SUPPORTING NATIVE BIODIVERSITY IN HUMAN-DOMINATED LANDSCAPES

The traditional model of wildlife conservation is to exclude areas populated by people. This leaves large swaths of land outside of the protected areas out of reach of biodiversity and nature conservation movement. We promote habitat management and policy advocacy that ensures coexistence of biodiversity and people in urban, rural, agricultural and semi-protected ecosystems. 

We encourage planting and preservation of native plants and maintaining numerous small patches of wild and semi-wild habitats in human-dominated landscapes. This will ensure that habitat and species conservation happens outside of the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as well. This will also help combat the spread of invasive plants and animals, which are a major cause of loss of biodiversity.

This will also ensure that ordinary people are able to directly participate in nature and biodiversity conservation. They can plants native trees, shrubs and herbs in their neighbourhood gardens and parks, and do the same in their home gardens as well.

ACTIONS TAKEN:

Planting of native, biodiversity-friendly trees and shrubs in the Doresanipalya Forest Research Campus, southern Bangaluru: This is done every year during the Butterfly and Bee Festival organized by Karnataka Forest Department, Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust, and local nature clubs.

A SHORT LIST OF NATIVE, BIODIVERSITY-FRIENDLY PLANTS: Here is a list of plants that are easily available in nurseries, and which support native biodiversity. We encourage people to plant :

Cassia fistula – Amaltas, Golden Shower Tree: This is a larval host plant of several butterflies and nectar plant for birds. Read more information at: https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/Cassia-fistula.

Mangifera indica – Mango: This is a larval host plant and nectar plant of several butterflies. Read more information at: https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/mangifera-indica.