BFWD Monthly Magazine - April 2015

1

E N D E A V O R T O P R O T E C T F O R E S T S A N D W I L D L I F E

April 2015

Volume—3

3

April 2015

Assalam o Alekum,

The activities of the Spring Tree Planting Campaign

(STPC) were in full swing all over the province. The offic-

ers were busy in STPC activities—from mangroves to dry

temperate forests of the province, planting in numerous

institutes, and guiding the local communities of the plant-

ing and its role which encompasses not only a single man

but the whole global community.

This being the third edition of the BFWD Monthly Magazine has earned very ap-

preciation from every corner. We are glad that now the officers / officials of the

department have started taken interest and are highlighting their particular ar-

ea matters. We look forward for their continuous support and dedication in this

compass.

Finally this forum is open to everyone. You can share your knowledge and ex-

periences on flora and fauna of the province. We have kept a portion to discuss

the issues of global world concerned with environment and related issues. The

fellows of the department are requested, in particular, to take part as much as

they can so that this forum becomes the voice of the whole province.

Best Regards

Naeem Javid Muhammad Hassani

Chief Editor

4

B F W D M O N T H L Y M A G A Z I N E April 2015

Welcome Note 03

Your Views 05

Ten Green Ahadith 06

Killa Saifullah—Part I 08

Introduction to Morus alba 13

Rosewater an Excellent Thing for Eyes 15

Cannis lupus 16

How to do a Wildlife Survey 21

A non edible Bio-Fuel in peril 25

Your Photos 29

April 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

5

Dear Naeem! Perhaps your

this business and endeav-

ours needs overwhelming

words of appreciation

which we people of down

trodden and low IQ level

society, unfortunately, lack-

ing. But you and your budi-

ness/work deserve our

courage, contribution and

help to fulfil your ambition

and we, Foresters, will be

your faithful fellows and

colleagues in your endeav-

ours and efforts.

Nasrullah Khan Mandokhel

Aoa Naeem bhai

Just gave it a general read

and i am very much delight-

ed to find such a finely pre-

sented multidimensional

magazine that we could

only expect a hardworking

and intelligent Officer like

you. As we have been

stressing upon the lack of

highlighting the progress

and achievements of the

Forest Departments

throughout the country and

main challenges in protection

and management of Forest

resource.

My humble suggestion will be

to highlight the achievements

of Balochistan Forest Depart-

ment and aware the general

public about selfless efforts of

the Officers/Officials of the

department with severely

short running staff and re-

sources. It might enhance

pressure on the high ups

to keep Forestry on its top

priority and acknowledge

the efforts and achieve-

ments of this great depart-

ment.

Regards

Sulaiman Khan

The BFWD Monthly

Magazine Team is

really thankful to all

who provided their

valuable suggestions

and let us know our

shortcomings and

ideas for the better-

ment and improve-

ment of the magazine.

We’ll always look for-

ward for suggestions

and feedback.

Best regards!

BFWD Monthly Magazine

6

1) A believer is like a growing tree

"The example of a believer is that of a

fresh tender plant; from whatever

direction the wind comes, it bends it,

but when the wind

quietens down, the

plant becomes

straight again..."

narrated by Abu

Hurayra, Bukhari

2) Plant a tree even

if it's your last deed

“If the Hour (the day

of Resurrection) is

about to be estab-

lished and one of

you was holding a

palm shoot, let him

take advantage of

even one second

before the Hour is

established to plant

it." - Al-Albani.

3) Planting trees is a renewable

source of reward

"If a Muslim plants a tree or sows

seeds, and then a bird, or a person or

an animal eats from it, it is regarded

as a charitable gift (sadaqah) for

him." - Imam Bukhari.

4) Conserve resources even when

used for routine rituals

Prophet Muhammad, peace and bless-

ings be upon him, happened to pass

by a Companion, Sa’d, as he was per-

forming ablution (wudhu) next to a

river. At this, the Prophet said, "Sa’d

what is this squandering?"

Sa’d replied: "Can there be an idea of

squandering (israf) in ablution?"

The Prophet said: "Yes, even if you are

by the side of a flowing river.” - Ibn

Majah.

5) Keeping the environment sanitary

maintains the community

"Beware of the three acts that cause

you to be cursed: [1] relieving your-

selves in shaded places (that people

utilise), in a walkway or in a water-

ing place." - Nar-

rated by Mu`adh,

hasan, by Al-

Albani

Hygiene and

cleanliness

(tahara) is so

integral to Islam

that it is actually

a major sub-

branch of Muslim

belief. Without

physical hy-

giene, prayers

are broken.

Without clean

facilities pollu-

tion ruins cities,

and without any

effort to improve

one's own purity, it becomes more

difficult to prevent external corrup-

tions like littering.

