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ECOLOGY IN INDIA

 During the first third of 20th century, there started to develop such specialised areas of ecology as paleo-ecology, zoogeography, oceanography, limnology etc., and  then was introduced the population concept on which statistical studied and sampling techniques were employed for solving the community problems. this era is popularly called as era of population and community ecologist. 

Ecological studies during the first half of the 20th century could make it evident that humans are an integral part of the complex ecosystem 'the ecosphere' and how anthropogenic activities disrupted the ecological processes leading to degradation of the environment that affected the humans as much as other forms of life, plants, animals and microbes. We are facing the greatest challenge to our intellect and wisdom for saving the humanity from extinction. It has arisen from our activities constricting the environment and depleting the natural resources of biosphere, specially so in the name of development. It is not only the question of depletion of the biosphere as such but our own survival.

Comprehensive autecological studies (the ecological study of an individual organism, or sometimes a particular species) in India were indeed initiated by R.Mishra, who after his return from Leeds(U.K.) contributed to autecology of herbaceous plants of different habitat conditions such as aquatics (1944), ravines and eroded river banks (1944) and lowlying areas (1948). In 1948 R.Mishra and S.Rao studied the autecology of Lindenbergia polyantha, revealing a number of important facts about the distribution of this species. The extensive investigations into the phytosociology of grassland and mangroves by F.R.Bharucha (1941), desert by Sarup and co-workers and forest by G.S.Puri (1950,1951,1960)made turning point in the history of development of ecology in the country.

The first two viable centres of ecology were established by R.Mishra at the department of botany, Banaras Hindu University and by F.R.Bharucha at the Institute of science, Bombay in 1930s. The Banaras Centre was reactivated to work in diverse areas (1955-1962) in eco-physiology (V.Kaul), root-soil interrelationships of grasslands (S.S.Raman) and riparian lands (R.S.Ambasht), ecotypic differentiation (P.S.Ramakrishnan) and reproductive capacity of herbage species (H.R.Sant and V.G.Nelvigi). In the next phase (1963-1971) the Banaras Centre concentrated on autecology of medicinal plants and weeds (R.S.Tripathi), grasslands productivity (J.S.Sing) and forest litter decomposition and productivity (K.P.Sing).

Keeping in view the role of biological productivity in human welfare, launching of IBP (International Biological Programme) by ICSU (International Council of Scientific Unions) made an important landmark in the development of ecology in India. Under this programme extensive study of the productivity of different kinds of ecosystem of the world was undertaken. In 1971, under UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), was launched an intergovernmental programme, IBP in which the India side was led by R.Mishra. The objective of this programme was to study in detail the effects of  different kinds of ecosystem of biosphere upon man. The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) was set up in 1966 with its Head Quarter at New Delhi as national laboratory under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.



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