Irfan Rashid | Kashmir - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Irfan Rashid

Limnologica - Ecology and Management of Inland Waters, 2017

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2016

Himalayan glaciers are showing consistent signs of recession similar to glaciers elsewhere in the... more Himalayan glaciers are showing consistent signs of recession similar to glaciers elsewhere in the world with the exception of slight mass gain or stability in Karakoram. Deficient knowledge regarding the processes controlling the glacier dynamics together with remoteness, rugged terrain, insufficient in situ measurements, unsuitable datasets, and scanty network of meteorological stations has always been a big challenge in projecting future glacier dynamics in the region. Here, we present a number of scientific concerns regarding the appropriateness of data sets and methods adopted by a study carried out by Naeem et al. (2016), published in the journal of Environmental Monitoring and Assessment to investigate and project glacier dynamics in Chitral watershed using Landsat data. The use of predominantly snow and cloud covered satellite images especially for 2006 and 2007 strongly questions the glacier fluctuation estimates put forth by the authors. The inferences from existing scientific literature suggesting robustness of semi-automatic methods for glacier mapping challenge the use of unsupervised classification approach for delineating glacier extents as adopted in Naeem et al. (2016). Considering the scientific concerns and loopholes in the study by Naeem et al. (2016), the glacier fluctuations in Chitral watershed need to be reassessed.

ABSTRACT In this study, an attempt has been made to map a high resolution lineament map of northw... more ABSTRACT In this study, an attempt has been made to map a high resolution lineament map of northwest Kashmir valley using remote sensing and GIS technology. In order to accomplish the study, Landsat ETM (2001) and the Landsat PAN (2001) images were used. Different edge enhancement techniques were applied on Landsat ETM to better identify the lineaments using 3x3 edge enhancement filter. The enhanced image was merged with the PAN image in order to differentiate between the artificial linear features such as roads, canals etc. and the lineaments. In all, 93 distinct linear features were identified and digitized their latitude, longitude and the direction was analyzed by rose diagram. By the analysis of these lineaments, it was found that 48 lineament are in NW-SE direction, 32 lineament s are in NE-SW direct ion, 7 lineaments are in N-S direction and 6 in EW direction. From the existing tectonic map of the India, Main boundary Thrust Fault (MBT) was overlaid over the lineament map and it was found that the Fault (MBT) passes through the study area in the North west ern direct ion and the maximum lineament s are eit her parallel or perpendicular to the fault. The Drainage map of the study area, digitized from the Landsat ETM image, shows Trellis drainage pat tern indicat ing that the drainage is controlled by different structural features. The mapping of these geological structures improves the existing knowledge about the distribution and direction of these structures in the Kashmir Himalayan region.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2016

The pristine aquatic ecosystems in the Himalayas are facing an ever increasing threat from variou... more The pristine aquatic ecosystems in the Himalayas are facing an ever increasing threat from various anthropogenic pressures which necessitate better understanding of the spatial and temporal variability of pollutants, their sources, and possible remedies. This study demonstrates the multi-disciplinary approach utilizing the multivariate statistical techniques, data from remote sensing, lab, and field-based observations for assessing the impact of massive land system changes on water quality of the river Jhelum. Land system changes over a period of 38 years have been quantified using multi-spectral satellite data to delineate the extent of different anthropogenically driven land use types that are the main non-point sources of pollution. Fifteen water quality parameters, at 12 sampling sites distributed uniformly along the length of the Jhelum, have been assessed to identify the possible sources of pollution. Our analysis indicated that 18 % of the forested area has degraded into sparse forest or scrublands from 1972 to 2010, and the areas under croplands have decreased by 24 % as people shifted from irrigation-intensive agriculture to orchard farming while as settlements showed a 397 % increase during the observation period. One-way ANOVA revealed that all the water quality parameters had significant spatio-temporal differences (p < 0.01). Cluster analysis (CA) helped us to classify all the sampling sites into three groups. Factor analysis revealed that 91.84 % of the total variance was mainly explained by five factors. Drastic changes in water quality of the Jhelum since the past three decades are manifested by increases in nitrate-nitrogen, TDS, and electric conductivity. The especially high levels of nitrogen (858 ± 405 μgL(-1)) and phosphorus (273 ± 18 μgL(-1)) in the Jhelum could be attributed to the reckless application of fertilizers, pesticides, and unplanned urbanization in the area.

