Wildlife Corridors, which maintain biodiversity concede populations to interbreed, better long-term genetic viability and cater access to larger habitats, are very important because they increase the effective amount of habitat that is procurable for these species. This is particularly important for migratory animals and those having large home ranges like elephants.

However, wildlife corridors need special management practices that can endorse the requirements of the species which use the corridors. These wildlife corridors must be managed with great caution because they are very much defenseless.

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The Coimbatore Forest Division

The Coimbatore district in Tail Nadu is enriched with hills, forests, rivers and wildlife. In the corridors of Coimbatore Forest Division, which comes under the Project Elephant Reserve No.8, elephants can be seen wandering in small herds in Walayar and Bolampathy Valleys, Anaikatti reserve forests, etc.

The Coimbatore Forest Division is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR); it also forms part of the core zone of the Reserve. The Coimbatore Forest Division passes significant numbers of elephant population and is among the eleven Elephant Reserves in India and one among four in Tamil Nadu.

However, everyone, and not only wildlife lovers, should come to face the truth that elephants presently face danger to their existence because of the loss of habitat, habitat manipulation, anthropogenic pressure and loss of corridors.

The wildlife corridors are responsible for the movements of animals and gene flow amongst the habitats or forests for a better and healthy population of elephants. Loss of wildlife corridors limits the fauna and flora into small pockets of habitats or forests.

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There are, in the Coimbatore Forest Division, six important elephant wildlife corridors are:

Kalkothi – Walyar Corridor

As one of the major wildlife corridors, this corridor commences from Kalkothi (Bolampathy Range) and ends with Chinnapathy of Mannarkad Forest Division via Perumalkoilpathy, Mangalapalayam and Walayar (Coimbatore Range).

In this corridor, most of the areas are undulating terrain. Incessant water sources present in this corridor are Aaimoolai, Surulipadugai, Oritha, Parapathi and Chinnapathy as also some seasonal water sources.

The major menace for this corridor is the extension of agriculture, constructions, indiscriminate water tapping through bore-wells, quarries and because of inter-state railway track.

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Anaikatti – Veerapandi Corridor

Of the wildlife corridors of Coimbatore Forest Division, this corridor is encircled in the north by Periyanaickenplayam in the south by Anuvavi Subramanaya Kail, east by Chinna Thadagam and west by Anaikatti village.

For the elephants, Kodungarai Pallam is the major water source and there are also endless and seasonal water sources available in this corridor. In the Coimbatore Forest Division, the menace to this corridor is the indiscriminate growth development of building constructions in the fringe areas of the corridor.

Kallar – Jaccanari Corridor

Among the wildlife corridors, this important corridor of the Coimbatore Forest Division commences at Kothagiri Road and goes up to Kollar Reserve Forests along the foothills of Jaccanari Mountain bisecting the Mettupalayam – Coonor Highway and Kallar. This is a narrow corriodor having various anthropogenic pressures. Due to the emergence of numerous private educational institutions on the periphery of the forest, elephants have stopped using this corridor that may sound alarming to ecologists.

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Marudamalai – Thanikandy Corridor

This corridor is encircled in the north and south by Coimbatore, on the west by Kerala and on the east by Iruttupallam village in Tamil Nadu. The terrain includes undulating plains and steep and also steep hillocks. The ceaseless water sources available in the area are Vaidhegi falls, Papanasam, Attukal and Paraikinaru. The major threat to this corridor is the expansion of Agriculture in its area.

Kollar – Nelkithurai Corridor

Of the major wildlife corridors, this important corridor of the Coimbatore Forest Division is encircled on the north by a series of hills and on the east by other settlements.

The corridor commences from a point, that is known as first hair pin bend, behind Government Horticulture Garden at Kallar on the way to Ooty and extends goes up to Pillur Reservoir along the banks of Bhavani River.

Here, in this corridor, the movements of elephants are hampered due to the extension of agriculture along the outer sphere of the corridor, and due to which elephant damages the crops severely.

This corridor is the one and only corridor that is the only transit route for elephants to move between Pillur Resreve Forests and Attapady valley from Eastern Ghats.

Fuel wood collection by forest settlements and livestock grazing are posing a great threat to this corridor.

Jaccanari – Vedar Corridor

As one of the important wildlife corridors, this corridor is encircled by sudden escarpment of the Jaccanari Mountain’s on the north and on the east by crop fields. Between the Forest College (Mettupalayam) and Vedar Colony,this corridor is very narrow. It has severe anthropogenic pressure because of which elephants cause brisk depredation. During the dry season elephants get support from the ceaseless Ghandhapallam and Kunukkumadu waterway.

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Biomes are a way to divide the Earth‘s surface. These divisions are based on climate patterns, soil types, and the animals and plants that inhabit an area. There are biome on dry land and in water. Every inch of the Earth’s surface is a part of one or more biomes.

