PhD Theses (WII)
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Item Community Structure of Dung Beetles in Kailash Sacred Landscape, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India(wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2020) Chauhan, Mona; Uniyal, V.P.; Chandra, KailashDue to the recent wave of urbanization, mountain areas are being transferred into urban and agriculture land at alarming rates. The Kailash Sacred Landscape, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India is highly vulnerable due to fragmentation and urbanization, including increased anthropogenic disturbance, reduced area, loss of habitats, invasion of new species and ecological transformations. Therefore, it is important to document the status of biodiversity prevailing in these areas to identify the level of biodiversity still left in forest fragments. No records exist about the community structure of dung beetles in the landscape and hence we lack crucial historical documentation of the natural communities in landscape which would remain as an important source of information for measuring species extinctions in the area. This study provides basic inventory and diversity pattern of dung beetles from the undiscovered area of the Kailash Sacred Landscape, Pithoragarh, India. This study also suggested bioindicator based ecological monitoring and excellent insight for future conservation and management planning which will help the managers to set priority areas for habitat improvement or restrict areas to deteriorate any further. The study area is Kailash Sacred Landscape (KSL), Pithoragarh, India part exhibits great variability and heterogeneity in altitude and topography, due to this ecosystems of this region vary widely from subtropical to temperate, alpine, and cold high altitude desert types. Similarly, the landscape harbors a high diversity of flora and fauna of both regional and global significance.Item Diversity and Distribution Pattern of Moths (Lepidoptera : Heterocera) with special emphasis on family noctuidae in Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttarakhand(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Bandyopadhyay, Uttaran; Uniyal, V.P.This study has been planned to prepare a consolidated inventory of moth fauna of one of the most diverse protected areas of Uttarakhand, the Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, to assess the seasonal variation of a specialist group, the Noctuidae. The study also aimed to determine the effects of the environmental factors that govern the distribution as well as assemblage pattern of this particular family and targeted to identify the species with potential to indicate overall quality of the different habitats altitudinally which in term will contribute in future species conservation strategies.Item Soil Nematode community structure along elevational Gradient in Bhagirathi Basin, Uttarakhand - A Morphological and Molecular approach.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Kashyap, Priyanka; Uniyal, V.P.Gangotri National Park (GNP) is a protected area and has fewer human disturbances, allowing soil nematodes to diversify. However, it has harsh climatic conditions at high altitudes, which may hinder the nematode community structure. Systematic study of the soil inhabiting nematodes associated with forest vegetation of Gangotri National Park is discussed in this thesis. A compiled inventory of the soil nematode genera recorded from GNP during this study has also been provided in this thesis. A total of 62 nematode genera and fifteen species were identified from high altitude region of GNP. vegetation type is a significant factor for soil nematode diversity as every vegetation type has a different local environment and physicochemical properties that affect the soil biota, specifically soil nematodes being present at various trophic levels in the soil food web. Among the various vegetation types in Gangotri National Park's high-altitude areas, there are substantial differences in the taxonomic composition, the energy flow channels, and nematode community structures, which provide actual examples for understanding the role of soil nematodes in key soil ecological processes in the region. This study is a pioneer study in the region evaluating the effect of vegetation type on soil nematode diversity therefore, more similar studies are required to comprehend the relationship between nematode diversity and soil ecosystems of high altitude vegetations.Item Assessment fof Bees in Agroforestry in Kangsabati South Forest Division, Purulia, West Bengal(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Das, Pallabi; Uniyal, V.P.; Chandra, KailashPlant pollinator interactions have evolved through diffuse co-evolution, representations of relation between plants and animal species, where bees play a crucial role in preserving native plants' diversity and their reproduction success. This research intended to investigate the bee community composition in the agroforestry ecosystem, focusing on the impact of anthropogenic activities on pollinator diversity and ecosystem services of wild bees. This study made an effort to compile a list of bee species in both agriculture and forest ecosystems and their interaction with plant functional groups in the study site. The study was conducted in Kangsabati South Forest Division (KSFD) in Purulia, West Bengal. Extensive field research was conducted from February 2020 to April 2023. In the study, 25 species were successfully documented from three habitats: mixed forest, Sal forest, and agricultural landscape. The study found that the majority of residents in the study area were