Population features of barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) in Margalla Hills National Park, Pakistan.
2009; University of Punjab (new Campus); Volume: 41; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0030-9923
AutoresWaqas Hameed, Fakhar -i-Abbas, Afsar Mian,
Tópico(s)Rangeland and Wildlife Management
ResumoBelt transect (71 km) sampling of population of barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) in Margalla Hills National Park, Pakistan (western extremities of Lesser Himalayas), conducted during winter March-April 2005 suggested a population of 86 individuals distributed in southern slopes with an average density of 1.21±0.14/ km 2 (range 0.80 - 1.45). The population exhibited a growth rate of 4.14% per annum between 1971 and 1990 and 1.94% between 1991 and 2005. Sex ratio of 1.45 (female/ male) and fawn/ female ratio of 0.25 was exhibited. The majority of the sightings (64.29%) were as singles or in groups of two (total = 35.71%: two females = 3.57%, male-female = 7.14%, female-fawn = 25.0%). The deer habitat had reasonably good plant diversity (35 species). Population density of barking deer was 1.57/ km 2 at > 1,200 m above sea level, whereas it was 1.07 - 1.21/ km 2 at <1,200 m above sea level. The maximum density appears at medium tree cover (19%), and increasing or decreasing tree cover beyond the cover optima decreased the deer density. Shrub cover had no direct effect on deer density, while increasing herb cover directly increased muntjak density.
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