Geostatistical and Geospatial Approaches for the Characterization of Natural Resources in the Environment, 2016

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 2015

ABSTRACT Lidder tributary in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) of the Himalayas, an important source of... more ABSTRACT Lidder tributary in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) of the Himalayas, an important source of surface and ground water, is experiencing clear indications of climate change. In the basin, minimum, maximum and average temperatures are showing a significant increasing trend in all the four seasons. Precipitation is showing insignificant decrease over time in the basin. However, the proportion of snow is decreasing and correspondingly, the proportion of rains is increasing. The temperature projections also show increasing trends for the end of this century. The time series analysis of the Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) shows a depletion of the snow-cover in the region. Furthermore, during the last 51 years, the glacier area in the basin has decreased from 46.09 km2 in 1962 to 33.43 km2 in 2013, a depletion of 27.47%. As a result of glacier recession in the basin, the streamflow fed predominantly by snow- and glacier-melt, is showing a statistically significant decline since the mid-nineties. The declining streamflows have potential to adversely affect agriculture, energy production, tourism and even domestic water supplies. The Snowmelt Runoff Model (SRM) was tested for estimating the runoff from this glaciated basin on an operational basis. The average simulated runoff 11.94 m3/s at the outlet is in concordance with the average measured runoff 13.51 m3/s showing R2 of 0.82. The model could thus be used for snowmelt runoff estimation, on an operational basis, for judicious utilization of the depleting water resources in the region.

The present work was undertaken to prepare baseline data on vegetation cover and land use types, ... more The present work was undertaken to prepare baseline data on vegetation cover and land use types, to study human influence on landscape and to identify biologically rich areas in Eastern Ghats, India. Eastern Ghats are well known for their tropical deciduous forests, are under threat due to high economic potential. The present study emphasizes, understanding of biodiversity at the landscape level. A landscape represents a mosaic of interacting ecosystems and consists of patches of different land covers. The biodiversity of these patches is again a manifestation of existing climatic conditions and human disturbance. The patch characterization along with landscape parameters enables one to identify disturbance regimes. Besides, the biodiversity characterization of landscapes provides very important input for the prioritization of bioprospecting zones and for conservation. The uniqueness of the study lies in the availability of location specific information about 1902 plant species and their status with respect to endemic, threatened and of other economic/medicinal importance. The forest cover in Eastern Ghats constitutes 65,724 sq.kms, which occupies 29.3% of total geographical area. The database created in GIS domain provides versatility for the updating and appending with the future inventory programs. Biodiversity at landscape level has been achieved based on the species richness, ecosystem uniqueness, biodiversity value, terrain complexity in conjunction with disturbance regimes and vegetation types. The study provides information of high disturbance and high biological richness area suggesting future management strategies and formulating action plan. The biologically rich areas identified in the present study are base for creation of new protected areas.

Journal of Mountain Science, 2015

ABSTRACT The Himalaya harbor rich floristic diversity which is of immense scientific interest and... more ABSTRACT The Himalaya harbor rich floristic diversity which is of immense scientific interest and socio-economic importance. In this study, floristic diversity of a remote alpine valley has been studied based on information extracted from remotely sensed satellite data along with field surveys undertaken during 2008-2014. Analysis of vegetation information from satellite data revealed that ~75% of the area is covered with natural vegetation which comprises lush green coniferous forests, alpine pastures and alpine scrub lands. With inputs from vegetation information extracted from satellite data, comprehensive field surveys were planned to document the floristic diversity of the region. Analysis of species composition showed a total of 285 plant species, belonging to 191 genera in 60 families. Of these, 250 species are herbs, 14 shrubs, 2 sub-shrubs and 19 trees. The dicotyledons are represented by 240 species, monocotyledons 30, gymnosperms 04, and pteriodophytes 11 species. Asteraceae is the largest family with 35 species. During the present study, 5 species (Corydaliscashmeriana, Hippophae rhamnoides,Primula minutissima, Saussurea sacra and Inula orientalis)have been recorded for the first time from this Himalayan region. The study demonstrates the benefits of geo-informatics in floristic studies, particularly the robustness of remotely sensed data in identifying areas with potentially high species richness, which would be otherwise difficult in a complex mountainous terrain using traditional floristic surveys alone. The present study is expected to provide baseline scientific data for cutting edge studies relating to long term ecological research, bioprospecting, possible impacts of changing climate on vegetation and sustainable use of plant resources in this Himalayan region.

