Context: A new study has identified at least two native plants that have joined invasive species to alter the riverine ecosystem of eastern Assam’s Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (DSNP).
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.
About Dibru-Saikhowa National Park
- Location: Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts, Assam.
- The park is an island-like formation bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit River to the north and Dibru River in the south.
- It is the largest salix swamp forest in north-eastern India.
- Key Fauna: Only habitat of feral horses in India; Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, clouded leopard, Malayan giant squirrel, Chinese pangolin, Ganges dolphin, capped langur, Hoolock gibbon, Asian elephant, barking deer, Wild water buffalo.
- Flora: Grasslands, mixed semi-evergreen forests, moist mixed deciduous forests, shrubland.
Threats to DSNP’s Riverine Ecosystem:
- Invasive species and native grassland invaders (flowering trees known as Simalu and Ajar in Assamese).
- Recurring Brahmaputra river floods.
- Increasing anthropogenic pressures from villages located within its boundaries.
The degradation of riverine ecosystems and forests in DSNP can lead to loss of biodiversity, threaten the survival of local fauna, reduce carbon storage and potentially intensify climate change.
The study recommended a targeted grassland recovery project that would encompass the control of invasive species, improved surveillance, increased staffing, and the relocation of forest villages and support community-based conservation efforts.