e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:09/September-2020 Impact Factor- 5.354 www.irjmets.com A REVIEW ON DIVERSITY THREATS AND ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF OF GAYA,

Nalinaksh Pankaj*1, Anindya Patnayak*2, Dr. Bhrigunath*3

*1,2Ph.D Research Scholar, Department of Zoology, Magadh University Bodhgaya, India.

*3Associate Professor, Dept. Of Zoology, A.M College Gaya, India.

Email—[email protected]

ABSTRACT

Present study on biodiversity was carried out at 4 different study sites viz- Barachatti, Mohonpur, Dumaria and Kothi in Gaya district Bihar. Amphibians are considered as intermediate form between fishes and reptiles. These makes important faunal group evolved in the Devonian period that has diversified and become dominant during carboniferous and Permian period. Amphibians also show a co-evolutionary relationship with diverse group of plants and whose habitats are interlinked. Amphibians play a vital role in ecosystem services and food chains. eat small insects so act as biological pest control. In this way amphibians help us to protect our crops. Anuran amphibians also act as bio indicator, food for birds, fish and monkeys as well for man, helps in medical advancement, and their larvae filter drinking water too. In this way amphibians are very useful and boon for mankind. These creatures are very pretty and key to our ecosystem but the populations of amphibians declining very rapidly due to human intervention, , and excessive use of pesticides and greatly due to unawareness of people about the importance of frogs and toads. Now a day’s biodiversity of facing a greater threat and their rate of extinction is very high. There is a need of conservation to save the amphibians as they are beautiful and pretty creatures and play very important role in the ecosystem services and food chain.

Keywords:-- Biodiversity of amphibians, Bio-indicator, Biological control, Ecosystem services, Threats, Conservation.

I. INTRODUCTION

Gaya is the very important holy city of India. Peoples from all over the world come here for Pind-Dan of their ancestors in Pitripaksh month. Gaya district covers an area of 4976 km2 between longitude 84°40’ to 85°50’ towards East and latitude 24°50’ to 25°10’ towards North, surrounded by Jehanabad dist. the north, on the south by Chatra & Palamau dist. Jharkhand state , Nawada dist. in east and Aurangabad to west. This region of Bihar is very rich in floral and faunal diversity due to forest cover in the southern and Eastern part of this dist. comprises of forest cover and hilly area that supports a variety of flora and faunal group. Different parts of Gaya distt.mostly eastern and southern part (Barachatti,Mohanpur,Imamganj,Dumaria and Kothi) surrounding hilly areas and forests consists a mixed type of foliage comprising dry deciduous Sal mixed moist deciduous including dry deciduous scrubland and uneven patches of bamboo grooves (Champion&Seth,1968). it is home to a number of Amphibians/frogs. These areas of Gaya dist. viz- Barachatti, Mohanpur, Imamganj, Dumaria and Kothi provide a wide range of habitats for a number of different types of flora and fauna and very rich in biodiversity. These sites are rich in Herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles) co- inhibiting with wide range of biodiversity of different other species. [ 1 ] It is very essential to protect and conserve these beautiful and pretty creatures and wide biodiversity so that there would maintain the ecological balance, food chain and uninterrupted ecosystem services that are essential for good health of human beings and sustainability of life on this mother earth.[2] Proper planning strategies for systematic www.irjmets.com @International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering, Technology and Science [152] e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:09/September-2020 Impact Factor- 5.354 www.irjmets.com biodiversity conservation is very essential for maintenance, improvement and sustainability of life and uninterrupted ecological functioning(foundation of ecological security)[3] This area of Gaya have highest ecological diversity as rich in flora and fauna. Many rivers forests and mountain range are the site of great biodiversity. GBWLS of Bodhgaya attract a lot of peoples due to its beautiful biodiversity. [4] so these biodiversity may become the good source of income for people live nearby these sites. Biodiversity are also the source of socio economic benefits may attract the eco-tourism organizations that may provide benefits to the residents live nearby. [5]

