Habitat Ecology, Trophic Interactions, and Distribution of Endangered Himalayan Musk Deer in the Nepal Himalaya

This dissertation seeks to explore and assess the habitat selection, trophic interactions and distribution of Himalayan musk deer. Chapter one deals with seasonal diet analysis of musk deer along with the overlap in consumption with livestock during summer. Microhistological technique was employed to assess dietary consumption. Results showed that Abies spectabilis, Pinus wallichiana, and Berberis species constituted the major portion of musk deer’s diet. Dietary breadth measured by the Shannon index was found higher in winter compared to summer. Although musk deer and livestock shared a considerable number of plant species in their diets, the consumption however was significantly different in terms of abundance of the species consumed. Chapter two deals with habitat selection at the 2nd order in terms of physical and vegetational attributes within the home range. It also assesses the impacts of livestock presence in habitat selection of musk deer. Logistic regression of musk deer’s presence/absence with binomial error structure and logit link function was employed to determine the physical and vegetational characteristics that likely affected the habitat selection by musk deer. Results found that elevation, aspect, canopy-cover, and tree species significantly affected the habitat selection of musk deer. Moreover, presence and absence of livestock was not found to have any significant effect on the habitat section of musk deer suggesting the selection as an evolutionary adaptation rather than an outcome of interspecific interactions with the livestock. Chapter three deals with habitat selection at the scale of geographic range. This chapter seeks to predict the area that is climatically suitable currently and in the future in context of climate change. Maxent modeling technique with occurrence records (i.e., latitude and longitude) of the species and bioclimatic variables as inputs was employed. Annual mean temperature was found as the significant climatic variable affecting habitat selection at the scale of geographic range and the model predicted an expansion of climatically-suitable area at the northern limit of the species’ range in Indian and Tibetan regions. It is expected that the understanding of habitat selection of musk deer at different scales could help in the conservation and management of the species

Spatial habitat overlap and habitat preference of Himalayan musk deer Moschus chrysogaster

Abstract: The musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), which is native to Nepal, China, Bhutan, and India, is an endangered species, which suffers a high level of poaching due to the economic demand for its musk pod. The World Heritage Site (WHS), Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park (SNP), provides prime habitat for this species. Our aim in this study was to perform a quantitative assessment of the habitat preferences of musk deer in SNP, and evaluate how preferred habitat might be impacted by anthropogenic activities. Results showed that the musk deer population is distributed in 131 km 2 of the park area. We recorded 39 musk deer (11 male, 16 female and 12 unidentified) in Debuche, Tengboche, Phortse Thanga, Dole, and associated areas in SNP. The musk deer in these areas preferred gentle to steep slopes with the altitudinal range of 3400-3900m and also displayed a preference for dense forest and sparse ground/crown cover. The musk deer preferred the treesAbies spectabilis, Betula utilis, shrubs-Rhododendron spp., Rosa sericea, and herbs-Usnea spp. and Rui grass, many of which are harvested for construction and firewood. There was, in addition, a significant overlap (35%) in the habitat of musk deer and the distribution of livestock within the region. Future planning for the conservation of musk deer must take into the habitat impacts because of anthropogenic activities and livestock grazing

Wildlife Population Monitoring Study among Endangered Animals at Protected Areas in Nepal

Nepal is a small country located in South Asia which is geographically highly diverse and fairly rich in its variety of endangered wild animals. Conservation and monitoring of endangered wildlife is great challenging task in developing country like Nepal. Different body parts of wild animals are used as raw material for making pharmaceutical products, cosmetic, and other purpose; hence their value increased in the international market, as a result poaching and trading activities of endangered wild animals has been increased rapidly at protected areas in Nepal. This review will provide detailed information about different population monitoring techniques being applied for different endangered wild animals in protected areas of Nepal. Techniques like camera trapping, radio collar, noninvasive methods, mobile application, GPS, GIS, direct head count, etc. are commonly used for monitoring wildlife in Nepal. Since conservation of endangered wildlife species has become very much crucial, more advance technologies and social network analysis will be also used to determine the monitoring of wild animals at protected areas in Nepal

Mapping Conservation Priorities and Assessing Connectivity Pathways for Threatened Mammals Under Future Climate Change in the Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot of Bhutan

