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Habitat heterogeneity as the key determinant of the abundance and habitat preference of prey species of tiger in the Chitwan National Park, Nepal
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SYSNO ASEP 0371963 Document Type J - Journal Article R&D Document Type Journal Article Subsidiary J Článek ve WOS Title Habitat heterogeneity as the key determinant of the abundance and habitat preference of prey species of tiger in the Chitwan National Park, Nepal Author(s) Bhattarai, Bishnu Prasad (UEK-B)
Kindlmann, Pavel (UEK-B) RID, ORCID, SAINumber of authors 2 Source Title Acta Theriologica - ISSN 0001-7051
Roč. 57, č. 1 (2012), s. 89-97Number of pages 9 s. Language eng - English Country PL - Poland Keywords Ungulates ; Prey ; Heterogeneity ; Habitat selection ; Abundance ; Preference ; Resource selection Subject RIV EH - Ecology, Behaviour R&D Projects ED1.1.00/02.0073 GA MŠMT - Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) LC06073 GA MŠMT - Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) CEZ AV0Z60870520 - UEK-B (2005-2011) UT WOS 000299035700010 DOI 10.1007/s13364-011-0047-8 Annotation Studies on the relationship between habitat heterogeneity and animal abundance are essential for understanding what determines biodiversity. Transect-based direct observations of eight principal prey species of tiger in the Chitwan National Park (CNP) were used to determine their abundances and habitat preferences. Chital was the most abundant prey species of tiger (Panthera tigris). Each of the prey species had significantly different habitat preferences except sambar deer and chital. Habitat preference was measured using Manly’s preference index, which revealed that short grassland, mixed forest, and riverine forest were the most preferred habitats of the prey species. The results indicate that large species of deer tend to be found in more diverse habitats than small species, except muntjac. The abundance of the principal prey species of tiger was positively correlated with habitat heterogeneity. The habitat, which contributes significantly to the heterogeneity of the landscape, is grassland in large patches of forest. The ongoing increase of forest cover in the CNP has led to a reduction in the area of grassland, which may negatively affect the abundance of the prey species of tiger. Hence, it is suggested that the restoration of landscape heterogeneity is the best way to manage the habitats in the CNP. Workplace Global Change Research Institute Contact Nikola Šviková, svikova.n@czechglobe.cz, Tel.: 511 192 268 Year of Publishing 2013
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