Abstract
Mining activities have several impacts on the environment. In our study, emphasis was given to assess biodiversity in one of the leading iron ore mining sites of Bailadila-Kirandul Iron Ore Mines (KIOM) of Dantewada District, South Bastar of Chhattisgarh. Habitat fragmentation, loss and deforestation are highly prevalent in the area. However, the study reveals high species richness of 110 and 253 plant species in core and buffer zone respectively. Canopy cover was found to be within 10 to 40% and in places in the buffer zone canopy cover with > 40% was recorded. Species diversity index indicates the instability of vegetation structure in the area with indices of 1.44 in core and 1.88 in buffer zone. Although species richness is high, about 10 floral species (7 herbs, 3 trees) are recorded under REET (Rare Endangered Extinct Threatened) species while locally endangered floral species are 6 and locally critically endangered are 4. Similarly, 208 faunal species belong to 10 faunal groups was recorded out of which 34 species are listed in different Schedules of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Therefore, it is an urgent need for planning to undertake appropriate management strategies to conserve biodiversity in the area.
Highlights
Significant and potential risks are found for tropical forests in the world due to mining processes
The study area comes under Kirandul Iron Ore Mine (KIOM) (Figure 1)
The Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh lies on the Gondwana Biodiversity Zone, which mostly comprises of the Tropical Forests
Summary
Significant and potential risks are found for tropical forests in the world due to mining processes. A study by Sonter et al, 2017 shows loss of Amazon forest of about 11,670km area deforestation between the years 2005 to 2015 where 9% of the loss is contributed by mining leases. Gold mining at Peruvian Amazon resulted in deforestation (Asner et al, 2013). A sharp increase in mineral prices can result in a surge in mining activity, which contributes to deforestation in some locations. In return for US$3.8 billion of investment, the agreements between the State government of Jharkhand, India and mining companies, there will be a massive land acquisition which will deforest no less than 57,000 hectares of forest and displace 9,615 families, many of them located in legally protected Scheduled Areas http://journal.julypress.com/index.php/jess
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
