Theses and Dissertations
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Item 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.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 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 Diversity and structure of butterfly assemblages along altitudinal gradient in Tons valley, Western Himalaya(wildlife Institute of India, 2013) Bhardwaj, Manish; Uniyal, V.P.; Singh, Arun PratapPresent study reveals the distribution pattern of butterflies along elevation gradient along the Tons river valley in the western Himalaya. Two protected areas lies with current study area viz. Govind National Park and Govind Wildlife sanctuary and the rest of the area lies within any formal category of protection. The area represents high elevational variation (900 – 6316 m) and a gradient of disturbance regimes and from natural Himalayan forests to highly disturbed villages and agricultural lands. Current study document patterns and processes involved in shaping diversity and distribution of butterflies along an elevation gradient in Tons valley. This study provides a baseline faunistic inventory of the diversity of butterflies including description of general identification features, their relation to classification and subfamilies and genera of butterflies sampled from the Tons valley during more than four years of observations from April 2008 to October 2012. A total of 189 species representing 98 genera in 5 families were recorded in Tons valley during entire sampling period.Item 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.Item Assessing the potential role of Coleoptera (Insecta) as bioindicators in Simbalbara Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2009) Bhargav, Vinay; Uniyal, V.P.In this study the suitability of select beetle families as bioindicators to monitor human influence on forest ecosystems was undertaken. Beetles have been used in forest ecosystems where their species number and/or abundances change along a habitat disturbance gradient; a common trend being that large, poorly dispersing specialist species decrease with increased disturbance while small generalist species with good dispersal ability increase. The purpose of this research work is to find out the status of beetles in a biogeographically significant area of Simbalbara Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh in Shivalik Himalaya in north western India; and to assess their potential role to assess the human influence on forest ecosystem on a more local scale. Further, patterns of species biodiversity, taxonomy, and their suitability as bioindicator were explored using a set of standard methods and ecological indexes. The set of methods and indexes used in this work is similar in many ways to the measures used or proposed elsewhere; but the objective is to determine the suitability and application of bioindicators for monitoring and inventorying study at a local scaleItem Diversity and structure of spider assemblages in Terai Conservation Area (TCA)(2009) Hore, Upamanyu; Uniyal, V.P.The present study was carried out in Terai Conservation Area (TCA) which represents one of the last remnants of Indian Terai ecosystem. The TCA is an important regional, national and international centre for biodiversity. The resulting complex of woodland-grassland-wetland ecosystems of TCA harbours a wide variety of floral and faunal life, including several charismatic and obligate species. This area has witnessed dramatic changes in land use policies, forest management practices, and persistent factors like forest fire, flooding and livestock grazing. Keeping in view these perspectives, this study intends to document the extent of spider assemblages that exists amongst various habitats, identify factors underlying the patterns of association, and assess the effect of grassland fire on spider diversity in the TCA. This study provides a baseline inventory of the diversity of spiders including description of anatomical features of spider in general, their relation to classification, and genera of spiders sampled from the TCA during three years of fieldwork. The present study analyses the effect of local habitat factors on regional spider richness and diversity. The objective is to untangle the relative importance of habitat structure and other environmental variables.Item Diversity of spider assemblages in sacred groves of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra: Implications for conservation management in the landscape.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2016) Patil, Vinayak K.; Uniyal, V.P.; Trivedi, MukulThe present study was conducted in Dapoli Taluka of Ratnagiri district in maharashtra with the objectives was to comprehensively document the sacred groves in the study area because it is a high concentration sacred groves region but very little documentation has been done so far. The other objective was to explore the spider diversity in sacred groves and compare it with some other habitats in the study area. These habitats included, reserved forests, mango orchards and cashew orchards. Lastly it was sought to find out if the habitats, seasonality, disturbance etc. had any influence on the diversity and composition of spider assemblages in the study sites.Item Diversity and distributional pattern of family Geometridae (Lepidoptera) in Great Himalayan National Park(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Mallick, Kaushik; Gupta, S.K.Lepidoptera is a large and diverse group of insect which includes moths (Heterocera) and butterflies (Rhopalocera). The current study aims to give a clear idea of the diversity and distribution pattern of Geometrid moths in the area which will act as a database for future works. It will also assess the environmental factors governing the distribution pattern of Geometrid moths across different vegetation and habitat type in the study area. Understanding the response of Summary moth fauna with respect to various disturbance factors will help in the implication of management plans to protect significant habitats. The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) Conservation Area, located in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh, falls under the North- Western Himalayan Biotic Province- 2A, lies between 31°31’16” and 31°56’41” N and 77°20’ to 77°52’11” E, covering an area of 1171 km2 and showing an altitudinal variation of 1300 m to 6110 m. Among the total sampled moth assemblage of GHNP, majorly 91% species were found to be Oriental origin, while 83.5% species also had affinities to Palearctic region. In the context of Indian Biogeographic Zones and Provinces, only 21% and 26% species were distributed in two Trans-Himalayan Provinces, Ladakh Mountain (1A) and Tibetan Plateau (1B). Almost 80% species were shared with Western Himalaya (2B) as the landscape located close to that province viz., North-western Himalaya (2A), 72% with Central Himalaya (2C) and 45% species with Eastern Himalaya (2D). 45% species were shared with North-Eastern Hills & Valleys.Item 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