The study of the Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a very interesting for its applications in man... more The study of the Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a very interesting for its applications in many fields of natural sciences. Surface temperature is main indicator of surface energy balance of the earth and often used as an input data in climate, agro-meteorological or hydrological models for forecasting ecosystem responses. Due to sparse and irregular distribution of meteorological stations in Kashmir valley climate forecasting using interpolation of IMD data is not a viable option. Also due to highly complex terrain of Kashmir Valley and scanty network of existing temperature observatories it is not advisable to go for interpolation of IMD data. Hence using remote sensing LST product can help us to overcome this problem. In our case study, daytime imageries of 8-days MODIS LST product onboard the TERRA spacecraft (MOD11A2) were acquired and processed. We introduce a novel algorithm which can reconstruct complete LST image based on regression analysis of LST having elevation in ea...

Climatic Change, 2015

ABSTRACT Despite high vulnerability, the impact of climate change on Himalayan ecosystem has not ... more ABSTRACT Despite high vulnerability, the impact of climate change on Himalayan ecosystem has not been properly investigated, primarily due to the inadequacy of observed data and the complex topography. In this study, we mapped the current vegetation distribution in Kashmir Himalayas from NOAA AVHRR and projected it under A1B SRES, RCP-4.5 and RCP-8.5 climate scenarios using the vegetation dynamics model-IBIS at a spatial resolution of 0.5°. The distribution of vegetation under the changing climate was simulated for the 21st century. Climate change projections from the PRECIS experiment using the HADRM3 model, for the Kashmir region, were validated using the observed climate data from two observatories. Both the observed as well as the projected climate data showed statistically significant trends. IBIS was validated for Kashmir Himalayas by comparing the simulated vegetation distribution with the observed distribution. The baseline simulated scenario of vegetation (1960–1990), showed 87.15 % agreement with the observed vegetation distribution, thereby increasing the credibility of the projected vegetation distribution under the changing climate over the region. According to the model projections, grasslands and tropical deciduous forests in the region would be severely affected while as savannah, shrubland, temperate evergreen broadleaf forest, boreal evergreen forest and mixed forest types would colonize the area currently under the cold desert/rock/ice land cover types. The model predicted that a substantial area of land, presently under the permanent snow and ice cover, would disappear by the end of the century which might severely impact stream flows, agriculture productivity and biodiversity in the region.

The study of the Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a very interesting for its applications in man... more The study of the Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a very interesting for its applications in many fields of natural sciences. Surface temperature is main indicator of surface energy balance of the earth and often used as input data in climate, agro-meteorological or hydrological models for forecasting ecosystem responses. Due to sparse and irregular distribution of meteorological stations in Kashmir valley climate forecasting using interpolation of IMD data is not a viable option. Also due to highly complex terrain of Kashmir Valley and scanty network of existing temperature observatories it is not advisable to go for interpolation of IMD data. Using remote sensing LST product can help overcome this problem. In our case study, daytime imageries of 8-days MODIS LST product onboard the TERRA spacecraft (MOD11A2) were acquired and processed. We introduce a novel algorithm which can reconstruct complete LST image based on regression analysis of LST with elevation in each sliding window...

Aerosol black carbon (BC) is highly heat absorbing material and contributes significantly to the ... more Aerosol black carbon (BC) is highly heat absorbing material and contributes significantly to the atmospheric warming. In this research, spatio-temporal variability of atmospheric BC concentration was monitored across Kashmir valley during 2013-14. However, BC concentration is being continuously monitored at University Campus, Srinagar since 2012. The University BC observation station provides a high temporal resolution BC concentrations (5 minute). Further, spatio-temporal measurements of BC across Kashmir valley were monitored at 42 sites to assess the altitudinal, climatic and latitudinal variation of BC. The analysis of the observed data reveals that BC concentration is negatively correlated with altitude. For example, the observed average BC measurements from Lidder valley are 7098, 3387, 2386, 1338 nanograms (ng) at altitudes of 2127, 2351, 2833, 3363m (asl) respectively. BC observations from other places show a similar relationship. The highest concentration of BC was found in...

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2014

Mountain areas are sensitive to climate change. Implications of climate change can be seen in les... more Mountain areas are sensitive to climate change. Implications of climate change can be seen in less snow, receding glaciers, increasing temperatures, and decreasing precipitation. Climate change is also a severe threat to snow-related winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing. The change in climate will put further pressure on the sensitive environment of high mountains. Therefore, in this study, an attempt has been made to know the impact of climate change on the snow precipitation, water resources, and winter tourism in the two famous tourist resorts of the Kashmir Valley. Our findings show that winters are getting prolonged with little snow falls on account of climate change. The average minimum and maximum temperatures are showing statistically significant increasing trends for winter months. The precipitation is showing decreasing trends in both the regions. A considerable area in these regions remains under the snow and glacier cover throughout the year especially during the winter and spring seasons. However, time series analysis of LandSat MODIS images using Normalized Difference Snow Index shows a decreasing trend in snow cover in both the regions from past few years. Similarly, the stream discharge, comprising predominantly of snow- and glacier-melt, is showing a statistically significant declining trend despite the melting of these glaciers. The predicted futuristic trends of temperature from Predicting Regional Climates for Impact Studies regional climate model are showing an increase which may enhance snow-melting in the near future posing a serious threat to the sustainability of winter tourism in the region. Hence, it becomes essential to monitor the changes in temperature and snow cover depletion in these basins in order to evaluate their effect on the winter tourism and water resources in the region.

