Showing 12 results for Habitat
Mazaher Zamani-Faradonbe, Yazdan Keivany, Salar Dorafshan, Mojtaba Abbasi-Jeshvaghani,
Volume 2, Issue 1 (3-2020)
Abstract
Organisms can adapt to habitat conditions that ensure their survival. Habitat separation can lead to different populations of body shape during the phenotypic plasticity process. Both traditional and modern (geometric) morphology are being used in fish population studies. In this study, the body shape differences between Garra rufa (Heckel) populations captured in the Jarrahi River (from the Tigris Basin) were investigated using traditional and geometric morphometric methods. The samples were captured from the Rostam Abad, Aghajari and Behbahan tributaries and transferred to the laboratory. For the traditional morphometric analysis, 10 meristic characters and 19 morphometric characters were measured. Geometric morphological information was extracted using 13 landmark points on left side photographs of individual fish. According to the results of the traditional morphometric analysis, there were differences between the three populations in meristic (lateral line scales, predorsal scales, circamucaudal scales) and morphometric (14 of 19 characters) traits. In the geometric morphometric analysis, the major part of the shape variation is due to landmark points in the head region and the dorsal fin base, with the anal fin and caudal peduncle being the most conservative body regions. The populations had significant differences in body shape with populations from Aghajari and Behbahan tributaries being most similar and the Rostam Abad population was different from the two other populations.
Jash Hang Limbu, Suren Subba, Jeevan Kumar Gurung, Jawan Tumbahangfe, Bharat Raj Subba,
Volume 3, Issue 1 (3-2021)
Abstract
We assessed the correlation of fish assemblages with habitat and environmental variables temporally from July and October, 2019 and January and April, 2020 across 5 study sites in the Phewa Khola stream of Mangsebung Rural Municipality, Ilam, Nepal. We sampled 3571 fish representing 13 species, belonging to 3 orders, 4 families, and 9 genera. An analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) indicated that there is a significant difference between the fish assemblage structure in space (R= 0.833, P= 0.001) but not in time (R= -0.148, P= 0.985). Our habitat study showed that glides, runs, pools and deep pools are the primary habitats contributing to the maximum diversity in the Phewa Khola stream. The canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) affirmed that variables such as pH, water temperature, water velocity, total hardness and dissolved oxygen play an important role in shaping fish species distribution. Results from the similarity percentage analysis (SIMPER) hinted that, 67.08% similarity was found between the months and the major contributing species were Schistura multifasciata (20.61%), Devario aequipinnatus (16.48%), Schistura rupecula (15.65%), Garra annandalei (15.36%), Schistura horai (7.74%), Schistura scaturigina (5.91%), Schistura savona (5.74%), Schizothorax plagiostomus (4.37%), Channa punctata (3.9%), Puntius terio (1.9%) and Neolissochilus hexagonolepis (1.39%). On the contrary, a 76.23% similarity was found between the sites and the major contributing species were Schistura multifasciata (21%), Devario aequipinnatus (16.8%), Garra annandalei (15.89%), Schistura rupecula (15.38%), Schistura horai (7.7%), Schistura scaturigina (5.66%), Schistura savona (4.9%), Schizothorax plagiostomus (4.4%), Channa punctata (3.97%), Puntius terio (2%) and Neolissochilus hexagonolepis (1.43%). Ongoing road development, micro-hydropower generation, the use of poisonous herbicides, illegal electro-fishing, deforestation and water diversion are all found to be major threats to the present fish species of the Phewa Khola stream.
