Showing 97 results for Type of Study: Original Research Article
Ma. Niña Regina M. Quibod, Kit Neil L. Alcantara, Nicole A. Bechayda, Christian Jay C. Estropia, Jonathan B. Guntinas, Mohammad Asar H. Asar Obin, Ryan M. Raymundo, Emmanuel P. Soniega,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (9-2021)
Abstract
Dinagat Islands hold most of the mineral deposits in the Philippines and have been among the largest mining contributors in the country since 1939. Aside from a massive mining industry, logging is also intensive in this group of islands potentially imperiling its remaining biodiversity. This study primarily aims to determine the species composition of terrestrial vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) in two study areas categorized as modified habitats (mining area and logging area) in the Dinagat Islands. These wildlife species are important bio-indicators as they show sensitivity of the species to anthropogenic disturbances. Suitable field survey methods were conducted for the taxa established and a quantitative analysis was performed to determine the diversity and similarity of the species between the study areas. A total of 65 species were identified in the two study areas: 33 species were exclusively identified in the mining area, 49 species were exclusively identified in the logging area, and 17 species were found in both study areas. It should be noted that among the 65 species, 41 species are either endemic to Mindanao and/or the Philippines, and two species were endemic to Dinagat Islands. This study also recorded the newly described coral snake endemic to the island, Calliophis salitan Brown, Smart, Leviton and Smith. This study indicates that although Dinagat Islands is modified by anthropogenic activities, the terrestrial vertebrate species are thriving. Intensive survey in other modified habitats in Dinagat Islands is the next-step forward to take into account existing wildlife to improve conservation decisions, planning and management on the islands.
Debayan Gayen, Kaushik Deuti,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (9-2021)
Abstract
Taylor’s Mangrove crab-eating Frog, Fejervarya moodiei (Taylor) which was reported first from the Indian Subcontinent in 2016, is being reported for the first time from West Bengal State, eastern India, based on collections comprising a total of three specimens from South 24 Parganas District from 1983 to 2008, and photographic record of an uncollected specimen in 2019. The species is compared with Fejervarya cancrivora Gravenhorst, with which it is mostly confused.
Ganesh S.r., Bubesh Guptha,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (9-2021)
Abstract
Herpetological diversity of the Eastern Ghats hill range in the Indian peninsula has been mostly overlooked and incompletely documented. We here present information on the amphibian and reptile diversity in the poorly-explored Central Eastern Ghats hill range in peninsular India. Based on a 1,000-hour bio-inventory study of the series of ranges between the Palar River (abutting Tamil Nadu) and the Krishna River (abutting Telangana) for about 10 months (300 field days), we present the following results. A total of 105 species of herpetofauna, consisting of 24 amphibian species, 35 lizard species, 42 snake species and 4 chelonian species were documented. Several new range extension records and new findings of rare species are discussed, substantiated by photo-vouchers, pre-existing museum specimens or both.
Bipana Maiya Sadadev, Thakur Silwal, Bijaya Dhami, Nabaraj Thapa, Bijaya Neupane, Anisha Rana, Harsha Bahadur Singh,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (9-2021)
Abstract
Few researches have been conducted on the hispid hare Caprolagus hispidus, an endangered small mammal native to the southern foothills of the Himalayas. In major protected areas of Nepal, grassland burning has been considered as one of the most important habitat management tools however its effects on grassland dependent species such as hispid hare has been less explored. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the grassland burning practices and its effect on distribution pattern of hispid hare at Shuklaphanta National Park, far-western Nepal. A total of 90 plots were laid in unburned (n= 45) and burned areas (n= 45) from November 2017 to May 2018. Two different approaches of grassland burning were observed: alternate and complete burning. Grassland burns are conducted from November to April each year, which coincides with the prime breeding season of hispid hares. A total of 89 pellet groups were observed in 22 plots out of 45 unburned plots while a total of 56 pellet groups were found in 17 plots out of 45 burned plots, both showing clumped type of distribution pattern of hispid hare in the study site. Higher number of fresh pellets was observed in the unburned plot. In contrast, higher number of old pellets was found in the burned plots. Thus, it is suggested that alternate year burning practices might have more positive effects on distribution and survival of this endangered species, rather than every year.
