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Ghulam Ali Awan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Early survival of Punjab Urial
Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2008Co-Authors: Ghulam Ali Awan, Marco Festa-bianchet, Jean-michel GaillardAbstract:There is almost no information on age-specific survival of Asiatic ungulates based on mark-recapture studies. Survival of marked Punjab Urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis Lydekker, 1913) aged 0-2 years was studied in the Salt Range, Pakistan, in 2001-2005. Male lambs were heavier than females at birth. The relationship between litter size and birth mass varied among years, with a tendency for twins to be lighter than singletons. Birth mass had a positive but nonsignificant relation with survival to 1 year. Neither sex nor litter size affected survival to 1 year, which averaged 55% (95% CI = 41%-68%). There was no sex effect on survival of yearlings, which averaged 88% (95% CI = 4%-100%). Although sur- vival of lambs and yearlings was similar to that reported for other ungulates, apparent survival of 2- and 3-year-olds was very low at only 47%, possibly because of emigration. Early survival in this protected area is adequate to allow population growth, but more data are required on adult survival. Resume´ : En l'absence de suivis par capture-marquage-recapture, il n'y a pratiquement pas d'information disponible sur la variation des taux de survie en fonction de l'age pour les especes d'ongules asiatiques. Nous avons etudiela survie d'Urials du Punjab (Ovis vignei punjabiensis Lydekker, 1913) individuellement marques entre 0 et 2 ans dans la region de la chaoˆne de Salt, au Pakistan, entre 2001 et 2005. Les agneaux males etaient plus lourds que les agnelles ala naissance. La relation entre la taille de la portee et la masse ala naissance variait entre les annees et les jumeaux montraient une tendance aetre plus legers. La masse a la naissance avait une influence positive mais non-significative sur la survie a `
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diet of punjab Urial ovis vignei punjabiensis in the salt range pakistan and potential competition with domestic sheep and goats regime alimentaire de l Urial du penjab ovis vignei punjabiensis dans le salt range pakistan competition interspecifique
Mammalia, 2006Co-Authors: Ghulam Ali Awan, Marco Festabianchet, Michael R FrisinaAbstract:Food habits of Punjab Urial, domestic sheep and goats in the Salt Range, northern Punjab, Pakistan, were investigated for 2 years to determine the annual diet composition of Urial and to assess the potential for competition with livestock. Seasonal trends in utilization of major forage groups were similar between years. Graminoids were the dominant forage in the Urial diet, averaging 67%. Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria spp. and Eleusine compressa were the dominant graminoids in its diet. Punjab Urial and domestic sheep had very similar diets, dominated by graminoids. Of 23 genera identified in the annual diets of Urial and domestic sheep, 74% were used by both species. For Urial and domestic sheep the diet overlap index was G0.80 for one species of browse, two forbs and three graminoids. Domestic goats, in contrast, showed a marked preference for browse. For Urial and domestic goat, the overlap index was G0.80 for three browse species, one forb and no graminoids. Browse was -20% in the Urial diet during spring and summer, but increased in late winter. All species increased browse consumption in winter. Our results suggest a high potential for competition between Urial and domestic sheep. Urial conservation may benefit from a reduction in the number of domestic livestock within its range.
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Disease Spectrum and Mortality of Punjab Urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis) in Kalabagh Game Reserve
Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 2005Co-Authors: Ghulam Ali Awan, Tahira Ahmad, Marco Festa-bianchetAbstract:The Punjab Urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis) is the principal mammalian game species of the scrub forest in Salt and Kala Chitta Ranges and endemic to northern Punjab, Pakistan. It is classified as endangered in the IUCN Red Data Book for mammals. Apart from its trophy value in sport hunting, it is also traditionally prized as a pet. Currently Kalabagh Game Reserve (KGR) is supporting the largest population of the Punjab Urial. Disease conditions were noted during 2001-2002 in Urial in the Salt Range. Previous information about diseases was also collected in the wild and in captive populations to find out which diseases affect Punjab Urial. At KGR in different sites and seasons abundance of ticks was observed. Altogether, 15 disease conditions were identified in Urial with or without mortality. Of the recorded cases, age-wise distribution showed the highest prevalence among adults followed by yearlings. The apparent density dependence of previous die-offs in KGR was perhaps due to low resource availability when there were many Urial, or to increased opportunities for contact with domestic livestock at high population density. Strict veterinary control of livestock and control of an direct and indirect contact between the potentially infectious livestock and Urial, together with an appropriate management of Urial density, may be the effective measures for the prevention and control of disease in the area.