Biodiversity and Conservation, 2013

ABSTRACT The present study is a comprehensive effort for making spatially explicit vegetation typ... more ABSTRACT The present study is a comprehensive effort for making spatially explicit vegetation type information, one of the basic inputs for species and habitat conservation, readily available to the decision makers, resource managers and nature conservationists. The present study was carried out to understand the vegetation composition and structure in Doda area of Western Himalayas, India. During the study, vegetation types were mapped using on-screen image interpretation technique of multispectral high resolution satellite data. A total of ten types of vegetation were delineated from the satellite data. Phytosociological data was collected for the forest, pasture and scrub classes using nested-quadrat approach to characterize the vegetation. A total of ten phytosociological parameters were analyzed. Pinaceae, Rosaceae and Asteraceae were the dominant plant families with most of the identified plant species having a very high medicinal value. Other important component of the study involved landscape modelling, using the Spatial Landscape Analysis Model for identifying disturbance regimes and biodiversity rich landscapes in the area. The model results indicate that most of the area contains a very rich biodiversity repository with only a few areas showing signs of disturbance where terrain is either complex or where the anthropogenic pressures on forest resources are apparent. The forest and nature conservation managers could use the conservation measures suggested on the basis of these research findings for developing biodiversity conservation strategies in the region.

ABSTRACT In this study, an attempt has been made to map a high resolution lineament map of northw... more ABSTRACT In this study, an attempt has been made to map a high resolution lineament map of northwest Kashmir valley using remote sensing and GIS technology. In order to accomplish the study, Landsat ETM (2001) and the Landsat PAN (2001) images were used. Different edge enhancement techniques were applied on Landsat ETM to better identify the lineaments using 3x3 edge enhancement filter. The enhanced image was merged with the PAN image in order to differentiate between the artificial linear features such as roads, canals etc. and the lineaments. In all, 93 distinct linear features were identified and digitized their latitude, longitude and the direction was analyzed by rose diagram. By the analysis of these lineaments, it was found that 48 lineament are in NW-SE direction, 32 lineament s are in NE-SW direct ion, 7 lineaments are in N-S direction and 6 in EW direction. From the existing tectonic map of the India, Main boundary Thrust Fault (MBT) was overlaid over the lineament map and it was found that the Fault (MBT) passes through the study area in the North west ern direct ion and the maximum lineament s are eit her parallel or perpendicular to the fault. The Drainage map of the study area, digitized from the Landsat ETM image, shows Trellis drainage pat tern indicat ing that the drainage is controlled by different structural features. The mapping of these geological structures improves the existing knowledge about the distribution and direction of these structures in the Kashmir Himalayan region.

International Conference on Environmental Management, 2010

DOS-DBT User Manual, …, 1999

The present work was undertaken to prepare baseline data on vegetation cover and land use types, ... more The present work was undertaken to prepare baseline data on vegetation cover and land use types, to study human influence on landscape and to identify biologically rich areas in Eastern Ghats, India. Eastern Ghats are well known for their tropical deciduous forests, are under threat due to high economic potential. The present study emphasizes, understanding of biodiversity at the landscape level. A landscape represents a mosaic of interacting ecosystems and consists of patches of different land covers. The biodiversity of these patches is again a manifestation of existing climatic conditions and human disturbance. The patch characterization along with landscape parameters enables one to identify disturbance regimes. Besides, the biodiversity characterization of landscapes provides very important input for the prioritization of bioprospecting zones and for conservation. The uniqueness of the study lies in the availability of location specific information about 1902 plant species and their status with respect to endemic, threatened and of other economic/medicinal importance. The forest cover in Eastern Ghats constitutes 65,724 sq.kms, which occupies 29.3% of total geographical area. The database created in GIS domain provides versatility for the updating and appending with the future inventory programs. Biodiversity at landscape level has been achieved based on the species richness, ecosystem uniqueness, biodiversity value, terrain complexity in conjunction with disturbance regimes and vegetation types. The study provides information of high disturbance and high biological richness area suggesting future management strategies and formulating action plan. The biologically rich areas identified in the present study are base for creation of new protected areas.

