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Walia Special Edition on the Bale Mountains (2011) - Zoologische ...

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The present study aims to address this informati<strong>on</strong> gap by providing current populati<strong>on</strong><br />

estimates and informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> diet of Starck’s hare in BMNP. This informati<strong>on</strong> will form <strong>the</strong><br />

base-line data relevant to fur<strong>the</strong>r studies and c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> species and <strong>the</strong> Ethiopian wolf.<br />

Study Area and Methods<br />

The study area<br />

This study was c<strong>on</strong>ducted at <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bale</strong> <strong>Mountains</strong> Nati<strong>on</strong>al Park (BMNP). The typical Afroalpine<br />

habitats in BMNP; namely Sanetti Plateau (3800-4050 m a.s.l.), Web Valley (3450-3550 m a.s.l.)<br />

and Tullu Deemtu (4000-4377 m a.s.l.) formed <strong>the</strong> main study areas. Details are provided in Sillero-<br />

Zubiri (1994).<br />

Distance sampling methods<br />

To estimate density we used distance sampling (Buckland et al. 1993). Ten 4 km l<strong>on</strong>g parallel<br />

transects were systematically placed over 40 km2 <strong>on</strong> each of <strong>the</strong> three study areas at an interval of<br />

1 km. The first transect was randomly taken, <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs were placed parallel at a distance of 1<br />

km. Transects were traversed <strong>on</strong> foot, each time a hare was seen <strong>the</strong> numbers of animals seen, <strong>the</strong><br />

sighting distance, bearing, habitat type, and wind level were recorded. The survey period was carried<br />

out at dusk and dawn. For data analysis, Distance versi<strong>on</strong> Beta 4.1 was used. The default detecti<strong>on</strong><br />

functi<strong>on</strong>, half normal with a cosine adjustment, was used. SPSS versi<strong>on</strong> 13.1 software was used.<br />

Data for <strong>the</strong> availability of vegetati<strong>on</strong> were obtained from 44 sample sites using line intercept<br />

method. At each sample site, coverage and frequency of individual plants were recorded and noted<br />

for each species touching <strong>the</strong> 15 m line intercept (Floyd and Anders<strong>on</strong> 1987; Su<strong>the</strong>rland 1996;<br />

Cummings and Smith 2001). Samples were systematically taken every 200 m interval from al<strong>on</strong>g<br />

transects randomly laid at different directi<strong>on</strong>s in <strong>the</strong> study area. Plant specimens were collected,<br />

pressed, dried and identified in <strong>the</strong> Nati<strong>on</strong>al Herbarium of Addis Ababa University.<br />

To find <strong>the</strong> mean percentage coverage of each species (MPCSp), <strong>the</strong> following formula was<br />

used:<br />

TCSp<br />

MPCSp = × 100<br />

L<br />

Where, TCSp = Total cover of <strong>the</strong> species, L= Length of line<br />

To find <strong>the</strong> mean percentage vegetati<strong>on</strong> coverage of <strong>the</strong> site (MPCS),<br />

MPCS<br />

TCS<br />

= × 100<br />

L<br />

Where, TCS = Total cover of <strong>the</strong> site, L = Length of line<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Walia</str<strong>on</strong>g>-<str<strong>on</strong>g>Special</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Editi<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bale</strong> <strong>Mountains</strong> 54

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