Biodiversity Assessment Report Wakal River Basin, Rajasthan, India
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Biodiversity Assessment Report Wakal River Basin, Rajasthan, India Integrated Management of Coastal and Freshwater Systems Program Biodiversity Assessment Report Wakal River Basin, Rajasthan, India Funding for the Biodiversity Assessment Report for the Wakal River Basin, Rajasthan, India was provided by the people of the United States of America through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), as a component of the Integrated Management of Coastal and Freshwater Systems Leader with Associates (LWA) Agreement No. EPP-A-00-04-00015-00. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Agency for International Development of the United States Government or Florida International University. Copyright © Global Water for Sustainability Program – Florida International University This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. No use of the publication may be made for resale or for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the prior permission in writing from the Florida International University - Global Water for Sustainability Program. Any inquiries can be addressed to the same at the following address: Global Water for Sustainability Program Florida International University Biscayne Bay Campus 3000 NE 151 St. ACI-267 North Miami, FL 33181 USA Email: [email protected] Website: www.globalwaters.net For bibliographic purposes, this document should be cited as: GLOWS-FIU. 2008. Biodiversity Assessment Report: Wakal River Basin, India. 2008. Global Water Sustainability Program, Florida International University. 68p. ISBN: Cover Photographs: Monsoon landscape in the Wakal River Basin, Rajasthan, India. (John M. Steifel). CHAPTER -1: BIODIVERSITY AND HABITAT STATUS IN WAKAL RIVER BASIN .............................................. 10 WAKAL RIVER: ................................................................................................................................................. 10 DARRAHS OF WAKAL: ........................................................................................................................................ 10 IMPORTANCE OF DARRAHS: .................................................................................................................................. 5 THREATS TO DARRAHS: ........................................................................................................................................ 6 RIVER BANK VEGETATION OF WAKAL AND ITS TRIBUTARIES: ........................................................................................ 6 RIVER CURVE VEGETATION: .................................................................................................................................. 8 FOREST TYPES OF WAKAL BASIN: ......................................................................................................................... 10 STOREYFICATION AND CANOPY DENSITY OF FOREST .................................................................................................. 12 FLORISTICS OF VARIOUS MAJOR TYPES OF FORESTS OF WAKAL BASIN: .......................................................................... 13 GRASSLANDS OF WAKAL BASIN: ........................................................................................................................... 15 FUNGI OF THE WAKAL BASIN: ............................................................................................................................. 16 SEMI-EVERGREEN/EVERGREEN ELEMENTS OF WAKAL BASIN: ..................................................................................... 16 DIVERSITY OF BIOTA IN WAKAL BASIN: .................................................................................................................. 18 PROTECTED AREAS IN AND AROUND WAKAL BASIN: ................................................................................................. 19 PLANTS INTRODUCED BY BRITISH ARMY OFFICERS IN WAKAL BASIN ............................................................................. 20 HIGH PEAKS OF WAKAL BASIN : ........................................................................................................................... 20 SACRED GROVES : ............................................................................................................................................. 21 MAN-MADE WATER BODIES:............................................................................................................................... 22 NATURAL WATER BODIES: .................................................................................................................................. 23 AQUATIC LIFEFORMS OF WAKAL BASIN: ................................................................................................................. 24 HILL PATTERN : ................................................................................................................................................ 24 THE MANGO-MAHUWA BELT OF WAKAL BASIN: ..................................................................................................... 27 CHAPTER – 2: IMPORTANT ISSUES ............................................................................................................ 29 WAKAL BASIN AS A 'FRINGE HOME' OF PENINSULAR AND WESTERN GHATS' BIOTIC ELEMENTS ........................................... 29 ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES OF WAKAL BASIN BIOTOPE IN RAJASTHAN: ......................................................................... 32 BASES OF ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES: .................................................................................................................... 34 POTENTIAL FOR MEDICINAL PLANT AND NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCES: .................................................................... 35 HILL PATTERN AND OCCURRENCE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS : .......................................................................................... 38 THE "NAL" FORESTS AND ACCURRENCE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS: .................................................................................. 39 DWINDLING NUMBERS OF CERTAIN SPECIES: ........................................................................................................... 40 SPECIES EXTERMINATION: ................................................................................................................................... 43 SPECIES PROCEEDING TOWARDS EXTERMINATION : ................................................................................................... 43 NATURAL REGENERATION STATUS OF IMPORTANT PLANT SPECIES: ............................................................................... 43 HIGH OCCURANCE OF FICUS SPECIES AND FOREST EPIPHYTES: ..................................................................................... 44 IMPORTANCE OF EPIPHYTES IN WAKAL BASIN .......................................................................................................... 50 FOREST FIRE: ................................................................................................................................................... 50 Type of Fire in Wakal Basin: .................................................................................................................... 50 Causes of different type of fire: ................................................................................................................ 50 Natural fire .............................................................................................................................................. 50 Intentional fire ......................................................................................................................................... 50 Accidental fire .......................................................................................................................................... 51 OBONXIOUS WEEDS: ......................................................................................................................................... 51 BOX-2 SOME MORE ISSUES ........................................................................................................................ 52 CHAPTER- 3: RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................... 53 ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF WAKAL BASIN ............................................................................................................. 53 PROBLEMS BEING FACED BY THE FLORA: ................................................................................................................. 53 PROBLEMS BEING FACED BY THE FAUNA: ................................................................................................................ 53 PROBLEMS BEING FACED BOTH BY FAUNA & FLORA: ................................................................................................. 54 RECOMMENDATION FOR WELFARE AND RESTORATION OF BIOTA: ................................................................................ 54 RECOMMENDATION FOR WELFARE OF TRIBALS : ....................................................................................................... 56 CONSERVATION MEASURES FOR MEDICINAL PLANTS .................................................................................................. 59 REFERENCES