Conservation of ungulates is vital to protect the viable population of tiger, leopard and dhole a... more Conservation of ungulates is vital to protect the viable population of tiger, leopard and dhole as ungulates are the principal prey species of carnivores of conservation importance. The objective of this study is to determine the distribution and habitat utilization by ungulates in Royal Manas National Park in southern Bhutan. The study area was stratified into four habitat types and a total of 53 sample plots of 20 x 20 m were surveyed to enumerate pellet groups and habitat variables such as canopy cover, ground cover, elevation, slope and aspect. A total of 80 pellet groups were recorded in 53 plots with a mean pellet of 1.51 per plot with a detection probability of 0.8. Among ungulates, Sambar pellet showed highest relative abundance (23.8%) and mostly ungulates detection probability is high in elevation zone less than 1000masl. The study concludes that RMNP could be one of the hotspot areas for tiger conservation through forest habitat conservation and protecting ungulates habitat.
International Journal of Fauna and Biological Studies, 2017
Conservation of ungulates is vital to protect the viable population of tiger, leopard and dhole a... more Conservation of ungulates is vital to protect the viable population of tiger, leopard and dhole as ungulates are the principal prey species of carnivores of conservation importance. The objective of this study is to determine the distribution and habitat utilization by ungulates in Royal Manas National Park in southern Bhutan. The study area was stratified into four habitat types and a total of 53 sample plots of 20 x 20 m were surveyed to enumerate pellet groups and habitat variables such as canopy cover, ground cover, elevation, slope and aspect. A total of 80 pellet groups were recorded in 53 plots with a mean pellet of 1.51 per plot with a detection probability of 0.8. Among ungulates, Sambar pellet showed highest relative abundance (23.8%) and mostly ungulates detection probability is high in elevation zone less than 1000masl. The study concludes that RMNP could be one of the hotspot areas for tiger conservation through forest habitat conservation and protecting ungulates habitat.
The eastern Himalayan climate is strongly determined by a rugged mountainous terrain and the impa... more The eastern Himalayan climate is strongly determined by a rugged mountainous terrain and the impact of the Indian summer monsoon. Climate change increases the vulnerability of key economic sectors (e.g., agriculture, forestry and hydro-power generation) of Bhutan and threatens the countries rich biodiversity, its fragile community livelihoods and increases the probability of hazardous events (e.g., glacier lake outburst floods, flash floods, droughts and forest fires). A comprehensive knowledge of Bhutan’s climatic conditions and their variability is therefore essential to enhance the efficiency and applicability of adaptation efforts. Very few studies on the climatology of the Bhutanese Himalaya have been published so far. The scanty literature has primarily focused on the reduction of threats related to the formation of glacier lakes. In contrast, this study (1) analyses the average spatial and inner-annual variability of air temperature and precipitation regimes of Bhutan, based on local meteorological observations and climate projections, and (2) relates the effects of climatic changes on water resources, ecosystem services, agriculture and the economy of Bhutan.
Formation of woody structure in plant is a dynamic process and is affected by environmental condi... more Formation of woody structure in plant is a dynamic process and is affected by environmental conditions such as moisture availability. This experiment set up tested the hypothesis that drought leads to changes in wood anatomical characteristics, accompanied by decreased vessel size that is compensated by increased vessel density in Rhododendron arboreum Sm. The study was carried out in a cool temperate broadleaved forest dominated by oak species (Quercus lanata Sm., Quercus griffithii Hook. f. and Thomson ex Miq. and in a cool temperate conifer forest dominated by hemlock – Tsuga dumosa (D. Don) Eichler. R. arboreum wood samples were collected from four homogeneous replicated plots of 725 m (two control and two roofed plots) established in 2014 at each forest type. The wood samples were sliced to 20 μm thickness using microtome, dehydrated using different concentration of ethanol before embedding them onto a glass slide. Micro section image was captured using digital camera and analy...