Amphibians are experiencing great threat and hardship due to ecological disturbance and anthropogenic activities. Their numbers are declining at a very rapid rate due to diseases, habitat destruction and habitat loss, various chemicals fertilizers and bio pesticides used in the field. This is the alarming sign for humans and indication of poor environmental health.[6-8] Every creatures have right to live on this earth but human due to their selfishness disturb the other floral and faunal diversity of this earth that ultimately affect that human. Amphibian were also declining at a great rate is the indication of great environmental problems. It is the tool that indicates the health of fresh water and aquatic ecosystems globally. [9-10] Amphibians migrate from aquatic habitat to terrestrial habitat and vice versa. They also undergo aestivation and hibernation in the terrestrial environment during harsh conditions., so assessment of pond breeding amphibians are the basis of forecasting of the nutrient and energy flow cycles between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems that are facing challenging of risk.[11] II. LITERATURE REVIEW

Indo-Gangetic plains are the important site of biodiversity. Gaya is part of this biogeographic zones also rich in floral and faunal diversity. Many rivers like Falgu, Morhar-Sorhar, mountain range and rich tropical moist deciduous forest cover are the good site for the biodiversity . Different types of flora and fauna are found here that attract lots of peoples. In this area of Gaya distt. Barachatti,Mohanpur Dumaria and kothi there are 12 species of amphibians recorded so far belonging to 8 genera and 4 families from Gaya dist. of Bihar.[12-13]

Due to arid environment and dry conditions most of the time a year Bihar has less no of amphibian species as compared to rest of the country like Western Ghats and northeastern states. In india total no of amphibian species found are 436 species (395 Anuran, 2 Salamander, and 39 Caecilians) as on 21.04.2020.[14] All the amphibian species recorded from different parts of Gaya distt Like belonging mainly to four cosmopolitan families Bufonidae, , Microhylidae and Rhacophoridae. Some of the species of amphibians are found in large numbers from this area.[15]

Boulenger G A (1890) described amphibian fauna of British India. Venkateshwarlu &Murthy (1972) first of all described, the amphibian species of Bihar state, with few description and short notes on their character and habitat. Later on Sarkar A.K( 1991) described the amphibian species of Chhotanagpur (Jharkhand )it only provides taxonomical description of amphibians. Sarkar A.K et al. (2004) provide list of amphibians in the state fauna series of ZSI and provide taxonomical study of 14 species of amphibians from Bihar. But till date no any workers provide the amphibian diversity of Gaya dist. [16-18]

Recent advancement in study about the amphibian reaches upto molecular level. Now phylogenetic study of different species of living amphibians make the use of modern biochemical techniques linking morpho-anatomical characterization with DNA sequencing from mitrochondrial transcription etc.[19] . This advancement in study make the taxonomical study of different studies very easy and authentic and changed the previous concept of taxonomic categories that was based on morphological character differences between different taxa.

www.irjmets.com @International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering, Technology and Science [153] e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:09/September-2020 Impact Factor- 5.354 www.irjmets.com III. CHECKLIST OF AMPHIBIANS IDENTIFIED IN GAYA DIST. (BIHAR)

Following are checklist of amphibians identified in Gaya dist. (Bihar) that provide the review about the amphibian diversity of Gaya dist.

Family Bufonidae (Gray, 1825)

Genus Duttaphrynus (Frost, 2006)

Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider, 1799)

Duttaphrynus stomaticus (Lutken 1864)

Family Dicroglossidae (Anderson, 1871)

Genus Euphlyctis (Fitzinger, 1843)

Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (Schneider, 1799) Genus Frejerverya (Bolkay, 1915) Frejerverya limnocharis (Gravenhorst, 1829)

Genus Hoplobatrachus (Peters, 1863)

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus (Daudin, 1803)

Hoplobatrachus crassus (Hoffman, 1932)

