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GIB and Herbaceous Vegetation Indian Forester, 143 (10) : 975-984, 2017 ISSN No. 0019-4816 (Print) http://www.indianforester.co.in ISSN No. 2321-094X (Online) ROLE OF HERBACEOUS VEGETATION IN HABITAT UTILIZATION BY CRITICALLY ENDANGERED GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD ARDEOTIS NIGRICEPS (VIGORS) IN THE INDIAN THAR DESERT GOBIND SAGAR BHARDWAJ, K.R. ANOOP1, PRERNA SHARMA2 AND SURESH KUMAR3 Rajasthan Forest Department (Wildlife), Van Bhawan, New Pali Road, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT With an objective to enhance the inviolate area, fresh closures were made adjacent to old closures in Thar desert landscape as part of managerial inputs based on in situ conservation guidelines for critically endangered great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps (Vigors). This newly enclosed area was partly mowed and ploughed just before the onset of rains in July which resulted in profuse regeneration of herbaceous vegetation. Preference for these newly made closures by the bustard was noted as compared to old closures. In order to understand causes of such preference, the vegetation of both old and freshly made closures was compared. High richness and abundance of ephemerals and low height of herbaceous vegetation in newly made closures providing better opportunities of feed and enhanced sight distance to detect approaching predators attracted more number of great Indian bustard. Mowing and ploughing the open areas in mosaic pattern breaks the crust laden hard surface allowing regeneration of herbaceous vegetation that improves the habitat for the species. Carrying out this activity annually just before the onset of rains without disturbing the local sewan Lasiurussc indicus and other perennial grasses, shrubs and trees of old closures of bustard range areas emerged as a key management strategy for in situ conservation of great Indian bustard in the Indian part of Thar desert. Key words: Abundance, Bustard, Ardeotis nigriceps, Desert, Diversity, Endangered, Ephemerals, Richness, Vegetation. Introduction scanty. Such information is essential for conservation The great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps-known planning and subsequently assessing the effectiveness of to all Indian ornithologists by its initials-is in deep trouble management actions in respect of species like great Indian (Collar et al., 2015). With a remaining population of ~200 bustard. In view of this it is essential for the natural birds (IUCN, 2011), it is most threatened among all resource managers to keep in their mind about the bustards and was listed as Critically Endangered in IUCN observations in field as outcome from their managerial red list (IUCN, 2011). The great Indian bustard is a inputs to draw out subsequent strategy plan for future grassland species and is restricted to Rajasthan and managerial actions. More sightings of great Indian bustard Gujarat with some birds in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh- Ardeotis nigriceps (Vigors) in the newly made closure as Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Their populations have compared to old closures in Thar desert of India, attracted dwindled due to historical human exploitation (hunting the attention of park managers to know the reason of such and egg collection during British Raj) and are currently preference of the new closure. In order to investigate this, threatened by habitat loss (intensive agriculture and a floristic survey was carried out and attempts were made infrastructural development in grasslands) and human- to compare vegetation in different closures both, old and induced deaths (fatal collisions with power lines and new in Jaisalmer district namely Sudasiri ACD, Sudasiri passive hunting) (Dutta et al., 2011). Rajasthan State in new, Tikhi Magri, Ramdeora and also open areas of Khara India holds the largest population and is prime hope for and Loharki of bustard range area. Aim was to understand saving the species (Dutta et al., 2011). As the range states factors responsible for biased habitat preference of great across the country are developing species' recovery plans Indian bustard for new closures amongst different (Dutta et al., 2013), baseline information on current landscape units so as to arrive at future managerial distribution, abundance and habitat relationships are directions as part of the already initiated in situ conservation measures for great Indian bustard. High richness and abundance of herbaceous vegetation in newly closed degraded grasslands from livestock grazing were observed to be the main factors for increased congregation of Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps in Sudasiri area of Desert National Park. 1Rajasthan Forest Department (Wildlife), Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India 2Landscape and program WWF, Near Tejasvi Bhawan, Silawatapara, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, 3Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India 976 The Indian Forester [October 2017] Role of herbaceous vegetation in habitat utilization by critically endangered great Indian bustard ... 