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Prevalence of Tree Cavities and their Use by Vertebrate Fauna in Forest Ecosystem of Dhirkot,
AJ&K
Sajid Abbasi, Iftikhar Hussain, Tariq Mahmood,Maqsood Anwar and Muhammad Rais
Department of Wildlife ManagementPMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi
Introduction
In forest ecosystems of Pakistan there are certain wildlife species i.e. bats, flying squirrels, rodents, birds and reptiles species use hollow bearing trees for nesting, breeding, foraging and roosting, mainly subtropical pine forest and moist temperate forests (Robert, 1991-1992 and 1998).
Although the tree hollows are the critical component of forest ecosystem, a little is known about the characteristics of these hollows, rather no report is available on such data from the wildlife related ecologies of Pakistan.
The present study was designed as an initiative to carry out investigations on hollow bearing trees in the forest ecology of Dhirkot, District Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir with the following objectives.
Objectives• To collect basic information on type, size,
prevalence and distribution of hollow bearing trees in forest ecology of the study area.
•To identify wildlife species associated with the tree hollows to support their lives.
Study Site & Sampling
The study samplings were carried out at two observation sites (1 km2 each) in a deciduous-mixed temperate-coniferous forest spreading over 10 km2 located at 340 ˝ N; 730 34˝ E in the Sanghar Bathara area,of district Dhirkot, A J& K
Observation Area-1
Upper zone of study site dominated by Blue Pine (Pinus wallichiana)
Lower zone of study site dominated by Chir Pine Pinus roxburgii) at Sanghar Bathara, Dhirkot, AJ&K
Observation Area-2
Definition: A cavity is defined as any completely excavated or natural opening in a tree's bole or limbs that could provide shelter to wildlife species.
All the trees in 10 sampling plots at each study site were observed for presence of tree cavities. Where ever required binoculars were used to aid the visual inspection of snags and excavated openings from several different angles.
Tree cavities in larger and older trees were observed by climbing on tree trunk and large branches.
Those trees that had a larger diameter and difficult to climbed, were climbed by installing a locally made bamboo ladder at the base of the tree trunk to reach the upper branches.
Data on following parameters were recorded:
No. of cavities in each tree species.
Condition of the cavity bearing trees either live or dead.
The height of cavity entrance from ground (m).
Position of the cavities (trunk or branches)
Type of cavity (natural or excavated).
Dimensions of cavity (i.e diameter of entrance and depth (cm) of cavities (wherever possible)
Observation and measurement of tree cavities
Tree Age Estimation1: Annual growth rings
2: Pressler’s Borer Method
RESULTSTree species Tree species composition
in sub-plots (No. per 200 m2)
Total trees(No. per 1 km2)
Cavity bearing trees (n)
Trees with cavities (%)
Relative abundance of cavity bearing trees (%)
a b c d e
Pinus wallichiana 185 150 2 61 85 483 12 2.48 35.29
Quercus incana 0 20 11 42 36 109 7 6.42 20.59
Quercus dilatata 0 0 2 18 4 24 3 12.5 8.82
Pinus roxburghii 5 0 4 0 0 9 1 11.11 2.94
Melia azedarach 0 0 5 0 0 5 3 60 8.82
Bauhinia variegata 0 0 5 0 0 5 3 60 8.82
Morus alba 0 0 4 0 0 4 2 50 5.88
Prunus armanica 0 0 4 0 0 4 2 50 5.88
Diospyros kaki 0 0 3 0 0 3 1 33.33 2.94
Juglans regia 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
Total 190 170 41 121 125 647 34 5.25 100
Vegetation Structure and Cavity Bearing Trees in Observation Area-1
Tree species Tree species composition at sub-plots (No. per 200 m2)
Total trees(No. per 1 km2)
Cavity bearing trees (n)
Trees with cavities (%)
Relative abundance of cavity bearing trees (%)
a b c d e
Pinus roxburghii 40 21 130 10 1 202 2 0.99 4.08
Olea ferruginea 17 51 2 80 4 154 20 12.98 40.81
Prunus armanica 5 17 5 0 12 39 3 7.69 6.12
Melia azedarach 11 0 0 5 8 24 11 45.83 22.44
Diospyros kaki 6 0 3 2 11 22 2 9.09 4.08
Quercus incana 2 0 0 4 10 16 3 18.75 6.12
Morus alba 7 0 0 1 5 13 2 15.38 4.08
Bauhinia variegata 7 1 0 0 2 10 2 20 4.08
Pyrus communis 3 0 0 2 5 10 3 30 6.12
Juglans regia 3 0 0 0 0 3 1 33.33 2.04
Total 101 90 140 104 58 493 49 9.93 100
Vegetation structure and prevalence of cavity bearing trees in observation area 2.
