M Sc Dissertation(WII)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://192.168.202.180:4000/handle/123456789/3

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 200

A Countryside carnivore: aspect of leopard ecology at Jawai, Rajasthan
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2017) Sharma, Ravi Kumar; Qureshi, Qamar; Das, Abhijit
1.Increasing human population and habitat fragmentation has impacted the large carnivore population across India. Leopard among pantherine is more tolerant to human disturbance and co-occur with humans in the wide variety of habitats. 2. Study was undertaken to understand status of leopard and factors responsible for its survival in human-dominated landscape. 3. Study was conducted in Jawai Dam Community Conservation Reserve from December 2016 to April 2017 in a semi-arid region of Pali, Rajasthan, India We examined villager's perception towards leopard by taking out the percentage of each response of respondents. Tolerance and religious view toward leopards was found significantly similar with each other, villagers has higher economic losses (livestock loss by leopards) than benefits (tourism activities) generated by hotel lobby. Villagers were examined to have minimal loss of human life and injuries by leopards, so it's easy to say about existence than co-existence or co-occurrence of both leopard and human in Proposed lawai Leopard Community Conservation Reserve.
A Forked Relationship : Understanding the Acoustic Communication Strategies in Sympatric Drongos
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Lahiri, Sutirtha; Qureshi, Qamar; Kolipakam, V.
The competitive exclusion principle states that ecologically similar species cannot co-exist and will either go extinct or develop diverging traits, the concept of environment filtering regards the environment. Patterns of trait divergence vary depending on whether the species occur in sympatry or in allopatry. Sympatry is defined as the co-occurrence of more than one species in the same geographical area with overlapping ranges. If closely related species occur in sympatry, competition is likely to shape divergence in their ecological as well as in the sensory domain, example acoustic signals. Diverse animal taxa employ acoustic signals for a variety of functions including mate choice, species identification, resource defence and other ecological and social functions. The primary aim of an acoustic signal is to efficiently communicate information over relatively long distances. This information, however, is subjected to changes and distortions imposed by the physical structure of the habitat, as well as masking interference from co-occurring signals of other acoustically communicating species. Masking interference by background noise or the simultaneously vocalization of other species- especially ones closely related- incur several disadvantages to the vocalizing individual. Signals with similar features have a high potential of interference for the species vocalizing, as well as for the receiver interpreting it. These disadvantages- or costs- could be the failure to respond to appropriate signals and the unnecessary response to territorial or mating signals not meant for them. However, a number of animals communicate successfully even in noisy and crowded environments, and can locate mates with relatively high success rates. This suggests the presence of powerful strategies to deal with the transmission, detection and recognition of relevant signals. To avoid acoustic competition due to the effect of masking interference, animals partition the acoustic resource in the temporal, spatial and spectral domains. Closely related species tend to be physically and behaviourally more similar than distantly related species, and are likely to possess similar songs and singing behaviour. The relationship between phylogenetic relatedness and trait similarity is investigated by quantifying what is called the ‘phylogenetic signal’- the tendency of related species to resemble each other more than is expected by chance. As a result, acoustic interference is likely to occur more often among closely related species, and they may evolve divergent signals to compensate. Drongos (Dicruridae) are a group of highly vocal passerines known for their vocal plasticity. There is a great extent to which their vocal repertoire can range in terms of diversity and function. Apart from having a wide range of species-specific repertoire, drongos are also mimetic species known to mimic the calls of conspecifics as well as other animals present in their environment. This study, conducted in Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, focused on the four species of sympatric drongos- the Hair-crested Drongo, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and Bronzed Drongo- and how they partition their acoustic niche. The study also looks into the ecological adaptations to counteract the impact of masking interference by habitat and closely related congeners. Active acoustic recording was done to record the four species of drongos in the study area. Line transects were walked along trails to calculate the density of each drongo species. Passive acoustic recorders were used to study the vocal activity patterns in the drongos. The study found evidence of overlapping acoustic niche between the drongos. However, they were significantly different from each other in the individual acoustic parameters. The drongos also occupied separate height classes, barring the lesser racket-tailed and the greater racket-tailed drongo. However, the drongos did not separate in their vocal activity pattern, suggesting overlap in the diel pattern. The study thus gives insight into the acoustic space of a group of highly versatile bird as well as the strategies they adapt to avoid interfering each other and thus co-exist.
