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20183
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Subject: Wildlife Management × End date: 2018 × Start date: 2018 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT IN SELECTED AREAS OF WAYANAD
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2018) ANANDU R.; George Chandy
    A study was carried out from May 2018 to August 2018 to evaluate human-wildlife conflict and suggest suitable methods for mitigation regarding this issue. The survey areas included high conflict urban and semi-urban areas. An extensive survey was carried out in Kalpetta municipality, since human-monkey conflict was an increasing and rampant problem. Other areas included Kottanadu, Thanjilodu, Karapuzha, Pozhuthana, Ambalavayalu, Pinagod, Koyilamoola, Sugandagiri, Ediyavanvayal, Kaithapoyil, Aanapara, Meppadi, Mundankolli, Kalathuvayil, Kunampetta and Vythiri. Villagers around the forest fringe areas were also interviewed along with the above-mentioned regions. These areas were categorized into three sectors based on Development Block (Kalpetta Block, Sulthan Bathery Block and Kalpetta Municipality). Data regarding the socioeconomic status, wildlife conflict damage, wild animals involved, attitude of people towards wildlife and co-existence, current mitigation measures and traditional conflict mitigation methods were documented. The results indicated that 59 percent of the interviewed people were cultivating crops and 98.7 percent of them faced wildlife conflict issues. The major animals included 32.5 percent Bonnet Macaque and 22.5 percent Wild Pig. Wild animals such as elephant and deer species were reported to enter the human-habitation occasionally 12.5 percent and 11.25 percent respectively. Generalized linear modeling indicated that respondents who had suffered from financial loss by crop damage or by livestock loss had negative attitudes towards co-existence whereas positive attitude towards co-existence were marginally significant among men than women.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    DIVERSITY OF GROUND DWELLING SPIDERS IN SOUTH WAYANAD FOREST DIVISION
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2018) APERNA MOHAN K M; Abdul Azeez C.P.
    Ground dwelling spider species composition, diversity, abundance and environmental factors influencing it were studied in three habitats of South Wayanad Forest Division from April 2018 to June 2018. Spider species abundance and diversity was estimated using plot method of size 5m2 , a total of 60 quadrats were laid in all three habitat types, photographs of spiders were taken for identification. A total of 54 species belonging to 19 families were recorded. Among different spider species recorded, five species were endemic to Western Ghats and six species endemic to South Asia. The majority of the spiders were belonging to Salticidae, Lycosidae and Oxyopidae. Certain species of spiders were more abundant such as Hasarius adansoni, Polyboea zonaformis, Hippasa agelenoides, Tibellus elongates and Ctenus cochinensis. Spider species diversity, richness and abundance varied among habitats with higher diversity in the Semi-evergreen forest followed by Moist deciduous and plantation. Dominance was higher in the MDF and plantations with a few species dominating these regions. The environmental factors such as canopy cover, litter cover, litter depth, grass cover, soil temperature and humidity that influence species abundance were investigated using multiple regression. Among different factors, variables such as soil temperature, humidity and litter depth had significant influence on the species abundance that explained 92% of variability (R2=0.917; F=11; df=3; p<0.05). Among these variables humidity had primary influence followed by soil temperature and litter depth. Spider species forage guild composition showed that they occupy eight different forage guilds, the majority of spiders 81.6% of spiders were Stalkers, Ground runners and Ambushers. The number of foraging guilds varied with higher guilds in the MDF and plantation. Thus present study on spiders provided baseline information on spiders in the South Wayanad Forest Division and influence of environmental factors on spider abundance that is essential for the management.
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    POPULATION DENSITY, DIVERSITY AND DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF SELECTED BUTTERFLY SPECIES IN CHIMMONY WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, KERALA
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2018) ANJU V.; Biju S.
    Population density, diversity and developmental stages of selected butterfly species in Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala was studied from April to June 2018. A total of 141 species of butterflies belonging to two orders, six families and 103 genera were recorded. Among different butterflies, 15 species were recorded as endemic and 20 species were reported under various schedules. The majority of butterfly species were belong to family Nymphalidae and Lycanidae. The species richness and species diversity was higher in Semievergreen forest (114) and the dominance was higher in the moist deciduous forest (0.09). Endemic species recorded were Indian Ace, Orchid Tit, Shiva sunbeam, Blue oakleaf, Danid eggfly, Gladeye bushbrown, Malabar tree nymph, Tailed palmfly, etc. Common lineblue and Common crow and Common Emigrant are the most abundant butterflies in the study area. The size of butterflies varies significantly among families with the largest sized butterflies recorded in Papilionidae and Nymphalidae and smallest sized butterflies from Hesperidae and Lycanidae. The factors that determine butterfly detection during the count was determined using multiple regression. The number of detections had linear relation with abundance and size of the butterflies. The model was highly significant and explained 31.3% of variation in the detection of butterflies (F=41.08; df=3; p<0.00). Abundance had primary influence on detection followed by size of the butterflies. Further studies on relative detectability of difference species of butterflies in the diversity and abundance estimation would help in refining methods of assessment. Developmental stages of Grass demon (Udaspes folus) and Nilgiri Grass Yellow (Eurema nilgiriensis) were studied. Nilgiri grass yellow butterfly eggs were hatched on third day and there were two rapid growth phase and complete development took 21 days. Development of Grass demon was monitored in three different host plant Red ginger (Alpinia purpurata), Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Turmeric (Curcuma longa). The number of days for the development varied in different host with lowest in Red ginger followed by Turmeric and Ginger with 48 18, 20 and 23 days. There were significant difference in the larval growth between the Ginger and Red ginger (t=-3.09; df=17; p<0.01). Nutrient content of host plants of Grass demon, such as crude protein, total ash, crude fat and moisture content were higher in Ginger followed by Turmeric and Red ginger. Crude protein, total ash and crude fat and moisture content was higher in the Ginger. The mean size increase of caterpillar was higher 0.278 in Ginger than other two host plants, but the number of days took for development was higher. Higher protein content in the host plant could have resulted in the increased size of the caterpillar and longer duration of development. The major threats for the butterfly species recorded were the invasion of weed plants, fire and cattle grazing that threatens the host plant abundance and butterfly abundance in the study area.