There are a couple of different ways to look at the number of biomes. Some like to divide biomes into five basic types: aquatic, forest, desert, tundra, and grassland. These five types of biome can be further divided by the differences in seasons or animal and plant species.

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Aquatic Biomes

The aquatic biome consists of any part of Earth that is covered with water. This includes freshwater and salt water. The aquatic biome can be further divided into freshwater biomes, marine biomes, wetland biomes, coral reef biomes, and estuaries. These subdivisions are based on the salt content of the water, the aquatic plants that live there, and the aquatic animals that thrive there.

Forest Biome

The forest biome is the largest and has a wide variety of plants, trees, animals, insects, and microscopic organisms. The major characteristic of the forest biome is its trees. About 30% of the Earth is considered a part of the forest biome. The forest biome is subdivided by its climate and types of trees present. These subdivisions are the rainforest biome, temperate biome, chaparral biome, alpine biome, and taiga biome.

Desert Biome

The desert biome has one major, distinguishing characteristic, the fact that it has very little vegetation. The climate is rather extreme depending on its location. The deserts of Africa are extremely hot during the winters and warm throughout the rest of the year. There are also cold deserts such as those in Antarctica. These deserts are extremely cold during the winter and cold during the other seasons.

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Tundra Biome

Tundra biomes are the coldest places on Earth. They are similar to a cold desert except they receive less rainfall and contain different animals and plants. Even though the conditions are harsh, the tundra biome does have plant and animal habitats.

Grassland Biome

The grassland biome is made of rolling hills of various grasses. They receive just enough rain to sustain grass but not enough to grow many trees. There are a few trees that will grow in grasslands but sporadic wildfires keep them under control. There are two types of grassland, the savannas, and temperate grasslands.

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Types of Biomes

There are many different types of biomes on the Earth’s surface. Each biome is unique in that it has its own weather and temperature patterns, plant species, and animal species. It is important to understand the uniqueness of each biome in order to understand why certain animals and plants thrive in one area yet would not be able to survive in another. Biomes are also very sensitive and each has special needs in order to maintain itself. Although there are many types of biome, they each fit into two categories: aquatic biomes and terrestrial biomes.

Aquatic Biomes

Aquatic biomes are those that occur under water. This can be saltwater or freshwater. There is saltwater in the ocean and this is where one would find the ocean biome and the coral reef biome. The shallow part of the ocean that contains coral is a part of the coral reef biome.

The freshwater biome includes areas of land covered in water that contains less than 1% of salt water. This includes rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands such as swamps and marshes.

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Terrestrial Biomes

Terrestrial biomes are those that occur on dry land. These biome differ in their climate, vegetation, and animal life. There are many types of terrestrial biome but the main biomes include tundra biome, desert biome, forest biome, and grassland biome.

• The tundra biome is one of extreme weather conditions. Temperatures often remain very cold and harsh. Only a few plants and animals can survive there.
• The desert biome also has extreme weather conditions. There are two types of deserts, hot deserts, and cold deserts. Both desert types are very dry and receive very little rainfall.
• The forest biome is characterized by its humidity and ample rainfall. The rain allows very tall trees to grow there. There are two types of forest, tropical rainforest, and temperate deciduous forest. These forests are distinguishable by the types of plants and trees that grow there.
• Grasslands have a lot of variety among its plants and animals. The plants that grow there include many types of flowers. The soil in the grassland is very rich in nutrients so it is easy for many plants to survive there. Even though the temperatures in the grassland biome remain pleasant for most of the year, it does experience a dry season. This dry season sometimes results in a drought which makes water scarce for the plants and animals there.

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Non-Flowering Plant

Topography describes the physical features of an area of land. These features typically include natural formations such as mountains, rivers, lakes, and valleys. Man-made features such as roads, dams, and cities may also be included. Topography often records the various elevations of an area using a topographical map.

Topographical Features

Topography studies the elevation and location of landforms.

• Landforms – Landforms studied in topography can include anything that physically impacts the area. Examples include mountains, hills, valleys, lakes, oceans, rivers, cities, dams, and roads.
• Elevation – The elevation, or height, of mountains and other object, is recorded as part of topography. It is usually recorded in reference to sea level (the surface of the ocean).
• Latitude – Latitude gives the north/south position of a location in reference from the equator. The equator is a horizontal line drawn in the middle of the Earth that is the same distance from the North Pole and the South Pole. The equator has a latitude of 0 degrees.
• Longitude – Longitude gives the east/west position of a location. Longitude is generally measured in degrees from the Prime Meridian.

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Topographical Map

A topographical map is one that shows the physical features of the land. Besides just showing landforms such as mountains and rivers, the map also shows the elevation changes of the land. The Elevation is shown using contour lines.

When a contour line is drawn on a map it represents a given elevation. Every point on the map touching the line should be the same elevation. On some maps, numbers on the lines will let you know what the elevation is for that line.

Methods to Study

There are a number of ways that information is gathered to make topographical maps. They can be divided into two primary methods: direct survey and indirect survey.

