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TITLE
CERTIFICATE
DECLARATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Kuttanad region
Fig. 1 Map of Kuttanad area
1.2 Need for the conservation of wetlands
1.3 Agricultural ornithology
1.4 Major objectives
1.4.1 Water quality and plankton
1.4.2 Soil characteristics
1.4.3 Vegetation
1.4.4 Arthropod pests and predators
1.4.5 Fish fauna
1.4.6 Amphibians, Reptiles, Mammals
1.4.7 Avifauna
2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Wetland ecosystem and biodiversity
2.2 Water quality and plankton
2.3 Soil characteristics
2.4 Macrophytes / weeds
2.5 Arthropod pests and predators
2.6 Fish fauna
2.7 Amphibians and Mammals
2.8 Birds in rice field / marsh field
2.8.1 Water characteristics, prey availability and bird population characteristics
Water level
Hydrogen ion concentration
Nutrients
2.8.2 Birds as pests - Granivores
2.8.3 Methods of protecting rice fields from grain eating birds
2.8.4 Beneficial role of birds in rice fields
2.8.5 Conservation of birds in rice fields
2.8.6 Wetland and migratory birds
2.8.7 Foraging sociality
2.8.8 Avifaunal succession in paddy field
2.8.9 Wetland alteration and bird composition
3 MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1 Study areas
3.2 Social and economic importance of the study area
PLATE I 1. Rice fields at Pallom (site 1) 2. Marsh field at Pallom (site 2)
PLATE II Rice fields at Nattakom (Site 3)
3.3 Climate
3.4 Method of cultivation
3.4.1 Cropping seasons
3.4.2 Variety
3.5 Water analysis
3.6 Soil analysis
3.7 Analysis of biotic components
3.7.1 Plankton
3.7.2 Vegetation
3.7.3 Arthropods
3.7.4 Fish fauna
3.7.5 Amphibians
PLATE III
1. Pumping station on the bund of the field (site 1)
2. Whiskered terns on the power lines and cattle egrets feeding from the ground during field preparatory stagc in site 1.
3.7.6 Reptiles
3.7.7 Mammals
3.7.8 Bird censusing
3.8 Data analysis
3.9 Study period
4 OBSERVATION, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Physicochemical properties of the water in paddy fields
4.2 Planktonic composition
4.2. 1 Phytoplankton
4.2.2 Zooplankton
4.3 Soil characteristics
4.4 Plant community of the study area
PLATE - IV
1. Excessive growth of Salvinia molesta site 1 during the inundated fallow condilion
2. Excessive growth of Pistiastraltotes in site 3 during the inundated fallow condition
3. Excessive growth of Nymphaea sp. in site 1 during the inundated fallow condition
4.5 Arthropod pests and predators
4.6 Fish fauna
4.7 Amphibians
4.8 Reptiles
4.9 Mammals
PLATE - V
1. Plastic ribbons and reflective tapes used for frightening birds in site 6
2. Plaslic bags set at ground level to frighten rats in site 3
3. Nylon mist nets spread to trap Munia in site
4.10 Birds in. rice fields / marsh field
4.10.1 Bird species composition
4.10.2 General distribution and abundance of birds in
Various study sites
HERONS
1. Pond heron
2. Purple heron
3. Grey heron
4. Night heron
EGRETS
1. Little egret
2. Large egret
3. Cattle egret
4. Median egret
BIRDS OF PREY
1. Pariah kite
RAILS
1. White breasted water hen
2. Purple moorhen
JACANA
1. Bronze winged jacana
2. Pheasant tailed jacana
PLOVERS
1. Red wattled lapwing
SAND PlPERS
1. Common sandpiper
2. Spotted sandpiper
SNIPE
1. Common snipe
STILT
1. Black winged stilt
BITTERNS
1. Chestnut bittern
2. Black bittern
IBISES
1. Black ibis
TEALS
1. Cotton teal
2. Pintail
3. Lesser whistling teal
