Flora and fauna of Jammu and Kashmir UT

 

—Flora and Fauna of J&K UT

Jammu Division

—Natural Vegetation(Green Gold): The term natural vegetation is used loosely to describe any plant life that is not organized or influenced by mankind.

—Flora: latin word; godess of plants, flowers and fertility.

—Natural Vegetation Depends upon : (i) Climate,(ii) Physiographic,(iii) Edephic conditions,(iv) Biotic setting, (v) Human interaction with nature.

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—Forest types in Jammu

—Sub-Tropical (Shivaliks)

—Temperate (Southern Lesser Himalayas)

¡Forest cover of Jammu is 45%(12066 sq. km)

—Flora in Jammu Division

—Dry Savanna and Thick undergrowth of bushes and scrubs.

—The dominant species: teak, sal, Shisham, Pipal (ficus religiosa), Banyan, kekar Ber, Mango, Palm, Bamboo

—Tun, silver-pine, Mohowa, Khair (Acacia-catehu), tall grasses(Khar).

—Deciduous Trees Shed their leaves between Jan- Mar.

—Flora in Jammu Division

—Chir is the most valuable tree used for Timber and Resin and is found in Ramban, Udhumpur, Reasi and Jammu (city)

—Fauna in Jammu region
Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time

Mammals:

—Black Bear                                            ==== (vulnerable)

—Himalayan Thar                                          ==== (near threatned)

—Brown Bear, Serow, Musk deer, Ibex

    Golden Eagle, Western Teagopan,

    Cheer pheassent, Snow Leopard                     ==== (Endangered)

—Markhor                                                 ====(Critically Endangered)

—Spotted deer, Barking deer, Cheetah, Langur, Wild Bull, Bengal Monkey, Bear marmot, water shrew, musk shrew, musk rat, Black bear, Goral, Common,Leapord

—Main birds found in Jammu Region

—Vultures,Kikla, Chukor, Peacock, cuckoos, Pigeons, snow Patridge, woodpecker, wool owl, falcons, sand goose, Black Partridge, Blue Rock Pigeon, Green Pigeon, Grey Partridge, Red Jungle Fowl, Rufus Turtle Dove etc.

Reptiles: Snakes, frogs and Lizards

—NP & WS of Jammu

—Kishtwar National Park

—Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary

—Trikuta Wildlife Sanctuary

—Surinsar Mansar  Sanctuary

—Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary

—Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary

Kishtwar National Park

—Founded to protect Snow Leopard

—Other Mammals include Himalayan Thar, Ibex, Hangul, Leapord, Markhor, Musk deer, Himalayan Black bear, Langur, Himalayan Brown bear, Himalayan snow cock

Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary

—Location: Jammu city

—Flora: Shesham, Amaltas, Kachnar, Bamboo, Palas, Pipal.

—Fauna: Barking Deer, Bablers Cheekedbulbul, Jackel, Leopard, Nilgai, Peafowl, Partridges, Spotted Deer,

Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary

—Location: Kathua, on the bank of the Ujh river

—Flora: Bamboo

—Fauna: Spotted deer.

Surinsar Mansar  Sanctuary

—Location: Udhumpur/Samba/Jammu between Surinsar Mansar lakes

—Avifauna: Black Partridge, Blue Rock Pigeon, Green Pigeon, Grey Partridge, Red Jungle Fowl, Rufus Turtle Dove

Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary

—Location : Jammu district

—Fauna: Goral, Grey Langur, Monkey, Wild Boar, Rhesus Monkey

—Avifauna : Mynah, Peafowl, Chakr BlueRock Pigeon, Cheer Pheasesants, Red jungle Fowl.

—Famous for Pheasants

Kashmir Division

—Temperate Forests

—Alpine Pastures

—Important Flora and Fauna

—Flora and Fauna in wildlife Sanctuaries and National parks

—Temperate forests

—In the slopes of Pir Panjal, Greater Himalayas, Zanaskar and Karakoram.

