Estimating the abundance of Nepal's largest population of tigers Panthera tigris. Issue 1 (January 2015)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Estimating the abundance of Nepal's largest population of tigers Panthera tigris. Issue 1 (January 2015)
- Main Title:
- Estimating the abundance of Nepal's largest population of tigers Panthera tigris
- Authors:
- Karki, Jhamak B.
Pandav, B.
Jnawali, S. R.
Shrestha, R.
Pradhan, N. M. B.
Lamichane, B. R.
Khanal, P.
Subedi, N.
Jhala, Y. V. - Abstract:
- <abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Information on the abundance of tigers <italic>Panthera tigris</italic> is essential for effective conservation of the species. The main aim of this study was to determine the status of tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, including the Churia hills, using a camera-trap based mark–recapture abundance estimate. Camera traps (n = 310) were placed in an area of 1, 261 km<sup>2</sup> from 20 January to 22 March 2010. The study area was divided into three blocks and each block was trapped for 19–21 days, with a total effort of 3, 582 man-days, 170 elephant-days and 4, 793 camera-trap nights. The effectively camera-trapped area was 2, 596 km<sup>2</sup>. Camera stations were located 1.5–2 km apart. Sixty-two tigers (age ⩾ 1.5 years), comprising 15 males, 41 females and six of unidentified sex, were identified from 344 photographs. The heterogeneity model Mh (jackknife) was the best fit for the capture history data. A capture probability (<inline-formula><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="ark:/27927/pgj46pt2bf" xlink:type="simple" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" /><tex-math><![CDATA[$\hat P$]]></tex-math></alternatives></inline-formula>) of 0.05 was obtained, generating a population estimate (<inline-formula><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="ark:/27927/pgj46pt1bz" xlink:type="simple" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" /><tex-math><![CDATA[$\hat<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Information on the abundance of tigers <italic>Panthera tigris</italic> is essential for effective conservation of the species. The main aim of this study was to determine the status of tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, including the Churia hills, using a camera-trap based mark–recapture abundance estimate. Camera traps (n = 310) were placed in an area of 1, 261 km<sup>2</sup> from 20 January to 22 March 2010. The study area was divided into three blocks and each block was trapped for 19–21 days, with a total effort of 3, 582 man-days, 170 elephant-days and 4, 793 camera-trap nights. The effectively camera-trapped area was 2, 596 km<sup>2</sup>. Camera stations were located 1.5–2 km apart. Sixty-two tigers (age ⩾ 1.5 years), comprising 15 males, 41 females and six of unidentified sex, were identified from 344 photographs. The heterogeneity model Mh (jackknife) was the best fit for the capture history data. A capture probability (<inline-formula><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="ark:/27927/pgj46pt2bf" xlink:type="simple" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" /><tex-math><![CDATA[$\hat P$]]></tex-math></alternatives></inline-formula>) of 0.05 was obtained, generating a population estimate (<inline-formula><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="ark:/27927/pgj46pt1bz" xlink:type="simple" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" /><tex-math><![CDATA[$\hat N$]]></tex-math></alternatives></inline-formula>) of 125 ± SE 21.8 tigers. The density of tigers in the area, including Churia and Barandabhar (buffer zone forest linked with mid hill forest), was estimated to be 4.5 ± SE 0.35 tigers per 100 km<sup>2</sup>, using a Bayesian spatially explicit capture–recapture model in <italic>SPACECAP</italic>. Our study showed the use of Churia by tigers and we therefore conclude that the Chitwan tiger population serves as a source to maintain tiger occupancy of the larger landscape that comprises Chitwan National Park, Parsa Wildlife Reserve, Barandabhar buffer zone, Someswor forest in Nepal and Valmiki Tiger Reserve in India.</p> </abstract> … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Oryx. Volume 49:Issue 1(2015)
- Journal:
- Oryx
- Issue:
- Volume 49:Issue 1(2015)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 49, Issue 1 (2015)
- Year:
- 2015
- Volume:
- 49
- Issue:
- 1
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2015-0049-0001-0000
- Page Start:
- 150
- Page End:
- 156
- Publication Date:
- 2015-01
- Subjects:
- Wildlife conservation -- Periodicals
Nature conservation -- Periodicals
639.9 - Journal URLs:
- http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=ORX ↗
- DOI:
- 10.1017/S0030605313000471 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0030-6053
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library STI - ELD Digital store
- Ingest File:
- 3115.xml