Technical Reports
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://192.168.202.180:4000/handle/123456789/7
Browse
17 results
Search Results
Item Conservation of red junglefowl Gallus gallus in India : final report(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2012) Sathyakumar, S.; Fernandes, Merwyn; Mukesh; Kaul, R.; Kalsi, R.S.The Red Junglefowl (RJF) is believed to be the wild ancestor of all domestic chicken in the world. there still exist a strong ethno-cultural bond where the wild males are used to invigorate the domestic stock in order to enhance the first generation individuals that are used in the context of cultural and religious relevance. Concerns were raised on the genetic endangerment of RJF due to introgression of domestic genes into the wild population. There needs to address these concerns and maintain uncontaminated RJF population in wild and captivity. keeping this in view, the Wildlife Institute of India, carried out a research project from 2006 to 2011 in two phases that dealt with status, distribution, genetic diversity, interactions between wild RJF and domestic chicken and introgression of domestic genes into the wild and captive stocks. The RJF listed in the “Least Concern” category of IUCN with an extent of occurrence of about 5,100,000 km2. One of the subspecies G g murghi has its distribution within India. In order to address the issues of status and distribution we resorted to using presence-only models. These models overcome the cost and time constraints when dealing with a large ranging species. Species site locations were all collated by using primary field data, network of field biologist, literature records, museum specimens and archived databases. A total of 500 georectified data points were used along with predictable variables such as bioclimatic factors, digital elevation model and forest cover. These variables were used to run maximum entropy models using the product function, the test data has an AUC score of 0.979, the jackknife test for variable importance was annual precipitation and precipitation of the driest quarter that contributed 46% to the model. The total predicted probability suitable area in India is approx 354,978 km2. There are three distinct landscapes within India namely north (12%), central (52%) and northeastern (36%).The central landscape is isolated and does not connect either to the north or northeastern landscape. The north and northeastern landscape is connected to each other through the forest patches in Bhutan and Nepal. PA network accounts for nearly 13% of the area with the National Parks (34) representing 4.32% and the Wildlife Sanctuaries (135) representing 8.52%, while nearly 90% of the area lies outside the purview of the PA network system. The species is still reported from 205 districts out of the 270 districts in range 21 states. Genetic diversity, population differentiation and phylogenetic analysis of RJF populations were assessed in 19 RJF range states of India. In total, 385 samples (306 RJF & 79 domestic chickens) were collected and genotyped with 26 microsatellite markers. Altogether, 628 alleles were observed across five RJF and one domestic chicken population. Observed and effective number of alleles ranged from 9 to 49 and 2.96 to 12.40 with mean (± s.e.) number of alleles 24.15 (± 8.31) and 6.50 (± 2.71), respectively. Effective number of alleles was less than the observed number of alleles for all the loci. The overall observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.23 and 0.79, with mean value of 0.52 ± 0.13, while expected heterozygosity ranged 0.62 to 0.92 with mean value of 0.82 ± 0.08. PIC value ranged from 0.56 to 0.91 with mean value 0.80 (±0.09) and therefore all microsatellite markers were informative in the present study. Mean observed number of alleles & mean observed heterozygosity was highest in Northern RJF population, i.e. Na 21.12 ±7.14 & Ho 0.61 ±0.17 and lowest in central RJF population, i.e. Na 1.92 ±0.89 & Ho 0.35 ±0.42, respectively. Total number of private alleles ranged from 1 to 179 in South-Eastern and Northern RJF population, respectively while no private was found in Central RJF population. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed a total of 6% variation was attributed to among populations while 94% variance was within population. The minimum population differentiation or maximum gene flow was between Northern and Eastern RJF population (Nm 10.846) while maximum population differentiation or minimum gene flow was between Central and Eastern RJF population (Nm 0.911). The overall, Nm values were quite high, suggesting the high gene flow among RJF populations. Nei's genetic distance indicated that the Central Indian RJF population is least similar or most distant (DA= 0.942) with domestic chicken, while the northeastern RJF population is most identical or least genetically distant (DA = 0.255) with domestic chicken. The UPGMA dendrogram was generated based on Nei’s genetic distance. The RJF populations in India formed three clusters: (i) central and southeastern, (ii) northern and eastern, and (iii) northeastern and domestic