Shivamogga: Kuvempu University (KU) has become the first public university in Karnataka to sign an MoU with the National Centre for Biological Sciences, a part of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), to set up a Forest Monitoring Centre on its Jnana Sahyadri campus.
Spread over 320 acres, the campus comes under the purview of the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhadravathi taluk.
The Sustainable Eco Club of the university’s Environmental Science Department has taken the initiative in obtaining the needed instruments from donors for the establishment of the Forest Monitoring Centre which would test soil and the air quality of the forest area on the campus.
Speaking to DH, Kuvempu University Environmental Science Department Professor Yogendra said the Centre would benefit the university’s research scholars and students of biological sciences as it can help gather accurate data on soil, water, the area’s air quality and various plant functions.
“Plants inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. Through the centre, research scholars can get data on the quantum of oxygen released by plants. The number of leaves and type of trees play a key role in assessing the quantum of oxygen. For all these activities, staff and students of the university can use three buggy vehicles which would be officially operated from January 10,” he said.
Prof Yogendra said students will have to visit three such areas on the campus to study plant growth every day and accurate data will prove beneficial in the future. Studying climate change at the micro-level will prove beneficial in many ways. The centre would function round the clock and data will go to the centre set up on the campus.
Eco-nest
On eco-nest, he said benches have been set up beneath trees on the campus using recycled materials including water bottles. Students can sit on them and read books. This will offer an innovative outdoor learning space under the natural canopy of trees and aims to blend education with environmental stewardship.
Bicycles on campus
Currently, the university’s students and staff use 30 bicycles. Now, 53 more bicycles will be made available for them. Over 4,000 students are studying on the campus. So, meeting the demand is turning out to be an uphill task, Prof Yogendra said.