Harshil Patel, Rajdeep Jhala, Raju Vyas,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (9-2021)
Abstract
We provide an account on the distribution, morphology and biology of the Indian trinket snake, Coelognathus helena (Daudin, 1803) from Gujarat, India, and report the first record of the subspecies, Coelognathus helena nigriangularis Mohapatra, Schulz, Helfenberger, Hofmann, Dutta from the Gujarat state based on reptile surveys throughout the state. We show that our understanding regarding the morphology of this species is not fully known as our series of specimens shows a high range of 204–245 ventral scales in C. h. helena and 219–279 ventral scales, 78–98 subcaudal scales in C. h. monticollaris.
Mithila Bhat, Krupal J. Patel, Jigneshkumar N. Trivedi,
Volume 3, Issue 4 (12-2021)
Abstract
Metopograpsus cannicci Innocenti, Schubart and Fratini, 2020 is distributed in the Red Sea, Iran, along the East African coast, Seychelles, Madagascar, and Mauritius. The present paper reports this species for the first time from India indicating its eastward extension.
Ashish Kumar Jangid, Ravi Kumar Sharma, Dr. Abhijit Das,
Volume 3, Issue 4 (12-2021)
Abstract
We present the first-ever annotated checklist on snakes of the proposed Jawai Community Conservation Reserve of southwestern Rajasthan, India. We opportunistically encountered 26 species of snakes from the study area during the years 2015 to 2017. We have also collated a distribution synopsis for all the observed species with respect to the state of Rajasthan.
Anirudh Vasava, Raju Vyas, Vishal Mistry, Pradhyuman Sindha,
Volume 3, Issue 4 (12-2021)
Abstract
The freshwater ecosystems in Gujarat State, in the western part of India, are important habitats for various freshwater turtles. Due to the lack of information on survival and the morality of the freshwater turtles, we present new information on threats to the the Indian Flap-shelled turtle Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre) and species mass mortalities observed in some water bodies of the Gujarat State. Approximately 1071 specimens of L. punctata and three specimens of the Ganges Soft-shelled turtle Nilssonia gangetica (Cuvier), along with large numbers of many other species of reptiles and fishes were recorded dead within a span of five years from January 2016 to December 2020. In some of the cases, the circumstantial evidence suggests that entanglement and trapping in fish nets could have been the reason, but large number of the deaths remained mysterious. This mysterious sudden death of aquatic reptiles in various water bodies of the state is of serious concern. We also discuss the possible explanation for these mysterious deaths.
Shailendra Kumar Yadav, Babu Ram Lamichhane, Naresh Subedi, Hari Bhadra Acharya, David W. Macdonald, Amy Fitzmaurice,
Volume 3, Issue 4 (12-2021)
Abstract
The Rusty-spotted Cat Prionailurus rubiginosus is a ‘Near Threatened’ small felid native to South Asia. It was believed to occur only in India and Sri Lanka, but recent studies confirmed its presence in the Bardia National Park (BNP) and Shuklaphanta National Park, Nepal. Here we add evidence of the species in the Banke National Park (BaNP) in 2013 and Bardia National Park (BNP) in 2017. A pair of motion sensor cameras was installed either side of the game trail, forest road or stream bed, maximizing the possibility of tiger capture. Cameras were active for a minimum of 15 days in each sampling location. Camera trap photos were systematically sorted species- wise. A photograph of a single individual rusty-spotted cat was obtained in BaNP in the hot dry season (April–May) of 2013. The camera trap location in BaNP lies in dry- deciduous Sal Shoresa robusta forest at a distance of approximately 4.3 km from the nearest settlements. Additional photographs of rusty-spotted cat were obtained in BNP during the camera trap survey conducted in the dry season (January-April) of 2017. Importantly, the BNP detections confirm the presence of rusty-spotted cats in community forests outside protected areas. These findings reinforce mounting evidence of the value of observations of elusive species made as by-catch from camera-trapping studies focused on tigers or other large charismatic fauna, especially in the context of extending information on poorly known geographical ranges.
Bhushan Kumar Sharma, Sumita Sharma,
Volume 3, Issue 4 (12-2021)
Abstract
Our assessment of Rotifera biodiversity of the floodplain wetlands of the Majuli River Island of the Brahmaputra basin in Assam state, northeast India (NEI) reveals a total of 175 species belonging to 39 genera and 19 families. The rich and diverse assemblages of the phylum categorize the Majuli as one of the megadiverse Rotifera region of India. The observed biodiversity of Rotifera is hypothesized to be associated with the habitat diversity of the Majuli wetlands, including its varied aquatic macrophytes, the location of the study areas in the ‘Indo-Burmese biodiversity hotspot’ and the ‘Rotiferologist effect’, and merits conservation interest in light of the extinction threat to this alluvial floodplain. We record one rotifer species as new to the Indian sub-region and NEI, and 29 species as new records from the Majuli. We also consider various newly recorded species to be of global and regional biogeography interest, with some hypothesized to have a biogeographic role linked to the ‘Assam gateway’. High richness of Lecane > Lepadella ≥ Trichocerca, the richness of Testudinella, and the paucity of Brachionus species are noteworthy features. Reports of 175 species from floodplain lakes and 148 species from small wetlands indicate biodiverse rotifer assemblages in these two categories of wetlands and present a useful contribution to Rotifera ecological diversity of the Indian and the tropical floodplains.
