Vijay Kumar Koli | Mohanlal Sukhadia University Udaipur (original) (raw)

Papers by Vijay Kumar Koli

Avian Biology Research, 2025

It has been considered that the coexistence of similar species is facilitated by the differentiat... more It has been considered that the coexistence of similar species is facilitated by the differentiation in their foraging habits. We
sought to test this hypothesis by evaluating the foraging behavior and factors influencing the foraging success of three coexisting ibis species – Black-headed ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), Red-naped ibis (Pseudibis papillosa), and Glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) – in the semi-arid landscape of western India from January 2020 to April 2022. Overall, foraging parameters were similar among the species, except for inter-individual parameters (P < 0.05) and for the number of locomotion
turns each species performed. Probing and the number of nearby wading birds significantly and positively influenced the foraging success of all the Ibis species studied. Seasonal variations affected the foraging success only for the Red-naped Ibis and within a season, the foraging success was significantly different between species. All species showed different water depth utilization for foraging. Red-naped Ibis used habitats other than wetlands without impacting its foraging success. Also, the foraging success differed between adults and juveniles of the Red-naped ibis but remained consistent for the Black-headed ibis. These findings can aid the future development of hypotheses related to how similar species coexist and help in management and conservation efforts for these species.

Waterbirds, 2024

Closely related sympatric species achieve sympatry using multiple strategies, which includes avoi... more Closely related sympatric species achieve sympatry using multiple strategies, which includes avoiding competition by sharing some habitats (>1 species using the same habitat at the same time; “syntopy”) while
using other habitats exclusively (“allotopy”). The extent to which sympatric species use the syntopy-allotopy strategy relative to other strategies, especially with relation to changing land use and season on agricultural landscapes, is poorly documented in waterbirds. We measured year-long abundance and habitat use of three ibis species on a starkly seasonal semi-arid landscape using an a-priori design covering areas with two dominating land uses (wetlands and agriculture) in north-west India. We hypothesized that ibis abundance and allotopy would be higher in wetter areas and seasons (lower competition, higher resource availability) and that drier areas and seasons (higher competition, scarce resources) would have lower ibis abundance and increased syntopy. Ibis abundance
varied by species (Red-naped > Black-headed > Glossy), season (Summer > Winter > Monsoon) and land use (wetland > agriculture). Ibises largely avoided inter-species competition (81% of observations were of single
species), one species showed year-long allotopy (Red-naped Ibis used crop fields) and the other two species preferred wetland habitats. Syntopy was rare and occurred mostly in areas with more wetlands (91%) and during summer (63%). Ibises achieved sympatry by employing multiple strategies – avoiding direct competition, divergence in species’ habitat use, and increased syntopy during summer. Ibis behavioural plasticity favoured their sympatry across changing landscapes and seasons, but retaining wetlands appears key to their year-long coexistence on mixed use landscapes.

Journal of Urban Ecology, 2024

Small tropical and subtropical cities frequently retain considerable and diverse green spaces. Su... more Small tropical and subtropical cities frequently retain considerable and diverse green spaces. Such cities can house diverse bird assemblages but these species face conditions varying both spatially (habitats and human activity spread out unequally) and temporally (influx of migratory birds, seasonally varying weather). How do urban birds cope with such conditions? More specifically, do migratory species vary from resident ones in their requirements, and how do resident species deal with variations in conditions? To address these questions, we used an ordination technique, the Outlying Mean Index (OMI), to estimate niche characteristics (OMI, tolerance, and residual tolerance) of 74 resident and migratory bird species in the tourism-dominated Udaipur city, India, across three seasons during 2019-20 using 16 variables that incorporated human presence, land use and trees. OMIs indicated high residual tolerance suggesting that measured variables were inadequate to fully characterize urban bird niches. Contrary to predictions, birds grouped by feeding guilds had similar niche metrics both within and across seasons. Also contrary to predictions, migratory species had more generalized niches relative to resident species. Bird niches were most influenced by trees, effects due to other natural habitats (open areas, scrublands, wetlands) were weaker, and human-related variables (cattle, built-up area, people, vehicles) had the weakest influence. Seasonal niche characteristics computed for 41 resident species suggested that individual species coped with changing conditions differently. Conservation of bird assemblages in small cities will require preservation of city-wide habitat diversity alongside spatially restricting urbanization.

Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 2024

Munis Entomology & Zoology, 2024

Bird identification based on the anatomical structure of feathers is critical in forensic studies... more Bird identification based on the anatomical structure of feathers is critical in forensic studies. In this study, we first examine the feather features of three co-occurring ibis species: Red-naped ibis (Pseudibis papillosa), Black-headed ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), and Glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus). Our findings demonstrated that the microstructure of all three ibis species' feathers differed, including node structure and pigmentation. Other characters did not change. The morphology of nodes in Red-naped ibis was identified to be crown-shaped, with 3-4 spikes, whereas nodes in Glossy ibis' and Blackheaded ibis's feathers were prong-shaped.

Journal for Nature Conservation, 2024

Sacred groves have long been recognised for their critical role in biodiversity conservation, but... more Sacred groves have long been recognised for their critical role in biodiversity conservation, but research on their importance in avian conservation is limited. We conducted a comprehensive assessment of bird diversity, richness, and abundance within sacred groves and their surrounding areas in the semi-arid landscape of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. We made 120 point counts (60 sacred groves and 60 random points) to record birds from March 2023 to July 2023. Our results revealed a greater number of bird species (n = 114) within sacred groves than random points (n = 100), including several species of global conservation concern. The species diversity remained consistent, while variations in species richness and abundance was observed. Moreover, we found that the overall composition of birds' feeding guilds was similar in both groups. We observed noteworthy differences in the abundance of frugivores, granivores, insectivores, and omnivores. Species and guild-level abundance exhibited an even distribution. Species richness in both type of sites predominantly attributed to species turnover. Feeding guilds and bird species had varying associations to environmental variables. Our findings recommend the immediate protection of these sacred areas for bird conservation.

Indian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2023

Natural history observations on distribution and nesting behaviour of Asian weaver ant (Oecophyll... more Natural history observations on distribution and nesting behaviour of Asian weaver ant (Oecophylla samragdina Fabricius) in the state of Rajasthan, India

Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2023

Flying squirrels are one of the least studied mammalian taxa in South Asia as well as in India ow... more Flying squirrels are one of the least studied mammalian taxa in South Asia as well as in India owing to their nocturnal, arboreal and cryptic nature. We applied ensemble species distribution modeling using BIOMOD2 (ver 1.0) R-package to predict the suitable habitat of the Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis, Elliot 1839) in Indian biogeographic regions and states, and to identify the physical variables that define its fundamental niche. A subset of least correlated variables from bioclimatic (mean diurnal temperature range, temperature isothermality, precipitation of wettest month, precipitation of driest month and precipitation of warmest quarter, and precipitation of coldest quarter), topographic (elevation), water-related (distance to major water streams), and vegetation-related (NDVI, and vegetation height) data sets were used in the modeling. The accuracy of the final ensemble habitat suitability model was characterized by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and true skill statistic (TSS). In India, a total of highly suitable habitat for the species was estimated to be 66,743 sq. km, varying between states and biogeographic regions. Final model revealed that predictive suitable habitat of the species was limited primarily to the southern peninsula, including the Western Ghats, the Deccan peninsula, and the semi-arid region, and to a lesser extent, the coastal areas of the Kerala state. At the state level, majority of suitable habitat for the species estimated in Kerala followed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Climatic factors, particularly temperature and precipitation, have been identified as major determinants of Indian giant flying squirrel's potential habitat. We suggest that several new areas in the modeling that showed suitable habitat for the species necessitate immediate attention to validate species occurrence through field work. Extensive further studies on the species could also provide a detailed insight into the species' dispersion, colonization and the effect of future climate change in the Indian subcontinent.

