YAMUNA BIODIVERSITY PARK

Source: Shutterstock

Source: sahapedia.org/yamuna-biodiversity-park-overview.com Source: Getty Images

E.V.S FIELD TRIP REPORT

NAME – YAGAY KHATRI

ID – 2110110605
EMAIL – yk486@snu.edu.in
DATE OF VISIT – 30/10/2021
DATE OF SUBMISSION – 14/11/2021

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 CONTENT

1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT……………….……………………………… 3

2. INTRODUCTION……………………….……………………………… 4
• Biodiversity
o What is biodiversity?
o Types of biodiversity
o Bio-geographic classification of India
o Threats to biodiversity
o Conservation of biodiversity
o Why is biodiversity important?
• Yamuna Biodiversity Park
o History and background
o Map
o Characteristics
o Itinerary

3. OBSERVATIONS……………………………………….………..…… 10
• High Salinity Soil
• Grass Species in Yamuna Biodiversity Park
• Tree Species in Yamuna Biodiversity Park
• Fauna in Yamuna Biodiversity Park
• Butterfly Conservatory
• Wetlands
• Nature Reserve Zone
• Herbal Garden

4. DISCUSSION………………………………………………………..… 18
• Lessons learnt
• Opinions

5. REFERENCES………………………………………………………… 19

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to our professor Dr Prem

Chandra Pandey who gave me this wonderful opportunity to do this project and
for conducting the course and arranging this field trip to the Yamuna Biodiversity
Park. His guidance and attitude towards teaching have made this course very
interesting. Through his stories and experiences, it becomes easier to understand
the concepts covered in class. His lecture notes have helped me immensely in
writing this report.

I would also like to thank Ms Preeti Vohra and Dr Faiyaz (Nature Education
officers, YBD) for giving us such an educational and insightful tour of the park.
Their presentation gave me many insights and helped me learn a lot of new things
and expand my knowledge.

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 INTRODUCTION

Biodiversity

What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth in all its forms and at all its levels of
an organization. The term “Biological Diversity” was coined by Raymond F. Dasmann, a
wildlife scientist and environmentalist.
Biological Diversity was defined by United Nations, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro,
1922 as “the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine
and other aquatic ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are part, this
includes diversity within species, between species and ecosystems.”

Types of biodiversity

Three main key groups of biological diversity are:

• Genetic Diversity - is a level of biodiversity that refers to the total number of genetic
qualities and personalities in the genetic framework of a species. Genetic diversity plays
an enormous role in the survival and adaptability of a species. A species can adapt to
its environment and respond to natural selection because of its genetic diversity.
• Species Diversity - refers to the diversity of species within a region. It includes the full
range of species in a region, from microorganisms to multi-cellular plants and animals.
It explains the variety in the number and richness of the spices within a region. The
species intensity may be defined as the number of species per unit area.
• Ecosystem/Ecological Diversity - refers to the
variability of a place at the level of the ecosystem.
Ecosystem diversity also refers to the variety of
ecosystems present in a biosphere. It relates to the
ecological interactions among organisms and varieties
of habitats. It also deals with the overall impact of
human existence on the environment.
Source: es.govt.nz/environment/biosecurity-and-
biodiversity/biodiversity.com

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There are a few more types of biodiversity:
• Taxonomic Diversity - It refers to the number and the relative abundance of species in
a community. Taxonomic diversity is the most commonly assessed diversity type.
• Functional Diversity - covers the range of functional traits of organisms prevailing in
an ecosystem.
• Morphological Diversity - within homo sapiens and plants and is based on physical
appearance.

Bio-geographic classification of India

Our country can be bio-geographically classified according to biogeographic characteristics

like geography, climate. There are 10 biogeographic regions or zones in India further divided
into 25 biogeographic provinces. These are:
1. Trans Himalaya: Three provinces - Ladakh mountains, Tibetan Plateau, Trans-
Himalaya Sikkim.
2. The Himalaya: Four provinces - North-West Himalaya, West Himalaya, Central
Himalaya and East Himalaya.
3. The Indian Desert: Two provinces - Thar and Kutch.
4. The Semi-Arid: Two provinces - Punjab and Gujarat-Rajasthan.
5. The Western Ghats: Two provinces - Malabar plains and Western Ghats Mountains, are
included in this zone.
6. The Deccan Plateau: Five provinces - Central Highlands, Chhota Nagpur, Eastern
Highlands, Central Plateau and Deccan South.
7. The Coasts: Three provinces - West coast, East coast and Lakshadweep.
8. The Gangetic Plains: This zone has two provinces- Upper Gangetic plains and lower
Gangetic plains.
9. North East India: Two provinces - Brahmaputra valley and North-East hills.
10. Islands: Two provinces - Andaman and Nicobar.

