Biodiversity Parks

Biodiversity Parks: An Innovative
Approach for Conservation of Natural
Heritage and Enhancement of Quality of
Urban Environment
C.R. Babu
Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems
University of Delhi
Delhi – 110 007
• In countries with fast growing economies the
present urban Centres expand rapidly in terms of
population and infrastructure but also new urban
Centres would emerge out. In both the scenarios
the natural heritage is wiped out from urban
development matrix. It had happened in the past,
being happening now and will be happened in
future.
• For example, Delhi lost its forests and flood plains
of Yamuna river and the river itself is dead in the
urban segment. Bangalore has lost its lake
systems which form the lifeline of the city.
How to recreate the lost natural heritage in the
matrix of urban planning and development?
• One of the innovative approaches to address
the issue is to promote the creation of
Biodiversity Parks that serve as nature
reserves in urban matrix.
What are Biodiversity Parks?
• Biodiversity Parks are unique landscapes of
wilderness where ecological assemblages of
native species in the form of biological
communities are recreated and maintained
over few hundred hectares of degraded or
marginal lands. In other words Biodiversity
Parks are nature reserves that harbour natural
heritage of the area and have conservation,
educational and cultural values and enhance
the quality of environment in urban Centres.
• The underlying principle of the
Biodiversity Park is to recreate self
sustaining ecosystems with native flora
and fauna characteristic of the area for
enhancing the quality of urban
environment.
What are the functions of Biodiversity
Parks?
The Biodiversity Park has many functions, some
of which are:
i. Serve as nature reserve for the conservation
of natural heritage of the city,
ii. Enhances the quality of urban environment,
iii. Serve as hub for education, cultural and
conservation activities,
iv. Connect biodiversity to the city and people,
v. Promote ecotourism,
vi. Create livelihoods for local Communities,
vii. Serve as living lab for understanding the
ecosystem processes and functions,
viii. Buffer the local weather and serve as
sink for CO2 and urban pollutants, and
ix. Serve as a adaptation to climate change.
x. Preserve the rare endemic and
threatened plant and animal species of
the area.
What do the Biodiversity Parks contain?
• A Biodiversity Park can have many structural
components. Some of the components are: (i) a
nature conservation zone that have terrestrial
biological communities, and a mosaic of wetlands
interspersed with grasslands, all of which
represent natural heritage; and (ii) a visitor zone
where (a) a herbal garden, (b) butterfly
conservatory, (c) a climbers groove, (d) a scented
garden, (e) a Nature Interpretation Centre, (f) a
recreational garden with walkways, (g)
conservatories of endemic, rare and threatened
plants of the area, and (h) also representatives of
ecosystems found in the area.
• Biodiversity Park is a part of urban infrastructure.
Are there any established
Biodiversity Parks?
functional
• The Biodiversity Park Concept was implemented for
the first time in Delhi by Delhi Development
Authority (DDA) – a land-owning and city building
local government agency in collaboration with the
Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded
Ecosystems of the University of Delhi. The DDA has
notified six Biodiversity Parks: (i) Yamuna, (ii) Aravalli,
(iii) Neela Hauz, (iv) Kamla Nehru Ridge, (v) Tilpath
Valley, and (vi) Yamuna river front.
• Of these, Yamuna and Aravalli Biodiversity Parks are
fully functional and both the Parks are Natural
Reserves of Delhi today.
Layout of Yamuna Biodiversity Park:
• The overview of Visitor’s Zone and Nature
Conservation Zone of Yamuna Biodiversity
Park -Phase I and newly created wetland on
the active flood plain suggest that the
ecosystems developed are fully functional.
Infact, the mosaic of wetlands with diverse
ecological niches and interspersed grasslands
of Phase II will soon become paradise for bird
lovers, store flood water and recharge ground
water.
Overview of Yamuna Biodiversity Park - Phase I
Overview of different ecosystems in the Visitor Zone
Some of the functional terrestrial communities of Yamuna River Basin
Mixed deciduous community
Bamboo dominated community
For the first time one of the wetland communities - Tamarix-Phragmitesdeveloped along narrow wetland has become home for Night herons which
laid 1000 nests that yielded 3000 chicks. Other wetland birds also use the
same habitat for their successful reproduction.
Darter
Night Heron
Egret
Little Cormorant
Migratory ducks’
wetland
Biodiversity Profile over a time period
Species Groups
Year
2002
2007
2014
Terrestrial Plants
90
656
874
Aquatic Plants
0
76
99
Avifauna
37
168
196
Invertebrates
39
122
380
Herpetofauna
3
16
18
Mammals
4
17
18
Fishes
0
12
18
About 10000 saplings of native trees were planted during 2013-2014
• The butterfly conservatory harbours about 55
species of bufferflies on some 100 host plants of
both larvae and adult moths.
