Habitat selection of Himalayan Musk Deer Moschus leucogaster (Mammalia: Artiodactyla: Moschidae) with respect to biophysical attributes in Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal

Reviving lost shadows: investigating the habitat ecology of the rediscovered hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus) in Nepal

The endangered hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus) is one of the least studied mammal species. The recent rediscovery of hispid hare in Chitwan National Park (CNP) after three decades, necessitated urgent conservation measures. A detailed investigation into the species' ecology is imperative for developing evidence-based conservation strategies to support these efforts. The main objective of this study is to investigate the current distribution pattern and habitat preferences, offering vital insights for the effective preservation and management of the species and its habitat. Between 28 January and 13 February 2023, fifty-two surveys using strip transects were carried out in the potential areas. If any indirect signs of the presence of the hispid hare were identified, the corresponding value is coded as 1 "used plot". In contrast, a value of 0 was assigned if there is an absence of any indirect signs "habitat availability plot". Nine habitat predictors (habitat type, ground cover, distance to water source, distance to roads/path/firelines, ground condition, dominant plant species, presence/absence of (anthropogenic disturbance, predators, and invasive species), were measured from both plot types ("used plot" and "habitat availability plot"). Our research indicates a clumped distribution pattern within the CNP, with the Sukhibhar grassland identified as a key hotspot. Our study reveals the hispid hare's adaptability to diverse grassland conditions, favoring both tall and short grasslands. It is essential to integrate the species' preference for various grassland habitats and critical water sources to enhance conservation strategies. This requires a comprehensive grassland management plan for Chitwan National Park that preserves habitat diversity, safeguards key water sources, and adapts to evolving environmental conditions.

Ecological and anthropogenic factors influencing the Summer habitat use of Bos gaurus and its conservation threats in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Background

Gaur (Bos gaurus) is listed as a vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List of threatened species due to the rapid population decline caused by human pressures in their habitats. To develop successful conservation plans, it is essential to understand the relationship between Gaur and their habitats. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing Gaur habitat use and identify and rank conservation threats in Chitwan National Park, Nepal.

Methods

Using line transect surveys, we recorded Gaur's presence via direct sightings and indirect signs (dung, footprints, horns) over an area of 176 km2 in July and August 2022. We used binary logistic regression models to determine the collected ecological and anthropogenic factors influencing the occurrence of Gaur and the relative whole-site threat ranking method to rank conservation threats.

Results

The results revealed that the probability of Gaur occurrence increases with moderate to high canopy cover, riverine and Shorea robusta dominated forests, and nearest distance to road/path/firelines, while decreasing with the presence of predators. Uncontrolled fire, invasive species, human disturbances, and climate change were ranked as the most prevailing threats to Gaur in our study area. Conservation managers should implement effective habitat management interventions, such as construction of waterhole, firelines maintenance, grassland management, and control of invasive species in the potential habitats, to safeguard and maintain the sustainability of Gaur populations and associated herbivores. Future studies should consider larger geographical settings and multiple seasons, and habitat suitability assessments should be conducted to determine current and future suitable habitat refugia for Gaur and other threatened wildlife species at the landscape level.

Wildlife habitat mapping using Sentinel-2 imagery of Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, is part of an important biodiversity hotspot in the north-eastern part of India in the Himalayas. The current study deals with the identification of important wildlife habitats in the sanctuary. We used a supervised classification technique to delineate these habitats in the sanctuary, which are used by several mammals and bird species encountered during camera trap and sign surveys conducted between November 2017 and May 2020. Satellite images from Sentinel - 2A were used to classify the land use land cover (LULC) of the sanctuary. The LULC information was generated by using a maximum likelihood classifier. We classified a total of thirteen LULC classes, i.e., water, built-up, agriculture, orchard, grassland, bamboo forest, bamboo-mixed forest, riverbed, barren land, snow, wild banana, riverine forest and mixed forest. LULC classification reveals a high percentage of mixed forest, about 69.9%, followed by wild bananas at 7.2%. The commission and omission error rates, however, are high for riverbed and agriculture (0.5) and bamboo forest (0.5), respectively. The accuracy assessment showed an overall classification accuracy of 88.5% with a Kappa coefficient of 0.87. The abundance of mammals was high in the mixed forest, but Ivlev's electivity index shows that species generally avoided this habitat and preferred specialized forest habitats, such as bamboo forest, bamboo-mixed forest, grassland, riverbed and riverine forest. Our LULC map will provide a baseline for potential planning and monitoring changes of wildlife habitats in Mehao WLS.

Ecological Factors Determining Barking Deer Distribution and Habitat Use in the Mid-Hills of Nepal

Barking deer is found in dense tropical and subtropical forests of Asia. It is listed as “least concerned” by the International Union of Conservation of Nature and as “vulnerable” in Nepal, where it is also protected. Due to the habitat loss and fragmentation by human activities, barking deer abundance is decreasing, which may even ultimately lead to its extinction. This in turn might negatively affect local ecosystem such as the abundance of the endangered common leopard, for which barking deer is the main prey species in the mid-hills of Nepal. We therefore need to know factors affecting barking deer abundance and its habitat preferences. To determine these factors, we recorded barking deer either by direct sighting or by any evidence of its indirect presence observed through transect surveys in January and February, 2019. To analyze habitat preference, the presence of barking deer was set to 1 if the barking deer or any sign of its presence were observed “used plots,” or to 0 if the barking deer or any sign of its presence were not observed (“habitat availability plot”). We measured main four ecological drivers such as forest management regime, microclimate, disturbance and food resources, which include 11 habitat characteristics in spots where barking deer was present, and in randomly selected spots. We found that elevation, slope, distance from settlement, presence of tree species, depth of leaf litter and percentage cover of leaf litter were most significantly affecting its presence. These results can serve as guidelines for local authorities to prevent decline in abundance of barking deer.

Habitat use and conservation threats to Wild Water Buffalo Bubalus arnee (Mammalia: Artiodactyla: Bovidae) in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal

Wild Water Buffalo (WWB) Bubalus arnee is an endangered species and a protected animal in Nepal. The remaining WWB population is located in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR), and it appears to have low viability under prevailing conditions. We assessed the habitat use and conservation threats to wild water buffalo in KTWR. For habitat analysis the quadrant method was used. Eighty-four quadrants of 25 m2 for trees, 168 quadrants of 10m2 for shrubs and 336 quadrants of 1 m2 for herbs were laid out in the study area. Ivlev’s electivity index (IV) was calculated to assess the use of different habitat components. The important Value Index (IVI) was used for vegetation assessment. A relative threat ranking method was used to assess conservation threats for wild buffalo and their habitats. Wild buffalo mostly preferred habitats with distance to water resources less than 500 m (IV= 0.4), less than 25 % crown coverage (IV= 0.39) and more than 75 % ground coverage (IV= 0.42). The trees species Phyllanthus emblica, Acacia catechu, shrub species Mimosa pudica and the herb species Brachiaria distachya, Vetiveria zizanioides, Imperata cylindrica, and Saccharum spontaneum were preferred by WWB in the study area. Among the different plant categories, we found that Acacia catechu was the most preferred tree species (IVI= 156.95), Mimosa pudica the most preferred shrub species (IVI= 58.68), and Imperata cylindrica the most preferred herb species (IVI= 64.73). Major conservation threats perceived by local stakeholders for wild buffaloes were overgrazing by cattle and genetic swamping through crossbreeding with domestic buffalo. Therefore, conservation of grass species through control of grazing, and prevention of cross breeding are measures supported by this study. Additionally, site-specific conservation strategies should be adopted, based on identified threats in the study area.