Threats to biodiversity

1. Hunting/Poaching
2. Habitat loss/destruction/change in land use patterns
3. Population growth and urbanization
4. Energy consumption and emissions
5. Species introductions/alien invasive species
6. Pollution
7. Global Climate change
8. Extinction of species

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Conservation of biodiversity

In-Situ Biodiversity conservation

It involves the conservation of species in their natural habitat where a particular species occurs.
The natural surroundings of the entire ecosystem are protected and maintained through
management practices so that all the constituent species are conserved and benefited.
Establishment of small or large protected areas (PA) which are set aside only for wildlife where
human activities such as hunting, firewood collection, timber harvesting are restricted.

Advantages of in-situ conservation are:

• A cost-efficient and convenient way of conserving the biodiversity

• It conserves the species and its habitat
• Useful in conserving large populations of a species

Areas with high biodiversity of plants and animals are identified and marked as restricted
zones. We can achieve this by isolating these areas as sanctuaries, biosphere reserves or parks,
thus limiting anthropogenic activity.

Ex-Situ Biodiversity conservation

Ex-situ conservation involves the maintenance and breeding of endangered plants and animal
species under partially or wholly controlled conditions in zoos, gardens, nurseries and
laboratories.
The practice of ex-situ conservation involves techniques that are essentially meant to maintain,
multiply or help the species survive under natural conditions.
To protect species of plants and animals that are near extinction, In situ conservation is not
advisable as these species have a high risk of extinction. Thus these species are taken away
from their natural habitat and reallocated to a different habitat. Ex-situ conservation of
biodiversity is done through:
1. Gene Banks: A small storage facility where sperm, ova and seeds of different species
are stored to ensure the continuity of species. This technique allows the storage of many
species within a small space.
2. Zoos and Botanical Garden: A controlled environment where plants and animals are
kept under observation to ensure that they are preserved. This can also spread awareness
about different plants and animals by making these areas open for public viewing.
3. Captive breeding of animals and artificial propagation of plants: To ensure the
continuity of species, these plants and animals can be repopulated in captivity and when
their population stabilizes, they can be released in the wild to let them contribute
naturally to the food chain.
Biodiversity Parks: zones created and maintained where different species of plants and animals
are brought together in one environment to create a habitat for the sustainability of biodiversity
in the future.

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Why is biodiversity important?

Every species has a right to exist. Biodiversity has economic, spiritual, scientific, educational,
ecological value. Plants, animals, and microorganisms sustain and recreate the quality of the
water we drink, the air we breathe, and the soil on which we grow food. Human beings and
animals are completely dependent on biodiversity.

A biodiversity park serves three most important functions besides enhancing the quality of the
environment:
1. Ecological stability
2. Economic benefits to living organisms
3. Ethical, Cultural and Educational reasons

Yamuna Biodiversity Park

History and background

Source: delhibiodiversityparks.org/yamuna-biodiversity-park.html

The concept of developing Yamuna biodiversity park was evolved in 2002 when the former
Honourable Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Shri Vijai Kapoor, expressed concern about the
degrading environment quality and disappearing flora and fauna of Delhi because of rapid
urbanization during a communication at the symposium organized at Delhi Secretariat with
Professor C. R. Babu of Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems,
Delhi University.
Setting an example for environmental conservation in the country, Yamuna biodiversity park
has grown from a “barren land” to a rich ecosystem with thousands of plants, animals and
hundreds of bird species, as well as trees as high as 45 feet. The park has grown into a nature
reserve and is home to 1500 species of plants and animals, including antelopes, hog deers and
porcupines, 75 species of butterflies and 200 species of birds. Yamuna Biodiversity Park is
spread over an area of 457 acres in the Jagatpur village, Wazirabad, on the flat alluvial plains
of the Yamuna. It is divided into two phases, with phase one of 157 acres and phase two

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occupying 300 acres – which includes a large wetland that witnesses thousands of migratory
birds every year.

