Abstract
Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in India represents ‘Indian wild ass’ (Equus hemionus khur), an endangered desert mammal of the world. The present study has found desert mammals are supporting rapid invasion of Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora). Multi-temporal satellite images of 1977–2011 have been used for spatial quantification of Mesquite. The annual expansion rate of Mesquite cover has been estimated between 1.66 and 6.87 during the studied phases indicates significant threat to indigenous biodiversity.
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Acknowledgements
The work has been carried out under national project on ‘Inventorisation and Monitoring of Biosphere Reserves in India using remote sensing and GIS technology’, supported by Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Authors are thankful to Dr. V.K. Dadhwal, Director, NRSC for encouragement and Chief Wildlife Warden and Field Director, Kachchh Biosphere Reserve, Bhuj and State Forest Department, Gujarat for facilities to carry out the field work.
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Vazeed Pasha, S., Satish, K.V., Sudhakar Reddy, C. et al. Massive Invasion of Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) in Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary, India. Natl. Acad. Sci. Lett. 38, 271–273 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40009-014-0321-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40009-014-0321-9