CONSERVATION PLAN FOR FLORA, FAUNA AND WILD LIFE IN THE CORE & BUFFER ZONE OF MINCHE BUDRUK BAUXITE MINE OF M/s. PANDIT RAO MINES AND MINERALS PVT. LTD, MINCHE BUDRUK VILLAGE, BHUDARGAD THESHIL, KOLHAPUR DISTRICT, MAHARASHTRA. By Dr. K. R. Keshava Murthy Msc., Ph.D. (Functional Area Expert for Ecology & Biodiversity, Approved by Quality Council of India) Assisted by Sri I.S. RAO, M.Sc. (Env. Sci.) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I to X CHAPTER 1 - PROJECT INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 PROJECT PROPONENT 1 1.2 PROJECT BACKGROUND 1 1.3 RATIONALE OF THE STUDY 4 1.4 SCOPE OF WORK 5 1.4.1 Flora 5 1.4.2 Fauna 6 1.4.3 Habitat 6 CHPATER 2 - PROJECT ENVIRONMENT 7 2.1 BRIEF PROJECT PROFILE 7 2.2 PROJECT AREA 7 2.3 LOCATION OF PROJECT 7 2.4 IMPORTANCE OF PROJECT TO THE REGION AND THE COUNTRY 7 2.4.1 Importance on regional level 7 2.4.2 Importance of project to the country 8 2.5 TYPE OF PROJECT 9 2.6 DESCRIPTION OF THE MINE SITE 9 2.7 LAND REQUIREMENT 10 2.8 LAND USE 10 2.9 CLIMATE 11 2.9.1 Temperature 11 2.9.2 Rainfall 11 2.9.3 Relative humidity 11 2.10 MAJOR FEATURES 12 CHPATER 3 - STUDY APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY 13 3.1 DATA COLLECTION 13 3.2 MACRO LEVEL APPROACH 13 3.2.1 Rapid survey and secondary data collection 13 3.2.2 Delineation of the study area 13 3.3 MICRO LEVEL APPROACH- FIELD DATA COLLECTION 14 3.3.1 Floral status 14 3.3.2 Faunal status 16 3.3.2.1 Herpetofauna 16 3.3.2.2 Birds (Avi faunal status) 16 3.3.2.3 Mammals 17 3.3.3 RET flora & fauna 17 3.3.4 Habitat types 17 3.4 ANALYTICAL ASPECTS 18 3.4.1 Species diversity 18 3.4.2 Relative density 18 3.4.3 Relative frequency 18 3.4.4 Relative value index: 18 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. 3.5 SAMPLING DETAILS – FLORA AND FAUNA 19 3.5.1 Sample locations 19 3.5.2 Sample plots 20 3.5.2.1 Flora 20 3.5.2.2 Herpetofauna 20 3.5.2.3 Birds 20 3.5.2.4 Mammals 20 CHAPTER 4 - BASELINE STATUS – BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS 22 4.1 BIODIVERSITY STATUS 22 4.2 STUDY HABITATS AND COMPONENTS 22 4.3 STATUS OF FLORA 22 4.3.1 Taxonomical status of plant species 22 4.3.2 Habit/life form status of plant species 23 4.3.2.1 Relative density of different life forms 25 4.3.3 Tree and shrub species status 26 4.3.3.1 Status of common tree species 26 4.3.3.2 Status of tree species 28 4.3.3.3 Status of shrub species based on RVI 31 4.3.4 Status of crop species 33 4.3.5 Overall species richness 35 4.4 STATUS OF FAUNA 36 4.4.1 Status of Herpetofauna 36 4.4.1.1 Taxonomical status and species richness – amphibians 36 4.4.1.2 Species richness in different groups - amphibians 37 4.4.1.3 Abundance status – amphibian 37 4.4.1.4 Taxonomical status and species richness – reptiles 38 4.4.1.5 Species richness in different groups – reptiles 39 4.4.1.6 Abundance status – reptiles 39 4.4.1.7 Overall species richness 41 4.4.2 Status of avifauna 43 4.4.2.1 Taxonomical status, species richness and diversity – 43 terrestrial birds 4.4.2.2 Abundance status 43 4.4.2.3 Abundance category status 43 4.4.2.4 Foraging status 45 4.4.2.5 Migratory status 46 4.4.2.6 Overall species richness – terrestrial birds 47 4.4.2.7 Taxonomical status, species richness and diversity – aquatic 47 birds 4.4.2.8 Abundance status 48 4.4.2.9 Abundance category status 48 4.4.2.10 Foraging status 49 4.4.2.11 Migratory status 49 4.4.2.12 Overall species richness – aquatic birds 50 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. 4.4.3 Status of mammals 52 4.4.3.1 Taxonomical status of mammals 52 4.4.3.2 Species richness in different food habits 52 4.4.3.3 Abundance status – mammals 53 4.4.3.4 Overall species richness 54 4.5 STATUS OF THREATENED BIOTA (FLORA & FAUNA) 55 4.5.1 Threatened plant 55 4.5.2 Status of threatened animals 55 4.5.2.1 Threatened Herpetofauna 55 4.5.2.2 Avifauna 56 4.5.2.3 Mammals 56 4.6 HABITAT ECOLOGY – STUDY AREA 57 4.6.1 Forest 57 4.6.2 Habitats in the core zone 57 4.6.2.1 Forest 57 4.6.2.2 Open scrub 58 4.6.2.3 Water body 58 4.6.2.4 Agriculture 58 4.6.3 Habitats in the buffer zone 58 4.6.3.1 Forest 59 4.6.3.2 Open scrub 59 4.6.3.3 Water bodies 59 4.6.3.4 Agriculture 60 CHAPTER 5 – MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION PLAN 61 5.1 MANAGEMENT PLAN 61 5.2 ECO – MANAGEMENT 61 5.2.1 Greenbelt -project boundary 62 5.2.2 Greenbelt- along the nullahs / streams within project site 62 5.2.3 Biological measures for eco-management / development 63 5.3 MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR FLORA 65 5.3.1 Importance of topsoil and its preservation 65 5.3.2 Importance of leguminous plants 66 5.3.3 Importance of grass species 66 5.3.4 Hydroseeding 67 5.3.5 Transplantation of tree species 67 5.3.6 Conservation plan for RET plant species 68 5.3.7 Need for establishing plant nursery 69 5.4 WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN 69 5.4.1 Indian peafowl 71 5.4.2 Habitat quality improvement 72 5.4.2.1 Developing check dams 72 5.4.2.2 Developing water holes 72 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. 5.4.2.3 Salt licks 73 5.4.3 Protection 73 5.4.3.1 Anti-poaching plan 73 5.4.4 Forest fire protection plan 74 5.4.5 Development of wetland habitat 74 5.4.6 Mitigation of human – animal conflict 75 5.4.6.1 Eco-education and awareness generation 75 5.4.7 Light 75 5.5 MANAGEMENT FOR FOREST RESOURCE DEPENDENCY 75 5.5.1 Development of energy resources 75 5.5.2 Development of fodder resources 76 5.5.3 Social surveys 77 5.5.4 Ecodevelopment 78 5.5.4.1 Development of non-timber forest produce and medicinal 78 plants 5.6 MONITORING OF CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACTION 80 PLANS REFERENCES 81 LIST OF ANNEXURES Sl. Particulars Annexure Page no. No. 1. List of Plants recorded in the Mine Study Area. 1 89 2. List of Harper to fauna recorded in the Proposed Mine 2 98 Study Area, 3. Overall List of Terrestrial Birds recorded in the Proposed 3 A 99 Mine Study Area. 4. List of Aquatic Birds recorded in the Proposed Study Area. 3 B 103 5. Overall List and Conservation Status of Mammals of 4 104 the Proposed Mine Study Area. Assessment of Flora & fauna and Wild life Conservation Plan for Minche Buduk Bauxite Mine of M/s Pandit rao Mines and Minerals Pvt. LTD EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Salient Features of the Conservation Plan Background Environmental Clearance is granted by the Ministry of Environment & Forests, New Delhi, vide letter no. J 11015/350/2006-IA.II (M), dated 13-03-2007. for the Minche Budruk Bauxite Mine over an area of 98 Ha. located at Minche Budruk Village, Budhargarh Tehsil, Kolhapur District, Maharashtra of M/s. Pandit Rao Mines & Minerals Pvt. Ltd., Kolhapur, Maharashtra. While according environmental clearance a condition to prepare “conservation measures for protection of flora and fauna in the core and buffer zone shall be drawn up in consultation with the local forest and wildlife department” was imposed under general condition Sl. No. (iii). Accordingly, Conservation Plan for Flora, Fauna and Wildelife in the core and buffer zone of the Minche Budruk Bauxite Mine has been prepared. The company in keeping with their eco-ethical responsibilities of being partners in sustainable growth, took cognizance of the fact that the lease is located in the Western Ghats bio-region which is replete with biodiversity in general and wildlife in particular and decided to commission study culminating in preparation of a ‘Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation Plan’ to address the special needs of certain taxa of biota and wildlife in particular with a precarious conservation status that may not have been addressed in EIA report and the Mining Plan. It is pertinent to note here that the list of flora and fauna included in the EIA / EMP report, though exhaustive from the point of view of forest records, pertaining to the entire Bhudargad in general and Minche Budruk in particular was NOT specific to the mine core and buffer area, though some of the floristic elements which are mentioned in forest records are common. This conservation plan deals specifically with the Core and 10km Buffer of the lease area based on actual field studies.The detailed study by following established scientific methodology has brought to light an exhaustive list of flora and fauna along with the occurrence / ____________________________________________________________________________________ M/s. Transit Surveys, Ballary, Karnataka I Assessment of Flora & fauna and Wild life Conservation Plan for Minche Buduk Bauxite Mine of M/s Pandit rao Mines and Minerals Pvt.