A Forked Relationship : Understanding the Acoustic Communication Strategies in Sympatric Drongos
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Lahiri, Sutirtha; Qureshi, Qamar; Kolipakam, Vishnupriya
The competitive exclusion principle states that ecologically similar species cannot co-exist and will either go extinct or develop diverging traits, the concept of environment filtering regards the environment. Patterns of trait divergence vary depending on whether the species occur in sympatry or in allopatry. Sympatry is defined as the co-occurrence of more than one species in the same geographical area with overlapping ranges. If closely related species occur in sympatry, competition is likely to shape divergence in their ecological as well as in the sensory domain, example acoustic signals. Diverse animal taxa employ acoustic signals for a variety of functions including mate choice, species identification, resource defence and other ecological and social functions. The primary aim of an acoustic signal is to efficiently communicate information over relatively long distances. This information, however, is subjected to changes and distortions imposed by the physical structure of the habitat, as well as masking interference from co-occurring signals of other acoustically communicating species. Masking interference by background noise or the simultaneously vocalization of other species- especially ones closely related- incur several disadvantages to the vocalizing individual. Signals with similar features have a high potential of interference for the species vocalizing, as well as for the receiver interpreting it. These disadvantages- or costs- could be the failure to respond to appropriate signals and the unnecessary response to territorial or mating signals not meant for them. However, a number of animals communicate successfully even in noisy and crowded environments, and can locate mates with relatively high success rates. This suggests the presence of powerful strategies to deal with the transmission, detection and recognition of relevant signals. To avoid acoustic competition due to the effect of masking interference, animals partition the acoustic resource in the temporal, spatial and spectral domains. Closely related species tend to be physically and behaviourally more similar than distantly related species, and are likely to possess similar songs and singing behaviour. The relationship between phylogenetic relatedness and trait similarity is investigated by quantifying what is called the ‘phylogenetic signal’- the tendency of related species to resemble each other more than is expected by chance. As a result, acoustic interference is likely to occur more often among closely related species, and they may evolve divergent signals to compensate. Drongos (Dicruridae) are a group of highly vocal passerines known for their vocal plasticity. There is a great extent to which their vocal repertoire can range in terms of diversity and function. Apart from having a wide range of species-specific repertoire, drongos are also mimetic species known to mimic the calls of conspecifics as well as other animals present in their environment. This study, conducted in Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, focused on the four species of sympatric drongos- the Hair-crested Drongo, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and Bronzed Drongo- and how they partition their acoustic niche. The study also looks into the ecological adaptations to counteract the impact of masking interference by habitat and closely related congeners. Active acoustic recording was done to record the four species of drongos in the study area. Line transects were walked along trails to calculate the density of each drongo species. Passive acoustic recorders were used to study the vocal activity patterns in the drongos. The study found evidence of overlapping acoustic niche between the drongos. However, they were significantly different from each other in the individual acoustic parameters. The drongos also occupied separate height classes, barring the lesser racket-tailed and the greater racket-tailed drongo. However, the drongos did not separate in their vocal activity pattern, suggesting overlap in the diel pattern. The study thus gives insight into the acoustic space of a group of highly versatile bird as well as the strategies they adapt to avoid interfering each other and thus co-exist
A Seroepizootiological Study of some Important Infectious Viral Diseases in Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica) and Sympatric Carnivores in Gujarat
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 1999) Anand, R.; Mukherjee, S.K.
In an effort to understand the seroprevalence of viral infections and their impact on the Asiatic lions. a seroepizootiological study of canine distemper virus (CDV), feline parvo virus (FPV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FlY) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) was done in Asiatic lions, hybrid lions and sympatric leopards and domestic carnivores in five zoological parks in Ahmedabad, Baroda, Devaliya, Junagadh and Rajkot and the Gir National Park and Sanctuary. Fifty lions, including 13 hybrid lions, 24 leopards, 30 domestic cats and 196 domestic dogs were tested by agar gel immunodiffusion tests and dot-immunobinding assays for the serological evidence of above viruses. Antibodies to CDV were detected in 94.59 %. (35/37) of Asiatic lions, 76.92 % (10113) of the hybrid lions, 91.66 % (22/24) of the leopards, 70 % (211/ 30) of the domestic cats and 66.83 % (1311 196) of the domestic dogs. High seropositivity to CDV without overt symptoms of clinical disease suggested the possibility of a strain of low pathogenicity circulating or infecting these felids. It also indicated the probability of felid to felid transmission. 100 % seroprevalence to FPV antibodies was observed in both the domestic and exotic felids. Absence of clinical feline panleukopenia-like symptoms, suggested that FPV appeared to manifest itself as an inapparent infection in these domestic and non-domestic felids. 80% of lions, 62.5% of leopards and 80% of domestic cats sampled had high FPV antibody titres more than 1: 160, suggesting repeated infection with an endemic parvo-like virus. There were no detectable levels of antibodies to FIV or FeLV antigens in the lions, leopards and domestic cats. The study found in captive non-domestic felids, a high prevalence to CDV and FPV, two viruses, known to have caused Iarge-scale mortalities in captive and free-living non-domestic felids world-wide. It is suggested that movement, translocation or re-introduction of these seropositive felids may be associated with disease risks and hence movement and translocation of these felids must be done after subjecting them to standard quarantine and disease screening protocols. Vaccination may be considered using killed or other suitable viral vaccines
A Study of Heterospecific Flocking and Nonbreeding Bird Community Structure of Rajaji National Park
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 1991) Rai, Nitin D.; Johnsingh, A.J.T.