Tree species Total trees at site No. 1(No. per 1 km2)
Total trees at site No. 2(No. per 1 km2)
Combined (Site No. 1 & Site No. 2)
(%) Cavity bearing trees (n)
Cavity bearing trees (%)
Relative abundance of cavity bearing trees (%)
Pinus wallichiana 483 0 483 42.36 12 2.48 14.45
Quercus incana 109 16 125 10.96 10 8.00 12.05
Quercus dilatata 24 0 24 2.10 3 12.5 3.61
Pinus roxburghii 9 202 211 18.5 3 1.42 3.61
Melia azedarach 5 24 29 2.54 14 48.27 16.87
Bauhinia variegata 5 10 15 1.31 5 33.33 6.02
Morus alba 4 13 17 1.49 4 23.53 4.82
Prunus armanica 4 39 43 3,77 5 10.42 6.02
Diospyros kaki 3 22 25 2.19 3 12.00 3.61
Juglans regia 1 3 4 0.35 1 25.00 1.20
Olea ferruginea 0 154 154 13.5 20 12.99 24.10
Pyrus communis 0 10 10 0.95 3 30.00 3.61
Total 647 493 1140 100 83 7.28 100
Vegetation Structure and Cavity Bearing Trees in the two Observation Areas
Fauna recorded
Multiple cavities in Blue Pine tree used by Flying Squirrel
Internal view of Excavated cavity used by Flying squirrel for nesting.
Hatchlings of Yellow fronted Wood-pecker in tree cavity
Golden-backed wood packer foraging on dead tree
Tree species Condition of the trees bearing the cavities
No. of tree
cavities
Position of tree cavities
Type of tree cavities
Live Dead Total Trunk Branches *Natural Excavated
n % n % n n % n % n % n %
Pinus wallichiana 6 50 6 50 12 34 28 82 6 18 20 59 14 41
Pinus roxburghii 3 100 0 0 3 4 4 100
0 0 0 0 4 100
Olea ferruginea 0 0 20 100 20 60 42 70 18 30 58 97 2 3
Quercus incana 6 60 4 40 10 26 16 62 10 38 18 69 8 31
Quercus dilatata 2 67 1 33 3 8 5 62 3 38 2 25 6 75
Melia azedarach 9 64 5 36 14 32 26 81 6 19 7 22 25 78
Pronus armanica 1 20 4 80 5 11 6 55 5 45 7 64 4 36
Morus alba 2 50 2 50 4 11 9 82 2 18 7 64 4 36
Diospyros kaki 3 100 0 0 3 5 5 100
0 0 0 0 5 100
Juglans regia 0 0 1 100 1 3 2 67 1 33 3 100 0 0
Pyrus communis 2 67 1 33 3 8 6 75 2 25 5 63 3 37
Bauhinia variegata
0 0 5 100 5 9 7 70 2 22 9 100 0 0
Total 34 41 49 59 83 211 156 74 55 26 136 64 75 36
Characteristics of cavity bearing trees & tree cavities
Vertebrate fauna Tree species Age appox. (Year)
No. of Cavities
Cavity Entrance Diameter (cm)Avg. (Range)
Height from ground (m)Avg. (Range)
Cavity depth(cm)Avg. (Range)
Mammals
Flying squirrel Pinus wallichiana 80 4 14.3 (6 - 21) 9 (3.5-15) >90 (>90)
Quercus incana 60 4 6.6 (3 - 8) 10 ( 7-12) 55 (35- 85)
Long fingered bat Pinus wallichiana 77 3 4.3 (2 - 7) 11 (3- 20 ) >90 (>90)
Birds (Passerine)
Common myna Pinus wallichiana 72 2 5 (3 - 7) 7 (3- 11) 42.5 (35- 50)
Melia azedarach 50 3 5 (4 - 7) 4 (2- 5) 44 (40- 46)
Diospyros kaki 55 1 6 (6) 5.5 (5.5) 42 (42)
Pyrus communis 77 1 5 (5) 3(3) 47 (47)
Great tit Olea ferruginaea 72 2 5.5 (5.5) 3.5 (3.5) 30 (28- 32)
Diospyros kaki 45 1 4.5 (4.5) 6 (6) 30 (30)
Himalayan tree creeper
