Theses and Dissertations

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Author: search.filters.author.Qureshi, QamarEnd date: 2019

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    Modelling plant invasions in tropical India
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Mungi, Ninad Avinash; Qureshi, Qamar; Jhala, Y.V.
    Human modifications are simplifying global ecosystems, and one agent catalysing this process is biological invasion. Species transferred by human means to areas beyond their evolutionary range, where they impact the native ecosystem and its services, are known as invasive species. Invasive species have affected native ecosystem functioning to an extent where native species went locally extinct, or where the native economy and human health has been adversely affected. While invasive species are spreading at an alarming rate, our knowledge on their large-scale status remains disjunct, disparate, and often outdated. The resultant loss in global ecosystem services is believed to be catastrophic for the global human-welfare; with developing societies being the most vulnerable. One such megadiverse developing country is India
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    Abundance, distribution & pattern of human impact on river Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica).
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2018) Deori, Sunny; Qureshi, Qamar
    This study took place in a tributary of river Brahmaputra named Kulsi which originates from the Meghalaya enters Assam at Umkiam where it is known as Kulsi and finally discharges at Brahmaputra at Nagarbera, Assam. It is a highly populated riverscape. According to 2011 census data, the riverscape has 55972.88 hectares of cultivable land which is solely dependent for irrigation on natural sources (Rainfall and Rivers). Also, the river is divided into 7 River fishery under Revenue department of Assam. About 2500 commercial fishermen are registered under the fisheries of Kulsi River and 1,29,095 cultivators. Apart from this fine quality sand is a boon to the people of Kulsi floodplain. More than 5000 families were dependent on this business. The recent increase in construction business in Guwahati metropolitan and the nearby blooming towns is raising the earning bar of the people of Kulsi River. My study aimed at the following objectives: 1. Estimating the abundance & patterns of dolphin distribution across Kulsi River. 2. Estimating the effects of different human activities which can possibly affect the habitat and distribution pattern of dolphins in Kulsi River (special preferences to existing commercial fisheries, sand mining, & irrigation). 3. Socio- economic status of fishermen community, sand mining community and farmers and their attitudes towards dolphin and wider ecosystem conservation. 4. Examine suitable measures to minimize/prevent the harmfulness of these fishing gears and practices in the commercial fisheries of Kulsi.
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    Evaluating methods to monitor tiger abundance and its prey in Indian Sunderbans
    (wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Roy, Manjari; Sankar, K.; Qureshi, Qamar
    This study conducted to test and evaluate different methods for estimating tiger and its prey population in Sundarban that can be adopted as part of a monitoring programme. For this study techniques were applied for the standard spatially explicit capture-recapture, tailored according to the local conditions to estimate tiger density in Sundarban for three years. Tiger densities were estimated at 4.08 (SE 1.51) in 2010, 5.81 (SE 1.24) in 2012 and 3.15 (SE 0.88) tigers/100 km2 in 2014. The tiger abundance for my camera trapped study area generated through conventional mark-recapture was 11 (SE 2), 24 (SE 3) and 16 (SE 3) tigers for 2010, 2012, 2014 respectively. Ungulates occupy a primary position in the diet of tigers and a monitoring protocol for tiger should inherently include a component of prey base estimation. Boat transect based distance sampling to generate density estimates for four years.
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    Ecology of striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Mandal, Dibyendu K.; Sankar, K.; Qureshi, Qamar
    This study was conceivedto fill gaps in our understanding of striped hyena population parameters, resource utilization and their sociality. Finally, the findings were synthesized to understand the processes shaping diverse sociality of striped hyenas across varying resources in a comparative context under the framework of RDH. The present study was undertaken in Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), a protected area situated in the semi-arid region of North-Western India. STR is an isolated system which has a sharp boundary with human habitations.
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    A geospatial framework to assess ecological connectivity & their persistence for Central India Landscape.
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Saini, Swati; Qureshi, Qamar
    The study explored the occupancy probability for carnivores in 100 sq km grids and at 25 sq.km for herbivore to surrogate, their habitat suitability. These models were further used to model corridors between protected areas using Circuit theory least cost pathway analysis and estimated the changes in land use land cover in and around the identified corridors using the time series and change detection technique. The region of central India comprising five states viz. Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand has been taken up as study area. . The research work was carried out with three objectives: 1. Mapping Ecological connectivity between source populations of representative species of central Indian Landscape. 2. Assessment of spatio-temporal land use /land cover changes using time series & predictive change modelling in and around corridor habitats of the central Indian Landscape. 3. To evaluate the macro drivers of change across major linkages and attempt to model their persistence.
