PhD Theses (SACON)
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Item Avian Species selection in Urban Habitats: A study in Coimbatore, India.(SACON, 2013) Rajini, J.; Azeez, P.A.Survival of a species is closely associated with changing habitats. We studied this in the context of urbanization that brings massive changes in the landscape. The study is contextual in view of high rates of conversion of natural landscapes into urban areas. With the ascent of urbanization, many species disappear while some species become abundant. The present study investigated avian species and their distribution along a rural-urban gradient of the Coimbatore city - a fast growing city in Tamil Nadu, India. The study was taken up to explore the factors that affect the distribution of avian species across an urbanisation gradient and to identify survival strategies adopted by avian species in urban areas.Item Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) residues in marine fishes available in Coimbatore market and their suitability for human consumption(SACON, 2011) Alaguraj, A.; Muralidharan, S.Seven species of marine fishes totalling 732 individuals caught at Cochin and Rameshwaram coasts, and sold in Ukkadam fish market. Coimbatore between October 2004 and October 2006 were analysed for residues of 32 individual congeners, including six indicator PCBs (PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153 and 180) with Gas Chromatograph coupled with Mass Selective Detector. Fishes included in the present study are Indian Mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta), Japanese Threadfin Bream (Nemipterus japonicus), Oil Sardine (Sardinela Iongiceps), Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), Malabar Travelly (Carangoides malabaricus), Tongue Sole (Cyanoglossus macrolepidotus) and King Seer (Scomberomollus commersonil)' Selection was based on human consumption (preference), commercial value and availability throughout the year in both the locations.Item Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in the Marine Fishes of Coimbatore Market – Suitability for Human Consumption(SACON, 2012) Jayanthi, P.; Muralidharan, S.The current study has attempted to document the organochlorine pesticide residues in select species of commercially important marine fishes, received from Cochin and Rameshwararn, and sold at Coimbatore market. A total of 716 fish samples belonging to seven species, namely Carangoides malabaric, Cynoglossus macrolepidotus, Nemipterus japonicus, Rastrelliger kanagurta, Sardinella longiceps, Scomberomorus commersonn and Sphyraena barracuda caught at Cochin and Rameshwaram were collected from the Coimhatore market. The samples were collected with regular intervals during the study period (October 2004 . September 2006) which fell into eight quarters, with three months being one quarter.Item Ecology of Bird Communities in the Anaikatty Hills, Coimbatore”(SACON, 2002) Nirmala, T; Vijayan, LalithaStructural and functional aspects of bird communities are believed to have direct relation with the structure of habitat and thereby act as indicators of environmental changes. Various components such as the type of resource, quantity of resource and spatial and temporal distribution of resources play a major role in determining the community structure. In general, the central theme in the functional aspects of the avian community studies has been, how the available resources for biological activities such as foraging, roosting and nesting are partitioned among the existing group of species. Studies on bird community in different habitats are very few in India, and the pattern and processes of a group of species or an individual species were studied separately. The study of birds in relation to habitats will give valuable data for forest management. Area outside protected area network is also equally important for birds and biodiversity conservation. This study was designed to determine the ecology of the bird communities in the mixed dry deciduous forest and scrub forest (SACON) in Anaikatty Reserve Forest, foothills of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Coimbatore, South India.Item Diversity and Ecology of Odonates in Coimbatore District(SACON, 2017) Muhil, M Suhirtha; Pramod, PThe global biological diversity is to be treated as a wealth considering its potential role in ecosystem sustenance and management. The declining status and vulnerability of biological diversity to various human-induced problems, compels us to index and preserve species and their habitats as a continuous and crucial process. Exploding human population, degrading environment and loss of habitats are three major reasons for the irreversible loss of biological diversity especially in the tropics (Wilson, 1988). To understand the causes behind the ecological and evolutionary processes responsible for the rich biodiversity and also the ecosystem service biodiversity provides, it is very essential to know how many species inhabit this earth (May, 2011). There are presently 1.9 million catalogued species in the world of which nearly one million are insects (Chapman, 2009), while the estimated number of global species by taxonomists is between three and 100 million species (May, 2010). This estimation of biodiversity based on taxonomic patterns varies from the estimates based on macroecolgical patterns and diversity ratios. Erwin (1982) estimated 30 million species of Arthropods, based on the host specificity of guilds in beetle samples and subsequent hierarchical ratio extrapolations.Item IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AMONG THE HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS OF COIMBATORE DISTRICT(SACON, 2017) Chandran, R; Azeez, P AIn the last couple of decades world over there is serious deliberations on the need for pro-active participation of the public, various social segments, and persons from various walks of life in conservation of the Environment and on identifying effective strategy to accomplish that. It is well recognized that conviction, at the grass root level, on the cruciality of environmental conservation is essential for wide and involved participation of public. Environmental education (EE), especially among the youngsters, to a great extent fulfills that need and facilitates educated decision-making among the public on issues related to environment. Thus, the main goal of EE is developing a world population that is aware of and concerned about the environment and its associated problems and which has the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivation and commitment to work individually and collectively toward solutions of current problems and prevention of new ones.Item Particulate air pollution data for Coimbatore, India: real time monitoring and modeling with data-interoperability measures(SACON, 2016) Nisadh, K A; Azeez, P AParticulate air pollution is a major health burden and environmental concern in urban areas. As a serious health problem in urban areas, current intervention measures has to be sufficiently refined for urgent and sustainable management. Data intensive approach can gives tools to integrate diverse data sources for deriving decision-making information and improved applications for adaptive management of pollution. However lack of spatio-temporally relevant and reliable data on particulate pollution and the data existing in non-interoperable formats to a great extent hampers knowledge generation for effective control of pollution and management of air quality. The current study focused on developing basic tools for data intensive approach in a second tier urban centre of India. The study intends to explore an affordable real time air quality information systems focusing on Coimbatore, a fast growing and second tier urban center in the state of Tamil Nadu, India and its surroundings as the study area. The major objectives of the study were (1) to develop a real time particulate pollution monitoring system using low cost commodity sensors and assess its effectiveness in the study area, (2) attempt a real time particulate pollution modeling system for the study area using WRF-CHEM, addressing its computational requirements, and (3) demonstrate application of interoperability measures on real time particulate pollution data.Item Status and Ecology of House Sparrow Passer domesticus along an urban to rural gradient in Coimbatore, India(SACON, 2011) Dhanya, R; Azeez, P AIn due course of the evolution of human civilisation, from their nomadic to the resident lifestyle, they were industrious agents of change. Their behaviours changed ecological processes in agglomerates of residences and trades, in cities and as well as in other areas (Vitousek et al. 1997). As the human population rise, infrastructure grows up; urbanisation spreads and increasingly affects biodiversity (Blair 2004). Human activities in the form of land use changes, urbanisation and infrastructure developments are considered major threats to biodiversity (Gontier 2008). This in turn results in the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats, thereby threatening populations of local species and ultimately biodiversity (Saunders et al. 1991). Urban development produces the greatest local extinction rates and eliminates the majority of the species (Vale and Vale 1976, Marzluff 2001, Czech et al. 2000). This replacement brings in the process of biotic Homogenisation that threatens to reduce the biological uniqueness of local ecosystems (Blair 2001). The loss and fragmentation of valuable habitats influences the long-term viability of species populations, which may ultimately become extinct at the local or regional scaleItem Air Quality of Coimbatore with Emphasis on Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter(SACON, 2002) Mohanraj, R; Azeez, P AParticulate matter (PM), a complex mixture of organic and inorganic substances is an ubiquitous air pollutant, contributed by both natural and anthropogenic sources. Ever since the advent of industrial era, anthropogenic sources of PM have been increasing rapidly. Increasing amounts of such potentially harmful particles being emitted into the atmosphere on a global scale has resulted in damage to the health and environment. Recently it is also reported that soot particles have a heating effect to the atmosphere. Such heating effect can have wide implications on various systems of earth including climate. PM in the atmosphere is categorized according to size because of different health impacts from particles of different diameters. PM with diameters of less than 50 pm are generally classified as Total suspended Particulate Matter (TSPM). Particles that are greater than 50 pm in diameter do not remain in the atmosphere for appreciable lengths of time and present no health risk. Particulates with a diameter less than 10 pm defined as PM 10 or Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), enter the respiratory system and may become lodged in the alveoli resulting in wide range health effects including cancer and heart failures. PM 10 has the potential to travel long distances and cause cumulative effects. Other hazardous air pollutants may adhere to these particles, increasing their toxicity. These particles on wet and dry deposition are known to pollute local, regional and global land and water resources.