• A Herbal Garden contains 350 species of
medicinal plants that are used in home remedies,
Ayurvedic and Unnani preparations and health
foods.
• A fruit yielding plant conservatory supports 150
cultivars of 50 native fruit yielding species.
• The mammals that were seen about 150 years
ago have returned back to the terrestrial
communities. These include Wild boars, Civet cat,
Jungle cat, Porcupine and Indian hare.
Butterfly Garden at Yamuna Biodiversity Park
Herbal Garden at Yamuna Biodiversity Park
Fruit-yielding plant species
conservatory at Yamuna
Biodiversity Park
Some mammals in Yamuna Biodiversity Park
Small Indian Civet
Jungle Cat
Wild Boar
Indian Hare
Layout of Aravalli Biodiversity Park
The overview of: (i) Aravalli Biodiversity Park,
(ii) broad leaved tropical dry deciduous forest,
(iii) tropical thorn forest, (iv) mixed deciduous
forest, (v) grassland, (vi) scrub forest, and (vii)
bushland suggest that the native Aravalli
ecosystems developed are functional and
providing ecosystem services.
Overview of Aravalli Biodiversity Park
Broad leaved tropical dry deciduous forest ecosystem
Overview of mixed dry deciduous forest
Overview of thorn forest
Mahua dominated community
Grassland of Aravalli Biodiversity Park
Some of the characteristic Aravalli communities developed
Sterculia dominated community
Acacia woodland
Wrightia-Holarrhena dominated community
Adina-Terminalia tomentosa dominated community
The Biodiversity profile of ABP over a period of time reveals marked
increase in the number of species in communities suggesting the
habitat improvement and stability of ecosystems developed
Year
Species Groups
2005
2008
2011
2014
150
715
858
902
Aquatic Plants
0
26
31
31
Mammals
5
15
15
17
Avifauna
42
168
181
198
Reptiles
6
19
23
25
Butterflies/Moths
13
86
91
105
Terrestrial Plants
About 15,000 saplings were planted during 2013-2014.
• The Anogeissus dominated community, Sterculia
– Boswellia community, Adina – Terminalia
community, Wrightia – Holarrhena community,
and Acacia dominated community, all of which
are characteristics of Aravalli mountain ranges,
are fully established.
• The populations of mammals such as Jackal,
Porcupine, Indian hare and blue bull have been
substantially increased, Hyena was sighted at one
time. A cave dwelling bat also thrives in the Park.
Many bird species, which were sighted 100 years
ago, are sighted now suggesting that the habitat
is improved and the wildlife is returning back.
Some mammals in Aravalli Biodiversity Park
Indian Hare
Indian Porcupine
Jackal
Neelgai
• A butterfly conservatory harbours 105
species of butterflies, which utilize some
150 species of host plants to complete their
life cycles.
• A herbal garden with some 200 medicinal
plants of Aravalli mountains has been
developed.
• A natural Fernarium and Orchidarium have
also been established to promote
conservation education.
Fernarium at Aravalli Biodiversity Park
Orchidarium at Aravalli Biodiversity Park
• The Yamuna and Aravalli Biodiversity Parks
having mosaic of habitats with rich floristic
and faunistic diversity coupled with Nature
Interpretation Centre are paradise to
students and public for learning how does
nature works and provide ecosystem
services to humans.
• 1000s of students and public visit both the
Parks every year.
Nature Education Activities
About 5000 students and 15000 people from Delhi NCR and India visited Aravalli Biodiversity Park.
World Biodiversity Day
Nature camp
Participation of local community in plantation
World Environment Day
A total of 15000 students from different schools and colleges of Delhi
visited Yamuna Biodiversity Park, besides 10000 people from India
and abroad. Many professional trainees including senior state forest
department officials and IAS probationers also visited the Park.
Scientists and technical staff involved in the
development of Biodiversity Parks are:
• Scientists
Dr Faiyaz A. Khudsar (Scientist Incharge, Yamuna Biodiversity Park)
Dr M. Shah Hussin (Scientist Incharge, Aravalli Biodiversity Park)
Dr A. K. Singh
Dr Ekta Khurana
Dr Aisha Sultana
Dr Md. Faisal
Dr Debanik Mukherjee
Dr R. Jayakumar
• Technical Staff
Dr Dushyant Kumar
Dr Girish Chand Pathak
Dr Md. Rizwan Khan
Mr Umendra Sirohi
Mr Harmeek Singh
Mr Ranjit Kumar Rai
Mr Mohan Singh
Mr Yasser Arafat
Mr Nagendra Singh
Mr Pardeep Pal Poonia
Mr Purushottam Pathak
Ms Balwinder Kaur
Dr Ajita Sarkar
Ms Neetu Sharma
Ms Samir Gautam
Thank You