IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Sankar, K.; Jhala, Y.V.; Qureshi, Q.; Gopal, R.; Majumder, A.; Basu, S. | |
| Ecology of tigers in Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh and Maharasta | |
| 2013 Full Book | |
The present study aimed to map land use/land cover patterns and to assess spatial structure and configuration of landscape; structure and composition of vegetation types in landscape; and various ecological aspects of tiger (_Panthera tigris_) and in a Tropical Deciduous Forest of Central India from 2005 to 2013. The study was carried out in Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), Madhya Pradesh. Home ranges of three radio-collared Bengal tigers [one adult female (AF), one adult male (AM) and one sub-adult male (SAM)] were studied between March 2008 and December 2011. Using 95% Fixed Kernel, the estimated home ranges of AF (n= 750 locations), AM (n= 136 locations) and SAM (n= 739 locations) were 32.1 km2, 64.1 km2 and 19.1 km2. In winter, tiger utilized teak-mixed forest more than its availability, utilized riverine and miscellaneous habitats in proportion to their availabilities; submergence, agriculture and barren lands were utilized less than their availabilities. In summer, tigers utilized riverine and submergence habitats more than their availabilities, utilized rocky or barren land and teak-mixed habitats in proportion to their availabilities and both agriculture and miscellaneous habitats were utilized less than their availabilities. In both winter and summer tiger utilized elevation between 501m and 650 m more than its availability. Prey species availability was estimated using line transect method in an intensive study area. Common langur was found to be the most abundant prey species both in winter and summer in the study area followed by chital, sambar, nilgai, wild pig and gaur. Furthermore, prey biomass was estimated and date on population structure and sex ratio of wild ungulates was recorded. Of the prey species found in tiger scats, chital constituted as major prey in terms of number followed by sambar, common langur, wild pig, nilgai, domestic cattle, rodents, gaur, hare, unknown birds and porcupine. Of the 292 tiger kills recorded, 127 were observed during winter and 165 kills during summer. The study revealed that tiger in PTR largely depended on wild ungulates rather than domestic livestock. The adult (= 36 month) and sub-adult (18 to 36 month) tiger survival rate were studied using Camera Trap Mark Recapture (CTMR) technique whereas survival rate of tiger cubs (= 12 month) was estimated following one radio-collared breeding tigress, CTMR and opportunistic sightings. Overall tiger density ñSE/100 km2 using Maximum Likelihood Spatial Explicit Capture Recapture method was 4.7 ñ1.2 in 1st trapping year and 4.1ñ0.7 in last trapping year. The estimated survival rate of all tiger (n=66) was 0.66 (ñ0.04). The low survival rate of sub-adults in the study area may be also because of dispersing individuals. Landsat Satellite imageries of 1977, 1989, 1999 and 2009 corresponded to an absolute decrease in forest cover of about 11.1% of the forest surface present in 1977. In the present study, chital, sambar, wild pig among the wild ungulate species and among large carnivores, tiger, leopard and wild dog were chosen for large mammal habitat suitability (HS) modeling. |
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