6) Thus, Prophet Muhammad said

about street clean-ups,

"Removing harmful things from the

road is an act of charity (sadaqah)."

Narrated by Abu Dharr Al-Ghafari.

Ten beautiful quotes from Prophet Muhammad ) ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص Peace and Blessings be Upon

Him(, on Evergreen Faith and Ecological Protection.

B F W D M O N T H L Y M A G A Z I N E

April 2015

7

Phone: 0838-710381

Email: [email protected]

Endeavor to protect Forests and Wildlife


`A'ishah (ra), said that he

used to repair his own shoes,

sew his clothes and carry out

all such household chores

done without complaint or

want for more.

(Authenticated by Al-Albani).

10) Animals should be cared

for:

"A man felt very thirsty while

he was on the way, there he

came across a well. He went

down the well, quenched his

thirst and came out. Mean-

while he saw a dog panting

and licking mud because of

excessive thirst. He said to

himself, "This dog is suffer-

ing from thirst as I did." So,

he went down the well again,

filled his shoe with water,

held it with his mouth and

watered the dog. Allah ap-

preciated him for that deed

and forgave him." The Com-

7) Say no to over-

consumption (or at least re-

duce it)

Abdullah ibn `Abbas report-

ed that the Prophet said, "The

believer is not he who eats

his fill while his neighbor is

hungry." Authenticated by Al

-Albani

“Nothing is worse than a per-

son who fills his stomach. It

should be enough for the son

of Adam to have a few bites

to satisfy his hunger. If he

wishes more, it should be:

One-third for his food, one-

third for his liquids, and one-

third for his breath.” Tir-

midhi and Ibn Majah.

9) Consider recycling and

fixing before buying new

items

When asked about how the

Prophet used to live in his

house, the Prophet's wife,

panions said, "O Allah's Mes-

senger! Is there a reward for

us in serving the animals?"

He replied: "There is a re-

ward for serving any living

being."

- Imam Bukhari.

The Prophet provided for

animals, as did Abu Huraira

who narrated this hadith.

Abu Hurayra's name trans-

lates as the 'father of kittens',

named so because he was

known to carry kittens in the

draped sleeves of his robe.

Animals have a huge role in

the ecological welfare sys-

tem. The tenets of the Shariah

law towards animals rights

make it obligatory for any

individual to take care of

crippled animals, to rescue

strays and to guard a bird's

nest of eggs.

8

hough there is no State Protected Area

in the district, but there is one interna-

tionally acclaimed community based

protected area initiative namely

“Torghar Conservancy” with an ap-

proximate area of

about 180,000 ha.

The Torghar area is

an excellent exam-

ple of stewardship

of natural resources

by the local com-

munities. The ex-

ample set by the

Torghar Conserv-

ancy is now a role

model for replica-

tion in Pakistan and

elsewhere in the

world.

Sector Summary

T he district is fair in forest

cover but a negligible

area has been conserved

as State Forest or Wildlife

Protected Area and the rest is un-

classified waste-

land (mostly

community

owned). Overall

naturally occur-

ring vegetation,

including

shrubs, bushes

and grasses can

aptly be termed

as rangelands.

These range-

lands are sub-

stantially con-

tributing to the

local economy

of the district as

forage source of

their livestock.

Key Findings

Notified natural forests are four (4),

which include; Tarawal, Khatuka,

Kand, and Nasai, measuring as

20,288 ha in total. Moreover, alt-

Introduction

Forests play an important role in the

maintenance of environmental balance.

It is a well established fact that life on

earth is the function of a number of di-

rect, indirect, tangible and intangible

naturally active forestry factors; these

may include emission of life-sustaining

Oxygen and absorption of poisonous

Carbon-Di-Oxide. Forests are the main

source of food, timber, firewood, shelter

and a variety of medicinal herbs and

also serve as baseline for food-web,

thereby sustain life on earth. We need to

know forests are instrumental in the re-

habilitation and development of

rangelands, water manage-

ment, wildlife management and

soil conservation. In view of

their multitasking function, we

should protect and rehabilitate

forests for our own existence.

The representative forest type

in the area is Balochistan Dry

Temperate Scrub (Steppe). His-

torically it was dry temperate

climax formation of juniper and

wild pistachio. As a remnant,

few isolated patches of wild

pistachio are still surviving; it is made

possible only through communal distri-

bution of rights over land and allied

resources. Overall the climax for-

mation reduced to scrub condition due

to grazing and fuel wood pressure.

Presently, it is has turned to an open

cover dominated by a fair amount of

grasses and herbs. Major tree species

are Shina (Pistacia khinjjak), Wild Ash

(Fraxinus xanthoxyloides) and Obusht

(Juniperus excelsa polycarpos). In the

valleys Ghaz (Tamarix spp) is found in

streambeds.