Arash Ghoddousi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Prey preferences of the Persian leopard and trophic competition with human hunters in Iran
2016Co-Authors: Arash GhoddousiAbstract:Poaching is a global environmental threat, which drives populations of many species toward extinction. Current levels of poaching are unsustainable, causing substantial impacts on ecosystems and wildlife. By poaching, humans also limit the prey resources of large carnivores. Therefore, human hunters may compete with large carnivores over food resources and threaten their survival. However, the threat to large carnivores from prey depletion has rarely been quantified. In this study, I assessed the trophic competition between the endangered Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) and local poachers in Golestan National Park, Iran. Using data from 36 feeding trials in zoos, I developed novel leopard-specific correction factors (chapter 2) for robust estimation of biomass (CF1) and number of consumed prey from scat data (CF2). I used a new approach in calculation of CF2, limiting the maximum consumption rate to 25 kg for heavier prey species, which is in accordance with feeding ecology of leopards in the wild. I estimated leopard diet using 77 scat samples from across the park and compared the prey hair remains with available reference collections (chapter 6). Leopard diet consisted of 12 different species, the majority (81% biomass consumed) of which were from wild ungulate species. Wild boar (Sus scrofa) comprised most of the leopard diet (50.2% biomass consumed) and other important species were bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus) and Urial (Ovis vignei). Also, the considerable amount of livestock (sheep, goat and cattle) and dog (17.1% biomass consumed) included shows existence of an alarming human-leopard conflict in the study area. I estimated the abundance of four main species hunted by leopard and poachers by line transect sampling (186 km), camera trapping (2777 camera days), double-observer point-counts (64 scans) and dung counts (38 km) (chapters 3, 4 and 5). The populations of bezoar goat, red deer (Cervus elaphus) and Urial showed a 66-89% decline in the past decades due to poaching. However, in the absence of poaching pressure due to religious prohibition of pork consumption, the population of wild boar showed an 58% increase compared to the 1970’s estimates. The local poachers’ incentives for ungulate poaching (in non-ordinal manner) included poverty/subsistence, hunting for meat market/trade, pleasure/love of hunting, tradition/habits, and hunting for revenge/conflict with conservation regulations and bodies (chapter 5). Furthermore, the results of multivariate analyses of Urial and leopard distribution (chapter 3) suggested that poaching pressure causes higher concentration of Urials around ranger stations where they benefit from higher law enforcement levels. I compared leopard prey preference with prey offtake by poachers (75 poacher seizure records). Persian leopards highly preferred bezoar goat despite its lower abundance. Wild boar and red deer were predated according to their abundance, and Urial was avoided by leopards. Moreover, using a novel livestock spatiotemporal availability coefficient, I determined that leopards show high avoidance of small livestock. Local poachers preferred red deer, Urial and bezoar goat and strongly avoided wild boar hunting. Interview data from local poachers revealed that the highest stated preference was for hunting Urial, followed by red deer and bezoar goat. Both leopard (niche breadth 0.24) and poachers (niche breadth 0.19) showed hunting specialization. Also, both apex predators showed exclusivity (niche overlap 0.31) in their dietary/hunting niches, which suggests the lack of exploitative competition. This pattern likely results from the major role of wild boar in leopard diet and its avoidance by poachers. Considering the general avoidance of Suidae species across the leopard range, depletion of alternative prey species may have resulted in a prey-switching strategy by leopards. In spite of low dietary competition with poachers, limited prey choice may threaten the long-term survival of leopards. In conclusion, conservation should focus on reversing rapidly declining ungulate populations by improving control of current poaching pressure, which affects large carnivores as well. More efficient law enforcement practices and initiatives targeting a combination of economic and non-economic incentives are recommended to avert local people from poaching.
