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Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary

January 01, 1970

Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary (established in 1979, also known as the Jawaharlal Nehru Bustard Sanctuary of Maharashtra) is a wildlife sanctuary for the great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) at Solapur, Maharashtra, India. The land is drought-prone and semi-arid.[2] It is in the Deccan thorn scrub forests ecoregion.[3]

Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary Maharashtra
Coordinates17°49′36.2″N 75°52′10.9″E / 17.826722°N 75.869694°E / 17.826722; 75.869694Google Maps
Area122,200[1] hectares (472 sq mi)

Maharashtra is one of the six states of India where great Indian bustards (Ardeotis nigriceps) are still seen. The great Indian bustard at Nannaj and Karmala was first identified By Mr B.S.Kulkarni in 1972 and with his constant efforts to save the bird had resulted in Dr. Salim Ali visiting Nannaj and starting a research project. Mr Kulkarni wrote extensively in local newspapers and made people aware of its existence and he is still active in trying to protect the bird and its habitat at Nannaj, near Solapur. In former days the bustard was a common bird in the dry districts of Maharashtra.

Data on the sanctuary edit

  • Coordinates - 17°49′36.2″N 75°52′10.9″E
  • Year of establishment- 1979
  • Size - 849,644 hectares (3,280.49 sq mi)
  • Climate - Dry, mild winter. Hot summer (40 °C to 43 °C )
  • Temperature - 13 °C to 42 °C
  • Topography - Gentle undulations, with isolated hillocks of 450-500 msl.
  • Habitat - 6A/01 Southern Tropical Thorn Forest (Champion and Seth 1968)
  • Biogeographic Zone - Deccan Peninsula
  • Breeding Status - Breeds in Nannaj and some other DPAP plots.
  • Nesting season - Monsoon (July–October)
  • Figure of bustards according to census 2009 - Total 21 ( 13 females and 8 males)

Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) Plots edit

In 1975 the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), financed by the World Bank, was initiated in Solapur district . Establishment of pastures and woodlots by the forest department under DPAP resulted in regeneration of wildlife, benefited by the protection of their habitat (Rahamani, A. R. Final Report 1989, BNHS).

Habitat types in Nannaj plots edit

Habitat of Nannaj can be broadly divided into five main types (Manakadan, R. and Rahmani, A. R. 1986 Annual Report No. 3, BNHS, Rahmani, A. R. Final Report 1989 BNHS).

  1. Grassland plots - Mardi 100 and Mardi 50 plots are pure grassland, with few young Acacia nilotica trees and Cassia auriculata bushes. Prominent grasses are Aristida funiculate, Aristida stocksii, Chrysopogon fulvus, Heteropogon contortus, Lodhopogon tridentatus, Melanocenchris jacquemontii.
  2. Woodlot (Nannaj plots)- In some of the areas the following trees were planted by the forest department: Acacia nilotica, Albizia lebbeck, Gliricidia sepium, Dalbergia sissoo, Azadirachta indica, Hardwickia binata, Sapindus emarginatus and Tamarindus indica. These plots have become extremely thick in the past years, and the grassland has been converted to woodland.
  3. Grazing land
  4. Stony grazing land
  5. Crop fields

Habitat utilization and preference by great Indian bustard edit

Maximum sightings of bustards are seen at pure grassland areas, and no bird is recorded in dense woodlots. Bustards prefer wide open short grass plains and open scrubland with scattered trees. Bustards need open habitat for the following purposes:

  • Nesting
  • Display
  • Foraging
  • Roosting

Need for habitat management edit

Some of the areas like Nannaj 10 ha (close to mardi, 100 hectare) and Karamba (also close to Mardi, 50 hectare) were planted with exotic plant species like Gliricidia sepium, Azadirachta indica. Because of the dense growth of weeds like Hyptis suaveolens and Lantana camara, these areas became dense woodlands.

Pictures taken from Google Earth effectively shows how dramatically habitat has changed from scrubland and grassland to dense woodland. The idea of no tree plantain proposed by some and other are not proper there has to be some trees which are not tall and there has to be the proper grassland so that the bird can hide and fly. If the camouflage is not there the bird has chance to fall prey to poachers.