M U H A M M A D A N W A R K A K A R R A N G E F O R E S T O F F I C E R

April 2015

By

Killah Saifullah—Forestry Info

9

The major tree species

found in the district are

Obusht (Juniperus excelsa

polycarpos), Wild Ash

(Fraxinus xanthoxyloides)

and Shina (Pistacia khin-

jjak), which occupy favora-

ble sites. The main shrubs

are Janglee Badaam/Wild

Almond (Prunus eberne),

Sparae (Cotoneaster spp.),

Tharkha (Artemisia mari-

time), Crataegus spp., Kala

Zira (Carum bulbocastanum),

Oman (Ephedra nebrodensis

and Ephedra intermedia), Ma-

khi (Caragana ambigua),

Khakshir (Sisymbrium sophia),

Zralg (Berberis lyceum), and

Surae (Rosa lacerans) The

ground cover is constituted

mainly of (Stipa himalacia),

(Dichanthium annulatum),

(Chrysopogon aucheri) and

(Cymbopogon spp.)

1. Notified Forests

Major Vegetation

Forestry Landuse

Vegetation zones of the district consist mainly of the following categories:-

“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting

sentence or quote from the story here.”

S.No. Vegetation Zone Brief description

1. Uphill steep rocky

cliffs

Juniperus Excelsa polycarpos is the predominantly climax Species associat-

ed with Pistacia khinjjak, Ephedra nebrodensis, Ephedra intermedia and

Fraxinus xanthoxyloides.

2. Foot hills It comprises mostly of the fertile deep soil plateaus like Toba Kakari and

Kakar Khurasan range. It provides summer grazing land for both the local

and nomadic graziers. It is dominated by a variety of shrubs like Artimesia

meritima (Tharkha), Prunus ebernea (Wild almond), Caragana ambigua

(Makhi), Berberis lyceum (Zralg) and Sophora grifithii (Ghuzaira) associated

with herbs and grasses.

3. Piedmont plains Mostly modified by the local community for agriculture and other land us-

es. It consists of more or less flat to undulating plains. The wasteland con-

tains mostly Artimesia meritima (Tharkha), Haloxylon grifithii with sporadic

mixture of edible seasonal forage plants; thus supporting thousands of ani-

mals, both local and nomadic ones.

4.

Dry stream beds

Commonly found in the entire district where Tamarix Spp. is commonly

seen.

S. No. Name of Forest Area

(Hectares) Status

1. Tarawal 4144 Not yet Hand over to the Department

2. Khatuka 4359 Under BFWD

3. Kand 4792 Not yet Hand over to the Department

4. Nasai 6993 Not yet Hand over to the Department

Total 20,288

Pistacia khinjjak

Pic Courtesy:

Nazeer Ahmed Divisional Forest Officer Kharan

10

2. Commercial Forestry

(Plantations)

Tree species planted for

Amenity and Farm forest-

ry purpose comes under

this category; mostly

planted along water

channels, water storage

ponds, around Farmlands

and household com-

pounds. The common

species are Sinjit

(Elaeagnus angustifolia),

Sufeda (Poplus spp.),

Toot/Mulberry (Morus

alba), Quetta pine or

Persian pine (Pinus

halepensis), Saru

(Cupressus sempervi-

rens), Salix spp. Under a

provincial Government

development project an

area of about 400 acres

at Haji Nasarudin Agh-

bargai, Killa Saifullah

Tehsil and Killi Dost Mo-

hammad, Muslim bagh

Tehsil has been treated

with water harvesting

techniques whereby

species like Salt bush,

Wild Almond and

Tamarix etc are main-

tained. Moreover a seed

lot for natural plants was

developed over 40 acres

at Khatuka State Forest.

gration to new areas. On

the management side,

no one assumes the re-

sponsibility for under-

taking any activity aimed

either at restoration of

depleted areas or for

improvement to increase

the forage production

and other tangible and

intangible benefits.

Most of the rangelands

in the district belong to

communities living

around them. Due to

communal ownership,

usually these are acces-

sible to all members of

the community and also

to nomads passing

through the area on their

traditional routes of mi-

There is no limit on the

number, type, season

and period/duration of

grazing. This free access

to range resource by

everyone and absence

of responsibility on man-

agement side has led to

what could be termed as

the “Tragedy of Com-

mons”, which has result-

camalorum), Spanda

(Peganum harmala),

Washta (Stipa pennata),

Weezh (Pennisetum ori-

entale), Sargarai

(Cymbopogon ja-

warancusa), Margha

(Pennisetum annulatum)

etc. The productivity is

fair with average pro-

ductive capacity of 160

kg /ha. The rangelands

seem degraded due to

overgrazing and fuel

wood collection, as is

evident from presence of

less palatable and poi-

sonous plants like Ghu-

zera (Sophora grifithii).