Yatin Kalki, Chayant Gonsalves, Daniel B. Wylie, Karthik A. K. Sundaram, Tristan D. Schramer,
Volume 3, Issue 2 (6-2021)
Abstract
Systematic and thorough studies of snake populations across large areas are rare in the tropics. Bengaluru city in southern India has not had a thorough checklist of snakes in over a century, during which time land-use changes, taxonomic revisions, and fluctuating reptile populations have left the current status of snakes of this region unclear. We combine data from snake rescues, visual encounter surveys, and other reliable records to generate a contemporary checklist of 33 snake species (15 of which are novel) present within the Bengaluru Urban District with comments on their apparent habitat preferences. We also provide evidence and insight on six additional species that have not been recorded but potentially occur within the limits of the district. Compared with the earlier checklist, all but 4 species (Naja naja, Ptyas mucosa, Daboia russelii, and Fowlea piscator) have shown considerable decline within city limits. Additionally, all of India’s “Big Four” medically significant venomous snake species (Naja naja, Bungarus caeruleus, Daboia russelii, and Echis carinatus) are found within the district. Naja naja and Daboia russelii appear to be well-adjusted to urbanization with serious ramifications for human-wildlife conflict and healthcare in the future as the majority of Indian snakebite deaths can be attributed to these two species. The population trajectory of Daboia russelii is of particular interest as it was classified as “not common” in the previous checklist, but it is presently one of the most abundant snake species in the area. Our study provides a new baseline that can be used to monitor ophidian population trends going forward.
Naresh Subedi, Babu Ram Lamichhane, Yajna Nath Dahal, Ram Chandra Kandel, Madhuri Karki Thapa, Rajan Regmi, Binod Shrestha,
Volume 3, Issue 2 (6-2021)
Abstract
Conserving tigers (Panthera tigris) in highly fragmented landscapes is a daunting task. Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) at the base of the Himalayas aims to connect the remaining Tiger habitats in southern Nepal and northwestern India. Tiger population clusters in central (Chitwan-Parsa) and western (Bardia-Banke) Nepal are distinct with limited connectivity in recent past. We present the photographic evidence of Bengal tiger (P. tigris tigris) from forest patch between these population clusters for the first time. The photographs were obtained during camera trap survey across Chure region of Nepal in 2018. Two adult tigers–a female and a male—were photographed ~40 km apart. This record indicates the possibility that tiger habitat extends outside the protected areas in Nepal and natural linkages between Chitwan-Parsa and Bardia-Banke tiger population clusters through forest corridors along the Chure region. Conservation efforts should also focus on the forests outside protected areas especially the critical biological corridors to conserve tigers in TAL via a meta-population approach.
Paromit Chatterjee, Kamalika Bhattacharyya, Silanjan Bhattacharyya,
Volume 4, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
We present the first confirmed report of the Long-snouted Bhutan Squirrel Dremomys lokriah bhotia from the state of West Bengal, India. Previously the subspecies was known from limited localities of East Sikkim (India) and Bhutan. This article, thus, adds to the global knowledge of the subspecies with a note on its habitat and activity pattern, along with new details on it’s current global distribution.
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.
Bharat Sharma, Rajeev Joshi, Sambandam Sathyakumar,
Volume 4, Issue 3 (9-2022)
Abstract
Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus Shaw), one of four species of bear found on the Indian sub-continent, has a geographical distribution across Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka. It is listed as Vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species due to the rapid decline of the global population. This decrease in Melursus ursinus presents a need for comprehensive research to predict and understand the distribution pattern. The present study predicts the habitat suitability and distribution pattern of M. ursinus in the Chitwan National Park, Nepal and its buffer areas. The entire study area was divided into 4 X 4 km grids. Within each grid, 10-meter radius plots were sampled for bear signs and habitat evaluation occurred at every 250 meters along a transect (1–1.5 km). Data on direct and indirect signs (diggings, pugmarks, scrapes, and scats) and other habitat use parameters of M. ursinus were collected. The study was carried out during the dry season (January to March 2019) in almost 57 grids of the study area. The calculated habitat suitability for M. ursinus determined that 25% of the total area was suitable, and the remaining 75% was less suitable habitat. Drainage, followed by slope and elevation, were found to be the important variables affecting the distribution of species in the study area and this model was found to be 88.5% accurate in terms of explaining the dependent variables. The findings of the present research will be useful for park managers, researchers, and academicians in the formulation of an appropriate conservation plan for this charismatic mammal species.
