Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 17: As per provisions of Indian Biodiversity Act 2002 and with a view to raise mass awareness regarding mandatory People’s Biodiversity Register formation ,Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote sensing J&K organized innovative Natural Heritage Quiz for Zoology Department scholars and students.
Heritage Quiz contest was framed to focus on community conservation efforts, folk taxonomy of trees, plants, insects, invertebrates, birds and mammals and traditional knowledge linked to native flora & fauna of Shivaliks and the state. Quiz highlighted the religious,cultural and ecological significance of keystne fig trees, role of Hornbills in seed dispersal and germination, role of insects and birds as pollinators of wild and cultivated plants, forest edible plants, native medicinal plant conservation, sustainable utilization and equitable benefit sharing with ethnic communities, present status and future eco-concerns in the backdrop of climate change action strategies and need for ecosystem reselience.
While sharing inputs on threats to native biodiversity arising out of overharvest, habitat fragmentation, air, water, soil pollution, non biodegradable garbage dumping, landuse changes and erratic weather extremes, O P Sharma IFS Director Ecology, Environment & Remote sensing focused on need to inventorise present biodiversity and start data collection on phenological studies of trees,birds and animals to know how flora fauna is behaving under changed set of climatic variation and Co2 increase in the atmosphere.Irfan Ahmad Noorani was adjudged first ,Apoorva Sharma as 2nd, Shivali Gupta and Monika Sharma as 3rd in the quiz contest. Six consolation awards were given to Arshad Ayub, Neha Chaudhary,Arushi Uppal and Poonam.
HoD Zoology Prof Roopma Gandotra while welcoming Tree Talk crusader applauded outdoor interaction with students during 401st Tree Talk session focusing on traditional and modern heritage interpretation in the backdrop of climate change concerns.
Dr Tara,Dr Seema Langar, GD Chalotra Soil conservationist, Neha, Shivali, Irfan, Arti Sharma and others shared vision on phenology of trees and birds.
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