Monitoring of manmade wetlands in Dehra Dun valley using IRS-LISS-II and III data has been undertaken since 1996. The field census of the waterfowl species of the wetland indicates Asan reservoir to be very suitable habitat supporting as many as 51 species of waterbirds. The mean total waterbird counts in the month of February during 1996, 1997 and 1998 was 1161, 3174 and 3745 birds respectively, of which nearly 90% of the population belonged to all common migratory waterfowl species. Habitat change study was undertaken using digital analysis of temporal satellite data, viz., IRS-1B, LISS-II (November 1996) and IRS-1C, LISS-III images of February 1997 and March 1998. Change detection in land cover was done from 1996 to 1997 and 1997 to 1998. 

A positive relationship is indicated between water-land cover ratio, which has changed from 0.2415 during 1996 to 1.0467 and 0.7783 in 1998 (considering landcover as 1). Socio-economic implications, disturbances and threats and recommendations for the conservation of this wetland have been discussed.

Address: Zoological Survey of India
218 Kaulagarh Road, Dehradun 248 195, Uttaranchal, India
E-mail: zsisiwal@sancharnet.in  

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