Dhanapal Sangavi, Padur Sankaranarayanan Anisha, Govindharaj Vinothini, Parthasarathy Thiruchenthil Nathan,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
A detailed investigation of the spider diversity in Salem district, Tamil Nadu was carried out across different habitats for a period of five years. A total of 184 spider species belonging to 97 genera in 29 families were recorded, which represented nearly 10% of Indian and 65% of Tamil Nadu spider diversity. Among them 25 spider species are endemic to India. From the 29 families, the 3 most abundant families based on number of specimens sampled were Lycosidae (21%), Araneidae (18%), and Eresidae (17%), constituting 56% of the spider species. Simpson diversity indices ranged between 0.88 to 0.30 for all the studied habitats. The species richness was highest in bamboo fields (2.78), and the lowest was observed in grasslands (0.76). The highest abundance of spider species was observed in the sugarcane fields (0.83), followed by the grasslands (0.57) and paddy fields (0.53). Further, these spiders were categorized into nine types based on their foraging guilds. Among them, the highest species richness was observed in foliage runners. A maximum of nine spider guilds were observed in the shrub ecosystem. Natural ecosystems such as shrublands, treescapes, and grasslands had higher spider diversity than altered agricultural and domestic ecosystems. This is the first report on spider diversity in Salem District, Tamil Nadu revealing the varying spider diversity along with their guild types across different habitats.
Pema Dendup, Ugyen Ugyen, Rinzin Dorji, Choki Lham,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
The Himalayan red panda Ailurus fulgens F. Cuvier (family Ailuridae) is a carnivore that feeds mainly on bamboo leaves and shoots. Habitat loss, fragmentation, degradation, and poaching are some of the major threats to the red panda population. In Bhutan, Ailurus fulgens is reported from within and outside protected areas; however, only a few studies (distribution, threats, and habitat correlates) have been carried out, and much remains unknown about this species. Herein, we report information on the updated distribution, habitat use, and activity pattern from by-catch images of A. fulgens occurrence from both systematic camera traps set for a country-wide tiger Panthera tigris (Linnaeus) survey (2014–2015) and other surveys during 2015–2021 from different parks and forest divisions. Ailurus fulgens was found to occur in 19 out of 20 districts in Bhutan. Regarding protected areas, they were found in eight out of eleven protected areas (Wangchuck Centennial, Jigme Dorji, Jigme Singye, Phrumsengla National Park, Bumdeling and Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, Jigme Kheser Strict Nature Reserve, and Royal Botanical Park) and five out of eight biological corridors (connecting Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary to Jigme Singye National Park, Wangchuck Centennial National Park to Jigme Singye National Park, Phrumsengla National Park to Jigme Singye National Park, Phrumsengla National Park to Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary, and Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary to Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary). The majority of A. fulgens were recorded in broadleaf forest followed by mixed conifer forest and were found to be distributed at elevations between 1,520–4,331 m (mean 3,131 m). Red pandas displayed higher use of habitats including cool broadleaf and mixed conifer forests. The activity pattern of A. fulgens showed that they were mostly diurnal, with peak activities taking place between 10:00–11:00 hours.
Mohammad Amin Tollab, Mohsen Rezaie-Atagholipour, Haleh Ali Abedi, Majid Askari Hesni, . Ehsan Abedi, Farideh Ahmadi, Koen van Waerebeek,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
The world's second-largest dugong, Dugong dugon (Müller), population after that of Australia forages among rich seagrass meadows along the Arabian coast of the Persian Gulf; however, the relatively seagrass-poor Iranian coast is considered an exceptional habitat for the species. The last modern dugong records along the Iranian Persian Gulf occurred two decades ago, which, however, are unsupported. Here we present two new documented records of D. dugon from an area in the Iranian coastal waters of Bushehr Province, near the Mond River estuary (Mond Protected Area), northeastern Persian Gulf. These include one individual, probably female, of ca. 2.5–3 m body length found floating, in moderate decomposition, in offshore waters of the Motaf fishing ground on 30 April 2021, and one ca. 3 m female encountered entangled in a set gillnet in inshore waters of the same area on 29 December 2022, and which was successfully released alive. The potential of the area as a possible historical habitat for dugongs, and further implications, are discussed.
