A STUDY ON THE FAUNAL DIVERSITY OF SHRI SHIVAJI COLLEGE CAMPUS, CHIKHLI, DIST. BULDANA (M.S.) INDIA

Abstract

Faunal diversity is an indicator of soil quality. Estimating the population density of an animal species in an area is fundamental to understanding its status and demography and planning for its management and conservation. This study attempt to document the present faunal diversity of the Shri Shivaji college campus in Chikhli, Dist. Buldana from January 2020 to December 2020. During this study period, we have investigated four vertebrate classes (Mammalia, Aves, Reptilia, and Amphibia,) and three invertebrate classes (Mollusca, Arthropoda, and Annelida), near the 18 acres campus college. Our effort resulted in the documentation of 06 Mammals (06 families), 05 Reptile (5 families), 21 Aves (16 families), 03 Amphibia (3 families), 01 Mollusca (01 families), 01 Annelida (01 families), and 16 Arthropoda (13 families) species. A decreasing trend in terms of species richness was observed for most faunal groups over years caused primarily due to habitat degradation as well as due to human activities, such as land-use changes, pollution, and climate change. In this study, we have attempted to document the present faunal diversity of the college campus.