M Sc Dissertation(WII)

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Author: search.filters.author.Kumar, Amit

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    Habitat Characterization and Spatial Distribution of Quercus lanata Sm. in the Kumaon Himalaya
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2025) Kaushik, Shikhar; Kumar, Amit; Rawat, G.S.
    Oaks are climax species which evolved around 56 million years ago. India is home to around 35 species of oaks out of which only 5 species are native to Uttarakhand. In Western Himalaya 3 species make extensive continuous forests which includes Banj oak forest, Moru oak forest and Kharsu oak forest. They show gregarious nature and provide countless ecological and economic benefits to the country. The other two species, Quercus glauca and Quercus lanata are patchy is distribution. For Quercus lanata the Kumaon Himalaya is the western most limit and therefore that species is patchy and shows disjunct population. This study aimed to understand the population, regeneration, habitat characterisation and distribution of Quercus lanata in Kumaon. Descriptive analysis was used to understand the population structure and associate species and maxent modelling was used to develop habitat suitability model. The overall population of Quercus lanata (Rianj) in Kumaon shows a stable and gradually growing trend. Quercus lanata shows a diverse preference to habitat which ranges from northerns moist slopes to drier southern slopes. The significant values from analysed data suggest that its preference at southern slope is comparatively higher. It occurs with Quercus leucotrichophora as well as with Pinus roxburghii. The major co-occurring species with Quercus lanata are Rhododendron arboreum and Myrica esculenta. The developed habitat suitability and generalised linear models helped to understand that elevation and aspect play a significant role in distribution of Quercus lanata. The demand of Quercus lanata for fodder and fuelwood in village area is quite high and therefore requires sustainable practices. As of now Quercus lanata is classified under either Banj oak forest or Moru oak forest which reduces the level of conservation and management this species require.
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    Assessing the effect of anthropogenic disturbance on epiphytes in Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, India
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Nongrang, Tiewlyngksiar Lyngdoh; Kumar, Amit
    The key findings emerged from this study include- A total of 66 epiphytes comprising 32 species of orchids, 09 species of ferns, and 25 species of hemi-epiphytes & holo-epiphytes were recorded from the study area. Orchids had the highest species richness followed by ferns and hemi-epiphytes & holoepiphytes. Among orchids, species of Bulbophyllum, Pholidota and and a were dominant. The dominant species among ferns included Lepisorus sp., Davallodes hymenophylloides and Pyrrosia flocculosa whereas, among hemi-epiphytes and holo-epiphytes, the dominant species were Piper longum, Pothos chinensis, Rhaphidophora decursiva, Scurrula parasitica and Ficus sp. The abundance of epiphytes was observed highest in the Private Forest followed by the Village Forest and Reserve Forest. Species richness, using sampled-based Rarefaction curves of epiphytes showed that the curve is not reaching an asymptote and observed species were highest in the Village Forest followed by Reserve Forest and Private Forest. The most abundant groups of epiphytes in Private Forest were hemiepiphytes mainly dominating on the lower trunk. In the village forest, orchids were found occupying the inner canopy. In Reserve Forest, ferns were in abundance and occupied the upper trunk. Species correlation shows no difference in species composition. Environmental variables are factors that can explain the difference in species richness and abundance of epiphytes.
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    Influence of Forest Cover on Fruit and Frugivore Richness and Abundance in Southern Western Ghats
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Takorbhai, Patel Zankhnaben; Page, Navendu V.; Kumar, Amit
    Habitat fragmentation is a pervasive threat to ecosystem processes like seed dispersal, which is vital for biodiversity maintenance in tropical forests. Habitat fragmentation negatively impacts the richness, abundance and composition of plants and animals, thereby disrupting the interactions between them, with cascading impacts on biodiversity. However, the remnant fragments continue to harbour biodiversity. However, it is critical to determine the functional value of the fragments in terms of fruit resource diversity and availability and prevalence of frugivores across different size classes. To this end, I conducted the study in the Valparai plateau and adjacent contiguous patches of rainforests in the Western Ghats. I first determined the organization of plant-seed disperser community and identified key frugivores and plants in the landscape using network analysis. Using mixed models and the recently developed Joint Species Distribution Modelling approach called HMSC (hierarchical modelling of species communities), I investigated 1) the relationship between the amount of forest cover and richness of fruiting plants across different seed size classes, 2) the relationship between the amount of forest cover and availability of fruit s across different seed size classes 3) the relationship between richness and presence of all the avian frugivores and, amount of forest cover, and richness and availability of fruits. I recorded the frugivores and fruiting plants from 33 trails distributed in 12 fragments and 2 sites in contiguous area during four months of sampling. I also recorded plant-frugivore interactions. I documented 49 species of fruiting plants and 17 species of avian frugivores