Quercus incana 54 2 5 (4 - 6) 10 (7-13) 37 (34- 40)
House sparrow Melia azedarach 85 3 5 (3-6 ) 3.3 (2-5 ) 45 (45)
Prunus armanica 63 1 6 (6) 4 (4) 65 (65)
Olea ferruginaea 87 3 6 (3 - 8) 3 (2- 4) 45 (22- 65)
Chust-nut bellied nuthatchs
Quercus incana 148 1 6 (6) 4 (4) 38 (38)
Red-head longed tailed tit
Pinus rxburghii 63 1 5 (5) 15 (15) 33 (33)
Vertebrate fauna Tree species Age appox. (Year)
No. of Cavities
Cavity Entrance Diameter (cm)Avg. (Range)
Height from ground (m)Avg. (Range)
Cavity depth(cm)Avg. (Range
Birds
Yellow-fronted woodpecker
Melia azedarach 36 2 6.5 (5 - 8) 4 (3- 5) 43 (33- 53)
Himalan pied woodpecker
Quercus incana 47 2 6 (5- 7) 10 (8.5-12.5) 48 (45-51)
Pinus wallichiana 69 2 5 (4.5-5.5) 13 (10-16) 42 (39- 45)
Scaly-bellied woodpecker
Pinus wallichiana 62 2 6 (5 - 7) 13 (12- 14) 42.5 (30- 55)
Quercus dilatata 55 2 5.5 (4 - 7) 7 (5- 9) 44 (40- 48)
Rufous-bellied woodpecker
Melia azedarach 40 2 4.5 (3 - 6) 5 (4.5- 5.5) 38 (32- 44)
Glden-backed woodpecker
Bahunia verrigata 98 1 7 (7) 3 (3) 30 (30)
Blue throated barbet
Morus alba 75 3 7.5 (6 - 9) 3 (3- 3) 52 (42- 60)
Prunus armanica 82 2 7 (6-8) 5 (4.5- 5.5) 46 (43- 49)
Reptiles Snakes
Kashmir cliff racer Pinus wallichiana 118 1 9 (9) 5 (5) >100 (>100)
Common cat snake
Pyrus communis 145 1 5 (5) 3 (3) 47 (47)
Melia azedarach 47 1 9 (9) 4 (4) 45 (45)
Lizards
Spotted barn gecko
Quercus incana 97 1 5 (5) 3 (3- 3) 32 (32)
Bahunia verrigata 77 1 10 (10) 2 (2) 18 (18)
Prunus armanica 68 1 7 (7) 3 (3) 26 (26)
Kumaon kraili Olea ferruginaea 93 2 3 (3- 3 ) 3 (2-4) 21 (18-24)
Vertebrate fauna
N Entrance Diameter of Tree Cavity (cm)Mean ± SD (range)
Depth of Tree Cavity (cm)Mean ± SD (range)
Height of Tree Cavity from Ground (m)Mean ± SD (range)
Mammals 11 8.78 ± 5.95 (2-21) > 90 9.9 ± 5.13 (3-20)
Aves 41 5.56 ± 1.49 (3-9) 42.43 ± 9.88 (22-65) 7.05 ± 7.25 (2-16)
Reptiles 5 6.38 ± 2.77 (3-10)30.00 ± 11.96 (18-100)
3.13 ± 0.99 (2-5)
Tree species Occupancy of tree cavities by vertebrate fauna
Cavities Mammals Birds Reptiles Total (use) unused
n n % n % n % n % n %
Pinus wallichiana 34 7 21 6 18 1 3 14 41 20 59
Pinus roxburghii 4 0 0 1 25 0 0 1 25 3 75
Olea ferruginea 60 0 0 7 12 2 3 9 15 51 85
Quercus incana 26 4 11 5 18 1 4 10 38 16 62
Quercus dilatata 8 0 0 2 25 0 0 2 25 6 75
Melia azadarach 32 0 0 10 31 1 3 11 34 21 66
Pronus armanica 11 0 0 3 27 1 9 4 36 7 64
Morus alba 11 0 0 3 27 0 9 3 27 8 77
Diospyros kaki 5 0 0 2 40 0 0 2 40 3 60
Juglans regia 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 100
Pyrus communis 8 0 0 1 13 1 13 2 25 6 75
Bahunia verrigata 9 0 0 1 11 1 11 2 22 7 78
Total 211 11 5.21 41 19 8 4 60 28.4 151 71.6
Total percentage of used and unused cavity
Conclusion
Occupancy of tree cavities by vertebrate fauna.
Shukreiya.