LADAKH STUDIES 12, Autumn 1999 - International Association for ...

DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS
Mallon, David P. Ecology and Conservation of Mountain Ungulates in Ladakh, India. Ph.D. thesis,
Manchester Metropolitan University, 1998. Pp. x+212, incl. maps, figs.
Research was carried out in a 15,000 km2 study area in central Ladakh, India. The study area is
Transhimalayan in character with ecological affinities to Tibet and Central Asia. The main study
species were Ladakh urial Ovis vignei, bharal Pseudois nayaur and Himalayan ibex Capra sibirica,
with additional data collected on two species occurring marginally within the study area, argali Ovis
ammon and kiang Equus kiang. Distributions were mapped in detail. Distribution of urial was
restricted to a band along the Indus valley and its tributaries. Bharal and ibex were widely
distributed and apparently share the study area. Bharal occur in the eastern part of the Zanskar
Range and across the eastern plateau of Ladakh. Ibex occur mainly in the western part of the
Zanskar range, along the northern slopes of the Himalayan range and the southern slopes of the
Ladakh range. Argali and kiang occur across eastern Ladakh and just reach the eastern edge of the
study area; both have occasionally established a presence farther west. Current estimated numbers
in the study area were: 500-700 urial; 6,000-10,000 bharal, 3150-6150 ibex,