Bhutan Journal of Natural Resources and Development
Zhemgang is increasingly becoming a preferred destination for nature-based tourism with the incre... more Zhemgang is increasingly becoming a preferred destination for nature-based tourism with the increasing number of international visitors from 165 to 346 between 2013 and 2019. The attractions that contribute to the increasing number of visitors are 225,361.47 ha (94.17%) of area under forest cover, rich biodiversity, unexplored scenic beauty and unique Kheng culture. In the past years, five local standard hotels, five ecolodges and two homestays have added bed nights of international visitors from 420 in 2013 to 931 in 2018. This study was conducted to assessed 10 potential ecotourism destinations in Zhemgang on the basis of resource availability and preferential appeal by promoters for tourism resources using Tourist Potential Index (TPI). The TPI was found ranging between 17 and 31.75.The mean rank of the destinations varies between 1.47 and 9.47 and there is significance difference in resources appealed by the tour operators on resources availability in the destinations considered...
This is the little known story of the great watershed divide in the state of Rajasthan, an area t... more This is the little known story of the great watershed divide in the state of Rajasthan, an area that also suffers from many conflicts over natural resources. The great Indian watershed passes through the Udaipur region which is divided by the Aravalli hilly range. A major portion of this mountain range is located in the state of Rajasthan, India, stretching diagonally from Kotra in the northeast to Khetri in the south west direction.
Context Human–wildlife conflict is a serious impediment to conservation efforts worldwide. This i... more Context Human–wildlife conflict is a serious impediment to conservation efforts worldwide. This is also true for Bhutan, where dholes or wild dogs (Cuon alpinus), leopards and tigers constitute a menace to the livestock of farmers. Livestock losses as a result depredation by wild animals is a major cause of conflict with farmers, threatening their livelihoods, and causing a negative attitude that can lead to retaliatory killing of wildlife. Aims To survey farmers and document their livestock losses, as well as estimate the value of livestock losses and the causes of predation. Methods We conducted a questionnaire survey of 147 farming households in three zones of the Toebesa subdistrict of Punakha, Bhutan. Respondents provided information on their farming activities and household income, as well as on predation losses of cattle, goats, pigs, chickens, cats and dogs caused by dholes, tigers and leopards between 2006 and 2010. Additional data on livestock populations and losses were o...
Conservation of ungulates is vital to protect the viable population of tiger, leopard and dhole a... more Conservation of ungulates is vital to protect the viable population of tiger, leopard and dhole as ungulates are the principal prey species of carnivores of conservation importance. The objective of this study is to determine the distribution and habitat utilization by ungulates in Royal Manas National Park in southern Bhutan. The study area was stratified into four habitat types and a total of 53 sample plots of 20 x 20 m were surveyed to enumerate pellet groups and habitat variables such as canopy cover, ground cover, elevation, slope and aspect. A total of 80 pellet groups were recorded in 53 plots with a mean pellet of 1.51 per plot with a detection probability of 0.8. Among ungulates, Sambar pellet showed highest relative abundance (23.8%) and mostly ungulates detection probability is high in elevation zone less than 1000masl. The study concludes that RMNP could be one of the hotspot areas for tiger conservation through forest habitat conservation and protecting ungulates habitat.
International Journal of Fauna and Biological Studies, 2017
Conservation of ungulates is vital to protect the viable population of tiger, leopard and dhole a... more Conservation of ungulates is vital to protect the viable population of tiger, leopard and dhole as ungulates are the principal prey species of carnivores of conservation importance. The objective of this study is to determine the distribution and habitat utilization by ungulates in Royal Manas National Park in southern Bhutan. The study area was stratified into four habitat types and a total of 53 sample plots of 20 x 20 m were surveyed to enumerate pellet groups and habitat variables such as canopy cover, ground cover, elevation, slope and aspect. A total of 80 pellet groups were recorded in 53 plots with a mean pellet of 1.51 per plot with a detection probability of 0.8. Among ungulates, Sambar pellet showed highest relative abundance (23.8%) and mostly ungulates detection probability is high in elevation zone less than 1000masl. The study concludes that RMNP could be one of the hotspot areas for tiger conservation through forest habitat conservation and protecting ungulates habitat.