Limnologica - Ecology and Management of Inland Waters, 2017

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2016

Himalayan glaciers are showing consistent signs of recession similar to glaciers elsewhere in the... more Himalayan glaciers are showing consistent signs of recession similar to glaciers elsewhere in the world with the exception of slight mass gain or stability in Karakoram. Deficient knowledge regarding the processes controlling the glacier dynamics together with remoteness, rugged terrain, insufficient in situ measurements, unsuitable datasets, and scanty network of meteorological stations has always been a big challenge in projecting future glacier dynamics in the region. Here, we present a number of scientific concerns regarding the appropriateness of data sets and methods adopted by a study carried out by Naeem et al. (2016), published in the journal of Environmental Monitoring and Assessment to investigate and project glacier dynamics in Chitral watershed using Landsat data. The use of predominantly snow and cloud covered satellite images especially for 2006 and 2007 strongly questions the glacier fluctuation estimates put forth by the authors. The inferences from existing scientific literature suggesting robustness of semi-automatic methods for glacier mapping challenge the use of unsupervised classification approach for delineating glacier extents as adopted in Naeem et al. (2016). Considering the scientific concerns and loopholes in the study by Naeem et al. (2016), the glacier fluctuations in Chitral watershed need to be reassessed.

ABSTRACT In this study, an attempt has been made to map a high resolution lineament map of northw... more ABSTRACT In this study, an attempt has been made to map a high resolution lineament map of northwest Kashmir valley using remote sensing and GIS technology. In order to accomplish the study, Landsat ETM (2001) and the Landsat PAN (2001) images were used. Different edge enhancement techniques were applied on Landsat ETM to better identify the lineaments using 3x3 edge enhancement filter. The enhanced image was merged with the PAN image in order to differentiate between the artificial linear features such as roads, canals etc. and the lineaments. In all, 93 distinct linear features were identified and digitized their latitude, longitude and the direction was analyzed by rose diagram. By the analysis of these lineaments, it was found that 48 lineament are in NW-SE direction, 32 lineament s are in NE-SW direct ion, 7 lineaments are in N-S direction and 6 in EW direction. From the existing tectonic map of the India, Main boundary Thrust Fault (MBT) was overlaid over the lineament map and it was found that the Fault (MBT) passes through the study area in the North west ern direct ion and the maximum lineament s are eit her parallel or perpendicular to the fault. The Drainage map of the study area, digitized from the Landsat ETM image, shows Trellis drainage pat tern indicat ing that the drainage is controlled by different structural features. The mapping of these geological structures improves the existing knowledge about the distribution and direction of these structures in the Kashmir Himalayan region.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2016

The pristine aquatic ecosystems in the Himalayas are facing an ever increasing threat from variou... more The pristine aquatic ecosystems in the Himalayas are facing an ever increasing threat from various anthropogenic pressures which necessitate better understanding of the spatial and temporal variability of pollutants, their sources, and possible remedies. This study demonstrates the multi-disciplinary approach utilizing the multivariate statistical techniques, data from remote sensing, lab, and field-based observations for assessing the impact of massive land system changes on water quality of the river Jhelum. Land system changes over a period of 38 years have been quantified using multi-spectral satellite data to delineate the extent of different anthropogenically driven land use types that are the main non-point sources of pollution. Fifteen water quality parameters, at 12 sampling sites distributed uniformly along the length of the Jhelum, have been assessed to identify the possible sources of pollution. Our analysis indicated that 18 % of the forested area has degraded into sparse forest or scrublands from 1972 to 2010, and the areas under croplands have decreased by 24 % as people shifted from irrigation-intensive agriculture to orchard farming while as settlements showed a 397 % increase during the observation period. One-way ANOVA revealed that all the water quality parameters had significant spatio-temporal differences (p < 0.01). Cluster analysis (CA) helped us to classify all the sampling sites into three groups. Factor analysis revealed that 91.84 % of the total variance was mainly explained by five factors. Drastic changes in water quality of the Jhelum since the past three decades are manifested by increases in nitrate-nitrogen, TDS, and electric conductivity. The especially high levels of nitrogen (858 ± 405 μgL(-1)) and phosphorus (273 ± 18 μgL(-1)) in the Jhelum could be attributed to the reckless application of fertilizers, pesticides, and unplanned urbanization in the area.

