Impact Assessment of Riparian Habitat Quality on Ecology of Kolar River

Abstract

The present study was conducted to assess the riparian habitat quality, physical habitat assessment and water quality of Kolar River, which is one of the right bank tributaries of Narmada River. In this study, QBR index has been used to determine the riparian habitat quality of Kolar River. The selected stretch (60 km) has been divided into eight different sampling sites. The on-site assessment has been carried out on the left and right banks of Kolar River. Riparian habitat assessment was done by using QBR index (Munne et al 2003). The parameters viz; total riparian cover, cover structure, cover quality and channel alteration were evaluated for riparian habitat quality assessment of Kolar River. The rapid bioassessment protocol (Barbour et al., 1999) was used to evaluate the instream physical habitat quality of Kolar River. Various physical habitat parameters viz; epifaunal substrate, pool substrate characterization, pool variability, sediment deposition, channel flow status, channel alterations, channel sinuosity, bank stability, bank vegetative protection and riparian vegetative zone width were analysed at various sampling stations in order to evaluate the physical habitat conditions of the Kolar River. Water quality was also assessed by analysing various physicochemical parameters viz; temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total alkalinity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, total hardness, calcium hardness, chloride, nitrate and orthophosphate. The overall observations of the study show that out of eight sampling stations four stations fall under excellent condition category due to the presence of dense forest cover on both sides of the bank while as two stations fall under good condition category because of healthy vegetation cover however, two stations ranked under fair condition category due to presence of moderate vegetation cover which represents alterations due to anthropogenic pressure and need to be conserved on priority basis for the conservation and proper management..