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Physicochemical assessment of Wetlands and its Impact on Marsh Crocodiles Crocodylus palustris (Lesson, 1831) of Terai Landscape, Uttarakhand, India

Water is the basic life line of all living organism on this planet. The study revealed that the significance of water quality is good at the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) rivers which passes through the Terai landscape of Kumaun, Uttarakhand, India. Water is essential for drinking, domestic, irrigation and industrial purposes. The Terai Landscape of Uttarakhand is rich in water resources and which is utilizable for all purposes. Rapid industrialization has led to low quality of water due to wastewater flowing in natural wetlands of the area. Water and their ecosystems are major indicators of the strength of forest and aquatic fauna. This was achieved by analyzing 12 water quality parameters from samples collected at 13 study sites between the Kosi and Sharda river stretch of different water bodies on monthly basis for a period of 12 calendar months. The water physicochemical variables are analyzed using standard methods during May 2015 to April 2016 and its assessment is carried out. The 12 parameters included Average depth, Temperature, pH, Transparency (turbidity), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Hardness, Total Alkalinity, Chloride, Nitrate, Fluoride, Total Iron, Phosphate and presence and absence of Coliforms. We observed that the range of contagion, vicinity of pollution sources and water quality of sites suggest that the species is under threatened category in Terai landscape, Uttarakhand. Amongst the 13 sites chosen for assessment, the physicochemical properties of different water bodies in reference to usage of wildlife such as Marsh crocodile, tiger, leopard, elephant, sloth bear and many species of herbivores at present is acceptable.

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National bird, Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus): Using DNA technology for species identification from degraded sample from Uttarakhand, India

• Paper describes a bloodstain sample being used to determine a species identity in Uttarakhand, India. • Effective application of DNA technology for species identification from highly degraded sample in Wildlife forensic. • Paper underlines the potential importance of wildlife DNA forensic in species conservation. Species identification from the samples obtained in wildlife crime cases usually presents a difficult challenge for forensic science investigators. The present paper describes a short study where a blood stain sample was recovered from an area outside the protected area network and used to determine a species identity. The mitochondrial DNA region of the questioned sample was amplified and sequenced using universal primers of cytochrome b gene (Cyt b) and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) for species identity. The obtained sequencing results were compared with the most homologous sequences extracted from the NCBI-GenBank database. A phylogenetic tree was prepared with the aligned sequences to determine the species identity with strong bootstrap support. The mean distance and species score generated revealed that the grade of sequence similarity showed maximum homology (100 %) with the sequence obtained from the database. Based on the genetic analysis, the collected sample related to Indian Peafowl ( Pavo cristatus ) which is listed as Schedule I under the Indian Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.

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Dayara bugyal restoration model in the alpine and subalpine region of the Central Himalaya: a step toward minimizing the impacts

Eco-restoration initiative work in the high altitude Dayara pastureland (3501 m) from the Indian Himalayan Region has been considered to be one of the successful field demonstration against both natural and anthropogenic degradation. The present study therefore attempts to assess the implications of entire eco-restoration model as practiced by Department of Forest, Government of Uttarakhand in 2019. Its assessment was done by calculating restoration success index by way of considering three categories, viz., direct management measure (M), environmental desirability (E) and socio-economic feasibility (SE) considering 22 individual variables. ‘M’ comprised both biotic and abiotic pressures. Grazing and tourism were biotic, while abiotic pressure was considered mainly soil erosion in alpine area due to topographic fragility. Above ground vegetation profile and below ground soil nutrient profile (N, P, K, pH and water holding capacity) were analyzed in ‘E’ component. In the last but not least, ‘SE’ was analyzed to assess the social acceptability of the local communities and stakeholders who are supposed to be ultimate beneficiary of alike interventions. Direct management measure was found with the variable index score of 0.8 indicating the higher score as compared to environmental desirability (0.56). Under direct management measure, grazing and tourists’ carrying capacity of the area was analyzed with high management needs to call the region sustainable in terms of availability of bio-resources. The ecosystem index score was evaluated for the reference (81.94), treated (64.5) and untreated zones (52.03), wherein increasing profile of these values were found. The outcomes like improved vegetation profile in terms of total herb density, soil nutrient profile of the restored area along with soil pH (4.96) and water holding capacity (49.85%) were found to be restored significantly along with controlling 169.64 tonne year-1 soil erosion from draining. The assessment of grazing pattern of 118 migratory Cow Unit (CU) (76 horse/mule and 18 sheep/goat, already controlled), 318 local CU (30 horse/mule and 187 sheep/goat) were calculated and recommended to be controlled. Tourists’ carrying capacity of 274 tourists per day and manual removal of Rumex nepalensis at the shepherd camping site were found to be worth to apply in the area. Use of biodegradable but locally sourced material and engaging local villagers in this endeavor were also found to be in harmony with SDG Goal 1 (no poverty). Therefore, the restoration and its evaluation model could have its future prospects to prove as a successful restoration practice. This restoration practice could not only be worth in high altitude degraded alpine pastures of the Indian Himalayan Region but also to other mountain alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems.

