Ketan Tatu

Abstract

The study conducted between 1997 and 2000 by GEER Foundation has shown that Sarus population in Gujarat State is around 1,700 individuals. Majority (about 84%) of the Sarus population (1,456) in the State is concentrated in Kheda and Ahmedabad Districts in Central and North Gujarat respectively. Kheda has the highest population (737 Cranes) in the State, whereas Ahmedabad District has the second-highest population (719 Cranes). Matar Taluka in Kheda District and Viramgam Taluka in Ahmedabad District support the highest population among all the talukas in the respective districts. Surendranagar, Valsad and Mehsana Districts also support moderately good population of the Crane. With respect to the population of the C:rane in the State in the year 1984, the present Sarus population is fractional.

Full Text

     

Ketan Tatu , M. M. Kimothi , J. S. Parihar

Abstract

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.

Full Text

     

Ketan Tatu , M. M. Kimothi , J. S. Parihar

Abstract

Waterbird (Waterfowl) habitats in wetlands are deteriorating due to variety of human activities threatening the survival of waterfowl. Sound management of such habitats is possible ifinformation regarding them is available. Satellite remote sensing can be very useful in providing such information through delineation, mapping and inventorying of habitats. The methodology developed for delineation, mapping and inventorying waterbird habitats in an inland wetland viz. Nal Sarovar (Gujarat State) has been discussed in the present paper. Suitability and limitations of important aspects of the methodology adopted for preparing 'Habitat Distribution Maps' are also revealed and discussed. Mid-winter season (January/February) data of Landsat (MSSITM) and IRS LISS II has been found very appropriate for studying waterbird habitats. Classification system up to level III has been developed. IRS LISS II FCC has been found to be more effective in distinguishing habitat of emergent aquatic vegetation from the nearby terrestrial herbaceous cover during early post-monsoon period. Mapping scale of 1: 50,000 was found appropriate with respect to the resolution of the Landsat (MSS/ TM) and IRS LISS II images employed in the study. Accuracy of the 'Habitat Distribution Maps' was tested on the sample basis assuming a binomial distribution for the probability of success/failure of sample points. It was found to be 92 per cent at 90 per cent confidence level.

Full Text

     

Yashpal Anand , Ketan Tatu , C. N. Pandey

Abstract

No Abstarct

Full Text