Genus (Gunther, 1859). Sphaerotheca berviceps (Schneider, 1799) Sphaerotheca rolandae (Dubois, 1983) Sphaerotheca Magadha (Prasad, Dinesh, Das, 2019) Family Microhylidae (Gunther, 1858) Genus Microhyla (Tschudi, 1838) Microhyla ornate (Dumeril& Bibron, 1841) Microhyla rubra (Jerdon, 1854) Genus Uperedon (Dumeril & Bibron, 1841) Uperedon systoma (Schneider, 1799) Family Rhacophoridae (Hoffman, 1932) Genus Polypedates (Tschudi, 1838) Polypedates maculatus (J.E Gray, 1830)

www.irjmets.com @International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering, Technology and Science [154] e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:09/September-2020 Impact Factor- 5.354 www.irjmets.com

Figure-1: Some important amphibians found in Gaya, India

IV. CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL CONCERN OF AMPHIBIANS Cultural concern of amphibians Amphibians are pretty creatures. Since the beginning of civilization amphibians were the parts of culture. Frogs, toads and salamanders were appeared in a variety of cultures as unique symbol from ancient period, playing important roles in paintings, drawings, sculptures, myths, fairy tales and folklares. Amphibians because of laying enormous quantity of eggs are associated with fertility and abundance in various ancient cultures like Rome, Greece and Egypt. The Egyptian goddess of birth and fertility (Heqet) depicted as frog or frog headed women. In Japan frog is seen as symbol of fortune and luck with magical powers. Travelers of Japan carry a frog amulet with intent of returning home safely. In China the golden toad is worshiped for wealth and prosperity as Feng Shui charm. Salamander also have given supernatural and mythical qualities in western traditions. In the Shakespeare’s play Machbeth the witches use “eye of newt”. Photographs of frogs

www.irjmets.com @International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering, Technology and Science [155] e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:09/September-2020 Impact Factor- 5.354 www.irjmets.com are used for decoration and play games. Till today in many of the parts of India, frog marriages takes place so as to appease INDRA DEVTA (God of rain) and get rain during drought and monsoon period. [20] Frogs and toads have medicinal value also, their skin is the store house of different chemicals that are used in developing different drugs for HIV and many other diseases. Hyla japonica oil was believed to heal bounds whereas Rana plancyi has been used for feaver and weakened immune system. In Korea medicine for Athlete’s foot is made from toad skin secreations. Amphibians are also used for genetic studies. Lazzaro spallanzani have done his studies of regeneration on Newt or salamander. Some amphibians have capability to survive in frozen environment has drawn the attention of scientist involved in human organ transplantation. [21] Ecological concerns of amphibians

Amphibians are important component of food web persists in ecosystems. They were eaten by higher vertebrates such as birds, reptiles and mammals so abundance of amphibian species determines the population of higher vertebrates in temperate and tropical region. Amphibians including their larvae are important predators if invertebrate also. Removal of amphibians from any food chain or from particular habitat leads to drastic changes by increasing insect populations. Through metamorphosis and during breeding amphibians migrate from land to water, and so on thus many species of frogs and salamanders are the link for transfer of nutrients from aquatic to terrestrial ones. Hence the removal of amphibians from any habitat may affects adversely to the predator dynamics, invertebrate population, nutrient cycling and algae population that ultimately affects the human. Preservation of amphibian species is very essential for maintaining good and healthy environment. [22-23]

Tadpoles scrap and feed on algae, diatoms, zooplanktons and larvae of some insects. Hence amphibian population also regulates the algal bloom and also the aquatic nutrient cycling at some extent. Adult amphibians also act as biological controller of insects that can cause diseases to humans as well harmful for agricultural crop. Due to their ectothermic nature, biphasic life, respiration through skin and anamniotic embryo amphibians are very sensitive to the change in environment and thus indicate the health of environment. They are also the good indicator about the earthquake and tides. [24-25]