Urban Ecosystems, 2024

towards temperate cities of the global north (McDonald et al. 2020; Rega-Brodsky et al. 2022). Th... more towards temperate cities of the global north (McDonald et al. 2020; Rega-Brodsky et al. 2022). This substantial bias prevents global-scale extrapolations of the consequences of increased urbanisation especially since new work is discovering that, contrary to long-standing assumptions, crowded tropical cities in the global south retain high levels of biodiversity (Rawal et al. 2021a, b). Crowded cities with continuous noisy human activities appear to be improbable refugia for wild species since conditions ostensibly have negative impacts on critical behaviours such as roosting (resting, including sleep) and reproduction. Conditions in cities force species to find man-made structures that mimic natural habitats (Mohanty et al. 2021) or alter habits (Muller et al. 2020) towards these essential behaviours. Urban areas are, however, not always detrimental as some species successfully track urban resources (Pomeroy and Kibuule 2017; Spelt et al. 2019). A generalization of conditions inside cities that favour or are detrimental to individual species, however, is not yet

Ornithology Research, 2024

Birds are well known for their close association with humans and their roles in disease transmiss... more Birds are well known for their close association with humans and their roles in disease transmission or as reservoirs for drugresistant bacteria. Waterbirds are exposed to many antibiotics due to the runoff of water from many human-origin sources. In this review, we examined scientific literature from the past two decades to delineate waterbirds-Escherichia coli association and antibiotic resistance in E. coli. We found that studies were biased toward temperate regions, and only 9.87% (79) of total recognized waterbird species were accounted in the literature. The majority of documented species were from the orders Charadriiformes, and Anseriformes, as well as the families Laridae and Anatidae, with 34 migratory and 45 resident species. Samples were taken from a variety of habitats but vary between migratory and resident bird species (P < 0.001). Antibiotic research focused on bird species from Charadriiformes and Anseriformes orders. A total of 44 antibiotics tested against E. coli, and antibiotic resistance did not differ between migratory and resident species (P = 0.92). Escherichia coli from Canada geese was found to be the most resistant to eight antibiotics. We also discussed study biases and made recommendations to increase research in other concern sectors.

Indian BIRDS, 2023

I thank all the members of Dhanbad Birders, headed by A.K. Sahay and Manish Kumar, for their enco... more I thank all the members of Dhanbad Birders, headed by A.K. Sahay and Manish Kumar, for their encouragement and help during fieldwork. I am grateful to Satyajit Oraon, Sipu Kumar, and Snehasis Das for guiding me in preparing this note. 164. White-browed Bulbul habitat in Topchanchi WLS.

SN Social Sciences, 2023

Comprehending the interplay between human society and environmental systems necessitates an under... more Comprehending the interplay between human society and environmental systems necessitates an understanding of their religious dimensions. Our research objective was to explore the cultural and spatial dimensions of sacred sites within the semiarid Aravalli mountain range in western India, alongside assessing the current threats these sites face leading to their degradation. Between November 2021 and April 2022, we travelled ~ 5000 km within the Udaipur district to identify and document potential sacred sites. Data was collected through interview of people and survey on feet at site. We recorded 89 sacred sites associated to diverse deities, including sizes ranging from 0.08 to 90 hec. The majority of these sites, established over 500 years ago, exhibited proximity to water and were surrounded by native forests. Notably, most sites were situated atop hills or in foothills, with greater human activities observed in foothill and ground-level sites. The dominant deity encountered was Lord Shiva. Interestingly, sites associated with the gender of deities exhibited significant variations in terms of their area (P = 0.02) and types of land (P = 0.01). Management point of view, only 24 sites had a wall surrounding them for protection, whereas grazing and lopping were observed in 46 and 11 sites, respectively. In terms of human activity, the majority of sites experienced relatively less disturbances in terms of daily visitor counts. The cultural dimensions of these sites were intricately interwoven with regional history. Notably, the concentration of sites within forested areas suggests that the Aravalli ecosystem features a high potential for biodiversity conservation. The safeguarding of these sites, with active involvement from concerned communities and stakeholders, may aid in their effective and long-term management.

