{"id":22346,"date":"2025-10-07T12:04:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T12:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=22346"},"modified":"2025-10-07T12:04:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T12:04:03","slug":"punjabs-flood-affected-ecosystems-under-spotlight-in-ambitious-biodiversity-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=22346","title":{"rendered":"Punjab\u2019s flood-affected ecosystems under spotlight in ambitious biodiversity survey"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>A comprehensive biodiversity survey is underway in Punjab, covering the province\u2019s wildlife, flora, and fauna under the International Union for Conservation of Nature\u2019s (IUCN) National Survey Programme. After completing assessments of terrestrial and aquatic reptiles, experts say that nearly 90 percent of the flora survey has also been finalized, while the migratory bird census is expected to begin on October 2. However, biologists warn that the recent floods could distort bird population estimates due to significant ecological disruptions across aquatic and terrestrial habitats.<\/p>\n<p>According to National Manager of the IUCN Survey Project\u00a0Asim Jamal, four of the five ecological zones in Punjab have been fully surveyed so far. \u201cReptile surveys were conducted during the monsoon season when most species emerge from underground habitats,\u201d he explained. \u201cThe flora assessment is almost complete, and the bird survey is scheduled for the third week of October.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jamal cautioned that the floods had disturbed migratory bird habitats, complicating efforts to record accurate species counts. \u201cThe first survey will provide baseline data, but to understand true trends in breeding, migration, and survival, at least three consecutive years of data collection are essential,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Director of the Punjab Wildlife Survey Programme and Additional Chief Wildlife Ranger Mudassar Hassan, confirmed that the project will conclude by June 30, 2026. \u201cThis is the first time a province-wide, scientifically structured wildlife and flora survey is being conducted using advanced equipment,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the past, the Wildlife Department relied on limited field data, but the IUCN Red List requires extensive, high-quality datasets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read:\u00a0Floods ravage fragile wildlife habitats<\/p>\n<p>Several rare and endangered species from Punjab are already listed in the IUCN Red List, including the\u00a0Indus dolphin, marsh crocodile, Indian pangolin, barasingha, Punjab urial, chinkara, nilgai,\u00a0and dhole (wild dog). Among birds, the houbara bustard, white-rumped vulture, long-billed vulture, red-headed vulture, and white-headed duck are categorized as vulnerable or endangered. The region\u2019s flora includes rare \u00a0coral plant species, while reptiles such as the black pond turtle\u00a0and gharial are also part of the index.<\/p>\n<p>Head of the University of Punjab\u00a0Zoology Department Dr Zulfiqar Ali, head of the Zoology Department at the University of the Punjab, suggested delaying the migratory bird survey to \u00a0November, when most species have settled in their temporary habitats. \u201cAlthough floods have impacted certain ecological zones, the majority of survey sites remain unaffected,\u201d he noted. \u201cMigratory birds typically roost downstream along river systems, assessing water conditions before landing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jamal further emphasized that relying solely on a one-time survey would be counterproductive. He has recommended that the Wildlife Department train its staff in modern data collection techniques to enable long-term, locally led monitoring. The Secretary for Forests and Wildlife \u00a0and \u00a0Director General Wildlife Punjab \u00a0have reportedly endorsed this plan, with training sessions for field staff already in progress.<\/p>\n<p>Experts believe that if the three-year consecutive surveys are completed successfully, Punjab will have its first internationally recognized biodiversity database one that could serve as a foundational reference for regional conservation and environmental policy.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A comprehensive biodiversity survey is underway in Punjab, covering the province\u2019s wildlife, flora, and fauna under the International Union for Conservation of Nature\u2019s (IUCN) National Survey Programme. After completing assessments of terrestrial and aquatic reptiles, experts say that nearly 90 percent of the flora survey has also been finalized, while the migratory bird census is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22346\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}