Biodiversity Threats and Conservation Strategies in Amrabad Tiger Reserve

The present study is carried out in Amrabad Tiger Reserve (16o21’-16o70’N and 78o48’-79o40’E) of Telangana state in India for a period of two years, from June 2024 to May 2026, to ensure that all the seasons of two consecutive years will be covered. This study aims to assess and document various factors affecting the forest spread and wildlife depletion in Amrabad Tiger Reserve. This article briefly discusses various possible threats or conservation vulnerabilities of biodiversity in Amrabad Tiger Reserve based on field studies carried out intermittently throughout the study area. The present study was conducted using the survey method. Data was collected by direct field surveys, and from the officials of the Forest Department, Chenchu tribes, and local people have also been relied upon and also referred to online databases such as i-Naturalist, the India Biodiversity Portal, the official website of Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Herp Mapper, etc. The significant plant and animal species are observed in their habitat itself and photographed immediately, and confirmed their identities by inquiring from the standard references. The vegetation of Amrabad Tiger Reserve is typically a mix of southern tropical dry deciduous and southern tropical moist deciduous forest types intermingled with scrubs, woodland and grasslands. As a part of the Nallamala Forest tract, Amrabad Tiger Reserve is renowned for being rich in biological diversity with several endemic species of flora and fauna. The present study reveals that the Amrabad Tiger Reserve was once a dense, pristine, and secure forest, but is now under severe threat; deforestation and wildlife depletion are occurring at an accelerated pace and is in an alarming stage. This is detrimental to the biodiversity as well as to the local indigenous tribe, Chenchus, and leading to severe human-wildlife conflict. Predominant threats to biodiversity in the Amrabad tiger reserve include anthropogenic causes, habitat loss, livestock intervention, forest fires, invasive plants, climate change and poaching. The major conservation strategies being implemented are forest fire management, weed and grassland management, water conservation, plastic bans, artificial water supply to the wildlife, surveillance, base camp operations and wildlife projects such as project tiger. From this study, it is observed that Amrabad Tiger Reserve is now under serious threat with some of its areas lost their ecological integrity and most of them are in a critical state. Sustainable practices and integrated approaches of conservation are need of the hour to restore the ecological treasure. Setting up a statutory body for the conservation of natural resources and a protection authority for the effective implementation of conservation measures, making strong guidelines for nature and wildlife protection, carrying out scientific and strategic environmental impact assessments, designing social and environmental plans is essential when taking up any project in the forest or hilly areas. The government has to relocate all the tribal families residing within the core reserve to reduce anthropogenic influence, human-wildlife conflict, improve their socio-economic standards for the sustenance of invaluable biodiversity in the Reserve. If not, the ecological treasure chest would soon be empty.