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| Author |
Shrestha, R.; Wegge, P. |
| Title |
Determining the composition of herbivore diets in the Trans-Himalayan rangelands: A comparison of field methods |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Journal of Rangeland Ecology and Management |
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| Volume |
59 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
512-518 |
| Keywords |
bite count; Bos grunniens; Capra hircus; diet; fecal analysis; feeding site examination; food habits; free ranging; Nepal; Ovis aries; trans-himalayan |
| Abstract |
In late summer, in a semi-arid mountain range in Nepal, we compared 3 field methods for determining the botanical composition of herbivore diets. Data were collected from the same animals belonging to 1 herd of domestic yak (Bos grunniens) and 2 herds of mixed smallstock, consisting of domestic goats (Capra hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries). Bite count, feeding site examination, and microhistological analysis of feces gave different estimates of forage categories and plant species in both animal groups. Because yaks grazed in other vegetation communities when not observed for bite-counts and feeding signs, the results from the latter methods could not be compared directly with that from fecal analysis. In smallstock, feeding site examination gave higher estimates of graminoids and lower estimates of shrubs than the other 2 methods, probably because all feeding signs on shrubs were not detected. Bite-counts and fecal analysis gave comparable results, except that forbs were underestimated by fecal analysis, presumably due to their more complete digestion. Owing to the difficulty in collecting samples that are representative of the entire grazing period and the problem of recording feeding signs correctly, both feeding site examination and bite-counts are unsuitable methods for studying the food habits of free ranging domestic and wild herbivores. Microhistological analysis of feces appears to be the most appropriate method, but correction factors are needed to adjust for differential digestion. The systematic use of photomicrographs improves the speed and accuracy of the fecal analysis. |
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SLN @ rana @ 935 |
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889 |
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| Author |
Shrestha, R.; Wegge, P. |
| Title |
Habitat relationships between wild and domestic herbivores in Nepalese trans – Himalaya |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2008 |
Publication |
Journal of Arid Environments |
Abbreviated Journal |
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72 |
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Pages |
914-925 |
| Keywords |
blue sheep; Competition; domestic; habitat partitioning; naur; Nepal; pastoralism; pseudois nayaur; trans-himalaya |
| Abstract |
In the semi-arid ecosystems of Asia, where pastoralism is a main subsistence occupation, grazing competition from domestic stock is believed to displace the wild ungulates. We studied the habitat relationships among sympatric naur and domestic yak and smallstock in Phu valley in upper Manang district, Nepal, on the basis of their distribution on vegetation types, elevation and slope. To control for the disturbance effect by humans, we collected the data on naur from those ranges where domestic stock were not being attended by herders. We applied correspondence analysis to explore habitat associations among animal groups (n ¬ 1415) within and across-seasons. Within each association, interspecific habitat overlaps and species habitat preferences were calculated. Naur was strongly associated with free-ranging yak as they used similar altitudinal ranges in all seasons, except in spring. Their distributions on vegetation types and slopes were also quite similar, except for a stronger preference for alpine meadows by naur during summer and winter. Naur and smallstock did not form temporal associations as the latter consistently used lower elevations. In autumn and spring, however, naur spatially overlapped with the summer range of smallstock, and both preferred the alpine meadow habitat during these periods. Alpine meadow was the least abundant vegetation type but was consistently and preferentially used by all animal groups across seasons. At high stocking densities, all three animals groups are therefore likely to compete for this vegetation type. The role of spatio-temporal heterogeneity for interpreting the interspecific relationships among ungulates in the semi-arid rangelands of the trans-Himalaya is discussed. |
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no |
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SLN @ rana @ 937 |
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891 |
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Suryawanshi, K.R.; Bhatnagar, Y.; Mishra, C. |
| Title |
Why should a grazer browse? Livestock impact on winter resource use by bharal Pseudois nayaur
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2009 |
Publication |
Oecologia |
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1-10 |
| Keywords |
browse; livestock; impact; winter; resource; use; bharal; Pseudois; pseudois nayaur; Pseudois-nayaur; nayaur; diet; variation; diets; conservation; Media; study; decline; areas; area; grazing; Pressure; plants; plant; sign; feeding; location; population; structure; populations; using; young; Female; times; High; Competition; species; predators; predator; endangered; snow; snow leopard; snow-leopard; leopard; trans-himalaya; transhimalaya |