4.1 Why amphibians are declining

Amphibians are declining today at a very great rate, major cause of declining of amphibian population are the Habitat destruction and alteration, UV radiations, Diseases, Invasive species, Climate Change, Hazardous chemicals, Over exploitation and anthropogenic disturbances. According to a report on the status of amphibian species around the world found that nearly one third 32 % of world amphibian population are threatened representing 1856 species [ Baillie et al (eds) 2004 ]. In last two decades there have alarming number of species extinctions nearly 168 species of amphibians become extinct and at least 2469 (43%) are suffering to population decline. This data indicates that the number of extinct and threatened amphibian species continuously rising (Stuart et al. 2004). [26] The rapidly declining species distribution in ecosystem was nonrandom and species of neotropical area are badly affected due to loss in biodiversity. [27 ]

Another important study of Alexender et al [28]. shows that temperature and moisture affects the amphibian physiology, behavior and ecology because amphibians do cutaneous respiration through moist skin. So scientists always focus on impact of environmental factors on the decline of amphibian population. There is a direct link between amphibian population drops, mortality and climate change. [ 29] V. CONCLUSION

Study of different research papers revealed that Gaya is the important part of Indo-Gangetic plain is very rich biodiverse region of the Bihar state. However Urbanization, increasing pollution of ponds and reservoirs due www.irjmets.com @International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering, Technology and Science [156] e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:09/September-2020 Impact Factor- 5.354 www.irjmets.com to sewage agricultural run off in the form of pesticides, insecticides deforestation, soil erosion, are the major cause of biodiversity loss. Total 12 species of amphibians are reported from Gaya distt.out of which eight are endemic. VI. RECOMMENDATIONS

Man has no right to create any disturbance what Ishwar has created. Wetlands, reservoirs, ponds and protected areas should be reserved to support the biodiversity of amphibians on this earth. Sources of pollution should be reduced to save such a beautiful pretty creatures, to maintain ecosystem integrity and maintenance of healthy food chain all over the world.

Important ways to save amphibians:

 Amphibian habitats should be protected.  Use of modified land and water techniques so that there is minimum impact on amphibians.  Introduced and invasive species are being removed where they threaten native amphibian species.  Restoration of amphibian species to their wild habitat so that new populations can be established.  Captive breeding program should be initiated for endangered species in in situ.  Preparation and implementation of species recovery program for species in threat.  Promoting cultivation of organic food with minimum use of fertilizers and pesticides so that there occur very less contamination and mortality of amphibian species.  Use of pesticides should be minimized so that amphibians could be saved.  Leave the natural vegetation around any water bodies undisturbed that is the habitat, food and breeding site of different amphibians.  Initiate campaigns to stop the trade to amphibians. Trade of amphibians responsible to amphibian disease and non-native predators.  Protect amphibians from pets, dogs cats and child. They disturb their breeding and habitat. VII. REFERENCES [1] Vitt LJ, Caldwell JP. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptile (4th edn.) Academic Press. San Diego. USA. [2] Corvalan C, Hales, Michael AMC. (2005). Ecosystems and human well-being: Health synthesis: A report of the millennium ecosystem assessment. World Health Organization, Geneva. Essay. 2: 358-369. [3] Foundation for Ecological Security. (2010). Final report: Assessment of biodiversity in Kumbhalgarh wildlife sanctuary: A conservation perspective, Anand, Gujarat. 156. [4] GBWLS technical report November 2017, wildlife institute of India Dehradun [5] Jury M.R, Makhoba X.N, Siebert SJ. (2007). Assessment of biodiversity, socio-economic. [6] Lips K.R, Diffendorfar J, Mendelson J.R, Sears M.W (2008). Riding the wave: Reconcilling the roles of disease and climate change in amphibian decline. PLoS Biol 6:e72. [7] Hayes T.B, Falso P, Gallipeau S, et al. (2010). The cause of global amphibian declines: A developmental endocrinologist's perspective. Journal of Experimental Biology. 213: 921-933. [8] Wake D.B, Vredenburg V.T. (2008). Are we in the midst of the sixth mass extinction? A view from the world of amphibians. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 105: 11466–11473.