Raju Vyas, Vishal Mistry, Pranav Vaghasiya, Devendra Chauhan,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
Railway lines, roadways, canals, and electricity cable networks, pose serious problems to wildlife, fragmenting habitats worldwide. These infrastructures are well-recognized as linear intrusions. Today it is a threat to wildlife, including the Mugger or Marsh Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris). The current study documents 15 crocodile-vehicle collisions (CVC) recorded in two years (2021 and 2022); 11 were on roads, and four were on railway tracks. Sex was determined for 11 individuals (five males, six females), and four unknown due to crushing). A total of 13 individuals were found dead at the various sites of collision, and two juvenile individuals were found injured, and one of them was treated successfully and returned to the wild. The high numbers (9) of CVCs occur in the Central Gujarat and follow 3 CVCs in Saurashtra, 2 CVC in the Kutch region, and one in north Gujarat. Mitigation measures would be required for the collision situationsin Gujarat are discussed. The literature survey shows totals of 75 CVCs were recorded within the last 18 years due to the state's road (n= 51, 68%) and railway (n= 24, 32%) networks, with the highest numbers of 56 CVCs observed in the Central Gujarat and lowest 2 CVC noted in north Gujarat, and no CVC was noted in south Gujarat. The high number of subadults and juvenile muggers victimized due to the CVC. The CVC site location in different regions of Gujarat state positively corresponds to crocodile populations. However, the Mugger crocodile (C. palustris) has been nationally protected under Indian Wildlife Act as Schedule I species, the IUCN criteria as ‘Vulnerable’, and the Appendix I of CITES, therefore conservation acts are essential. The CVC incidences were recorded widely in the entire species distribution range, from Iran, India, and Sri Lanka and can be classified as an emerging threat for mugger crocodiles.
Khean Harvey S. Acuevas, Dave P. Buenavista,
Volume 5, Issue 3 (10-2023)
Abstract
The Center for Ecological Development and Recreation (CEDAR) is an ecotourism site comprised of natural and human-modified ecosystems in Bukidnon, Philippines. With very few existing research on the influence of human-modified ecosystems on the amphibian assemblage in the Philippines, we designed this study to evaluate amphibian assemblage in CEDAR. Using a combination of strip-transect sampling, active searching, and auditory samplings, amphibian samplings were conducted in three sites: human-modified area, dipterocarp forest, and the Dila River System. A total of 425 individuals composed of 18 species from 13 genera and 7 amphibian families were documented. The family Ceratobatrachidae was the most represented group with four species. Out of 18 species, 14 species (77.77%) were Philippine endemics suggesting a high amphibian endemism in CEDAR. In terms of conservation status, 14 out of 18 species were classified as Least Concern, and two were under the Near Threatened category. The Shannon-Weiner and Gini-Simpsons Diversity values revealed that the Human-modified area had the highest diversity value (H’= 2.032; D= 0.812) compared to the Dila River System (H’= 2.005; D= 0.862), and Dipterocarp Forest (H’= 1.264; D= 0.553). Surprisingly, the human-modified area in CEDAR was found to be the surrogate habitat of many anuran species, in particular, a number of generalist species whilst some specialist species were restricted in the natural habitat like the Dipterocarp Forest and Dila River System. Unfortunately, the high amphibian diversity in the human-modified area requires further field studies, hence, additional samplings are recommended. Also, wildlife evaluation and monitoring should be carried-out in CEDAR to facilitate the conservation of amphibian populations and their natural habitats in this area.
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