Ecology and Management of Grassland Habitats in India

The report analyzed two location in the Palni Hills, an eastern off shoot of the Western Ghats and found that these grasslands had the highest incidence of fire across different land cover classes, where almost 90 per cent of grasslands were affected by fire in the 12 years of observation.

The paper titled Recent Changes in the Phumdis of Keibul Lamjao National Park, Manipur and Management Implications studied unique wetland vegetation of floating meadows known as ‘Phumdi’. A change in the species composition in these grasslands was observed where about twenty-six alien invasive plants were recorded from the study area. It is argued that human disturbances are the primary cause of such a change.

The report notes that development initiatives like the Sardar Sarovar Project in Gujarat are thought to alter crop patterns, attracting herbivores from the Blackbuck National Park for year-round crop raiding leading to wildlife-human conflict and changes in spatial patterns.

The report studied the extent of grassland habitat in Valmiki Tiger Reserve with the help of remote sensing and GIS tools. It was found that even though the total area of grasslands has stayed the same, there has been shifts in some patches – forest has been converted to grasslands in some places, and grassland has also given way to forests in others.

Drivers of Change – A Geospatial Study on Fires in Terai Grasslands of Manas Tiger Reserve shows that fires are a key factor influencing the landscape dynamics and change within the Terai grasslands. The paper found that most of the fires were from human sources especially along roads, and argues that many of these fires were deliberate for reasons such as improved access for grazing by livestock.

The report conducted a comparative assessment of grasslands in Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) during 1979-81 and 2002-03. It found that the majority of the valley grasslands (meadows) inside the reserve have changed dramatically, with accelerated growth of less palatable and fire-resistant grasses and a decrease in the cover of perennial fodder species.

The 'Vidis' of Saurashtra suggests several measures for adequately managing the Vidi grasslands. It suggests keeping a check on human encroachment and growth of fast-growing woody species and thick canopy species. The report also recommends developing wasteland in the region into grassland to connect patchily distributed grassland, and training forest staff to manage grasslands scientifically. 

Focus and Factoids by Aravind M.