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308 seed dispersal. For this, interactions between 272 fruit species and six hornbill species (Buceros bicornis, B. rhinoceros, B. vigil, Aceros comatus, A. undulatus, Anorrhinus galeritus) were studied in both sites. Fruit characteristics were determined for 272 species in 54 families. Of these 272 fruit species, 123 fruit species (45%) were casually observed to be eaten by some frugivores. Of the123 species, hornbills consumed at least 50 fruit species. Fruit and seed size were the most important physical factors determining food selection of hornbills. However, for numerous fruit traits hornbills had no clear feeding preferences and they seemed to be quite flexible, eating whatever was available. This might be related to unpredictable fruit availability and low fruit productivity in lowland dipterocarp forests, which may also partially explain the dominance of the Dipterocarpaceae. Nevertheless each hornbill species have different impacts on seed dispersal. In terms of conservation, heterogeneous seed transport is particularly important for this severely fragmented lowland dipterocarp forest. (206 words) (Oral Presentation at The 4 th International Hornbill Conference, Mabula Game Lodge , South Africa, 6-10 November 2005. Supported by Mahidol University Government Research Fund, the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) and Hornbill Research Foundation, Thailand.) HORNBILL POPULATION MONITORING IN TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST FRAGMENTS IN THAILAND: A PRELIMINARY RESULT (NO. 813) Anak Pattanavibool 1 , Pilai Poonswad 2 , Narong Jirawatkavi 2 , Kamol Plongmai 2 , Vijak Chimchome 3 , Pornkamol Jornburom 2 , Sorayut Chaikheiw 2 1 Wildlife Conservation Society Thailand Program, PO Box 170, Laksi, Bangkok 10210, Thailand.; 2 Hornbill Project, c/o Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; 3 Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10903, Thailand. Hornbill research and conservation in Thailand led by the Hornbill Project has been active for more than 20 years. The main focuses were nesting and breeding biology and ecology, and habitat utilization. Since 2003, the attempt to estimate population of hornbills has been launched in the 3 significant protected areas including Khao Yai National Park (KYNP), Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM), and Budo-Sungai Padi National Park (BUDO). The target areas differ in size, shape, evergreen forest connectivity, and human pressures. KYNP is mainly a large continuous evergreen forest tract, WEFCOM is composed of small to large evergreen forest patches mixed with deciduous forest, grassland, and human-disturbed openings, and BUDO is a smallest evergreen forest patches with high degree of human disturbance. The main objectives are to estimate density of hornbills in evergreen forest fragments and to set up a long-term monitoring of hornbill populations and its habitats to keep tracks of change in these key hornbill conservation areas. We use point-transect sampling technique to survey population. Except Budo, a transect line is 9 km in length and survey points is located systematically in interval of 200m along the transect trail. There are 45 points/transect. In total, the numbers of point in each sample areas are 12 transects of 540 points for KYNP, and 10 transects of 450 points for WEFCOM. The Budo’s point-transect setup is constrained by its small size, therefore, 13 transects of 2 km each with 65 points in total were setup. Until today 2 out of 6 surveys have been conducted and hornbill densities preliminary Faculty of Science calculated. The current result shows WEFCOM’s hornbill density of 75 birds/km 2 (95%CI of 52-108 birds/km 2 ), KYNP’s of 28 birds/km 2 (21-38 birds/km 2 ), Budo’s of 77 birds/km 2 (43-137 birds/km 2 ). The rufous-necked hornbill (Aceros nipalensis) has the highest density of 35 birds/km 2 compared to other species in WEFCOM. The eastern brown hornbill (Ptilolaemus tickelli austeni) and oriental-pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) comprise the main hornbill density in KYNP of 16 and 15 birds/km 2 respectively. Sample size is not enough in BUDO to allow estimation of density by species. The current results imply a pattern of high density of hornbills in evergreen forest fragments. (Oral