Theses and Dissertations

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    Diversity and distribution of Moth Assemblages Along Altitudinal Gradient in Gangotri Landscape, India
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2015) Sanyal, Abesh Kumar; Uniyal, V.P.
    This study intends to document the extent of moth assemblages that exist amongst various habitats in a typical Western Himalayan altitudinal gradient in Gangotri Landscape Area (GLA). In this study, using the elevation gradient as natural experiment, the faunal structure and diversity of the moth assemblage featuring all the major macro and micromoth families as well as relationships between moths and their biotic and abiotic environments were explored. Specific objectives of the study were: (1) Documenting and prepare taxonomic inventory of rich moth fauna of Gangotri Landscape Area; (2) To assess diversity and distribution of moth assemblages among different elevations and vegetation types of Gangotri Landscape; (3) To analyze the influence of altitude, seasons, vegetation types and anthropogenic disturbance factors on moth assemblages; (4) To investigate morphometric changes (body size and proportional body parts) in moths along altitudinal gradient. The study was conducted in Gangotri Landscape Area (GLA), a vast conservation network in the North-Western part of Uttarakhand, in district Uttarkashi. A total of 670 morphospecies belonging to 22 families and 356 genera were collected during entire sampling period from 2008-2012. This study is an important step towards better understanding of a long-neglected but diverse and charismatic herbivorous insect assemblage in Himalayan temperate altitudinal gradient.
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    Community Structure of Dung Beetles in Kailash Sacred Landscape, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India
    (wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2020) Chauhan, Mona; Uniyal, V.P.; Chandra, Kailash
    Due 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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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 model
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    Systematics and diversity of spiders (Araneae) in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2011) Quasin, Shazia; Uniyal, V.P.
    The present study was carried out in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR), Uttarakhand, India, which is located in the northern part of the Western Himalaya in India, one of the important sites of wilderness and biodiversity in the Himalayan region. This study was selected for its conservation value, representation of biome and little existing information. The present study was conducted from January 2008 to July 2011. The study aimed to investigate the spider community structure along the altitudinal gradient and the influence of habitat covariates like vegetation types, ph, litter depth, humidity and temperature, on spider assemblages in the intricate landscape of the NDBR. The pattern of species diversity was explored using a set of standard methods and ecological indices. This study obtained the first comprehensive representation of the spider fauna in NDBR, which would help in assessing the status of spider diversity in the region keeping in mind its conservational value. This study revealed the relative importance of diverse habitat types on diversity and composition of spider assemblages in NDBR.