—Dominant species= Deodar(Cedrus Deodar), Pine(pinus), Silver-fir,  spruce, fir, elm, adler, cedar, ash, sorrel, birch, paper-birch, and hazel.

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—Kashmir

—Deodar is most prized  timber both water resistant and termite free, used for construction of boats.

—Popular, Willow, Walnut, Kikar, and

Chinar (Boin, Platanus orientalis), lace wood

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Alpine pastures(3600-4000m)

—Grassy expanses called margs (Gulmarag, Yousmarag, Sonmarag), are alpine meadows, where birch and junipers are common.

—The low temperatures at high altitudes of the Himalayan belt of the state support some dwarf varieties of birch and junipers making a shrubby appearance. The stunted conifer trees merge into extensive alpine pastures.

Flora

—Favourable climatic conditions = > large diversity of flowers are also found in Kashmir

¡IGM Tulip Garden(Asia’s largest tulip garden, 74 acres) (2007)prev. known as Model Floriculture Centre

¡Zabarwan range

¡1.5 million plants of 48 species

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Saffron(Crocus Sativus)

—Arabic: za’faran and Persian: Zarparan

—Best quality because of high alt. 1600 – 1800m

—Pampore (Saffron town) and Saffron Capital of India.

—Pompore (GIAHS) by FAO.

—Kashmiri Saffron is of three types: 1. Lachha, 2. Mongra and 3. Guchhi.

—Kashmir is 2nd largest producer after Iran.

—GI tag given on 25th July 2020

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Medicinal Plants

—Rosemerry

—Name – Rosmarinus officinalis
Family – Lamiaceae
Type – shrub, spice herb

—Height – 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 m)
Exposure – full sun
Soil – ordinary but not too heavy

—Foliage – evergreen
Harvest – January to December

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Belladona

—The species epithet comes from the Italian word “belladonna” for beautiful woman

—Cosmetics

—Prolonged use can cause night blindness

Lavender

—Fauna in Kashmir

—Rich fauna because of climatic conditions is found in Kashmir division.

—Markhors, Gurais, Serows, Black Bear, Brown  Bear, Bharals, Argalis, Musk Deer, Stag, Leopards, Antelopes.

—Birds

—Sparrow, Monal, Dove, Eagle, etc

—Wetlands: White fronted goose, Grey leg goose, Mute Swan, Tufled duck are seen in wetlands mainly in Hokersar (Ramsar site)

—IUCN Status

—Hangul, Markhor ====    Critically Engangered

—Musk deer,  Ibex, Serow, Brown Bear, Common Leapord, Snow Leapord, Himalayan Thar======Endangered

—Black Bear===========Vulnerable

—Hangul

—Kashmiri stag (Cervus elaphus hanglu)

—In 1970s J&K govt. with the support of IUCN and world wildlife fund(WWF) prepared a project fpr the protection and conservation of Hangul which came to be known as Project Hangul.

—Critically endangered under IUCN

—Listed under Schedule I of WPA 1972

—Dachigam

Markhor Recovery Project(Capra Falconeri
)

—Critically endangered under IUCN

—Listed under Schedule I of WPA 1972

—This plan was formulated by Wildlife department in 2009 then endorsed by J&K govt., Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and climate Change.

—Hirpora WlS and Kazinag National park

Dachigam

—Location:  22km from srinagar

—Dachigam means ten villages, 10 villages before WWI

—Marsar lake is located from which Dragwan river flows, which is famous for trout fishes

—Protected area since 1910 NP in 1981.

—Home of Hangul(Kashmiri Stag)

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—Flora

—Most of this coniferous forest consists of broad leaf species. Interspersed between these are alpine pastures, meadows, waterfalls and scrub vegetation with deep gullies, locally known as Nars.

—Grassland Meadows are covered with flowers.

