Towards Sustainable Natural Resources : Monitoring and Managing Ecosystem Biodiversity

Natural resources not only contribute to overall growth of the economy but also help reduce poverty by providing employment and food security to populations on the continent, and is thus the most inclusive growth sector of the economy of Asian countries. Global weather and climate studies are also increasingly being considered a vital source of information to understand the earth’s environment, in particular in the framework of weather and climate studies, land use transformation and human influence across these areas. Satellite earth observing systems provide a unique tool to monitor these changes. This book includes significant and up to date contributions in the field of sustainable natural resources conservation across the globe. While the range of applications and innovative techniques is constantly increasing, this book provides a summary of key case studies where satellite data offers critical information to help understand the causes and effects of those environmental changes, allowing us to reflect on how to minimize their negative impacts. This book is of interest to researchers and practitioners in the field of remote sensing, geographical information, meteorology, and environmental sciences. Scientists and graduate to post-graduate-level students in environmental science will also find valuable information in this book. Foreword Preface Contents About the Editors Part I Degradation Assessment of Forest Ecology 1 A Perspective View of Sustainability of Natural Resources: The Governance Challenge 1.1 A Perspective View of Challenges 1.2 Policy Implementation 1.3 Book Structure References 2 Tracking Transitions of Tropical Deforestation in East Kalimantan, Indonesia Using Time-Series Landsat Images from 2000 to 2016 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Materials and Methods 2.2.1 Study Area 2.2.2 Land Cover Map 2.2.3 Definition 2.2.4 Annual Deforestation and Forest Degradation 2.2.5 Forest Transitions 2.3 Results 2.3.1 Forest Cover Changes 2.3.2 Transitions of Primary Forests 2.3.3 Transitions of Secondary Forests 2.3.4 Transitions of Plantation Forest 2.3.5 Quantification of Land Cover Change Process 2.4 Discussion 2.5 Conclusions Appendices References 3 Influence of Anthropogenic Activities on the Diversity of Forest Ecosystems 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Distribution of Forest Resources 3.3 Ecosystem Services 3.3.1 Regulation of Climate 3.3.2 Biological Diversity 3.3.3 Air Quality 3.3.4 Water Quality and Quantity 3.3.5 Soil Improvement, Stabilization, and Erosion Control 3.3.6 Biogeochemical Cycles 3.3.7 Minor Forest Products 3.3.8 Pollution Control 3.3.9 Wildlife Habitat 3.3.10 Protection from Natural Hazards and Disasters 3.3.11 Nature and Recreational Importance 3.4 Anthropogenic Influences on Forest Ecosystems 3.4.1 Deforestation 3.4.2 Fragmentation 3.4.3 Overexploitation 3.4.4 Agriculture Expansion and Shifting Cultivation 3.4.5 Land Use Land Cover Changes 3.4.6 Introduction of Exotic Species 3.4.7 Overgrazing and Cattle Ranching 3.4.8 Climate Change 3.5 Conclusions References 4 Indicator-Based Inherent Forest Vulnerability Using Multicriteria Decision-Making Analysis in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Study Area 4.3 Methodology 4.3.1 Details of the Landscape Indicators 4.3.2 Mapping of Inherent Forest Vulnerability 4.4 Results 4.5 Discussion and Policy Concerns 4.6 Conclusion References 5 Agro-Biodiversity, Status, and Conservation Strategies: An Indian Perspective 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Biological Classification 5.3 Biodiversity/Agro-Biodiversity 5.4 Biodiversity Measurement 5.5 Status of India Agro-Biodiversity 5.6 Conservation of Biodiversity and Conservation Strategies 5.7 Objectives of the Conservation of Biodiversities 5.8 Biodiversity Conservation Strategies 5.9 National Governance Initiatives 5.10 Status of Plant Germplasm Registration in India 5.11 Status of Conservation of Vegetative Propagated/horticultural Crops in India 5.12 Conclusion References Part II Dynamics of Land Use and Ecological Services 6 Assessing the Impact of Terrain Attributes on Snow Cover Area Distribution in Kashmir Valley, Northwestern Himalaya 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Study Area 6.3 Data and Methodology 6.3.1 Snow Cover Area Extraction 6.3.2 ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model 6.3.3 SCA Variability with Respect to Elevation 6.3.4 SCA Variability with Respect to Slope 6.3.5 SCA Variability with Respect to Aspect 6.3.6 Changing Pattern of SCA 6.4 Results and Discussion 6.4.1 Monthly and Seasonal SCA Variation 6.4.2 SCA in Relation to Elevation 6.4.3 SCA Distribution in Relation to Slope 6.4.4 SCA Distribution in Relation to Aspect 6.4.5 SCA Change Rate with Respect to Elevation 6.5 Conclusion References 7 Monitoring