Applied
Environmental
Research
Foundation
Applied Biodiversity Research
30 YEARS OF PROVIDING SCIENTIFIC UNDERPINNING TO CONSERVATION STRATEGIES
AERF'S INTERVENTIONS & MILESTONES
2000km+
covered by our researchers annually for forest walks for biodiversity surveys
30
Forest rangers trained and employed to monitor these forests
1400+
Flora and Fauna diversity recorded in terrestrial forests of northern Western Ghats under conservation agreements
320+
Species of Mangrove flora and fauna documented at our Mangrove conservation sites
PROGRAMME GOALS & ACTIVITIES
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To produce knowledge that will help find real solutions to real problems.
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Conservation planning - Identifying priority areas for forest conservation in the Northern Western Ghats.
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Create a strong data pool which will act as a foundation for building conservation strategies.
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Resource assessments of these forests.
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Conservation ecology of RET species within forest fragments.
Project Partner :
Project: Sustainability of Conservation Agreements in IBAs from the North Western Ghats, India
Year: 2016 - 2019
Programme-specific Focus : Identifying Important Bird Areas outside the PA network and bring them under long term conservation.
Milestones:
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There was no systematic effort at landscape level to identify habitats of endemic birds and understand their distribution in the northern Western Ghats.
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AERF’s CLP team surveyed over 25 different locations in the northern Western Ghats outside the protected area network and identified 15 habitats that can be termed as Important Bird Areas (IBAs).
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The team also recorded range extensions for 6 bird species including the 'Vulnerable' Niligiri Wood Pigeon.
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Protected 250 acres of forest in Ambegaon and Chiplun in IBA- Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and Koyana Wildlife Sanctuary.
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These sites are either sacred groves – old growth forest fragments or community forests. Through this work it has been proven that sacred groves now fulfill all the criteria of Important Bird Areas.
Project Partner :
Project: Capacity Building of BMCs / VCs by providing handholding support to selected BMCs for preparation of PBRs and Implementation of ABS mechanism
Year: 2018 - 2019
Programme-specific Focus : Documenting the biodiversity of private forests with community participation.
Milestones:
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Under the scope of ABS Partnership Project of GIZ, AERF has been involved in establishment of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) and facilitated the process of BMC formation in 15 villages in Sangameshwar block of Ratnagiri district.
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AERF helped these BMCs in the preparation of People’s Biodiversity Registers. These registers have documented the local knowledge and available biodiversity within the limits of BMCs - a process which helped bring on board the ownership of village resources with collective responsibility for their use and protection.
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AERF facilitated the process and generating of PBRs in 4 villages in Sangameshwar block and one village around Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Project Partner :
Project: Conserving the Indian Ground Pangolin in Tiware-Ghera Prachitgad forests in Sangameshwar block
Year: 2018 - 2019
Programme-specific Focus : Documenting the biodiversity of the Tiware ghera Prachitgad private forests with a focus on the India Pangolin as the flagship species.
Milestones:
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Under this project, our team completed extensive camera trapping exercise at 12 sites which helped us map the Pangolin’s home-range in the selected area, along with creating a baseline data about its ecology and behaviour.
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Our researchers also held capacity building and training workshops for the local people and forest guardians on issues ranging from understanding the ecology of this elusive animal to developing habitat protection measures by envisioning a community reserve with the Pangolin as the flagship species.
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We engaged with the local Katkari and Mahadeo Koli tribes to harness their immense knowledge about the forests for biodiversity and forest conservation and bring them out of the poaching trap by becoming mere scapegoats.
Project Partner :
Project: Creating a community reserve in Tiware - Ghera Prachitgad forests in Sangameshwar block.
Year: 2017
Programme-specific Focus : Documenting the rich biodiversity of the Tiware ghera Prachitgad private forests and make a case for creating a community reserve based on the findings.
Milestones:
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In Maharashtra, out of the 11 protected areas, 9 are on the crestline, leaving the slopes of the ‘hottest of the hotspots’ - the Western Ghats - entirely vulnerable to habitat destruction while also locking in the wildlife movement against their natural instincts and leading to human-wildlife conflict. Creating a community reserve is a an effective strategy to resolve this issue.