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—Dachigam

—Musk deer (roose kat)

—Leopard

—Himalayan serow

—Kashmir grey langur

—Kashmir stag (hangul)

—Leopard cat (nt)

—Himalayan black bear (vu)

•Himalayan brown bear

•Jackal

•Hill fox

•Himalayan weasel

•Yellow-throated marten

•Jungle cat

•Long-tailed marmot

•Otter

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Kazinag National Park

—Location: On the Bank of Jhelum in Baramullah close to LOC    {area 160 sq. km}

—(Limber + Lachipora +Nagnari conservation reserve) clubbed in 2007

—Vegetation in Kazinag is dominated by coniferous forests with deodar (Cedrus deodara) at lower altitudes, fir (Abies pindrow), spruce (Picea smithiana) at middle to upper elevations and kail (Pinus wallichiana) is widely distributed from lower to upper elevations.

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Kazinag National Park

—Home of Markhor (Capra Falconeri).

—Also includes  Himalayan musk deer, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan black bear, Indian leopard, Himalayan marmot, yellow-throated marten, and Kashmir flying squirrel

—The park is home to 20 species of mammals, 120 species of birds and17 species of butterflies.

Salim Ali National Park

—Location: Srinagar   Area : 9.07 sq. km

—City Forest National Park.

—The park is famous for its avian fauna.  In this Park, visitors can sight a variety of birds. Flagship animals of the National Park: Himalayan monal

—The sanctuary was first declared as a game reserve in 1981 and later upgraded to a sanctuary in 1987

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Salim Ali National Park

—Flora

—The vegetation of the National Park is coniferous alpine type. Major plant species are Cedrus deodara, Quercus spp., Pinus spp. and Brachypodium spp. etc.

—Fauna

—Mammal: Hangul, Himalyan Serow, Musk deer, Himalayan black bear, Leopard etc.

—Avifauna: 70 species of birds including Himalayan monal, Himalayan snowcock, Ringdove, Swamp francolin etc.

Overa Aru Wildlife Sanctuary

—Location: Pahalgam Anantnag Kashmir   {Area: 511 sq km}

—It is on the periphery of the two villages of Overa and Aru.

— It was declared a game reserve in 1945 under the Dogra Rule and later upgraded to a sanctuary in 1981

—Flora 

—The deciduous forest < 2600 meters of altitude which grows Aesculus indica, Juglans regia, Fraxinus spp, Padus cornuta, Rus succedanea, and Pyrus lanata.

—The coniferous forest lies between 2,600 and 3,000 metres.

—It grows mostly blue pine on dry soil and silver fir (Abies pindrow) on moist soil.

—Birch forest ranges from 3000 to 3500 meters, the most common species are white birch (Betula utilis). Juniperus spp grow from 3500 to 3800 meters in the alpine scrub

—Fauna

—117 bird species of which 89 species – including eight species of sympatric warblers – breed within the sanctuary.

—The globally threatened bird species found in the sanctuary are

¡Endangered Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus),

¡vulnerable Kashmir flycatcher (Ficedula subrubra), and

¡near-threatened European roller (Coracias garrulus) and Tytler's leaf warbler (Phylloscopus tytleri).

—Among the 18 species of butterflies recorded in the sanctuary, 4 are listed in the IUCN Red List

Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary

—Location: Shopian District Near Hirpora village   Area 341 sq km

—Vegetation: western mixed coniferous forests, deciduous sub-alpine scrub forests and sub-alpine pastures.

¡Western Mixed=Kail pine with spruce and fir (Abies pindrow) as its primary associate

—Fauna

— Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan black bear, mus k deer, leopard, Tibetan wolf, Himalayan palm civet and Pir Panjal Markhor (50)

—Avifauna

— 130 species of birds including the spotted forktail, western tragopan, rock bunting, rufous-breasted accentor, Himalayan woodpecker, blue rock thrush, white-capped redstart, Himalayan griffon, common stonechat, red-billed blue magpie and grey wagtail are found in the sanctuary

—NP and WlS

—Dachigam National park

—Kazinag National Park

—Salim Ali National Park

—Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary

—Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary

—Gulmarag Wildlife Sanctuary

—Thajiwas (Baltal) Wildlife Sanctuary ===== Ganderbal

—Rajparian (Daksun ) Wildlife Sanctuary ====  Anantnag