Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary (18195)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary
Central coordinates: Latitude: 32.7467, Longitude: 74.8667
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 131 to 186
Area of KBA (km2): 22.48554
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This is a very old sanctuary, established on Ramnagar ridge by the erstwhile Maharaja of Kashmir, nearly 5 decades ago. It is situated north of Jammu city. The Jammu-Srinagar national highway passes through the western side of the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is roughly wedge-shaped and located in the Kar Nullah which ultimately drains into Tawi river. The topography ranges from gently undulating to very steep cliffs. The forest is a part of the Lower Siwaliks, hence it is important for many Biome restricted species. An important shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is located close to the Sanctuary, and visited by millions of pilgrims, but due to neglect of this area by the Forest Department, most of the visitors are not aware that they are near a Sanctuary. The area is covered with mixed scrub forest with occasional Chir Pinus trees. The vegetation of the Sanctuary as per the revised classification by Champion and Seth (1968) comes under the major group “Subtropical Northern Mixed Dry Deciduous Forests”. A variety of Subtropical broadleaf trees and shrubs are found in the Sanctuary, dominant among them being Acacia modesta. Some of the species found in this Sanctuary are Acacia arabica, Acacia catachu, Adhatoda vasica Adina coardifolia, Aegle marmelos, Albizzia lebbeck, Bauhinia purpurea, Bombax ceiba, Dalbergia sissoo and Ziziphus mauritiana.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: Based on preliminary investigations, 37 species of birds have been found in this Sanctuary. Among pheasants, Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus, Kaleej Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos and Peafowl Pavo cristatus are notable. Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus is quite common. The species of conservation interest are Oriental White-backed Vulture Gyps bengalensis and Slender-billed Vulture G. tenuirostris. This site has been selected as a potential habitat for Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest biome species. In India, it is the westernmost point of this type of forest. OTHER KEY FAUNA: This dry deciduous forest harbours Leopard Panthera pardus as the major predator. Despite disturbance, it survives due to its nocturnal habit and elusive nature. Its main natural prey species are Barking Deer Muntiacus muntjak, Cheetal Axis axis, Wild Boar Sus scrofa and Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus. Jackal Canis aureus and Jungle Cat Felis chaus are smaller predators. Nonhuman primates recorded are Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta and Common Langur Semnopithecus entellus. According to the new classification of Langurs by Groves (2001), the ‘new species’ found in Ramnagar would be S. ajax.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 50 | |
| Shrubland | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Livestock Grazing; Encroachment. Over-grazing by livestock is the major problem and the pressure increases during winter when nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals come down from the higher reaches with their herds of goats and sheep. To provide food to goats, lopping of palatable species is rampant, resulting in total degradation of the forest. As the Sanctuary is close to the growing Jammu city, it is under constant threat from encroachment. Due to degradation of the habitat, streams run dry just after the monsoon. There is no natural source of water as most of the pools have silted up or been occupied by itinerant graziers. Fortunately, the Forest Department is able to control incidents of fire and poaching. The Sanctuary is almost surrounded by villages, especially on its southern side. Eco-development activities need to be initiated to reduce anthropogenic pressure on the forest resources (Hussein 1999-2000). The villagers should also be involved in joint forest management. Thousands of people enjoy walking in the Sanctuary every day, but they do not contribute to its upkeep in any way. They could be asked to pay and also be involved in its protection.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of ground water (unknown use) | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Soil erosion, sedimentation | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Only in the future |
Additional information
References: Champion, H. G. and Seth, S. K. (1968) A revised survey of the forest types of India, Govt. of India Press, Delhi. Pp. 403. Groves, C. (2001) Primate Taxonomy. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D. C. Hussein, S. (1999-2000) Eco-development plan of Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary: 1999-2000. Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu and Kashmir Government.