| Abstract |
Many mammalian herbivores show a temporal diet variation between graminoid-dominated and browse dominated diets. We determined the causes of such a diet shift and its implications for conservation of a medium sized ungulate-the bharal Pseudois nayaur. Past studies show that the bharal diet is dominated by graminoids (>80%) during summer, but the contribution of graminoids declines to about 50% in winter. We tested the predictions generated by two alternative hypotheses explaining the decline: low graminoid availability during winter causes bharal to include browse in their diet; bharal include browse, with relatively higher nutritional quality, in their diet to compensate for the poor quality of graminoids during winter. We measured winter graminoid availability in areas with no livestock grazing, areas with relatively moderate livestock grazing, and those with intense livestock grazing pressures. The chemical composition of plants contributing to the bharal diet was analysed. The bharal diet was quantiWed through signs of feeding on vegetation at feeding locations. Population structures of bharal populations were recorded using a total count method. Graminoid availability was highest in areas without livestock grazing, followed by areas with moderate and intense livestock grazing. The bharal diet was dominated by graminoids (73%) in areas with highest graminoid availability. Graminoid contribution to the bharal diet declined monotonically (50, 36%) with a decline in graminoid availability. Bharal young to female ratio was 3 times higher in areas with high graminoid availability than areas with low graminoid availability. The composition of the bharal winter diet was governed predominantly by the availability of graminoids in the rangelands. Our results suggest that bharal include more browse in their diet during winter due to competition from livestock for graminoids. Since livestock grazing reduces graminoid availability, creation of livestock-free areas is necessary for the conservation of grazing species such as the bharal and its predators including the endangered snow leopard in the Trans-Himalaya. |
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Springer-Verlag |
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Online |
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This study was made possible by a grant from the Snow Leopard Network. Additional support was given by the Wildlife Conservation Society-India Program and Nature Conservation Foundation, the Whitley Fund for Nature, the Ford Foundation, and the Nadathur Conservation Trust. |
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SLN @ rana @ 1062 |
Serial |
951 |
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Ale, S.B., Brown, J.S. |
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Prey behavior leads to predator: a case study of the Himalayan tahr and the snow leopard in Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Nepal |
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Journal Article |
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2009 |
Publication |
Israel Journal of Ecology & Evolution |
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55 |
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4 |
Pages |
315-327 |
| Keywords |
vigilance, fear, behavioral indicator, predator, prey, snow leopard, Himalayan tahr, Mount Everest |
| Abstract |
Rare, elusive predators offer few sightings, hindering research with small sample sizes and lack of experimentation. While predators may be elusive, their prey are more readily observed. Prey respond to the presence of a predator, and these fear responses may have population- and community-level consequences. Anti-predator behaviors, such as vigilance, allow us to sidestep the difficulty of direct field studies of large predators by studying them indirectly. Here we used a behavioral indicator, the vigilance behavior of the Himalayan tahr, the snow leopard’s main local prey, to reveal the distribution and habitat use of snow leopards in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal. We combined techniques of conventional field biology with concepts of foraging theory to study prey behavior in order to obtain insights into the predator’s ecology. The Himalayan tahr’s vigilance behavior correlates with the distribution of snow leopard signs. Tahr actually led us to six sightings of snow leopards. We conclude that behavioral indicators provided by prey offer a valuable tool for studying and monitoring stealthy and rare carnivores. |
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Science from Israel, a division of LPPLtd. |
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Israel |
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English |
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English |
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1109 |
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Lovari, S., Boesi, R., Minder, I., Mucci, N., Randi, E., Dematteis, A., and Ale, S. B. |
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Restoring a keystone predator may endanger a prey species in a human-altered ecosystem: the return of the snow leopard to Sagarmatha National Park |
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Journal Article |
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2009 |
Publication |
Animal Conservation |
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12 |
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Pages |
