Prioritizing Sustenance of Village Ponds for Avian Conservation: A Case Study from Punjab, India
Prioritizing Sustenance of Village Ponds for Avian Conservation: A Case Study from Punjab, India
Sukhpreet Kaur Sidhu*, Gurkirat Singh Sekhon, Randeep Kaur Aulakh and Tejdeep Kaur Kler
ABSTRACT
Ponds in farmlands are an integral component of the hydrological system; and perform diverse roles in the biosphere. The present study on ponds was carried out on avian diversity and its services of composition in relation to vegetation distribution to understand their biodiversity. Four natural ponds and one man-made pond were surveyed at three locations viz. Ludhiana (location I), Ropar (location II) and Ferozpur (location III) falling in three agro climatic zones. A total of 51 bird species belonging to 31 families and 15 orders were recorded from studied locations. A diverse range of vegetation distribution was observed with 12 weed species, 22 tree species and three crops near the ponds. Avian species richness index was found positively correlated high with the occurrence of bird species in the habitat, rather than their individuals. The results of this study indicated that vegetation complexity in pond surroundings influenced the abundance and number of water dependent and terrestrial bird species directly and indirectly in agricultural habitats.
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April 2021
Vol. 53, Iss. 2, Pages 401-800