chicken. The multi-factorial correspondence analysis also revealed the similar pattern of clustering the RJF populations. In order to study interactions, observation were recorded from 13 sites with mixed groups all observations were in the pre-dawn hours. A total of 51 encounters were recorded. The interest was to elucidate whether an interaction between the wild and domestics fowls was mutualistic or agnostic during the breeding and nonbreeding season. From the 10 observation recorded during the breeding season there were no interaction between the wild and feral population suggesting that there might be a spatial segregation between these two populations. While interactions during the nonbreeding season suggest that that males are intolerable to each other when in close proximity, while the females are tolerated and move about freely within the groups. Genetic characterisation and maintaining studbooks is the key step towards formulating management action plan for conservation breeding or release program for any captive species. We collected 220 RJF samples (blood/feathers) from 14 captive centers and investigated population genetic structure and admixture analysis of RJF with domestic chicken using 23 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. Bayesian clustering analysis revealed three distinct groups that indicated the genetic integrity among the birds of 14 centers. We presumed genetic integrity would have been resulted due to exchange of birds between zoos or the founders would have been introduced from the same wild population. The global performance of STRUCTURE assigning individuals was 169/220=76.81% while 8.63% individuals remained unassigned to any of three clusters. Each RJF stock was independently investigated for admixture analysis with a pooled domestic chicken population and ten birds were found to be hybrids out of 220 birds collected from 14 captive centers. based on the study, we recommend the following As this study could not survey all areas within RJF’s distribution range, we suggest that there is a need to increase efforts to understand whether the species is prevalent within forested tracts outside the PA network, especially Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh where the present distribution is highly fragmented with growing pressures on the existing PA of these States. Similarly, in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Maharashtra, extensive field surveys should be carried out to ascertain the presence/absence and exact distribution limits of RJF as these States encompass the limits or edges of the distribution range of this species. Special focus surveys/studies are required at range overlaps between G.g. murghi and G.g. spadiceus (northeastern States) and also between RJF and Grey Junglefowl (central India). Based on our samples collected from zoos/captive centres (Table 5.1), admixed bird were identified (Table 5.4). These admixed individuals (hybrids between RJF and domestic chicken) that are kept in zoos/captive centres should be removed from these captive stocks to avoid any further hybridisation. They should not be exchanged with any other zoos/captive centres and should not be released back into the wild. The list of individual birds in the zoos/captive centres that have been identified as ‘not admixed’ have been provided to these centres. For RJF individuals in zoos/captive centres that were not sampled during the study or born or added after the sampling, similar genetic analysis should be carried out. Such individuals should not be used /exchanged for any breeding programme. As there are chances of silent breeding between RJF and domestic chicken, hence the use of domestic hens as foster parents should be avoided.Item Studbook of Western Tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus)(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2011) lakshminarayan, N.; Malviya, Majari; Bose, S.; Dhiman, S.; Gulaati, A.; Nigam, Parag; Ramesh, K.Item Key areas for long term conservation of Galliformes I- Uttarakhand(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2011) Ramesh, K.; Qureshi, Q.; McGowan, P.Item Status, distribution and conservation perspectives of lesser florican in the North-Western India: a survey report(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2011) Bhardwaj, G.S.; Sivakumar, K.; Jhala, Y.V.The Lesser Florican Sypheotides indica, a species endemic to the Indian subcontinent, is largely seen during the monsoon season in north-western India, where it breeds. Its population and range is believed to be decreasing at an alarming rate due to breeding habitat loss and threats in the non-breeding habitats, believed to be in south and south-east India. In this connection, to understand the present status and distribution of Lesser florican in the north-western India i.e. in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, a survey following an established protocol (Sankaran 2000) was carried out in the month of August 2010, which is a part of breeding season of this species, when most of males display in the grasslands. A total of 84 individual Lesser Floricans (83 