Theses and Dissertations

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Patterns and Determinants of mammalian assemblage in an Eastern Himalayan Landscape unit
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2025) Chackaravarthy, S. Deepan; Gopi, G.V.; Ramesh, K.
This thesis presents a detailed investigation of the mammalian assemblage in a selected landscape unit in the Eastern Himalayan in the Far East region of Arunachal Pradesh. The selected landscape unit is located in a Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, with its mountain ranges are biogeographically well connected to the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. The study unit remains one of the least explored forests for mammalian species, except for a few prior expeditions. The unit is situated between two contiguous tiger reserves, The Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Namdhapa Tiger Reserve to the south, and the state’s largest wildlife sanctuary, the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary, to the north and the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary to the west. The landscape units encomposses protected areas, including the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, and forest divisions of Lohit, Anjaw, Anini, and Namsai forest divisions. The terrain is rugged and hilly, traversed by various rivers and streams, which are the contributors to the river Brahmaputra. We conducted a reconnaissance survey to fulfil the objective of creating an inventory, and the resulting information guided the deployment of camera traps in locations optimal for effective photo capture of mammals. The objective of the study also examines the perception of the indigenous people towards mammalian, species. A questionnaire survey was conducted in and around the study unit, to assess the perception, which also provides information about species that are not directly captured in the camera-trap monitoring programme. The study documented several mammalian species in the selected landscape unit, with species, like tigers (Panthera tigris) and leopards (Panthera pardus), were reported from secondary sources and direct sightings. Dhole (Cuon alpinus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), and Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) are the top predators recorded using camera traps. Certain species of conservation interest are also reported, such as Alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens), and the recent past distribution of Wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee). This information adds additional credits for reintroduction programs in future. Both bear species, the Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus) and the Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus), are recorded in this study. The recently segregated species Gongshan Muntjac (Muntiacus gongshanensis) and data-deficient species like the Northern Tree Shrew (Tupaia belangeri) were also recorded during the study period. Though the study reported flying squirrels at taxa level the region is occupied by species that are listed as endangered and critically endangered. The Critically Endangered Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) was also recorded with one individual rescued during the study. The habitat suitability prediction for selected species, both at a regional scale and at the landscape unit level provided valuable insights for conservation and management. The analysis using time-stamped camera-trap images shows that the interaction of Dhole and Yellow-Throated Martens with prey is high, possibly due to the lower density of higher Felids. The activity pattern of the Mishmi Takin (Budorcas taxicolor taxicolor) offered valuable and additional information about the migratory species which moves across habitats and elevations seasonally. The questionnaire survey on the people’s perception revealed that the people’s cultural connectedness to the wilderness remains strong. A community-based participatory approach should be developed in this region to enhance conservation practices. The study also identified an increasing trend of negative interaction with species such as the dhole (Cuon alpinus) and crop damage caused by the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) recorded through indirect evidence. Additionally, there are also two least studied rodents: The Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus macrourus) and the Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica), which was noted to requiring further studies on their ecological role in the region. There have been discoveries of new species very recently in this region, underscores the need for a deeper understanding of species distribution in this region. In a landscape where people are deeply connected to culture, tradition and beliefs, there needs to be an inclusive approach for further exploration. A significant proportion of respondents indicated that cultural beliefs and traditional rights interlink with species protection in the region. A successful transfer of knowledge either the stratified sampling of communities and citizens to ensure that only those most apt to conduct science are invited to participate (Fernandez-Gimenez, 2008). It deals with the General Introduction about the study and its objectives. It deals with the description of the study area. It describes the basic Inventory of mammals, which is one of the core findings of the study. It focuses on the suitable habitat modelling of select mammal species recorded in the study unit. It examines the Diel activity pattern, temporal activity overlap, and spatial co-occurrence of mammal species in the study unit, serving as a representation of the species activity patterns in Eastern Arunachal Pradesh. It explores the perception of people on mammalian conservation in the landscape unit, based on a questionnaire survey.
Relative sensitivity of mammalian carnivores to disturbance in sub-tropical forests of Arunachal pradesh
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2005) Dada, Tamo; Hussain, S.A.
Study the impacts of disturbance such as clearing of forests for habitation, presence of domestic livestock, forestry operation such as logging and extracting of non-timber forest products, trapping and hunting for sustenance as disturbance on carnivore populations. The study was conducted in the low land semi evergreen forests of Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh. For this study following objectives were identified • Prepare an inventory of carnivore species occurring in Pakke Tiger Reserve. • Study spatial and ecological distribution in terms of disturbances and environmental variables respectively. Four study sites, Khari, West bank, Dicho and Lanka were selected from within the Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining Papum Reserve Forests, on the basis of various parameters which might have affected the habitat structure of the area. The influences of habitat variables on the occurrences of carnivore species were examined by using Classification tree analysis by using S-PLUS 4.5 software. The final output showed that, distances from village was the most important variable that determines the presence - absence of civets .Civets were absent in areas with more than 65 % shrub cover .Small cats occurred in areas with greater shrub cover and shrub height The occurrence of small cats decreased with the distances from village increased '. Small cat occurred low in areas with high canopy cover.
Patterns in Species Composition and Distribution Among Vascular Epiphytes in Low-Lying Semi-Evergreen Forests of Arunachal Pradesh, India
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2001) Padmawathe, R.; Rawat, G.S.; Krishnamurthy, Jagdish
The patterns in epiphyte species composition and distribution in the low-lying semi evergreen forests was studied in Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjacent Doimara Reserved Forests in western Arunachal Pradesh. Epiphyte community changes due to microclimate and host characteristics were studied by comparing sites of different microclimates namely riverbanks, tree fall gaps, closed forests and logged forests. Systematic sampling showed that epiphyte species diversity, increased marginally from low levels in the tree fall gaps to maximum levels in the riverbanks with intermediate levels in the logged forest and closed forest. There were dominance of certain families and life forms in different sites. Trends in epiphytic communities were closely related to changes in microclimate and host characters. The environmental variables were summarized by Principal Component Analysis, which yielded three components explaining 75.5% of the variance. Component one was positively correlated with temperature and canopy cover and light intensity in the horizontal zone, whereas relative humidity was negatively correlated. Component two was strongly correlated with vertical light intensities. Component three was purely a temperature factor . Araceae, Gesneriaceae and Asclepiadaceae correlated with vertical temperature humidity component while Orchidaceae and Moraceae were correlated with horizontal temperature. Families Aspleniaceae and Gesneriaceae were positively correlated with component one (qualitative parameters) of the vegetation characteristics, Therefore, epiphyte species richness were significantly different between across bark texture and architectural model of the host. Warty and wrinkled bark supported maximum species and Champagnats model of tree architecture supported higher number of epiphyte species. Six species were found only in the trunks and ten species confined themselves to branches. A total of twelve rare species of different families were found in the study area. The major implications of the study are the intimate relationship of epiphytes with diverse factors of climate and host characters, the change in one will trigger corresponding changes in other. Logging as a practice removes lot of trees, which reduces the diversity of substrate and microhabitat conditions available for epiphytes. It is important to maintain atleast a few big trees to serve as mother trees for recovery of the lost species.

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