Kalyan Mukherjee,
Volume 3, Issue 4 (12-2021)
Abstract
A survey was carried out studying the life cycle of butterflies in the Bankura district, West Bengal, India. Four new larval host plants of three different species of butterflies, together with their life cycles, were observed during this survey: Calliandra heamatocephala (Hassk) as new larval host plant of Charaxes solon (Fabricius) and Rapala manea (Hewitson). Litchi chinensis (Sonn) as new larval host plant of Rapala manea and Hemigraphis hirta (Vahl) (T. Anders) as new larval host plant of Zizula hylax (Fabricius).
Debayan Gayen, Biswajit Mukherjee, Sanchari Sarkar, Bappa Goswami, Sagar Adhurya, Moitreyee Chakrabarty,
Volume 4, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
The present study was conducted to determine the winter avifauna diversity of the Bakreswar Reservoir, Birbhum district, West Bengal from November 2017 to February 2021 using point count and opportunistic spotting. A total of 174 species of birds belonging to 18 orders, 47 families and 115 genera were noted during the study of which the family Anatidae was the most dominant family with 21 species, followed by the Accipitridae with 19 species, and the Motacillidae and Ardeidae with 10 species each. The Lesser whistling teal Dendrocygna javanica, Red-crested pochard Netta rufina and Bar-headed goose Anser indicus were the most abundant species during the winter months. Four Vulnerable species and five Near Threatened species were also recorded in the study area. Various diversity indices indicated that the species assemblage in 2019–2020 was more diverse than other years. Some species, such as the Common shelduck Tadorna tadorna (Linnaeus, 1758), Swinhoe’s minivet Pericrocotus cantonensis Swinhoe, 1861, Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus (Linnaeus, 1758), Pallas’ gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus (Pallas, 1773), Black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Linnaeus, 1766), Hen harrier Circus cyaneus (Linnaeus, 1766) and Bonelii’s eagle Aquilla fasciata Vieillot, 1822, are recorded for the first time from this region. Various threats like habitat destruction, habitat degradation and hunting of migratory and threatened birds pose the major problems in the study location.
Ayan Mondal, Nilanjan Das, Sudipto Mandal,
Volume 4, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
The domestication of rice (Oryza sativa L.) has a rich history with its diversification from wild progenitors based on genetic differences. For human benefit, natural environments have been agriculturally modified. Concurrently, the biodiversity of natural or wild environments is greatly affected. Here, a comparison has been made between the biodiversity associated with wild-type rice and domesticated rice fields. Species were categorized into broad groups, i.e. Arthropoda (Arth), Other Invertebrate (OInv), Vertebrate (Vert), Algae (Alg), Fungi (Fng), Pteridophyta (Ptrd), and Higher Plant (HPlan). Physico-chemical factors including water depth (WD), water pH (pH), temperature (T), total hardness (TH), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), turbidity (Turb), and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured directly in the field. Statistical analysis such as Student’s t-test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for equal distributions, tests for dominance and multiple indices including Simpson, Shannon, and Evenness were used to assess the biodiversity. Furthermore, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) were used for community comparisons, and SIMPER analysis was used to assess dissimilarity between taxa. The Artificial Neural Network model (ANN) was applied to assess the relative importance of factors governing the system. The present study showed the assemblage of species in the wild along with domestication. The vertebrate species number was well correlated with all the other biotic groups indicating a bottom-up controlling pattern in the rice field ecosystem. The ANN analysis showed that of the environmental factors examined, WD played the most important role followed by pH, T, DOC, and DO as the next most influential factors in distinguishing wild and domesticated rice field ecosystems. SIMPER analysis demonstrated that arthropods were a major contributor to dissimilarity. Collectively our results showed that the domestication of rice led to a decline in biodiversity.
