The grasslands of Assam’s Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, have shrunk by nearly 50 percent over the past three decades, driven by climate change, invasive species, and human activities, according to park officials and conservation experts. This alarming decline threatens the park’s unique ecosystem, home to species like the greater one-horned rhino, swamp deer, pygmy hog, and Bengal florican.

Field Director C Ramesh reported that the park has lost 50-60 percent of its grasslands in the last 30-35 years, with woodlands rapidly replacing them. “We are witnessing that the grassland expanse is shrinking and woodlands are increasing. That’s a part of succession, but it is happening very rapidly, and that is a cause of concern for us as grasslands are crucial for the ecosystem,” he told PTI. This shift has forced herbivorous animals, such as deer, to concentrate in remaining grassy areas, straining the park’s ecological balance.

Conservationist Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar explained that the decline stems from both biotic factors, such as invasive species and natural succession, and anthropogenic pressures, including livestock grazing and uncontrolled burning. “Climate change accelerates the spread of invasive species,” Lahkar noted, adding that the diversity of grass species, critical for various animals, is also diminishing. “If a particular species of grass decreases, then the animals dependent on that grass will also gradually vanish,” he warned.

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Gauhati University Assistant Professor Minakshi Bora highlighted climate change’s role in altering the park’s hydrological cycle, with erratic rainfall, reduced summer water flows, and increased droughts stressing grassland ecosystems. Invasive species like Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micrantha are outcompeting native vegetation, while flash floods, intensified by melting Himalayan glaciers, damage grasslands and cause wildlife mortality. “The drying up of adjacent wetlands and marshes is further reducing soil moisture and humidity, both essential for healthy grass growth,” Bora added.

Despite these challenges, no comprehensive study on climate change impacts has been conducted due to the absence of a weather station in the park, Ramesh noted. To address the crisis, park authorities, in collaboration with NGOs, have developed a 10-year Grassland Management Action Plan (GMAP). The plan targets invasive species control, habitat restoration, and water body conservation to mitigate threats like natural succession and wetland degradation.

Manas National Park, renowned for its biodiversity, faces a critical juncture. “While grasslands globally face productivity declines and biodiversity shifts from climate change, Manas grasslands are particularly at risk from hydrological disruptions and invasions,” Bora emphasized. Urgent and adaptive conservation efforts are essential to preserve this ecological hotspot and its irreplaceable wildlife.

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