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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.

• 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.

Are there any established functional Biodiversity Parks?

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-Phragmites- developed 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 Egret

Night Heron Little Cormorant

Migratory ducks’ wetland

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

Biodiversity Profile over a time period

• 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

Wild Boar

Indian Hare Jungle Cat

Small Indian Civet

Some mammals in Yamuna Biodiversity Park

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

Sterculia dominated community

Acacia woodland

Wrightia-Holarrhena dominated community

Adina-Terminalia tomentosa dominated community

Some of the characteristic Aravalli communities developed

Species Groups Year

2005 2008 2011 2014

Terrestrial Plants 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

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

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

Neelgai Indian Porcupine

Indian Hare Jackal

• 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

World Environment Day Nature camp

Participation of local community in plantation

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