BIODIVERSITAS ISSN: 1412-033X Volume 15, Number 1, April 2014 E-ISSN: 2085-4722 Pages: 80-88 Birds of Lansdowne forest division and adjacent suburban landscapes, Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand, India: Community structure and seasonal distribution MOHAN KUKRETI♥, DINESH BHATT♥♥ Department of Zoology and Environmental Science, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. Tel. +91-1334-240982, Fax. +91-1334- 246366, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Manuscript received: 27 January 2014. Revision accepted: 3 April 2014. ABSTRACT Kukreti M, Bhatt D. 2014. Birds of Lansdowne forest division and adjacent suburban landscapes, Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand, India: Community structure and seasonal distribution. Biodiversitas 15: 80-88. This study of bird species diversity aims at understanding the distribution patterns and structures of avifauna of the two forest ranges and adjoining suburban areas of the Lansdowne forest division, Uttarakhand, India. Data on the abundance and richness were collected by standardized Verner’s line transect method for two years (January 20 11 to December 2012). A total of 216 species were recorded from the study area. Family Muscicapidae with 30 species was found to be dominant in the forest habitats, while family Corvidae with 10 species was found to be dominant in the suburban areas. Results indicate that the forests had more complex bird community structure in terms of higher species richness (8.95 vs 8.59), higher species diversity (Shannon’s index 3.86 vs 3.74), higher evenness (0.085 vs 0.080) and more rare species (74 vs 15) as compared to urban habitats. Bird species richness (BSR) and bird species diversity (BSD) fluctuated across seasons but not across habitat types. In order to sustain avian diversity, it is recommended that anthropogenic disturbance should be reduced and traditional agroforestry should be developed in the study area. Key words: Avian diversity, Garhwal Himalayas, Lansdowne forest, species richness, suburban INTRODUCTION suburban/rural landscapes. In the present study, an attempt is being made to find out the patterns and distributions of the Biodiversity is a contraction of ‘biological diversity’. It bird communities in different forest sites and adjoining has been defined by many scientists, governmental and non suburban areas of the Kotdwar and Laldhang forest ranges of governmental organizations usually as species richness, the Lansdowne forest division (Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, which is distributed unequally around the earth Western Himalaya). (Mittermeier et al. 1998; Myers et al. 2000; Barthlott and Winger 2001). According to the Millennium Ecosystem MATERIALS AND METHODS Assessment report ( 2005), the current extinction rates for Study area mammals, birds and amphibians is up to one thousand Lansdowne forest division is located on 29○37’ to 30○2’ times higher than the one witnessed in the fossil records. North latitude and 78○19’13’’ to 78○43’0’’ East Hence, there is a need for long term documentation of longitudinally in the south west portion of district Pauri diversity in natural environment. In the Indian Garhwal. The forest division is located on Rajaji National subcontinent, approximately 1300 avian species are found Park towards its western side and Corbett Tiger Reserve which constitute about 13% of the world bird assembly towards its east (Fi gure 1). In the north eastern part of (Grimmett et al. 1998). In the Western Himalayas, one of Lansdowne range, Chir (Pinus roxburghii) and Banj the Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) (Birdlife International (Quercus leucotrichophora) forests can be found. The 2012), some recent studies focus on avian diversity and remaining parts are occupied by Sal (Shorea robusta) and describes the extensive biodiversity assessments (Singh associated species: Acacia catechu, Dalbergia sissoo, 2000; Chettri et al. 2001; Laiolo 2002; Price et al. 2003; Cassia fistula, Holoptelea integrifolia, Syzygium cumini, Sultana et al. 2007; Acharya et al. 2011). At this point of Mallotus philippensis, Aegle marmelos, Ziziphus time there are some published research works in the Pauri mauritiana, Ougeinia oojeinensis, Bombax ceiba, Albizia Garhwal district on avian community ecology with special odoratissima, Anogeissus latifolia, Holarrhena pubescens, reference to diversity, abundance, distribution and other Ficus benghalensis and Adina cordifolia. Major Shrubs of ecological gradients (Naithani and Bhatt 2010, 2012). the sites studied are Lantana camara, Murraya koenigii, However, there is hardly any report from the study area Parthenium hysterophorus, Ardisia solanacea, Desmodium comparing the forest avian biodiversity with the triflorum and Asparagus KUKRETI & BHATT – Birds of Garhwal Himalayas, India 81 Pauri Garhwal Lansdowne forest division Pauri Garhwal Figure 1. Showing location of Lansdowne forest division, Pauri Garhwal district in Uttarakhand, India. adscendens. Climatically the area can be divided into three predefined transects/routes was made by walking once a distinct seasons viz., rainy season (July to October), winter month. In summer, bird counts were undertaken between (November to February), summer (March to June). 