Certificate - Etheses - Saurashtra University

grasses (4.4%) (Table 4). The use of Agricultural land and Grassland and forest
blanks habitats was high, and the expected use was highest. Rest of the habitat
categories Near water bodies, river and streams, Exposed rocks with slope grasses,
Dry alpine scrub characterized by Juniperus species, Riverine forest and Himalayan
moist temperate forest with conifers were utilized more or less in proportion to the
expected use. So the habitat use by brown bears was also found to be in proportion to
the availability and the expected use of these habitat categories.
The Goodness of fit comparison showed that there was no significant difference
between the expected utilization of each habitat category and the use of these habitat
categories within the study area ( 2 =1.389, df=8, p=0.9). The null hypothesis was
therefore accepted, implying that observed bear evidences were distributed
proportionally to the occurrence of habitat categories.
5.3.4 Seasons and habitat utilization
The habitat use pattern by brown bears showed marked seasonal variation (Table 5).
Except Near water bodies, river and streams, although the overall extent of habitat use
was considerably high for most of the habitat categories as indicated in table 2, but
there was considerable seasonal variation in the use of each of the habitat category.
Based on number of digging signs and presence of scats, use of different habitats was
highest during summer (37.7%), followed by monsoon (33.2%) and fall (29.1%).
During summer season, use of Dry alpine scrub characterized by Juniperus species
(65%) by bears was highest, followed by Moist sub-alpine scrub characterized by
Rhododendron species habitat (57.8%), Grassland and forest blanks (52.5%), Exposed
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