2006-7 annual report - Nature Conservation Foundation

i DECIDUOUS FORESTS j
Over the last decade, the deciduous forests programme
has worked to develop a better understanding of the
complex interface between ecology and society in the
densely settled landscapes around Karnataka’s wildlife
reserves. Over the last year, we have commenced work
that now stretches across the states of Maharashtra,
Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and addresses
the same complex interface at the larger scale of conservation
landscapes, which comprise protected areas,
reserved forests, and privately-owned lands. We believe
that such a tiered understanding of the relationships
between people and wildlife is critical both in formulating
well-reasoned conservation policy as well as in effectively
implementing it on the ground to bring about
sustained conservation. Besides this broadening of programmatic
focus, over the last year, we have continued
to carry out projects that specifically further our un-
derstanding of the ecology of deciduous forests as well
the human societies that interact with these forests. We
continue our studies examining the impacts of the invasive
Lantana camara on forest vegetation and ungulates
as well as an in-depth study into the ecology of the gaur
Bos gaurus. We also carried out studies examining tree
death patterns in these forests, and its possible drivers.
We have also continued to work closely in the human
landscape, understanding conflicts between people and
wildlife, as well as the dynamics of human dependence
on forest resources and social factors governing conservation
interventions to minimize such dependence.
Besides these, the programme also continues to train
students and build local capacity to monitor conservation
issues as well as to participate in/implement onground
conservation solutions. This programme is led
by M. D. Madhusudan.
Between meso- and mega-herbivores: foraging, population and community ecology of a mega
ruminant, gaur Bos gaurus
The deciduous forests of the Western Ghats are home to
a diverse community of large herbivores. Among them,
the gaur, Bos gaurus, is interesting for its intermediate
position between the smaller chital and sambar,
and the elephant. Farshid Ahrestani’s study is geared
at understanding how gaur manage their nutritional
requirements and coexist with other herbivores.
Following efforts at the Mysore Zoo to develop a comprehensive
key to age-sex classification for male and female
gaur, our project on the ecology of the gaur, being
carried out by research scholar Farshid Ahrestani, used
this key to sex and age 1100 individual gaur that were
sighted during 231 encounters while travelling 2117
km of forest roads in Bandipur National Park and Mudumalai
Wildlife Sanctuary. Preliminary results indicate
quite expectedly that adult females between 3-10 years
dominate gaur populations. Gaur appear not to exhibit
a calving peak, small calves below 2 months were observed
throughout the year, which is in contrast to the
calving peak (February-April) exhibited by both chital
and sambar. These results will be used to develop an
age-structured population model for gaur populations,
while also trying to develop a body-size based model
to explain the differences found in calving patterns between
gaur, and the smaller chital and sambar.
Preliminary results from analysing δ 13 C ratios
in chital, sambar, gaur and elephant faeces, indicate
that sambar primarily browse during the entire year;
gaur, in contrast, are primarily grazers throughout the
year; chital appear to switch to browse as the dry season
progresses; while elephants exhibit mixed feeding
annual
report
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