Direct survey – A direct survey is when a person on the ground uses surveying equipment, such as levels and clinometers, to directly measure the location and elevation of the land. You have probably seen a surveyor along the road sometimes making measurements by looking through a leveling instrument sitting on a tall tripod.

Indirect survey – Remote areas may be mapped using indirect methods. These methods include satellite pictures, images taken from planes, radar, and sonar (underwater).

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Topography uses

Topography has a number of uses including:

• Agriculture – Topography is often used in agriculture to determine how soil can be conserved and how water will flow over the land.
• Environment – Data from topography can help to conserve the environment. By understanding the contour of the land, scientists can determine how water and the wind may cause erosion. They can help to establish conservation areas such as watersheds and wind blocks.
• Weather – The topography of the land can have an impact on weather patterns. Meteorologists use information on mountains, valleys, oceans, and lakes to help predict the weather.
• Military – Topography is also important to the military. Armies throughout history have used information on elevation, hills, water, and other landforms when planning their military strategy.

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Types of Indian soils and their distribution

On Tuesday, the Environment Minister, Prakash Javedker, asserted that the application of Genetically Modified (GM) technology for seeds is significant in enhancing agriculture productivity and food security. Giving strength to his remark he further informed his audience that around 18 field trials, to test different types of GM seeds, were going on; however, the Government  would take the decision about releasing genetically modified mustard after considering all the aspects related to the issue.

The Environment Minister has taken the name of GM mustard particularly; it shows the current importance of GM mustard that is going to be the first food-related transgenic crop and evolved as component of the research collaboration consisting of scientists working at Delhi University.

However, as GM mustard rests at an inflexion point fingers that such technologies are not fit for human consumption. In reply, those who are fovour of the use of GM technology to produce GM seeds claim that such technology is very important because on it depends the future of India’s Food Security.

The Minister, who was speaking at a press event organized to observe two years of NDA governance, did not hesitate in accepting the current situation of productivity in the field of agriculture and said, “India’s agricultural productivity is among the lowest (among nations)…. Science and technology has to be encouraged for this.” This acceptance on the part of the government is a good sign for the future of productivity in agriculture.

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Background

The Economic Survey for 2015-16, tabled in the Parliament on 26 February, 2016, stated that India agriculture had become a victim of its own success. The Survey favoured the use of hybrid and Genetically Modified (GM) seeds to enhance crop yield that ultimately would bring major changes in the agricultural sector.

The Survey had put its force behind the idea that safety concerns linked to genetically modified (GM) seeds must be debated and tested in such way that they be introduced in the next six months; hence the current talk on the part of the government on the use of GM seeds.

The Survey had also suggested to evolve a regulatory process to approach safety concerns of GM crops. Reporting on the highly controversial GM seeds the survey penned down “Concerns about affordability of hybrids and GM seeds, environmental and ethical issues in cultivation of GM crops, risk to the food chains, diseases spread and cross pollination have resulted in their non-introduction. These issues need to be debated, tested, evaluated, so that introduction of hybrids is facilitated in the next six months.”

Taking a leaf out of the suggestions inked in the Survey the Government started examining the proposal on GM mustard seed in spite of the severe opposition from green activists.

To accomplish its task the Environment Ministry had set-up a Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee that included biotechnologists, ecologists and sociologists to make a decision on GM seeds, particularly GM mustard.

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GM crops: an abridged introduction

A Genetically Modified (GM) Crop is a plant that is a product of a new/original combination of genetic materials which are obtained through the application of modern biotechnology.

In GM crops genes are artificially roped in instead of the plant getting it through natural process of pollination. The plants grown in this fashion fall under the class of GM crop. However, if we take it theoretically and practically as well, it can be said that all crops are “genetically modified” from their wild condition through the natural process of domestication, selection and regulated breeding over period of time.

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Advantages of GM seeds

• Can abridge crop damage from diseases, weeds and insects;
• Can abate crop damage from adverse weather conditions;
• Can enhance yields grown on the same or less acreage;
• Can significantly improve nutrition value or other health benefits;
• Can curtail the application of fossil fuel (with reduced trips across the field with equipment);
• Can enhance water quality by more precise application of chemicals.

It is imperative to know here that GM seeds are being used and studied to assist in saving papaya crop from excision from Papaya Ring Spot Virus (PRSV).

• In the plantation of corn, GM seeds have abated soil loss by 69% due to conservation tillage practices that are made possible by Herbicide resistant crops and reduced soil compaction.

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Disadvantages of GM seeds

No one can deny the fact that crops from GM seeds go through more safety testing than any other agricultural products, including organic or conventional crops; however, there are some people who still have the opinion that in the context of the application of GM seeds, more researches are the need of the hour.

There is an apprehensive in the agriculture industry that GM seeds can cause the cultivation of those plants or crops that can lead to a pesticide resistance in insects. So agriculture industry has taken these threats seriously and is constantly engaged in studying and creating best practices.

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