The degradation is multi-

plied by the traditional

nomadic migrants.

3. Rangelands

The rangeland type in

the district is classified

as Central Balochistan

Ranges. It has species

like: Gung (Vitex agnus-

castus), Ghureza

(Sophora lopcuroides),

Tharkha (Artemisia mar-

itime), Zawal (Achillea

santolina), Zoz (Alhagi

11



Phone: 0838-710381


ment, whereby grazing on the

rangelands is regulated

through the traditional system

of declaring rangelands open

and close for grazing. Locally,

this system is called as

“Pargore” in Pashto, whereby

rangelands in one growing sea-

son, i.e. spring or monsoon, are

declared close for grazing and

However, this is not a case of

common practice in the entire

district. In areas, where live-

stock rearing is one of the

sources of livelihoods, range-

lands are seen as important

resource and there is also a

system in place for their man-

agement. This system is mostly

limited to the grazing manage-

at the onset of next growing

season it is declared as open for

the herding. However, there is

no limit on the number of graz-

ing animals and period

(duration) of grazing. Similarly,

range readiness and other facil-

ities necessary for grazing are

also not taken into account.

Muhammad Anwar Kakar (Range Forest Officer) Killah Saifullah engaged in

STPC Activities at Killah Saifullah

12

Courtesy

Mansoor Jaffar

Divisional Forest Officer

13

COMMON NAMES: Tut,

Mulberry.

DESCRIPTION: A medium

sized, deciduous tree, 9 to

15 m tall and diameters of

0.6 to 0.8 m. The crown is

spreading and rounded.

The leaves are simple, but

varied in shape, 5 to 15 cm

long and 4 to 12 cm wide.

The

bark is dark grayish brown

with vertical ridges or fis-

sures.

It is monecious. The male

flowers are in 1 to 2 cm

long catkin like

bunches. The female flow-

er., are in solitary, rounded

heads 0.5 to 1 cm

in diameter. The flowers

are greenish appearing

between February and

April. The fruit is a berry

containing 5 to 15 small

seeds, 0.7 to 1 cm

long. The berries are white

to pinkish to purple to red

to black. The

fruiting period is between

March and June.

DISTRIBUTION: The tree is

native to Pakistan, China,

Central Asia and Afghani-

stan. It has been planted in

many parts of the world.

SILVICAL CHARACTERIS-

TICS:

HABITAT AND ECOLOGY:

A moderately intolerant

tree that grows on a variety

of well drained, rich soils. It

requires a precipitation

zone of 750 to 1250 mm/yr

or more, and prefers a semi

-arid, cool to cold subal-

pine temperate, sub-

tropical winter/monsoon,

climate with a temperature

range of -10 to 40 C at ele-

vations up to 3300 m. It will

coppice easily, can be

grown in mixed stands, is

frost hardy, and can toler-

ate hot draughty conditions

if irrigated. It has numerous

insects and pest enemies

including porcupines, de-

foliators, powdery mildew,

root rots, and die back.

REPRODUCTION: It is re-

produced both from seed

and by vegetative means.

Insecticide treated seed

can be stored.

PRODUCTIVITY: It grows

very fast and MAL of 5 to

8.5 ml/ha/yr is not uncom-

mon. diameters of 60 cm

are recorded for 15 year

old trees.

MANAGEMENT IMPLICA-

TIONS: This is a good tree

for reforestation projects

because of its fast growth

and value. Also it is as

wood important silkworm

feed. Silkworm growers

have a tendency to reduce

the quality of the wood, by

over lopping the branches

and foliage, subsequently

reducing tree growth. This

is a good farm forestry

tree. The sport goods in-

dustry's needs for its wood

presents an opportunity for

farmers to have a direct

link with industrial mar-

kets.

April 2015

( M O R A C E A E )

Morus alba Linn.

14


Phone: 0838-710381


Join Us!

WOOD PROPERTIES:

GRAIN: Straight, medium coarse une-

ven texture.

COLOR: Sapwood is yellowish to yel-

lowish white, heartwood is bright yel-

lowish brown changing tn dull brown

with age.

DENSITY: Specific gravity of 0.69 and a

calorific value of 5100 kcal/kg.

STRENGTH: Hard, elastic and resilient.

USES: Silk worm food, fodder, fruit,

carriages, sports equipment, veneer

and plywood, furniture, medicinal

(Bark is a veitmifuge and purgative,

fruit is a laxative), and shelterbelts.

References & Courtesy:

1. Sheikh,.M.I. (1993) Trees of Paki-

stan

2. http://www.wikipedia.com

3. http://www.google.com

15

treat your eyes naturally.

Rosewater also helps the

eyes to relax. For this

purpose dip a piece of

cotton in rosewater and

place it on your eyes for a

few minutes.

Rosewater contains many

nutrients that are good

for the skin and eyes.