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Effects of ranger stations on predator and prey distribution and abundance in an Iranian steppe landscape
Animal Conservation, 2015Co-Authors: Arash Ghoddousi, A. Kh. Hamidi, Mahmood Soofi, Igor Khorozyan, Bahram H. Kiabi, Matthias WaltertAbstract:Ranger stations are essential to combat poaching in protected areas and the distance from ranger stations is sometimes used as a proxy for poaching levels and law enforcement intensity. However, the influence of the spatial distribution of ranger stations on wildlife abundance and population structure has rarely been investigated. We evaluated the abundance and distribution of Urial sheep Ovis vignei and Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor in the steppe of Golestan National Park in northeastern Iran. The spatial distribution of these species in regard to anthropogenic (distances to ranger stations, villages and park border) and environmental variables (distance to water resources, average slope and normalized difference vegetation index) was assessed using systematic line transect sampling (186 km) and camera trapping (1150 trap nights). The studied steppe area is divided into three management zones differing in the number of ranger stations and their position with respect to park boundaries. The results of multivariate analyses highlighted that the distance to ranger stations was negatively related to the size and density of Urial clusters and the most important variable in explaining Urial distribution. Moreover, the distance to park borders influenced Urial cluster density. Leopard abundance was positively associated with Urial density but was less affected by the other variables tested. We found Urial densities in the three management zones to range from 0.15 ± se 0.09 individuals km−2 (zone with just one station outside the park) to 21.77 ± se 7.92 individuals km−2 (zone with three stations). Taking into account these results and historical data on ungulate abundance and distribution in these management zones, we conclude that law enforcement from ranger stations has shaped current patterns of ungulate distribution. These results confirm that a good coverage (both numbers and locations) of ranger stations is of central importance for the management of protected areas.
Abdul Aleem Chaudhry - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Impact of fencing on the conservation of wildlife habitat in a sub-mountainous open scrub forest
Acta Oecologica, 2012Co-Authors: Mansoor Hameed, Nargis Naz, Muhammad Ashraf, M. Sajid Aqeel Ahmad, Tahira Nawaz, Abdul Aleem ChaudhryAbstract:In Pakistan, Lehri/Jindi evergreen open scrub forest is a characteristic habitat of critically or locally endangered species including Punjab Urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis) and leopard (Panthera pardus), and the important game species desert hare (Lepus nigricollis), black francolin (Francolinus francolinus), grey francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus), see–see partridge (Ammoperdix griseogularis) and chukor partridge (Alectoris chukar). Four separate fenced enclosures were established to maintain captive Punjab Urial population in a semi-wild state. Vegetation surveys were conducted through permanently laid quadrats to explore its impact on native flora in 1987–1992 before the fencing was installed and then 2003–2007 over a decade after the fencing was installed.
H Lewalski - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Analysis of mitochondrial DNA indicates that domestic sheep are derived from two different ancestral maternal sources: no evidence for contributions from Urial and argali sheep
Journal of Heredity, 1998Co-Authors: Stefan Hiendleder, K Mainz, Yves Plante, H LewalskiAbstract:To investigate the origins and phylogenetic relationships of domestic sheep, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 243 sheep of five European, one African, and four Asian breeds and several mouflon (Ovia musimon), Urial (O. vignei bochariensis), and argali (O. ammon nigrimontana, O. a. collium) were assayed for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). Twenty haplotypes were identified which occurred in three major phylogenetic groups: Urial/argali, mouflon/domestic, and domestic sheep. From the branches that contain mouflon and domestic sheep, two major domestic sheep lineages are apparent. One lineage, termed European lineage, contains the majority of haplotypes detected among European domestic sheep. These mtDNAs resemble mouflon haplotypes. The other lineage, termed Asian lineage, consists of haplotypes found in central Asian and some European domestic sheep. The mean sequence difference between these two lineages (0.72%) is of similar magnitude as that between two argali subspecies. To accurately estimate sequence differences between the European and Asian mtDNA types, the mitochondrial control region of one animal from each lineage and of one mouflon and Urial were completely sequenced. Sequence comparisons show that Asian and European domestic sheep lineages differ by 4.43%. The mouflon sequence diverges from the Asian type by 4.52%, but by only 1.36% from the European type. Our data supports the hypothesis that some modern domestic sheep and European mouflon derive from a common ancestor and provide evidence of an additional wild ancestor, other than the Urial and argali groups, which has yet to be identified.