Geostatistical and Geospatial Approaches for the Characterization of Natural Resources in the Environment, 2016

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 2015

ABSTRACT Lidder tributary in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) of the Himalayas, an important source of... more ABSTRACT Lidder tributary in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) of the Himalayas, an important source of surface and ground water, is experiencing clear indications of climate change. In the basin, minimum, maximum and average temperatures are showing a significant increasing trend in all the four seasons. Precipitation is showing insignificant decrease over time in the basin. However, the proportion of snow is decreasing and correspondingly, the proportion of rains is increasing. The temperature projections also show increasing trends for the end of this century. The time series analysis of the Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) shows a depletion of the snow-cover in the region. Furthermore, during the last 51 years, the glacier area in the basin has decreased from 46.09 km2 in 1962 to 33.43 km2 in 2013, a depletion of 27.47%. As a result of glacier recession in the basin, the streamflow fed predominantly by snow- and glacier-melt, is showing a statistically significant decline since the mid-nineties. The declining streamflows have potential to adversely affect agriculture, energy production, tourism and even domestic water supplies. The Snowmelt Runoff Model (SRM) was tested for estimating the runoff from this glaciated basin on an operational basis. The average simulated runoff 11.94 m3/s at the outlet is in concordance with the average measured runoff 13.51 m3/s showing R2 of 0.82. The model could thus be used for snowmelt runoff estimation, on an operational basis, for judicious utilization of the depleting water resources in the region.

The present work was undertaken to prepare baseline data on vegetation cover and land use types, ... more The present work was undertaken to prepare baseline data on vegetation cover and land use types, to study human influence on landscape and to identify biologically rich areas in Eastern Ghats, India. Eastern Ghats are well known for their tropical deciduous forests, are under threat due to high economic potential. The present study emphasizes, understanding of biodiversity at the landscape level. A landscape represents a mosaic of interacting ecosystems and consists of patches of different land covers. The biodiversity of these patches is again a manifestation of existing climatic conditions and human disturbance. The patch characterization along with landscape parameters enables one to identify disturbance regimes. Besides, the biodiversity characterization of landscapes provides very important input for the prioritization of bioprospecting zones and for conservation. The uniqueness of the study lies in the availability of location specific information about 1902 plant species and their status with respect to endemic, threatened and of other economic/medicinal importance. The forest cover in Eastern Ghats constitutes 65,724 sq.kms, which occupies 29.3% of total geographical area. The database created in GIS domain provides versatility for the updating and appending with the future inventory programs. Biodiversity at landscape level has been achieved based on the species richness, ecosystem uniqueness, biodiversity value, terrain complexity in conjunction with disturbance regimes and vegetation types. The study provides information of high disturbance and high biological richness area suggesting future management strategies and formulating action plan. The biologically rich areas identified in the present study are base for creation of new protected areas.

Journal of Mountain Science, 2015

ABSTRACT The Himalaya harbor rich floristic diversity which is of immense scientific interest and... more ABSTRACT The Himalaya harbor rich floristic diversity which is of immense scientific interest and socio-economic importance. In this study, floristic diversity of a remote alpine valley has been studied based on information extracted from remotely sensed satellite data along with field surveys undertaken during 2008-2014. Analysis of vegetation information from satellite data revealed that ~75% of the area is covered with natural vegetation which comprises lush green coniferous forests, alpine pastures and alpine scrub lands. With inputs from vegetation information extracted from satellite data, comprehensive field surveys were planned to document the floristic diversity of the region. Analysis of species composition showed a total of 285 plant species, belonging to 191 genera in 60 families. Of these, 250 species are herbs, 14 shrubs, 2 sub-shrubs and 19 trees. The dicotyledons are represented by 240 species, monocotyledons 30, gymnosperms 04, and pteriodophytes 11 species. Asteraceae is the largest family with 35 species. During the present study, 5 species (Corydaliscashmeriana, Hippophae rhamnoides,Primula minutissima, Saussurea sacra and Inula orientalis)have been recorded for the first time from this Himalayan region. The study demonstrates the benefits of geo-informatics in floristic studies, particularly the robustness of remotely sensed data in identifying areas with potentially high species richness, which would be otherwise difficult in a complex mountainous terrain using traditional floristic surveys alone. The present study is expected to provide baseline scientific data for cutting edge studies relating to long term ecological research, bioprospecting, possible impacts of changing climate on vegetation and sustainable use of plant resources in this Himalayan region.

The study of the Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a very interesting for its applications in man... more The study of the Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a very interesting for its applications in many fields of natural sciences. Surface temperature is main indicator of surface energy balance of the earth and often used as an input data in climate, agro-meteorological or hydrological models for forecasting ecosystem responses. Due to sparse and irregular distribution of meteorological stations in Kashmir valley climate forecasting using interpolation of IMD data is not a viable option. Also due to highly complex terrain of Kashmir Valley and scanty network of existing temperature observatories it is not advisable to go for interpolation of IMD data. Hence using remote sensing LST product can help us to overcome this problem. In our case study, daytime imageries of 8-days MODIS LST product onboard the TERRA spacecraft (MOD11A2) were acquired and processed. We introduce a novel algorithm which can reconstruct complete LST image based on regression analysis of LST having elevation in ea...

