The creepy crawly arachnids may not have a huge fan base, but they are still an integral part of the ecosystem. Now one researcher is keenly looking forward to the creation of four research centres in the country that will concentrate on studying just the arachnids like spiders and scorpions.
G N Vankhede, professor and head of the zoology department at Amravati University has sent a proposal to the ministry of environment to plan four research centre for arachnids in the country. Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University will be the lead institution, with other proposed sub-centres at the Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun), Walchand College (Solapur) and Zoological Survey of India (Kolkata). The centres will document a comprehensive inventory of arachnids from protected areas.
Vankhede said, “Arachnids research is a neglected field. The proposed centres will take up key species and they will be identified, particularly endemics, rare and range restricted, including their distribution and ecology, in order to provide for their protection for a long term.”
Arachnids are joint legged invertebrate animals like spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites. These creatures improve soil quality by decaying leaf litter. They also help check the insect population from growing when they feed on insects. The research centres will help know more about the distribution as well as the biodiversity of different species of arachnids. It is important because if the microhabitats of small species like insects and arachnids are protected, it will in turn help protect the entire area.
“The soil arachnids are important as they improve the quality of soil by decaying the leaf litter and also by keeping the soil organism population in control. Their enlisting will definitely be of use in forest management,” said Vankhede who is also the head of Indian Society of Arachnology.
Vankhede’s team has already discovered 1600 spider species in Melghat Reserve Area in central India. The proposed study will also evaluate spider assemblage in the Melghat tiger reserve, Tadoba-Andhari tiger reserve and Pench tiger reserve. This will help maintain the spider collections (gene pool).
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Article reference: TOI
Greetings
i ppreciate your love of nature
and i also like
i want ur help
i collect one spider you kind help of identification of spider
i expect ur reply
Dear Dr. Maridass. Please post a picture of your spider at our facebook page and we’ll surely help you identify the spider.
I have amazing net poto of spider i think you want to see it
do share your photograph by mailing to contact@indiasendangered.com
Dear Team, I am a macro photographer by hobby, i am very interested in spiders and frogs, if you want during new research of the spiders, you can contact me, for taking the photographs…
regards
Gururaj.S
Hey ! I’m from South Africa and I can prove to you that spiders comes just for a bite’snack ! Since I was young ! Saw one walking under my door directly towards me … They always come for me ! Maybe a blood type problem .. but spiders do like something of me.. Guess It makes me a spider lady…
WE are engaged in non invasive genome analysis and genetic variability studies of Spiders of Flood Plain and semi desert conditions in our Lab, and will be happy to help and associate in the project.
i want to do spider research.
completed Masters in Zoology.
i have a fair bit of knowledge about spiders.
i want to be a part of your project team.
Thank you,
Aswathy
Hi Aswathy, Would encourage you to apply to colleges or organisations that are working with spiders and spider research. We are not a research organisation, only a digital publication. Best wishes.
Im a medical student …and side by side a keen spider observer and i have been studying on them for a last few years. I want to imply my medical knowledge and spider knowledgw for human benefit .if like , please reply.
I really really want to be an arachnologist.
Please
Its my himble request you ro reply me.
Thankyou
Nice to hear that Ashutosh. Maybe you can volunteer with some organisations like BNHS in Mumbai or NCF in Bangalore or any other similar organisation where you live and learn as well as apply your knowledge in the field. Best wishes.
Can i join with this programme? i’m currently pursuing my post graduation diploma in wild life from Gujarat University, i’ve choosen spiders as my dissertation topic, after completing this degree i wanna do research in this field only