male and 1 female) were sighted in three states of north-western India, which is 65% less than the sightings reported in 1999 by Dr. Sankaran. It was found significantly fewer sightings than reported in 1999 in all grasslands surveyed (t=2.81, df=14, p<0.05). Of the 169 potential grasslands available for floricans in the north-western India, 91 grasslands were surveyed, which include grasslands surveyed during 1999. Of the surveyed grasslands, Lesser Floricans were found in 24 grasslands as against 37 grasslands in 1999. Among the three states, more sightings of Lesser Florican were reported in the state of Gujarat (N=54) followed by Rajasthan (N=18) and Madhya Pradesh (N=12). But in 1999, more sightings of florican were reported in Gujarat (N=141) followed by Madhya Pradesh (N=63) and Rajasthan (N=34). More than 55% of grasslands in Gujarat that were reported with florican in 1999 (Sankaran 2000) were observed without florican in 2010. More or less similar situation was in Madhya Pradesh also. Population and habitat of Lesser Florican in the north-western India was observed to be continuously declining at an alarming rate. Lack of a National Policy on grassland management, habitat degradation, plantations, poor landuse planning, pesticide pollution, invasive species, inadequate coverage of florican habitats in the Wildlife Protected Area Network and lack of knowledge on the non-breeding habitats of this species are observed to be major threats to this species.Item Distribution and abundance of birds and mammals in the Southern Indian ocean, larsemann hills and princess astrid coast East Antarctica(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2010) Jayapal, R.; Ramesh, K.The spatial distribution and abundance of sea birds, penguins and pack ice seals along the Southern Ocean, Ingrid Christensen and Princess Astrid Coast during 29th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica was carried out between November 2009 and March 2010. A total of 34 species of birds with an encounter rate of 9.82/ nautical miles2 were recorded. High species turnover of sea birds was observed between 40° and 50° S longitude. Six aerial sorties were flown along the Ingrid Christensen and Princess Astrid Coast to count penguins and seals along the coast, totalling a length of approx. 1200 km. Adelie and Emperor penguins were recorded with encounter rate of 0.63 ± 0.20 (#/nm ±SE) and 3.81 ± 1.68 (#/nm ±SE) respectively at Ingrid Christensen casts. At Princess Astrid Coast more number of Adelie penguins (1.22 ± 0.12/nm ±SE) was recorded when compared to Emperor penguin (0.60 ± 0.2/nm ±SE). In the present survey, a total of 3601 hauled-out seals were counted from six aerial sorties totalling a length of approx. 1200 km, with each sortie lasting about two hours. Weddell seal Leptonychotes weddellii was the most commonly sighted species in both the areas surveyed (98.2%), and had an encounter rate of 2.9 seals/km. The other species encountered during the survey were crab-eater seal Lobodon carcinophagus (1.7%) and leopard seal Hydrurga leptonyx (0.03%). Group size of hauled-out weddell seals varied considerably and ranged from solitary to maximum of 42 individuals. The median group size of weddell seals hauled-out along the Ingrid Christenson coast was found to be significantly different between the December 2009 and January 2010 survey. Further, along this Coast weddell seals were found hauled-out mainly close to the ice shelf and their spatial distribution appeared to be influenced by the extent of sea ice in the area.Item A study of resource selection by black kites Milvus migrans in the Urban landscape of National Captial Region, India(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2014) Jhala, Y.V.; Qureshi, Qamar; Sergio, Fabrizio; Kumar, NishantItem Status and habitat assessment of Bengal florican Houbaropsis bengalensis in the Grasslands of Uttar Pradesh(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2014) Sivakumar, K.; Bhardwaj, G.S.; Sen, S.; Sharma, R.; Dhavale, O.The present study was undertaken by the Wildlife Institute of India with the aim of updating the status of the Bengal Florican and its habitat in the terai grasslands of Uttar Pradesh, especially in the landscape of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve. The findings of the present study suggest that the floricans are being sighted in new areas such as Pilibhit and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary, compared with 1988, but that the population has declined across the distribution range in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, as reported earlier. However, the method that has traditionally been used to estimate the population of the Bengal Florican seems to have always given underestimates. Hence, a new method using an occupancy model with distance sampling has been validated and recommended by this study for estimating Bengal Florican populationsItem capture and tagging of black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) and Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) in Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Ladakh(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu