Long-term ecological and biodiversity monitoring in the western Himalaya using satellite remote sensing
IR@IHBT: CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur
View Archive Info| Field | Value | |
| Title |
Long-term ecological and biodiversity
monitoring in the western Himalaya using
satellite remote sensing
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| Creator |
Chawla, Amit
Yadav , P K Uniyal, S K Kumar, Amit Vats, S K Kumar, Sanjay Ahuja, Paramvir Singh |
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| Subject |
Ecology
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| Description |
The IPCC in its Fourth Assessment Report (AR4)
described the Himalayan Region as data-deficient in
terms of climate monitoring. This is a serious impediment
to global research initiatives and thus necessitates
long-term ecological monitoring (LTEM) across
the Himalaya. Being governed by low temperature
conditions, the high-altitude regions in Himalaya are
more responsive to changing environmental conditions
and hence serve as better indicators. We identified few
Protected Areas (PAs) and selected forest core area
and ecotones along the temperate, sub-alpine, alpine
and cold desert ecosystems in Himachal Pradesh to
establish a network of permanent monitoring plots
(PMPs). Land and vegetation cover map of three
selected PAs has been prepared using Landsat TM
satellite data. Among the 10 PMPs, the temperate and
tree line forests in the GHNP were found to have the
highest tree diversity with Taxus wallichiana showing
good stand density and regeneration. The soil pH was
found to be higher for cold desert and lower for tree
line forests and alpine meadows. Soil total carbon and
nitrogen contents ranged from 1.08% to 13.37% and
0.094% to 1.14% respectively. It was observed that
the herbs diversity showed a positive trend with
increasing soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations.
Satellite remote sensing proves to be a useful tool in
an LTEM study, including biodiversity assessment
and climate change research in complex terrains such
as the Himalaya.
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| Date |
2012
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| Type |
Article
PeerReviewed |
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| Format |
application/pdf
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| Identifier |
http://ihbt.csircentral.net/1221/1/26_Long%2Dterm.pdf
Chawla, Amit and Yadav , P K and Uniyal, S K and Kumar, Amit and Vats, S K and Kumar, Sanjay and Ahuja, Paramvir Singh (2012) Long-term ecological and biodiversity monitoring in the western Himalaya using satellite remote sensing. Current Science, 102 (8). pp. 1143-1156. |
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| Relation |
http://ihbt.csircentral.net/1221/
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