below the poverty level and an Indigenous community, relying on forest for firewood and non-timber forest product (NTFP). Agriculture practices were prevalent, with migrant labor being a significant trend. The agricultural practice was not considered eco-friendly, and excessive pesticides were used. The study also found that less than 50% of the respondents were familiar with bees. Subsistent and unskilled agriculture was practiced by less literate farmers, leading to land degradation and wasteland. The study highlights the need for eco-friendly agriculture practices and the degradation of natural habitats due to human activities. The relationship between bee species diversity and the stability of ecosystem service (E.S.) was investigated in this study. The study categorized bee communities into social and wild bees, and interpolated (IDW) diversity maps were generated for each survey site. The decline in population and diversity of bees' is observed gradually due to the influence of several anthropogenic activities, as demonstrated by several past studies. A low to slightly intermediate anthropogenic impact, mainly for agricultural landscapes, was noticed through the Human Footprint Index (HFI) map of KSFD.Item Assessment of Socio-Environmental Adaptation strategies for sustainable Livelihood Development in the villages around Govind Pashu Vihar, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand(wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Chandra. Rommila; Uniyal, V.P.The study is an attempt to assess the socio-economic and ecological conditions of mountain farmers for their sustainable livelihood development, with the following three objectives; I. Documentation of traditional knowledge and traditional cropping practices in the study area. II. Assessment of ecosystem services in the agroecological landscape in the study area. III. Estimating the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers for sustainable livelihood opportunities in the study area The study was conducted in Govind Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, located in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand (India). The entire area lies in the middle and greater Himalayas with a varying altitude of 1300m to 6323m. The terrain is almost hilly and is an important catchment for the Tons River, which is a major tributary of the Yamuna River. The documentation of culture, traditional agriculture and traditional knowledge clearly highlighted the uniqueness of the area for a potential socio-economic development. As per the assessment, the local people were trying to change their negative cultural image of being associated with the mythological Duryodhana. It also sheds light on the relation between medicinal plant use with the age of people, availability of medical facility and distance of households from the forest area. The knowledge richness index values call for the attention, as one could say that the younger population had knowledge about their traditional system, but it was decreasing through generations. The local farmers were trying to diversify their cropping system through cash-crop farming, which was clearly evident in the connected as well as isolated villages. The traditional crops were just being cultivated for subsistence, leading to a critical decline in the area under their cultivation. These changes indicate preference of local community for an economically productive livelihood system.Item Prediction of quality of water emphasizing on nutrient dynamics in Kosi Watershed, Uttarakhand(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Sinha, Pooja Rani; Uniyal, V.P.The study of this research is an attempt to understand the water quality of the region. The region is blessed to have underground water as springs in the region. These springs are the only source of water in the region. Groundwater is fresh water (from rain or melting ice and snow) that soaks into the soil and is stored in the tiny spaces (pores) between rocks and particles of soil. This groundwater which accounts for nearly 95 percent of the nation’s fresh water resources. It can stay underground for hundreds of thousands of years, or it can come to the surface and help fill rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. Groundwater can also come to the surface as a spring or be pumped from a well. Both of these are common ways we get groundwater to drink. About 50 percent of our municipal, domestic, and agricultural water supply is groundwater. The study emphasizes on the analysis of such springs and spring fed river in the watershed as second and third objective of the research. The motive of the study is to analyze the entire water quality of the region. The water is present in the region is only in the form of springs. The other source of water is river Kosi which too is a spring fed river. Hence the water quality analysis incorporates the study of the springs as well as the river Kosi which merges out to be the summation of various perennial and non perennial springs of the region. The research further extends to study the simulation pattern of the water quality of river Kosi with the various input parameters demanded by the modelItem Assessment of Pollinators in indigenous farming systems in Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2022) Mehrwar, Vandana; Uniyal, V.P.The research work explores the major trends in mountain agriculture, livelihood options, adoption and non-adoption of organic farming, crop diversification, and key pollinators. The study also investigates the influence of different cropping systems on the diversity of insect pollinators, species richness, and their activities in the Mandakini and Doon valleys of Uttarakhand, India. The purpose of the study is to describe the insect pollinators and agrobiodiversity in the croplands of the Mandakini and Doon valleys in light of their role as ecosystem service providers. Thus, the study envisages the following objectives: 1) To assess the species richness of pollinators in organic and non-organic agro-ecosystems. 