Sagar Adhurya, Debayan Gayen, Suvendu Das, Santanu Ray,
Volume 4, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
The focus of the present study was (i) to develop a complete checklist, (ii) to find the seasonal variation of waterbird diversity, and (iii) to assess the population trends of different waterbirds at Lake-2 of the Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary (BWLS), Birbhum District, West Bengal, India. The study was carried out from January 2018 to November 2019. All waterbirds spanning in the freshwater lake were counted with field binoculars and digital cameras. The bird count data were used to calculate different biodiversity indices (such as Shannon-Weiner diversity index, Simpson’s Diversity Index etc.). Further, we assessed the population trends of different waterbirds with the data available from eBird. A total of 32 waterbird species belonging to 27 genera, 9 families and 8 orders were recorded during the present study. Dendrocygna javanica (Horsfield) was found to be the most dominant species throughout the year. Maximum richness and abundance were recorded during the winter months (December to February), whereas the highest species diversity was recorded during the monsoon months (March to June). The present study further establishes that both the richness and abundance of the waterbirds at BWLS have increased as compared to the past data. However, various species of wading waterbirds that were recorded previously were not observed during the present study. Moreover, the population trend analysis revealed a strong decline in the population of Mareca strepera (Linnaeus) and a moderate increase in the population of Ardeola grayii (Sykes). Thus, the present study concludes that BWLS supports high waterbird diversity irrespective of its small area.
Laxmi Prasad Upadhyaya, Naresh Pandey, Laxman Khanal,
Volume 4, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
The Kathmandu Valley, encompassing the capital city of Nepal, is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in South Asia. Rapid population growth and urbanization in Kathmandu have degraded the urban environment affecting the native biota. Therefore, a detailed assessment of avian species richness and its distribution in potential green spaces of the Kathmandu Valley is essential. We assessed the avian diversity in different habitats of the Tribhuvan University area, a potential refuge for birds in the urban landscape, by the point count method in the winter and summer of 2020. A total of 71 bird species from 39 genera and 32 families comprising 10 orders - ‘including the globally endangered Steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis)’ - were recorded. Of the 10 orders, Passeriformes (44 species), had the highest richness followed by Columbiformes, Piciformes and Cuculiformes (with four species in each). Among the feeding guilds, the insectivorous guild (with 28 species) had the highest species richness followed by omnivores and carnivores. A higher Shannon’s diversity index was recorded in forest habitats (3.51) than built-up areas (3.45) or farmland (3.42). Despite the small size, our study has shown that the Tribhuvan University area is an important greenspace for birds in the Kathmandu Valley. An extensive exploration, monitoring and management of greenspaces are crucial for maintaining the ecological integrity of the urban landscape of the Kathmandu Valley.
Sujan Bohara, Rajeev Joshi, Bishow Poudel,
Volume 4, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
The Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), also known as the gavial or fish-eating crocodile, is a member of the family Gavialidae, is the most threatened of the two species of crocodilians found in Nepal. However, sufficient information on its habitat characteristics influencing population status, distribution, and threats to its existence are lacking. We studied the gharial population in the Narayani River that was carried out in the winter season during December 2019 to April of 2020. During our surveys, a total of 117 gharials were recorded, including an adult male, 56 adult females, 19 sub-adults, 32 immature and nine were unidentified. The gharial census recorded 57 gharials in Sikrauli-Amaltari (Chitwan branch) river section followed by 14 in Sikrauli-Amaltari (Nawalparasi branch), 16 in Amaltari-Baguwan and 30 in the Baguwan-Tribeni River sections. Of 117 individuals, the number of gharials sighted under the direct observation category was 112. The majority of respondents (129 of 140) during our questionnaire, considered gharial as an important species and displayed a favorable attitude towards gharial conservation. This study concludes that the population of gharial in the Narayani River has increased, as the present population is larger than recorded during previous surveys. Finally, regular surveys and monitoring of gharial in the area are recommended to investigate the status of gharial, the prevalence of any threats and disturbance along the habitat of this important species.
