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on Wetland Ecosystems including Inland Wetlands

Sarovar Saurabh Vol. 15(2), 2019 Picture Courtesy: M. Mahendiran

(A Centre of Excellence under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of ) Anaikatty, Coimbatore - 641 108 (INDIA) on Wetland Ecosystems including Inland Wetlands

Vol. 15(2), 2019 ISSN: 0972-3153

Contents

Dr. Goldin Quadros Page Coordinator, ENVIS, SACON 1. Checklist of around Puthanampatti Lake in Tiruchirappalli District, 1-3

2. Flagship of Ramsar Site 4-5 Mr. N. Mohamed Ibrahim 3. International Day for Biological Diversity 2019

Report 6

4. World Environment Day 2019 Report 6-7 5. Abstracts from published literature 7-9 6. Newspaper Article 10

Views expressed in the articles of this newsletter are of the authors only.

From the Editors' Desk For the effective conservation and management of wetlands in the We welcome original research and popular articles, reviews, reports, research highlights, notes, news, snippets, etc., related to the country the Central Government felt the need to supersede the thematic area of the ENVIS Resource Partner for publication in Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 and ‘Sarovar Saurabh the ENVIS Newsletter on Wetland Ecosystems published the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2017 including Inland Wetlands’. after several rounds of consultation and meetings. With increasing concern for the water bodies several states have formed their The articles and other information should be neatly typed in double wetland authorities and even have the District wetland authorities. space not exceeding five pages. The figures, graphs/drawings should be of good quality and clarity. Photographs should be of minimum The concern for the wetlands is increasing and Wetland Rules have 300 dpi resolution. References should be limited and cited in the text managed to create awareness among the policy makers and by name and year. Council of Science editors style may be referred to managers, thereby impacting the conservation at landscape level. In for listing references at the end. this issue, we bring compilation of articles on the Point Calimere wildlife and Sanctuary while also highlighting the flagship Email your articles in MS-Word 2003 or 2007 format to sacon- species from the wetlands i.e. the Blackbuck. We have also included [email protected] or [email protected] articles on the Environment Day celebrations and other activities Send the articles in hard copy by post to: that we conducted during the quarter.

The ENVIS Co-ordinator, Here I request all readers to kindly contribute your events, activities, Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) articles and keep us updated on the happenings of the wetlands Anaikatty P.O., Coimbatore - 641108. Tamil Nadu, India around you. Your inputs will help us in disseminating the message of Ph: 0422-2203100, 129 environmental well being to the masses. Website: www.saconenvis.nic.in; www.sacon.in

Editor Checklist of Birds around Puthanampatti Lake in Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu T. Siva and P. Neelanarayanan Department of Zoology, Nehru Memorial College (Autonomous), Puthanamapatti – 621 007, Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu.

Introduction Wetlands are important ecosystems in the world that supports a diverse range of plant and species. Waterbirds are one of the popular biodiversity groups found in wetlands drawing attention of bird-watchers globally. The waterbirds utilize wetlands for feeding and nesting. Wetlands and waterbirds are inseparable elements and support a rich array of waterbird communities (Grimmett and Inskipp, 2007). Waterbirds are an important component of wetland ecosystem as they occupy several trophic levels in the food web of wetland nutrient cycles. Activities of waterbirds are considered as an indicator of quality of the wetland ecosystem and form the terminal links in many aquatic food chains, and as a result, they reflect changes originating in several different ecosystem components (Custer and Osborne, 1977). The Present study was conducted in Puthanampatti Lake situated in Puthanampatti village of Musiri Taluk and backyard of Nehru Memorial College, Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu. The location of the area is Latitude 11°3'27.59" N and Longitude 78°40'43.91" E and 110 m Elevation above the sea level. The total study area of the lake is 6.32 hectares. The freshwater lake is fed by natural rainwater. Avifauna was observed during the winter season for two months i.e., on December 2015 and January 2016. Observations were carried out every week following line transect method during early morning 7:00 am to 10:00 am and evening 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm as the bird activity was high during this time of the day (Bibby et al., 1998). The check list of species was prepared following Grimmett et al. (2011).