Land Use/Land Cover Change Dynamics Using Remote Sensing and Geospatial Techniques in Rambiara Catchment, Kashmir Valley, India 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Study Area 7.3 Database and Methodology 7.3.1 Image Pre-Processing and Classification 7.3.2 Accuracy Assessment 7.4 Results and Discussion 7.4.1 Lulc, 1999 7.4.2 Lulc, 2019 7.4.3 Land Use Land Cover Change Detection 7.4.4 Drivers of the LULC Change 7.5 Conclusion References 8 Impact Assessment of Land Use Land Cover Dynamics and Population Growth on Food Security of Kashmir Valley, India 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Study Area 8.3 Database and Methodology 8.4 Assessment of the Main Crops of Kashmir 8.4.1 Area Under Cereals 8.4.2 Production of Cereals 8.5 Land Use/Land Cover 8.5.1 LULC During 2001 8.5.2 LULC During 2011 8.5.3 LULC During 2018 8.6 Change in the LULC 8.6.1 Change in the LULC 2001–2011 8.6.2 Change in the LULC 2011–2018 8.6.3 Change in the LULC 2001–2018 8.7 Conclusion References 9 Evaluation and Distribution of Urban Green Spaces in Kolkata Municipal Corporation: An Approach to Urban Sustainability 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Materials and Methods 9.2.1 Study Area 9.2.2 Database 9.2.3 Methodology 9.3 Results and Discussion 9.3.1 Report of Accuracy and Validation 9.3.2 Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Land Use/Land Cover Change from 1991 to 2020 9.3.3 Land Use/Land Cover Transformation Patterns (1991 to 2020) 9.3.4 Comparative Analysis of Green Spaces in Indian Metro Cities with KMC 9.3.5 Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Green Space 9.3.6 Status of Green Space in 1991 and 2020 9.3.7 Transformation Status of Green Space from 1991 to 2020 9.4 Conclusion References Part III Nature Conservation and Biodiversity 10 Bioremediation: Microbial and Plant Assisted Remediation of Contaminated Environments 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Basic Types of Bioremediation 10.2.1 Microbial Bioremediation 10.2.2 Phytoremediation 10.2.3 Mycoremediation 10.3 Techniques of Bioremediation 10.3.1 In-Situ Remediation 10.3.2 Ex-Situ Remediation 10.4 Conclusions References 11 Conservation of Biodiversity in India: Current Status and Future Strategies 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Biogeographic Zones of India 11.3 Biodiversity Hotspots of India 11.4 Threats to Biodiversity 11.4.1 Habitat Loss 11.4.2 Overexploitation 11.4.3 Introduction of Invasive Species 11.4.4 Pollution 11.4.5 Climate Change 11.5 IUCN Red Data Books 11.5.1 Extinct (EX) 11.5.2 Extinct in the Wild (EW) 11.5.3 Critically Endangered (CR) 11.5.4 Endangered (EN) 11.5.5 Vulnerable (VU) 11.5.6 Near Threatened (NT) 11.5.7 Least Concern (LC) 11.5.8 Data Deficient (DD) 11.5.9 Not Evaluated (NE) 11.6 Conservation of Biodiversity 11.6.1 In-Situ Conservation 11.6.2 Ex-situ Conservation 11.7 Future Strategies 11.8 Conclusion References 12 Influence of Anthropogenic Activities on the Biological Diversity of Forest Ecosystem 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Anthropogenic Activities 12.2.1 Causes of Anthropogenic Activities 12.2.2 Types of Anthropogenic Activities 12.3 Anthropogenic Influence on Forest Diversity 12.3.1 Negative Influence 12.3.2 Positive Impacts 12.4 Conclusion References 13 Assessment of Environmental Impacts of Pesticides: Evidence from Meta-Analysis 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Methodology 13.2.1 Cochran Q Test 13.2.2 Design Setting 13.2.3 Description of the Environmental Indicators 13.3 Results and Discussion 13.3.1 Pesticides and Target Organisms 13.3.2 Pesticides and Non-target Organisms 13.3.3 Pesticides and Human Health 13.3.4 The Soil Environment and Pesticides 13.3.5 Water and Air Ecosystems and Pesticides 13.3.6 Pesticides and Biomagnifications 13.3.7 Pesticide Management Strategies 13.4 Conclusion and Future Prospects References Part IV Resource Use and Sustainibility 14 Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (E2SFCA) Method for Measuring Spatial Accessibility to Primary Healthcare in HD Kote, Mysore (India) 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Study Area 14.3 Database and Methodology 14.3.1 Database 14.3.2 Methodology 14.3.3 Global Moran’s-I 14.4 Results 14.4.1 Spatial Distribution of Healthcare Facilities 14.4.2 Spatial Accessibility of Healthcare Facilities 14.4.3 Accessibility Index (Ai) 14.4.4 Socio-economic Determinants of Accessibility and Utilization 14.4.5 Quality of Healthcare Services 14.4.6 Behaviour Aspects 14.5 Discussion 14.6 Conclusion References 15 Role of Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture Sustainability, an Example from India 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Method 15.3 Conceptual Framework 15.4 From Traditional Agriculture to Artificial Intelligence-Driven Smart Agriculture 15.5 The Trend in the Application of AI in Agriculture 15.6 