Thumbnail Image

Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur

The history of agricultural education in Kerala can be traced back to the year 1896 when a scheme was evolved in the erstwhile Travancore State to train a few young men in scientific agriculture at the Demonstration Farm, Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, presently, the Cropping Systems Research Centre under Kerala Agricultural University. Agriculture was introduced as an optional subject in the middle school classes in the State in 1922 when an Agricultural Middle School was started at Aluva, Ernakulam District. The popularity and usefulness of this school led to the starting of similar institutions at Kottarakkara and Konni in 1928 and 1931 respectively. Agriculture was later introduced as an optional subject for Intermediate Course in 1953. In 1955, the erstwhile Government of Travancore-Cochin started the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Mannuthy, Thrissur for imparting higher education in agricultural and veterinary sciences, respectively. These institutions were brought under the direct administrative control of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Animal Husbandry, respectively. With the formation of Kerala State in 1956, these two colleges were affiliated to the University of Kerala. The post-graduate programmes leading to M.Sc. (Ag), M.V.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees were started in 1961, 1962 and 1965 respectively. On the recommendation of the Second National Education Commission (1964-66) headed by Dr. D.S. Kothari, the then Chairman of the University Grants Commission, one Agricultural University in each State was established. The State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) were established in India as an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System to give the much needed impetus to Agriculture Education and Research in the Country. As a result the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) was established on 24th February 1971 by virtue of the Act 33 of 1971 and started functioning on 1st February 1972. The Kerala Agricultural University is the 15th in the series of the SAUs. In accordance with the provisions of KAU Act of 1971, the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, were brought under the Kerala Agricultural University. In addition, twenty one agricultural and animal husbandry research stations were also transferred to the KAU for taking up research and extension programmes on various crops, animals, birds, etc. During 2011, Kerala Agricultural University was trifurcated into Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). Now the University has seven colleges (four Agriculture, one Agricultural Engineering, one Forestry, one Co-operation Banking & Management), six RARSs, seven KVKs, 15 Research Stations and 16 Research and Extension Units under the faculties of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Forestry. In addition, one Academy on Climate Change Adaptation and one Institute of Agricultural Technology offering M.Sc. (Integrated) Climate Change Adaptation and Diploma in Agricultural Sciences respectively are also functioning in Kerala Agricultural University.

Browse

20051
Reset filters
Subject: Forestry × Author: Radhakrishnan, S R × End date: 2005 × Start date: 2004 × Type: Thesis ×
Reset filters

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Diversity of bats in Peechi-Vazhani wildlife sanctuary, Western ghats, Kerala
    (Department of Wildlife Science, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2005) Radhakrishnan, S R; KAU; Nameer, P O
    Bats though constitute the largest mammalian order in India; very little studies have been done on them. This has resulted in a gap in our knowledge about the very basic information about the distribution pattern and status of these mammals. This is true for the bats of Kerala also. The present study to generate information on diversity of bats in Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary was carried out during the period May 2002 to April 2003. A total of 384 mist net hours were spent, out of which 307 mist net hours in moist deciduous and 77 mist net hours in evergreen habitats, in accordance with the proportional area under the two habitats in the sanctuary. The result of the study revealed that during the study period a total of 184 individuals of bats were collected through mist netting from Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary. 18 bat species belonging to four families were obtained. This constitutes about 58.07 per cent of the bat species in Kerala and 15.93 per cent of the total bat species in India. The bat families identified were Pteropodidae, Megadermatidae, Rhinolophidae and Vespertilionidae. All the four species of the Kerala fruit bats (Pteropodidae) were recorded from Peechi-Vazahni Wildlife Sanctuary. So also, both the species of the False Vampire bats (Megadermatidae) present in Kerala were also obtained from the study area. Of the other families maximum number of species (seven) was obtained for Vespertilionidae followed by Rhinolophidae (five). Out of the twenty locations selected for the study, Cynopterus sphinx and Rhinolophus rouxii were found in nine locations each. Maximum number of species representing all the four families was recorded during the present study from premises of Peechi dam (eight) which is a moist deciduous area. Maximum numbers of individuals were obtained from another moist deciduous habitat, Thamaravellachal and were belonging to three different families. The species obtained were Cynopterus sphinx (Pteropodiade), Rhinolophus rouxii (Rhinolophidae), Rhinolophus fulvus (Rhinolophidae) and Megaderma spasma (Megadermatidae). Cynopterus sphinx was found to be the most abundant species in the Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary followed by Rhinolophus rouxii, Megaderma spasma, Hipposideros speoris and Rousettus leschenaulti. The bat species Pipistrellus ceylonicus, Pipistrellus affinis, Pipistrellus coromandra, and Kerivoula picta were showing the minimum abundance (1). The analysis of the data revealed that there is no significant variation in bat diversity between the two habitats in Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary. Even though there was no significant difference between the two habitats, a close perusal of the data showed that maximum number of species was obtained from moist-deciduous habitat (15). Moist deciduous habitat recorded 166 individuals. Evergreen habitat recorded 18 individuals in six species. Among the 18 species recorded from the sanctuary, Pipistrellus affinis and Rhinolophus rouxii are near threatened species as per the IUCN criteria. The remaining sixteen species are coming under the category least concern. Rhinolophus rouxii is the second most abundant species in the sanctuary. Hipposideros speoris is endemic to south Asia. Small mammals with smaller area requirements would have been the last one to be affected due to the changes in the landscape and habitat degradation. Smaller mammals are susceptible to the alterations in the habitat and thus could be a good indicator of the habitat health. The development of comprehensive inventories of key vertebrate taxa such as bats derived from a combination of several standardized sampling procedures is essential to develop meaningful, conservation oriented plans for land use and management for protected areas. Conservation strategies may be improved if information on species abundance pattern is taken into account.