High species diversity and endemism within a vast area of intact and unexplored landscapes, makes the Eastern Himalayas a unique global biodiversity hotspot. The region is home to 255 native terrestrial mammal species including 75 globally threatened species such as the iconic tiger Panthera tigris, snow leopard Panthera uncia and the greater one-horned rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis. To complement the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, I assessed the current conservation status of native terrestrial mammal species in the Eastern Himalayas and identified the 50 most threatened species based on conservation status, endemism, range size, and evolutionary distinctiveness. Despite a mismatch between current distribution of protected areas and priority areas to conserve these threatened mammals, my findings on the extent of ecoregion protection suggests adequate remaining natural habitats to expand current Eastern Himalayan protected areas. Between 2014 and 2015, I deployed 1858 camera traps within 1129 5-km x 5-km grids over 536 days to investigate richness and diversity of mammals between protected areas, biological corridors, and intervening areas (NPAs) along an elevational gradient in Bhutan. My study revealed 18 (32%) of 56 identified mammal species were IUCN-listed threatened species. Bhutan's network of protected area and biological corridors harbor a richer mammal community than NPAs. Vegetation zones at upper and lower elevation ranges had high species richness and diversity relative to mid-elevations which had higher human presence. Finally, I assessed the ecological functionality, structural design, and management effectiveness of Bhutan's biological corridor network by integrating detailed climatic, ecological, and biological data with emphasis placed on meta-populations of threatened, wide ranging, and umbrella mammal species. To capture areas known to support high diversity of threatened species and reconcile current land use impact and climate change on biodiversity, the top seven priority areas for expansion within this network were identified. My innovative study fills a gap in existing knowledge on current progress and future prospective toward the novel idea by E.O. Wilson of securing a half earth, to conserve biodiversity, address the species-extinction crisis, and prevent collapse of vital ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and climate regulation. My work is also an important milestone in addressing knowledge gaps for conservation of threatened mammals in the Eastern Himalayas. Regional collaborative cooperation for effective transboundary research and management is necessary, and regional prioritizing of areas for biodiversity conservation is essential to prevent species extinction

Projected distribution of the westernmost subpopulation of Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis pelops) under climate change: conservation implications of a threatened population

Anthropogenic climate change can have a negative impact on the distribution of habitat specialist species with narrow distributional ranges. Among the many areas around the world affected by climate change, the Himalayan region in particular is experiencing marked effects of global warming on its climatic patterns and life forms. This study assessed the current distribution of Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis) in western Nepal, and projected their likely distribution (via habitat suitability modeling) for the years 2050 and 2070 under the two most plausible greenhouse gas emission scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP6.0). We recorded a total of 159 Assamese macaques belonging to 10 groups (nine of them residing outside of protected area networks) between 684m and 2550m asl in western Nepal. Climatic niche modeling predicted that 37.03% (25,114 km2) of the total area of western Nepal (67,813 km2) represented suitable habitat of the species, the majority of which ranged between 1000 m and 2000 m asl. Future projections of the current climatic niche of the Assamese macaques revealed a consistent decrease in the suitable habitat for 2050 and 2070 in both of the greenhouse emission scenarios tested. With the RCP6.0 scenario, almost 57% of the current highly suitable habitat would be lost by 2070 with remaining suitable habitat shifted towards higher elevations. The loss of habitat directly affects the species survival and the range shift towards higher elevation exposes them to new areas for conflict with humans. Therefore, the Assamese macaque population in western Nepal requires a high conservation priority with the establishment of new protected areas

Volume 2, Chapter 18-2: Large Mammals: Ruminants - Non-Cervidae

https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/bryo-ecol-subchapters/1202/thumbnail.jp

Factors Structuring Treeline Dynamics of the Nepal Himalaya

The alpine treeline ecotone is an important component of mountain ecosystems of the Nepal Himalayas; it plays a vital role in the livelihood of indigenous people and provides ecosystem services. However, the region faces a problem of paucity of data on treeline characteristics at the regional, landscape, and local scales. Therefore, I applied remote sensing and geographic information science approaches to investigate the treeline ecotone at the regional (entire Nepal) and landscape (Barun and Manang Valleys) scales. Treeline elevation ranges from 3300–4300 m. Abies spectabilis, Betula utilis, and Pinus wallichiana are the main treeline-forming species in the Nepal Himalayas. There is an east to west treeline elevation gradient at the regional scale. No slope exposure is observed at the regional scale; however, at the landscape scale, slope exposure is present only in a disturbed area. From the landscape scale study, I found that topography and human disturbance are the main treeline-controlling factors in Barun and Manang, respectively. Diverse treeline-forming species and treeline nature observed in the landscape and regional scale study suggested more investigation was needed at the local scale. Therefore, I established two transects of 20 m width and 120 m length (100 m above and 20 m below the forestline) in the Betula utilis sub-alpine forest of the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in western Nepal to understand the local scale treeline dynamics. Poor regeneration was observed above the forestline in both transects compared to below the forestline. Low regeneration at the treeline ecotone suggested site-specific biotic and abiotic controlling factors. Seedling and sapling establishment above the forestline is limited by a lack of moisture, an absence of suitable microsites, and the presence of herbivores. I found the treeline stable at the local scale. I used the Maxent species distribution modeling approach to predict the likelihood of treeline advance in the Nepal Himalayas by modeling the habitat suitability of three dominant treeline species—A. spectabilis, B. utilis, and P. wallichiana—under present and alternative future climates. Temperature-related climatic variables and elevation explained the greatest amount of variance in the distribution of the study species. Under future climate models, I found a regional increase in habitat suitability of all three treeline species that predicted a potential for northward and upslope advance

