@article {152143, title = {Indian wildlife ecology comes of age.}, journal = {Nat Ecol Evol}, year = {2024}, month = {2024 Dec 16}, issn = {2397-334X}, doi = {10.1038/s41559-024-02622-2}, author = {Bhaumik, Vaishali and Kumar, Ajith and Ratnam, Jayashree} } @article {133177, title = {Winter foraging ecology of stump-tailed macaques in the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, Assam, India.}, journal = {J Biosci}, volume = {48}, year = {2023}, month = {2023}, abstract = {

Frugivorous primates in temperate and subtropical regions often experience a shortage or complete absence of fruits for several months of the year. We studied the foraging ecology of a group of stump-tailed macaques in a subtropical forest during winter, when fruit abundance was low. We conducted this study in the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, Assam, India, from December 2015 to April 2016. We estimated the time-activity budgets, diet, and habitat use of the study troop and also conducted vegetation sampling and phenological monitoring of the study area. The stump-tailed macaque troop spent about 73.2\% of its time foraging and feeding, with seasonal differences in food species intake and in habitat use. Open degraded forests were primarily used in December, January, and February, when the macaques largely fed on shoots of the bamboo and roots of the herb , while they mostly utilised in canopy-covered, degraded forests in March and April. There was a major shift from a primary diet of fruits in the wet season, reported from earlier studies, to possibly relatively poorquality, but abundant, shoots and roots in winter. This suggests that the consumption of these poor-quality fallback food species is a key dietary adaptation of the macaques to periods of fruit scarcity. Although our preliminary study suggests that the feeding behaviour of the stump-tailed macaque in its subtropical semievergreen forest habitat appears to be similar to that of its congeneric species in temperate forests, further investigations are needed to firmly establish the observed foraging patterns of this vulnerable cercopithecine species in its last lowland rainforest refuge in northeastern India.

}, keywords = {Animals, Hylobates, India, Macaca, Macaca arctoides, Seasons}, issn = {0973-7138}, author = {Stotrabhashyam, Swetha and Sharma, Narayan and Kumar, Ajith and Sinha, Anindya} } @article {95763, title = {Diet Drives Differences in Reproductive Synchrony in Two Sympatric Mountain Ungulates in the Himalaya}, journal = {FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, volume = {9}, year = {2021}, month = {06/2021}, abstract = {

Ungulates in higher latitudes and altitudes experience sharp seasonal changes in forage abundance and quality. In response, ungulates show varying degrees of synchrony in reproduction. Diet type has been hypothesized to be a determinant of differences in reproductive synchrony. Analyses at global scales using proxies of plant phenology such as climate, latitude and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) have found no evidence in support because such proxies do not capture differences in phenology among plant taxa at local scales. We compared seasonal variations in diet quality with reproductive synchrony in the Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), a browser, and the Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral), a grazer, in mid-altitude Himalaya. We also compared seasonal variations in physiological stress using fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM). We identified different stages of female reproductive cycle using fecal concentrations of metabolites of estradiol, pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG) and testosterone and used fecal crude protein (CP) as an indicator of diet quality. In musk deer, fecal estradiol and PdG concentrations showed a dispersed estrous and parturition, respectively. Goral had a more synchronized estrous and parturition. Estrous cycles in both species occurred when diet quality was poor, but parturition occurred when diet quality was high. Greater seasonality in reproduction in goral is driven by sharp phenological changes in graminoids on which it feeds, compared to slow changes in browse on which musk deer feeds. Thus, we show that diet type drives the differences in reproductive synchrony in these two sympatric species. Spring and summer with highest diet quality were times of highest stress in both the ungulates. We hypothesize predation pressure from feral dogs and resource competition with livestock as plausible explanations for this, which need to be tested in future. Our findings also highlight the need for studying relationships among plant phenology, diet type and reproductive biology of ungulates at local scales if we are to understand species responses to global phenomena such as climate change.

