Importance of Parks in Urban Landscape to host Biodiversity: A preliminary study
Mode of Presentation: Poster
Conference Name: Student Conference on Conservation Science (SCCS 2016)
Year: 2016
Area: Biodiversity
Authors: Sarika Baidya, Prosenjit Dawn, Nilanjan Mallik, Rana Dutta, Tripti Sah and Arjan Basu Roy
Abstract
Drastic change in land use pattern, habitat degradation and fragmentation with the growing human population in urban areas is gradually causing serious biodiversity loss. Eventually the urban parks and gardens have become the only fragmented pockets for biodiversity to survive. We took up this study to assess the present biodiversity status of the urban parks and to prepare a baseline reference data to monitor the dynamics of biodiversity change due to urbanization. This data when compared with a similar data with a time gap of five years from now, will give a clear idea of the pattern of change in urban biodiversity. Attempt was also made to find out the threatened flora or fauna surviving in these parks and to implement proper management plan for their conservation. Also the current boundary of all the parks was earmarked so that any encroachments in future or increase in area can be worked out after a period of time.
Total 30 Parks from two different urban backdrops South Bengal (9 parks) and North Bengal (21 parks) under supervision of the forest department were selected for the study. These parks were surveyed individually by two visits each in two different seasons, Pre-monsoon (March to May) and Post-monsoon (September to November). For every park GPS data were collected using Garmin device and later area of the park were measured using Google Earth and other GIS software. Survey for flora was done by total count of the herbs, shrubs, trees etc. Birds, Amphibians, Butterfly and Odonata fauna were surveyed by random sampling and Time bound point count method. High resolution digital photographs were captured and analyzed later for identification. Secondary data such as pugmarks, scats and PBR was also collected for reptiles and mammals.
Total 21 parks from three districts of North Bengal covering an area of 60.96 Acres show the presence of at least 290 plants and 266 animal species. 9 South Bengal parks of four districts covering an area of 150.55 acres consists 515 plant and 341 animal species. Movement of at least 6 faunal species were found to be restricted within the parks in the urban areas of North Bengal, in South Bengal the number is 15. 65 butterfly species were found to lay eggs in plants inside the parks within the study area. 70% of the park fauna were noted from their surrounding in North Bengal, while in South Bengal it was 25%.