Remote Sensing Based Habitat Availability Model (HAM) - a Tool for Quick-look Assessment of Wetlands as Waterbird Habitats

Due to various activities of man, wetlands are facing destruction and degradation which further leads to the progressive loss of biological diversity including diversity of waterbirds. Under such situation, there is an urgent need of monitoring and sustainabl by managing at least protected wetland areas on priority basis by applying modern tools and techniques. Satellite remote sensing is a technique which is found very useful for this purpose. Apart from mapping and monitoring waterbird habitats in wetlands, it can also facilitate evaluation of wetlands as wildlife (waterbird) habitats through the development of quantitative models. There is a need of developing such a model which quickly provides a quantitative insight into the availability of different habitats/microhabitats required by a waterfowl species in the entire wetland prior to the detailed evaluation of the habitat quality/suitability. Habitat Availability Model (HAM) is one such model. With its grid.based quantitative approach, the model may help a wetland! wildlife manager in quantitatively and quickly knowing the magnitude and spatial distribution of habitat availability for a waterbird at a wetland in 1 km × 1 km sampling plots spread over the entire wetland. In the present paper development and application of HAM has been demonstrated for two waterbird species occurring at Nal Sarovar (Gujarat) namely, White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and Chestnut Bittern (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus).lt may enable field based wildlife/wetland managers of developing countries to construct and apply appropriate models on the similar lines for managing wetlands as habitats for important waterfowl.