559-570 |
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conservation, food habits, genetics, Hemitragus jemlahicus, Himalayan tahr, management, microsatellite, predation, presence, scat, scat analysis, snow leopard, Uncia uncia |
| Abstract |
Twenty-five years ago, the snow leopard Uncia uncia, an endangered large cat, was eliminated from what is now Sagarmatha National Park (SNP). Heavy hunting pressure depleted that area of most medium-large mammals, before it became a park. After three decades of protection, the cessation of hunting and the recovery of wild ungulate populations, snow leopards have recently returned (four individuals). We have documented the effects of the return of the snow leopard on the population of its main wild prey, the Himalayan tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus, a 'near-threatened' caprin. Signs of snow leopard presence were recorded and scats were collected along a fixed trail (130 km) to assess the presence and food habits of the snow leopard in the Park, from 2004 to 2006. Himalayan tahr, the staple of the diet, had a relative occurrence of 48% in summer and 37% in autumn, compared with the next most frequent prey, musk deer Moschus chrysogaster (summer: 20%; autumn: 15%) and cattle (summer: 15%; autumn: 27%). In early summer, the birth rate of tahr (young-to-female ratio: 0.8-0.9) was high. The decrease of this ratio to 0.1-0.2 in autumn implied that summer predation concentrated on young tahr, eventually altering the population by removing the kid cohort. Small populations of wild Caprinae, for example the Himalayan tahr population in SNP, are sensitive to stochastic predation events and may be led to almost local extinction. If predation on livestock keeps growing, together with the decrease of Himalayan tahr, retaliatory killing of snow leopards by local people may be expected, and the snow leopard could again be at risk of local extinction. Restoration of biodiversity through the return of a large predator has to be monitored carefully, especially in areas affected by humans, where the lack of important environmental components, for example key prey species, may make the return of a predator a challenging event. |
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1122 |
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Sharma, S., Thapa, K., Chalise, M., Dutta, T., Bhatnagar, Y.V., McCarthy, T. |
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The snow leopard in Himalaya: A step towards their conservation by studying their distribution, marking habitat selection, coexistence with other predators, and wild prey-livestock-predator interaction |
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Journal Article |
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2006 |
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Conservation Biology in Asia |
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184-196 |
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Himalaya, Nepal, ecology, snow leopard, Uncia uncia, prey, livestock, predator |
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Snow leopard (Uncia uncial) is a flagship species of the Himalaya. Very few studies have been done on the ecology of this species in the Himalaya. This paper presents an overview of four studies conducted on snow leopards in Nepal and India, dealing with various aspects of snow leopard ecology including their status assessment, making behaviour, habitat selection, food habits, and impact on livestock. The information generated by these studies is useful in planning effective conservation and management strategies for this endangered top predator of high mountains. |
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Paper 12; From: Pages 184-196 of Conservation Biology in Asia (2006) McNeely, J.A., T. M. McCarthy, A. Smith, L.Olsvig-Whittaker, and E.D. Wikramanayake (editors). Published by the Society for Conservation Biology Asia Section and Resources Himalaya, Kathmandu, Nepal, 455 pp. |
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SLN @ rana @ |
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1130 |
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Fox, J.L., Sinha, S.P., Chundawat, R.S. |
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Activity patterns and habitat use of ibex in the Himalaya mountains of India |
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Journal Article |
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1992 |
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Journal of Mammology |
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73 |
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3 |
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527-534 |
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Capra ibex, activity patterns, habitat use, Himalaya mountains, India |
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1168 |
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Anwar, M., Jackson, R., Nadeem, M., Janecka, J., Hussain, S., Beg, M., Muhammad, G., and Qayyum, M. |
| Title |
Food habits of the snow leopard Panthera uncia (Schreber, 1775) in Baltistan, Northern Pakistan |
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Journal Article |
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2011 |
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European Journal of Wildlife Research |
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3 March |
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1-7 |