Many workers have found a direct relationship between bird community structure and vegetation structure. To investigate this and describe the heterospecific flocking behaviour of nonbreeding birds I sampled five habitat types in the Dholkhand range of Rajaji National Park, U.P., India. Inter-habitat differences in flocking and bird community structure were considered. I used the line transect technique to sample bird communities. Mixed species flocks were observed to investigate why birds flock. The guild structure based on diet and foraging strategy showed a marked difference between habitats. Species richness was estimated using rarefaction analysis, a procedure that standardizes the unequal area of the different sites. I used a correlational approach to answer the question – what determines bird species richness ? Foliage height diversity, canopy cover, canopy height, canopy height difference, tree density, tree species numbers and cross sectional area, were used as the vegetation variables. Results indicate that none of the variables have strong predictive value though tree species number which is the only floristic measure of the habitats has a consistent influence independent of sample size. The guild structures suggest that the bird communities vary with floristic aspects, of the habitats. To test my hypothesis that flocking is a response to food availability I related bird densities, which is an indicator of food availability, to flocking tendencies and found a inverse relationship. I also found behavioural evidence to suggest that flocking is also an anti-predatory strategy.
A Study of Resource Seletion by Black Kites (Milvus migrans) in the Urban Landscape of National Capital Region India
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2013) Kumar, Nishant; Mohan, D.; Jhala, Y.V.
Black Kites are the scavenger and predator raptors of the old world. In India they are synanthropic and perform the ecological role of city scavengers. Abundance and distribution of these birds suffers change due to rapid infrastructural changes in the developing cities which likely limit or change spatial layout of the available habitat and food. Many cities in the old world (London, Cape Verde, Istanbul) have experienced decline in the population of Milvus kites owing to rapid urbanization. Indian sub-continent almost lost its main scavenger, white backed vultures, in the last century. After this loss; existence of black kites, the most abundant raptor of the old world proves very vital. On these lines I carried carry out this dissertation from December 2012 to April 2013. This study focused on a) estimating the abundance of Black Kites on the Ghazipur dump site and the abundance of nesting pairs in National Capital Region (NCR), b) evaluating factors influencing nesting habitat selection combined with a broad understanding of its foraging habits and c) estimating nest survivorship in the urban landscape. I studied these parameters at selective study sites in NCR by intensive counts of birds at Ghazipur and breeding pairs at nest sites across eight study sites. Nests were searched intensively at each site while I tried to develop and test a new method to count the kites on the Ghazipur dump. Data from 116 nests and nest sites covariates were used to model nest survivorship under Known Fate scheme in Programme MARK. For my first objective, I estimated the current abundance of nesting pairs of Black Kites at 7 study sites. It ranged from 4 pairs / km2 in Sagarpur to 67 pairs / km2 in North Campus area. Nesting kites were selective while choosing a nest site, as evident by significant partial correlation between nest density, food index and green cover. The sites at the best trade-off between green cover and food availability had the highest nest densities. While developing a new methodology, I estimated around 2400 kites on the Ghazipur dump. Through behavioural observations and broad examination of regurgitated pellets, I could confirm scavenging as well as predacious nature of Black Kites. The overall probability of a nest to produce a viable fledgling was 0.45. The nest survivorship was stage specific and varied with pre-laying, incubation or nestling stage. The lower survival probability (0.60) at pre-laying stage is likely because of surplus nest formation at sites with good foraging opportunities. Understanding the importance of kites in urban ecology, studies using individually marked birds will reveal vital details of their behavioural and physiological adaptations. If future long term studies are conclusive enough, may establish Black Kites as an umbrella species of urban ecology.
A Study of Vigilance Behaviour of Chital (Axis axis) in Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2009) Ghuman, Sartaj S.; Sankar, K.
