JoTT SHORT COMMUNI C ATION 4(9): 2900–2910 An inventory of mammals, birds and reptiles along a section of the river and banks of upper Ganges, India Tawqir Bashir 1, Sandeep Kumar Behera 2, Afifullah Khan 3 & Parikshit Gautam 4 1 Senior Research Fellow, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India 2 Associate Director, River Basins and Biodiversity, 4 Director, Freshwater and Wetland Division, WWF-India, 172 Lodhi Estate, New Delhi, India 3 Professor, Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh 202002, India Email: 1 [email protected] (corresponding author), 2 [email protected], 3 [email protected], 4 [email protected] Abstract: A study was conducted to assess faunal diversity along Aquatic ecosystems are critical components of our a 165-km stretch of the upper Ganges River between Bijnor and Narora cities, Uttar Pradesh, from January to June 2007. Both environment. In addition to being essential contributors river and bank species diversity of reptiles, birds and mammals to biodiversity and ecological productivity, they also using a combination of boat surveys, linear walks and random searches were inventoried. Presence of 18 species of mammals, provide a variety of services to human populations 55 species of birds and 13 species of reptiles were recorded (Poff et al. 2002). Rivers, lakes, wetlands and estuaries from the river stretch including 16 species of global conservation constituting the freshwater ecosystem alone support significance. Maximum encounter rate was observed for little cormorant (3.160±0.290), macaque (2.385±0.442) and brown about 6% of the described world species (Hawksworth roofed turtle (1.009±0.107). Our study is an attempt towards & Kalin-Arroyo 1995) and provide habitats consisting generating baseline information on the faunal diversity of the upper Ganges and we recommend exhaustive surveys and of benthic, aquatic, and terrestrial components regular monitoring of this river stretch through indicator species (FISRWG 2001). Freshwater biodiversity constitutes approach. a valuable natural resource, in economic, cultural, Keywords: Conservation, encounter rate, faunal diversity, aesthetic, scientific and educational terms (Dudgeon Ganges, monitoring. et al. 2006). However, there is an increasing concern worldwide on the loss of aquatic ecosystems and their associated biodiversity (Georges & Cottingham 2002; Saunders et al. 2002; Cullen 2003), particularly for riverine landscapes (Dunn 2004). Rivers and associated freshwater habitats are among the most Date of publication (online): 26 August 2012 Date of publication (print): 26 August 2012 threatened ecosystems of the world (Revenga et al. ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) 2005; WWF 2006) due to a wide range of intensive Editor: Rahul Kaul human use and developmental activities. In addition, Manuscript details: declines in biodiversity are far greater in fresh waters Ms # o2692 Received 02 February 2011 than in the most affected terrestrial ecosystems (Sala Final received 08 July 2012 et al. 2000), because inspite of facing varied threats Finally accepted 30 July 2012 and large scale exploitations, the freshwater hotspots Citation: Bashir, T., S.K. Behera, A. Khan & P. Gautam (2012). An inventory of mammals, birds and reptiles along a section of the river and banks of generally receive less management attention than their upper Ganges, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(9): 2900–2910. terrestrial counterparts (Myers et al. 2000). Moreover, Copyright: © Tawqir Bashir, Sandeep Kumar Behera, Afifullah Khan & knowledge of the diversity of fresh waters is woefully Parikshit Gautam2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit incomplete and the data are insufficient to accurately purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the estimate rates of freshwater biodiversity loss in many authors and the source of publication. regions (Dudgeon et al. 2006). Acknowledgements: We thank the Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, for providing the logistic sup port and River Ganges regarded as one of the largest rivers facilities necessary for conducting the recent surveys. We are grateful to coursing through 2,510km from northern to eastern WWF-India for providing the financial support and their information gathered through previous surveys. We express our gratitude to the Department of India and acting as a lifeline to the vast Indian plains Environment and Forests (Narora, Brijghat & Bijnor) for their official help and support. Last but not the least, we thank our field assistants for their is well recognised for its enormous cultural and help. economic significance (Adel 2001). It supports