4. Gargancy
COOTS
GREBES
1. Little grebe
CORMORANTS
1. Little cormorant
2. Large cormorant
SHAG
1. The Indian shag
PIPITS
1. Paddy field pipit
TERNS
1. Whiskered tern
CUCKOOS
1. Crow pheasant
ROLLERS
1. Indian roller
KING FISHERS
1. Pied kingfisher
2. Stork billed kingfisher
3. Small blue kingfisher
4. White breasted kingfisher
BEE EATERS
1. Green bee eater
PARAKEETS
1. Rose ringed parakeet
PIGEONS
1. Blue rock pigeon
FINCHES
1. White backed munia
2. Black headed munla
3. Red munia
4. Baya weaver
SWALLOWS
1. Common swallow
2. Wire tailed swallow
WAGTAILS
1. Pied wagtail
2. Forest wagtail
3. Grey wagtail
4. Yellow headed wagtail
CROWS
1. House crow
2. Jungle crow
MYNAS
1. Common myna
2. Jungle myna
DRONGOS
1. Black drongo
WARBLERS
1. Reed warbler
2. Paddy field warbler
TITS
1. Grey tit
4.10.3 Seasonality of migratory birds
1. Visitors during the initial preparatory stages of cultivation
2. Visitors from seedling to maturing stage
3. Visitors during harvest
4. Visitors soon after hawest
5. Visitors during inundated fallow condition
4.10.4 Inundated fallow field and bird population
4.10.5 Bird species composition during cultivation and avifaunal succession
4.10.5.1 Birds during dewatering / weeding
4.10.5.2 Ploughing and birds
4.10.5.3 Puddling, levelling, bund preparation, sowing and bird population
4.10.5.4 Birds in the seedling stage
4.10.5.5 Birds in the tillering stage
4.10.5.6 Birds in the booting stage
4.10. 5.7 Birds in the maturing stage
4.10.5.8 Birds in the harvesting stage
PLATE - VI
1. Cattle egrets feeding during harvesting in site 5
2. Ducks introduced soon after the harvest in site 1
3. Ducks introduced after harvesting in site 4
4.10.5.9 Birds in the field after harvest
4.10.6 Habitat utilization and habitat diversity
4.10.7 Bird-habitat relationship in site 2 (marsh field)
PLATE - VII
1. a) Buffaloes grazing in the fully grass covered marsh field b) Nests of Baya weaver birds seen on the reed plant
2. Purple moorhen feeding in groups in lhe marsh field (site 2)
PLATE - VIII
1. Dry cracked field and muddy pools in site 2
2. Beglnning of fish pond constructionin site 2
PLATE - IX
1. Destruction of Reeds and pandanus sp. on the bunds of site 2 during fish pond construction
2. Mud excavation and bund construction for fish culture in site 2
PLATE - X
1. Completed ponds ready for fish culture in site 2
2. Total area of marsh (site 2) transformed into fish ponds
Dry fallow field
Flooded field
Paddy cultivation
Inundated field with low vegetation
Fish pond
Miscellaneous habitats
DISCUSSION
4.10.8 Food availability and feeding techniques
5 GENERAL DISCUSSION
5.1 Abiotic and biotic components influencing bird population
5.2 Food availability and feeding habits
5.3 Foraging sociality and flocking
5.4 Pestiferous status of birds
5.5 Seasonality of birds in the study areas
5.6 Abundance
5.7 Habitat utilization and avifaunal succession
SUMMARY
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
APPENDIX - 1 PLANKTON
APPENDIX -2 MACROPHYTESI WEEDS
APPENDIX - 3 ARTHROPODS
APPENDIX - 4 MOLLUSCS
APPENDIX 5 List of lishes recorded from the paddy fields
APPENDIX - 6 AMPHIBIANS
APPENDIX - 7 REPTILES
APPENDIX - 8 BIRDS
APPENDIX - 9 MAMMALS [Rodents]
APPENDIX - 10 Field conditions recorded in sites 1, 2 and 3 during April 1995 - May 2000
Auuendix - 11 Total number of birds recorded during April 1995 - May 2000 in sites I, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6