05:00 AM and 08:00 AM and 04:00 PM to 06:00 PM, while in winters, predefined transects were covered from Field procedure 06:30 AM to 09:30 AM and 03:00 PM to 06:00 PM on fine The biodiversity assessment was carried out in the three days. Birds were not surveyed in extreme weather, like forest and adjacent suburban habitat types (Table 1) using when wind or rain interfered with the audibility of bird Verner’s (1985) variable line transect method. Altogether calls, when fog or rain impaired visibility, partly cloudy 288 visits (24 months × 6 transects × 2 habitats) were made sky or when cold weather limited bird activity. We in total of 24 transects for consecutive two years i.e. maintained the same survey protocol in subsequent years. January 2011 to December 2012, covering all the seasons. Bird field guide by Grimmett et al. (2001) and Ali (2002) All transects within forest and suburban habitats were of were used for identification of birds. For nomenclature, we equal length (1Km. each). Observation of birds in each followed Inskipp et al. (1996). We used the Gaston (1994) 82 BIODIVERSITAS 15 (1): 80-88, April 2014 Table 1. Showing geographical information of study sites. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Sites Geographical position Elevation Avian community structure A total of 216 bird species Forest N E belonging to 43 families were Site A (Kanvashram) 29o 47’ 49. 98’’ 78o 27’ 39.09’’ 200-600 m observed in suburban and forest Site B (Nadikatal) 29o 54’ 40.38” 78o 26’ 13.96” 600-900 m habitats. 124 species (57%) were Site C (Mungaon) 29o 54’ 25.43’’ 78o 25’ 49.70’’ 900-1200 m found exclusively in forest, 15 Suburban o o species (6%) were restricted to Site A (Bhimsinghpur) 29 47’ 14.26” 78 27’ 01” 200-600 m o o suburban habitat and 80 species Site B (Nisni) 29 54’ 55.01” 78 26’ 21.42” 600-900 m o o (37%) were common to both habitat Site C (Mungaon) 29 54’ 18.58’’ 78 26’ 00.67’’ 900-1200 m types. The details of abundance, resident status and threatened category according to International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have been given in Table 2. Three threatened species (IUCN 2012) having poor abundance such as River Lapwing {Vanellus duvaucelii (Near Threatened; 11 individual) found in study site A, Kanvashram forest near Malini river; Figure 1.A.}, White Rumped Vulture {Gyps bengalensis (Critically Endangered; 8 individuals)}, Egyptian Vulture {(Neophron percnopterus (Endangered; 5 individual)} were found in the study area. The analysis of Variance (ANOVA-Two way) revealed that forest bird community was found Figure 2. Rarefaction curves for bird species richness estimated from forest and suburban habitats in the study area. more diverse than adjoining suburbs in terms of BSD (3.86 vs 3.74; F = 1.895, df = 11, P< 0.05) and BSR (8.95 vs 8.59; F = 1.479, df = 11, P< 0.05) and more rare species (74 vs criteria to define the rarity, below 10 individuals observed 15). Species rarefaction curves (Figure 2) from different per sighting was categorized as rare species of the study habitats also showed that forest habitats had a higher area. We also categorized each species as common (c), number of avian species than suburban habitats. In both the fairly common (f), uncommon (u) and rare (r) based on our habitats, the BSD, BSR and BSE were maximum during sighting records. summer (April to May) and minimum in late winter Bird species diversity (BSD) and bird species richness (December to January) seasons {(Forest: BSR range from (BSR) were measured using Shannon’s index (H’) and 8.50±0.10 to 9.60±0.17; BSD: 3.75±0.14 to 4.02±0.26 and Marga R), respectively (MacArthur and lef’s index ( BSE: 0.080±0.13 to 0.094±0.01); for suburbanized areas: MacArthur 1961, Magurran, 2004).To estimate evenness, BSR ranges from 8.32±0.61 to 9.12±0.52; BSD:3.12±0.10 we used evenness index (E) (Magurran 2004) between to 3.89±0.92; BSE: 0.080± 0.25 to 0.094±0.20)}. forest and suburban habitats. BioDiversity Pro software The similarity index showed greater overlap/similarity (McAleece et al. 1997) was to generate rarefaction curve in (65.50%) between bird communities for forest and order to determine whether sampling efforts was adequate. suburban at site B (Nadikatal, Nisni) and site A The data was obtained as mean of transects at each site for (Kanvashram, Bhimsinghpur) than between site C each month and pooled for two consecutive years at each {Mungaon (village and forest)} and site A (31%) or zone. Two way-ANOVA was also used to test for inter- between site C and site B (35%). A comparison of bird seasonal differences in BSR, BSD values across study communities between forest and suburban habitats revealed areas.