ANHS conducting bird survey Common bird species have much importance in the functioning of the forest ecosystem and a fall in their population might significantly affect the ecosystem services, V. Harikumar of the Alappuzha Natural History Society (ANHS) has said.
Talking to The Hindu here on Saturday, Dr. Harikumar said birds were known barometers of environmental health and changes in their condition could warn of threats to habitats and natural systems critical to all life on earth.
According to him, there are a number of reasons to believe that birds are useful indicators of biodiversity. The movement of birds, mapping their behavioural changes, recording their count in consecutive years, etc., were very much helpful in forecasting the imminent natural calamities, changes in geography and climatic variations so that remedial measures could be effectively taken in future, he said.
Dr. Harikumar said the ANHS was conducting a three-day comprehensive bird survey in the Konni forests in association with the Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department and the survey would come to a close on Sunday.
Mahesh Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer in Konni, inaugurated the survey at a meeting chaired by Assistant Conservator of Forests Jayakumar Sharma at the Eco Tourism Centre in Konni on Friday. E.R.Ashokan, ANHS secretary, also spoke. A 28-member ANHS team is conducting the bird survey from seven base camps set up in the Konni reserve forests.
The writer worked at The Hindu English daily.
-Radhakrishnan Kuttoor
The writeup appeared in The Hindu.
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