The eastern Himalayan climate is strongly determined by a rugged mountainous terrain and the impa... more The eastern Himalayan climate is strongly determined by a rugged mountainous terrain and the impact of the Indian summer monsoon. Climate change increases the vulnerability of key economic sectors (e.g., agriculture, forestry and hydro-power generation) of Bhutan and threatens the countries rich biodiversity, its fragile community livelihoods and increases the probability of hazardous events (e.g., glacier lake outburst floods, flash floods, droughts and forest fires). A comprehensive knowledge of Bhutan’s climatic conditions and their variability is therefore essential to enhance the efficiency and applicability of adaptation efforts. Very few studies on the climatology of the Bhutanese Himalaya have been published so far. The scanty literature has primarily focused on the reduction of threats related to the formation of glacier lakes. In contrast, this study (1) analyses the average spatial and inner-annual variability of air temperature and precipitation regimes of Bhutan, based on local meteorological observations and climate projections, and (2) relates the effects of climatic changes on water resources, ecosystem services, agriculture and the economy of Bhutan.
Formation of woody structure in plant is a dynamic process and is affected by environmental condi... more Formation of woody structure in plant is a dynamic process and is affected by environmental conditions such as moisture availability. This experiment set up tested the hypothesis that drought leads to changes in wood anatomical characteristics, accompanied by decreased vessel size that is compensated by increased vessel density in Rhododendron arboreum Sm. The study was carried out in a cool temperate broadleaved forest dominated by oak species (Quercus lanata Sm., Quercus griffithii Hook. f. and Thomson ex Miq. and in a cool temperate conifer forest dominated by hemlock – Tsuga dumosa (D. Don) Eichler. R. arboreum wood samples were collected from four homogeneous replicated plots of 725 m (two control and two roofed plots) established in 2014 at each forest type. The wood samples were sliced to 20 μm thickness using microtome, dehydrated using different concentration of ethanol before embedding them onto a glass slide. Micro section image was captured using digital camera and analy...
Bhutan Journal of Natural Resources and Development
Zhemgang is increasingly becoming a preferred destination for nature-based tourism with the incre... more Zhemgang is increasingly becoming a preferred destination for nature-based tourism with the increasing number of international visitors from 165 to 346 between 2013 and 2019. The attractions that contribute to the increasing number of visitors are 225,361.47 ha (94.17%) of area under forest cover, rich biodiversity, unexplored scenic beauty and unique Kheng culture. In the past years, five local standard hotels, five ecolodges and two homestays have added bed nights of international visitors from 420 in 2013 to 931 in 2018. This study was conducted to assessed 10 potential ecotourism destinations in Zhemgang on the basis of resource availability and preferential appeal by promoters for tourism resources using Tourist Potential Index (TPI). The TPI was found ranging between 17 and 31.75.The mean rank of the destinations varies between 1.47 and 9.47 and there is significance difference in resources appealed by the tour operators on resources availability in the destinations considered...
This is the little known story of the great watershed divide in the state of Rajasthan, an area t... more This is the little known story of the great watershed divide in the state of Rajasthan, an area that also suffers from many conflicts over natural resources. The great Indian watershed passes through the Udaipur region which is divided by the Aravalli hilly range. A major portion of this mountain range is located in the state of Rajasthan, India, stretching diagonally from Kotra in the northeast to Khetri in the south west direction.
Context Human–wildlife conflict is a serious impediment to conservation efforts worldwide. This i... more Context Human–wildlife conflict is a serious impediment to conservation efforts worldwide. This is also true for Bhutan, where dholes or wild dogs (Cuon alpinus), leopards and tigers constitute a menace to the livestock of farmers. Livestock losses as a result depredation by wild animals is a major cause of conflict with farmers, threatening their livelihoods, and causing a negative attitude that can lead to retaliatory killing of wildlife. Aims To survey farmers and document their livestock losses, as well as estimate the value of livestock losses and the causes of predation. Methods We conducted a questionnaire survey of 147 farming households in three zones of the Toebesa subdistrict of Punakha, Bhutan. Respondents provided information on their farming activities and household income, as well as on predation losses of cattle, goats, pigs, chickens, cats and dogs caused by dholes, tigers and leopards between 2006 and 2010. Additional data on livestock populations and losses were o...
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