Map

Photo Credit: tripoto.com

Situated at 28°44'03.1"N 77°12'44.9"E on the west-bank

floodplains of the Yamuna River in Delhi, a joint collaborative
programme of CEMDE, Delhi university and Delhi development
authority. Source:
slideshare.net/shashikantnsharma/yamuna-
biodiversity-park-by-sn-sharma.com

Characteristics

Objectives of Yamuna Biodiversity Park:

1. Conservation of endangered species and other plant and animal species that are
threatened.
2. Preservation and protection of the biodiversity that is likely to be converted into urban
infrastructure.
3. Setting up field gene banks for threatened land areas and wild genetic resources.
4. Encouragement of education on environmental awareness and nature conservation.
5. Establishment of native communities of river Yamuna basin, particularly of Delhi
region.
6. Development of a montage of wetlands that sustain and endure the rich aquatic flora
and fauna of Yamuna.
7. Monitoring and examining short and long-term changes in the ecology of the Delhi
region through research.

Nature Interpretation Centre: A beautiful classical building with elegant lighting, attractive
interior designs, panels and infographics depicting various biodiversity levels, visual-aids that
provide an insight into concepts of biodiversity.

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 Source: delhibiodiversityparks.org/yamuna-biodiversity- Source: 119.226.139.196/greens/biodiv/images/view-nic-
park.html big.jpg

Founding Stone of Yamuna

Biodiversity Park

Source: virtual tour presentation

Itinerary

• We had a virtual field trip to Yamuna Biodiversity Park, arranged by our esteemed
faculty.
• The virtual trip started at 10:30 am and ended at 12 pm.
• During the trip, I had time to interact with the Nature Education officers at Yamuna
Biodiversity Park. Dr Faiyaz talked to us about environmental issues and COP26. Ms
Preeti Vohra talked us through the different aspects of the biodiversity park.
• Using pictures, videos, PPT and infographics, they made the virtual trip so intriguing
and exciting.

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 OBSERVATIONS

High Salinity Soil

In 2002, the floodplains of Yamuna had been lying barren because of sodic soil, making it
difficult for plants to grow. The pH level of the soil was not neutral and detrimental to the
growth of plants. Some areas even had a pH of 9.8. The entire floodplain looked barren.
To overcome this challenge, salt loving plants (halophytes) were introduced. These halophytes
are plants that grow in soil or water of high salinity. Specific species of plants and grass were
planted that brought the pH level back to 7.

Barren YBP land, 2002 Sodic Soil

Source: swachhindia.ndtv.com Source: bakhabarkissan.com

Grass Species in Yamuna Biodiversity Park

1. Sporobolus Grass – It is the most dominant grass type in the park. Sporobolus indicus
is also known by the common name of smut grass. The name Sporobolus means “seed-
thrower”. It can be used for grazing and to control soil erosion.

Source: alchetron.com/Sporobolus-heterolepis.com

2. Vetiver Grass – Scientific name: Chrysopogon zizanioides, commonly known as Khus.

Vetiver is native to tropical Asia. This plant helps in preventing soil erosion as its roots
penetrate deep into the soil. Traditional healers in India use khus grass as a remedy for
severe abdominal pain, vomiting and gout. It is rich in anti-oxidants and enhances
immunity. Many small birds like the Indian Silverbill (white-throated munia) feed on
the grains of this grass. (credit: krishijagran.com)

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 Source: ugaoo.com

3. Hafla Grass – Scientific name: Desmostachya Bipinnata, commonly known as Kusha.

It is an old world perennial grass, long known and used in human history. The plant has
great religious and scientific importance. It was mentioned in the Rig Veda for use in
sacred ceremonies and also as a seat for priests and the Gods. Lord Krishna
recommended Kusha grass as part of the ideal seat for meditation.

Source: snapdeal.com

Tree Species in Yamuna Biodiversity Park

1. Khirni Tree – Scientific name: Manilkara Hexadra, is native to south-east Asia. The
Khirni fruit is jam-packed with the goodness of much essential nutrients – vitamins,
minerals, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and anti-oxidants. Small birds and squirrels love
the fruit. The Khirni tree can survive for hundreds of years. This 50-foot tall evergreen
tree has elliptic leaves with bright white flowers.

Source: Vaseemul Rahaman Khirni Fruit

rawangidaallo.wordpress.com Source: nurserylive.com

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2. Tamarind Tree – Commonly known as Imli, is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit.
The Tamarind tree is a long-lived, medium-growth tree, which attains a maximum
crown height of 40 to 60 feet. Tamarind plays an essential role in traditional medication.
Tamarind’s partially dried fruit is used to make medicine. Lumber from the tree is used
to make furniture.