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    Human-tiger conflict, ranging pattern and habitat use by tiger in Sundarban Tiger Reserve, India
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2015) Naha, Dipanjan; Sankar, K.; Qureshi, Qamar
    The Sundarban tiger inhabits a unique mangrove habitat type, isolated from neighboring tiger populations by hundreds of kilometers of agricultural and urban land. The main objectives of the present study were to (a) understand ranging pattern and habitat use of tiger (b) to quantify livestock losses by tiger predation and identify spatio-temporal patterns in conflict in and around the Tiger Reserve (c) to document and quantify the geographic distribution of tiger-human incidents and (d) to evaluate the perception and level of tolerance of people living in the vicinity of Tiger Reserve. This study showed that tiger home range range sizes are much larger than reported from Bangladesh Sundarban. The Sundarban Tiger Population is of global importance for the conservation of the species due to the size of the contiguous nature of the habitat and the unique adaptations of the tigers that inhabit these mangrove forests. In spite of only four tigers that could be radio-collared and monitored this study enhances our understanding aspects of tiger ecology in this unique landscape. Sundarban tigers are primarily diurnal, prefer certain habitat types and are reluctant to cross wide expanse of water. This information can be used to minimize human-tiger conflict which is a major impediment to tiger conservation in this region.
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    Behavioural patterns and food habits of re-introduced gaur (Bos gaurus gaurus) in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh.
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2015) Manjrekar, Manas P.; Sankar, K.; Qureshi, Qamar
    The present study was designed to study the behavioural patterns and food habits of the reintroduced gaur population in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The study was carried out from March 2012 to February 2014. For the collection of data on the behavioural patterns of gaur the scan sampling technique was used and 13 distinct activities of gaur were identified viz. feeding, moving, resting, standing, autogrooming, allogrooming, sexual behaviour, aggressive behaviour, drinking, salt licking, vocalising, defecating/urinating and alert behaviour. In the present study the social interactions among the members of a gaur herd were classified as allogrooming, dominance-subordination interactions and sexual behaviour. Four types of dominance-subordination interactions were recorded among gaur during the study period in Bandhavgarh.
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    Ecology of sympatric small carnivores in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2013) Kale, Riddhika; Sarkar, K.; Qureshi, Qamar
    This study aimed to examine the abundance and occupancy of small carnivores with the application of photographic captures using camera traps and diet composition of small carnivores through faecal analysis, investigate seasonal species-habitat relationships from microhabitat (non-spatial) and remotely sensed features (spatial) to understand how these variables govern their occurrence pattern and predict the distribution of small carnivores in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats. The study was conducted from 2009-2011 in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (11°32' 11°43'N; 76°22'-76°45'E), Western Ghats. This study will critically improve our state of knowledge to protect lesser carnivores and aid the development of theory on their social structure, behavior and habitat preferences.Study species include jungle cat (Felis chaus), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), rusty spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), common palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), small Indian civet (Viverricula indica), brown palm civet (Paradoxurus jerdoni), grey mongoose (Herpestes erdwardsii), ruddy mongoose (Herpestes smithii) and stripe-necked mongoose (Herpestes vitticollis). The objectives of this study area as follows:- 1. To determine the abundance and occupancy of small carnivores in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. 2. To study the dietary pattern of small carnivores. 3. To determine spatial and non-spatial variables governing the occupancy of small carnivores and 4. To predict the distribution pattern of small carnivores through habitat suitability modeling in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
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    Ecology of leopard (Panthera pardus) in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2011) Mondal, Krishnendu; Shankar, K.; Qureshi, Qamar
    The present study estimated the prey availability and prey consumption, population and survival rate and the home ranges and resource selection of leopard in Sariska Tiger Reserve. The Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) (N27o05’ to N27o45’ and E76o15’ to E76o35’) is situated in the Aravalli Hill Range and lies in the semi-arid part of Rajasthan for four consecutive years from 2007 to with these objectives: 1. To estimate the prey availability of leopard 2. To study the food habits and prey selection of leopard 3. To estimate the population of leopard and 4. To study the home range and habitat use of leopard. In the present study, food habits and prey selection of leopard were examined during the study period following scat analysis method and kill records. Radio-telemetry technique was followed to estimate the home range and habitat use of leopard as this technique is found to be the most updated and useful practice to gather information on home range, daily and seasonal movement pattern of big cats. The result of this study presented the abundance of prey species of leopard and their consumption by leopard in Sariska TR. The study also estimated the population and survival rate of leopard in Sariska TR. Home range and habitat use of leopard was estimated in the present study and a habitat suitability model for leopard was generated in and around Sariska TR.
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    Prey selection and food habits of large carnivores: tiger (Panthera tigris), leopard (Panthera pardus) and dhole (Cuon alpinus) in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu.
    (2010) Ramesh, T.; Sankar, K.; Qureshi, Qamar
    A detailed long-term study on prey selection, food habits and population status of three sympatric large carnivores (tiger, leopard and dhole) was documented during the present study. To supplement the current basic information, the present study was conducted in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu from January 2008 to April 2010. The objectives of the study include estimating density, group size and composition of prey species of sympatric carnivores, to study the food habits and prey selectivity of sympatric carnivores and to estimate the population of the sympatric carnivores. Prey selection and food habits of large carnivores were studied using two methods i.e by evaluating kills and analyzing scat. Data on population estimation of dhole was collected between January 2008 and December 2009. Five vehicle transect routes ranging from 15 to 23 km were monitored to record dhole sightings. Camera-trap and vehicle transect studies have showed that high densities of large carnivores in the study area of the Tiger Reserve.