Location of the Puthanampatti Lake The natural vegetation present within and on the edges of the lake comprised of Acacia nilotica, Prosopis juliflora, Azadirachta indica and Pongamia pinnata. Farm lands especially paddy, and lemon plantations are present in the study area and lake water was used for irrigation purpose. We recorded 75 species of birds in the Lake which represent 19 orders and 41 families (Table 1).

SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.15(2), 2019. ISSN: 0972-3153 1 Maximum bird species were recorded from the order belonging to Passeriformes comprising of 35 species followed by Cuculiformes with six species. Among the 75 species recorded, 11 species were waterbirds that includes Indian Spot-billed Duck, Little Grebe, Indian Pond Heron, Little Egret, White-breasted Waterhen, Common Moorhen, Common Snipe, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and White-throated Kingfisher. Remaining 64 species were terrestrial birds and were in high numbers during the survey. We counted over 400 cattle egrets roosting on the trees within the lake. All the 75 species were least concern birds as per the IUCN red list.

Table 1. Avifauna checklist of Puthanamapatti Lake S. No Common Name Scientific Name Family 1 Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus Phasianidae 2 Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus Phasianidae 3 Indian Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha Anatidae 4 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Podicipedidae 5 Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii Ardeidae

6 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Ardeidae 7 Little Egret Egretta garzetta Ardeidae 8 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Falconidae 9 Black Kite Milvus migrans Accipitridae 10 Accipiter badius Accipitridae 11 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus Accipitridae 12 White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus Rallidae 13 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Rallidae 14 Indian Thick-knee Burhinus (oedicnemus) indicus Burhinidae

15 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus Charadriidae 16 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago Scolopacidae 17 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Scolopacidae 18 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Scolopacidae 19 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus Pteroclidae 20 Common Pigeon Columba livia Columbidae 21 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Columbidae 22 Spotted Dove Stigmatopelia chinensis Columbidae 23 Laughing Dove Stigmatopelia senegalensis Columbidae

24 Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri Psittaculidae 25 Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus Cuculidae 26 Common Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius Cuculidae 27 Grey-bellied Cuckoo Cacomantis passerinus Cuculidae 28 Eudynamys scolopaceus Cuculidae 29 Blue-faced Malkoha Rhopodytes viridirostris Cuculidae 30 Southern Coucal Centropus (sinensis) parroti Cuculidae 31 Indian Scops Otus bakkamoena Strigidae 32 Spotted Owlet Athene brama Strigidae

33 Indian asiaticus Caprimulgidae 34 Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis Apodidae 35 Common Hoopoe Upupa epops Upupidae 36 Coracias benghalensis Coraciidae 37 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis Alcedinidae 38 Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis Meropidae

2 SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.15(2), 2019. ISSN: 0972-3153

S. No Common Name Scientific Name Family 39 Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus Meropidae 40 Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala Megalaimidae 41 Common Iora Aegithina tiphia Aegithinidae 42 Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus Laniidae 43 Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus Laniidae 44 Dicrurus macrocercus Dicruridae 45 Indian Golden Oriole kundoo Oriolidae 46 RufousTreepie Dendrocitta vagabunda 47 Indian Jungle Crow Corvus (macrorhynchos) culminatus Corvidae 48 Corvus splendens Corvidae 49 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Hirundinidae 50 Jerdon'sBushlark Mirafra affinis Alaudidae 51 Rufous-tailed Lark Ammomanes phoenicura Alaudidae 52 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer Pycnonotidae 53 White-browed Bulbul Pycnonotus luteolus Pycnonotidae 54 Plain Prinia Prinia inornata Cisticolidae 55 Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius Cisticolidae 56 Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum Acrocephalidae 57 Hume's Whitethroat Sylvia althaea Sylviidae 58 Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi Leiothrichidae 59 Yellow-billed Babbler Turdoides affinis Leiothrichidae 60 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Sturnidae 61 Brahminy Starling Sturnia pagodarum Sturnidae 62 Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicatus Muscicapidae 63 Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata Muscicapidae 64 Purple-rumped Sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica Nectariniidae 65 Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus Nectariniidae 66 Loten's Sunbird Cinnyris lotenia Nectariniidae

