Evaluation of biological
richness using Remote Sensing and GIS-A case study of Birsa Munda
Zoological park, Jharkhand,India Richa NK
Sharma Lecturer, Email: http://www.gisdevelopment.net/aars/acrs/2002/luc/richa_13@hotmail.com Dr M S Nathawat Professor and Head, Department of Remote Sensing Birla Institute of Technology , Mesra, Ranchi, India ,835 215 Email: http://www.gisdevelopment.net/aars/acrs/2002/luc/msnathawat@yahoo.com Ashok Kumar Pandey Director, Bhagwan Birsa Zoological Park, Ranchi, India,835219 Abstract The Bisra Munda Zoological Park, Jharkhand, India has a spectrum of Botanical Species. The Park is largely undisturbed since its inception. The present paper attempts to create a locational data base map and classify the taxons according to the ICUN norms. It also compares the biological richness to the landuse /landcover of the surrounding areas and analyses the current scenario. Introduction The diversity of a system can be separated into two major components. They may differ in number of entities referred to as "richness" or "abundance" or they may differ in the relative abundance or importance of the entities with in them. (Solbrig, O T 1991). Unlike the temperate and arctic areas where terrestrial species richness is comparatively low, there are acceptable flora and fauna lists, the case of the tropics is different. (di Castri and Younes 1990• . The Botanical Survey of India has published three volumes of "Red Data Book" which deals mainly with plants growing in India. A need to include locational data base enlisted in the "Red Data Book" has been stressed time and again. (Roy, P.S., Singh, S and Hedge, V.S., 2000) The Birsa Munda Zoological Park was a protected forest before it’s inception in 1986.It was opened to the public in 1994. The park can be divided into two sections. One section has seen extensive human activity and hence is almost devoid of any natural vegetation. The other section has more or less been left undisturbed. As a consequence the botanical species are left undisturbed with in that area. The present paper enumerates the numbers of distinct units i.e. (richness) in the Birsa Munda Zoological Park over a period of one year and prepares a GIS based on it. It also compares the current landuse/landcover of the neighboring area of the Park using remote Sensing Data. Study Area The Park is situated in the North East of Ranchi city .The Park lies within the latitude of 23° 27´ 30´´ to 23° 28´7´´N and longitude of 85° 27´12´´E to 85° 27´42´´E. It covers a total area of 104 Hectares bounded partially on two sides the Sapahi River. Methodology Biological Richness The study is spread over a time period of one year so as to identify the annual botanic species growing in the park. The main objective of the study is to collect the quantitative and qualitative information of the species, identify it within precision limits. Stratified systematic sampling is to be adopted under which the study areas is divided into grids of 10m x 10m, each of which will from the basic sampling units. Laying Out Of First Plot: The length and width of each subgrid is measured to smallest convenient scale and the length of the side of the plot is calculated. If x and y be the length and width of the grid and (d) the side of the plot, then side (d) is subtracted from both sides to get x-d and y-d. Let these numbers be x´ and y´. Two random numbers are selected, one in the range of 0 to x´ and the other in the range of 0 to y´. Let these random numbers be a and b respectively. Then (d/2) is added in each to find a+d/2 and b+d/2. Then (a+d/2, b+d/2) gives the coordinates of the first plot centre in the subgrid considering left bottom corner of the grid as origin of the axes. Laying Out of Second Plot To locate the centre of the second plot, the first plot centre is joined to the grid centre and this line is extended on the opposite quadrant and marked at a distance equal to the grid centre. This point would be the centre of the second plot. After deciding the plot number and grid number to be surveyed, the co-ordinates of the centre of the plot is recorded with the help of GPS. This is followed by marking the plot centre with a flag pole enumerating the Plot No. and the Grid No. After fixing plot centre, the North East, South East, North West and South West corners of the plot are fixed. Small poles mark these four corners. The dimensions of the plot are rechecked. Information is collected and recorded methodically in a descriptive manner for Herb, Shrub and trees.The herbs chosen is not exceeding 1.0 m height with soft stem and shrubs not exceeding 4.60 m in height with woody stem. Care is taken that young regeneration of trees species is not duplicated in these categories. Specimens of unidentified herbs and shrubs are collected along with root, shoot, etc. and got identified from renound botanists of the region. Calculation Of Biological Richness The species richness which is the number of species in a sample per unit area shall be calculated by Menhinich Index (D) (after Menhinich, 1964) (citied in Ref 1).D = Total no.of species Total no. of individuals In the habitat Higher the value of D, greater the species richness. Creation of a GIS Database System Once the species are identified and the richness calculated, a GIS of the information gathered shall be prepared within the park with the aim to provide the graphic display of a location, with the species information.This will be done using the s/w ArcInfo 8.0.2 Landuse/ Landcover of the area is surrounding the park. The supervised classification on the LISS III imagery will be carried out on ERDAS IMAGINE 8.2 s/w to compare the the landuse and landcover of the surrounding area lying within a radial distance of 5 km. with respect to the park. Discussions Once the Biological Richness is evaluated and its comparision made with the neighbouring area, it would help in understanding the complexities of the problems related to the biodiversity at landscape level, (Navalgund, R,R 2001), support management decision making for large areas of land with complex resource and management mandates. (Carroll,C.S. isprs commission iv). Reference
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