Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences
Title : | The hydrologic footprint’ of Major Invasive Alien species in the Upper Nilgiris |
Area of research : | Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences |
Focus area : | Hydrology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr.Ravinder Singh Bhalla, Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning (FERAL),Vanur, Villupuram, Tamil Nadu-605011 |
Timeline Start Year : | 2018 |
Timeline End Year : | 2021 |
Details
Executive Summary : | This study will attempt to measure the hydrologic footprint of Invasive plants (wattle and broom) in the Nilgiris South Range in the Upper Nilgirits as invasive allier species (IAS) will increase dry season soil moisture loss via transpiration resulting in reduced streamflow in the region. Invasive plants are a pervasive problem of most ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and changing ecosystem funtioning in irreversible ways. In this study stream discharge, precipitaion, ET, soil moisture at high spatial and temporal resolution will be collected using a nested design. Sap-flow measurement of wattle and water potential estimates for wattle, broom and dominant grassland species will be made. Estimates for ET for wattle, broom and grassland dominated catchments will be barried out and relationship between soild moilsture, leaf water potential and vapour pressure deficit will be measured. Analaysing will include larger scale estimates of major IAS into natural grasslands with a focus on evapotranspiration, soil moisture tension and dry-seasons streamflow and spatio-temporal patterns in water balance resulting from changes in vegetatives cover in erstwhile natural grasslands in the Upper Nilgiris are the expected outcomes of this study |
Co-PI: | Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, ATREE |
Total Budget (INR): | 42,89,652 |
Outcome/Output: | Detials mentioned in the column no.20 |
Organizations involved
Implementing Agency : | Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning (FERAL),Vanur, Villupuram, Tamil Nadu-605011
|
Funding Agency : | Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES)
|
Related Research