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Status of Wildlife Habitats in Ramnagar Forest Division, Terai-Arc Landscape, Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Tanveer Ahmed, Harendra Singh Bargali, Neha Verma, Afifullah Khan
Number of views: 1278
The Terai-Arc Landscape in the foothills of Himalaya supports a mosaic of wildlife
habitats that sustains an amazing biodiversity. The high human pressure coupled with developmental
activities, not only degrade wildlife habitats but restrict the dispersal of wild animals particularly in
multiple-use managed forest. We determined the status of wildlife habitats in Ramnagar Forest
Division classifying Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS image acquired on April 2015. Landsat Aster GDEM data
of 17 October 2011 was used to assess slope, aspect and elevation of the study area. Sal forest was
the dominant class and it was followed by sal mixed forest, mixed forest, human habitation and
barren land. The elevation ranges between 307m and 1892m amsl with sizable area having gentle
slope (50 to 100
). Most of the region was south facing. Importance of these habitats for mammals of
western Terai-Arc Landscape has been discussed. The current information is expected to serve as
baseline information for planning future management strategies and determining changes in wildlife
habitats.