67 domesticus Passeridae 68 Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Gymnoris xanthocollis Passeridae 69 Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus Ploceidae 70 Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica Estrildidae 71 White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata Estrildidae 72 Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata Estrildidae 73 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 74 White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis Motacillidae 75 Paddyfield Anthus rufulus Motacillidae

Acknowledgement

We are highly indebted to the Management of Nehru Memorial College (Autonomous) for their help and encouragement. We thank Mr. G. Lakshmanan, Mr. T. Mohanraj and Mr. N. Saravanan, UG students of Zoology Department of Nehru Memorial College, for their help during field trips. References Bibby, C., Jones, M. and Marsden, S. (1998) Expedition Field Techniques: Bird Surveys. Royal Geographical Society, London. Custer, T.W. and Osborne, R.G. (1977) Wading birds as biological indicators. Long Survey, US Fish and Wildlife service,Washington, DC. Grimmett, R. and Inskipp, T. (2007) Birds of Southern India. Om Books International, New Delhi, India. Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T. (2011) Birds of Indian Subcontinent. Princeton University Press, India. pp. 528.

SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.15(2), 2019. ISSN: 0972-3153 3 Flagship Species of Ramsar Site – Point Calimere, Tamil Nadu Blackbuck Antelope (Antilope cervicapra)

Ramarpattham, covering an area of 38,500 hectares from Point Calimere in the east to Adirampattinam in the west. The Sanctuary was declared as a Ramsar Site on 19th August 2002 (Site number: 1210) has three divisions: The Point Calimere and Bird Sanctuary (including the existing Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS), the Great Vedaranyam Swamp (GVS), which include the mangrove forest at Muthupet and the mangroves of Talaignayar Reserve Forest (TRF) (Source: rsis.ramsar.org). The PCWBS consist of shallow waters, shores, and long sand bars, intertidal flats and intertidal forests, chiefly mangrove, and seasonal, often-saline lagoons, as well as human-made salt exploitation sites. It is famous for large congregations of waterbirds, especially greater flamingos and is rich in both resident and migratory species of birds. It was first identified as an area of high significance in the conservation of birds by the legendary ornithologist late Dr. Salim Ali in 1962 (Ali, 1963).

