Showing papers by "St. Joseph's College, Devagiri published in 2007"
TL;DR: Low evenness in taxonomic spread was high in ant assemblages in deciduous forests and low in evergreen forests compared to the regional master list, and indicates that among the 3 forest vegetation types, decduous forests provided the most favorable habitat conditions for litter ants.
Abstract: The diversity of litter ant assemblages in evergreen, deciduous and Shola evergreen (Shola) forest vegetation types of the Wayanad region of the Western Ghats was assessed employing conventional and taxonomic diversity indices. Non-dependence on quantitative data and the ability to relate the phylogenetic structure of assemblages with ecological conditions of the habitat, and to ascertain priorities for conservation of habitats, makes non-parametric taxonomic diversity measures, such as variation in taxonomic distinctness Lambda(+) and average taxonomic distinctness Delta(+), highly useful tools for assessment of litter ant biodiversity. Although Delta(+) values saturated leading to closer values for the 3 litter ant assemblages, Lambda(+) proved to be a more dependable index. Evenness in taxonomic spread was high in ant assemblages in deciduous forests and low in evergreen forests compared to the regional master list. Low Lambda(+) of ant assemblage in deciduous forests indicates that among the 3 forest vegetation types, deciduous forests provided the most favorable habitat conditions for litter ants. Low evenness, as is indicated by Lambda(+) in evergreen forests, was attributed to the presence of a group of taxonomically closely related ant assemblage more adapted to prevail in moist and wet ecological conditions.
29 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a copolymer with varying concentrations of maleimide (MI) was prepared by copolyming NIPAM (N-isopropylacrylamide), which showed the same ratio of the monomeric components as that of the initial monomer feed ratio.
28 citations
TL;DR: The dominance of dwellers over rollers, presence of many endemic species, predominance of regional species and higher incidence of the old world roller, Ochicanthon laetum, make the dung beetle community in the moist forests of the region unusual.
Abstract: The community structure of dung beetles attracted to dung of gaur, Bos gaurus (H Smith) (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) and Asian elephant, Elephas maximus Linnaeus (Proboscidea: Elephantidae), is reported from the moist forests of Western Ghats, in South India The dominance of dwellers over rollers, presence of many endemic species, predominance of regional species and higher incidence of the old world roller, Ochicanthon laetum, make the dung beetle community in the moist forests of the region unusual The dominance of dwellers and the lower presence of rollers make the functional guild structure of the dung beetle community of the region different from assemblages in the moist forests of south East Asia and Neotropics, and more similar to the community found in Ivory Coast forests The ability of taxonomic diversity indices to relate variation in dung physical quality with phylogenetic structure of dung beetle assemblage is highlighted Comparatively higher taxonomic diversity and evenness of dung beetle assemblage attracted to elephant dung rather than to gaur dung is attributed to the heterogeneous nature of elephant dung Further analyses of community structure of dung beetles across the moist forests of Western Ghats are needed to ascertain whether the abundance of dwellers is a regional pattern specific to the transitional Wayanad forests of south Western Ghats
24 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, various statistical techniques available for enhancing the reliability and interpretation of ecological multiple regressions in the presence of multicollinearity are presented. But, the authors do not consider the impact of these techniques on ecological data analysis in biodiversity studies.
Abstract: Multicollinearity of explanatory variables often threatens statistical interpretation of ecological data analysis in biodiversity studies. Using litter ants as an example,the impact of multicollinearity on ecological multiple regression and complications arsing from collinearity is explained.We list the various statistical techniques available for enhancing the reliability and interpretation of ecological multiple regressions in the presence of multicollinearity.
TL;DR: Two new species of Parurios Girault viz.
Abstract: Two new species of Parurios Girault viz. P. bouceki Narendran sp. nov. and P. sringericus Narendran sp. nov. are described from India. The female of P. keralensis Narendran is also described. A key to Indian species of Parurios is provided. The genus Papuopsia is recorded for the first time from India. Key words: Pteromalidae; Chalcidoidaea; Parurios ; new species; key; Papuopsia ; new record; India
J. bio-sci. 14: 17-23, 2006