ECOLOGY OF GREY GORAL (Naemorhedus goral) IN MACHIARA NATIONAL PARK, AZAD JAMMU & KASHMIR, PAKISTAN NASRA ASHRAF 06-arid-593 Department of Wildlife Management Faculty of Forestry, Range Management and Wildlife Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan 2015 i ECOLOGY OF GREY GORAL (Naemorhedus goral) IN MACHIARA NATIONAL PARK, AZAD JAMMU & KASHMIR, PAKISTAN by NASRA ASHRAF (06-arid-593) A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Wildlife Management Department of Wildlife Management Faculty of Forestry, Range Management and Wildlife Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Pakistan 2015 ii CERTIFICATION I hereby undertake that this research is an original one and no part of this thesis falls under plagiarism. If found otherwise, at any stage, I will be responsible for the consequences. Student Name: Nasra Ashraf Signature: ____________ Registration No: 06-arid-593 Date: ____________ Certified that contents and form of thesis entitled “Ecology of Grey goral (Naemorhedus goral) in Machiara National Park, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan” submitted by Ms. Nasra Ashraf have been found satisfactory for the requirement of degree. Supervisor: ______________________________ (Prof. Dr. Maqsood Anwar) Member: ______________________________ (Prof. Dr. Iftikhar Hussain) Member: ______________________________ (Prof. Dr. Sarwat. N. Mirza) Chairman: _________________________ Dean, FRW: __________________________ Director Advanced Studies: __________________________ iii Dedication I dedicate my dissertation work To my beloved Mother, Brothers, Sisters & late Father iv CONTENTS Page List of Table viii List of Figure x List of Abbreviations xii ACKNOWLEDEMENT xiii ABSTRACT xv 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.2 OBJECTIVES 5 1.3 STUDY AREA 5 1.3.1 Geographical Location 5 1.3.2 Climate 6 1.3.3 Topography 6 1.3.4 Flora 7 1.3.5 Fauna 7 1.3.6 Domestic livestock 7 2 DISTRIBUTION AND HABITATE USE OF GREY GORAL 10 2.1 INTRODUCTION 10 2.2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 13 2.3 METERISLS AND METHODS 15 2.4 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS 17 2.5 RESULTS 17 2.5.1 Grey goral Seasonal Distribution and Habitat Use 17 2.5.2 Relationship with Altitude, Aspect and Slope 20 2.5.3 Relationship with Vegetation Cover 21 2.5.4 Habitat Preference 26 2.6 DISCUSSION 26 3 POPULATION DENSITY ESTIMATION OF GREY GORAL 35 3.1 INTRODUCTION 35 3.2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 37 3.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 39 3.4 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS 40 v 3.5 RESULTS 40 3.5.1 Encounter Rate 40 3.5.2 Population Density 41 3.5.3 Group Size 41 3.5.4 Fawns - Female Ratio 42 3.5.5 Grey goral Population Trend 44 3.6 DISCUSSION 44 4 DIET COMPOSITION OF GREY GORAL 53 4.1 INTRODUCTION 53 4.2 LITERATURE REVIEW 55 4.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 58 4.3.1 Sample Size 58 4.3.2 Sampling Procedure 58 4.3.3 Reference Plant Collection 59 4.3.4 Fecal Samples Analysis 59 4.3.5 Slide Preparation 60 4.3.6 Slide Interpretation 61 4.3.7 Diet Composition 61 4.3.8 Diet Selection 61 4.3.9 Diet Breadth 62 4.4 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS 62 4.5 RESULTS 62 4.5.1 Diet Composition 62 4.5.1.1 Machiara 62 4.5.1.2 Serli Sacha 63 4.5.2 Diet Selection 64 4.5.2.1 Machiara 64 4.5.2.2 Serli Sacha 65 4.5.3 Seasonal Variation in Diet 65 4.5.3.1 Machiara 65 4.5.3.2 Serli Sacha 68 4.5.4 Diet Breadth 68 vi 4.6 DISCUSSION 70 5 GRAZING PRESSURE IN AND AROUND GREY GORAL 79 HABITAT 5.1 INTRODUCTION 79 5.2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 81 5.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 84 5.4 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS 86 5.5 RESULTS 86 5.5.1 Demography and Economic Activities of Inhabitant around Grey 86 goral Habitat 5.5.2 Economic Activities 87 5.5.3 Livestock Rearing 91 5.5.4 Livestock Grazing Practices 91 5.5.5 Fodder Supply 97 5.5.6 Livestock Grazing Pressure 99 5.6 DISCUSSION 99 GENERAL DISCUSSION 108 SUMMARY 115 CONCLUSIONS 119 SUGGESTED CONSERVATION MEASURES 120 LITERATURE CITED 122 APPENDICES 143 vii LIST OF TABLES Table No. Page 2. 1 Details of tracks walked for direct or indirect (faecal pellets) 19 evidence of Grey goral occurrence in Machiara National Park, Pakistan. 3.1 Characteristics of scanning areas and encounter rate of Grey 43 goral in Machiara National Park. 3.2 Population density of Grey goral in Machiara National Park 45 during 2012-2013. 3.3 Relationship between group size of Grey goral and 47 disturbance in Machiara National Park. 3.4 Changes in number of fawns per female in Grey goral 48 population during different months of 2012-2013. 