Picture Courtesy: T. Siva The sanctuary was declared as Point Calimere Sanctuary in June 1967 for conserving the near threatened blackbuck Kingdom: Animalia antelope (Mallon, 2003), also known as the Indian Phylum: Chordata antelope (Antilope cervicapra) an endemic mammal species Class: Mammalia of India, which is the flagship species of the sanctuary. It is Order: Artiodactyla the sole member of the antelope family in India and the Family: Bovidae most numerous large in the sanctuary. Blackbuck : Antilope dwells in grassland, forest and semi-arid habitat types. Conservation Status: Blackbuck is native to the Indian subcontinent. Their Near Threatened (IUCN Red List Category range decreased during the 20th century and they are now and Criteria) extinct in and Pakistan. Blackbucks are still Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary present in the terai zone of Nepal (Bashistha et al., 2012). (PCWBS) is a protected area in Tamil Nadu, South India along the Palk Strait covering three districts of Tamil Nadu viz. Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur, it meets the Bay of Bengal at Point Calimere (Tamil: Kodiakkarai) at the southeastern tip of Nagapattinam District (Source: forests.tn.gov.in). It is located in between 79°399'E & 79°884'E longitudes and 10°276'N & 10°826'N latitudes with an elevation 0-6 m; the highest point is named Picture Courtesy: Anoop Raj V.N. 4 SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.15(2), 2019. ISSN: 0972-3153 The species has been introduced to the United States of America (Texas) and Argentina. The lifespan is 10 to 15 years. References: Ali, S. (1963) Point Calimere as a refuge for Wintering Shorebirds. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 60: 458-460. Bashistha, M., Neupane, B.K. and Khanal, S.N. (2012) Antilope cervicapra Blackbuck in Nepal: Population Status, Conservation and Translocation Issues of Blackbuck in the Blackbuck Conservation Area, Bardiya, Nepal. LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, Saarbrücken. Mallon, D.P. (Antelope Specialist Group) (2003) Antilope cervicapra. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2003: e.T1681A6448897. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/1681/6448897 Internet Source: https://www.forests.tn.gov.in/pages/view/Ramsar-Site-Of-TN https://rsis.ramsar.org/RISapp/files/RISrep/IN1210RIS.pdf Research Publications of the Flagship Species of Point Calimere: Anonymous (2005) Wildlife management through waterholes for blackbuck, at Point Calimere WLS, Tamil Nadu. Bharathidasan, V. (1983) Studies of the population dynamics and behaviour of Blackbuck of Vedharanyam Reserve Forest. M.Sc. Dissertation Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli. Faizi, S. (1982) An instance of interspecific aggression between chital Axis axis Erxleben and blackbuck Antilope cervicapra Linnaeus at Point Calimere Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 79(3): 664-665. Frank, D.S.J., Gopi, G.V. and Sankar, K. (2015) Predation on Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra fawn by Wild Boar Sus scrofa in Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 112(1): 26-27. Johnson, J.M. (1975) The Blackbuck in Point Calimere Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu population dynamics and observations on behaviour. Indian Forester 101(8): 484-494. Muralidharan, S. (1985) Foraging ecology of Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), and its interaction with cattle at Point Calimere. M.Sc. Dissertation Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli. Nagarajan, B., Kamaraj, R. and Ganesan, K. (2016) Spatial and dietary overlap between blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) and feral horse (Equus caballus) at Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern India: Competition between native versus introduced species. Mammalian Biology 81(3): 295-302. Nair, S.S. (1976) A population survey and observations on the behaviour of the Blackbuck in the Point Calimere Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 73(2): 304-310. Natarajan, K.N., Sundar Raj, T.S.P. and Shah, C.K. (1978) Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra Linn at Point Calimere. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 75(1): 209-211. Nedumaran, R. (1987) Dietary overlap between Blackbuck and cattle at Point Calimere Sanctuary. M.Sc. Dissertation Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli. Nedumaran, R. (1987) Influence of cattle grazing on the food and feeding habits of Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) at Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary. M.Sc. Dissertation Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli. Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary (1999) Buceros ENVIS Newsletter: Avian Ecology and Inland Wetlands. 4(1): 26. Prashanth, M.B., Sarvanan, A., Mathivanan, M., Shenbagamorthy, S. and Ganesh, T. (2014) Distribution Patterns and Habitat Requirements of Blackbuck in Vallanadu Blackbuck Sanctuary: Implications for Conservation and Management. Indian Forester 140(10): 1005-1013. Rajasekaran, G. (1988) Food habits of Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) of Point Calimere Sanctuary. M.Sc. Dissertation Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli. Stracy, P.D. (1960) The Blackbuck of Point Calimere. Cheetal 3: 67-69. SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.15(2), 2019. ISSN: 0972-3153 5 International Day for Biological Diversity 2019 Report The International Day for Biological Diversity or World Biodiversity Day is observed by United Nations for the promotion of biodiversity issues on 22nd May. In 1993, the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly designated 29th December as “The International Day for Biological Diversity” based on the date of entry into force of the Convention of Biological Diversity. In December 2000, the UN General Assembly changed it to 22nd May as IDB, to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22nd May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This was partially done, because it was difficult for many countries to plan and carry out suitable celebrations in the last week of December, given the number of holidays those overlap around that time of year. IDB Theme for 2019 was “Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our International Day for Biological Diversity 2019 Health”. This focuses on biodiversity as the foundation for our food Poster by SACON ENVIS RP and health and as a solution in transforming food systems and improving human well-being. To celebrate this International Day for Biological Diversity, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, organised the national level event on 22nd May 2019 at Kalaivanar Arangam, Omundhurar Government Estate, Wallajah Road, Chennai in coordination with the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and the Tamil Nadu State Biodiversity Board. Honourable Vice President of India, Shri Venkaiah Naidu, was the Chief Guest at the IDB in Chennai. SACON ENVIS Resource Partner was invited to participate and exhibit the ENVIS publications and knowledge products. During the event, SACON ENVIS RP released two awareness posters. The Honourable Vice President also inaugurated and visited the exhibition that was later open to public. The ENVIS publications were distributed to school students and public who visited the stall. Around 5000 participants from various Organizations, NGOs, schools, colleges and general