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Disentangling the effects of past logging and ongoing cryptic anthropogenic disturbance on vegetation structure and composition in Himalayan Foothills, India

AbstractMost tropical forests have undergone commercial logging. Even where logging has ceased, subsistence harvest of forest resources often persists especially in South-East Asia. Understanding of impacts of frequent forest resources extraction in areas recovering from past selective logging would be essential for designing the appropriate management interventions.We studied the impacts of current chronic anthropogenic disturbances (hereafter CAD) and past selective logging on vegetation structure, diversity, and regeneration, and the invasion of a non-native shrub,Lantana camara, in three major forest types in the Himalayan foothills, India. We analyzed field data on intensity of CAD and vegetation variables, collected from 269 stratified random plots, using ordination and generalized linear (mixed) modeling approaches.Our results, based on 2758 adult trees of 54 species, showed that forest types differed in disturbance regimes depending on protection level and availability of fodder tree species. Intensity of CAD depended on proximity to settlements (for livestock related disturbances). Whereas selective logging, including firewood collection, was associated with land protection status. Selective logging reduced the extent of mature forest but facilitated regeneration, thereby promoting secondary forest features such as tree density and canopy cover. In contrast, the interaction between lopping and selective logging was negatively associated with regeneration. Past logging facilitatedL. camarainvasion in Dry and Hill forests but not in Moist forest. Finally, while selective logging marginally enhanced tree diversity, CAD reduced native shrub diversity.Our study demonstrates that selective logging followed by CAD arrest forest recovery, as evident from the suppression of mature forest elements, loss of shrub biomass, reduced regeneration rate, and facilitation of invasive species. To abate these impacts, alternative livelihood/subsistence options that sustain forests and local communities should be explored. Additionally, CAD management should be site-specific as local ecological contexts modify their impacts on forests.

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Sand addition promotes gharial nesting in a regulated river‐reservoir habitat

Abstract The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a critically endangered, long‐snouted crocodilian, endemic to the Indian sub‐continent. Today, the species' distribution and numbers have reduced by more than 95% in all the large rivers where it was formerly abundant. Living upstream in a reservoir dammed in 1976, the Katerniaghat gharial population has continued to nest along the Girwa River, subject to seasonal flooding in recent decades. In 2010, a natural flood upstream in Nepal resulted in a permanent reduction in the mainstream river flow. As a consequence of reduced flow, the formerly open sand banks and mid‐river islands have converted gradually to riverbanks with woody vegetation. Coincident with the increased vegetation growth, gharial nesting sites and nest numbers declined by more than 40% by 2018. In an attempt to reverse the observed decline in nesting, we intervened with vegetation removal (VR) in 2019 and sand addition (SA) in 2020, to augment available nesting opportunities at previous and potential nesting locations. The number of nests increased with SA (n = 36 in 2020) but decreased with VR (n = 19 in 2019), relative to the prior year without intervention (n = 25 in 2018). Furthermore, hatching success increased significantly to 93% with SA, compared to 63% in VR. Creating an artificial sand bank required approximately one‐third work hours and cost much less than removing vegetation. Substrate temperatures in and around nests approximated the viable incubation range (29–33.5°C) when vegetation is absent, but were lower in sites covered with woody vegetation and/or dense, high grass. Our study indicates that gharial will respond favourably to newly created sand banks that provide open, sandy riverside nesting areas, in contrast to cut‐over sites with dense vegetation removed. Finally, we note that this strategy of augmenting nesting sites is only an interim attempt to solve the ‘nesting site’ dilemma for the river‐adapted gharial. Landscape‐level solutions related to resumption of seasonal flooding, and particularly natural flow regimes that are dynamic, rather than steady, will likely be needed to avoid local extirpation of gharial in river‐reservoir habitats.

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Geological, geotechnical, and GPR investigations along the Mansa Devi hill-bypass (MDHB) Road, Uttarakhand, India

In the present work, geological, geotechnical, and ground penetration radar studies were carried out along the Mansa Devi hill bypass (MDHB) road Uttarakhand, India in order to assess the slope instability conditions. Seven unstable zones along the entire MDHB road were identified which are prone to landslides. Geologically, the area is composed of mudstone and sandstone with thick overburden constituting sandy soil. The laboratory tests were carried out in order to evaluate the geo-mechanical characterization of soil, sandstone, and mudstone that constitute the slopes. The laboratory tests reveal that the slope is comprised of soil characterized by high permeability and low strength values. The soil is mainly sandy and non-cohesive. The laboratory tests on sandstone reveal that fresh sandstone exhibits exceptionally higher value of unconfined compressive strength (> 100 MPa) than the weathered sandstone (< 35 MPa). The mudstone is non-durable and contains considerable amount of expanded clay minerals which has a tendency to expand in the presence of water. It can weather easily and facilitate instability at shallow depth. A ground penetrating radar survey confirmed that the road is unstable particularly on those spots where the road either lying over mudstone beds or over thick non-cohesive sandy soil. The infiltration rate of water in this sandy soil is generally rapid which allows fast flow of water into the deeper horizons and thus cracks can be seen in road caused by vertical settlement. Similar results are observed in slope stability analysis where the slope covered with sandy soil exhibits factor of safety less than 1.0. However factor of safety is close to 1 where the slopes consist of alternate beds of sandstone and mudstone.

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