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Himalayas, Karakoram, Scat, Diet, Hair, Livestock, Biomass |
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The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits the high, remote mountains of Pakistan from where very little information is available on prey use of this species. Our study describes the food habits of the snow leopard in the Himalayas and Karakoram mountain ranges in Baltistan, Pakistan. Ninety-five putrid snow leopard scats were collected from four sites in Baltistan. Of these, 49 scats were genetically confirmed to have originated from snow leopards. The consumed prey was identified on the basis of morphological characteristics of hairs recovered from the scats. It was found that most of the biomass consumed (70%) was due to domestic livestock viz. sheep (23%), goat (16%), cattle (10%), yak (7%), and cattle–yak hybrids (14%). Only 30% of the biomass was due to wild species, namely Siberian ibex (21%), markhor (7%), and birds (2%). Heavy predation on domestic livestock appeared to be the likely cause of conflict with the local inhabitants. Conservation initiatives should focus on mitigating this conflict by minimizing livestock losses. |
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Springer Berlin / Heidelberg |
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1612-4642 |
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1304 |
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Namgail, T. |
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Vigilance behaviour of the Tibetan argali Ovis ammon hodgsoni in the Indian Trans-Himalaya |
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Journal Article |
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2007 |
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Acta Zoologica Sinica |
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53 |
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195-200 |
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Tibertan argali, Ovis ammon, vigilance, dilution effect, Ladakh, Trans-Himalaya |
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An inverse relationship between individual vigilance level and group size is widely reported in many behavioral studies on animals across several taxa. It is generally held that such a relationship is due to a reduced probability of an individual being killed in larger groups. in the present investigation, I studied the vigilance behavior of the endangered Tibetan argali Ovis ammon hodgsoni in relation to group size and escape terrain. I hypothesized that an individual argali has a higher vigilance level in smaller groups and in habitats closer to cliffs than individuals living in larger groups and open areas (escape terrain). The results show that the vigilance of argali decreased with increasing group size, but there was no effect of escape terrain on its vigilance behavior. There were significant differences between age-sex groups: male, female and yearling in their time budgets. Females, compared to males and yearlings, spent more time being vigilant. They also foraged more and moved less than males. It is suggested that vigilance is an important anti-predator behavior amongst argali sheep. |
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Abstract also available in Chinese |
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1310 |
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Devendra, T. & Chalise, M. |
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Population and habitat of Himalayan thar (Hemitragus jemlahicus) in Langtang Himalaya, Langtang National Park (LNP), Nepal |
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Journal Article |
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2010 |
Publication |
Special issue on the occasion of 15th Wildlife Week |
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2067 |
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37-46 |
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Himalayan Thar, census, habitat characters, use |
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A survey of Himalayan Thar was carried out in Langtang valley in response to the lacking of scientific information of its population status and distribution in the area. The study was carried out from Ghodatabela to Langsisa Kharka during April to June of 2003/04/2005. The area was divided into 5 survey blocks measuring 5sqkm each and study was conducted through blocks. Observed herds and individual animals were repeatedly counted and recorded. A total of 218 individuals of different age and sex Himalayan Thar were recorded during the study in 8 different herds. Three types of herds were recognized; Adult male-adult female-young (37.5%), Adult female-young (37.5%) and All adult-male (25%). Survey revealed that 50% of Thar herds were observed in 4200-4900m (Fourth block) and least (12%) were in 3700-4000m (First block), animals were not located in 3850-4200m (Third, Fifth block). Stratified random sampling was done to analyze the vegetation in their habitat and identified 26 potential plant species. The encroachment of their habitat is severe by the excessive livestock grazing and utilization for cowshed. Noticeable disturbance felt due to frequent poaching and tourist flow. The conservation of this species seems vital as it is prime prey species of Snow leopard in LNP. |
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Dept. of National Parks & Wildlife Cons. /Govt. of Nepal |
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1318 |
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