Faunal diversity study of Rabindra Sarobar (Dhakuria Lake), Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Tarak Samanta; Asim Giri; Arjan Basu Roy; Lina Chatterjee; Nivedita Sengupta; Vijay Barve

doi:10.15468/8t8cww

Faunal diversity study of Rabindra Sarobar (Dhakuria Lake), Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Citation

Samanta T, Giri A, Basu Roy A, Chatterjee L, Sengupta N, Barve V (2023). Faunal diversity study of Rabindra Sarobar (Dhakuria Lake), Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Version 1.4. Nature Mates-Nature Club. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/8t8cww accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-13.

Description

The dataset “Faunal diversity study of Rabindra Sarobar (Dhakuria Lake), Kolkata, West Bengal, India” is published by Nature Mates Nature Club Rabindra Sarobar (previously known as Dhakuria Lake) is an artificial lake in south Kolkata, West Bengal. But it is also a National lake in India. The name also refers to the area surrounding the lake. It is flanked by Southern Avenue to the North, Rashbehari Avenue (Russa Road) to the West, Dhakuria to the East and the Kolkata Suburban Railway tracks to the south. In the early 1920s, the Calcutta Improvement Trust (CIT), a body responsible for developmental work in the Kolkata metropolitan area, acquired about 192 acres (0.78 km2) of marshy jungles. Their intention was to develop the area for residential use – improving the roads, raising and levelling some of the adjacent land and building lakes and parks. Excavation work was undertaken with the plan of creating a huge lake. Originally known as Dhakuria Lake, in May 1958, CIT renamed the lake as Rabindra Sarovar, as a tribute to the great Bengali writer and Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore. The area around this excavated lake was later developed to build recreational complexes, which included children’s parks, gardens, swimming and auditoria. Today the lake and its surrounding areas are one of the most popular recreational areas in Kolkata. 73 acres (300,000 m2) are covered by water, while shrubs and trees, some of which are more than 100 years old, occupy the rest of the area. Earlier, this lake was the lungs of Southern Calcutta. A partial tree census in 2012 recorded 50 different species. In the winter, one can spot some migratory birds along with resident birds around the lake. Though the numbers are dwindling because of the rise in pollution levels. The lake itself is home to many varieties of fish and odonates. Here fishing is strictly prohibited. This dataset enlists animal diversity observed on two days in two different years (11th February 2021 and 8th May 2023). During this biodiversity survey, we recorded Dragonflies (4 species), butterflies (8 species), fishes (6 species), reptiles (2 species), birds (48 species), and mammals (2 species). Species or genus-level identifications have been made for every species.

Purpose

To study the faunal diversity of Rabindra Sarobar (Dhakuria Lake), Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Sampling Description

Study Extent

Rabindra Sarobar (Dhakuria Lake), Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Sampling

Random Sampling Equipment used binocular (Olympus 10*50 DPS I) and camera (Nikon Coolpix P900, P600, B600). Observed data recorded in the field notebook.

Method steps

Direct observation, Call identification, Field notes, Photography

Taxonomic Coverages

The dataset enlists faunal diversity observed on two days in two different years. During this biodiversity survey, we recorded dragonflies (4 species), butterflies (8 species), fishes (6 species), reptiles (2 species), birds (48 species), and mammals (2 species). Species or genus-level identifications have been made for every species.

Arthropoda
rank: phylum
Insecta
common name: Insect rank: class
Odonata
common name: Odonates rank: order
Lepidoptera
common name: Butterflies rank: order
Chordata
rank: phylum
Actinopterygii
common name: Fishes rank: class
Aves
common name: Birds rank: class
Reptilia
common name: Reptiles rank: class
Mammalia
common name: Mammals rank: class

Geographic Coverages

Rabindra Sarobar (Dhakuria Lake), Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Bibliographic Citations

Grimmett R, Inskipp C, Inskipp T (2016) Birds of the Indian Subcontinent: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. Bloomsbury Publishing. -
eBird. (2022). eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: http://www.ebird.org -
IUCN. (2022). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-1. https://www.iucnredlist.org -
Mistry, D., & Basu, R. (2014). Status of Physical Environment and Land use Pattern in Rabindra Sarobar Lake Area of Kolkata. International Journal of Social Science, 3, 311. -
Saha, T., Roy, A., & Ghosh, P.B. (2005). Ecology of Bacterioplankton in a Nationally important Lake, Rabindra Sarobar in Kolkata. Asian Jr. of Microbiol. Biotech. Env. Sc. 7(4): 717-722 -

Contacts

Tarak Samanta
originator
position: Research Associate
Nature Mates-Nature Club
6/7 Bijoygarh
Kolkata
700032
West Bengal
IN
email: taraksamanta995@gmail.com
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6809-0549

Asim Giri
originator
position: Field Assistant
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4450-3609

Arjan Basu Roy
originator
position: Secretary
Nature Mates-Nature Club
6/7 Bijoygarh
Kolkata
700032
West Bengal
IN
homepage: http://www.naturematesindia.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9872-3562

Lina Chatterjee
originator
position: Research Associate
Nature Mates-Nature Club
6/7 Bijoygarh
Kolkata
700032
West Bengal
IN
homepage: http://www.naturematesindia.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5626-5046

Nivedita Sengupta
originator
position: Research Associate
Nature Mates_Nature Club
6/7 Bijoygarh
Kolkata
700032
West Bengal
IN
homepage: http://www.naturematesindia.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1085-7385

Vijay Barve
originator
position: Research Advisor
Nature Mates_Nature Club
6/7 Bijoygarh
Kolkata
700032
West Bengal
IN
homepage: http://www.naturematesindia.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4852-2567

Tarak Samanta
metadata author
position: Research Associate
Nature Mates-Nature Club
6/7 Bijoygarh
Kolkata
700032
West Bengal
IN
email: taraksamanta995@gmail.com
homepage: http://www.naturematesindia.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6809-0549

Vijay Barve
metadata author
position: Research Advisor
Nature Mates-Nature Club
6/7 Bijoygarh
Kolkata
700032
West Bengal
IN
email: vijay.barve@gmail.com
homepage: http://www.naturematesindia.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4852-2567

Tarak Samanta
user
position: Research Associate
Nature Mates-Nature Club
6/7 Bijoygarh
Kolkata
700032
West Bengal
IN
Telephone: 09609972435
email: taraksamanta995@gmail.com

Tarak Samanta
administrative point of contact
position: Research Associate
Nature Mates-Nature Club
6/7 Bijoygarh
Kolkata
700032
West Bengal
IN
email: taraksamanta995@gmail.com
homepage: http://www.naturematesindia.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6809-0549

Arjan Basu Roy
administrative point of contact
position: Secretary
Nature Mates-Nature Club
6/7 Bijoygarh
Kolkata
700032
West Bengal
IN
email: basuroyarjan@gmail.com
homepage: http://www.naturematesindia.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9872-3562