Peculiarities of Mangla Reservoir: biodiversity with sustainable use options.

Abstract

Mangla Dam is located in the district of Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and downstream to district of Jhelum Punjab, Pakistan. A large water storage reservoir constructed in 1967 on the Jhelum River in the Pir Panjal range of upper Siwaliks. It cover an area of 26,500 ha, and is an important staging and wintering area for grebes, geese, ducks, gulls, cormorants, coots and waders. It regularly supports over 30,000 waterbirds including Aythya ferina, Fulica atra, Phalacrocorax niger, Anas acuta, Aythya fuligula, Anas platyrhynchos, Anas clypeata, Phalacrocorax carbo, Anas strepera and Larus ridibundus. The wetland also holds an appreciable number ofAnser indicus. During this study (winter 2006) bird data is collected in five pocket of Mangla reservoir by walking across the shore line, by boat and on vehicle in surrounding buffer zone of 2 kilometer. Field observers recorded all birds seen or hear d on the site. The survey found significant populations of waterfowl, including huge flock (1,073) of Bar -headed Geese, Ruddy Shelduck, Northern Pintail and Ferruginous duck (total bird count was 31,920 of 141 species). The reservoir is an important spawning ground and source of food for fish. It contains a variety of fish species, which increase in abundance during periods of high water levels. One of the most important freshwater game fish Tor putitoraalso breeds in the Mangla Dam. The mammalian fauna ofthe area resemble to that of Salt range, Pothowar plateau of the Punjab province of the Pakistan and mainly of Oriental origin. The habitat is generally of Sup