Faunal diversity during rainy season in reclaimed sodic land of Uttar Pradesh, India.

ABSTRACT

Faunal diversity is an indicator of soil amelioration. Estimating the population size or density of an animal species in an area is fundamental to understand its status and demography, and to plan for its management and conservation. Considering this, faunal diversity in reclamed sodic land was monitored during rainy season 2000-01 at different locations of district viz., Aligarh, Etah, Fatehpur, Mainpuri and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. The Shannon-Weiner species diversity index (H) of different fauna complex of each location was compared with zero years (1995-1996) indexes (before reclamation). Insects diversity index, in reclaimed sodic soil, varied from 3.8178(Fatehpur Bariyampur) to 4.623 (Fatehpur Katoghan), which was 3.028 in zero year at Katoghan in Fatehpur. ‘H’ index of other-arthropods ranged widely from 0.9743 (Etah Bawali) to 2.0674 (Mainpuri Pundari). The species diversity index of molluscs registered as high as 1.8637 at Ladhauwa site in Aligarh, which exhibited identical with Saripur site of Raebareli. ‘H’index of mammal resulted with the highest (2.19) at Pundari in district Mainpuri.The avifauna and amphibian’s indices were recovered maximal at Saripur site of Raebareli and Bariyampur site of Fatehpur, respectively. Our result revealed that various fauna enriched with soil reclamation, which is good indicator of restoration of land, primarily due to soil- arthropods and earthworms and its eventual improvement along with succeeding rice-wheat cropping system widespread over there. It clearly shows that soil fauna strongly affects the composition of natural vegetation and we suggest that this knowledge might improve the restoration and conservation of biodiversity.