Presentation at The 4 th International Hornbill Conference, Mabula Game Lodge , South Africa, 6-10 November 2005; Supported by the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) and Hornbill Research Foundation, Thailand.) COMPARISON OF THE HELMETED HORNBILL AND OTHER BUCEROS SPP. BY MITOCHONDRIAL CYTOCHROME B (NO. 814) Nareerat Viseshakul 1 , Siriphatr Chamutpong 2 , Suwimol Utarnpongsa 2 ,Pilai Poonswad 3 , Siriporn Thong-Aree 4 and Mathurose Ponglikitmongkol 2 1 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, 2 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 3 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, 4 National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, National Park and Wildlife Research Division, National Resource Conservation Office, Bangkok 10900, Thailand. Forests of Thailand support 13 Asian hornbill species, which consist of 6 major generic groups i.e. Anorrhinus, Anthracoceros, Berenicornis, Buceros, Rhinoplax and Rhyticeros. Their classification is based on morphology and their breeding behavior. While based on the mentioned criteria, Rhinoplax or Helmeted Hornbill possessing a relatively large casque, was once classified into Buceros spp. In this report, we applied the molecular method of DNA sequencing in search of Buceros DNA for comparison. The DNA data of Buceros bicornis, B. rhinoceros and Rhinoplax vigil were aligned using the cytochrome b gene sequences. These three hornbill species were grouped into closed relatives. Although, there was a small variation of DNA sequences among them, however, Rhinoplax is confirmed for its own generic characteristics. The characterization of the D loop region of the mitochondrial DNA convinced the differentiation of the concealment among these related groups. Therefore, we support and propose the Helmeted Hornbill remains as genus Rhinoplax. (Oral Presentation at The 4 th International Hornbill Conference, Mabula Game Lodge , South Africa, 6-10 November 2005; Supported by the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) and Hornbill Research Foundation, Thailand.) PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www.pdffactory.com
Mahidol University Annual Research Abstracts, Vol. 33 309 DIFFERENTIATION OF THE BUCEROS SPP. BY MITOCHONDRIAL D LOOP (NO. 815) Mathurose Ponglikitmongkol 1 , Pattarawut Sopha 1 , Wutthipong Charoennitikul 1 , Pilai Poonswad 2 , Yupaporn Surapunpitak 3 and Nareerat Viseshakul 4 1 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 2 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, 3 National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, National Park and Wildlife Research Division, National Resource Conservation Office, Bangkok 10900, 4 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. Asian hornbills are one of the well recognized “Old world birds” known for their unique big beak and casque and nesting habit. They frequent tropical forests ranging from India, Southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. Their food and feeding habits make hornbills an important seed dispersal agent of wild plants and controlling insect population. Therefore, they are good indicators of the healthy forest. Of the 31 species of hornbills in Asia, Thailand is home to 13 species which can be divided into 6 major genera, including; Rhyticeros, Buceros, Anorrhinus, Anthracoceros, Berenicornis and Rhinoplax based on their morphology and breeding behavior. We report here the comparison of Buceros hornbill DNA using data from the maternal inheritance mitochondrial DNA. D3 portions of the D loop in the control region of Great Buceros bicornis and Rhinoceros Hornbills B. rhinoceros, which were characterized and compared with that of the Helmeted Hornbill, Rhinoplax vigil. Each of these three species carried its own unique repetitive sequences. The DNA sequences revealed the distinction among these three hornbill species, and hence confirming different taxonomic grouping. (Oral Presentation at The 4 th International Hornbill Conference, Mabula Game Lodge , South Africa, 6-10 November 2005; Supported by the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) and Hornbill Research Foundation, Thailand.) NESTING AND FLOCKING BEHAVIOR IN RELATION TO PHENOLOGY OF NON-FIG HORNBILL FOOD PLANTS AT KHAO YAI NATIONAL PARK, THAILAND (NO. 816) Kamol Plongmai 1 , Chution