Globalization and India’s international trade: does distance still matter?

GeoJournal - This paper attempts to capture the missing ‘distance’ puzzle in the globalization process driven by trade flows. It is widely recognized that the growing global economic...     

Tolerance and accumulation of hexavalent chromium by two seaweed associated aspergilli

Marine seaweed (Eucheuma sp.) associated strains of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger were tested for their Cr(VI) tolerance. Both the isolates showed luxuriant growth in different concentrations of Cr(VI), i.e., 25, 50 and 100 ppm. There was no marked variation in the dry weight of control and test isolates, which indicated that both the isolates can tolerate a wide range of hexavalent chromium and their application for bioremediation purpose can be envisaged as XRF data revealed both the isolates accumulated more than 25% of the chromium supplied. A. flavus invariably exhibited higher accumulation potential.     

Assessing and monitoring forest health using a forest fragmentation approach in Sariska Tiger Reserve,India

The relationship between trajectories of forest cover change and fragmentation due to physical and anthropogenic activities in Sariska Tiger Reserve is addressed in the article. The authors conducted a field visit to the reserve to collect groundtruth data and perform a village survey. Thereafter, their main method consisted of using Landsat TM images for three days, one in each of the years 1989, 1994, and 2014, to assess spatial-temporal variation in forest cover. A fragmentation model was used to examine the extent and pattern of forest degradation. The results showed an overall increase in forest cover in Sariska Tiger Reserve from 53% in 1989 to 55% in 2014. However, the fragmentation statistics revealed a deterioration in forest health. There was an increase in the fragmentation categories perforated, edge, and patch in their respective areas, while the core areas decreased at the expense of other fragmentation classes. The existence of villages, roads, and pilgrimage sites had increased the pace of degradation and fragmentation of forest in the reserve. The authors conclude that the fragmentation model was effective for analysing forest degradation and identifying the priority areas for strategic planning of nature conservation.     

Volcanology and lava flow morpho-types from the Koyna-Warna region,western Deccan Traps,India

Flow mapping and physical volcanology of 15 basaltic lavas exposed in three critical road pass sections (ghats) in the Koyna-Warna region of the western Deccan Traps is presented in this paper. Transitional lavas like rubbly pahoehoe are most common morpho-type exposed in these ghat sections. Sinking of rubbly breccia into flow interiors and formation of breccia-cored rosette are common in some lava flows. Few rubbly lavas exhibit slabby tendencies. The amount and nature of the associated rubble is variable and result from the mechanical fracturing and auto-brecciation of the upper vesicular crust in response to distinctive stages in the cooling, crystallization and emplacement history of individual lava flows. Occurrence of aa and pahoehoe morpho-types in the lava flow sequence is subordinate. Three prominent pahoehoe flows separated by red bole horizons are seen in the upper parts of the Kumbharli ghat. These are thick, P-type sheet pahoehoe. The pahoehoe lavas represent compound flow fields that grew by budding, endogenous lava transfer and inflation. Presence of pahoehoe lavas in the Koyna-Warna region hints at possible hitherto unrecorded southern extension of Bushe-like flow fields. This study reconfirms the existence of pahoehoe-slabby-rubbly-aa flow fields and transitions even in the upper echelons of the Deccan Trap stratigraphy. The study of morphology and internal structure of lava flows exposed at the ghat sections in the Koyna-Warna region could guide subsurface core-logging that is critical in deciphering the physical volcanology and emplacement dynamics of basaltic lava flows penetrated by drill holes sunk under the scientific deep drilling programme.