and Kashmir, 2014) WIIModern satellite tracking techniques aid to study precise migration paths, stop over sites and habitat utilization. There is no information is available on migration patterns of water birds in Ladakh. Therefore we conducted a satellite based telemetry study on Black-necked crane (BNC) and Bar-headed goose (BHG) in Changthang Cold Desert Sanctuary. We initially did a reconnaissance survey, we counted 57 cranes and 182 geese in sanctuary, based on which; we shortlisted Chushul, Hanle and Rhongo mashes for capture and tagging of birds. We captured four BHG at Chushul using noose traps, two of them fitted with Platform Transmitter Terminals (PTT) and with conventional neck bands and rings. Whereas two other BHG were collared with only conventional neck bands and tagged with tarsus rings. We also fitted two BNC with PTT and tarsus bands, first at Chusul and second at Rhongo. Till date we received 810 locations with different location classes through ARGOS out of which 558 locations from class 3, 2, 1 & 0 were used for analysis. Preliminary findings revealed that maximum distance travelled by PTT fitted cranes from date of tagging till December 2013 ranged between 279 and 329 km and geese between 361 and 945 km. One of the PTTs of BHG stopped functioning from 30/10/2013 and another BHG fitted with PTT travelled to near Himachal Pradesh Border. Whereas two BHG fitted with only neckband and rings were reported from Gharana Wetland, Jammu. This study was able to track migration of BHG from Ladakh to Jammu via Himachal Pradesh (probably Pong Dam). The movement pattern of the PTT fitted birds are being tracked and may yield further information on their movement pattern and habitat utilizationItem Status of Great Indian Bustard and associated wildlife in Thar(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2014) Dutta, S.; Bhardwaj, G.S.; Bhardwaj, D.K.; Jhala, Y.V.Despite unique biodiversity values and dependency of traditional agro-pastoral livelihoods, arid open habitats of India are facing imminent risk due to our neglect and mismanagement. The Critically Endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) acts as a flagship and indicator of this ecosystem, for which Governments are planning conservation actions that will also benefit associated wildlife. Persistence of this species critically depends on the Thar landscape, where ~75% of the global population resides, yet their status, distribution and ecological requirements remain poorly understood. This study aimed at assessing the status of Great Indian Bustard, Chinkara and Fox alongside their habitat and anthropogenic stressors across ~25,500 km2 of potential bustard landscape in Thar spanning Jaisalmer and Jodhpur districts of Rajasthan. Systematic surveys were conducted in 144 km2 cells from slow-moving vehicle along 15-20 km transects to record species’ detections, habitat characteristics in sampling plots, and secondary information on species’ occurrence. Eighteen teams comprising of field biologists and Forest Department staff sampled 118 cells along 1924 km transect in March 2014. Species’ detection data were analyzed in Occupancy and Distance Sampling framework to estimate area of occupancy and density/abundance of key species. Our key findings were that Great Indian Bustard occupied 5.8 ± 4.4 % of sites, although information from local community questionnaire surveys recorded usage in 27% of sites. Bird density was estimated at 0.61 ± 0.36 /100 km2, yielding abundance estimates of 103 ± 62 in the sampled area (16,992 km2) and 155 ± 94 GIB in Thar landscape (25488 km2 area). During the survey, 38 individual birds were detected. Bustard-habitat relationships, assessed using multinomial logistic regression, showed that disturbances, level of protection and topography influenced distribution. Chinkara population occupied 91.0 ± 3.4% of sites at overall density of 378 ± 57 animals/100 km2 and abundance of 96,291 ± 14,556 in the landscape. Desert Fox population occupied 53.5 ± 8.8 % of sites, at overall density of 33.58 ± 8.17 animals/100 km2 and abundance of 8,558 ± 2,081 in the landscape. Seventy-five percent of priority conservation sites were outside Protected Area. Although some of them benefit from community protection, majority are threatened by hunting and unplanned landuses. This study provides robust abundance estimates of key species in the Thar landscape. It also provides spatially-explicit information on species’ occurrence and ecological parameters so as to guide in-situ site-specific management and policy. Thar landscape supports the largest global population of GIB with the best hope for the species’ future survival. Since this survey was a snapshot at GIB distribution, landscape-scale seasonal use information is lacking but critically required. A satellite telemetry based study should be urgently implemented to prioritize areas for conservation investment.Item Causes of avian diversity gradients along the Himalayas(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2016) Kumar, R.S.; Singh, P.; Mohan, D.; Gupta, S.K.; Rana, S.K.; Singh, A.Studies