Theses and Dissertations
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Item Ecological impacts of prescribed burning in Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 1997) Ghosh, Sonali; Mathur, V.B.This study was aimed at studying the ecological impacts of prescribed burning by evaluating the current practices of burning being carried out in a typical grassland habitat in Corbett Tiger Reserve . The study extended from November 1996 to April 1997. Twenty four experimental plots were laid to study the differences in soil and vegetation characteristics, with respect to burnt and unburnt areas in short (Arundinella and Vetiveria type) grasslands and tall (Saccharum-Themeda type) grasslands. The main objectives were to determine the impacts of prescribed burning on soil and vegetation characteristics,, distribution of animal and birds and to evolve spatial strategies for the management of Hog deer( Cervus porcinus) populations using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information systems. —T-tests and AN OVA (analysis of variance) were applied on the various soil and vegetation parameters to test the differences between the burnt and unburnt areas. Short grasslands showed significant differences in soil available phosphorus, above ground biomass, crude protein, percentage fibre, ash, elemental potassium and sodium. The general increase in the soil available phosphorus, above ground biomass, crude protein and the decrease in the levels of percentage fibre, ash , elemental potassium and sodium in the short grassland burnt areas can be generally attributed to the removal of litter and the addition of ash which recycles the minerals back into the system. Tall grasslands showed significant differences in case of soil available potassium and grass percentage fibre. Both the parameters decreased in case of the burnt areas. I he tall grasslands are tussock- forming perennial species which do not get burnt completely. There is not much removal of litter which perhaps hampers the growth of the new sprouts. Samples collected from burnt and repeatedly clipped areas were tested for crude protein, percentage fibre, ash and lignin. They showed significant differences in case of percentage fibre. The fibre being the maximum in. case of these areas. Below ground biomass did not show any difference between the burnt and unburnt areas in short and tall grasslands . The area has had a long fire history and the below ground biomass has perhaps stabilised over the years and hence cannot be detected in such a short term study. Direct (road transects) and indirect (pellets) evidences were used to determine the animal and bird distribution with respect to the burning regime. Programme DISTANCE was used to estimate the animal densities while Menhinick's Index was used to calculate the bird species richness , before and after the date of prescribed burning. The animal densities and birds species richness increased after burning, but this could not be fully attributed to the burning regime. Other parameters such as change of seasons, also need to be taken into consideration . Finally, hog deer suitability map was generated using ground data for various ecological parameters and remote sensing data which were overlaid with the help of Geographic Information system . A burning regime separated on a temporal and spatial scale is required for sustaining hog deer populations in Corbett Tiger Reserve.Item Population dynamics and resource selection by tigers (Panthera tigris) in Corbett Tiger Reserve.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Bisht, Shikha; Qureshi, Qamar; Jhala, Y.V.Large carnivores are on the brink of extinction across most of their range and this is especially true for tigers, that are symbolic of the wilderness of the Asian forests. This study was carried out to understand the use of camera trap based capture mark recapture (CMR) technique to understand the population dynamics and space use by tigers in this high density tiger population. For this camera trapped technique used in 521 km2 of Corbett National Park (CNP) under open population capture–mark–recapture framework between 2010 and 2015 to estimate annual abundance, spatially explicit density, survival, recruitment, temporary movements, sex ratio and proportion of females breedingItem Ecology of otters in Corbett Tiger Reserve.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2008) Nawab, Asghar; Hussain, S.A.Otters are obligately tied to aquatic environments and are recognized as one of the top predators in the freshwater systems. Major threats to otter survival are the loss of wetland habitats, reduction in prey biomass and pollution. Developmental projects such as dams and barrages, and aquaculture activities have taken their toll on wetlands and consequently on the otters. Poaching, however, remains a major threat to their survival. The study was envisaged to appraise the impacts of making of dams on the ecology of otters in Corbett Tiger Reserve, since it is believed that the habitat of otters got fragmented due to the creation of a dam on the Ramganga River under the Kalagarh Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project. It is generally believed that dams affect otter. In the Corbett Tiger reserve both smooth-coated and Eurasian otter have been reported. Our preliminary survey revealed that at the low lying areas such as the Ramganga, Mandal and Palain rivers, smooth-coated otter occurs. This study complies with smooth coated otter limited to the above mentioned areas only and data were collected for winter and summer seasons respectively between 2001 and 2004. The study was conducted with the following objectives: (a) To study the status and distribution pattern of otters in the Corbett Tiger Reserve and the adjacent aquatic ecosystems. (b) To examine the Resource use pattern of otters in relation to habitat and food availability. (c) To study the potential threats to otter populations in the study area.