about OPEN ACCESS | FREE DOWNLOAD 8% of the world’s population living in its catchments 2900 Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | August 2012 | 4(9): 2900–2910 Mammals, birds and reptiles of upper Ganges T. Bashir et al. (Newby 1998) and is also a centre of social and Surveys were conducted on a motor boat powered religious tradition. Above all, the river is home to by a 15-hp engine at a constant speed of 6km/h. a wide variety of life forms ranging from primitive Surveys were done between 0600 to 1800 h which phytoplanktons to highly evolved species such as also included frequent halts at the banks generally dolphins, thus signifying its biological and ecological after every 5km on both sides of the river depending importance. Information on species diversity, abund- on their accessibility. Banks were surveyed up to 1km ance and habitat characteristics are key baseline away from the river course through linear walks (1 parameters for conservation planning; unfortunately to 1.5 km) along the river, and random searches for such information is lacking for many river segments wildlife sightings, signs and evidences by a team of of the Ganges. five observers (one researcher and four trained field A stretch of upper Ganges between Rishikesh and assistants). Further information regarding the presence Kanpur functions as an ecologically important section of various mammal and reptile species was gathered because of its hydrological characteristics (Behera through informal conversations with farmers, fishermen 1995). But, due to high regulation of dams, barrages and other people living along the banks. In addition, and associated irrigation canals, infrastructure during boat surveys opportunistic animal sightings on development, water abstraction and pollution, present- adjacent banks were also recorded. Field recordings day flow of the upper Ganga Basin has decreased by were done with naked eye and using 50×10 binoculars about 2–8 % and such a reduced flow regime also (generally for birds) followed by comparison with field impacts downstream water availability, water quality guides (Prater 1971; Ali & Ripley 1987; Grimmett et and riverine ecosystems (Salemme 2007; Behera et al. 2001; Das 2002; Menon 2003; Whitaker & Captain al. 2008; Bharati et al. 2011). Within this, a stretch 2004). Photographs were also taken wherever possible of 165km from Bijnor to Narora has been reported to as supporting evidence and later compared with field be rich in biodiversity and the only promising habitat guides and discussed with species experts for proper for the elusive species such as, Ganges River Dolphin identification. We separately calculated encounter Platanista gangetica gangetica, Smooth-coated rates (number/km) of species recorded during boat Otter Lutrogale perspicillata and Mugger Crocodile surveys and during bank searches and also generated Crocodylus palustris in the upper Ganges (Behera information on their habitat occurrence (river course, 1995; Behera & Rao 1999; Behera 2002; Bashir islands [small temporary landmasses created in the et al. 2010a). There is a knowledge gap regarding stretch due to variation in water flow speeds along the the faunal assemblage of this stretch and whatever banks], riverbeds, bank cliffs, marshlands, agricultural information is available, is in the form of casual fields and dense forests along banks) based on records records and sightings reported in least accessible and local information. Each survey of the entire formats. With this background, we conducted brief stretch along with the bank surveys took about 12–15 surveys in the stretch in an attempt towards assessing days. A total of four boat surveys (two upstream & relative abundance and habitat occurrence of species two downstream) with an effort of 660 and 116 km of (mammals, birds and reptiles) in the study stretch and bank searches were done. along its banks. Methodological considerations Material and Methods Biodiversity surveys in general are limited by a The study was conducted in a 165-km stretch of number of factors. Wetlands being dynamic systems upper Ganges, between Bijnor (29022’12.6”N & 78002’ species occurrence and detection are constrained 07.8”E) and Narora (28011’28.4”N & 78023’48.1”E) by season and time of the day due to variation in barrages in western Uttar Pradesh, India (Fig. 1), activity levels and behaviour among species (Shields between January and June, 2007. The entire study 1977; Rollfinke & Yahner 1990). Consequently, a area had an average width of 200m and was generally combination of boat surveys and ground based bank shallow with only intermittent small stretches of deep searches were conducted for estimating relative