Phylogenetic Analysis of Conservation Priorities for Aquatic Mammals and Their Terrestrial Relatives, with a Comparison of Methods

BACKGROUND: Habitat loss and overexploitation are among the primary factors threatening populations of many mammal species. Recently, aquatic mammals have been highlighted as particularly vulnerable. Here we test (1) if aquatic mammals emerge as more phylogenetically urgent conservation priorities than their terrestrial relatives, and (2) if high priority species are receiving sufficient conservation effort. We also compare results among some phylogenetic conservation methods. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A phylogenetic analysis of conservation priorities for all 620 species of Cetartiodactyla and Carnivora, including most aquatic mammals. Conservation priority ranking of aquatic versus terrestrial species is approximately proportional to their diversity. However, nearly all obligated freshwater cetartiodactylans are among the top conservation priority species. Further, ∼74% and 40% of fully aquatic cetartiodactylans and carnivores, respectively, are either threatened or data deficient, more so than their terrestrial relatives. Strikingly, only 3% of all 'high priority' species are thought to be stable. An overwhelming 97% of these species thus either show decreasing population trends (87%) or are insufficiently known (10%). Furthermore, a disproportional number of highly evolutionarily distinct species are experiencing population decline, thus, such species should be closely monitored even if not currently threatened. Comparison among methods reveals that exact species ranking differs considerably among methods, nevertheless, most top priority species consistently rank high under any method. While we here favor one approach, we also suggest that a consensus approach may be useful when methods disagree. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results reinforce prior findings, suggesting there is an urgent need to gather basic conservation data for aquatic mammals, and special conservation focus is needed on those confined to freshwater. That evolutionarily distinct--and thus 'biodiverse'--species are faring relatively poorly is alarming and requires further study. Our results offer a detailed guide to phylogeny-based conservation prioritization for these two orders

Drought vulnerability among China's ungulates and mitigation offered by protected areas

Ongoing perturbations in the global climate have triggered changes in the frequency or magnitude of extreme climatic events, including drought. Increasingly common or intense droughts have threatened ungulates. Intensifying trend of drought has been observed in China since the 1980s. We assessed drought vulnerability of 60 ungulate taxa distributed in China by synthesizing information on drought exposure and intrinsic vulnerability related to biological traits. In total, 27 taxa were identified as vulnerable to drought, which represent over half of the taxa assessed as threatened in the IUCN Red List and China's National Red List. We identified hotspots where a high number of drought‐vulnerable taxa are concentrated, including Northeast Himalayan subalpine conifer forests, alpine conifer and mixed forests of Nujiang‐Lancang Gorge, and Qionglai‐Minshan conifer forests, which are all located in Southwest China. We also assessed conservation efforts that China has allocated to ungulate taxa vulnerable to drought. Drought‐vulnerable taxa that are endemic to China have significantly lower coverage in China's National Nature Reserve system compared with nonvulnerable taxa. These findings reveal the gaps in existing conservation efforts and indicate possible improvements that might be needed to maintain species resistance in the face of increasing and intensifying drought impacts

Forest Carbon Stock Assessment of the Musk Deer National Park, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)

To tackle with the increasing challenges of climate change, forests are considered as a viable option. Schemes such as Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) are regarded as financial ventures for not only tackling climate change but also conserving forestry resources and for alleviating poverty. Such schemes however require the exercise of forest carbon stock assessments. It is therefore essential to understand the dynamics of carbon stocks in various forest ecosystems. The study therefore was conducted to assess the carbon stocks of the forests of Musk Deer National Park, AJK. Standard methods were used to calculate the carbon stocks of the Musk Deer National Park. The results revealed that the sampled area of the park contained mean carbon stocks per hectare (ha) of 44.64 ± 12.44 Mg ha-1. The Picea smithiana with 25.40 ± 14.53 Mg ha-1 had the highest of the mean carbon stocks per ha followed by Abies pindrow which had the mean carbon stocks per ha of 17.77 ± 11.80 Mg ha-1. The study was the first attempt, to the extent of my knowledge, for forest carbon stock assessment of the Musk Deer National Park. The results can be helpful in developing REDD+ projects in future, which can assist in forest resource conservation and poverty alleviation.  Keywords: Carbon Stock, forest and climat