Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Ecological Determinants of Occupancy and Abundance of Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) in Yadahalli Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India


Affiliations
1 Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Dwarka, Sector 16-C, New Delhi 110 078, India
2 Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108, India
3 No. 3001/1-new no. 19, 2nd Main Road, VV Mohalla, Mysuru 570 002, Karnataka, India
4 Karnataka Forest Department, Belagavi Forest Circle, Belagavi 590 016, India
 

Chinkara (Gazella bennettii), the Indian gazelle, is a widespread antelope in the arid and semi-arid regions of the Indian subcontinent; however, the species has been relatively unexplored to the south of its distribution range. In 2016, with indefinite evidence of chinkara presence in Yadahalli Reserved Forest, Karnataka, India, the Forest Department notified the area as a Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS). We conducted a study to explore their possible existence and population status at Yadahalli WLS using a novel approach. We laid 2 sq. km grid cells in the Yadahalli WLS and divided it into four replicated sub-grids using GPS. We walked the grid cells and recorded the chinkara midden and deployed camera traps for direct detection and individual identity. We recorded site covariates, i.e. tree density, tree diversity, basal area, food tree density, cattle dung, goat and sheep droppings and distance from the boundary, and detection covariates, i.e. trail length. We performed occupancy modelling based on midden recordings using PRESENCE ver. 5.3. Through the effort of 62 grids with four spatial replicates, the detection probability of chinkara was found to be 0.68 ± 0.03SE, and the estimated averaged occupancy was 0.51 ± 0.37SE. The present study reveals a potential population of ~85 individuals in the Yadahalli WLS, which is the known southernmost population of the species in India. This study establishes the use of novel methods for monitoring of chinkara populations which will help in the development of a conservation action plan for the species and its habitat.

Keywords

Abundance, Detection Probability, Gazella Bennettii, Occupancy.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Illius, A. W. and O’Connor, T. G., Resource heterogeneity and ungulate population dynamics. Oikos, 2000, 89, 283–294.

  • Owen-Smith, N. and Mills, M. G. L., Manifold interactive influences on the population dynamics of a multispecies ungulate assemblage. Ecol. Monogr., 2006, 76, 73–92.

  • Mueller, T., Olson, K. A., Fuller, T. K., Schaller, G. B., Murray, M. G. and Leimgruber, P., In search of forage: predicting dynamic habitats of Mongolian gazelles using satellite-based estimates of vegetation productivity. J. Appl. Ecol., 2008, 45, 649–658.

  • Nuttle, T., Ristau, T. E. and Royo, A. A., Long-term biological legacies of herbivore density in a landscape-scale experiment: forest understoreys reflect past deer density treatments for at least 20 years. J. Ecol., 2014, 102, 221–228.

  • Halpin, P. N., Global climate change and natural-area protection: management responses and research directions. Ecol. Appl., 1997, 3, 828–843.

  • Gil-Sánchez, J. M. et al., Evaluating methods for surveying the endangered Cuvier’s gazelle Gazella cuvieri in arid landscapes. Oryx, 2017, 51, 648–655.

  • Groves, C. P., An introduction to the gazelles. Chinkara, 1985, 1, 4–10.

  • Prakash, I., Ecology of artiodactyles in the Thar Desert: their conservation in the desert biosphere reserve. In Mammals in the Palaearctic Desert: Status and Trends in the Sahara-Gobian region (eds McNeely, J. A. and Neronov, V. M.), Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, 1990, pp. 243–250.

  • IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group, Gazella bennettii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T8978A50187762.http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T8978A50187762.en, downloaded on 19 May 2018.

  • Mallon, D. P., Kingswood, S. C. and East, R., In Antelopes Part 4: North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, Global Survey and Regional Action Plans (ed. Habibi, K.), Iran. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, 2001, pp. 119–122.

  • Virk, A. T., Management plan for wild ungulates in Balochistan, Pakistan, University of Montana, USA, 1991.

  • Rahmani, A. R., Distribution of the Indian gazelle or chinkara Gazellabennetti (Sykes) in India. Mammalia, 1990, 54, 605–620.

  • Rahmani, A. R., Distribution, density, group size and conservation of the Indian gazelle or chinkara Gazella bennetti (Sykes 1831) in Rajasthan, India. Biol. Conserv., 1990, 51, 177–189.

  • Dookia, S., Rawat, M., Jakher, G. R. and Dookia, B. R., Status of the Indian gazelle (Gazella bennettii Sykes, 1831) in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India. In Faunal Ecology and Conservation of the Great Indian Desert (eds Sivaperuman, C. et al.), Springer, Berlin, Germany, 2009, pp. 193–207.

  • Ben, V. C., Kulkarni, D. K. and Bhagat, R. B., Habitat conservation of chinkara (Gazelle gazelle) in protected areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Biosci. Discov., 2013, 4, 139–142.

  • Dookia, S., Conservation of Indian gazelle or chinkara through community support in Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India. Report submitted to The Rufford Small Grants, UK, 2009.

  • Anon., The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, Government of India, 1972.

  • Pythian-Adams, E. G., Jungle memories. Part IX – Antelopes and deer. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 1951, 50, 1–19.

  • Seshadri, B., The Twilight of India’s Wild Life, John Baker, London, UK, 1969, p. 12.

  • Desai, M. R., Chronicling the chinkara conservation, 2015; http://jlrexplore.com/explore/focus/chinkara-conservation (retrieved on 30 December 2018).

  • Forest Action Plan, Bagalkot Forest Division, Bagalkot, Karnataka, 2012.

