Faunal Heritage of Rajasthan, India, Volume 2 Conservation and Management of Vertebrates

About this book

This is the first ever monumental and scientific documentation of the faunal wealth of the Indian Desert state of Rajasthan. This volume, the second of two, provides a comprehensive picture of the conservation efforts undertaken to prevent further degradation of the condition of Rajasthan's faunal wealth. A scholarly contribution to the field of knowledge, it provides novel and vital information on wildlife preservation initiatives in India's largest state. Broadly falling under the Indo-Malaya Ecozone, the three major biomes of Rajasthan include deserts and xeric shrublands, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. The corresponding ecoregions to the above biomes are, respectively, the Thar Desert and northwestern thorn scrub forests, the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests, and the Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests. Contrary to popular belief, the well-known Thar or Great Indian Desert occupies only a part of the state. Rajasthan is diagonally divided by the Aravalli mountain ranges into arid and semi-arid regions. The latter have a spectacular variety of highly diversified and unique yet fragile ecosystems comprising lush green fields, marshes, grasslands, rocky patches and hilly terrains, dense forests, the southern plateau, fresh water wetlands, and salt lakes. Apart from the floral richness, there is faunal abundance from fishes to mammals. In Faunal Heritage of Rajasthan, India, Volume 2 the various flagship and threatened species are described in the 20 chapters penned by top notch wildlife experts and academics. The world famous heronry, tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and some threat-ridden biodiversity-rich areas shall certainly draw the attention of readers from around the world.

Contents

Part I. Faunal Conservation as a Pragmatic Approach: Aspects and Challenges
1 In Situ and Ex Situ Conservation: Protected Area network and Zoos of Rajasthan
2 Climate and Other Environmental Factors influencing Faunal Ecology of Rajasthan
3 Impact of altered Land Use Pattern on Small Mammalian Diversity of Hilly Tracts of Rajasthan, India
4 Threats to Faunal Diversity of the Aravalli Hills with Special Reference to Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary
5 Faunal Ecology and Conservation of the Great Indian Desert
6 Planning Conservation for Chambal River Basin taking Gharial Gavialis gangeticus and Ganges River Dolphin Platanista gangetica as Umbrella Species
7 Reintroduction of Tigers in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
8 The Ramsar Sites of Rajasthan: Ecology and Conservation of Sambhar Salt Lake, Jaipur and Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur
9 Impact of Mass Mortality of Gharial Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin, 1789) on its Conservation in the Chambal River in Rajasthan
10 Conservation and Management of Wetland Birds in Rajasthan: Perspectives and Challenges
11 Conservation and Management of Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo at Kheechan in Rajasthan
12 Distribution of Sarus Crane Grus antigone antigone in Rajasthan and People's Participation in the Protection of its Breeding Site
13 Conservation Prospects of Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1826) in Rajasthan
14 Role of Local People and Community Conservation in Rajasthan
15 The Revial Model for Common Property Reserves in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan with Special Reference to their Faunal Components
16 Resource Dependency and Socio-economic Profile of Local Communities in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
17 Nature Reverence Does Not Mean Conservation in Tribal Rajasthan: Culture, Cognition, and Personal and Collective Commitments to the Environment

Part II Ecological and Wildlife Tourism in Rajasthan: The Terra Incognita
18 Ecotourism in Rajasthan: Prospects and Perspectives

Part III Vanguards of Wilderness
19 Wildlife Conservation in Rajasthan: The Legal Framework versus the Wildlife Trade

Part IV Management of Faunal Conservation in Rajasthan: A Synthesis
20 Unfurling Conservation Strategies, Major Initiatives, and Gaps in Research: A Vision on the Future of the Fauna in Rajasthan under Current and Predicted Threats

Appendices
Glossary
Further Readings
Index
About the Editors

Customer Reviews