Krishnendu Mondal, Pooja Chourasia, Shilpi Gupta, Kalyanasundaram Sankar, Qamar Qureshi,
Volume 4, Issue 2 (6-2022)
Abstract
In order to understand the generalist nature of leopards and whether they have any degree of specialization, a study on resource selection of the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) was carried out in a tropical dry deciduous forest in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Western India from January 2007 to May 2011 with the use of camera trapping under the mark-recapture framework. Camera trapping was done in an intensive study area (230 km2) encompassing 200 camera locations on 85–130 occasions each year. In total, 40 Indian leopards were identified in the study area, of which seven individual leopards were selected for resource selection analysis. Resource selection by Indian leopards was investigated at two scales. First, habitat selection was studied using compositional analysis comparing habitat availability in the geographic range of all seven Indian leopards and utilization by the individual animals within it. The results showed that habitat selection was non-random (P< 0.001). The leopard’s preference of habitat selection was in the following order: Boswellia forest> Anogeissus forest> Acacia forest> Butea forest> Zizyphus forest> Barren land> Scrubland. Second, resource selection was studied through a generalized linear mixed-effect model (GLMM) comparing the resource availability and utilization in each leopard’s range. The results showed that leopards preferred Anogeissus dominated forest followed by Zizyphus mixed forest and scrubland. In addition, leopards preferred habitat with a higher encounter rate of sambar (Rusa unicolor) and chital (Axis axis) and to a lesser degree of use, habitat with a higher livestock encounter rate. The results revealed that Indian leopards showed a significant degree of preference for moderate to thick vegetation cover and wild prey species rather than areas with open forest types and domestic prey species.
Subhajit Roy, Aniruddha Singhamahapatra, Amar Kumar Nayak,
Volume 4, Issue 2 (6-2022)
Abstract
The diversity and heterogeneity of Odonata was studied at 10 sites located across almost all parts of the Bankura district (except northwestern and northeastern boundary regions), in the state of West Bengal, India from July 2015 to June 2022. Analysis of variance and rarefaction was performed to study the β-diversity and compare the taxa abundance at the sites to understand the heterogeneity of Odonata observations. The seasonality of the species and their site-wise distribution were also studied. A total of 74 odonate species belonging to eight families, represented by 46 genera were recorded. The study adds 17 species to the known Odonata fauna of Bankura district, including the addition of Microgomphus torquatus (Selys) to the fauna of West Bengal. It also confirms the addition of Ictinogomphus kishori to the known Odonata fauna of West Bengal, which has been confused with and misidentified as Ictinogomphus distinctus for long, the latter being described from the state of West Bengal and is also found in the region adjacent to the study area. Most recorded odonates belonged to the family Libellulidae (29 species), followed by Coenagrionidae (19 species), Gomphidae (nine species), Platycnenididae (six species), Aeshnidae (five species), Macromiidae (three species), Lestidae (two species), and Chlorocyphidae (one species). Species diversity and abundance assessments are essential for conserving the habitats of the restricted and endemic (to peninsular India) species.
Lam Norbu, Phuntsho Thinley, Ugyen Dechen, Bal Krishna Koirala, Tshering Dorji, Dawa Tshering, Pasang Dorji, Sonam Tobgay,
Volume 4, Issue 2 (6-2022)
Abstract
A rarely recorded small carnivore, the Spotted linsang (Prionodon pardicolor), is among Asia’s least studied members of the family Prionodontidae. We report the first photographic evidence of its presence from the Tashigang Forest Division of eastern Bhutan. A non-invasive camera trap survey during the nationwide tiger survey in 2014–2015 and an opportunistic wildlife monitoring exercise in 2020 photo trapped the species on two independent occasions. On the first occasion the individual was recorded at the altitude of 2,308 m a.s.l. and the later at 2,952 m a.s.l. The main threats to the species in the region are not currently well known, highlighting the importance of additional studies to ascertain its distribution and status in the Tashigang Forest Division.
Erica Demilio, Denis V. Tumanov, Colin Lawton, Reinhardt Møbjerg Kristensen, Jesper Guldberg Hansen,
Volume 4, Issue 2 (6-2022)
Abstract
Two new heterotardigrade (Tardigrada) species, Bryodelphax pucapetricolus sp. nov. and Bryodelphax wallacearthuri sp. nov., are described from moss associated with limestone pavement in the Republic of Ireland. The species description process for these two taxa initiated a more detailed exploration of several morphological characters of importance in Bryodelphax Thulin including cuticular sculpture elements and ventral plate morphology. Division of the third dorsal median plate in the context of the genera Bryochoerus Marcus and Bryodelphax is further discussed. We recommend minor emendations to the generic diagnoses of Bryochoerus and Bryodelphax. Also, we emend the species diagnoses of Bryodelphax aaseae Kristensen, Michalczyk and Kaczmarek and Bryodelphax parvuspolaris Kaczmarek, Zawierucha, Smykla and Michalczyk, record the genus Parechiniscus Cuénot from the Republic of Ireland for the first time, and make suggestions relevant to the taxonomy of limnoterrestrial heterotardigrades.
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