Theses and Dissertations
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Item 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.Item Tadpoles with a Trick : Overwintering Ecology of Tadpoles in a Himalayan Stream, Uttarakhand India(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Jithin, V.; Das, Abhijit; Johnson, J.A.Overwintering is a unique phenomenon of delaying metamorphosis in amphibian larvae at low temperature conditions prevailing at high elevation and latitude. This study is first of its kind in India to look at selected ecological aspects of overwintering tadpoles of Nanorana spp. in a Himalayan streamItem Patterns of distribution and multiscale-habitat correlates of riverine birds in the upper Ganges, Western Himalaya.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Sinha, Ankita; Ramesh, K.; Jayapal, R.Fauna associated with riverine ecosystems vary considerably at the global scale ranging from obligate terrestrial to obligate aquatic. Birds constitute key components of wildlife along running water systems. 2. The global river bird community is diverse with 66 species, spanning across 19 families with 37 non-passerines and 29 passerines. Asia has the maximum number of species followed by South America and Africa. 3. The global distribution ranges of specialist river birds show that large areas of the world hold few or no specialist riverine birds. Richness peaks in the eastern Himalaya and the Myanmar-China border, around the Kakabo Raazi mountains where more than 15 species of specialist river birds overlap in range. 4. Species richness reflects considerable radiation in particular groups; Muscicapidae (small passerine insectivorous birds mostly belonging to the old world) in Asia, ovenbirds (Funariidae) and tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae)in South America, and the Pratincoles (Glareolidae) in Africa. 5. Ecological understanding and conservation efforts of specialist river birds remain rudimentary especially in the tropics where rivers are faced with a host of threats. 6. In this particular study, field surveys were undertaken to understand bird community composition and river habitat characteristics across summer (breeding) and autumn (wintering/non-breeding) seasons in the Bhagirathi basin, a major headstream of the Upper Ganges in the state of Uttarakhand in the western Indian Himalaya between years 2014 and 2018.Item Climate Change and Local Perception in Rajouri District, Jammu Region, Western Himalayas, India(SACON, 2016) Zeeshan, Mohd; Azeez, P.A.Climate change is a global issue that poses serious threats to wide-ranging aspects in the biosphere of which ecological security, biodiversity and livelihood are the most explicit ones. The Himalayas, unique in terms of geological and environmental settings, habitats, ecosystems and cultural diversity, is identified as highly vulnerable to climate change. In view of the reported rise in temperature in the Himalayas and gaps in related information, the present study was undertaken in Rajouri of Jammu region, Western Himalayas, India. The study explored global climate change. people's perception and engagement along with baseline study on vulnerable sectors such as water and agriculture in Rajouri districtItem Patterns of structural and functional attributes of alpine meadows of temporal scale in Tungnath, Western Himalaya(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2023) Kumar, RahulThe present study was carried out to understand the temporal changes in structural (richness, diversity, of alpine communities, above and belowground biomass, net biomass accumulation/productivity, and carbon density) and functional attributes (Phenology of species recorded) of different alpine plant communities of alpine meadows. This research work has not only generated information on baseline ecological characteristics of species and communities but also provides valuable management implications. The study is summarized in the following paragraphs. The major objectives of the study are: 1. To study temporal changes in composition, structure, and functional attributes across various herbaceous communities, 2. To study the phenological patterns of dominant plant species across various communities in relation to abiotic parameters (rainfall/snowfall and temperature), 3. To assess the patterns of biomass production, carbon storage and sequestration in various communities and temporal dynamics of soil nutrients The study was carried out in Tungnath region of Western Himalaya which lies on outer fringe of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary in the upper catchment of the river Mandakini, a major tributary of the Alaknanda, which finally join the river Ganga at Devprayag. Climate change particularly endangers organisms with fragmented habitat distribution, especially those with narrow ecological ranges, which may lead to extinction. Cold-adapted species are especially vulnerable in high alpine meadows due to rapid warming, potentially exceeding their adaptive capacity. The alpine zone covers 9 % of the total area in Greater Himalaya. In Uttarakhand, there are 5 protected areas encompassing alpine region namely Nandadevi National Park (NP), Valley of Flowers NP, Govind Pashu Vihar NP, and Wildlife Sanctuary (WS), Kedarnath WS and Askot WS of which except Nandadevi NP and Valley of Flowers NP, others are heavily exploited leading to habitat degradation. Exploitative practices such as unsustainable pastoralism, excessive extraction of medicinal plants, pilgrimage pressure, and poorly planned developmental projects are major challenges faced by alpine ecosystems in the Greater Himalaya. Therefore, it is crucial to understand species and community ecology to identify stress mechanisms and develop effective conservation strategies in Greater Himalaya. Numerous studies have shown correlations between temperature, precipitation, productivity, plant interactions, spatial patterns, and species richness in alpine ecosystems outside of the Himalayas. However, knowledge about the Himalayan alpine regions is limited due to their micro-topographic variations, altitudinal gradient, temperature range, and precipitation patterns, which make it challenging to isolate specific variables responsible for environmental-species relationships. These issues can lead to smaller population sizes, habitat degradation, and local extinctions, putting immense stress on alpine meadows. To address these challenges and conserve alpine meadows, it is essential to study sustainable land use practices adopted by local communities and develop conservation plans tailored to specific sites and species.Item Influence of pastoral practices on wild ungulates in Upper Gori Valley, Western Himalaya.