Gujarat Wildlife Species Threat – Burning Issues

Table of Contents

Q) Which beach situated in the state of Gujarat has been given the Blue Flag certification?

Gujarat

Gujarat’s ecology houses extremely rare, endemic wildlife like the lions, hyenas, wolves, wild ass and birds like the great Indian bustard and the lesser florican.
Conservation of scattered and isolated pockets of wildlife is important

Gujarat has vast stretches of grasslands, dry and arid zones, salt marshes and scrub forests, and the longest coastline in peninsular India.
It harbours the northernmost tip of the Western Ghats – the Dang forests.
Along with Dang and Gir, the Rann of Kutch and Velavadar are few isolated pockets of unique wildlife habitats that require urgent attention.
Mangroves
Deciduous Forests
Moist deciduous forests – Western Ghats
Thorn Scrub forest
Salt Marshes

Salt marshes spread across thousands of square kilometres
Great Indian bustard
Asiatic wild ass (Khur) – endemic
The LRK, which is spread over 5000 square kilometres, is witnessing a spill over of the wild ass outside the protected area. As a result, this equid species has been recorded in around 15000 square kilometres across six districts of Gujarat.
Diseases in Wild ass – population has dwindled before
6000 wild asses – conflict with Local domestic herds for grazing land

Even the vast landscape of LRK is witnessing various development, anthropological and ecological pressures.
Salt pans and Sand mining
Pesticide and fertiliser laden FARM RUNOFF – wildlife drinks this water.
Foreign species – juliflora
Roads – Off roading
Tourist resorts
Kachchh desert WLS
Wild Ass WLS -LRK
Dang – Vansda NP
Blackbuck NP – Velavadar

Small and isolated pocket of grassland
36 sq km – Blackbuck National Park.
Erstwhile Hunting grounds of Bhavnagar kings
The lesser florican
Hyenas
Wolves
Blackbucks
Changing farming pattern – Millets to Cotton – NOT SUITABLE FOR BIRDS
Anthropogenic pressures from agricultural activities in surrounding villages and flooding due to the proliferation of salt pans nearby pose a great threat to the grasslands
Kachchh desert WLS
Wild Ass WLS -LRK
Dang – Vansda NP
Blackbuck NP – Velavadar

Marine National Park is home to the whale shark, dugong, green sea turtle, olive ridley turtle and leatherback sea turtle.
The status of corals and numerous other sea creatures remains deplorable due to the development of industries, oil pipelines, and seaports, further depleting the mangrove cover and causing coastline erosion.

43 % of Gujarat’s protected reserves are less than 60 sq km
Local extinction of a species cannot be ruled out if proper steps are not taken towards the management of the landscapes where these species thrive.
Moreover, as far as grasslands and salt flats are treated as wastelands, it will inevitably go into the hands of industrialisation and development.

Establish viable wildlife populations elsewhere in the wild, inside the historical range of the species.
This would release pressures from isolated populations
Grasslands and salt marshes as separate wildlife habitat – plantations shouldn’t be allowed there.