Rosewater also cleans

and removes dust from

the eyes when a few

drops of it are put in the

Rosewater is a natural thing

that is extracted from rose

flower and then refined. It has

many uses and is being used

for centuries. It is used in most

of the cosmetic products we

have today. It is very beneficial

for the eyes and is used for

treating damaged eyes. Some

of the benefits of rosewater for

eyes are given below:-

If your eyes have any kind

of routine problem like

irritation, swelling, burn-

ing, etc. use rose water to

treat them.

Put a few drops of rose-

water in your eyes to

eyes.

Putting 2-3 drops of rose-

water in the eyes daily

keeps the eyes clean,

beautiful and in the best

condition. This method is

used commonly to take

care of the eyes.

Rosewater along with cucum-

ber is used to remove dark

circles around the eyes.

April 2015

Rosewater an Excellent Thing for Eyes By

Arz Muhammad Umrani

Assistant Conservator of Wildlife

16

Introduction

Canis lupus belongs to

order Carnivora compris-

es seven families accord-

ing to Corbet and

Hill (1992). Car-

nivora contains

about ninety two

genera (Nowak,

1991). The carnivore

are characterized

by having only four

digits on the hind

foot, large conical

canine teeth and six

small incisors of

roughly equal size

in both jaws. They have a

reduced number of cheek

teeth with the pre – molars

being especially enlarged

and modified for shearing

flesh.

Description A large male weighs

about 24 Kg (52 lb) rec-

orded by burton in 1915.

An especially large male

from Jath state in Rajistan

(India) stood 71 cm (2 ft 4

in) high at the shoulder

and measured 1.5 m (4 ft

10 in) from nose to tail tip

(Chavan, 1931). Females

are considerably smaller

standing 50 cm (20 in) or

less at the shoulder, with

head

and body lenth 100-130

cm and weight 10 to 17

Kg. The subspecies Canis

Lupus chanco may reach

up to 76 cm (30 in) at the

shoulder. The Timber wolf

of Canada is even bigger

than other wolves with

males reaching 97 cm (38

in) at shoulder. There is

very little record of colour

variation in the Balochi-

stan population contrast to

wolves in Canada and

Russia where both white

and black forms fre-

quently occurs.

The majority of speci-

mens known from Balo-

chistan, are the usual

grayish fawn colour. A

white specimen was

secured near Quetta,

the Capital of Balochi-

April 2015


The females have their

mammae situated ven-

trally and males have

a baculum. The gesta-

tion period is usually

short with the weakly

developed newborn

young receiving ex-

tended care from the

mother.

The brain is relatively

well developed in

these animals. These

animals are compara-

tively more intelligent

and resourceful

Foot Image taken by Mehmood Khan SDO (Wildlife) Harnai

By

Mehmood Khan

Sub Divisional Officer, Wildlife

17

The body is covered with long coarse

hair of a grizzled colour with black

hairs being predominant in the back

of the neck and the shoulders. The

belly fur is soft and creamy – buff in

colour. The face is greyer having a

mixture of black and white hairs. the

back of the ears are reddish – buff

and they are pointed and upstanding.

The Iris is pale grayish – yellow and

the naked lips and gums are black.

The Balochistan specimen appears to

be intermediate between Canis lupus

chanco and Canis lupus pallipes.

Distribution and Status The wolf is a great roamer and may

occasionally occur in almost any

type of habitat but generally it

avoids natural forest regions as well

as densely populated or well culti-

vated areas. It is mainly confined to

the remoter tracts of extensive de-

sert or barren hilly regions. It as-

cends into all the mountainous re-

gions of Pakistan, from Balochistan to

Chitral Gilgit and Baltistan in the

north.

The wolf is still wide spread but now

rare through out Balochistan. In Balo-

chistan its range appears to extend

over the province from Mekran coast

up to Zhob.

The wolf is persecuted by man be-

cause of its depredation on domestic

flocks of goat and sheep, and it is

likely to continue declining in Balo-

chistan but still survived in the re-

moter less settled mountainous areas

of Balochistan. The Canis lupus pal-

lipes continue to survive in Sibi, Har-

nai, Ziarat and Mekran

18

vignei.

Studies on wolves at USA and Canada

show that females get sexual maturity

at two years and males at the age of

three years (Crandall 1964). The ges-

tation period is usually sixty two to

sixty three days (Mech 1970). They

give birth to 3 – 5 cubs. In Balochistan

newborns are produced in late winter

and early spring. Five cubs, of wolf,

three males and two females were

captured at Wam Tangi district Har-

nai, Balochistan, at about 2450 m

(8000ft) elevation (T. Robertson, pers

comm).

Both parents share in feeding the

young.

Canis lupus live for ten to fifteen

years (Dover, 1933) and (Walker et

al. 1964).

