1. with Snehakunja and Life Trust team
Participatory approaches for ecological restoration of Myristica swamps, central Western Ghats, India
Narasimha Hegde
with Snehakunja and Life Trust team

2. Ecosystem services

3. Controlling ground water run off

4. Water purification

5. Provide special habitat for organisms
Raorchestes luteolus
Pseudophilatus amboli

6. Major threats to swamps
Altering natural hydrologic regimes
Pollution, introduction of exotic/invasive species
Land use change
Pollinator decline
Problems in seed dispersion
Over harvesting of resources

7. Objectives
Ecological restoration of Myristica swamps in Uttara Kannada district, central Western Ghats India.
Characterizing the swamp fragments and micro-corridors for species composition, resource use, develop an enrichment protocol for each of the micro-corridor with respect to the species, frequency and geometry of planting
Create micro-corridors by enrichment planting through participatory approach, creation of new swamp populations - habitat recovery
Achieve a lasting restoration of the swamps

8. Methods Identification and mapping of the fresh water swamps
Identify critical micro-corridors to link the swamp fragments
Detailed vegetation survey, listing of obligatory species and facultative swamp species, regeneration and demographic studies.

9. Standardizing protocol for propagation of swamp species through participatory approach
Decentralized community nurseries near the swamp forests in three villages
Active planting of degraded swamps with obligatory, facultative and associated species was done during period from
Survival and growth rates assessed
Re-wetting of the land through installing soil and moisture conservation structures in the degraded swamps

10. Activities to ensure community participation in restoration and management
Classification of swamps based on physical characteristics and vegetation elements to suggest effective management plans for the swamps
Soil and hydrological studies

11. Results
102 swamps were identified in the district -fifteen swamps in Sharavati river catchment
Twenty in Bilgi hole
Seventeen in Bedti
Twenty five in Aghanashini
Twenty three in Mukti hole
Total depression part of swamp area documented is about 82 hectares

12. Results 156 swamp species and associated were documented.
15 species of lianas, 5 species of climbers, 24 species of shrub and 104 species of trees occur in the swamp area.
Frequency, geometry and spatial dispersion of the obligatory swamp species was carefully noted.

13. Spatial distribution of swamp species

14. Ten thousand seedlings planted
Commercially important and RET forest species were raised
Survival rate - obligatory swamp species was 56 percent and facultative and associate swamp species was 64 percent

15. Hydrological studies
v notch to monitor the water flow in swamp

18. 1. Frequency =No. Of quadrates in which species occurred/Total no
1.       Frequency =No. Of quadrates in which species occurred/Total no. of quadrates studied X 100
2.       Abundance=Total no. of individuals of the species/No. of quadrates in which the species occurred
3.       Density=Total no. of individuals/No. of individuals of all species
4.       Relative abundance=Abundance of species X 100)/Sum of all abundance
5.       Relative frequency= No. of quadrates occurring / Total no. of Quadrates
6.       Basal area=(GBH in m)2/4pi
7.       Relative basal area =(Total basal area of individuals /Total basal area of all species)X100
8.       IVI=Relative density Relative dominance Relative frequency
9.       Family relative density(%)=(No. of trees in a family /Total no. of species)X100
10.   Family relative Diversity(%)=(No. of species in a family / Total no. of species)X 100
11.   Family relative dominance(%)=(Total basal area for all species in a family/ Total basal area of all families )X 100
12.   Family important index(FIV)= sum of family relative density, Diversity and Dominance
13.   Species occurrence rate= Species richness/Species density

19. Swamps at Katlekan – Google earth

20. Participatory approaches
Swamp conservation committees
Establishing VFCs
Nursery raising and providing the seedlings
Installing fuel efficient units
Training on value addition and value chain development of NTFPs
Matching grants from line departments

22. Western Ghats Task Force
Awareness workshops
Publications
All India Radio Program
Efforts to reach as many people to make them aware of swamps and its importance

26. Restoration of swamp at degraded barren land

28. Acknowledgement CEPF-ATREE large grants to Snehakunja Trust
Jack Tordoff
Ananth Hegde Ashisar
Life Trust team Sirsi
Balachandra Hegde
Dr Shrikanth Gunaga
KFD
Local villagers

29. Thank you