Climatic Change, 2015

ABSTRACT Despite high vulnerability, the impact of climate change on Himalayan ecosystem has not ... more ABSTRACT Despite high vulnerability, the impact of climate change on Himalayan ecosystem has not been properly investigated, primarily due to the inadequacy of observed data and the complex topography. In this study, we mapped the current vegetation distribution in Kashmir Himalayas from NOAA AVHRR and projected it under A1B SRES, RCP-4.5 and RCP-8.5 climate scenarios using the vegetation dynamics model-IBIS at a spatial resolution of 0.5°. The distribution of vegetation under the changing climate was simulated for the 21st century. Climate change projections from the PRECIS experiment using the HADRM3 model, for the Kashmir region, were validated using the observed climate data from two observatories. Both the observed as well as the projected climate data showed statistically significant trends. IBIS was validated for Kashmir Himalayas by comparing the simulated vegetation distribution with the observed distribution. The baseline simulated scenario of vegetation (1960–1990), showed 87.15 % agreement with the observed vegetation distribution, thereby increasing the credibility of the projected vegetation distribution under the changing climate over the region. According to the model projections, grasslands and tropical deciduous forests in the region would be severely affected while as savannah, shrubland, temperate evergreen broadleaf forest, boreal evergreen forest and mixed forest types would colonize the area currently under the cold desert/rock/ice land cover types. The model predicted that a substantial area of land, presently under the permanent snow and ice cover, would disappear by the end of the century which might severely impact stream flows, agriculture productivity and biodiversity in the region.

The study of the Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a very interesting for its applications in man... more The study of the Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a very interesting for its applications in many fields of natural sciences. Surface temperature is main indicator of surface energy balance of the earth and often used as input data in climate, agro-meteorological or hydrological models for forecasting ecosystem responses. Due to sparse and irregular distribution of meteorological stations in Kashmir valley climate forecasting using interpolation of IMD data is not a viable option. Also due to highly complex terrain of Kashmir Valley and scanty network of existing temperature observatories it is not advisable to go for interpolation of IMD data. Using remote sensing LST product can help overcome this problem. In our case study, daytime imageries of 8-days MODIS LST product onboard the TERRA spacecraft (MOD11A2) were acquired and processed. We introduce a novel algorithm which can reconstruct complete LST image based on regression analysis of LST with elevation in each sliding window...

Aerosol black carbon (BC) is highly heat absorbing material and contributes significantly to the ... more Aerosol black carbon (BC) is highly heat absorbing material and contributes significantly to the atmospheric warming. In this research, spatio-temporal variability of atmospheric BC concentration was monitored across Kashmir valley during 2013-14. However, BC concentration is being continuously monitored at University Campus, Srinagar since 2012. The University BC observation station provides a high temporal resolution BC concentrations (5 minute). Further, spatio-temporal measurements of BC across Kashmir valley were monitored at 42 sites to assess the altitudinal, climatic and latitudinal variation of BC. The analysis of the observed data reveals that BC concentration is negatively correlated with altitude. For example, the observed average BC measurements from Lidder valley are 7098, 3387, 2386, 1338 nanograms (ng) at altitudes of 2127, 2351, 2833, 3363m (asl) respectively. BC observations from other places show a similar relationship. The highest concentration of BC was found in...

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2014

Mountain areas are sensitive to climate change. Implications of climate change can be seen in les... more Mountain areas are sensitive to climate change. Implications of climate change can be seen in less snow, receding glaciers, increasing temperatures, and decreasing precipitation. Climate change is also a severe threat to snow-related winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing. The change in climate will put further pressure on the sensitive environment of high mountains. Therefore, in this study, an attempt has been made to know the impact of climate change on the snow precipitation, water resources, and winter tourism in the two famous tourist resorts of the Kashmir Valley. Our findings show that winters are getting prolonged with little snow falls on account of climate change. The average minimum and maximum temperatures are showing statistically significant increasing trends for winter months. The precipitation is showing decreasing trends in both the regions. A considerable area in these regions remains under the snow and glacier cover throughout the year especially during the winter and spring seasons. However, time series analysis of LandSat MODIS images using Normalized Difference Snow Index shows a decreasing trend in snow cover in both the regions from past few years. Similarly, the stream discharge, comprising predominantly of snow- and glacier-melt, is showing a statistically significant declining trend despite the melting of these glaciers. The predicted futuristic trends of temperature from Predicting Regional Climates for Impact Studies regional climate model are showing an increase which may enhance snow-melting in the near future posing a serious threat to the sustainability of winter tourism in the region. Hence, it becomes essential to monitor the changes in temperature and snow cover depletion in these basins in order to evaluate their effect on the winter tourism and water resources in the region.

