Faunal Diversity of Anantrao Pawar College Campus, Pirangut, Pune: A Preliminary Inventory and Ecological Assessment

Abstract

This preliminary study documented faunal diversity on the campus of Anantrao Pawar College, Pirangut, Pune, Maharashtra, and summarised the ecological roles associated with the recorded taxa. A qualitative, exploratory field survey was conducted from July 2025 to March 2026 using direct visual observation and photographic documentation while walking random transects through trees, manicured gardens, open ground, leaf litter, soil, and other campus microhabitats. The survey yielded 29 observational entries representing nine broad animal groups: insects, birds, arachnids, myriapods, molluscs, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, and annelids. Recorded fauna included predatory arthropods, soil and litter macrofauna, birds, an amphibian, a reptile, molluscs, a crustacean, and an earthworm. Notable birds included the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus), Asian Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis), Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), House Crow (Corvus splendens), and Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis). The observed assemblage represented several functional categories, including predation, flower visitation, decomposition, scavenging, herbivory, and omnivory. These functions were interpreted from the observed taxa and supporting ecological literature rather than measured directly. The inventory therefore integrates taxonomic observations with cautious functional interpretation without estimating ecosystem-process or ecosystem-service rates. The findings indicate that the campus contains heterogeneous microhabitats capable of supporting a varied faunal assemblage and provide a preliminary baseline for future systematic biodiversity monitoring.