Rishi Baral
National Trust for Nature Conservation Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Nepal
Title: Altitudinal diversity of birds in Panchase protected forest, Nepal
Biography
Biography: Rishi Baral
Abstract
Though Panchase Protected Forest is proposed as protected area (PPFCA), its biodiversity is less explored. This study focused on species richness and composition of birds in different land use types, elevation gradients and aspects in different seasons. Point count method within 8 land use plots starting from 1200m to 2517m at the interval of 200m was used. Sorenson similarity index was used for species and habitat used and Microsoft Excel was used to perform all the statistical analysis. Altogether, 152 species of birds belonging to ten order and 26 families with the total number 2722 were recorded.
Sorenson (1948) similarity index shows that the species diversity were found more in exploited forest and cultivated land (1.25) followed by cultivated land and natural forest (0.5), natural forest and meadow (0.85) , cultivated forest and meadow (0.85), exploited forest and meadow (0.29). Natural forest and exploited forest was found nill. Higher species richness of birds were recorded natural forest, followed by exploited forest, cultivated land and least in meadow, which accepted the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. The species richness was higher in Pre-monsoon and lowest in Monsoon season. Overall result showed that natural forest and cultivated land were consists more species of birds which was considered as important environmental variables to structure the composition of birds.
Lack of awareness, deforestation, and hunting were main threats to the avian community. Further research should be conducted to find out more interesting relation between birds and its habitat throughout the gradients of PPFCA.