Utilisation of Major Fodder Tree Species with Respect to the Food Habits of Domestic Buffaloes in Rajaji National Park, India

Abstract

The fodder tree utilisation patterns of the domestic buffaloes of the Guijars. a transhumant pastoralist community in Rajaji National Park were studied from November 1994 to April 1995. The study was conducted in three forest .blocks in Dholkhand range with different levels of lopping. Thirty three tree species were used as fodder, of which 11 were important. Milletia extensa, Miliusa velutina. Anogeissus lotifolia, and Grewia elastica were some of them. I calculated a preference index for these II major fodder trees using utilisation and availability data with a confidence interval. Ten out of II species were neither significantly preferred nor avoided in winter, Shoreo robusta being significantly less preferred. In spring. Milletia extensa was 'less preferred out of the five utilised; the others were neither preferred nor avoided. A feeding trial was conducted for seven species in which Stereospermum suaveolens was significantly preferred and Terminalia beleriea was significantly avoided. Neither utilisation nor preference correlated significantly with percentage N. Ca., Ash and Crude Fibre. Lopping of most trees was done regardless of the phenophase as long as the species had foliage. The Guijars faced a seasonal scarcity of fodder in spring. [t is argued that preferences break down in a situation of scarcity and any species edible to the buffaloes is lopped. Even a clearly less preferred species like sal is used. A comparison between occurrences of seedlings of buffalo fodder and nonfodder species between a lopped and a negligibly lopped block showed significant differences. The lopped block had more seedlings. An index of dietary similarity between domestic buffaloes and elephants gave an overlap of 39 percent.