Predation is an important agent of natural selection in animal communities and so vigilance behaviour has very high selection pressure acting upon it. During feeding bouts, unless plant density and biomass are high and food intake is limited only by the processing rates, herbivores tend to experience a trade-off between vigilance and feeding. Thus, vigilance as a behaviour pattern ought to be tightly regulated by the cost-benefit ratios. A study on vigilance behaviour of chital (Axis axis) was conducted at Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh from December 2008 to April 2009. The objectives of the study were to examine the determinants of individual and group vigilance in chital; and also to examine the t effect of conspecific behaviour on individual vigilance. I used scan sampling with fixed interval recording to estimate group vigilance and focal animal sampling with continuous recording to estimate individual vigilance levels. Three main factors that are known to affect :, vigilance from studies on other herbivores were examined: group size, density of animals in the group and visibility. Scanning behaviour was used as an estimate of vigilance. 'Scanning' refers to the state when the animal has its head above shoulder level and the senses of sight, smell and hearing are actively 'scanning' the environment. Individual vigilance was found to decrease with increasing group size, decreasing density and increasing visibility. In large groups adult males, fawns and adult females with fawns were found to be significantly more vigilant than females without fawns and yearling males. Group vigilance level was found to increase significantly with increasing group size, even as the group scan level decreased. Individuals seemed to reduce vigilance with relation to group size rather than the group vigilance level. The results suggest that individual chital do not adopt levels of scanning that maximize cooperative predator detection. The benefits of the group size effect vary with age-sex classes and other probable internal and external predation risk Factors and so vigilance is more likely governed by a combination of dilution and detection hypotheses mechanisms, the focus changing from one to the other with individual risk.
A Study on Bird Communities-Habitat Structure Relationships in Pench National Park, M.P.
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 1997) Jayapal, R.; Qureshi, Qamar
There has been a number of studies on bird communities and their relationships with habitat features of floristics and physiognomy. In particular, the spatial distribution of bird communities along the axis of structural variables of a habitat has received a wider attention in the light of recent findings on landscape behaviour. Most of these works relate to either temperate or neotropical forests and our knowledge of community dynamics of tropical deciduous forests is very limited, for there has been hardly any comprehensive study in the tropics. The present study was done in the deciduous forests of the Pench National Park, Central India (M.P) between "November, 1996 and April, 1997 covering winter (November,1996-1anuary,1997) and summer (March, 1997-April, 1997). Seven distinct habitat types were identified for the study based on floristic and structural diversity. Seasonal data on 27 habitat structural variables were collected from bird-centered sampling plots. Point count census technique was employed to study the bird population. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was used to determine the patterns of inter-relationships among the habitat structural variables. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was done to understand the relationships of habitat components to the distribution of bird communities. For guild analysis, two different sets criteria were used to identify the guilds among the bird populations viz., food type and foraging behaviour. Twelve guilds were recognized based on the food type and, six among the insectivores with respect to foraging behaviour. The results of the PCA showed that habitat structural variables of tropical deciduous forests have a marked pattern of inter-relationships on two axes of landscape behaviour, viz., heterogeneity and complexity. But they failed to reveal any such segregation vis-a-vis bird community structure, as the scale of measurement did not address all the members of the community. The spatial distribution pattern of bird communities in relation to habitat architecture was shown by CCA to be not very tenacious; the interactions of other extraneous factors like floristics, habitat dynamics, phenophases of vegetation, disturbance, or interactions within the community may influence the habitat selection process. There was no linear correlation observed between Foliage Height Diversity and Bird Species Diversity; possible explanations and alternative views have been discussed briefly. The response of bird communities to floristics was found to be inconsistent across habitat types as positive linear relationship was detected only for Teak-dominant forests in winter, and for Anogeiss Boswellia forests and Cleistanthus collinus woodland in summer. Guild compositions of various habitat types were not found to be significanty different from each other though the seasonal change was consistent across all the habitats.
A Study on Breeding Behaviour of Oriental White-backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) in Anjarle and Deobag, Mahashtra
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2011) Kambale, Asish Atmaram; Sivakumar, S.; Mohan, D.
This study was aimed to understand the current status, distribution pattern, habitat characteristics, nesting success and nesting behaviour of Oriental Whitebacked vulture in the Konkan coast during a breeding season between December 2010 and May 2011. A total of 24 sites either nesting or feeding were located all along the Konkan coasts of Maharashtra during the survey using area search method as well as interview based techniques. Study shows that there was no significant difference in the habitats of both active and inactive nesting sites in the Konkan coast which indicates that the decline of nesting population of vulatures in the region may not be exclusively due to habitat destruction
A Whistle Amongst Growls : Dholes in a Multi Predator System in Dry Deciduous Forests of India
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2015) Ghaskadbi, Pallavi; Habib, Bilal; Qureshi, Qamar
A significant amount of research has proved that there is a positive correlation between habitat heterogeneity/diversity and animal 'species diversity owing to the availability of more exploitable niches (Tews et al. 2004). On a spatial scale for free ranging large carnivores, a place like the Tadoba- Andhari Tiger Reserve has a low habitat heterogeneity, however, it shows a variety of species of both predators and prey in a small area. Studying the prey- predator interactions in such a system would lead to a better insight into large carnivore ecology. In contrast with the African Wild dog which enjoys much more attention of researchers and biologists, the Dhole has clearly not been a favourite. Being a social carnivore, there is a complex and dynamic fission and fusion of packs amongst Dholes. However, there is a grave lack of information on the pack dynamics of the Dhole. I attempted to conduct experiments to study one of the fundamental factors of social behaviour which is individual recognition.
