Grazing and Browsing by Large Herbivores in South and Southeast Asia

Ahrestani, Farshid S.; Heitkönig, Ignas M. A.; Matsubayashi, Hisashi; Prins, Herbert H. T.

doi:10.1007/978-94-017-7570-0_4

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 92 publications

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“…Knowledge of the diet composition of endangered wildlife species is very important to understand foraging ecology and to devise conservation management actions for their long-term persistence ( Belovsky, 1997 ; Ahrestani et al, 2016 ). Such knowledge is particularly important for ungulates in seasonal environments ( Parker, Barboza & Gillingham, 2009 ) where resource availability is pulsed in summer and scarcity is particularly acute during the arid winter season ( Styles & Skinner, 1997 ; Ahrestani, Heitkönig & Prins, 2012 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dry season diet composition of four-horned antelopeTetracerus quadricornisin tropical dry deciduous forests, Nepal

Oli

Panthi

Subedi

et al. 2018

PeerJ

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It is essential to assess the feeding strategies of threatened species during resource-scarce seasons to understand their dietary niche breadth and inform appropriate habitat management measures. In this study, we examined the diet composition of four-horned antelope (FHA) Tetracerus and quadricornis, one of the least studied ungulate species, in Banke National Park, Nepal. A total of 53 fresh pellet groups were collected between December 2015 and January 2016 and analyzed using micro-histological fecal analysis technique. First, we prepared 133 micro-histological photographs of different parts of 64 reference plant species. Then we compared 1,590 fragments of 53 fecal samples with photographs of reference plants to assess the percentage of occurrence of different plant species in FHA diet. A total of 30 plant species belonging to 18 different families were identified in fecal samples. Chi-square goodness of fit tests showed that FHA appeared not to feed all plant uniformly. Out of 1,520 identified fragments in fecal samples, 1,300 were browse species and 220 were grass species. Browse represented 85.5% of the identified plant fragments, suggesting that FHA might be adopting a browser strategy at least during winter when grasses are low in abundance and their nutritive quality is poor. Tree species had the highest contribution in the diet (46.55%) followed by shrubs (24.52%). The family Gramineae was consumed in the highest proportion (27.68%) followed by Euphorbiaceae (11.95%). Overall, our results suggest that FHA has the feeding plasticity to adapt to resource fluctuation. Based on the findings of this study, we recommend that dicot plant species—particularly fruit trees and shrubs, which are the major source of nutrients for FHA during resource-lean, dry season—be conserved and natural regeneration of these taxa be promoted.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dry season diet composition of four-horned antelopeTetracerus quadricornisin tropical dry deciduous forests, Nepal

Oli

Panthi

Subedi

et al. 2018

PeerJ

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“…Increased probability of deer in plots close to forest edge could indicate dietary changes during periods of low fruit abundance, in particular, incorporating more fleshy fruits from the continuously fruiting dominant early successional tree ( Bellucia pentamera ), which is found in young secondary forests (Cosby et al, 2022; Dillis et al, 2018). All deer species incorporate other forms of vegetation into their diet (Ahrestani et al, 2016), but in the absence of more research, we presume that increased availability of fruits influenced the shift to CF.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Seasonal shifts in large mammal activity relative to fruit availability and hunting risk along a protected area boundary in Borneo

Cosby

Giman²,

Ragai

et al. 2023

Biotropica

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Understanding wildlife spatiotemporal dynamics at protected area boundaries is critical to conservation. In SE Asia, protected areas are often bordered by indigenous communities whose traditional practices result in increased landscape heterogeneity within their community managed forests (CF). Because SE Asian forests exhibit supra-annual mast fruiting (3-7 yrs) and sustained fruit scarcity, wildlife using CF may benefit from greater availability of fruits and seeds encouraged by traditional management, but incur greater risk of being hunted. We examined shifts in wildlife activity in forests within and adjacent to Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary (LEWS), in Sarawak, Malaysia. Using camera traps and surveys of fruiting phenology, we related presence of fruits and seeds to shifts in large mammal activity over 3 years (October 2016(October -2019. We first compared relative frequency of five focal species (sun bear, bearded pig, muntjac, mouse deer, and sambar) by forest type for a given survey year and season (rainy vs. dry). We then modeled activity to assess how fruit availability, landscape features, and proxies for hunting risk, influence seasonal shifts in habitat use. Our results suggested seasonal variation in concert with increased landscape heterogeneity influenced patterns of activity. We found no evidence that CF excluded any detected mammal species, suggesting CF contribute important habitat to wildlife, particularly during periods of fruit scarcity in primary forest. However, our findings also imply increased hunting risk for wildlife attracted to resources near human settlements, emphasizing the need to consider the influence of both annual and supraannual seasonality when developing best practices for the sustainable management.

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“…In this way, wildlife can show an opportunistic behavior in relation to forage availability 40 . The differences between browsers and grazers extend beyond diet selection; they include specialization within the digestive tract that may allow grazing and browsing herbivores to better extract nutrients from their preferred forage class (grass or browse) 41,42 . Ungulate species have been found to have different food and feeding habits 43 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ungulate species have been found to have different food and feeding habits 43 . Gaur, have been described as grazers 42,44,45 , browsers 46 and generalists 47 depending on habitat types.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food and nutrition of Gaur (Bos gaurus C.H. Smith, 1827) at the edge of Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Chaiyarat

Prasopsin

Bhumpakphan

2021

Sci Rep

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The presence of gaur (Bos gaurus) at the border of Khao Yai National Park (KYNP) in Thailand has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of individuals’ crop feeding. This study examines the feeding adaptations of gaur at the edge of the protected area and assesses whether gaur response to increased nutrient availability in crop plants compared to natural forage. During the day, gaur mostly utilized forest areas in KYNP and entered the agricultural areas at night. Gaur ate 43 natural forage species. Natural forage species contain high levels of crude protein and lipid, but they are found in small quantities and scattered areas when compared to crop plants, especially Zea mays L., that are available in large quantity and are heavily foraged on by gaur. However, greater understanding of the electivity index and nutrition of forage species along the edge of the protected area can be used to reduce the gaur-human conflict by keeping gaur in KYNP. Reducing the large monoculture areas that is the food sources of gaur along the edge may reduce or prevent gaur leaving the park and can be applied to advance conservation actions.

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Grazing and Browsing by Large Herbivores in South and Southeast Asia

Cited by 15 publications

References 92 publications

Dry season diet composition of four-horned antelopeTetracerus quadricornisin tropical dry deciduous forests, Nepal

Dry season diet composition of four-horned antelopeTetracerus quadricornisin tropical dry deciduous forests, Nepal

Seasonal shifts in large mammal activity relative to fruit availability and hunting risk along a protected area boundary in Borneo

Food and nutrition of Gaur (Bos gaurus C.H. Smith, 1827) at the edge of Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

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