}, doi = {10.3389/fevo.2021.647465}, author = {Srivastava, Tanushree and Kumar, Ajith and Kumar, Vinod and Umapathy, Govindhaswamy} } @article {95904, title = {Seasonal drought regulates species distributions and assembly of tree communities across a tropical wet forest region}, journal = {GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY}, year = {2021}, month = {07/2021}, abstract = {

Aim How seasonal drought influences tree species distributions might shape future vegetation composition with impending changes to rainfall patterns. Theory suggests that across a seasonal drought gradient, dry-tolerant species might have wider distributions than species sensitive to seasonal drought, which will be restricted to less seasonal conditions. As wet-associated species drop out with increasing seasonality, the community will contain mainly dry-tolerant species. Time period Present. Location Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot in peninsular India. Major taxa studied Woody angiosperms. Methods Across a 1,200 km seasonal drought gradient, we modelled occurrences of 183 species using Gaussian logistic regression in a hierarchical Bayesian framework. We used the first-order model coefficients to attribute the association of species to seasonality (dry/wet) and second-order coefficients to assess modal responses. For 92 species, we checked for an interaction between dry/wet association and two traits: wood density and specific leaf area (SLA). Finally, we assessed the consequences of the seasonality associations of species for regional community assembly. Results Of 183 species, 38\% were significantly wet associated, 27\% dry associated and 34\% indifferent to seasonality. Nearly 80\% of species had estimated modes of occurrence within the seasonality range considered here. Species with lower SLA and lower wood density were more likely to occur in more seasonal sites where dry-associated species formed the majority of co-occurring species. The proportion of wet-associated species increased only after intermediate levels of seasonality. The community proportion of extreme wet-associated species decreased prominently from less to more seasonal sites. Main conclusions Dry-associated species persisted in less seasonal sites, but not vice versa. A shift toward more seasonal rainfall might favour dry-associated species and shrink the ranges of wet-associated species. Future work should assess how the intensity and duration of drought and interactions with other drivers of global change regulate the relative performance of species at more and less seasonal sites.

}, doi = {10.1111/geb.13350}, author = {Krishnadas, Meghna and Sankaran, Mahesh and Page, Navendu and Joshi, Jahnavi and Machado, Siddarth and Nataraj, Nandita and Chengappa, Sannuvanda K. and Kumar, Vijay and Kumar, Ajith and Krishnamani, Ramanathan and Hampe, Arndt} } @article {97221, title = {Seasonal forage and diet quality in two subtropical ungulates in the Himalaya}, journal = {European Journal Of Wildlife Research}, volume = {67}, year = {2021}, month = {08/2021}, abstract = {

Drastic seasonal changes in higher latitudes and altitudes impact the phenology of plant growth forms differently and thus diet of ungulates feeding on them. We examined how fecal nitrogen (N), an indicator of diet quality, varied with season against the background variation in forage biomass and N in habitats of two sympatric ungulates in subtropical Himalaya. We conducted this study in Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, Sikkim, where the Himalayan goral Naemorhedus goral occurred from 3000 to 3600 m and Himalayan musk deer Moschus chrysogaster from 3300 to 4200 m. We measured biomass and N content of forbs and graminoids and browse in their habitats and proportions of monocots and dicots and N content in their fecal pellets. Seasonal variation in biomass, primarily determined by forbs, was similar in goral and musk deer habitats. Goral had a graminoid-dominated diet switching to dicots in autumn and winter. Musk deer had a dicot-dominated diet in all seasons. Fecal N in both the ungulates was higher than forage N in all seasons except spring when the latter was greater. Forage and fecal N declined sharply from spring as seasons progressed. Fecal N in goral was considerably lower than in musk deer in all seasons, probably below maintenance levels in autumn and winter. As evident from peaks and duration of high diet quality, goral is likely a capital breeder and musk deer an income breeder. Results suggest that linkages between diet and reproductive seasonality in ungulates will have important implications in face of climate change.

}, doi = {10.1007/s10344-021-01518-x}, author = {Srivastava, Tanushree and Kumar, Ajith} } @article {72068, title = {Cetacean Distribution and Diversity in Lakshadweep Waters, India, Using a Platform of Opportunity: October 2015 to April 2016}, journal = {AQUATIC MAMMALS}, volume = {46}, year = {2020}, month = {01/2020}, pages = {80-92}, abstract = {

Prior stranding records suggest that at least 12 cetacean species occur within the Lakshadweep archipelago off the southwest coast of India. These islands consist of coral atolls and form the northern part of the undersea Chagos-Laccadive ridge. Distinct oceanographic features, seasonal monsoon cycles, and high productivity make this region a potentially rich cetacean habitat. In this article, we report findings from the first systematic visual cetacean surveys, which were conducted from high-speed passenger ferries that sail between nine Lakshadweep islands. The surveys were carried out between October 2015 and April 2016 during both the northeast monsoon (October to December) and inter-monsoon (January to April) seasons. We used a line-transect survey framework to record sightings as well as group size estimates. We documented 139 sightings over 3,880 km of which 78 sightings were during systematic survey effort. Eight odontocete species were confirmed from these sightings: Stenella longirostris, S. attenuata, S. coeruleoalba, Tursiops spp., Globicephala macrorhynchus, Pseudorca crassidens, Grampus griseus, and Feresa attenuata. One Balaenoptera sp. was also encountered during this survey. S. longirostris was sighted the most often (n = 22) followed by Tursiops spp. (n = 18) and G. macrorhynchus (n = 13). We documented significantly higher sightings in the northeast monsoon season compared to the inter-monsoon season. Along ferry routes, cetacean species differed significantly from each other with respect to their associations with seafloor slope gradients and distances to nearest landmass. We encountered mixed species assemblages of G. macrorhynchus with Tursiops sp. and S. attenuata with Tursiops sp. Given the confirmed high cetacean diversity and occurrence in this region, there is a need for in-depth, long-term studies on biogeography, ecology, and population status of cetaceans here.