Biology In the mountainous regions of Balo-

chistan they appear to live and hunt

in pairs or family groups. They are

mainly nocturnal in activity. Young

wolves generally remain with their

parents for first few months.

Wolves feed on domestic goats and

sheep whenever they get the oppor-

tunity, for this reason they have been

hunted and killed ruthlessly in all

northern mountainous regions. They

also feed on wild ungulates and catch

wild hares.

In Balochistan there us a clear evi-

dence that they hunt Capra falconeri,

Capra hircus, Ovis orientalis and Ovis

Foot Image taken by Mehmood Khan SDO (Wildlife) Harnai

19


Phone: 0838-710381



21

A survey is a series of questions asked from a group of people in order to gain infor-

mation. OR Surveys are a ‘snapshot’ of what is happening on a site or in an area at one

point in time. A Wildlife Survey is an assessment of all or part of the range of plants and

animals which occur in a particular area.

Habitats – A ‘habitat sur-

vey’ is done to look for spe-

cific habitats in a given ar-

ea, measure the extent and

nature of habitats in a site,

examine species composi-

tion and diversity within

habitats, assess habitat

structure, assess habitat

condition, observe changes

in habitats over an area,

look for changes in habitats

over time.

Species – A ‘species sur-

vey’ aims to identify every

species in survey area, or

aim to identify every spe-

cies from a single species

group within the survey

area, or focus on a single

species or group of species,

and examine presence /

absence; abundance / pop-

ulation structure; distribu-

tion / location / territories

etc.

What is a Wildlife Survey?

What can you survey for?


April 2015

The goal of any survey is to collect data which can be analyzed, and used to aid decisions.

While a Wildlife Survey is done for many different reasons like before a development or

project, help in writing a management plan, monitor change / population over a period of

time, find the status of flora / fauna, to trigger management or just to see what is there (or

where things are).

Why do a Wildlife Survey?

How to do a Wildlife Survey? By

Naeem Javid Muhammad Hassani

Deputy Conservator of Forests

Photo Courtesy:

Ovais Akbar Divisional Forest Officer

22

tionnaire

7. Pilot test the questionnaire

and other materials

8. Develop a communication

strategy to garner support

for the survey

9. Consider budget, timeline,

and management process

10. What resources are

available?

Following are the aspects

to think about

1. Determine who should

be involved in conducting

the survey - - engage them

2. Define what information

you will collect

2.1. What do you want to

know?

2.2. How will use the infor-

mation?

3. Identify the respondents

3.1. Determine sampling

strategy, if a sample is to

be used

4. Select

how the

survey

will be

distrib-

uted:

tele-

phone,

mail,

hand-out, email, web-

based

5. Think about data analy-

sis – what

will the end

product/

final report

include

(keep ‘the

end in

mind’!)

6. Develop

the ques-

Point out personal connection

to the topic

Tailor, personalize communi-

cations

Make the questionnaire inter-

esting-short and easy to com-

plete AND easy to return

Provide incentives

Generate positive publicity for

your survey.

Appeal to people’s helping

tendencies – ask them to help.

Make the topic salient - seem

important

Ensure that respondents see the

value of participating.

Show positive regard; Say thank you

Indicate that opportunities to respond are

limited

For mail survey, provide 1st class post-

age/return postage.

Over sample

Use a combination of survey modes –

telephone plus mail

Make (multiple) follow-up contacts – by

mail, email, telephone, in person

The proportion of people who respond / plots sampled:

Example: If you distribute 50 questionnaires and you get 25 questionnaires back,

your response rate is 50%.

Planning a survey

Ways to increase Response Rate

Response Rate (RR)

# that answered = RR

# you contacted

High Response Rate promotes confidence in results.

Lower Response Rate increases the likelihood of biased results.

There is no standard of RR. “The higher, the better.” Anything under 60% is a warning and alarming.

Why is a high return important? Because It’s the only way to know if results are representative.

23

9. Still Camera

10. Thermometers

11. First Aid box

12. Defensive materials

13. Lodging stuff

14. Tents with Sleeping

Bags, nets, etc

15. Torches

16. Other required stuff like Mark-

ers, White sheets, writing stuff, etc

Aerial Survey using RS technology

GIS Technology (esp LIDAR Technolo-

2. What information do you

need to achieve it?

(Identification of all

habitats on site? an as-

sessment of habitat

quality? a record of

habitat change? species

presence/absence?

Population size? Assess-

ment of population

change?)

3. How are you going to get

this data? Surveys, monitor-

ing or recording?

A. Direct Sighting Method

- Seeing directly

- Using binocular / spotting

scope, etc

- Take snaps or record vid-

eo directly

The 3 crucial questions

1. What do you want to

achieve?

(e.g. change in site,

evaluate management,

examine species distri-

bution, or just find out

what's there?) Simply

Habitats or species?

