Vertebrate Diversity of Buguda Forest of Odisha, India
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
IJournals: International Journal of Social Relevance & Concern ISSN-2347-9698 Volume 4 Issue 3 March 2016 VERTEBRATE DIVERSITY OF BUGUDA FOREST OF ODISHA, INDIA R.K.Das1, R.P. Panda2 , N. Peetabas3 and A.K. Patra4 1Department of Zoology, Peoples College, Buguda, Odisha, India 2Deaprtment of Zoology, Anchalika Science College, Khetriyabarapur, Odisha, India 3Department of Botany, Science College, Kukudakhandi, Dist.Ganjam, Odisha 4Department of Zoology, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India ABSTRACT The most common wild animals observed during the field study were 17 species of fishes, 13 species of Amphibians, 23 species of reptiles, 26 species of birds and 35 species of mammals. Endangered and vulnerable species of Pisces, Amphibians, Reptilians and Mammals have been marked. Deforestation, shifting cultivation, forest fires, grazing, tribal hunting, biotic interference, natural calamities, hemp plant cultivation by tribals, stone collection and firewood business most often cause environmental crisis upholding the signs of stress in Buguda Forest. The current rate deterioration demands conservation strategies by in-situ and ex-situ conservation. Keywords: Endangered, ethnic tribes, waterfalls, human dimensions, bow and arrow, human-animal conflict. I. INTRODUCTION fungi and bacteria that live in a unit environment and Flora and Fauna are two important parts of interact with one another forming together distinct forest. Macro fauna in the forest is generally living having its own composition, structure, vertebrates. Vertebrates are the dominant group of environmental relations, development and function animals on the earth, given their abundance, large (Corvalan 2005, Chivian and Bernstein 2008). body sizes and presence at the top of both aquatic and Buguda forest of Ganjam District, is terrestrial grazing food-chain. They include humans, centrally located in the state of Odisha being the part wild cats, deer, antelopes, sheeps, goats, wild oxen, of Eastern Cost of Indian Peninsula is quite rich in bears, civets, mongooses, game birds, various fishes natural resources and has varied and wide spread and the most intensively studied organisms. For forests harbouring dry deciduous, moist deciduous as example some vertebrate groups contain only a well as mangroves with several unique, endemic rare handful of living species. [e.g. coelacanth (actinistia)] and endangered flora and fauna. It’s unique wild life with 2, lung fish (dipnoi) with 6 and crocodilians habitats are geomorphic in origin and they include with 25, whereas others contain thousands e.g. birds caves, dens, culverts, overhangs etc. which are used (aves) with more than 10,000, ray finned fish by specific wild life. (Actinopterygia) with more than 32,000 (John J. The Buguda forest area lies at 22025’46” NL Wiens). To clarify numerous studies have tested the and 83032’38” EL It is bounded by Polasara Forest causes of richness patterns with major vertebrate on the north, Nayagarh Forest on the east, Karasingh groups in Buguda Forest from fishes to mammals. Forest on the south and Manitara Forest on the west. Alfaro et el. described dramatic variation in Buguda Forest is a triangular mass of highly diversification rates among vertebrate groups, but did undulating land situated at an altitude of more than not test whether any intrinsic traits or ecological 1200ft above the sea level, more on the higher hills correlates explained why these rate varied. Several than on the plains. The hills are broken into authors have explained that occurrence of topography numerous parts by slow running streams with a in terrestrial habitats might generally increase result, all degrees of gradients are found from gentle diversification and richness of vertebrate groups, but to steep slopes. The forest is endowed with rich without analyzing quantitatively. There we saw that variety of biological species, geological formation much of the variation in diversification rates and and ethnic tribes. The waterfall such as Brudhaakhol, richness among major vertebrates groups can be located in this forest attracts tourists throughout the explained by a simple ecological variable. year. The Buguda forest belongs to tropical zone The word forest is derived from the Latin where sal (shorea robusta) is the principal species. root “foris” meaning “out of doors” and Due to repeated fire and extensive podu cultivation in etymologically it is “a large uncultivated tract of land the past the main species of sal is diminishing covered with trees and under wood”. gradually and some miscellaneous species which is Forest is a dynamic natural community that more hardy in nature are coming up throughout the is an assemblage of population of plants, animals, forest. © 