Completed projects

Bird Diversity Census (2017-21)

The project "Bird Diversity Census of the College Campus" which started in September 2017 has used a Multi-season occupancy model for bird species belonging to various habitat guilds such as human habitation, woodland, open areas etc. The primary objective of this study is to assess the occupancy status of different species and their associations with the persisting habitats within the campus. The occupancy estimates of different species, as they emerge from the present study, can serve as baseline information for future conservation monitoring within the campus. We also aim to assess the importance of floral diversity of the campus in terms of sustaining viable avian populations.

Dust Attenuation Project (2018-21)

‘Dust Attenuation Project’ was conducted in two phases from 2018 to 2021. This project is an extension of the Tree Census of the College campus carried out earlier. Despite having a significantly large green cover, the IPCW campus is vulnerable to high level of pollution because of its geographical location and exposure to heavy vehicular load. This poses serious threat to the current status of air quality and the health standards on campus. The aim of the project was to evaluate the dust capturing capacity of the existing trees of the campus and to design an efficient green belt with different types of plantation pattern involving Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and Anticipated Performance Index (API). APTI and API are ideal indicator tools for recommending plant species to design an efficacious urban greening or green infrastructure. The project also aimed at creating an inventory of plant species that can be used to mitigate the air pollution concentration in and around the educational institutions. The green cover of the campus has been examined in terms of its potential and practice as a buffer zone in the attenuation (reduction) of the outdoor pollution infiltrating the College campus. The study suggested that urban particulate pollution influence the ambient air quality. Moreover, through pollution removal and other tree functions, urban green belts can help to improve the environmental quality and consequently improve human health. The present study can be used as a model for better understanding and management of air quality and it also provides a guide for the selection of suitable plant species on the basis of APTI and API values in urban areas like Delhi.

Tree Census of the Campus (2015-16)

The Department of Environmental Studies of IP College initiated a Tree Census and Labelling Project in 2015-16. The objectives of the project was to quantify the greenery on the campus and to educate the students about the different tree species that they encounter in their daily lives. According to the Tree Census, IP College campus has a total of 803 trees belonging to 91 species which have been numbered from 1- 753 (main campus) and 1-50 (in IP Hostel, located adjacent to the main campus). These also include some large number of fruiting trees as well and therefore are a boon for the bird diversity in the campus. Centre for Earth Studies was actively involved in preparation of the Tree Census Report, a comprehensive document on the floral diversity of the campus.