www.irjmets.com @International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering, Technology and Science [157] e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:09/September-2020 Impact Factor- 5.354 www.irjmets.com [9] Collins J.P, Crump M.L. (2009). Extinction in our times: Global amphibian decline. Oxford University Press, New York, New York, USA. [10] Lannoo M.J. (2008). Malformed frogs: The collapse of aquatic ecosystems. University of California Press, Berkeley, California, USA. [11] Schriever T, Cadotte M.W, Williams D.D. (2013). How hydroperiod and species richness affect the balance of resource flows across aquatic-terrestrial habitats. Aquatic Sciences. 1-13. [12] Dinesh, K.P., Radhakrishnan C., Channakeshavamurthy B.H., Deepak P. & Kulkarni N.U. (2020). Checklist of Amphibia of India, updated till April 2020. [13] Frost DR. (2018). Amphibian Species of the World:an Online Reference. Version 6 (12.10.2018) Electronic Database. American Museum of Natural History,New York, USA. [14] Amphibia webworld online version on dated 20.4.2020 [15] Dutta S.K (1997). Amphibians of India and Sri Lanka ( Checklist and bibiliography) Odyssey PublishingHouse Bhubaneshwar 342pp+xxii [16] Boulenger G.A (1920). A monograph of south Asian Papuan Melanesian and Australian Frogs of genus Rana. Rec.Indian Mus.20:1-226 [17] Sarkar A.K (1991) .The Amphibians of Chhotanagpur (Bihar) India Rec.zool.Surv.India 89(1-4):209-217 [18] Sarkar A.K, Das S & Ray S (2014). State fauna series 11: Fauna of Bihar (including Jharkhand) 181-193 [19] Frost D.R, Grant T, Faivovich J, et al. (2006). The amphibian tree of life. Bulletin of the American Museum. [20] Black Jeremy; Green, Anthony(1992). Gods ,Demons Ancient Mesopotamia; an illustrated Dictionary. The British Museum press p118.ISBN 0-7141-1705-6 [21] Candelario Rodríguez, Louise Rollins-Smith, Roberto Ibáñez, Armando A. Durant-Archibold, Marcelino Gutiérrez.(2016)Toxins and pharmacologically active compounds from species of the family Bufonidae (Amphibia, Anura). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2017; 198: 235. [22] Abrol, D.P. 2012. Pollination Biology: Biodiversity Conservation and Agricultural Production. Springer, New York, New York, USA. [23] Alford, R.A. 1999. Ecology: resource use, competition, and predation. Pp. 189–214 In Tadpoles: The Biology of Anuran Larvae. McDiarmid, R.W., and R. Altig (Eds). The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, USA. [24] Altig, R., M.R. Whiles, and C.L. Taylor. 2007. What do tadpoles really eat? Assessing the trophic status of an understudied and imperiled group of consumers in freshwater habitats. Freshwater Biology 52:386 –395.

[25] Boone M.D, Semlitsch R.D. (2001). Interactions of an insecticide with larval density and predation in experimental amphibian communities. Conservation Biology. 15: 228–238. [26] Boone M.D, Semlitsch R. (2002). Interactions of an insecticide with competition and pond drying in amphibian communities. Ecological Applications. 12: 307–316. [27] Stuart S.N, Chanson J.S, Cox N.A, et al. (2004). Status and trends of amphibian declines and extinctions worldwide. Science. 306: 1783–86. [28] Alexander M.A, Eischeid J.K. (2001). Climate variability in regions of amphibian declines. Conserv Biol. 15: 930-942. [29] Carey C, Alexander M.A. (2003). Climate change and amphibian declines: Is there a link? Divers Distrib. 9: 111–21.

www.irjmets.com @International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering, Technology and Science [158]