977 Material and Methods Canal in the region, it was felt necessary that a 25 families were observed in all study sites. Five plant The study was done in Sudasiri closures (Sudasiri representative of this unique ecosystem should be species (sample 1 to 5) could not be identified (Table 1). ACD, Tikhi Magri and Sudasiri new closure) raised in agro- preserved as such, a beginning was made in 1980 when an Based on the encounter rate of the plant species (species 2 pastoral dominated areas of Desert National Park and area of 3162 km was brought under the umbrella of present or absent) in the pooled data of all sample plots, Ramdeora ABC closure and adjoining areas that form a Protected Area Network as desert wildlife sanctuary with grasses emerged as dominant in the study sites (45%) part of Desert Bio-geographic Zone (Rodgers et al., 2002) an objective of conservation of unique biological diversity, followed by herbaceous plants (39%), shrubs (13%). While with super arid conditions (Fig.1 and 2). along with aesthetic beauty and cultural heritage of this the trees (Ziziphus mauritiana and Capparis decidua) desert ecosystem with various ecological processes and constituted only 2% of total encounter rate of the different The area is flat with slight undulations with scarce also great Indian bustard as flagship species. One of the and erratic rainfall, with mean annual precipitation of 100- Table 1: Name of the plant species arranged alphabetically as main purpose for the establishment of this large protected observed in all sites along with local name and habit. 500 mm that decreases from east to west (Pandeya et al., area was to conserve the critically endangered great 1977). The climate is characterized by very hot summers S.No. Scientific name Common name Habit o Indian bustard apart from conserving the desert biota. 1 Aerva pseudotomentosa Bhui Shrub (temperature rising up to 50 C), relatively cold winter Though it has not been notified as National Park, the name (temperature dropping below 0oC), and large diurnal 2 Aristida depressa Lapla Grass of this protected area still continues as Desert National 3 Arnebia hispidissima Chhota Jhad Herb temperature range (Sikka 1997). Thar is the most Park. An estimated human population of around hundred Fig. 3: Bar chart showing the average monthly sighting of great Indian 4 Benincasa fistulosa Tisandi Herb populated desert (Rahmani, 1997a), inhabited by 85 bustard in three closures (SA cl, TM cl and SN cl) as observed 5 Blepharis sindica Bhangari Herb 2 thousand with a livestock more than three hundred from February 2015 to February 2016 in Desert National Park persons/km that largely stay in small villages and dhanis thousand, residing in 73 villages is located in DNP which is 6 Boerhaava diffusa Santhi Herb 7 Calotropis procera Akra Bush (clusters of 2-8 huts), and depend mainly on pastoralist viewed as a threat to the wilderness and biological ACD closure (SA cl), Tikhi Magri Closure (TM cl), Sudasiri and dry farming for livelihoods. Realizing the continuous new closure (SN cl), Ramdeora closure (RA cl), Khara open 8 Capparis decidua Kair Shrub elements of the landscape. An approximate area of around 9 Cenchrus ciliaris Dhaman Grass degradation and destruction of this landscape due to 2 2 area and Loharki open area. The Sudasiri closures are 135 km in DNP and ~35 km outside DNP was covered with 10 Citullus colocynthis Tumba Scrambler recent infrastructure activities like roads, power closures in last 36 years. Closures (fenced areas) in DNP as located in north of the DNP while the Ramdeora closure is 11 Convolvulus prostratus Shankhpushpi Scrambler transmission and especially much talked Indira Gandhi well as in Ramdeora area are the management units of located outside the DNP. The Khara and Loharki areas are 12 Corchorus olitorius Cham ghass Grass local park authorities fenced for the purpose of checking outside the closures in close proximity to Ramdeora 13 Corchorus trilocularis Corchorus Herb Closure ABC. 14 Crotalaria burhia Senia Herb encroachment and livestock grazing in the closures. 15 Cucumis melo-agrestis Kaachri Bel During breeding season of GIB, these closures, especially The bird observation data was continuously 16 Cyamopsis tetragonoloba Gowar Herb in Sudasiri area of DNP and of Ramdeora area can be recorded from February 2015 to February 2016. 17 Cymbopogon jwarancusa Bhurat Grass viewed as “maternity wards” for the species. The Vegetation sampling and plant observation was done in 18 Cyperus rotundus Moth Herb vegetation of the area is thorny scrub, characterized by Nov.-Dec.
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