In Nepal, the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) has been sparsely studied, although its range covers a wide area. The present study was carried out in the previously untapped Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape (CHAL) situated in central Nepal with an aim to explore current distributional status and identify key habitat use. Extensive field surveys conducted in 10 red panda range districts were used to estimate species distribution by presence-absence occupancy modeling and to predict distribution by presence-only modeling. The presence of red pandas was recorded in five districts: Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Myagdi, Baglung and Dhading. The predictive distribution model indicated that 1,904.44 km2 of potential red panda habitat is available in CHAL with the protected area covering nearly 41% of the total habitat. The habitat suitability analysis based on the probability of occurrence showed only 16.58% (A = 315.81 km2) of the total potential habitat is highly suitable. Red Panda occupancy was estimated to be around 0.0667, indicating nearly 7% (218 km2) of the total habitat is occupied with an average detection probability of 0.4482±0.377. Based on the habitat use analysis, altogether eight variables including elevation, slope, aspect, proximity to water sources, bamboo abundance, height, cover, and seasonal precipitation were observed to have significant roles in the distribution of red pandas. In addition, 25 tree species were documented from red panda sign plots out of 165 species recorded in the survey area. Most common was Betula utilis followed by Rhododendron spp. and Abies spectabilis. The extirpation of red pandas in previously reported areas indicates a need for immediate action for the long-term conservation of this species in CHAL.

A method of assessing body condition of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)is presented. The method uses visual assessment to assign numerical scores to six different regions of the body, which are totaled to give a numerical index ranging from 0-11. The relationship between the index and morphometric variables is compared for a sample of 119 juvenile and young adult elephants from southern India, Nepal, and Myanmar. Mean ages of males and females were similar. Mean index of body condition (with standard error [SE]) was 7.3 + 0.2 points. No significant correlation was found between index of body condition and age over both sexes (r = 0.01, n = 50). Results were equivalent when sexes were treated separately (females: i-= 0.03, « = 24; males: i-= 0.01, n = 26). Sexes did not differ in height of the shoulder or body condition in our sample, but there was significant sexual dimorphism in breadth of the zygomatic arch and three measures of subcutaneous fat: girth of neck, thickness of cervical fold, and thickness of anal flap. These three measures were also significantly correlated with each other. Our assessment method should prove a practical tool for écologie studies, but the relationship of the index to V. Krishnamurthy is deceased. percentage of body fat should be determined using heavy water dilution methodology.

Climate change, an emerging global concern have serious effects in every aspects of agriculture. Changed patterns in climatic factors like temperature, precipitation, humidity and other meteorological components are affecting the quality and quantity of agricultural commodities production. Along with direct impacts in crop productivity, climate change is threatening global food production via pest related losses of food crops. Each additional degree of temperature rise could cause yield losses from insect pests to increase by a further 10-25%. Climate change has increased pest population and their damage potential by expanding distribution, enhancing survivability and allowing to develop the adaptability of insect pest. Rising temperature, modified precipitation patterns, disturbed gaseous composition of atmosphere etc. are causing the change in population, mobility, behavior of insect pest. This change has been affecting the global agricultural production figure. Largest grain producers of the world viz. China, the US, France etc. are already facing massive infestation of crop pest and consequent yield losses. Climate change has been the talk of the century. Observed shifts in global climatic phenomena and consequent losses have caught the attention of the world. Climate Change can be illustrated as the phenomenon that includes change in environmental factors like temperature, humidity and precipitation over long period of time. Due to increased temperature, elevated CO2 and other harmful gases, irregular rainfall, global food production is under the threat. Global temperature has been steadily rising since 1900 with an increase of about 1°C since then. A variety of numerical models representing the physical processes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and land surface simulate the response of the global climate systems to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and forecast how the climate is expected to change until 2050 and 2070. Effects of climate change can be observed in multiple ways. The assessment of climatic factors like temperature, precipitation (amount, frequency and timing), humidity, wind (velocity, timing), gaseous concentration etc. can provide real insights of climate change. As well as the examination of consequent effects of modification of these factors can also act as indicator of climate change.As the complexity of climate variables have direct concern in agriculture, the major impacts on agriculture is inevitable.As in agriculture, climate change can intervene in normal plant physiologies like photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, nutrient uptake, mineral balance, ionic exchange etc. As well as, climate change can interfere crop production via modification of population and function of pests and pathogens. Climate variables like temperature, humidity, precipitation etc. are the factors for the growth, development and multiplication of creatures like insects, fungi, bacteria, virus etc., pest population is also expected to change as with the change in the climate. Along with this,...

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Red panda Ailurus fulgens , an endangered habitat specialist, inhabits a narrow distribution range in bamboo abundance forests along mountain slopes in the Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains. However, their habitat use may be different in places with different longitudinal environmental gradients, climatic regimes, and microclimate. This study aimed to determine the habitat variables affecting red panda distribution across different longitudinal gradients through a multivariate analysis. We studied habitat selection patterns along the longitudinal gradient in Nepal's Himalaya which is grouped into the eastern, central, and western complexes. We collected data on red panda presence and habitat variables (e.g., tree richness, canopy cover, bamboo abundance, water availability, tree diameter, tree height) by surveys along transects throughout the species’ potential range. We used a multimodal inference approach with a generalized linear model to test the relative importance of environmental variables. Although the study showed that bamboo abundance had a major influence, habitat selection was different across longitudinal zones. Both canopy cover and species richness were unimportant in eastern Nepal, but their influence increased progressively toward the west. Conversely, tree height showed a decreasing influence on habitat selection from Eastern to Western Nepal. Red panda's habitat selection revealed in this study corresponds to the uneven distribution of vegetation assemblages and the dry climatic gradient along the eastern‐western Himalayas which could be related to a need to conserve energy and thermoregulate. This study has further highlighted the need of importance of bamboo conservation and site‐specific conservation planning to ensure long‐term red panda conservation.