  • Champion, H. G. and Seth, S. K., Revised Survey of Forest Types of India, Government of India, New Delhi, 1968.

  • Sharma, K., Rahmani, A. R. and Chundawat, R. S., Natural history observations of the four-horned antelope Tetracerus quadricornis. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 2009, 106, 72–82.

  • Saldanha, C. J., Flora of Karnataka, Vol. II, Oxford and IBH Publishers, 1996, p. 304.

  • Burnham, K. P. and Anderson, D. R., Practical use of the information – theoretic approach. In Model Selection and Inference (eds Burnham, K. P. and Anderson, D. R.), Springer, New York, USA, 1998, pp. 75–117.

  • Team, R. and Core, R., R: A language and environment for statistical computing, 2013, 201.

  • Royle, J. A. and Nichols, J. D., Estimating abundance from repeated presence–absence data or point counts. Ecology, 2003, 84, 777–790.

  • Rahmani, A. R., Wildlife in the Thar, Worldwide Fund for NatureIndia, New Delhi, 1997, p. 100.

  • Kankane, P. L., Status survey of chinkara and desert cat in Rajasthan Rec. Zool. Surv. India Occeas Pap., 2000, 179, 1–71.

  • Bagchi, S., Goyal, S. P. and Shankar, K., Social organisation and population structure of ungulates in a dry tropical forest in western India (Mammalia, Artiodactyla). Mammalia, 2008, 72, 44–49.

  • Khan, J. A., Chellam, R., Rodgers, W. A. and Johnsingh, A. J. T., Ungulate densities and biomass in the tropical dry deciduous forests of Gir, Gujarat, India. J. Trop. Ecol., 1996, 12, 149–162.

  • Gajera, N., Mahato, A. K. R. and Kumar, V. V., Habitat preference and social composition of antelopes in arid region of Kachchh, Gujarat, India. Asian J. Conserv. Biol., 2014, 3, 164– 169.

  • Jakher, G. R., Dookia, S. and Dookia, B. R., Herd composition and population dynamics of Gazella bennettii (Skyes, 1831) in Gogelao Enclosure (Nagaur), Rajasthan. Zoos Print J., 2002, 17, 936–938.

  • Bagchi, S., Goyal, S. P. and Sankar, K., Herbivore density and biomass in a semi-arid tropical dry deciduous forest of western India. J. Trop. Ecol., 2004, 20, 475–478.

  • Gaikwad, M. C. and Narwade, S. S., The status of chinkara Gazella bennettii (Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla: Bovidae) at Mayureshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Supe, Baramati, Pune and a note on its current distribution in the southwestern region of the Deccan Plateau of Maharashtra, India. J. Threat. Taxa, 2016, 8, 8590–8595.

  • Chhabra, I. K., Status Paper on Narayan Sarovar chinkara Sanctuary. Gujarat Forest Department, Kachchh West Division, Gujarat, 1989.

  • GEER, GUIDE (2001) Ecological status of Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary with respect to flora, fauna, and dependent communities: a management perspective. Bhuj, Gujarat, 2001.

  • Arshad, M. I. and Gill, A. H., Population status of Indian chinkara in Cholistan Game Reserve, Punjab, Pakistan. Russ. J. Ecol., 2010, 41, 524–530.


Abstract Views: 518

PDF Views: 125




  • Ecological Determinants of Occupancy and Abundance of Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) in Yadahalli Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India

Abstract Views: 518  |  PDF Views: 125

Authors

Dinesh Kumar
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Dwarka, Sector 16-C, New Delhi 110 078, India
Avadhoot D. Velankar
Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108, India
Nitin Venkatesh Ranga Rao
No. 3001/1-new no. 19, 2nd Main Road, VV Mohalla, Mysuru 570 002, Karnataka, India
Honnavalli N. Kumara
Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108, India
Partha Sarathi Mishra
Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108, India
Prodyut Bhattacharya
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Dwarka, Sector 16-C, New Delhi 110 078, India
Vijay Mohan Raj
Karnataka Forest Department, Belagavi Forest Circle, Belagavi 590 016, India

Abstract


Chinkara (Gazella bennettii), the Indian gazelle, is a widespread antelope in the arid and semi-arid regions of the Indian subcontinent; however, the species has been relatively unexplored to the south of its distribution range. In 2016, with indefinite evidence of chinkara presence in Yadahalli Reserved Forest, Karnataka, India, the Forest Department notified the area as a Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS). We conducted a study to explore their possible existence and population status at Yadahalli WLS using a novel approach. We laid 2 sq. km grid cells in the Yadahalli WLS and divided it into four replicated sub-grids using GPS. We walked the grid cells and recorded the chinkara midden and deployed camera traps for direct detection and individual identity. We recorded site covariates, i.e. tree density, tree diversity, basal area, food tree density, cattle dung, goat and sheep droppings and distance from the boundary, and detection covariates, i.e. trail length. We performed occupancy modelling based on midden recordings using PRESENCE ver. 5.3. Through the effort of 62 grids with four spatial replicates, the detection probability of chinkara was found to be 0.68 ± 0.03SE, and the estimated averaged occupancy was 0.51 ± 0.37SE. The present study reveals a potential population of ~85 individuals in the Yadahalli WLS, which is the known southernmost population of the species in India. This study establishes the use of novel methods for monitoring of chinkara populations which will help in the development of a conservation action plan for the species and its habitat.

Keywords


Abundance, Detection Probability, Gazella Bennettii, Occupancy.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv118%2Fi2%2F264-270