Recommendations edit

  • No tree planting - It is believed to be better to have less trees or bushes in the core areas than to have too many of them.
  • Maintenance of grassland - very thick and dense grasses are not preferred by bustards. In such cases thinning, cutting would be useful to maintain the grassland at the optimum suitability for the bustards.

These recommendations were included in management plan of the sanctuary but nothing much was done for the management of grasslands in Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, Nannaj, Solapur.

Removal of trees by the forest department edit

With reference to above recommendations in the management plan, Forest Department (Wildlife Division) Pune submitted a proposal to PCCF Maharashtra in 2006 for the uprooting and cutting of trees like Gliricidia and Lantana in Nannaj and Karamba areas. With allotments of funds, actual work started in March 2008 under the guidance of Conservator of Forest (Wildlife Division) Pune Dr. Y L P Rao.

Total 25 hectares of land was cleared out of trees, of which 10 hectares at Nannaj 10 ha area (near Kale Talav) and 15 hectares at Karamba (near Mardi 50 hectare). Trees like Gliricidia, Neem and Lantana were cut and then uprooted so as to prevent their regrowth. A total of 15,240 trees were uprooted from 25 hectares of land.

On 15 August 2009, an observer saw one male great Indian bustard in the newly opened Nannaj 10 (Near Kale Talav) plot. The bustard was seen foraging and the observer continued to observe the bird for about 45 minutes in 10 ha (from 7:15 to 8:00 am). Then the bustard crossed the TCM by walking and entered the Mardi 100 hectare area.

The following species of birds have been observed in newly opened areas:

A majority of the above-mentioned species are grassland birds. These observations suggest the acceptance of newly opened habitat by great Indian bustard and also by various other bird species. The Forest Department has proposed to uproot about more 5,244 trees in Mardi, Akolekati and Karamba plots. This will help in restoration of proper habitat for bustards.

See also edit

References edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary.
  1. ^ "SC clears denotification of GIB sanctuary | Nagpur News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  2. ^ "Home » Sci-Tech » Eco News Great Indian Bustard sanctuary fights for survival in Maharashtra". Zeenews. September 9, 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Deccan thorn scrub forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  • Ali & Ripley S. D.(1969) : Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan, Vol 2 pp 188–201, Oxford University Press, Delhi.
  • B S KulkarniEcology and Behaviour of Great Indian Bustard BNHS Journal VOl 78(2) Dt - 28-8-81 pages 375-77
  • Manakadan, R & Rahamani A. R. (1986) : Study of Ecology of certain Endangered Species of Wildlife and their Habitat: the Great Indian Bustard. Annual report No 3, Pp 100. Bombay Natural History Society.
  • Asad R Rahmani, Ranjit Mankadan (1988) : Bustard Sanctuaries of India, Strategies for their conservation and management, Technical report No. 13, Pp 40. BNHS.
  • Asad R Rahamani, The Great Indian Bustard, Final Report (1989), pp 234. Bombay Natural History Society
  • Islam, M. Z. and Rahmani A. R. Threatened birds of India, BUCEROS, Vol 7. No.1& 2. (2002). Compiled from Threatened Birds of Asia. BirdLife International Red Data Book (2001). Cambridge,U.K. : BirdLife International.
  • Rahmani, A.R. (2002). Protection of Nannaj Bustard area, Solapur Maharashtra. Pp 9. BNHS.IBCN,Mumbai.
  • Shendre, N (2002), Management Plan Great IndianBustard Sanctuary, Maharashtra. Government of Maharashtra.
  • Islam, M.Z. and Rahmani A.R. (2004) Important Bird Areas in India : Priority Sites for Conservation. IBCN, BNHS, BirdLife International U K. Pp xviii + 1133
  • Rahmani, A R, (2006), Need to start Project Bustard. Pp 20. BNHS.
  • Government of India Task force on Grassland and Deserts Report. (2006), Planning Commission. New Delhi. Pp 32.

