Summary
This map shows location and associated vegetation data in BRT wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka. Plot locations were taken by GIS-GPS methods and compiled from various sources.
Description
Plot locations were obtained from Murali et al (1999) based on GIS methods, and R. Ganesan (unpublished) using GPS data. Currently, this has over 140 plots data, along with place names, local and scientific names, date and species details. Photo : BRT_deciduous.JPG Caption : Dry deciduous forest in BRT wildlife Sanctuary Credit : R. Ganesan, ATREE
Method
The GIS data was created by combining point locations from both the sources. The vegetation sampling data is attached to the respective plot and each plant species has been assigned a unique ID, which is linked to the vegetation resource table. The vegetation resource table has the information from various sources including GBIF library, IUCN data, etc. along with protection status and details about plant species, as given in these data libraries.
Layer specific info
BRT Wildlife Sanctuary is a mosaic of dry deciduous, moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, evergreen and scrub forests. Around 134 vegetation sample plots were taken using GIS data (Murali et al. 1999), which was combined with latest plot data from Ganesan, (unpublished). These plots were taken from across all possible places in and around BRT and provides details on forest type, nearest village, DBH, height and location of each individual on XY axis.
References
Murali, K. S., Setty, R. S., Ganeshaiah, K. N., & Shaanker, R. U. 1998. Does Forest Type Classification Reflect Forest Vegetation Dynamics? An Analysis using GIS Techniques. Current Science, 75, 220-227
In the Biligiri Rangaswamy
In the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Wildlife Sanctuary , Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environemnt (ATREE) is working along side Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK), and the Karnataka Forest Department to help Soligas conserve their natural resources through forest-based enterprises, capacity building, and institutional reform with a primary focus on regeneration of non-timber forest products. 70-642 BRT Wildlife Sanctuary, is located in southern Karnataka, at the eastern-most edge of the Western Ghats. It encompasses a variety of climates and topographies, and, as a result, has a range of vegetation types within its relatively small 540-sq km area. The dry scrub forests at lower altitudes give way to woodland savanna and deciduous forests at mid-elevation. At higher altitudes, where it is wetter, one finds evergreen forests, shola forests and grasslands. The forests of BRT are home to a number of animals and more than 245 species of birds including 12 endemic and several endangered species. 1000 species of higher plants. 36 mammals excluding bats and rodents. 145 species of butterflies. An indigenous community, the Soligas, has traditionally inhabited the area. The BR Hills was declared a wildlife sanctuary in the 1972, at which time logging by the forest department, hunting and shifting cultivation by the Soligas were discontinued. The Soligas were given land to cultivate, 70-649 and settled in hamlets, called "podus," within the forest. ATREE's current and past efforts relating to conservation and livelihoods involve
1. Monitoring Non-Timber Forest Products
2. Assisting better agricultural practice
3. Collection and preservation of indigenous seeds
4. Restoring Biodiversity - 220-601 In degraded lands, farms and forests
5. Environment education
6. Antiplastics campaign