Showcase of SACON ENVIS RP publications public from Chennai visited the exhibition. and knowledge products at IDB event World Environment Day 2019 Report The Mangrove Cell, Maharashtra since its inception in 2012 has been working towards mangrove conservation, endangered coastal/marine species and livelihood programs along the coastal length of Maharashtra. In September 2015, based on the success of the program the Government of Maharashtra felt the need to upscale the activities and established the Mangrove and Marine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation of Maharashtra viz. Mangrove Foundation. The foundation has implemented several sustainable livelihood activities, capacity building programs, awareness activities and research initiatives. As part of its awareness initiative regarding the Coastal and Marine biodiversity, the foundation initiated the Lecture series called "Marine Matters". The lecture series is an attempt to provide opportunity to students, researchers, stakeholders and decision makers to interact, discuss and understand issues and prospects in

6 SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.15(2), 2019. ISSN: 0972-3153 the coastal/marine field. On 5th June 2019 during the World Environment Day, Mr. Nitin Kakodkar IFS., PPCF Maharashtra and Mr. N. Vasudevan IFS., APCCF Maharashtra Inaugurated the event where Dr. Goldin Quadros (Principal Scientist & Coordinator SACON ENVIS Resource Partner) was invited as the Inaugural speaker and delivered a lecture on "Mangroves of Mumbai". The lecture series was attended by students and researchers from Mumbai. The Maharashtra State Finance & Planning and Forests Minister Mr. Sudhir Mungantiwar felicitated Dr. Goldin on the occasion.

Maharashtra State Finance & Planning and Forests Minister Dr. Goldin Quadros delivering a lecture on Mr. Sudhir Mungantiwar felicitated Dr. Goldin Quadros “Mangroves of Mumbai”

Abstracts from published literature

Distribution of Fin-fish Eggs and Larvae from Point Calimere and Muthupettai, South East Coast of India Srilatha, G. Mayavu, P. Varadharajan, D. and Chamundeeswari, K. Faculty of Marine Sciences, Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai-608502, Tamil Nadu, India. Aquaculture Research & Development (2013) 4: 178 Abstract: Eggs and larvae of the fishes are known as Ichthyoplankton. Mostly, the eggs are a planktonic and they cannot swim effectively and drift with the ocean currents. A fish larva is a part of zooplankton there consumes small organisms. It is a bio-indicator of an aquatic ecosystem. In the present study, totally 748/100 m3 fish eggs were collected from both the stations of Point Calimere and Muthupettai. The finfish eggs were recorded maximum in 18/100 m3 and 24/100 m3 at station I and II and the larvae were recorded maximum in 8/100 m3 and 12/100 m3 at station I and II respectively. When compare two sampling station the maximum of fish eggs and larvae were observed station I than there other station. Sensitive development stages of the fish, like egg and larvae which can affect mainly on predatory problem, environmental parameters and manmade activities. The true diversity date is need for the species conservation and maintenance. Keywords: Early life history, Fishes, Eggs, Larvae, Distribution, Evolutionary science.

SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.15(2), 2019. ISSN: 0972-3153 7 Spatial and dietary overlap between blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) and feral horse (Equus caballus) at Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern India: Competition between native versus introduced species Nagarajan Baskaran, Kamaraj Ramkumaran and Ganesan Karthikeyan A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Mannampandal 609 305, Mayiladuthurai, India. Mammalian Biology (2016) 81: 295-302 Abstract: Overgrazing by livestock is a serious threat to the biodiversity in the tropical forests of . Feral horse, an introduced species at Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, is a grazer and overlaps extensively in space and food resources with blackbuck, a native species, and thus could be a potential competitor. We have assessed, between December 2012 and June 2013, if the ecological conditions in the study site favour competition between these two species by assessing their spatial distribution pattern, population density, and dietary overlap. Spatial distribution pattern on direct sighting of both the species across habitats revealed that feral horses ranged mostly in the southern and southeastern parts of the sanctuary, in areas mostly with open grasslands, overlapping extensively in space with blackbuck, a grassland habitat specialist of the sanctuary. Population density estimated using line-transect distance sampling method showed 50 (95% CI 41.6–60.6) blackbucks and 21 (15.2–30.0) feral horses per km2 of the sanctuary. Dietary overlap assessed through site examination of feeding trails revealed that out of 14 plant species identified from blackbuck diet during the study period, 12 (86%) were also consumed by feral horses. Similarly, food plants such as Cloris parpata, a grass species, and herb Desmodiam dryflorae, the principal food of blackbuck, were also the major food plants of feral horses. Further, estimation of food consumption rate showed that feral horse consumed significantly more food per unit time (2.8 ± 0.08 g/min) than blackbuck (1.7 ± 0.07 g/min). Dietary overlap estimated using Schoener’s Index showed a significant overlap between the two species (overall 89% and habitat-wise 85–90%). An analysis of food preference using Jacob’s Preference Index revealed that all the preferred food plants of the blackbuck were equally preferred by feral horses indicating significant overlap in the diet species composition. Although the density estimate revealed a lesser number of feral horses per capita than blackbuck, the higher food consumption rate of the former coupled with larger body mass, could outweigh the higher density of blackbuck and the same is discussed as an effective ecological competitor. Based on the findings appropriate recommendations are made for the management of blackbuck in the sanctuary. Keywords: Blackbuck, Competition, Dietary and spatial overlap, Feral horse, Population density, India.

Picture Courtesy: T. Siva 8 SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.15(2), 2019. ISSN: 0972-3153 Study on Web-Site Attributes and Predatory Efficiency of Dark Tetragnathid Spider in Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary Samidurai Jayakumar, Joothi Paramanandham, Veerapan Duraimurugan, Ambalavanan Sankari, Arunagiri Ramya, Selvaraj Sathiskumar and Amirthalingam Durga A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Mannampandal, Mayiladuthurai – 609305, Tamil Nadu, India. International Letters of Natural Sciences (2017) 62: 11-19 Abstract: Spiders represent one of the most abundant components of the predatory arthropods in terrestrial ecosystem. Their effectiveness at restricting pest populations, both alone and as part of natural enemy complex has well demonstrated in many countries. The web, web-site attributes and predatory efficiency of Dark Tetragnathid Spider Tetragnatha mandibulata were assessed in Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary between August 2015 and March 2016. In the present study, the spiders used limited number of plants species. The relationship between web architecture and web-site attributes was estimated using Pearson’s correlation. Number of spiders recorded in the web showed the positive correlation with web horizontal and vertical length of the capture areas (p<0.05). Similarly, the web circumference showed the positive interaction with plant height and canopy width (p<0.05), which clearly indicated the importance of vegetations across the webs of Dark Tetragnathid Spider. Further, the microhabitat selection and utilization could also be impacted by non-trophic factors like structural features of plants that provide architectural supports to spiders. A total of 4620 pests comprising seven orders were entangled by the webs of dark tetragnathid spiders. Number of spiders in the web were positively correlated with number of insect pests (p<0.05), which clearly explained that the Dark Tetragnathid spiders restricting pest populations and therefore they are considered as useful organism in biological control. Keywords: Dark tetragnathid spider, Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, web attributes, web architecture, prey and predatory potential.