Biodiversity and Conservation, 2023

Sacred groves have a long history of flora and fauna conservation by local communities due to rel... more Sacred groves have a long history of flora and fauna conservation by local communities due to religious and cultural practices. Birds are crucial part of sacred grove's ecosystem but driver regulating their diversity and composition is poorly known. Here, we first time investigated avian diversity, abundance, aggregation in sacred groves distributed across southern Aravalli Mountains, one of the most degraded ecosystem of the world, and also tried to identify its driving factors using different modelling approaches from November, 2022 to February, 2023. We recorded 147 species (86% of potential species richness as per Chao estimation) including four near threatened and two vulnerable species. Feeding guild composition varied between groves. GLMM revealed that species richness significantly and negatively influenced by elevation (CE =-0.02) and distance to human habitation (CE =-0.003), while abundance negatively from elevation (CE =-0.13) and grazing activity (CE =-41.63) but positively from lopping activity (CE = 89.46). Bird abundance was recorded significantly higher (p < 0.05) in groves with lopping activity. Feeding guild showed varied response against elevation and distance to human habitation. Insectivore, and granivore and omnivore showed clear pattern of clustering. In conclusion, sacred groves in Aravalli Mountains support high avian diversity and we strongly recommend to include of these sites in long-term conservation plan.

Biodiversity and Conservation, 2022

Sacred groves are areas of native forest that have been protected by the local people for centuri... more Sacred groves are areas of native forest that have been protected by the local people for centuries through socio-cultural and religious practices. Many of these sites are critical biodiversity hotspots. Hence, religious beliefs and myths are considered as the primary factor for their conservation in the majority of studies. In this review, we use Generalised Linear Models (GLMs) to identify the driver of tree species richness in sacred groves at a large spatial scale in Indian subcontinent by selecting 218 sacred groves from 33 research papers and 12 doctoral theses. Six variables were selected to explain tree species richness: grove area (hec.), survey method, site elevation (m), average annual precipitation (mm), annual mean temperature (°C) and religion of the community associated with sacred grove. Our findings indicated that the tree species richness in groves is influenced by multiple variables (except religion), and the relationship with area, and average annual rainfall was positive and significant (P < 0.05). Individual model with religion showed considerable uncertainty being below the null model. Floristic surveys reported slightly higher diversity of tree species than plot-based sampling. We recommend that larger sacred groves be prioritised for conservation and management as they support greater tree diversity.

Mammalian Species, 2022

Petaurista philippensis (Elliot, 1839), commonly known as the Indian giant flying squirrel or the... more Petaurista philippensis (Elliot, 1839), commonly known as the Indian giant flying squirrel or the large brown flying squirrel, is one of the largest flying squirrels. It has a grizzled brown or claret brown coat, and a black-tipped long tail. Petaurista philippensis is distributed in a range of habitats throughout Southeast Asia, reaching a maximum elevation of 2,200 m. It is nocturnal. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it as "Least Concern" (LC) on the global scale, but its populations are declining in many regions. The Indian Government has included it in Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and Sri Lanka has listed it in Schedule II (Section 30) of the Fauna and Flora Protection (Amendment) Act.

International Journal of Environmental Studies, 2022

Feeding ecology of sloth bears was studied in semi-evergreen forests in Mount Abu wildlife sanctu... more Feeding ecology of sloth bears was studied in semi-evergreen forests in Mount Abu wildlife sanctuary, western India from May 2014 to April 2015. We examined 192 scats (70 in summer, 49 in monsoon, 73 in winter) for frequency of occurrence, percentage of dry weight and importance value index of food items. Four insect orders (Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera) and 47 plants were identified in the diet. No significant seasonal difference (p = 0.11) in the frequency of occurrence in overall diet was observed, but plant parts and number of plant species in diet varied seasonally (p = 0.014). Diet during summer and monsoon exhibited no significant difference (p = 0.65) and showed much similarity (Cs = 0.54), but it was significantly different in other seasons (p < 0.05). The sloth bear consumes more plant parts during summer and monsoon but more insects during winter.

International Bear News, 2022

Record of the Zoological Survey of India, 2021

Moths are non-papilionoid Lepidoptera and least studied than butterflies, likely due to mostly be... more Moths are non-papilionoid Lepidoptera and least studied than butterflies, likely due to mostly being nocturnal habit and cryptic colouration. A preliminary checklist of moth fauna from various southern Rajasthan is presented in the present study based on records from 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2020. We identified 154 moth species representing 10 super families, 18 families and 58 subfamilies. The most species rich families were Crambidae (n=46; 29.87%) Noctuidae (n=30; 19.48%) and Erebidae (n=29; 18.83%), and Geometridae (n=19; 12.34%). The significant outcome of this work is the report of 126 species for the first time from the state of Rajasthan.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, 2021