Much of the article is based on the following report: http://www.kolkatabirds.com/bustardhabitat.htm

January 01, 1970
great, indian, bustard, sanctuary, established, 1979, also, known, jawaharlal, nehru, bustard, sanctuary, maharashtra, wildlife, sanctuary, great, indian, bustard, ardeotis, nigriceps, solapur, maharashtra, india, land, drought, prone, semi, arid, deccan, thor. Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary established in 1979 also known as the Jawaharlal Nehru Bustard Sanctuary of Maharashtra is a wildlife sanctuary for the great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps at Solapur Maharashtra India The land is drought prone and semi arid 2 It is in the Deccan thorn scrub forests ecoregion 3 Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary MaharashtraCoordinates17 49 36 2 N 75 52 10 9 E 17 826722 N 75 869694 E 17 826722 75 869694 Google MapsArea122 200 1 hectares 472 sq mi Maharashtra is one of the six states of India where great Indian bustards Ardeotis nigriceps are still seen The great Indian bustard at Nannaj and Karmala was first identified By Mr B S Kulkarni in 1972 and with his constant efforts to save the bird had resulted in Dr Salim Ali visiting Nannaj and starting a research project Mr Kulkarni wrote extensively in local newspapers and made people aware of its existence and he is still active in trying to protect the bird and its habitat at Nannaj near Solapur In former days the bustard was a common bird in the dry districts of Maharashtra Contents 1 Data on the sanctuary 2 Drought Prone Areas Programme DPAP Plots 3 Habitat types in Nannaj plots 4 Habitat utilization and preference by great Indian bustard 5 Need for habitat management 5 1 Recommendations 6 Removal of trees by the forest department 7 See also 8 ReferencesData on the sanctuary editCoordinates 17 49 36 2 N 75 52 10 9 E Year of establishment 1979 Size 849 644 hectares 3 280 49 sq mi Climate Dry mild winter Hot summer 40 C to 43 C Temperature 13 C to 42 C Topography Gentle undulations with isolated hillocks of 450 500 msl Habitat 6A 01 Southern Tropical Thorn Forest Champion and Seth 1968 Biogeographic Zone Deccan Peninsula Breeding Status Breeds in Nannaj and some other DPAP plots Nesting season Monsoon July October Figure of bustards according to census 2009 Total 21 13 females and 8 males Drought Prone Areas Programme DPAP Plots editIn 1975 the Drought Prone Areas Programme DPAP financed by the World Bank was initiated in Solapur district Establishment of pastures and woodlots by the forest department under DPAP resulted in regeneration of wildlife benefited by the protection of their habitat Rahamani A R Final Report 1989 BNHS Habitat types in Nannaj plots editHabitat of Nannaj can be broadly divided into five main types Manakadan R and Rahmani A R 1986 Annual Report No 3 BNHS Rahmani A R Final Report 1989 BNHS Grassland plots Mardi 100 and Mardi 50 plots are pure grassland with few young Acacia nilotica trees and Cassia auriculata bushes Prominent grasses are Aristida funiculate Aristida stocksii Chrysopogon fulvus Heteropogon contortus Lodhopogon tridentatus Melanocenchris jacquemontii Woodlot Nannaj plots In some of the areas the following trees were planted by the forest department Acacia nilotica Albizia lebbeck Gliricidia sepium Dalbergia sissoo Azadirachta indica Hardwickia binata Sapindus emarginatus and Tamarindus indica These plots have become extremely thick in the past years and the grassland has been converted to woodland Grazing land Stony grazing land Crop fieldsHabitat utilization and preference by great Indian bustard editMaximum sightings of bustards are seen at pure grassland areas and no bird is recorded in dense woodlots Bustards prefer wide open short grass plains and open scrubland with scattered trees Bustards need open habitat for the following purposes Nesting Display Foraging RoostingNeed for habitat management editSome of the areas like Nannaj 10 ha close to mardi 100 hectare and Karamba also close to Mardi 50 hectare were planted with exotic plant species like Gliricidia sepium Azadirachta indica Because of the dense growth of weeds like Hyptis suaveolens and Lantana camara these areas became dense woodlands Pictures taken from Google Earth effectively shows how dramatically habitat has changed from scrubland and grassland to dense woodland The idea of no tree plantain proposed by some and other are not proper there has to be some trees which are not tall and there has to be the proper grassland so that the bird can hide and fly If the camouflage is not there the bird has chance to fall prey to poachers Recommendations edit No tree planting It is believed to be better to have less