Abundance and social organization of male Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Rajaji Tiger Reserve
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Madhusudanan, Abhimanyu; Pandav, Bivash; Lakshminarayan, N.; Mondol, Samrat
1. Asian Elephants are complex, social, and polygynous mammals living in fission-fusion societies. Male elephants are known to alternate between leading solitary lives, in all-male groups or associating with mixed-sex herds. All-male groups allow younger males to learn from older males, test strengths and spar with their peers. While much work has been done on female Asian elephant societies, studies focused on male association patterns are limited, but gaining importance in the light of human-elephant conflicts. In this study, I estimated the abundance of adult male elephants in a stretch of forest spanning over 40 km along the east bank of the river Ganga in Uttarakhand using a polygon search-based spatially explicit capture recapture (SECR) framework 2. I invested a survey effort of ~3014 km to estimate the abundance of the adult male segment of the population using a capture-recapture framework. Using a combination of morphological features, I identified 34 adult males from 124 elephant sightings. Association patterns of the male elephants, following behavioural sampling approaches were also recorded during the surveys. 3. Adult male elephant density was 0.05 (SE=0.01)/km2, and a derived abundance of 40 (SE=1.4) for the 475 km2 study area. This demonstrates that polygon search-based SECR is an effective approach in estimating elephant abundance.
Abundance, Habitat Relationships and Behavior of the Semi-Fossorial Indian Desert Jird, Meriones hurriancae, in Kachchh, Gujarat
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2011) Ramesh, Divya; Jhala, Y.V.; Qureshi, Qamar
Population sizes, habitat relationships and behaviour are among basic ecological aspects pivotal to demystifying a species and its place in the ecosystem. Numerous in species and number, desert rodents offer immense scope for such investigations. The Indian desert jird, Meriones hurrianae, though common, is remarkably little known. This study, conducted in Kachchh, Gujarat, estimates population sizes, examines factors in the habitat likely to influence their occurrence, and elucidates the activity pattern and time budget across 2 land use types, agricultural and natural areas, during winter (December February) and summer (March-May). Animals were caught in 9 colonies using Sherman traps and population estimated under closed population Capture-Mark-Recapture framework in Program MARK, using individual covariates (age class, gender, body weight, site). Colony parameters (length, width, number of holes) were regressed against known Mark-Recapture (MR) population estimates to develop predictive models for estimating population size from indices. Population sizes varied from 2 to 10 individuals. Number of holes in a colony provided robust estimates of the number of individuals in that colony (N=16, R2=0.96, t=18.19, p
Activity Patterns and Food Habits of the Phayre's Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei) in Free-Ranging and Captive Conditions in Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, Tripura
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2015) Lama, Pragya Aishwarya; Tyagi, P.C.; Nigam, Parag; Sankar, K.
Maintenance of ex-situ populations of species threatened with extinction is a potential tool for ensuring recovery. Ex-situ conservation efforts though ongoing in India have been minimally documented. The present study aimed to fill gaps in information on the activity patterns and food habits of the endangered Phayre's leaf monkey (Trachypitheclis phayrei), a specialist feeder primarily a foliovore. This aspect was studied both in free-ranging and captive conditions. The study site posed a unique feature wherein the captive study species was located only ill one zoo all. over India which also happened to be within its geographical area. Thus, the Sepahijala Zoological Park (SZP) situated within the Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary (SWLS), Tripura was chosen as a study site. It was hypothesized that the activity patterns obtained from both the settings would be similar and that the nutrient composition of the food items consumed in wild and offered in captivity would not be much different from each other. A reconnaissance survey was carried out in which the available population, troop size and composition of Phayre's leaf monkey was assessed in both, the SWLS arid SZP. A IS-minute 'scan sampling' was conducted from dawn to dusk for studying the activity patterns of the troop selected for observation in the wild (after habituation) and in captivity. The activity data was analysed keeping in mind different age and sex categories within the wild and captive troops and across the two different settings. Chi square test was used to test for significant differences inactivity patterns within and across the captive and wild troop. The food habits (plants, plant parts and frequency eaten) of the Phayre's leaf monkey were studied on the basis of scans obtained as well as casual observations of the other free-ranging counterparts. Eaten food plants were identified and nutrient analysis was done for positive and negative nutrients after collecting and drying the samples from the field. Subsequently, it was processed at the laboratory in Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. The nutrients analysed were compared using the independent samples t-test.