Mohammad S. Farhadinia - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Predator–prey relationships in a middle Asian Montane steppe: Persian leopard versus Urial wild sheep in Northeastern Iran
European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2014Co-Authors: Mohammad S. Farhadinia, Ehsan M. Moqanaki, Fatemeh Hosseini-zavareiAbstract:Management controversies arise when both of the prey and predator in an ecosystem are species of conservation concern. We investigated trophic interactions between the endangered Persian leopard ( Panthera pardus saxicolor ) and a declining mountain ungulate, Urial wild sheep ( Ovis vignei ), on a high-altitude steppe of Iran. During two consecutive photo-trapping seasons of 1,300 nights in total, a minimum population of four adult leopards (one female and three males) was documented. Scat analysis indicated that Urial wild sheep was the staple of the leopard diet with 48.44 % of total biomass consumed. Remains of domestic livestock in leopard scats were negligible yet alarming (14.53 % biomass consumed), followed by wild pigs (8.13 %) and wild goat (1.26 %). Financial costs of leopard depredation to livestock breeders during our study period were comparatively lower than livestock–leopard conflict hotspots across Iran. Using distance sampling, Urial density was 15.8 individuals km^−2 (±SE 6.2), and a total biomass of 47,621.5 kg for wild ungulates in the study area was estimated. We estimated that the annual removal rate of Urial by leopards during our study period was 9.4 % of the total Urial population. We suggest that continuous monitoring of the leopard and prey populations to assess predation impact should be considered, particularly in areas where a single species comprises a remarkable proportion of the leopard diet. In the meantime, assessing probable conflicts with local communities is recommended as a parallel management action to ensure long-term human–leopard coexistence. Our findings will aid wildlife managers in prey-depleted arid environments of western Asia to identify susceptible wild prey populations to predation by large carnivores; hence, significantly contribute in development and implementation of effective conservation measures to mitigate management conflicts.
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predator prey relationships in a middle asian montane steppe persian leopard versus Urial wild sheep in northeastern iran
European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2014Co-Authors: Mohammad S. Farhadinia, Ehsan M. Moqanaki, Fatemeh HosseinizavareiAbstract:Management controversies arise when both of the prey and predator in an ecosystem are species of conservation concern. We investigated trophic interactions between the endangered Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) and a declining mountain ungulate, Urial wild sheep (Ovis vignei), on a high-altitude steppe of Iran. During two consecutive photo-trapping seasons of 1,300 nights in total, a minimum population of four adult leopards (one female and three males) was documented. Scat analysis indicated that Urial wild sheep was the staple of the leopard diet with 48.44 % of total biomass consumed. Remains of domestic livestock in leopard scats were negligible yet alarming (14.53 % biomass consumed), followed by wild pigs (8.13 %) and wild goat (1.26 %). Financial costs of leopard depredation to livestock breeders during our study period were comparatively lower than livestock–leopard conflict hotspots across Iran. Using distance sampling, Urial density was 15.8 individuals km−2 (±SE 6.2), and a total biomass of 47,621.5 kg for wild ungulates in the study area was estimated. We estimated that the annual removal rate of Urial by leopards during our study period was 9.4 % of the total Urial population. We suggest that continuous monitoring of the leopard and prey populations to assess predation impact should be considered, particularly in areas where a single species comprises a remarkable proportion of the leopard diet. In the meantime, assessing probable conflicts with local communities is recommended as a parallel management action to ensure long-term human–leopard coexistence. Our findings will aid wildlife managers in prey-depleted arid environments of western Asia to identify susceptible wild prey populations to predation by large carnivores; hence, significantly contribute in development and implementation of effective conservation measures to mitigate management conflicts.