}, doi = {10.1578/AM.46.1.2020.80}, author = {Panicker, Divya and Sutaria, Dipani and Kumar, Ajith and Stafford, Kathleen M} } @article {85183, title = {Foraging niche differentiation among sympatric woodpecker species in forests of north-western India}, journal = {ACTA ORNITHOLOGICA}, volume = {55}, year = {2020}, month = {11/2020}, pages = {88-100}, abstract = {

The sub-Himalayan dipterocarp forests of subtropical region in northwest India support 17 species of woodpecker. From a conservation perspective it is necessary to assess the ecological requirements of woodpeckers in these biologically diverse landscapes, which are experiencing habitat modification and decline in some woodpeckers. We studied the foraging niche differentiation among ten sympatric woodpeckers in the sub-Himalayan forests of northwest India: Dendrocopos canicapillus, D. macei, Picus cldorolophus, P. xanthopygaeus, P. can us, Dinopium shorii, D. benghalense, Chrysophlegma [Picus] flavinucha, Chrysocolaptes lucidus, and Mulleripicus pulverulentus. We examined the foraging site preferences of individual woodpecker species and explored the role of inter-specific differences in foraging behaviour as a possible mechanism for their coexistence. Observations on foraging woodpeckers were taken vis-a-vis the following niche dimensions: diameter of the foraging tree, height of the foraging bird, type of substrate on which it was foraging, vertical position with respect to canopy, condition of the forage tree and condition of the substrate. Distinct preferences were evident among species in their foraging tree diameters, foraging heights, vertical positions, and choice of substrate type, while preference for dead substrates was not an important distinguishing factor. Species that overlapped in one dimension generally segregated along other dimensions. Niche segregation in forage tree diameter was associated with body weight. Based on their overall niche overlaps species could broadly be differentiated into groups according to body size viz. small (3 species), medium (3 species), large (3 species), and very large (1 species). Our study demonstrates that differentiation in foraging may be a likely mechanism for coexistence of sympatric woodpeckers in this region. Given that larger species prefer larger substrates, removal of mature trees could affect their abundance, and homogenisation of stand structure could lead to impoverishment of woodpecker diversity.

}, doi = {10.3161/00016454AO2020.55.1.009}, author = {Kumar, Raman and Shahabuddin, Ghazala and Kumar, Ajith} } @article {86828, title = {Mammals Make Use of Cashew Plantations in a Mixed Forest-Cashew Landscape}, journal = {FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, month = {11/2020}, abstract = {

Heterogeneous landscapes harboring mosaics of natural habitat and agriculture are increasingly gaining conservation focus in the tropics. While research on cash crops such as coffee, rubber, and oil palm has led to an understanding of their role as supplementary habitats, such has remained limited in cashew plantations despite it being a cash crop of global significance. We conducted a study to understand the occurrence of terrestrial mammal species in a mixed forest-cashew landscape in the northern Western Ghats, India. During January to April 2016, we used trail cameras to sample a total area of 25 km(2) divided into 100 grid cells of 0.25 km(2) each. We deployed six trail cameras for a 24 h period in each grid cell and obtained photo-captures of 11 species in forests, of which nine were detected in cashew plantations, but most species showed low capture rates. For three of these species-Indian crested porcupine, sambar, and wild pig-we modeled habitat use as a function of site-specific attributes. Wild pig showed a higher probability of use of cashew than forest, while porcupine and sambar did not show any pronounced differences between the two land uses. The probability of habitat use by sambar and porcupine was positively influenced by undergrowth but not for the wild pig. Wild pig habitat use was positively related to increased proximity of human settlements and increasing distance to forests, but the pattern was unreliable for sambar and porcupine. Our preliminary study demonstrates that a subset of terrestrial mammals in the forest makes use of cashew plantations and highlights the need for further research in forest-cashew landscapes to assess conservation opportunities.