Source: flickr.com Imli/Tamarind Fruit

Source: depositphotos.com

3. Sapota Tree – Commonly known as Chiku, is a long lived evergreen tree bearing edible
fruit which is rich in anti-oxidants, fibres, vitamins A, B and C. In tropical areas, the
tree can grow to a height of 100 feet. The leaves of Sapota tree are 3-4 inches long and
almost 1-2 inches wide.

Source: indiamart.com Chiku Fruit

Source: amazon.in

4. Dellenia Indica Tree – Commonly known as Elephant Apple, is an evergreen or semi-

evergreen, medium sized tree with a spreading canopy. With ornamental foliage
and aromatic blooms, Elephant Apple tree is highly valued for its medicative
properties. The apple-like yellow-green edible fruits of this tree are savored by
elephants, hence the name.

Source: starofmysore.com

Source: snaplant.com

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 5. Bamboo – the miracle plant is an evergreen perennial flowering plant with a high
strength to weight ratio. Apart from being the main food source for Pandas, bamboo
have a lot of useful properties ranging from building structures to paper and preventing
various medical conditions.

Panda eating Bamboo

Source: photos.com Source: news.cgtn.com

Fauna in Yamuna Biodiversity Park

1. Birds
Indian Silverbill also known as white-throated munia is a small passerine bird found
within the Indian landmass and neighbouring areas. It feeds mainly on seeds, but also
takes insects and worms.
Black-crowned night heron is a medium sized bird found throughout a large part of the
planet. It can be found around aquatic habitats and migrates in march to wetlands of
Yamuna Biodiversity Park.
Kingfisher is a small to medium-sized, brilliantly coloured bird. It feeds on a wide
variety of prey like fish, worm, insects, etc.
Indian Pond heron is a small heron. It can be found around aquatic habitats. It feeds on
aquatic insects, fishes, tadpoles, etc.
Anhinga or snake bird is a water bird. It lives in shallow, slow moving, sheltered waters.
It’s rarely found out of freshwaters. The Anhinga’s diet consists mainly of fish, aquatic
insects, water snakes, etc.

Kingfisher Anhinga Indian Silverbill

Source: theguardian.com Source: project-zoo.fandom.com Source: Wikipedia.org

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 Black-crowned night heron Indian Pond Heron
Source: ebird.org Source: ebird.org

2. Amphibians and Reptiles

The enhanced moisture levels coupled with thick leaf litter on the forest rand
availability of water and aquatic habitat greatly contributed in the enrichment of
amphibians and reptiles. There are 11 different species of snakes spotted at Yamuna
Biodiversity Park out of which 3 are venomous. To name a few there is wolf snake,
cobra and rat snake.
Among lizards, Indian monitor lizard, striped grass skink and fan throated lizard are
common.

Wolf snake Rat snake

Source: commons.wikimedia.org Source: indiansnakes.org

3. Mammals
The ecologically diverse niches found within different plant communities augmented
animal communities. Different forest communities of YBP propose multiple habitats
allowing many animal species to come, survive and breed. The most common
mammalian species found are Jackal, Peacock, Wild pig, Nilgai, Deer, Jungle cats,
Indian hare, etc. The park has attracted a high-quality herbivore – Barking deer and a
top carnivore – the Leopard suggesting that ecosystem is functioning properly.
On November 7th 2016, scientists got a call from a villager that he had spotted an
“unusual species”. Several indications and tests later, the scientists declared that, for
the first time, a leopard was spotted and been caught on camera in Delhi region.

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 Barking Deer Peacock
Source: sustain.round.glass Source: animals.howstuffworks.com

4. Insects
Insects are by far the most populous animal on the planet. Insects play a major role in
pollination of flowers, and act as food for many animals hence contributing to energy
flow in the food chain. There are many insects in YBP, some of them are butterflies,
moths, ants, bees, cicadas, wasps, dragonflies, spiders, mantis, etc.

Dragonfly Praying Mantis

Source: Wikipedia.org Source: Wikipedia.org

Butterfly Conservatory

Butterfly Conservatory has become a major ecotourism location for nature lovers. Plantation
of native plants attract thousands of butterflies for pollination and contribute largely in the food
cycle. Four small ponds are present in the conservatory to balance humidity and provide
moisture to the butterflies. Butterfly counting is done during the month of November.
Presently, 36 species of butterflies and caterpillars can be sighted here. Exploring further, you
would find a “butterfly observation shed”, beautifully made of bamboo is a quiet and peaceful
place to sit and observe these lovely insects at work. To name a few butterfly species, there is
yellow pansy, painted lady, blue pansy and common castor.