2016, IJournals All Rights Reserved Page 36 www.ijournals.in IJournals: International Journal of Social Relevance & Concern ISSN-2347-9698 Volume 4 Issue 3 March 2016 II. MATERIALS AND METHODS Besides, degree of deforestation, shifting After several visit was undertaken to cultivation, forest fires, grazing, tribal haunting, different sites during the year 2012 onwards and biotic interference, climbers and fungi, natural vertebrate diversity of Buguda Forest was noted from calamities like drought, parasites have been direct visual observation, from foot prints, pugmarks aggravated during last few years. Now-a-days the and faecal material. The data were collected during tribals have been practiced with illegal cultivation of interaction with local inhabitants as well as the Forest hemp plants (cannabis indica) mostly in Gochhapada Division Authority. The fishes were identified as per and Phiringia region of Buguda Forest during last the methods suggested by (moustakas and karakassis few years. Due to lack of people’s awareness and 2005) and amphibians by Mc Callum 2007). environmental education some outsider interstate III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION agents and criminals are taking the full advantage of The most common vertebrates those were simple, uneducated local people, motivating youths observed during field study were 17 species of fishes, and thereby exploiting forest resources. Local 13 species of Amphibians, 23 species of reptiles, 26 peoples involvement and association during the field species of birds and 35 species of mammals Out of study was not satisfactory and need to be developed. these certain species were threatened. Table-3 & Fig. 1 Table-1 Vertebrate Fauna of Buguda Forest, their local ecological status and conservation threats. Sl. Ecological Conservation English / Local Name Species Name No. status threats FISHES 1 Fresh water shark / Balia Wallago attu (Bloch and Schneider) Vulnerable Fishing 2 Rohu / Rohi Labeo dyochilus (McClelland) Abundant Out of danger 3 Olive Barb / Kerandi Systomus sarana (F.Hamilton) Abundant Out of danger 4 Pool barb / Patia Kerandi Punits sophore (F.Hamilton) Abundant Out of danger 5 Tictobarb / Kuji Kerandi Puntis ticto (F.Hamilton) Abundant Out of danger 6 Cichlid fish / Tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus (W.K.H. Vulnerable Fishing Peters) 7 Spotted snakehead / Gadisha Channa punctata (Bloch) Abundant Fishing 8 Stinging Catfish / Singi Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch) Abundant Fishing 9 Orangefin labeo / Kalarohi Labeo calbasu (Hamilton) Abundant Fishing 10 Zipper Loach Nemacheilus botia (Hamilton) Abundant Fishing 11 Gangetic Mystus Mystus cavasius (Hamilton) Abundant Fishing 12 Dwarf snakehead / Kuji Gadisha Channa gachua (F.Hamilton) Abundant Out of danger 13 Bronze feather back / Phali Notopterus notopterus (Pallas) Vulnerable Fishing 14 Catla / Bhakura Catla catla (Hamilton) Abundant Out of danger 15 Tyre track eel Mastacembalus armatus (Scopoli) Abundant Out of danger 16 Climbing Perch / Kau Anabas scandens (Daldorff) Abundant Out of danger 17 Snakehead Murrel / Seula Ophiocephalus striata (Bloch) Abundant Fishing AMPHIBIANS 1 Common Toad / Katakatia Bufo melanostictus (Schneider) Abundant Out of danger Benga 2 Water Frog / Brahmani Benga Haplobatrachus tigerinus (Daudin) Abundant Out of danger 3 Paddy field Frog / Jami Benga Limmonectes keralensis (Dubois) Abundant Loss of habitat 4 Burrowing Frog Sphaerotheca rolandae (Dubois) Abundant Loss of habitat 5 Indian Skipper Frog Euphlyctis cyanophylyctis (Schneider) Abundant Out of danger 6 Jerdan’s Frog Haplobatrachus crassus (Jerdon) Abundant Information not available 7 Marbella Frog Uperodan systoma (Schneider) Abundant Information not available 8 Common Tree Frog Hyla geographicus (Spix) Abundant Information not available 9 Ornate Frog Microhyla ornata (Dumeril and Bibron) Abundant Loss of habitat 10 Termite Nest Frog Ramanella variegata (Stoliczka) Abundant Loss of habitat 11 Spade Foot Frog Rana crassa (Jerdon) Vulnerable Loss of habitat © 2016, IJournals All Rights Reserved Page 37 www.ijournals.in IJournals: International Journal of Social Relevance & Concern ISSN-2347-9698 Volume 4 Issue 3 March 2016 12 Tree Frog / Gachha Benga Polypedates maculates (J.E. Grey) Abundant Loss of habitat 13 Tree Frog Polypedates leucomystrax (Graven Abundant Information not Horst) available REPTILES 1 House Lizard / Jhitipiti Hemidactylus flaviviridis (Ruppel) Abundant Out of danger 2 Tree Gecko / Gachha Jhitipiti Hemidactylus leschenaulti (Dumeril & Abundant Out of danger Bibron) 3 Spotted Indian house Gecko / Hemidactylus brooki (Gray) Abundant Out of danger Kala Jhitipiti 4 Indian Chameleon / Bahurupi Chameleo zeylanicus (Laurenti) Endangered Poaching for Endua medicine 5 Brahiminy skink/ Mabuya carinata (Schneider) Abundant Information