on bird species diversity across the Himalayan mountain range in India have shown that the southeast parts of the Himalaya has threefold more number of breeding bird species in comparable areas than northwest Himalaya (Price et al., 2011; White, 2016). To understand the causes of this diversity gradient along the Himalayas the present study was undertaken. For this study two phylogenetically coherent groups of flycatchers comprising 9 and 10 species respectively from the Ficedula/Muscicapella and Niltava/Cyornis genera were taken up. Phylogenetic coherence of the two groups was confirmed through a recent analysis of Himalayan passerines (Price et al, 2014). The flycatchers show a sharp decline in species number from southeast to northwest Himalaya as well as a similar mid-elevation peak corresponding to the pattern of all Himalayan passerines. The group also provides examples of species restricted to southeast (9 species), restricted to northwest (3 species) and widely distributed across Himalaya (7 species). Since resource distributions are critical to explain patterns of bird diversity, and because many bird species show strong habitat associations (Price 1991; Ghosh-Harihar and Price 2014), sampling for flycatcher distribution and abundance, vocalization, phylogenetic and habitat differences in associated vegetation from southeast to northwest Himalaya was carried out in this study. And, the fieldwork for this study was primarily conducted along two elevational gradients both in the southeast in parts of north Bengal and Sikkim, and for northwest Himalaya in parts of Jammu & Kashmir. The elevational distribution of the flycatchers showed a mid-elevational peak both in eastern and western Himalaya. In particular, the number of flycatcher species peaks at about 2000 m in the east, and plateaus from about 2000-3000 m in the west, albeit at lower levels than in the east. Previous studies had found evidence that insect food was highest at mid-elevations in the east and from east to west (Ghosh-Harihar & Price, 2014, Price et al., 2014), supporting the hypothesis that more food leads to more individuals leading to more species. The largest flycatcher species Niltava grandis and the smallest species Muscicapella hodgsoni are both confined to the middle elevations, as well as sallying species in the genera Muscicapa and Eumyias also occupied the mid-elevations, supporting the idea that a larger resource base allows for a finer partitioning of those resources. To understand whether the resources themselves are more diverse a comparison of foliage density with the flycatcher diversity along elevational gradients showed a correlation value of 0.65 for southeast and 0.33 for northwest Himalaya. The number of flycatcher species correlates well with the foliage density, except for low elevation sites in the east Himalaya, which have more foliage density and few flycatcher species. Thus, foliage density alone did not appear to explain the flycatcher pattern. Comparison of tree diversity showed a low-elevation peak in southeast and declining species number in northwest along the elevational gradients. In case of shrubs however, the variation in species diversity with increasing elevation is very less with no continuous increasing or decreasing pattern. Thus, the species diversity of woody vegetation hypothesized did not show similar patterns to the flycatcher diversity, as well as the overall avifaunal diversity along the elevational gradient. In this study, we found significant genetic differentiation between east and west populations of Slaty-blue Flycatcher Ficedula tricolor and Blue-throated Flycatcher Cyornis rubeculoides. The genetic divergence time in the populations of F. tricolor was estimated to be more than 4.6 Mya. In the case of C. rubeculoides apart from the population in the west two distinct populations occurring in the east with one found in the upper reaches above 900 m and the other to about 300 m were found. The divergence time between the west and eastern upper population was estimated to be more than 3 Mya, while the eastern populations was estimated to have diverged 4.7 Mya. These results suggest that the recolonisation of these species to the west is not a result of recent post glacial events, and qualify to be described as separate species. To conclude, the flycatcher species richness along the elevational gradient correlated with arthropod abundance and as well with plant biomass (primary productivity), but not with the plant species richness. The reason for this may be attributed to the nature of dispersal and seasonality since unlike plants birds are highly mobile and majority of these species are summer migrants. The creation of new climatic regime after last glacial maxima has resulted in a climatic gradient which in turn is shaping the biological communities across the Himalaya. The disparity in species number from southeast to northwest is a combined result of prevalent climatic conditions coupled with community assembly processes like competition, productivity, resource availability, dispersal ability, and evolutionary dynamics.