: The Forest Department has commenced the Post-Monsoon Habitat Monitoring in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve.
The random sampling exercise in STR, spread over more than 1,500 sq.km in Sathyamangalam and Hasanur divisions, is meant to determine the habitat quality: encounter rate of herbivores, canopy cover, prey base, and diversity of species in the forest area.
“It is an exercise undertaken before and after the rainy season,” said K. Rajkumar, District Forest Officer of Sathyamangalam Division.
The Forest area has been demarcated into 48 blocks, and two to three frontline staff: guards, watchers and anti-poaching watchers have been deployed in each block. The overall supervision is carried out by Rangers.
The exercise is expected to resume after the Pongal break, and completion of festivities of a few temples located inside forest area. “The activity is spread over eight days,” Mr. Rajkumar said, adding that the next round of Habitat Monitoring will be in August.
There is a scattered distribution of animals at present in the forest area. An estimate of the number of wild animals in the forest area could be determined only in the long run, after three to four years of repeated monitoring, officials say. Animals are prone to moving towards bigger water bodies such as rivers and dams when the water holes dry up. There is no problem till February. The movement of animals in search of water is likely from March onwards coinciding with onset of summer, they point out. The Forest Department has been tasked with raising green fodder bank inside the forest, creation of water holes, construction of check dams and percolation ponds, and providing salt licks to meet mineral requirements of elephants and confine their movement within the forest area.
There is a scattered distribution of animals at present in the forest area, say officials
