Ungulates and Galliformes of Chenab Valley, Uttarakhand

The Himalaya, being one of the richest biogeographic zones in India has many unexplored regions. Chenab Valley, situated beside the Urgam Reserve forest and just outside the buffer zone of NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve, was such an unexplored area. An assessment of the present status of the flora and fauna in this region was important from several perspectives. The present venture was initiated in order to get the baseline information on various ecological aspects of Ungulates and Pheasants in Chenab Valley and its adjacent areas.It is evident from the results that low density of ungulates and absence of some are the indication of habitat degradation to some extent. Potential threats to the Ungulates and Pheasants have been identified during the study. Conservation implications and management strategies have been discussed. Suggestions are given for further research, monitoring and overall conservation of Chenab Valley and the adjacent forest with special reference to Ungulates and Pheasants.