Abstract
Biodiversity Characterization in Middle Gori-Ganga Valley, Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttaranchal State using Remote Sensing and GIS Technology  V.B. Mathur, Rashid Raza, Panna Lal Mailing Address: Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001 (Uttaranchal) Tel: 0135-2640990 Ext. 202, Fax: 0135-2640117 E-Mail: vbm@wii.gov.in Abstract The Gori-Ganga valley captures the entire gradient of Himalayan habitats ranging from subtropical Sal to Alpine meadows within a distance of about a hundred km of the river from its confluence to source. The middle Gori-Ganga Valley, falling in the Askot Wildlife Sanctuary has been identified as an area having high species variability including high agro- biodiversity with a good potential for bioprospecting. A broad based landscape ecological approach was adopted for biodiversity characterization in this valley using satellite remote sensing data along with other ancillary data. Field sampling for vegetation characterization and bird diversity assessment was done and a spatial database on 1:50,000 scale in GIS domain was created. Biodiversity characterization was done at landscape level by analyzing several landscape characterization parameters such as fragmentation, porosity, proximity and other patch characteristics and biological richness and disturbance indices were derived. The results indicate that the area harbours a good representation of Himalayan Endemics, Threatened Birds and birds of otherwise ‘Uncommon’ occurrence. Presence of a large assemblage of birds (81 species) listed as ‘biome restricted’ by the Birdlife International representing three global biomes makes it a strong candidature for inclusion in the ‘Important Bird Areas (IBA)’ programme. Using a combination of image processing and GIS techniques, 17 landcover classes were delineated. Temperate deciduous class dominates in the area followed by Alpine scrub and Subtropical forests. Landscape matrices such as patch density and porosity indicates a very intact temperate and subalpine forests. This short term study has led to the characterization of the forest and avifaunal biodiversity of a very important area of conservation significance in the Uttaranchal State. A strong correlation between forest composition and avifaunal composition along an altitudinal gradient has been demonstrated in this study. The use of ‘Bird Species Richness’ in biodiversity characterization is a significant step in the methodological advancement for understanding the patterns, processes and correlates that can help in determining the conservation significance of an area. |