Savini 2 , Pilai Poonswad 3 , Pithaya Chuailua 1 , Prawat Wohandee 4 1 Thailand Hornbill Project, c/o Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Rd., Bangkok 10400, Thailand. ; 2 Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Rd., Bangkok 10400, Thailand.; 3 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Rd., Bangkok 10400, Thailand; 4 National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, National Park and Wildlife Research Division, Natural Resource Conservation Office, Khao Yai National Park, Bangkok 10900, Thailand. Food of hornbills comprises two important components, i.e. fruit as the main component and animals. Fruits have been proven to be the main source of energy for hornbills at Khao Yai. Among fruits figs (Ficus spp.), particularly strangling fig, are important to hornbills. Most hornbills, especially at Khao Yai, consume figs in great proportion. These figs provide ripe fruit crops all year round, but wean during certain time of the year. Nevertheless the importance of the figs, non-fig fruits have no less importance. Many species of them are lipid-rich. This long-term study (1996-2003) we analyze phenology of 15 major species of non-fig fruit in relation to annual rain fall and activities of hornbills during nesting and flocking. Among these 15 species eleven species were important during hornbill nesting, while five species were important during flocking. Levistona speciosa produced ripe fruit crops in late flocking period and extended into the middle of nesting period. Cinnamomum subavenum showed regular cycle of seed year at every other three years. Whereas the rests of the species produced ripe fruit crops irregularly. Reproductive phenology of all 15 species (N = 111 trees) showed: flowering to fruiting phases ranging from 7-19 mons (11.7±3.2 mons); flowering phase 1-15 mons (4.7±3.0 mons); fruiting phase 3-6 mons (7.7±2.8 mons) and ripe fruit 1-6 mons (2.7±0.5 mons). Cinnamomum subavenum fruit crops showed strong influence on nesting, whereas Mastacia pentandra influenced flocking of Wreathed Hornbill (Aceros undulatus). (Poster Presentation at The 4 th International Hornbill Conference, Mabula Game Lodge , South Africa, 6-10 November 2005; Supported by Thailand Hornbill Project and Hornbill Research Foundation, Thailand.) CONSERVATION OF HORNBILLS IN THAILAND Pilai Poonswad (NO. 817) Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Rd. Bangkok 10400, Thailand. The study of breeding biology and ecology of hornbills have started since 1978. Study was conducted initially in the monsoon evergreen forest of Khao Yai National Park (2,168 km 2 ) in northeastern Thailand. Four species of hornbills occurred sympatrically in 60 km 2 study area in Khao Yai National Park, namely Great (Buceros bicornis), Wreathed (Aceros undulatus), White-throated Brown (Anorrhinus austeni) and Oriental Pied Hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris). In 1990, the research has been extended to Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary (2,809 km 2 ) in the west. Four species of hornbills occurred sympatrically in a hill evergreen forest namely Rufous-necked (Aceros nipalensis), Tickell’s Brown (Anorrhinus tickelli) and Great Hornbills. Research on Plainpouched Hornbill (Aceros subruficollis) and sympatric species Oriental Pied and Great has also been conducted in a mixed deciduous forest of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. To cover all 13 hornbill species in Thailand, in 1994, we have extended the study into Budo-Sungai Padi National Park (341 km 2 ) in the south. This park supports six species of hornbills, Great, Wreathed, Helmeted (Rhinoplax vigil), Rhinoceros (Buceros rhinoceros), Bushy-crested (Anorrhinus galeritus) and White-crowned Hornbills (Berenicornis comatus). We collected data on nests and nest trees, breeding cycle, nest site characteristics, food, flocking and home range. We identified the causes of nests damage and monitored intra and inter-specific competition. At Khao Yai, competition for nest cavities was 40% reflected shortage of suitable nest cavities whereas at Budo Mt., the competition was 26% indicating the effect of poaching. We also investigated the threats to the breeding of PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www.pdffactory.com
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