Assessment of environmental parameters with special emphasis on avifaunal breeding season in the coastal wetland of Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, Southeast Coast of India. Rajendran Viji a,* , Nirmaladevi D. Shrinithivihahshinia , Rajendran Ranjeethaa , Perumal Santhanama , Palani Swamy Ram Narayanana and Srinivasan Balakrishnanb a Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620 024, Tamil Nadu, India. bMarine Aquarium & Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Digha 721 428, , India. Marine Pollution Bulletin (2018) 131: 233-238 Abstract: The present study focuses on the hydrographic parameters and the population level of microbial indicators in wetland ecosystems and their effects on bird breeding habitat in Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary. Water samples were collected during the bird breeding seasons at five different stations in the sanctuaries, and samples were analyzed by standard methods. Results were compared with CPCB and USEPA standards and clearly denoted that the water quality is not suitable for bird feeding and breeding habitat. One- way ANOVA showed a strong evidence (p < 0.01) of risk for birds breeding in this habitat. As a result of salt pan chemical industries, aquaculture continues to have a major effect on the homogenization and breeding habitat of avian species. Urgent action is needed to prohibit the unregulated economical activities and to regulate water quality monitoring to strictly follow the wildlife conservation rules and regulations. This effective action will help in maintaining species diversity and composition of historical monuments to provide suitable breeding sites in the sanctuary. Keywords: Wetland ecosystem, Water quality, Pollution, Bird breeding, Vedaranyam.

SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.15(2), 2019. ISSN: 0972-3153 9 Newspaper Article

Mangalavanam sanctuary gasps for breath Times of India - June 26, 2019 KOCHI: With more and more entities executing high-rise projects around the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, the future for the state's only coastal protected area, which witnessed vanishing of heronries - Black-crowned Night heron and Little Cormorant - despite regeneration of mangroves within the sanctuary, looks bleak. The sanctuary, with an area of just 2.74 ha, has been facing degradation of physical environment due to heavy sedimentation as a result of dredging activity in the coast. Six months ago, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) completed building a multi-storied staff quarters on their land next to Mangalavanam area, which was marked as eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) as per a draft notification. The Southern Railway has plans to renovate the old railway station and had recently replaced the tracks. Last week, Kerala State Housing Board (KSHB) announced a mega project - Rs 3,105 - crore Kerala Exhibition City - to be built in public private partnership (PPP) mode, with high-rise buildings that critics say would choke the last available flight path of the birds. Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, a tidal wetland area with shallow lake in the middle, lined by thick mangrove vegetation, is facing a host of issues apart from this which needs to be addressed through adaptive management strategies. A major concern is a sewage canal that flows through the sanctuary, which is contributing to the organic load and sedimentation of tidal flats. A habitat assessment study by Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in 2017 had recommended that the sewage canal be diverted. “We had requested the Kochi corporation to divert the canal but there was no action,” said an official attached to the Mangalavanam sanctuary. The report said in order to enrich the food species (plankton, fish, mollusks, etc) for the birds in the sanctuary, the sediments should be devoid of pollution. But the sedimentation, presence of canopy-rich exotic species in the sanctuary and the pressure exerted by civil constructions in the periphery have also resulted in the inward growth of mangroves. The analysis of vegetation cover using Google images by Sacon indicated that over a period of 15 years (2002 to 2017) the water spread area as viewed aerially in the sanctuary came down by 50%. “Birds look for presence of large waterbodies and this could be reason why they stopped choosing the area for breeding and roosting,” said Principal Scientist P V Karunakaran at SACON, who led the team which assessed the Mangalavanam habitat. “The available terrestrial area of the sanctuary is already occupied by huge trees with large canopies. We had also suggested thinning the canopy of exotic species to allow the mangroves to grow outward. Desiltation may not be of much use as the cycle would keep repeating,” said Karunakaran. In January, 2018, the sanctuary officials tried to desilt the lake with help from Kochi corporation but the project was abandoned midway as the contractor felt that manual cleaning of sludge was not profitable. “The contractor wanted to use an earthmover which couldn't be permitted,” said an official. Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/mangalavanam-sanctuary-gasps-for-breath/articleshow/69949672.cms

10 SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.15(2), 2019. ISSN: 0972-3153