Which ones?

Instruments / Materials used in Surveying

New Mechanism

Choosing your survey methodology

1. GPS

2. Spotting Scope

3. Binoculars

4. pH testing kit

5. Salt meter

6. Compass

7. Camera and accesso-

ries

8. Video Recording Sys-

tems

B. Indirect Sighting Method

Foot pints, pug marks, etc

Droppings

Satellite image of Aghor Information Center Hingol National

Park via Google Earth Aerial photograph—The snap easily helps in W/L survey

Spotting Scope

24

For Ungulates / Large Wildlife

Survey

Both direct and indirect meth-

ods are used.

Data can be collected from foot

marks, droppings, watering

spots, latrine places, resting

areas, etc.

In a better survey, repetitions

are avoided. It needs careful

identification and expertise in

animal behavior.

Yet again specified time is im-

portant ie Survey are preferred

in ‘mating / rut season’ and

‘breeding seasons’.

Still Cameras are of enormous

important in knowing the spe-

cies, number, etc.

For Birds Survey

Timing / Route / Flyway /

Specified period is important

Direct methods are used in this

case (no indirect method)

For migratory birds specified

places (ie wetlands or water

ponds) and specified period is

important.

Use of Bird Watching Towers

and other such places / struc-

tures results beneficial.

Still Cameras are of enormous

important in knowing the spe-

cies, number, etc.

For Reptile Survey

Both direct and indirect methods are

used.

Here foot marks / tracks and nesting

places are important.

Expertise is needed in identifying rep-

tiles via its track or skin replacements

spots.

Nesting places are also important in

knowing the population and extent of

reptiles.

Proper timing is important for direct

sighting eg marsh crocodile.

In recent times, trackers / transmitters

are used to track down the movements

Still Cameras are of enormous important

in knowing the species, number, etc.

Phone: 0838-710381



Important to Note


HOW TO DO A W/L

SURVEY?

In Part—II of Wildlife Survey

We will discuss basis statis-

tics used to carry out during

enumeration of the Survey

ie compilation of data, cal-

culations carried out, ana-

lyzing the data and finally

25

sources rather than food

material, so forget corn,

soy, sugar cane, palm

and even jatropha; Halo-

phytes can be produc-

tive sources of biomass

energy; for example,

Salicornia seed is 32%

oil by mass. Halophytes

flourish in arid land and

can be irrigated with

seawater, making them

suitable for bio fuel de-

velopment. Dominating

many coastlines in tropi-

cal and subtropical are-

as, mangroves are a

bridge between terres-

trial and marine envi-

ronments. They are also

extremely productive

ecosystems.

The most extensive area

of mangroves is found in

Asia, followed by Africa

The escalating and ine-

lastic demand for ener-

gy to fuel economic ac-

tivities exerts pressures

on its limited supply.

The skyrocketing prices

of petroleum products

results in the depletion

of non renewable ener-

gy sources and the con-

tinued investigation and

use of renewable and

Innovation results. As

authenticated research

already have proved

that the country’s ener-

gy demand is expected

to increase three fold by

2050, but supply posi-

tion is not inspiring in

anyway.

The concept of Using

human food as ethanol is

on full bloom now a

days but environmental-

ists have warned that

the bio fuel craze can do

as much or more dam-

age to the environment

as dirty fossil fuels,

much of the Amazon

Rainforest is being de-

stroyed every year to

produce bio-fuel crops.

So now we see the con-

sequences in Africa. A

market has been creat-

ed by British and EU

laws requiring the

blending of rising

amounts of bio fuels into

petrol and diesel. So we

must

Mangrove forests ap-

pear as light beam in

such darkening situation

because they have hid-

den blessing for pro-

duction of bio fuel. We

must search other

Salicornia is a juicy plant

used as bio fuel has a

higher recovery and

quality of oil than other

crops, the plant has no

direct competition with

food crops. There are

experimental fields of

Salicornia in Ras al-Zawr

(Saudi Arabia), Eritrea

(Northeast Africa) and

Sonora (Northwest Mexi-

co) aimed at the produc-

tion of biodiesel. The

company responsible for

the Sonora trials (Global

Seawater) claims that

between 225 and 250

gallons of BQ-9000 bio-

diesel can be produced

per hectare

(approximately 2.5

acres) of salicornia and is

promoting a $35 million

scheme to create a

12,000-acre (49 km2)

salicornia farm in Bahia

de Kino.

Robert Glenn, a plant

biologist at University of

Arizona, deserves credit

for demonstrating the

use of Salicornia as bio

fuels. Later, Jelte Rozema

and Timothy Flowers,

scientists at NASA, said

that Glenn’s work is of

high significance. Glenn

has claimed that Salicor-

nia could be grown on

480,000 square miles of

unused land across the

globe. Saudi Arabia, Eri-

trea and Mexico are al-

ready running trials to

examine Salicornia’s

potential as bio fuels.

