Status, Occurrence, Distribution of Some Mammals of North Gujarat, India (original) (raw)
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Current Science, 2012
For proper management of a wildlife reserve, it is essential to get estimates of occurrence, abundance, density and biomass of herbivores that in turn determine the density of carnivores. The Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (BRT WLS) is a critical conservation region as it is a living bridge between the Eastern and the Western Ghats of southern India. We made repeated walks of 795.5 km on 33 random line transects covering a total distance of 93 km in the sanctuary. During these walks, we recorded the sightings of herbivores using rangefinder, compass and GPS. We also surveyed the sanctuary driving a jeep during nights to detect typically nocturnal mammals. We analysed the data using DISTANCE software. We recorded 31 species of herbivores and the density of these species differed among habitats that included evergreen, moist deciduous, dry deciduous and scrub forests. Several nocturnal species, including elusive small cats were sighted. We found that leaving out elephants, the herbivore biomass in BRT WLS was 4,127.82 kg/km 2. This places BRT among some of the herbivore-rich wildlife reserves in the country. We recommend that BRT be notified as a Tiger Reserve.
Mammals of northeastern India: an updated checklist
Journal of Threatened Taxa, 2021
A systematic review was carried out to prepare a checklist of the mammalian species of northeastern India. The region is located between two prominent biodiversity hotspots, Himalaya and Indo-Burma. Though it is only 8% of the country, it supports almost half of the country’s total wild flora and fauna. Ongoing developmental activities such as the construction of roads, electrification, and mining in and around the wildlife habitats have threatened the survival of many species of wildlife. A lot of literature has been checked to understand the status and distribution of wildlife in the region and the present manuscript is prepared from existing literature. A total of 267 species representing 11 orders and 38 families from the region have been reported. A state-wise updated list of species along with their status as per IUCN, WPA (Wildlife Protection Act) of India, 1972 and CITES has been provided which is intended to serve as a baseline data for further research in mammalian fauna of the region.
The study was conducted in Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary during 2012, a year before the major natural disaster took place in Himalays. Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary is situated in Chamoli district of Uttrakhand Himalayas covering an area of 975 sq km. A total of 28 mammalian species were reported from this sanctuary. However, scientific information on many of these mammals are scanty and there is a gap of knowledge regarding their status, distribution and ecology . Considering this, an attempt was made to study sambar, alpine musk deer, himalayan tahr, asiatic black beer and red fox found in Shokharak area of Kedarnath WLS. Direct as well indirect methods were used to assess the population and habitat use. Twenty four trailtransect of different length were laid throughout the study area and monitored three times, covering 43 km in 124.50 hours . The overall encounter rate (group/km) among different species was recorded maximum for Himalayan Tahr (0.208 group/k.m) and Tugnath was the place where its density was maximum (31.83 ± 13.59).The pattern of habitat use by different species revealed that Himalayan Tahr, alpine musk deer and Asiatic black bear prefer high altitude areas therefore they are found in Shokhark, Tungnath and Chandrasila, whereas, sambar and red fox prefer middle altitude and because of this their presence was not recorded from above mentioned areas. A further investigation is needed to understand the post disaster impact on the abundance and habitat use of mammals in Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary. Findings of present study could be a best baseline data to make future strategy for the better management, conservation and habitat improvement of the species.
A Review on Diversity and Conservation Status of Mammals in Bihar, India
Mammals are a diverse and fascinating group of animals that play vital roles in ecosystems worldwide. They exhibit a wide range of characteristics, behaviors, and adaptations, making them a subject of significant scientific interest (Jones KE and Safi K, 2011). The global mammalian fauna is represented by 6,495 species, of which 6,399 are extant and 96 are extinct (Mammal Diversity Database, 2019). India has a total of 423 species, which accounts for 7.81% of the global mammalian species (Sharma et al. 2015).
During the present investigation a detailed taxonomic and ecological study was conducted in Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife sanctuary of Chamba District also known as the Mini Switzerland of Himachal Pradesh. Study revealed the presence of 16 species of mammals belonging to 14 genera, 12 families and 6 orders. Out of a total of sixteen species thirteen have been placed under Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Two species are vulnerable according to National Red Data.
