Field Margin Vegetation and Socio-Ecological Environment : Structural, Functional and Spatio-temporal Dynamics in Rural-urban Interface of Bengaluru

This book has been produced as a part of the project ‘Social-Ecological Systems at the Indian Rural-Urban Interface: Functions, Scales, and Dynamics of Transition’. It addresses transition processes in agriculture and society triggered by urbanization, focusing on Bengaluru as an example of a rapidly growing megacity in India. Adopting a holistic, multidisciplinary approach embedded within a social-ecological systems research framework, it explores how the physical and socio-economic landscapes have led to changes in economic priorities, which have overpowered ecological and traditional priorities with regard to ecosystem governance. Allowing readers to gain a deeper understanding of this unexplored dimension of socio-ecological systems, this book is a valuable resource for international researchers, scholars and master’s students in the field of environmental science, socio-ecology, forestry and agriculture. Foreword 6 Preface 8 Contents 11 List of Figures 14 List of Tables 17 1 Introduction to Field Margin Vegetation (FMV) 19 1.1 Agroecosystems and Biodiversity 19 1.2 Field Margin Vegetation 20 1.3 Research on FMV 22 1.4 Importance of FMV 23 1.5 Significance in Indian Socioecological Systems 26 1.6 Types of FMV 27 References 30 2 Urbanization and Peri-Urbanization in Bengaluru 34 2.1 Pattern of Urbanization in India 34 2.2 Urban Primacy; The Case of Bengaluru, Karnataka 35 2.3 The Push–Pull Paradigm 37 2.4 Rural-Urban Interface and Concept of Peri-Urbanization 40 2.5 Fate of India’s Rural-Urban Interfaces 41 2.6 Bengaluru’s Experience in Rural-Urban Interface 42 2.7 Looking Forward 43 2.8 Identifying Agroecosystems in Rural-Urban Interface 44 2.9 Climate, Forest and Physiography 46 2.10 Land Use and Agriculture 48 2.11 Demography and Socioeconomics 53 References 54 3 Agroecosystems in Rural-Urban Interface 58 3.1 Trade-offs in Peri-Urban Agroecosystems 58 3.2 Socioecological Household Survey and Assessment of FMV 60 3.3 The Changing Field Margins in Rural-Urban Interface of Bengaluru 61 3.4 Socioeconomic Landscape and Direct Economic Benefits from FMV 66 References 73 4 Structure and Functions of FMV in Rural–Urban Interface 74 4.1 Phytosociological Study of Field Margins 74 4.2 FMV Species Richness and Diversity Indices 76 4.3 Manipulation and Management of FMV 86 4.4 Traditional Ecological Knowledge on Field Margin Vegetation 88 4.5 Way Forward for Enhancing FMV Value and Preserving TEK 91 References 92 5 Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Rural-Urban Interface and FMV 94 5.1 Land Use Land Cover Analysis of Rural-Urban Interface of Bengaluru 94 5.2 Methodology and Data Used 95 5.3 LULCC in Rural-Uurban Interface of Bengaluru Over Four Decades 96 5.4 Interclass Decadal Change of LULC 98 5.5 Village-Wise LULC Change 101 5.6 Vegetation Indices; NDVI and SAVI 106 References 111 6 Delineation and Monitoring of FMV 112 6.1 Remote Sensing in Vegetation Study; Prospect for FMV Mapping 112 6.2 Methodology for Delineating Field Margin Vegetation 115 6.2.1 Post Processing 123 6.3 Delineation of FMV and Accuracy Assessment 123 References 128 7 Overview of a Few Important FMV Species and Crop Influencing FMVs of Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru 131 7.1 Pongamia pinnata 131 7.2 Eucalyptus spp. in Field Boundaries 132 7.3 Vitis spp. 135 References 136 8 Strategizing FMV Conservation for Sustainable Agroecosystems in Rural-Urban Interface 137 8.1 Why to Retain FMVs and Traditional Agroecosystems 137 8.2 Strategies for Developing Sustainable Agroecosystems Through Conserving FMV 140 8.3 Way Forward 142 References 143 Annexure A: Tree Species in Six Villages of the Northern Transect of Bengaluru 145 Annexure B: Shrub Species in Six Villages of the Northern Transect of Bengaluru 150 Annexure C: Herb Species Listed in Six Villages of the Northern Transect of Bengaluru 153 Annexure D: Percentage of Farms Having Tree in the Field Margins for Different Crop Groups and Presence of FMV Tree Species (From the Selected Fields of the Northern Transect of Bengaluru) 158 Annexure E: Relative Density of Herb Species in Six Study Villages of the Northern Transect of Bengaluru 161 Annexure F: Relative Frequency of FMV-herb Species in Six Study Villages of the Northern Transect of Bengaluru 164 Annexure G: Photo Plates-Some FMV Species Prevalent in the Northern Transect of Bengaluru 167 Annexure H: Correlation Between FMV Products and their Economic Benefits in the Northern Transect of Bengaluru 172 Bibliography 175