Avian Community Dynamics in Tonk District, Rajasthan: Insights from Diversity Indices and Water Quality Parameters

Hari Shankar Sharma; Dr. Garima Sharma

doi:10.69980/redvet.v25i1.2017

Hari Shankar Sharma
Dr. Garima Sharma

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69980/redvet.v25i1.2017

Keywords: Avian Diversity, Aquatic Ecosystems, Water Quality Parameters, Shannon Diversity Index, Simpson Index, Relative Diversity Index, Tonk District, Rajasthan

Abstract

Water ecosystems form a very important habitat to various bird populations as important bio-indicators of the environment in terms of health. The study aims at examining the relationship between physicochemical water parameters and bird diversities in eight discrete water sites in Tonk region of Rajasthan, India. The main aim of study was to determine that there is a significant impact of water quality on avian biodiversity using stringent indicators of diversity and multivariate statistics. The data on avian diversity was structured and grouped into the species. Diversity was measured in the form of Shannon Diversity Index, Simpson Diversity Index, as well as Relative Diversity Index. At the same time, such physicochemical characteristics of water as pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chloride were measured. Multiple regression and correlation analysis were applied to the statistical data to test the predictive and associative relationships among the quality of water and avian diversity and significance was set at p = 0.05. Among all the three indices of diversity, significant relationships with indicators of water quality were observed. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed strong predictive relationship with the R squared value (Shannon = 0.837, Simpson = 0.792, Relative = 0.685) and found statistically significant p-values (< 0.05). There existed an explicit positive relationship between bird diversity on the pH and dissolved oxygen and there was an inverse relationship on the salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chloride. In the sampled sites, the locations of the highest diversity of avian species were Deoli (Bisalpur) (Shannon Index: 3.42, 60 species), and the lowest avian diversity could be found in Dooni (Moti Sagar) (Simpson Index: 0.83, 16 species). Values of the Relative Diversity Index (0.84 and 0.93) indicated similar patterns in distribution of species across sites even though the species richness varied. Such results highlight the fact that water quality parameters like pH, dissolved oxygen as well as concentration of pollutants like TDS and BOD affect the avian diversity in Tonk region in a significant manner and hence water quality-based management is a crucial component of bird conservation.

Author Biographies

Hari Shankar Sharma

Research Scholar, Department of Zoology, Apex University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India,

Dr. Garima Sharma

Associate Professor, Department of Zoology, Apex University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India,

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