Scientists at NASA Glenn

Research Center in

Cleveland have been

trying to fill the skies

Badar-Un-Nissa Khan

Badar-un-Nissa Khan

has already contributed

in previous editions of

this magazine. The

BFWD Team is thank to

her for her continuous

support and contribu-

tions.


April 2015

A non edible bio fuel in peril

26

Salicornia is also eco-

friendly plantation as it

absorbs carbon dioxide.

It is for these qualities

that salicornia is often

referred to as ‘miracle

plant’. It is indeed pro-

ducing miracles in some

parts of the world and

being rapidly adopted

by countries with vast

coastlines and saline

water.

Mangrove forests are

one of the world’s most

threatened tropical eco-

systems. Mangrove for-

ests require stable sea

levels for long-term sur-

vival. They are therefore

extremely sensitive to

current rising sea levels

caused by global warm-

ing and climate change.

More than 35% of the

world’s mangroves are

already gone. The fig-

ure is as high as 50% in

countries such as India,

the Philippines, and

Vietnam, while in the

Americas they are being

cleared at a rate faster

than tropical rainforests.

Freshwater diversions

can also lead to man-

groves drying out, if

salinity becomes too

high, the mangroves

cannot survive. Oil pol-

lution can smother man-

grove roots and suffo-

cate the trees. These

communities also collect

medicinal plants from

mangrove ecosystems

ture.

Productive steps must

be taken in increase the

population and protec-

tive function of man-

groves but also provide

sustainable and value-

added livelihoods to the

poor coastal population.

many efforts are done to

establish mangrove

plantations along the

entire coast for rehabili-

tation purposes, 19 000

ha of Avicennia marina

and Rhizophora mucro-

nata have been re-

habilated in Sindh and

Balochistan in the 1990

within a collaboration

between the Sindh Gov-

ernment and IUCN and

around 17000 ha have

been restored in the

Indus delta with support

of the World Bank in

1999. Senior Advisor on

coastal ecosystems with

the International Union

for the Conservation of

Nature (IUCN), Tahir

Qureshi, has extended a

lot of help in rehabilitat-

ing 30,000 hectares of

mangroves along the

southern coast on the

Arabian Sea, including

in Baluchistan. Some

mangrove areas have

been converted to culti-

vated land prior to 1995.

We must continue to

evolve bio fuels to in-

corporate feed stocks

that are not only sustain-

able, but actually regen-

erative and can restore

the ecosystems where

they are found. Man-

grove is a source of tim-

ber, fuel, railroad ties

and tannin in the trop-

ics. Having a short crop

rotation period makes

red mangroves a popu-

lar choice for posts and

poles in managed for-

ests in Malaysia. In Asia,

commercial mangrove

production is necessary

for the construction of

boats, houses and furni-

27

Phone: 0838-710381


In other developing countries mangroves are being exploited and shipped for pulp and parti-

cleboard. The renewed mangroves would serve as a carbon sink and source of bio ethanol

fuel to reduce carbon dioxide emission and generate good income to alleviate poverty and

mitigate climate change. More than 500,000 individuals would benefit, including many in

the transport sector. They would not only help revolutionize poverty but also serve as raw

material for some industries and exports.

Although aquatic plants may have less commercial potential than do terrestrial plants, future

advances in technology may open promising doors for the economic use of harvested aquatic

weeds in Pakistan and elsewhere.



29

Fareed Ahmed Divisional Forest Officer Mastung with District Ad-

ministration—STPC at Mastung

Courtesy: Waheed Baloch Facebook Account

ST

PC

Ac

tivitie

s

30

Sibi Mela—Glimpses

Jaffar Baloch (Divisional Forest Officer Sibi) with Commissioner

Sibi Sir Ghulam Ali Baloch during their visit of Forest Stall

Jaffar Baloch Divisional Forest Officer Sibi visiting the stall. The team of Soil

Conservation Mastung is present at the occasion and giving brief of activities

31

Miskeen Shah (second right) (Deputy Conservator of Forests Quetta) with the team of Soil Conserva-

tion Mastung on 23rd March 2015 at Askari Part Quetta.

From right: Zulfiqar (Field Assistant), Muhammad Rahim Naz (Inspector—Sericulture) and Abdul Qadir

(Field Watcher). Below is the model prepared by them.

32

STPC Activities at Dera Murad Jamali inauguration by Deputy Commissioner Mr. Khuda-e-dad Khan.

Planting by Respected Session Judge Mr. Saadatullah Khan Bazai and School Children at Naseerabad

BFWD Monthly Magazine - April 2015

Documents

Transcript of BFWD Monthly Magazine - April 2015