Age Estimation of a Breeding Population of Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) Along the Odisha Coast, Eastern India: Using skeletochronology
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2013) Baburam, Anupya D.; Pandav, Bivash; Kumar, R.S.
A migratory population of olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) forms huge reproductive congregations in the coastal waters of Odisha every winter. This breeding population of olive ridley has been subjected to heavy fisheries related mortality for the past two and half decades. Although a number of studies have been carried out on olive ridleys congregating and nesting along the Odisha coast, the impact of such large scale mortality on the demography of this breeding population has been least understood. The effect of this continued mortality on the age class of olive ridleys nesting along Odisha coast is not known. In order to understand the age class of this breeding population I carried out this study from December 2012 till May 2013. I used skeletochronological analysis to estimate the age class of this breeding olive ridley sea turtle population. Although this technique has been applied for marine turtles mostly in North Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coast of United States of America, no studies of this kind have been carried out on sea turtles of Eastern Pacific as well as Indian Ocean region. This study provides the information needed to bridge this gap and establish baseline for future skeletochronological studies on the breeding population of olive ridley. Humeral samples from 85 dead turtles (29 males and 56 females) washed ashore the Odisha coast was collected for skeletochronological studies. Cross sections were taken from the mid-diaphysis, just distal to the deltopectoral crest and beneath the insertion scar on the humerus were taken using first a Dremel 4000 round saw, then a freezing stage microtome. These sections were processed according to standardized histological techniques; growth rings on the stained humeral cross sections were counted to estimate age of dead turtles. Two age estimation protocols were used; the correction factor protocol and the ranking protocol; which yielded age estimates of 19.9 - 51.8 and 24 – 49 years respectively; for a size class of 56 - 74 cm (SCL). No correlation between size class and age was obtained from this analysis. This relationship was not established because the samples collected were from an adult breeding population, whereas, in the previous studies, sample collection represented individuals that greatly varied in size (hatchlings to adult). This study suggests that adult breeding population size class has no correlation with age; however, age can be correlated with size class of a younger population. This breeding population is sustaining a wide age group even though mortality rates are high in this area
An Assessment of Recreational Value of Periyar Tiger Reserve and the Distribution of Tourism Income Among Stakeholders
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2013) Sebastian, Subish; Badola, Ruchi; Hussain, S.A.; Uniyal, V.K.
Protected Areas (PA) are cornerstone for biodiversity conservation and their role in maintaining flow of ecosystem goods and services is now being acknowledged. But it is difficult to justify their creation when demand for employment, infrastructure increases, and thus government may take decision looking at the short term economic prosperity. When economic wealth generated through development activity and compared to the income generated from P A, the former does over shadow the income generated from P A conservation. But in doing so, the other benefits of conservation remain unaccounted. These benefits range from provision of fuel, fodder, food, to local communities at local scale, and provision of clean water, air purification, and aesthetic and bequest value at regional or larger spatial scales. Accounting of the services such as recreational value provided by the P A can help generate support for conservation at all spatial scales. The Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) is a popular tourist destination visited by the people by national and international tourists. Ecotourism programs are implemented in PTR as an integrated conservation and development project for sustainable development of local communities, and to create awareness as well as to promote conservation. The success of this program can be largely attributed to its charismatic flagships species and its unique water safari where tourists can enjoy the wildlife in scenic background on either side of the Periyar Lake. Encouraged by the success of tourism, more and more communities have enrolled themselves in different activities which are either directly or indirectly connected with tourism. Being the most visited and popular P A, it becomes imperative to explore the recreational value of the PTR. Also, since local communities living in and around PTR are traditionally dependent on the reserve's resources and are being involved in ecotourism activities, it is essential to assess the distribution of ecotourism benefits stakeholders. It is well known that support for conservation can be generated if the communities are obtaining benefits from conservation linked tourism. But the monetary leakages in community based tourism or ecotourism often undermine the support for conservation. Thus, PTR being an ecotourism site, it is crucial to know the monetary leakages occurring onsite in PTR and how this revenue related linkages and leakages mould the attitude of stakeholder towards biodiversity conservation? The recreational value of PTR was calculated using the Zonal Travel Cost Method. This method helps to derive the demand function for the site. Questionnaire survey was carried out to know the