Dietary ecology of Markhor(Capra falconeri cashmiriensis) in winter range of Kazinag National Park, Kashmir, J&amp;K, India

Mehraj Bashir

doi:10.17485/ijst/v13i24.432

Abstract

Background/Objective: Understanding winter diet composition of wild ungulates in temperate habitats is of paramount importance for devising conservation measures. The winter diet composition of Markhor (Capra falconeri), one of the least studied ungulate species, was assessed in Kazinag National Park (KNP) of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Methods: Reference slides of 15 available plant species, through micro-histological technique were prepared. Tests like Diet Selection Values (DSV), Ivlev\'s Electivity Index (IEI) and Chi-square tests were applied to study the selection and preference of dietary items. Findings: 80 fecal samples of markhor were analyzed in winter seasons of 2017 & 2018, and compared with reference slides to evaluate the winter diet. Fifteen (15) plant species belonging to 7 families were identified in the diet. Use of Ivlev\'s Electivity Index (IEI), revealed that, shrubs were strongly preferred during this season, besides one graminoid species (Poa pratensis). Among the most preferred species are, Poa pratensis (DSV=6.17) followed by Prunus tomentosa (DSV=2.42), Indigofera heterantha (DSV=2.23), Lonicera spp. (DSV=1.66) and Euonymus hamiltonianus (DSV=1.63). Chi-square goodness of fit test showed that markhor did not feed on all plant species uniformly (p< 0.05). Novelty: Our findings infer that, markhor shows feeding flexibility to adapt to change in forage availability. We recommend that plant species which are the major components of diet of markhor during resource- lean winter be conserved and propagated on priority. Keywords: Diet composition; fecal analysis; Kazinag National Park; markhor; winter

Highlights

To meet the dietary need is the fundamental task for a wild ungulate to survive in harsh environmental conditions
Plant species which were utilized more than their availability include Indigofera heterantha (PV=6.26,RIV=13.98), Prunus tomentosa (PV=2.98,RIV=7.23), Stipa spp. (PV=6.85,RIV=9.81), Poa pratensis (PV=0.29, RIV=1.79), Cynodon dactylon (PV=10.61,RIV=13.43), Themeda spp. (PV=8.05,RIV=10.05), Bothriocholoa ischaemum (PV=6.21,RIV=7.13), Lonicera spp. (PV=2.11,RIV=3.51) and Euonymus hamiltonianus (PV=1.52,RIV=2.48)
We observed that markhor strongly selected Poa pratensis (DSV=6.17), followed by Prunus tomentosa (DSV=2.42), Indigofera heterantha (DSV=2.23) Lonicera spp. (DSV=1.66) and Euonymus hamiltonianus (DSV=1.63)

Summary

Introduction

To meet the dietary need is the fundamental task for a wild ungulate to survive in harsh environmental conditions. Habitats with rugged terrain and snow cover, tend to have strong spatial and seasonal variations in food availability for ungulates [5]. As in KNP, diet quality and its availability act as strong constraint [6]. The winter snow cover is one of the important abiotic factors affecting the resource selection by ungulates inhabiting such extreme environments and tend to cope up with these conditions by using different strategies like limited movements through snow [5,7] and by altering their rumen physiology and metabolism to adjust to lignin rich and nutrient poor winter diets [8,9], show plasticity to cope up with seasonal changes in nutritional quality and its quantity. Consumption of unusual plant material during such conditions leads to poor health and reproductive performance [10,11]

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