Ecorestoration of Banni Grassland - Global Restoration Network

Ecorestoration of
Banni Grassland
26
Table 1: Changes in Monthly Cover at Dhordo Restoration Site
Site Details Sep. '97 Oct'97 Oct'97 Nov.'97 Nov.'97
Restoration site - Ploughed Area (site A) 56.7 61.2 65.0 57.4 67.4
Restoration site - Unploughed Area (site A) 54.7 70.5 73.6 64.8 72.1
Unprotected Area (site B) 15.4 18.8 9.4 12.5 10.7
Prosopis Area (site C) 30.7 11.1 14.2 17.5 8.3
showed significant variation in grass
cover. The grass cover of the former was
3.6 to 6.7 times higher than the latter
during the entire period of study (Figure
5). This clearly demonstrated that
grazing pressure in the unprotected area
was significant. The Table 2 shows the
increase in cover by 10.7 and 17.4 per
cent in the ploughed and unploughed
area of site A while, it has decreased to
6.1 per cent at site B and 22.4 per cent at
site C.
5.1.2 Bhirandiyara Restoration Site
Table 2: Per cent Grass Cover Recorded in Different Sites at Dhordo
Site Details Grass cover in Grass cover in Difference Remarks
September "97 November '97
Restoration site - Ploughed 56.7 67.4 10.7 Increase
Restoration site - Unploughed 54.7 72.1 17.4 Increase
Unprotected Area 16.7 10.6 -6.1 Decrease
Prosopis Area 30.7 8.3 -22.4 Decrease
At Bhirandiyara, the monthly mean cover in the
restoration site was 49 per cent at the initiation of
the study in October and thereafter it showed a
slight increase in November and remained almost
stable up to the first fortnight of December, except
that, it showed a slight fall in the second fortnight
of December (Table 3). In the unprotected (outside)
area, maximum cover was recorded in the first fortnight
of November (69.4 per cent) which gradually
decreased during the post monsoon period and
attained a minimum of 19.4 per cent at the end of
December. Thus, initially (first fortnight of November)
the unprotected area showed a higher cover
than the restoration site which then decreased significantly
by the end of the study, indicating clearly
the effects of grazing pressure on the unprotected
area (Table 3 and Figure 6).
The grass cover recorded under various
amendments of the restoration site showed
similarities in certain areas and variation in others.
The cover estimated was very high (76.9 per cent)
in the unploughed area and drastically low (17.5
per cent) in the narrow horizontal slopes.
Interestingly, looking at the various amendments
of the restoration site, the cover showed a decrease
during the study period in the unploughed,
ploughed and broad slopes whereas it showed an
increase in the narrow vertical and horizontal slopes.
The unploughed area in the restoration site had
higher cover availability during the initial and end
of the study period while, ploughed area exhibited
a slightly higher cover during the middle period
(Figure 7), i.e. first fortnight of November to
first fortnight of December. Among the three types
of slopes in the restoration site, almost similar cover