socio-economic status, the monetary flow in the household; examine people attitude towards PTR. One hundred twenty five in-depth interviews were conducted among eight major stakeholders whose dependency on tourism was very high. For assessing the best existing model which underlines the principles of ecotourism, the tourism was classified into three kinds, first one Tourism run by private party, secondly Tourism run by local community, and finally Tourism run by Periyar Tiger Reserve's EDCs. The recreational value of the reserve was estimated as Rs. 44176299.32. With the cost per visitor being Rs. 63.56 the consumers' surplus was large, showing the willingness of visitors to pay for wildlife recreation. The socio economic study reveals that the 'Tourism Programs' run by EDCs are the best models providing 100% share to local communities, followed by the home stays run by local communities. Monetary leakages were highest in case of resorts (82%), followed by 20% leakages from home stay, while no leakage was observed at EDC. The leakage of 200/0 is due to the link with foreign players like tour operators and other resorts who market their products. Even though resorts that the private player run programs claim as ecotourism, only 14.9% of share goes to the local community. The results obtained indicate that the conservation attitudes are not influenced by income class, education, gender and age of the respondents. Attitude of local community is highly Positive towards forest and wildlife conservation, which can be attributed to the benefit sharing approach developed by Forest Department. The findings indicate that the participatory approach and benefit sharing are good means to promote sustainable use of natural resources. High consumer surplus for visits to PTR suggests that recreational value of PTR is higher than the current expenditure by the people. Thus, there is a poss~bi1ity of increasing the ecotourism. fee, which would contribute to higher turnover for the forest department. Tourism income is not equitably distributed among stakeholders. The percent of locals employed in profitable ecotourism ventures was less, resulting in 82% monetary leakages. Support for conservation is very high among all stakeholders in PTR but this scenario or this state can't be clearly attributed to the benefits derived from the tourism. Forest department play a major role in creating awareness. Conflict among stakeholder group about the revenue sharing and the mode of aggressive marketing does not affect their perception about wildlife. Occupation does not affect the attitude of stakeholders. Benefits derived from tourism lead to positive attitude of local communities and enhance conservation support among local communities. Higher employment of locals in the resorts, massaging parlours and as taxi and tour operators would lead to sustainability of ecotourism in PTR. Capacity building and financial assistance to the locals would enhance local employment and minimize monetary leakages and thus increase benefits to the locals.
An Assessment of select anthelminthes on parasitic control and health status of captive cervids.
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2007) Das, Garga Mohan; Nigam, Parag; Chakraborty, Debashish
The study was carried out for a period of six months between November 2006 to May 2007. The reconnaissance survey was carried out at seven deer arks in the states of Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh during November 2006. Based on the initial survey three deer parks were selected and intensive sampling was carried out to assess the parasitic load, carryout anthelmintic trials and study impact of anthelmintic treatment on behaviour and condition of animal December 2006 to May 2007
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas herbibory and Seagrass in the Agtti Lagoon, Lakshadweep
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2007) Lal, Aparna; Choudhury, B.C.; Sivakumar, K.
Globally, nearshore ecosystems are being increasingly impacted upon by expanding coastal development. The almost complete dependence of marine mega herbivores like Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) on these habitats for food together with their current low population levels in many regions highlights the need to understand this vital relationship. This study was an attempt within this framework. It aimed to quantify the intensity and potential impacts of Green Turtle grazing on the seagrass Cymodocea rotundata in the Agatti Lagoon, Lakshadweep. To map the habitat types in the lagoon, points generated from a grid were used, while 23 transects, perpendicular to the shore, formed the basic sampling unit to assess turtle density and map their distribution patterns across the lagoon. The study recorded exceptionally high turtle abundances within the lagoon with their distribution patterns being restricted to certain areas within the seagrass meadow. The magnitude and potential impacts of herbivory were quantified across the established gradient of turtle density in the lagoon. It was found that C. rotundata plant parameters like morphology, life history strategies, population dynamics and meadow level characteristics were significantly different in areas with less turtles, indicative of a response to turtle grazing, results supported by experimental evidence. It was found that increased shoot recruitment rather than increased shoot production could be a mechanism whereby seagrass deals with intense herbivory. This study shows that grazing intensity is an important factor potentially regulating the response of seagrasses to grazing.
Aspects of Foraging, Activity, Habitat Use and Demography of Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis Linn.) in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2003) Kandel, Ram Chandra; Jhala, Y.V.