Small mammals in the human-dominated landscape in the northern Western Ghats of India
2021
The Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot is under huge anthropogenic pressure, with unique flora and fauna facing severe threats from habitat fragmentation, loss, and degradation. The northern Western Ghats has been poorly studied for its small mammal fauna, hence we examined small mammals near Pune from 2014 to 2017. Live trapping was carried out in irrigated and rainfed agriculture fields, forests, and grasslands at low, mid, and high elevations. A total of 538 individuals were trapped, representing 17 species of rodents and one shrew. Most abundantly captured species were Millardia kondana (23%), Mus saxicola (19%), Suncus murinus (17%), and Mus booduga (13%). Species richness and abundance of small mammals varied across the habitats. High elevation grasslands were species-rich relative to low elevation grasslands and forests. Our observations indicate that human disturbances play a role in determining the richness and abundance of small mammals in the area, where population...
2015
The exploration of RakchhamChhitkul Wildlife Sanctuary present in the Baspa (Sangla) valley situated in remote tribal district of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh, India revealed the presence of a diverse population of 23 species of mammals belonging to 20 genera, 11 families and 5 orders. It was noticed that order Carnivora being the most diverse order with 12 species followed by orders Artiodactyla and Rodentia with 4 species each. 2 species of order Primate and a single species of order Logomorpha were observed in the sanctuary. The mammalian species reported presented an assemblage of unique and threatened species of mammals. The analysis of data revealed that twelve species have been listed in CITES, while out of the twenty three species reported eleven species have been placed under different schedules of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. A total of six species reported from the study area were found to be declared threatened by IUCN.
Patterns and determinants of mammal species occurrence in India
Journal of Applied Ecology, 2009
Summary 1. Many Indian mammals face range contraction and extinction, but assessments of their population status are hindered by the lack of reliable distribution data and range maps. 2. We estimated the current geographical ranges of 20 species of large mammals by applying occupancy models to data from country‐wide expert. We modelled species in relation to ecological and social covariates (protected areas, landscape characteristics and human influences) based on a priori hypotheses about plausible determinants of mammalian distribution patterns. 3. We demonstrated that failure to incorporate detection probability in distribution survey methods underestimated habitat occupancy for all species. 4. Protected areas were important for the distribution of 16 species. However, for many species much of their current range remains unprotected. The availability of evergreen forests was important for the occurrence of 14 species, temperate forests for six species, deciduous forests for 15 sp...
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2011
There is a realization that managed forests and other natural areas in the landscape matrix can and must make significant contributions to biodiversity conservation. Often, however, there are no consistent baseline vegetation or wildlife data for assessing the status of biodiversity elements across protected and managed areas for conservation planning, nor is there a rapid and efficient means to acquire those data. We used a unified vegetation classification and simple animal sampling design to describe the patterns of abundance of selected mammals as indicator, or characteristic, species in different vegetation types and protected areas vs. managed forest units in the Terai Conservation Area (TCA) in northern Uttar Pradesh state, India. We quantified the relative abundance of 15 mammals of conservation concern from dung counts in vegetation sampling plots within 122 sample patches in 13 vegetation types and 4 management units. Assemblages of species differed both among vegetation types and among management units. Species assemblages in the two protected areas differed strongly from those in two managed forests. Grasslands in protected areas were the most species diverse among vegetation types and had several indicator species. Protected forests were dominated by chital (Axis axis) and nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) in a second species group. A third species group in open grasslands and savannas in managed forests was characterized by cattle (Bos taurus) and Indian hare (Lepus nigricollis). Protected areas clearly are the core conservation area of the TCA for their relatively high habitat value and species diversity, and their protected status minimizes human disturbance. Impacts of human use are high in managed forests, indicating their compromised value for biodiversity conservation. Our simple assessment methodology gives managers a simple way to assess the status of important mammals across landscape conservation units.
An updated checklist of mammals of Odisha, India
Journal of Threatened Taxa, 2020
Based on available literature and field surveys, an updated checklist of mammals of Odisha State is presented in this communication. Their updated scientific binomen, IUCN status, Wildlife (Protection) Act schedules, CITES appendices, and last reported sighting of each species in Odisha are also given. Odisha has around 102 species of mammals under 34 families and 12 orders, among which 27 species have been included under the different threatened categories of the IUCN Red List.