ANIMALS AS WEATHER-FORECASTING BIO-INDICATORS A CASE STUDY OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES OF BISHNUPUR DISTRICT, MANIPUR, NE INDIA."

  • Department of Life Sciences & Bioinformatics, Assam University, Diphu Campus.
  • Department of Zoology, D. M. College of Science, Imphal, Manipur.
Crossref Cited-by Linking logo

  • Abstract
  • Keywords
  • References
  • Cite This Article as
  • Corresponding Author

The indigenous people of Manipur, particularly those confined in Bishnupur district, have vast applications of traditional knowledge predicting the weather forecast using bioindicators based on the behaviour of animals. The bioindicators are mainly based on the behavioral of animals. The use of bioindicators is an innovative approach for assessing various types of environmental mismanagement, including pollution, high input farming, inappropriate disposal of wastes, contamination, etc. The successful applications of the forecasting knowledge are based on comparison with past events, good prognosis, close observation and a thorough understanding of the local environment. Local community members, cultural leaders and local elders have observed recent abnomalies in the weather, with unusual rains and abrupt changes in temperature. Due to this phenomenon, some plant species are changing their growth patterns. This type of traditional knowledge has excellent for wider application, in Bishnupur as elsewhere; there is a threat to people?s livelihoods and cultural diversity. Today, there is an urgent need to document all traditional knowledge and folklore among the diverse ethnic communities before the traditional cultures are completely lost.

