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Use of tree cavities by Indian vertebrates: status of research, knowledge gaps and future conservation perspectives


Affiliations
1 Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Thrissur 680 653, India; Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram 695 562, India; Institute of Forest Biodiversity, Hyderabad 500 100, India
2 Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Thrissur 680 653, India; Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram 695 562, India
 

Tree cavities play a key role in the structure and functioning of forest ecosystems. Though they host rich and specialized assemblages of numerous vertebrate and invertebrate species, they have received limited research attention in India as well as in tropics. We collated information on cavity using vertebrates of India from the available literature and various databases. Overall, 254 relevant references were found with information about tree and/or cavity characteristics and use for 517 species, which is about 18.4% of terrestrial vertebrate species of India. Among the 517 species, 43.9% were birds, followed by reptiles (30.8%), mammals (17.6%) and amphibians (7.7%), and the majority of them are rare, elusive and nocturnal species restricted to different regions/habitats. About 80% of the species are secondary users. Majority of the species use tree cavities as breeding sites (32.7%), and another 7.4% use them as roost, den or hibernation sites. Our analysis also shows that vertebrates use cavities with various characteristics in a wide variety of tree species. We have identified important gaps in research on cavity using vertebrates and cavity-trees. We have also emphasized the need for highly focused long-term studies on habitat interactions to elucidate species level requirements to plan habitat management strategies for the conservation of cavity using vertebrates and their cavity-trees

Keywords

Cavity-trees, ecological networks, tree cavity, tree-microhabitat, tropical forests, vertebrates.
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  • Use of tree cavities by Indian vertebrates: status of research, knowledge gaps and future conservation perspectives

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Authors

Bharati Patel
Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Thrissur 680 653, India; Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram 695 562, India; Institute of Forest Biodiversity, Hyderabad 500 100, India
Sreejith Sivaraman
Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Thrissur 680 653, India; Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram 695 562, India
Peroth Balakrishanan
Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Thrissur 680 653, India; Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram 695 562, India

Abstract


Tree cavities play a key role in the structure and functioning of forest ecosystems. Though they host rich and specialized assemblages of numerous vertebrate and invertebrate species, they have received limited research attention in India as well as in tropics. We collated information on cavity using vertebrates of India from the available literature and various databases. Overall, 254 relevant references were found with information about tree and/or cavity characteristics and use for 517 species, which is about 18.4% of terrestrial vertebrate species of India. Among the 517 species, 43.9% were birds, followed by reptiles (30.8%), mammals (17.6%) and amphibians (7.7%), and the majority of them are rare, elusive and nocturnal species restricted to different regions/habitats. About 80% of the species are secondary users. Majority of the species use tree cavities as breeding sites (32.7%), and another 7.4% use them as roost, den or hibernation sites. Our analysis also shows that vertebrates use cavities with various characteristics in a wide variety of tree species. We have identified important gaps in research on cavity using vertebrates and cavity-trees. We have also emphasized the need for highly focused long-term studies on habitat interactions to elucidate species level requirements to plan habitat management strategies for the conservation of cavity using vertebrates and their cavity-trees

Keywords


Cavity-trees, ecological networks, tree cavity, tree-microhabitat, tropical forests, vertebrates.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv121%2Fi4%2F490-501