Biodiversity and Conservation, 2013

ABSTRACT The present study is a comprehensive effort for making spatially explicit vegetation typ... more ABSTRACT The present study is a comprehensive effort for making spatially explicit vegetation type information, one of the basic inputs for species and habitat conservation, readily available to the decision makers, resource managers and nature conservationists. The present study was carried out to understand the vegetation composition and structure in Doda area of Western Himalayas, India. During the study, vegetation types were mapped using on-screen image interpretation technique of multispectral high resolution satellite data. A total of ten types of vegetation were delineated from the satellite data. Phytosociological data was collected for the forest, pasture and scrub classes using nested-quadrat approach to characterize the vegetation. A total of ten phytosociological parameters were analyzed. Pinaceae, Rosaceae and Asteraceae were the dominant plant families with most of the identified plant species having a very high medicinal value. Other important component of the study involved landscape modelling, using the Spatial Landscape Analysis Model for identifying disturbance regimes and biodiversity rich landscapes in the area. The model results indicate that most of the area contains a very rich biodiversity repository with only a few areas showing signs of disturbance where terrain is either complex or where the anthropogenic pressures on forest resources are apparent. The forest and nature conservation managers could use the conservation measures suggested on the basis of these research findings for developing biodiversity conservation strategies in the region.

ABSTRACT In this study, an attempt has been made to map a high resolution lineament map of northw... more ABSTRACT In this study, an attempt has been made to map a high resolution lineament map of northwest Kashmir valley using remote sensing and GIS technology. In order to accomplish the study, Landsat ETM (2001) and the Landsat PAN (2001) images were used. Different edge enhancement techniques were applied on Landsat ETM to better identify the lineaments using 3x3 edge enhancement filter. The enhanced image was merged with the PAN image in order to differentiate between the artificial linear features such as roads, canals etc. and the lineaments. In all, 93 distinct linear features were identified and digitized their latitude, longitude and the direction was analyzed by rose diagram. By the analysis of these lineaments, it was found that 48 lineament are in NW-SE direction, 32 lineament s are in NE-SW direct ion, 7 lineaments are in N-S direction and 6 in EW direction. From the existing tectonic map of the India, Main boundary Thrust Fault (MBT) was overlaid over the lineament map and it was found that the Fault (MBT) passes through the study area in the North west ern direct ion and the maximum lineament s are eit her parallel or perpendicular to the fault. The Drainage map of the study area, digitized from the Landsat ETM image, shows Trellis drainage pat tern indicat ing that the drainage is controlled by different structural features. The mapping of these geological structures improves the existing knowledge about the distribution and direction of these structures in the Kashmir Himalayan region.

International Conference on Environmental Management, 2010

DOS-DBT User Manual, …, 1999

The present work was undertaken to prepare baseline data on vegetation cover and land use types, ... more The present work was undertaken to prepare baseline data on vegetation cover and land use types, to study human influence on landscape and to identify biologically rich areas in Eastern Ghats, India. Eastern Ghats are well known for their tropical deciduous forests, are under threat due to high economic potential. The present study emphasizes, understanding of biodiversity at the landscape level. A landscape represents a mosaic of interacting ecosystems and consists of patches of different land covers. The biodiversity of these patches is again a manifestation of existing climatic conditions and human disturbance. The patch characterization along with landscape parameters enables one to identify disturbance regimes. Besides, the biodiversity characterization of landscapes provides very important input for the prioritization of bioprospecting zones and for conservation. The uniqueness of the study lies in the availability of location specific information about 1902 plant species and their status with respect to endemic, threatened and of other economic/medicinal importance. The forest cover in Eastern Ghats constitutes 65,724 sq.kms, which occupies 29.3% of total geographical area. The database created in GIS domain provides versatility for the updating and appending with the future inventory programs. Biodiversity at landscape level has been achieved based on the species richness, ecosystem uniqueness, biodiversity value, terrain complexity in conjunction with disturbance regimes and vegetation types. The study provides information of high disturbance and high biological richness area suggesting future management strategies and formulating action plan. The biologically rich areas identified in the present study are base for creation of new protected areas.