}, doi = {10.3389/fenvs.2020.556942}, author = {Rege, Anushka and Punjabi, Girish Arjun and Jathanna, Devcharan and Kumar, Ajith} } @article {45454, title = {Diet Selection by the Capped Langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) in Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, North-East India }, journal = {Folia Primatologica}, volume = {89}, year = {2018}, month = {2018}, pages = {181}, author = {Kalita, U and Kumar, Ajith and Sinha, Anindya} } @article {26675, title = {The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project}, journal = {Ecology and Evolution}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {01/2017}, pages = {145-188}, abstract = {

The PREDICTS project-Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)-has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.

}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.2579}, author = {Hudson, LN and Newbold, T and Contu, S and Hill, SLL and Kumar, Ajith} } @article {14058, title = {Hunting or habitat? Drivers of waterbird abundance and community structure in agricultural wetlands of southern India.}, journal = {Ambio}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Feb 28}, abstract = {

The relative impacts of hunting and habitat on waterbird community were studied in agricultural wetlands of southern India. We surveyed wetlands to document waterbird community, and interviewed hunters to document hunting intensity, targeted species, and the motivations for hunting. Our results show that hunting leads to drastic declines in waterbird diversity and numbers, and skew the community towards smaller species. Hunting intensity, water spread, and vegetation cover were the three most important determinants of waterbird abundance and community structure. Species richness, density of piscivorous species, and medium-sized species (31-65\ cm) were most affected by hunting. Out of 53 species recorded, 47 were hunted, with a preference for larger birds. Although illegal, hunting has increased in recent years and is driven by market demand. This challenges the widely held belief that waterbird hunting in India is a low intensity, subsistence activity, and undermines the importance of agricultural wetlands in waterbird conservation.

}, issn = {1654-7209}, doi = {10.1007/s13280-017-0907-9}, author = {Ramachandran, Ramesh and Kumar, Ajith and Gopi Sundar, Kolla S and Bhalla, Ravinder Singh} } @article {11612, title = {Environmental gradients structure tropical tree assemblages at the regional scale }, journal = {JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE }, volume = {27}, year = {2016}, month = {11/2016}, pages = {1117-1128}, abstract = {

Questions: Environmental filtering and niche differences influence assembly of tree communities at multiple spatial scales. At regional scales, determining the environmental variables that primarily influence compositional variation in species assemblages reveals ecologically relevant habitat types for conservation. Strength of species{\textquoteright} association with these habitats and differences in species occurrence along environmental gradients lend credence to niche-based assembly and help estimate responses of tree communities to natural or human-mediated environmental change.

}, doi = {10.1111/jvs.12438}, author = {KKrishnadas, Meghna and Kumar, Ajith and Comita, Liza S.} } @article {1031, title = {Non-invasive assessment of fecal progestagens and pregnancy detection in Himalayan musk deer (Moschus~chrysogaster).}, journal = {Theriogenology}, volume = {85}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Jan 15}, pages = {216-23}, abstract = {

The Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), an endangered species, is facing threat of extinction globally due to severe hunting for its musk, and efforts are under way in India to breed them in captivity. However, no information is available on the reproductive cycles of the species. In this study, we aimed to standardize an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) procedure for monitoring pregnancy using fecal samples. We collected fecal samples for 12\ months from five captive females maintained at the Musk Deer Research Centre, Bageshwar, Uttarakhand, India. Three of these females were observed mating and gave birth, whereas two were seen mating but did not give birth. The gestation periods for the three females were 183, 185, and 199\ days, respectively. High-pressure liquid chromatography revealed the presence of immunoreactive pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG), progesterone, and 5α-pregnan-3α-ol-20-one (5-alpha-pregnane) metabolites in the fecal samples. We used EIAs against progesterone, PdG, and 5-alpha-pregnane to monitor pregnancy. We found PdG EIA to be a highly accurate and sensitive assay compared with the other two assays in detecting pregnancy. We conclude that PdG EIA can be used to diagnose and monitor pregnancy in Himalayan musk deer using fecal steroid analysis, at an early stage of 3\ months after mating. This study would help in conservation breeding of musk deer in captivity and in monitoring the reproductive status of the species in the wild.

}, issn = {1879-3231}, doi = {10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.09.009}, author = {Mithileshwari, Chandrasekhar and Srivastava, Tanushree and Kumar, Vinod and Kumar, Ajith and Umapathy, Govindhaswamy} }