Birds are important components of biodiversity and acts as an indicator of habitat quality, productivity and stability. This study aimed to document species richness and assess the temporal distribution pattern of globally threatened bird species in the Basanta Protected Forest (BPF), one of the largest corridor forests which connects Dudhwa National Park (India) with protected areas of western lowland Nepal. During study period of ten years from 2010 to 2019, a total of 381 bird species from 78 families of 19 orders were recorded. Order Passeriformes had the highest species richness (n=180) followed by order Accipitriformes and Charadriiformes. Among the families, the family Muscicapidae had the highest species richness (n=31), followed by Accipitridae and Anatidae. Majority of bird recorded were forest bird followed by wetland and farmland bird species. Fifteen globally threatened species like red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis) and Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) were recorded in the BPF. Extensive avian survey in the BPF is important for further exploration of avian community along with its driving factors, which might play a crucial role in developing baseline information and implementing conservation implications.
Hispid hare (Caprolagu shispidus) is an endangered lagomorph which had a wide range of distribution in the past, but currently it is known to occur only from few isolated tall grass pockets of India and Nepal. We explored the population status, habitat utilization and existing threats of the Hispid hare at Shuklaphanta National Park (SNP) by the strip transect and quadrate sampling methods from November 2015 to May 2016 covering both winter and summer seasons. Four study sites of total 1.58ha were selected within SNPand strip transects were randomly laid to determine presence and absence of pellets of Hispid hare and their counts were used to estimate the population density. The Population density of Hispid hare was found to be 0.1820/ha in winter and 0.2268/ha in summer with the statistically significant preference to the tall grassland habitat. Twelve grass species were identified in the habitat of Hispid hare with dominancy of Saccharum spontaneum, Imperata cylindrica, Narenga porphyrocoma, and Saccharum munj. Among the grasses, Imperata cylindrica and Narenga porphyrocoma were the food species of higher preference for Hispid hare.
Mikania micrantha is considered to be the most problematic in terrestrial ecosystem in Eastern and Central Nepal. Despite the current situation of the Mikania invasion, quantitative data on the impacts and scale of the problems are lacking for the country. Due to the lack of information regarding scale of invasion, the stakeholders have not put forwarded the proper control mechanism of the species. This paper has made an attempt to analyze the scale of invasion through the comparison of plant biodiversity and basal area per hectare as the significance of stand structure between Mikaniainvaded and non-invaded tropical Shorea robusta forest areas. This study was conducted in Barandabhar Buffer Zone Forest of Chitwan National Park. Sampling and measurement was conducted in both the invaded and non-invaded forest areas. The stand structure of both the invaded and non-invaded areas were compared in terms of different parameters like seeding density, sapling density, pole basal area per hectare and tree basal area per hectare. Statistical analysis showed that there is significant impact of Mikania on plant diversity at seedling and sapling stages. There is negative effect of Mikania on stand structure of the forest. Hence, there is urgent need to control the invasive weed so as to control further invasion and to conserve biodiversity and productivity.
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