2) A comparative study of different cropping systems practised in the Mandakini and Doon valleys with respect to their socio-economic impact on the richness of pollinators. 3) A comparative study of different farming systems adopted in different study sites and their impact on the richness of pollinators. In summary, my doctoral thesis generates inventorial knowledge on insect pollinators in different farming systems and a variety of habitats in the Garhwal Himalayas. This study emphasize the need for organic agriculture adoption and promotion to conserve insect pollinator diversity in mountain agriculture, where inorganic agriculture is prevalent.Item Studies on Assemblage of Spiders (Arachnida : Araneae) in different Riparian Zones of River Gang(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) De, Kritish; Uniyal, V.P.This study was conducted (i) to understand overall spider diversity in riparian areas of the Ganga river, (ii) to compare spider diversity and richness in the different habitat of riparian zone of upper, middle and lower segments of the Ganga river and (iii) to identify habitat specific / indicator spider taxa for riparian zone of the Ganga river. The study was conducted in the year 2018 and 2019, from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh to Batanagar, West Bengal, 1955 km of the river Ganga which passes through four Indian states namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. This is the first work where functional, taxonomic, and beta diversity of spider community, as well as their potential to be used as bioindicator species in the riverine riparian ecosystem in India, were studied.Item Foraging ecology of Great-Slaty Woodpecker in and around Pawalgarh Conservation reserve in Western Himalaya(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Kaur, Sarabjeet; Gopi, G.V.; Uniyal, V.P.The Great Slaty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus pulverulentus, Temminck 1826) is an old-world woodpecker that prefers mature and old-growth dipterocarp forests (including Shorea robusta, Sal) across its known distribution range. The study reveals population demography, the social system and foraging behavior from logged forest and infer the distribution and home range of the Great Slaty Woodpecker, a cooperative breeding bird species, in and around the Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve in the western Himalaya of Uttarakhand state. This study presents the first census conducted for the Great Slaty Woodpecker, providing an ecological baseline for the species population estimation from its known distribution range. I inferred the home range size of each group based on 161 independent sightings of 11 family groups. These sightings represent behaviors such as foraging, nesting, roosting, vocalizations, and territory defenseItem Ecological assessment of geometridae Moths (lepidoptera: Heterocera) along alitutudinal gradient in Dhauladhar Mountain range in Kangra (North Western) and Lahaul and Spiti (Trans-Himalaya) regions of Himachal Pradesh(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Kumari, Shabnam; Uniyal, V.P.; Chandra, KailashThis study investigates the ecology (diversity and distribution patterns) of Geometridae moths across the altitudinal gradients of the Himalayan and Tran Himalayan regions in Himachal Pradesh. Geometridae moths are the famous insect herbivore surrogate taxa. They have been studied globally across different mountain systems. Through the documentation of species diversity, and the analysis of ecological patterns associated with these moths, this study aimed to contribute towards a better understanding of biodiversity dynamics in the Himalayan region. The research findings hold significant implications as a comprehensive baseline information on the species diversity and community dynamics of Geometridae moths in the region along with insights from the zoogeographic analysis. It also highlights future research needs and conservation concerns in light of the impacts of climate change and human-driven changes in land-use patterns in the region. objectives proposed for this study were i) to study the diversity and species richness patterns of Geometridae moths along the altitudinal gradient of the Dhauladhar Mountain Range (DMR) (within the administrative boundary of the district Kangra), ii) to identify the potential indicator species of Geometridae moths for different habitat types (altitude) and environmental variables affecting their distribution and iii) assessment of the high-altitude Geometrid moth assemblage of Trans Himalaya (Lahaul and Spiti) region of Himachal Pradesh. The study was undertaken across the altitudes of the DMR and Lahaul and Spiti Valleys (LSVs) representing the Himalayan and Trans Himalayan biogeographic zones of India in Himachal Pradesh respectively. Species with strong preferences for specific altitudinal zones and forest types have the potential to serve as indicator species for long-term monitoring of climate change, habitat quality, and land-use changes in these regions. These findings provide valuable insights into our understanding of the biodiversity patterns and community characteristics of Geometridae moths across altitudinal gradients and different forest types in the regions