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2020) Bhattacharya, Ankita; Rawat, G.S.; Habib, BilalThe alpine meadows of western Himalaya have been used for livestock grazing by a large number of agro-pastoral communities for several centuries (Tucker 1986). Five distinct pastoral practices are prevalent across the alpine landscape in the western Himalaya: nomadic, semi nomadic, nuclear transhumance, trans-migratory and sedentary (resident). Trans-migration (seasonal altitudinal movement by the entire family along with the livestock) is practiced mainly by the Bhotiya communities in various parts of Uttarakhand, such as Byans, Darma, Johar and the upper basins of Alaknanda and BhagirathiItem Detecting climate change impacts through soil bacterial communities in Alpine regions of Gangotri National Park, Western Himalaya(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2022) Bhattacharya, Pamela; Rawat, G.S.The proposed study aims to use molecular data to understand the ecology of bacterial community including variation in their diversity, composition and functions in response to climate warming in alpine region of Gangotri National Park, western Himalaya. Earlier to this study, knowledge regarding the ecological traits of these communities and the impact of climate warming was entirely lacking. The primary focus of this work was to generate baseline data on alpine soil bacterial community in the Himalaya. The objectives of this doctoral research are:1. Understanding the shifts in soil bacterial diversity and ecological traits at different periods post deglaciation of Gangotri glacier, western Himalaya. 2. Assessing climate change impacts on soil bacterial diversity and functional traits using alpine elevation-vegetation gradient as proxy. 3. Evaluating the role of temperature and edaphic factors in shaping the community diversity and composition along the elevation-vegetation gradient. 4. Investigating bacterial community response to experimental warming in an alpine.The study was conducted along a recently deglaciated valley in the upper Bhagirathi basin towards the snout of the Gaumukh glacier in Gangotri National Park, western Himalaya (30.95–30.99° N, 78.99–79.06° E)Item A study on floristic diversity and plant functional types across various landforms in upper Dhauli valley, Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Western Himalaya.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2016) Kumar, Amit; Adhikari, B.S.; Rawat, G.S.In ecological systems, vegetation communities are shaped by various physiographic and edaphic factors which determine their structural and functional attributes. In Trans- Himalayan region of the state of Uttarakhand, limited studies on linkages of floristics, patterns of diversity in various vegetation communities and landforms are available. The region faces disturbances due to various natural and anthropogenic causes. The present research work attempts to assess the diversity of vascular plants, plant community structure and plant functional types (PFTs) in various landforms and physiognomic units in Upper Dhauli Valley, a cold-arid region and buffer of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. This research work has not only generated information on the baseline ecological characteristics of various plant species and communities but also provides valuable management implications. The study is summarized in the following paragraphs. The Upper Dhauli Valley (UDV; ca. 727.7 km2; 30°46-54’N and 79°45-51’E) in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve was selected for intensive study. The UDV was added as a part of buffer zone of NDBR in 2002 and among the least studied valleys of the region with respect to floristics, floral assemblages and vegetation structure. It has three major watersheds namely, Amrit Ganga, Satyagad and Ganesh Ganga. The present study is based on the extensive surveys of various landscape features, landforms and physiognomic units. Reconnaissance survey in the entire valley was conducted in the year 2011. The field work comprised of floristic survey, systematic collection and record of plant specimens, vegetation quantification and collection of soil samples followed by laboratory analysisItem A study on the traditional knowledge and population status of ethno-medicinal plants in Uttarkashi district, Western Himalaya.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2015) Raut, Ninad B.; Rawat, G.S.This study is design to identify the current status, Population status, Distribution of Ethnomedicinal plants (EMPs) for curative purpose. The aim of this study is to know the importance of these EMPs in order to prioritize them for conservation and suggest strategies for conservation and management of high value EMPs as well as mechanism for formalizing protection of Traditional Knowledge. Uttarkashi one of the largest and culturally diverse district of uttarakhand for this studyItem Habitat ecology of Royl’s Pika (Ochotona royleiogilby) along altitudinal grandients with special reference to foraging behavior in Western Himalaya, Uttarakhand.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2012) Bhattacharya, Sabuj; Adhikari, B.S.; Rawat, G.S.The relationship of a species with its environment has always been of primary interest among ecologists. The species living in highly seasonal environment and special habitats at high altitudes reflect peculiar evolutionary and adaptive behavior. The small mammals living at high altitudes such as pikas (Ochotona spp.) are of particular ecological interest as they exhibit high energy demands, limited dispersal capability and sensitivity towards climatic variation. Though seven species of pika are reported from the Himalayan region, none of the species have been studied in terms of their ecology and response to environmental variation. Keeping this in view, Royle's pika (Ochotona roylei), a small lagomorph and widely distributed in western Himalaya was selected to understand its habitat use pattern and behavioural ecology. The objective of the study were: (i) To characterize micro-habitat features associated with Royle's pika along a subalpine alpine ecotone and identify the factors which governs its occurrence (ii) To study the topographical and bioclimatic factors affecting its land scape level distribution (iii) To understand factor governs abundance of Royle's pika along altitudinal gradient, (iv) To document behavioural repertoire of Royle's pika in various season. (v) To study the influence of habitat micro climatic condition on activity of Royle's pika, (vi) To identify the tactors which governs the food selection decision of Royle's pika.