The study was conducted between November 2002 to June 2003 in the Royal Chitwan National Park, in Central Terai which arbors the largest population of the Great One-honed Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis Linn) in Nepal. I studied time Activity budget, Habitat use, preference, food habits and ranging pattern of free ranging rhinos by continuously monitoring them from elephant back for 130.5 hrs (10 sessions of 7-24 hr each)
Assessing Population Status Roost Site Selection and Fruit Damage by the India Fly fox Pteropus giganteurs in Southern Karnataka: The Flying Foreesters
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2015) Raj, Versha M.; Qureshi, Qamar
Flying foxes Pteropus giganteus, playa key role in pollination and forest regeneration as seed dispersers. Despite this beneficial role, they are persecuted for being an agricultural pest in commercial orchards. More recently in India, they have been known to be reservoirs of deadly zoonotic diseases like Nipah. Over the past two decades rapid urbanization, leading to habitat and roost tree destruction has resulted in decline in population of the Indian flying fox. As a result, incidence of flying foxes visiting commercial orchards has increased which in tum has led to conflict between large-scale commercial fruit growers and flying foxes. Assessing the present population status, and identifying the habitat preferences could help in understanding the risk of fruit damage in the surrounding areas, and will help in conservation of the keystone species and there by prevent their persecution also. A total of 51 roosts were identified which were used to assess the population status and change over time. Four methods of population estimation were compared to select the most reliable. method. Photographic count method was found to be most reliable for of population estimation. At the landscape level, proximity to water bodies and intensity of urbanization influenced the occurrence of roosts. 11.38 % of the total study are was found to be suitable for roosting (potential habitat). Amongst the individual tree characters, tree GBH and tree height were found to strongly influence the roost selection. In commercial orchards, Pteropus giganteus was found to be responsible for significant amount of damage in orchards cultivating Guava, Mango and Sapota. Based on the extent of damage they were ranked second most important animal pest in these commercial orchards after birds. Further work on estimating actual fruit damages would be required to confirm the role of the Indian flying fox as pest responsible for causing severe fruit damages in commercial orchards, for which they have been constantly persecuted.
Assessing Prevalence of Parasitic Diseases at Swamp Deer (Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii) Livestock Interface at Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2015) Talukdar, Animesh; Nigam, Parag; Pandav, Bivash
The interaction between wildlife, livestock and other domesticated animals is existent since the domestication of species. This has seen an increase in recent past owing to increased anthropogenic dependence on natural habitats. The domesticated animals, maintained at high population densities, have the potential to act as reservoirs of disease for wild animals. Parasitic infection both micro and macro; in wildlife at the wildlife - livestock interface, can affect conservation efforts by "spillover" and "spillback". Combined with other stressors, disease in wildlife can impact reproduction, survival and fitness, thereby affecting abundance and diversity of wildlife populations. Especially vulnerable are species with limited abundance and range. Macro-parasites especially the helminths, flukes and various ectoparasites have life cycles characterized by distinct life stages and are opportunistic In nature and can infect a large number of host species. The present study focuses on interactions between Swamp deer and livestock at two sites namely the jhilmil Jheel (JJ) in the Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Area, Haridwar Forest Division and and Jadi Tal (JT) in the Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary. Swamp deer is a vulnerable, flagship deer species from the Indian subcontinent, with distribution restricted to isolated localities in north and central India and parts of southwestern Nepal (Qureshi et al. 2004). Therefore any factor exacerbating threats for population decline of the species need careful evaluation. This work is a first structured parasitic prevalence study at Swamp deer - livestock interface, from two of the eight prime locations (Jhilmil Jheel Conservation reserve and Kishanpur Forest Division) reported for the northern population of swamp deer in India. The study included an estimation of population size of swamp deer and livestock and their space use patterns. Coprological examination of both swamp deer pellets and livestock dung was used to assess the prevalence and load of gastro-intestinal parasites. The result revealed that population of Swamp Deer was 153 and 435 ; while livestock counts were 84 and 35 respectively for Jhilmil Jheel and Jadi Tal during the stud) period. At Jhilmil Jheel a significant spatial overlap was observed between the two groups was observed at Jadi Tal. The overall prevalence of parasitic ova in the dung sample of swamp deer and livestock population was higher at JJ as compared to JT (Swamp deer 15.38% and 12.69% and Livestock 95.4% aand 60% respectively). The parasitic ova reported from both the sites included Strongyles, Trichostrongyle (direct life cycle), Amphistomes; Fasciola; and Moniezia (mediated through intermediate host).Difference was observed for the parasite species richness and prevalence between swamp deer and livestock at Jhilmil Jheel and Jadi Tal. Parasitic ova with simple life cycle dominated over the parasites, with intermediate hosts at Jhilmil Jheel. Analysis of parasitic load based on Mc Master's technique (Soulsby , 1982) revealed significantly higher load of parasitic ova at Jhilniil Jheel in swamp deer as compared to Jhadi Tal