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Shōliga

Shōliga is an ethnic group of India Its members inhabit the Biligiriranga Hills and associated ranges in southern Karnataka, mostly in the Chamrajnagar and Kollegal districts and the Nilgiri and Erode districts of Tamil Nadu. The Sholiga speak the Sholaga dialect which belongs to the Dravidian family. They have a population of around 20,000 individuals. There are about five subgroups – Male Sholiga, Urali Sholiga, Burudu Sholiga, Kadu Sholiga and Pujari Sholiga. The Sholiga community used to practice shifting cultivation earlier but have more or less given up this practice now. They grow Ragi or finger millet (Eleusine coracana) for subsistence.

The Sholiga’s main source of income is harvesting and sale of non-timber forest produce (NTFP) like honey, nellikai (gooseberry) and paasi (Lichen). They also proficient at bamboo craft and make baskets and furniture using bamboo. Active Government and NGO initiatives are increasing ‘mainstreaming’ the community and many have been given lands closer to ‘civilised areas’ and most of the forest-dwelling population have been brought together into clusters called podus.

Most of the forest area they stay in is protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Biligirirangan Hills is a Wildlife Sanctuary, the Malai Mahadeswara Hills is a Reserve Forest, and Bandipur is a Tiger Reserve. The Sholiga community’s rights on harvesting NTFP is being sought through the recently implemented Forest Right Act. They practice traditional mixed millet food farming which includes exclusive varieties of little millets and maize other than pulses, cereals, greens, vegetables and tubers. Indigenous breeds of cattle and buffalo are reared in large herds using the forest pen system. Underground granaries are used to store millets. The community is also involved in collecting forest produce like honey, amla, shikakai, bellerica, chebula, lichens, soap berries and phoenix leaves for a living. Keystone has involved them in afforestation activities through village forest councils and forest developmental activities are implemented by eco-development committees created by the Forest Department.

Sources: 1. Nath et al. (2007). Honey Trails in the Blue Mountains. Keystone Foundation
2. Wikipedia

 

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Indigenous Communities – India

Scheduled Tribe communities live in about 15% of the country’s areas, in various ecological and geoclimatic conditions ranging from plains and forests to hills and inaccessible areas. Tribal groups are at different stages of social, economic and educational development. While some tribal communities have adopted a mainstream way of life, at the other end of the spectrum, there are certain Scheduled Tribes, 75 in number known as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (earlier termed as Primitive Tribal Groups) (PVTGs), who are characterised by a pre-agriculture level of technology, a stagnant or declining population, extremely low literacy, and a subsistence level of economy

There are over 700 Scheduled Tribes notified under Article 342 of the Constitution of India, spread over different States and Union Territories of the country. Many tribes are present in more than one State. The largest number of communities listed as Scheduled Tribes are in the State of Odisha, i.e. 62.

While all tribal communities are closely linked to their environment, there are some whose lifestyle and activities directly influence or are influenced by pollinators, especially the honey bee. This website is dedicated to gathering and disseminating information about them and their traditional knowledge and practices that help conserve pollinators and their habitats

Source: Ministry of Tribal Affairs Annual Report 2016-17

Cliff honey hunting
Cliff honey hunting
Toda man collecting honey from a hive in tree cavity
Southern India
Dongria Kondh of Niyamgiri, Odisha
Eastern India
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About Pollinating Agents

Pollination is the process of transfer of pollen from the anthers (male part) of a flower to the stigma (female part) of the flower through which fertilization is achieved. Pollination is a vital step in reproduction of flowering plants to obtain viable seeds.

Methods of Pollination

Self Pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to stigma of the same flower or same plant is self pollination.

Cross Pollination:  The transfer of pollen from the anther of one plant to the stigma of another plant of same species through natural agents, is called cross pollination.

The transfer of pollen between anther and stigma is accomplished by various agents. These agents could be living organisms (bees and butterflies) or natural agents (wind and water). Living organisms are the more numerous of pollinators and honey bees (social and solitary), wasps, flies, moths, butterfly, birds, bats and animals are the most common agents of pollination. Other pollination agents such as wind and water also contribute to cross pollination.

Living agents cause pollination to take place during the collection of nectar or pollen as food. The aim of the animals is not to facilitate pollination, but to derive nutrition. Pollination takes place as a happy side effect of their foraging. Almost 80% of food crops, medicinal plants, commercial and fuel plants and fodder plants require pollination to propagate their species. Without pollinators, these plant species would not be able to produce viable seeds and hence would be go extinct. Once the plant dies out, all organisms that are dependent on that plant species would suffer as well.

Artificial Pollination: Also called mechanical or hand pollination is practiced by farmers to increase fruit setting in crops such as apple, vanilla and sunflower.

Pollinators provide an essential ecosystem service. Indeed, approximately 80% of all flowering plant species are pollinated by animals, including vertebrates and mammals – but the main pollinators are insects. Pollinators such as bees, birds and bats affect 35% of the world’s crop production, increasing outputs of 87 of the leading food crops worldwide, as well as many plant-derived medicines. Pollination is critical for food production and human livelihoods, and directly links wild ecosystems with agricultural production systems. In medium elevation wet evergreen forest of the Western Ghats, Apis bees contributed to the pollination of 18% of 86 species of trees, and 22% of the understory shrubs (Devy & Davidar 2003, 2006).