Source: delhibiodiversityparks.org

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 Yellow Pansy Painted Lady
Source: Wikipedia.org Source: theguardian.com

Blue Pansy Common Castor

Source: butterflycircle.blogspot.com Source: Wikipedia.org

Wetlands

There are two wetlands in Yamuna Biodiversity Park that stimulate natural water bodies. One
wetland is long and narrow while the other one is more open and deep. With these wetlands,
short line vegetation along the coast of these waterbodies, underwater plants and floating plants
can also be found. This creates an ecosystem that adds to the diversity of habitats. Migratory
ducks and birds can be found around the wetlands. These wetlands serves as a home to
hundreds of native and resident bird species. They also play a major role in water purification,
groundwater recharge and other beneficial activities.

Shallow Wetland Deep Wetland

Source: delhibiodiversityparks.org Source: delhibiodiversityparks.org

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Nature Reserve Zone

130 acres of a more reserved area where very less human activity is allowed where animals can
roam, move and breed freely. 20 different biotic communities are developed here that include
native plant species like Albizia (Persian Silk) tree, Mitragyna Parvifolia tree and Arjuna tree.

Herbal Garden

Herbal Garden of Yamuna Biodiversity Park is an enchanting place to visit any time of the
year. 434 species that have been of great importance in human culture throughout the ages have
been planted here. They range from medicinal plants to rare fruits and flowers. To name a few
plants there is Miswak, Isabgol, Aloe, Tulsi, Bacopa, etc.

Herbal Garden Nature Reserve Zone

Source: delhibiodiversityparks.org Source: delhibiodiversityparks.org

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 DISCUSSION

Lessons Learnt

Whenever I go out into the nature, being surrounded by the utter beauty of trees, grasses,
wisdom and warmth of the Sun, I find a gratification within myself. Yamuna Biodiversity Park
taught me respect for nature, importance of biodiversity, wildlife conservation awareness. This
field trip was an experience of a lifetime for me. Yamuna Biodiversity Park is an excellent
example of Ex-Situ conservation. Protecting and preserving biodiversity in their natural
environment under natural conditions is a more effective method and biodiversity parks follow
the same principle.
Not only the nature officers but every human is responsible and must protect biodiversity,
nature and the environment. Recently, India has promised to cut its carbon emissions to zero
by 2070. Becoming carbon neutral means balancing the production and reduction of
greenhouse gases and hence limiting the net carbon production to zero. India is the fourth
largest emitter of carbon dioxide. But we have to keep this into consideration that India is a
developing country. The US and EU are developed nations now and they have had their fair
share in increasing carbon content in the atmosphere. But this promise of India to become
carbon neutral by 2070 and to meet 50% of its energy requirements from renewable resources
might be the turning point for our country.
Yamuna Biodiversity Park creates various major and micro ecosystems that is home to many
plant and animal species. Visiting YBP made me respect and appreciate nature even more.
Listening to the story of the park transforming from a barren land to a rich ecosystem inspired
me to a great extent.

Opinions

In my opinion, the trip turned out to be a great success. After the trip and writing this report I
am full of knowledge and would like to learn more about our environment. This trip has made
me respect nature as well as the scientists and officers of Yamuna Biodiversity Park and other
biodiversity parks to help conserve the biodiversity of India. I think everyone should at least
plant one plant every year and contribute according to one’s capabilities.

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 REFERENCES

1. Lecture Notes
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamuna_biodiversity_park
3. https://www.delhibiodiversityparks.org/yamuna-biodiversity-park.html
4. https://www.sahapedia.org/yamuna-biodiversity-park-overview
5. https://geographyandyou.com/the-yamuna-biodiversity-park/
6. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/from-barren-land-to-rich-ecosystem-story-behind-
yamuna-biodiversity-park-5743228/
7. http://119.226.139.196/greens/biodiv/yamuna-biodiversity-park.html
8. https://nurserylive.com/
9. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/such-a-long-journey-how-7-tracts-of-degraded-land-
were-transformed-into-biodiversity-parks/articleshow/81595282.cms
10. https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/leopard-walked-into-delhi-yamuna-park-then-aap-minister-
illegally-took-it-out/627842/
11. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/29/lifestyle-choice-worlds-cosmopolitan-
butterfly-butterflywatch-painted-lady
12. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/

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