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The forests of Tiware ghera Prachitgad, which lie on the slopes of the Chandoli National Park - a UNESCO world heritage site. Our surveys in these forests revealed rich biodiversity and made it an ideal site for implementing this strategy. We recorded a total of 650 flora and fauna species out of which 80 are endemic to the Western Ghats and 37 are in the IUCN Red List.
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AERF secured 1300 acres of forests in Tiware and Nayri villages using the conservation agreement approach.
9 forest watchers have been trained and employed to survey these forests -
We also designed a provisional cultural and heritage map to showcase the biodiversity bounty of the area along with historic places as well.
Project Partner :
Apple. Inc.
Project: Saving mangroves for climate mitigation and community livelihoods.
Year: 2021-2023
Programme-specific Focus : Documenting the micro to macro biodiversity in the mangrove habitat and creating a strong baseline for conservation and restoration of these front-line climate-change warriors.
Milestones:
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Total diversity documented from the targeted mangrove area is 196 species of plants, birds, crabs, reptiles, mammals, insects etc.
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Deep dive into rare diversity finds like the smooth-coated otter, mangrove slug (Elysia bangtawaensis), Muggers (Crocodylus palustris) and different orchids on mangrove trees.
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Mangroves are known as the nurseries of the world's seafood.They support a diverse range of organisms from microscopic level to macroscopic level and understanding the relationship and interactions between each organism is crucial to develop a robust conservation strategy.
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We launched a comprehensive study of the micro-organisms in Washi creek in Raigad, including both zooplankton and phytoplankton, which are the base of the aquatic food webs. With a food web, one can see clearly how dumping affluents in the river system can lead to diseases in birds living in faraway places.
Project Partner :
Project: Conservation assessment of River Bharja in Mandangad
Year: 2024
Programme-specific Focus : First-ever documentation of various biodiversity and conservation metrics of an important river with confluence of habitats ranging from its origin in the Western Ghats to the Arabian Sea.
Milestones:
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River Bharja acts as a major support system for many life forms and ecosystems along its basin due to its distinctive blend of freshwater and brackish water habitats, complemented by the presence of adjacent mangrove and mountain forest ecosystems.
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This confluence of habitats provides an ideal setting for diverse biodiversity, especially fish, to thrive, adapting to specific ecological niches within the river.
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We can also see this in the diverse range of vegetation along the river banks.
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This was a pioneering study which accurately uncovered the origin of this important river through GIS mapping and on-ground data collection.
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We also looked at major conservation threats like cattle grazing, sand mining, brick kilns and forest fires, which has helped us lay out the future course of study and conservation action in this major, yet severely understudied river with a vast stream system!
Project Partner :
Project: Capturing the elusive biodiversity of central Indian forests in Chhatissgarh CFR Forests.
Year: 2023
Milestones:
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The Community Forest Resource Areas are teeming with teeming with potential for conservation management and our biodiversity surveys and camera trap findings revealed interesting biodiversity - both fauna and flora.
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We could record the shy and elusive Bengal Fox, the majestic Mottled Wood Owl, and even the near threatened Striped Hyena.
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These findings were valuable insight into the coexistence of communities and wildlife in the same forests and highlights the need for strategic conservation intervention to maintain the symbiosis.
Project Partner :
Project: Rapid Biodiversity survey of Taleran forests to understand the conservation challenges and develop strategies.
Year: 2018
Milestones:
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Taleran village is situated at the foot of northern Western Ghat mountains in Junnar taluka in Pune district. It is a mountain ecosystem that is home to a wide range of flora and fauna species.
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Our research team covered a total of 155 acres of forests over 15 days to record observations related to biodiversity, forest health and conservation challenges.
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Notably, we recorded range-extension of 6 species of birds, with first ever records collected during this study. They were Crimson-backed Sunbird, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Common Buzzard, Green Warbler, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, and the Square-tailed Bulbul.
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This study was crucial in laying the foundation of our conservation work in the forests of Taleran.