4.1 Relative Importance Values (RIVs) of plant species in fecal 67 samples of Grey goral during summer and winter seasons in Machiara National Park. 4.2 Diet Selection Values (DSV) of Grey goral during summer 69 and winter seasons in Machiara National Park. 4.3 Diet breadth of plants species in the diet of Grey goral 73 recorded from fecal analysis during summer and winter seasons in Machiara National Park. 5.1 Demographic details of local residents around study sites in 88 Machiara National Park. 5.2 Occupation pattern of local population residing around 92 viii Machiara National Park. 5.3 Livestock owned by local residents around Grey goral habitat 94 in Machiara National Park. 5.4 Co-occurrence of livestock and grey goral in Machiara 98 National Park, Pakistan. 5.5 Seasonal calendar of feed availability to livestock in Machiara 100 National Park. 5.6 Livestock grazing pressure in Grey goral habitat in Machiara 101 National Park. ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure No. Page 1 Location of Machiara National Park, Azad Jammu and 9 Kashmir, Pakistan. 2.1 Distribution map of Grey goral in Machiara National Park. 22 2.2 Vegetation composition in Grey goral habitat in Machiara 23 National Park. 2.3 Plant species recorded in summer habitat of Grey goral in 24 Machiara National Park. 2.4 Plant species recorded in winter habitat of Grey goral in 25 Machiara National Park. 2.5 Elevation of occupied locations of Grey goral in study area 27 (A) Machiara, (B) Serli Sacha. 2.6 Aspects of occupied locations of Grey goral in Machiara 28 National Park, (A) Machiara, (B) Serli Sacha. 2.7 Slopes of occupied locations of Grey goral in Machiara 29 National Park, (A) Machiara, (B) Serli Sacha. 2.8 Coarse topography / habitat characteristics at occupied 30 locations of Grey goral in Machiara National Park. 2.9 Vegetation cover at occupied locations of Grey goral in 31 Machiara National Park, (A) Machiara, (B) Serli sacha. 3.1 Frequency of Grey goral herd size in Machiara National Park. 46 3.2 Grey goral population trend during 2012 and 2013 in: a) 49 Machiara, b) Serli Sacha. x 4.1 Composition (%) of trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses in grey 66 goral diet recorded from fecal samples during 2012 - 2013 in Machiara National Park. 4.2 Proportion of plant species in the diet of Grey goral during 71 summer and winter seasons in Machiara site, Machiara National Park. 4.3 Proportion of plant species in the diet of Grey goral during 72 summer and winter seasons in Serli Sacha site, Machiara National Park. 5.1 Livestock grazing in and around grey goral habitat in 89 Machiara National Park. 5.2 Summer huts of local residents in Grey goral habitat in 90 Machiara National Park. 5.3 Livestock grazing tracks in and around Grey goral habitat in 95 Machiara National Park. 5.4 Grey goral and livestock population observed during grazing 96 in Machiara National Park. xi LIST OF ABBREVATIONS MNP Machiara National Park DSV Diet Selection Values RIV Relative Importance Values km Kilometer m Meter % Percent asl Above sea level IVI Importance value index ha Hectare SE Standard Error ANOVA Analysis of variance df Degree of freedom r Correlation xii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS All praises to Almighty Allah alone, I am lucky to bow in front of ALLHA who gave me strength and enabled me to complete this study. Blessing of Allah on Holy Prophet, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) whose teachings have served as beam of light for humanity in the hours of despair and darkness. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Prof. Dr. Maqsood Anwar, Chairman, Department of Wildlife Management, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi for his inspiring guidance and technical input for making this thesis possible. I value the indefatigable and skillful way in which my thesis was shaped by him. I would also like to pay sincere thanks to Prof. Dr. Iftikhar Hussain and Prof. Dr. Sarwat. N. Mirza for their technical input and guidance during this research work. My special thanks go to Prof. Madan K. Oli and Prof. Bill Pine, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, USA, for their valuable suggestions and generous help during the data analysis. I express my countless and earnest thanks to Dr. A. David M. Latham and M. Cecilia Latham from Landcare Research Institute, New Zealand for their inspiring guidance and great help during manuscript preparation. xiii I would like to pay sincere thanks to my friend Misbah Sarwar for great help and moral support throughout the entire process of my thesis. She has been a continuous source of motivation and involved during all stages of this project and shared with me the pains and pleasures of Ph.D. work. Further, I would like to thanks lab-mates at University of Florida, Dana Karelus, Krystan Wilkinson, Madelon van de Kerk, and at PMAS-UAAR, Sara Shabbier, Nousheen Irshad and Muhammad Kabir for their support during this study.