Wild life habitat assessment and forest mapping in Corbett National Park U.P. India using Landsat thematic mapper data
Result and Discusions
According to forest classification given by Champion and Seth the forest of the study are could be broadly categorized in to shorea bearing northern tropical moist deciduous forest northern tropical dry decisions forest dalberia Sassoon forest through interpretation of thematic map data it was possible to delineate 9 categories of forest types as shown in the habitat map.
Table. 1 Categories delineated using land sat TM data and area occupied by each category.
| S.No |
Name of category |
Area in
Hectares
|
Percentage of total
park area |
| 1. |
High Density shore
Rubusta(Sal)forest |
6251.2 |
12.0 |
| 2. |
Medium Density
Shorea robusts
forest |
27.12.4 |
5.2 |
| 3. |
Medium to low
Density Shorea
robusta
mixed forest |
27949.5 |
53.6 |
| 4. |
Dry Deciduous
miscellaneous forest |
62.96.6 |
12.1 |
| 5. |
Anpgeissus latifolia
dominated
Miscellaneous forest |
2236.9 |
4.3 |
| 6. |
Dalbergia (Shisham)
forest |
857.7 |
1.3 |
| 7. |
Syzugium cumilini
forest |
3139.9 |
1.7 |
| 8. |
Grasses |
679.4 |
1.3 |
| 9. |
Plantations |
3139.9 |
2.0 |
| 10. |
Agricultural land |
1038 |
2.03 |
| 11. |
Other |
738.6 |
1.4 |
| TOTAL PARK AREA |
52134.9 |
High Density Shorea robusta sal forest.
The area immediately south o Dhikala and towards east along Dhikala on the upper siwalik formation. Best development of shorea of the study the forest consist of shorea robusts almost in part form living density of 70% and above associated important species are terminally varies from class 1to2 the other associated. Tomatoes liana coromandelica gauged panama sciurid cumin maltose the forest has very dense under growth of credendum viscous Murray koenigiri pogosdtemon etc. area occupied by this type of forest is 6251.2 has which is21% of the total park areas
Medium Density Shorea forest.
This type of the forest is distributed in northern and western parts of the study area it has a forest density varying between 50to70% the dominant species is s robust thje quality of relatively poor.
Medium of low-density shorea robust mixed forest.
Most part of the park occupied by this type of forest unlike the proceeding two forest types the robust is relatively in lower percentage and is confined mainly to the northern western and some times eastern and gentle southern slope it is how ever not found on the steep southern slopes. Important associated species are anogeissues latifoila at some places is also preseny pine is also found in patches density of the forest varies from 40 to 50% some time even loss on steep southern slopes this forest is distributed over 27949.5 ha area which is of the total study area.
Dry Deciduous Miscellaneous forest.
Forest in the centre and southern most part of the park mainly of dry deciduous type comprising of miscellaneous species s robust a may be seen,
Occasionally scattered on western or northern aspects. Bamboo in entirely absent southern slopes are highly denuded important plant species are canonesses latifolia terminally tomatoes lane coromandelica Sisyphus zylopyrus z. jujube agley marvel's caesarian tormentors hoarsens antidysenteruca Schleicher oleos acacias catechu buttes monospermous mallet's Philippe sis Greta bauhinia etc this type of form occupied an area of about 6296.6 ha which is 12% of the total park area.
Anogeissues latifilia dominated miscellaneous forest.
The forest is of dry deciduous type with domination of Anogeissus latifolia although a latofolia is found onto of the hills at many places the park it is confirmed in abundance over large stretches mainly to southern a latafialio dominated forest some times in ours patches mainly while a middle top of this hills adrybdeciduous miscellaneous in the occurs between lower part of the hills region composition is the same as that of sry deciduous miscellaneous forest with dominance of a latiofalioa this category of forest occupies of land which in 43 of the total park area.
Dalberia sissaoo ( Shisham )
Dalbergia sisaoo is distributed in abundance and in almost pure form along and on most of the same mounds along the Ramganga river. it has also been picked up on satellite data along rata plan and Malani sot and few other streams although D session is found along many streams is the park but these very narrow strips of such vegetation could not be delineated on satellite very little data because of its resolution limitation about 679.4 ha area is occupied by this type of vegetation which is 1.3% of the total sturdy area.
Syzygium Cumini(Jamun)
A large and good patch of Syzygium cumini could be seen immediately beyond the grassy area north of river ram ganga near Dhikala in additions to that s Cumini is found along many streams because of the limitations in resolutions of satellite data very narrow strips of S cumini could not be delineated area of S.cumini as delineated on satellite data is 8.57 has which is 1.7% of the study area.