Agricultural Field Areas for Artificial Intelligence Applications 15.6.1 Crop Management 15.6.2 Crop Yield Forecasting 15.6.3 Pest and Disease Identification 15.6.4 Weed Classification and Identification 15.6.5 Weather Forecasting 15.6.6 Irrigation 15.6.7 AI for Space and Resource Utilization 15.6.8 Artificial Intelligence Entrepreneurship 15.7 Findings and Discussion 15.8 Future Scope and Research Opportunities on AI Role in Agriculture Sustainability—Future Road Map References 16 Regenerative Agriculture as Climate Smart Solution to Improve Soil Health and Crop Productivity Thereby Catalysing Farmers’ Livelihood and Sustainability 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Adoption of Integrated Farming System for Farm Resilience and Sustainability 16.3 Crop Diversification Options in Rice–Wheat System for Enhancing Productivity and Profitability 16.4 Resource-Efficient Farming Practices—Conservation Agriculture 16.5 Agroforestry Systems for Better Productivity, Profitability and Ecosystem Services 16.6 Conclusion and Future Thrust References 17 Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise Scenario on the Biophysical Environment 17.1 Introduction 17.2 Kerala Coast 17.3 Methods and Materials 17.4 Results and Discussion 17.4.1 Shoreline Change of Kerala Coast 17.4.2 Land Use and Livelihood Pattern of Coastal Population 17.5 Conclusion References 18 Proline: A Key Player to Regulate Biotic and Abiotic Stress in Plants 18.1 Introduction 18.2 Proline Biosynthesis 18.3 Accumulation and Catabolism Regulation of Proline 18.4 Role of Proline in Abiotic Stress Management 18.4.1 Proline Act as an Osmolyte and Chaperon 18.4.2 Stress Management 18.5 Negative Impact of Proline 18.6 Summary and Conclusion References 19 Towards Sustainable Natural Resources: Conclusion Index Intro -- Foreword -- Preface -- Contents -- About the Editors -- Part I Degradation Assessment of Forest Ecology -- 1 A Perspective View of Sustainability of Natural Resources: The Governance Challenge -- 1.1 A Perspective View of Challenges -- 1.2 Policy Implementation -- 1.3 Book Structure -- References -- 2 Tracking Transitions of Tropical Deforestation in East Kalimantan, Indonesia Using Time-Series Landsat Images from 2000 to 2016 -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Materials and Methods -- 2.2.1 Study Area -- 2.2.2 Land Cover Map -- 2.2.3 Definition -- 2.2.4 Annual Deforestation and Forest Degradation -- 2.2.5 Forest Transitions -- 2.3 Results -- 2.3.1 Forest Cover Changes -- 2.3.2 Transitions of Primary Forests -- 2.3.3 Transitions of Secondary Forests -- 2.3.4 Transitions of Plantation Forest -- 2.3.5 Quantification of Land Cover Change Process -- 2.4 Discussion -- 2.5 Conclusions -- Appendices -- References -- 3 Influence of Anthropogenic Activities on the Diversity of Forest Ecosystems -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Distribution of Forest Resources -- 3.3 Ecosystem Services -- 3.3.1 Regulation of Climate -- 3.3.2 Biological Diversity -- 3.3.3 Air Quality -- 3.3.4 Water Quality and Quantity -- 3.3.5 Soil Improvement, Stabilization, and Erosion Control -- 3.3.6 Biogeochemical Cycles -- 3.3.7 Minor Forest Products -- 3.3.8 Pollution Control -- 3.3.9 Wildlife Habitat -- 3.3.10 Protection from Natural Hazards and Disasters -- 3.3.11 Nature and Recreational Importance -- 3.4 Anthropogenic Influences on Forest Ecosystems -- 3.4.1 Deforestation -- 3.4.2 Fragmentation -- 3.4.3 Overexploitation -- 3.4.4 Agriculture Expansion and Shifting Cultivation -- 3.4.5 Land Use Land Cover Changes -- 3.4.6 Introduction of Exotic Species -- 3.4.7 Overgrazing and Cattle Ranching -- 3.4.8 Climate Change -- 3.5 Conclusions -- References 1. Sustainable Natural Resource Conservation: An Overview -- 2. Conservation of the ecosystem -- 3. Wetlands Conservation and Restoration for Ecosystem Services -- 4. Potential of Joint Forest Management in agro biodiversity conservation -- 5. Molecular approaches in conservation and restoration of agro-biodiversity -- 6. Cultural Ecosystem Services: Key Concepts and Application -- 7. Contributions of Cultural Services to the Ecosystem Services -- 8. Wild edible plants and ecosystem services: a case study from Indian North Eastern Himalayas -- 9. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks under different land uses in Central India -- 10. Managing the Value Chain of Agricultural Commodities: A Cardinal Pillar for Future Development and Management -- 11. Agro Biodiversity, Status and Conservation Strategies: An Indian Perspective -- 12. Role of Range Grasses in Conservation and Restoration of Land -- 13. Change Detection and Assessment Land Degradation in Quarter of Century -- 14. Influence of anthropogenic activities on forest structure and diversity through the satellite based monitoring system -- 15. GIS-Remote Sensing and Sensor Technology: Emerging New Era Modern Tools for Land Degradation