trees or bushes in the core areas than to have too many of them Maintenance of grassland very thick and dense grasses are not preferred by bustards In such cases thinning cutting would be useful to maintain the grassland at the optimum suitability for the bustards These recommendations were included in management plan of the sanctuary but nothing much was done for the management of grasslands in Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary Nannaj Solapur Removal of trees by the forest department editWith reference to above recommendations in the management plan Forest Department Wildlife Division Pune submitted a proposal to PCCF Maharashtra in 2006 for the uprooting and cutting of trees like Gliricidia and Lantana in Nannaj and Karamba areas With allotments of funds actual work started in March 2008 under the guidance of Conservator of Forest Wildlife Division Pune Dr Y L P Rao Total 25 hectares of land was cleared out of trees of which 10 hectares at Nannaj 10 ha area near Kale Talav and 15 hectares at Karamba near Mardi 50 hectare Trees like Gliricidia Neem and Lantana were cut and then uprooted so as to prevent their regrowth A total of 15 240 trees were uprooted from 25 hectares of land On 15 August 2009 an observer saw one male great Indian bustard in the newly opened Nannaj 10 Near Kale Talav plot The bustard was seen foraging and the observer continued to observe the bird for about 45 minutes in 10 ha from 7 15 to 8 00 am Then the bustard crossed the TCM by walking and entered the Mardi 100 hectare area The following species of birds have been observed in newly opened areas Great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps Indian bushlark Mirafra erythroptera Ashy crowned sparrow lark Eremopterix grisea Rufous tailed lark Ammomanes phoenicurus Southern grey shrike Lanius meridionalis Yellow wattled lapwing Vanellus malabaricus Red necked falcon Falco chicquera White eyed buzzard Butastur teesa Rock bush quail Perdicula argoondah Barred buttonquail Turnix suscitator Grey francolin Francolinus pondicerianus Eurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto Pied bushchat Saxicola caprata Common myna Acridotheres tristis Large grey babbler Turdoides malcolmi Indian silverbill Lonchura malabarica A majority of the above mentioned species are grassland birds These observations suggest the acceptance of newly opened habitat by great Indian bustard and also by various other bird species The Forest Department has proposed to uproot about more 5 244 trees in Mardi Akolekati and Karamba plots This will help in restoration of proper habitat for bustards See also editWildlife of India Great Indian bustard List of birds of IndiaReferences edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary SC clears denotification of GIB sanctuary Nagpur News Times of India The Times of India Home Sci Tech Eco News Great Indian Bustard sanctuary fights for survival in Maharashtra Zeenews September 9 2008 Retrieved 12 February 2010 Deccan thorn scrub forests Terrestrial Ecoregions World Wildlife Fund Ali amp Ripley S D 1969 Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan Vol 2 pp 188 201 Oxford University Press Delhi B S KulkarniEcology and Behaviour of Great Indian Bustard BNHS Journal VOl 78 2 Dt 28 8 81 pages 375 77 Manakadan R amp Rahamani A R 1986 Study of Ecology of certain Endangered Species of Wildlife and their Habitat the Great Indian Bustard Annual report No 3 Pp 100 Bombay Natural History Society Asad R Rahmani Ranjit Mankadan 1988 Bustard Sanctuaries of India Strategies for their conservation and management Technical report No 13 Pp 40 BNHS Asad R Rahamani The Great Indian Bustard Final Report 1989 pp 234 Bombay Natural History Society Islam M Z and Rahmani A R Threatened birds of India BUCEROS Vol 7 No 1 amp 2 2002 Compiled from Threatened Birds of Asia BirdLife International Red Data Book 2001 Cambridge U K BirdLife International Rahmani A R 2002 Protection of Nannaj Bustard area Solapur Maharashtra Pp 9 BNHS IBCN Mumbai Shendre N 2002 Management Plan Great IndianBustard Sanctuary Maharashtra Government of Maharashtra Islam M Z and Rahmani A R 2004 Important Bird Areas in India Priority Sites for Conservation IBCN BNHS BirdLife International U K Pp xviii 1133 Rahmani A R 2006 Need to start Project Bustard Pp 20 BNHS Government of India Task force on Grassland and Deserts Report 2006 Planning Commission New Delhi Pp 32 Much of the article is based on the following report http www kolkatabirds com bustardhabitat htm Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary amp oldid 1173053996, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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