common plantation tree species across the tropics, with recommendations for their control. This is a comprehensive resource suitable for graduate students and researchers in forestry and tropical forest entomology, and for forest plantation managers in the tropics.

Phylogenetic classification of the world's tropical forests

Abstract: Knowledge about the biogeographic affinities of the world’s tropical forests helps to better understand regional differences in forest structure, diversity, composition, and dynamics. Such understanding will enable anticipation of region-specific responses to global environmental change. Modern phylogenies, in combination with broad coverage of species inventory data, now allow for global biogeographic analyses that take species evolutionary distance into account. Here we present a classification of the world’s tropical forests based on their phylogenetic similarity. We identify five principal floristic regions and their floristic relationships: (i) Indo-Pacific, (ii) Subtropical, (iii) African, (iv) American, and (v) Dry forests. Our results do not support the traditional neo- versus paleotropical forest division but instead separate the combined American and African forests from their Indo-Pacific counterparts. We also find indications for the existence of a global dry forest region, with representatives in America, Africa, Madagascar, and India. Additionally, a northern-hemisphere Subtropical forest region was identified with representatives in Asia and America, providing support for a link between Asian and American northern-hemisphere forests.