Contents Certificate Acknowledgements Introduction Aims and objectives of the study Chapter 1 : Natural Habitats 1.1 Definition 1.2 Classification of Natural Habitats 1.2.1 Terrestrial ecosystem 1.2.2 Coniferous ecosystem 1.2.3 Temperate ecosystem 1.2.4 Grassland ecosystem 1.2.5 Desert ecosystem 1.2.6 Aquatic ecosystem 1.2.7 Flowing water ecosystem 1.2.8 Ocean water ecosystem 1.3 Distribution of the Natural Habitats in the world 1.4 Wildlife habitats and their fragmentation 1.5 Grassland ecosystems of the world and the wildlife adaptations to grasslands 22 1.5.1 Definition of grasslands 1.5.2 Distribution of grasslands in the world 1.5.3 Classification of grasslands 1.5.4 Plants of grasslands 1.5.5 Wildlife adaptation to the grassland ecosystem 1.6 Protected Areas 1.6.1 Definition of Protected Areas 1.6.2 Significance of Protected Areas 1.6.3 Categories of Protected Areas 1.6.3.1 National Parks 1.6.3.2 Wildlife sanctuaries 1.6.3.3 Reserve and protected areas 1.6.3.4 Village forests Chapter 2 : Casestudies 2.1 Serengeti National Park, Tanzania 2.1.1 Climate 2.1.2 Topography 2.1.3 Geology 2.1.4 Vegetation 2.1.5 Biodiversity 2.1.6 Migration in Serengeti 2.1.7 Issues, Impacts, Measures taken, Results 2.2 Gir National Park, Gujarat 36 2.2.1 The Asiatic Lion 2.2.2 Climate 2.2.3 Geology 2.2.4 Hydrology 2.2.5 Vegetation 2.2.6 Biodiversity 2.2.7 Foodchain 2.2.8 Issues, Impacts, Measures taken, Results 2.3 Conclusion Matrix Chapter 3 : Study area-Hingolgadh Sanctuary, Jasdan, Gujarat. 41 3.1 General Information on Hingolgadh 3.1.1 Location 3.1.2 Climate 3.1.3 Temperature 3.1.4 Rainfall 3.1.5 Wildlife 3.2 Delineation of the region for the study 3.3 Topography 3.4 Geology 3.5 Hydrology 3.6 Slope Analysis 3.7 Soil type and soil depth 3.8 Summer soil moisture 3.9 Monsoon soil moisture 3.10 Existing vegetation 3.11 Quadrat studies 3.12 Wildlife habitats 3.13 Comparative analysis of the existing conditions 3.14 Potential vegetation 3.15 Proposal 3.16 Guidelines 3.17 Proposed quadrats based on the proposal