  1. Altieri, M. (1999). The Ecological Role of Biodiversity in Agroecosystems. Ecosyst. Environ. 74 (1?3), 19?31.
  2. Anandraja N , Rathakrishnan T, Ramasubramanian M, Saravan P & Suganthi NS (2008). Indigenous weather and forecast practices of Coimbatore district farmers of Tamil Nadu, Indian J Traditional Knowledge. 7: 630-633.
  3. Angchok D & Dubey VK (2006). Traditional method of rainfall prediction through Almanacs in Ladakh, Indian J Traditional Knowledge, 5(1) 145-150.
  4. Aparna P & PC Trivedi (2011). Cultural values and indigenous knowledge of climatic and disaster prediction in Rajasthan, India.
  5. Antweiler C (1998). Local knowledge and local knowing: An anthropological analysis of contested cultural products in the context of development. Anthropos 93:469-494.
  6. Balwanera P (2001). Conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services, Science,291(2047-204.
  7. Bharara LP (1986). Indigenous Knowledge ?A Copying Mechanism in Drought-prone Areas, and Changes and Consequences of Accelerating Risks and Vulnerability to Desertification in Western Rajasthan, Paper presented at Seminar on control of Drought, Desertification and Famine, New Delhi, Mimeo.
  8. Bharara LP & Seeland K. (1994). Indigenous Knowledge and drought in the arid zone of Rajasthan: weather prediction as a means to cope with a hazardous climate . Int Asienforum 25 , 53-71.
  9. Bhowmik, S. R. (from June 29th to july 1st,2010). Climate change and Indigenous peoples: Community adaptation and sustainbility of biocultural diversityin eastern Himalaya,Arunachal pradesh in 2010 Climate change adaptation conference: . Climate adaptation futures, preparing forunavoidable impacts of climate change , Gold Cost Queensland, Australia , 300.
  10. Briggs John (2005). The use of Indegenous knowledge in Development: Problems and Challenges , Progress in Development Studies 5:99-114.
  11. Chang?a LB, Yanda PZ & Ngana J (1991). Indigenous knowledge in seasonal rainfall prediction in Selvanayagum M, Some of the traditional beliefs currently in vogue at Kovilpatti, Honey Bee,2(2).
  12. Dhanapati D. L (1989&1995). Folklore on the use of indidenous plants and animals in Manipur. 75-145.
  13. Dhanapati, D. L. (1989). Ethnobiological studies of Manipur valley with reference to Museological Aspect .Ph.D. Thesis ,Manipur University.
  14. Dekens Julie (2007).Local knowledge for disaster prepardness ? A literature Review, (International Centre for Mountain Development : Kathmandu.
  15. Dessai S, Lu X & Risbey JS (2005). On the role of climate scenarios for adaptation planning, Global Environmental Change, Part A 15 (2): 87-97.
  16. Fisher (1997). RJIF rain doesn, come: An Anthropological study of drought and Human Ecology in Western Rajasthan, Sydney Studies,Manohar Publishers and Distributors.
  17. Galacgac ES & Balisacan CM (2009). Traditional weather forecasting for sustainable agroforestry practices in Ilocos Norte Province, Phillippines, Forest Ecol Manage, 257 2044-205.
  18. Laishram Imoba and Yurung Maipak Chothe (2003) Folksongs of Chothe, Lamlanghupi Women?s Society.
  19. Lantz TC & Turner NJ (2003). Traditional phenological knowledge (TPK) of aboriginal peoples IN British Columbia, J Ethnobiol, 23(2) 263-286.
  20. Hussain Z (1991).Human Adaptations in the Thar Desert, Geographical Review of India, J Indian Farming 53 (4):40-51.
  21. India, C. o. (2001). Directorate of Census Operations,. Registrar General of India, Manipur .
  22. Joshua S. Okanya & Jurgen Kroschel (2013). Indigenous knowledge of seasonal weather forecasting: A case study in six regions of Uganda.
  23. Lantz TC & Turner NJ (2003). Traditional phenological knowledge (TPK) of aboriginal peoples IN British Columbia, J Ethnobiol, 23(2) 263-286.
  24. Matari ER, Chang?a LB, Chikojo GE & Hyera T (2008). Climate Change scenario development for Second National Communiction ? Tanzania, TMA Res J, I 40-54.
  25. Mcfarland JM & Strand JF (1994). Weather-wise planning in farm management, In: Handbook of Agricultural Meteorology, edited by Groffiths JF, (Oxford University Press, London), 264-272.
  26. Posey D (1992). Peoples of the fallow: a historical ecology on foraging in lowland South America. In: Redford, K.H., Padoch,C. (Eds.), Conservation of Neotropical Forests.Working fromTraditional Resource Use, Colombia University Press, New York, , 21?34.
  27. Ravi Shankar k, Pochaiah Maraty, Murthy VRK & Ramakrishna YS (2008). In: Indigenous Rain Forecasting in Andhra Pradesh, edited by Prasad YG, (Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, CRIDA, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad), 67.
  28. Roncoli C,Ingram& Kirshen P (2002). Reading the rains: Local knowledge and rainfall forecasting in Burkina Faso, Soc Nat Resour,15(2002)409-427.
  29. Sen S (1992). Tribes and Castes of Manipur. 1st Edn,Mittal publications,New Delhi , 47-48.
  30. Selvanayagun M (1991). Some of the traditional beliefs currently in vogue at Kovilpatti, Honey Bee, 2(2).
  31. Sivanarayana G (1993). Indigenous Technical Knowledge and its Communication Pattern in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh, PhD Thesis, (Department of Extension Education,BHU, Varanasi).
  32. State of Environment Report Manipur(2009). Environment and Ecological Office Government of Manipur ,Chapter 1:5.
  33. Turner NJ (2003). The ethnobotany of ?edible seaweed?(Porphyra abbottiae Krishnamurthy and related species; Rhodophyta: Bangiales) and its use by first nations on the Pacific Coast of Canada, Can J Bot,81(2) :283-293.
  34. Turner N J & Clifton H (2006). The forest and the seaweed "Gitga'at seaweed ,Traditional Ecological Knowledge and community survival. In: Eating and Healing,edited by Pieroni A & Price LL .
  35. Turner NJ & Clifton H (2009). ?It?s so different today?: Climate change and indigenous life ways in British Columbia, Canada, Global Environ Change, 19:180-190.
  36. Vavrova M, Gargosova HZ, Sucman E, Vecerek V, Korinek P, Zukal J, Zejda J, Sebastianova N, Kubistova I (2003). Game animals and small terrestrial mammals ? suitable bioindicators for the pollution assessment in agrarian ecosystems. Fresen Environ Bull 12: 167-172.
  37. VK A.D (2006). Traditional method of rainfall prediction through Almanacs in Ladakh. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge , 114-124.

[Th. Ajita Chanu, Robindro Teron, O. Shashi Kumar Singh And H. Tombi Singh. (2019); ANIMALS AS WEATHER-FORECASTING BIO-INDICATORS A CASE STUDY OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES OF BISHNUPUR DISTRICT, MANIPUR, NE INDIA." Int. J. of Adv. Res. 7 (May). 502-509] (ISSN 2320-5407). www.journalijar.com

Th. Ajita Chanu
4Department of Life Sciences & Bioinformatics, Assam University, Diphu Campus

DOI:

Article DOI: 10.21474/IJAR01/9066      
DOI URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/9066

Download Full Paper

Download PDF No. of Downloads: 125 | No. of Views: 408