ISSN NO: 2410-3861
ISSUED ON: 2018

Winter Habitat Preferences of Endangered Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) in the Forest Research Preserve of Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research, Bumthang, Bhutan

Pema Dendup

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Drinking Water Sources in Bumthang Dzongkhag: Preliminary Assessment and Community Perceptions

Samten Wangchuk

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Ecology, Biodiversity, and Approaches for Management of Specialthang Grassland in Royal Manas National Park.

Singye Wangmo

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Diversity of Waterbirds Along Bindu River of Tashi Chhoeling (Samtse), Bhutan

Pasang

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Endangered Hispid Hare (Caprolagus hispidus – Pearson 1839) in the Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan

Tshering Nidup

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Carbon Storage Potential of Temperate Mixed Coniferous Trees in Community Forests of Bumthang

Anirban Sengupta

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An Annotated Checklist of Bird species Recorded from 1st October 2015 – 30th September 2016 Using Social Media.

Tshering Tobgay

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Winter Habitat Preferences of Endangered Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) in the Forest Research Preserve of Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research, Bumthang, Bhutan

Knowledge about habitat preferences of the endangered red panda Ailurus fulgens is limited in Bhutan. This Study of the red panda in the forest research preserve (11 km2 ) of the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research (UWICER) was conducted from December 2015 to February 2016. The purpose of the Study was to confirm red panda presence within the preserve and assess its winter habitat preferences. Following a systematic sampling design, the entire preserve was divided into 500m X 500m grids. With reference to the centroid of a grid, 50m radius plot was laid to record the presence of red panda and associated 16 habitat variables.

This study revealed that in the winter, the red panda is found between 3154m and 3707m elevation in the forest research preserve of UWICER.

Habitat preferences by red panda were calculated using Ivlev’s electivity index. Mixed conifer forests with highly dense bamboo understories within an elevation of 3600m to 3700m were preferred. Red panda selected slopes >300 and preferred southeast and east aspects within 70m of a water source. Borinda grossa with an average height of <50cm was preferred over bamboo (Yushania maling). Canopy cover of less than 20% of tree species such as Himalayan birch (Betula utilis),
Himalayan hemlock (Tsuga dumosa), and wild Himalayan cherry (Prunus cerasoides) with the understory of Himalayan birch (B. utilis), Bhutan fir (Abies densa), Himalayan maple (Acer campbellii), and rhododendron (Rhododendron keysii) were most preferred forested habitats. These findings suggest a potential seasonal difference in habitat preferences by the red panda.

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Drinking Water Sources in Bumthang Dzongkhag: Preliminary Assessment and Community Perceptions

This assessment documents the location and status of community drinking water sources in Bumthang Dzongkhag (district). There is a need for such baseline information to assess future trends of drinking water sources in the Dzongkhag in relation to factors associated for its production such as forest degradation in the watersheds and climate change. A total of 220 water sources, supporting 2379 households were identified through field visits and community consultations. The Study indicated that 61% of water sources are located in blue pine forest, 30% in mixed conifer forest, 7% in land without woody vegetation, and 2% in fir forest. One hundred and ninety households have their water sources in degraded forest. The reasons for forest degradation within 100m of the water sources was ascribed by communities mainly to tree harvesting (42%), non-wood forest product collection (43%), and open grazing (15%).

However, it was not clear whether forest degradation had resulted in a reduction in water quality.

The communities in the areas assessed reported inadequate quantity of drinking water, especially from November to January, associated with drying of water sources.

The research attempts to identify the root causes of the degradation of water sources through social methods, which will require conformity through ecological research. The extension of the study to other dzongkhags, in order to enhance planning of drinking water safety and security while maintaining the health of the watersheds, is discussed. The information generated from this Study will contribute to the formulation of relevant watershed management interventions and inform policymakers in decisions related to water resource planning and management.

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Ecology, Biodiversity, and Approaches for Management of Specialthang Grassland in Royal Manas National Park.

Grasslands represent an important habitat in the Royal Manas National Park, occupying 1191.18 hectares of its geographical area. The condition of most of the grasslands has degraded over the years due to the invasion of woody perennials. A biodiversity assessment of Specialthang grassland, covering 240 acres under Manas Range, was conducted to assess the status of the grasslands and to provide insights for developing scientific grassland management regimes. The quadrat sampling method, point count, and modified pollard walk methods were used for vegetation, avifauna, and butterfly surveys respectively. Encounter rate from line transects and photographic capture rate index from camera traps were used for mammal survey.

A total of 71 plant species, 14 butterfly species, 61 bird species, and 13 mammal species were recorded from the study area.

The study showed a high dominance of Chromolaena odoratum (24084.3 per hectare) followed by Clerodendrum viscosum (1270), Leea asiatica (1232.8), and Urena lobata (1232.3).

Species such as cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), lemongrass (Cymbopogon pendulus), elephant grass (Saccharum narenga), Penicum auritum and Arundinella bengalensis had high important value index (IVI).

The mean encounter rate and photographic capture rate for large and medium mammals such as Elephant (Elephus maximus), Sambar
(Rusa unicolor), Wild Pig (Sus scrofa), and Barking Deer (Muntiacus muntjak) were high. Conversely, small mammal encounter rate was recorded significantly low. Long-term assessment of biodiversity of grasslands shall be pivotal in planning, development, and adaptive management of grasslands. We recommend the use of patch mosaic burning technique, based on sound knowledge of grassland ecology, for the protection and restoration of grasslands in the Royal Manas National Park.

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Diversity of Waterbirds Along Bindu River of Tashi Chhoeling (Samtse), Bhutan

This study was conducted along the Bindu River under Tashi Chhoeling (Samtse) District in southwestern Bhutan from 1 January 2016 to 29 February 2016, with an objective to find document species composition, diversity, richness, evenness and relative abundance of waterbirds inhabiting along the Bindu River. Point count method was used to observe, identify, and record the birds. A total of 296 individual waterbirds belonging to 6 families and 12 species were recorded along the Bindu River during the study period. Bird species within the Muscicapidae family were the highest number of species sighted and also the highest number of individual waterbirds sighted. Plumbeous water redstart was the most abundant waterbird found along the Bindu River with a relative abundance of 34.80% and Gray wagtail is the least abundant with a relative abundance of 1.01%. Shannon’s diversity index, Margalef’s richness index, and Pielou’s evenness index of waterbirds for the Bindu River was 1.94, 1.93, and 0.78 respectively.

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Endangered Hispid Hare (Caprolagus hispidus – Pearson 1839) in the Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan

The endangered hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus – Pearson 1839) has only been sighted in a few isolated pockets in the tropical grassland ecosystems of southern Asia. Knowledge of the current status and distribution of the species is limited. Historical samples, anecdotal sources, and sign surveys have suggested that the hispid hare could occur along the southern foothills of Bhutan. This is the first study to systematically assess its presence in the region. To optimize the detection of this elusive animal, camera traps were set up in the Royal Manas National Park (RMNP), Bhutan, spread over three different grassland areas. To maximize the probability of capturing images of the hispid hare, camera traps were randomly placed in batches in three different grassland areas chosen based on the preliminary sign survey.

Over the survey period from March through May of 2015, 11 images of hispid hare were captured from a single camera trap station, confirming the presence of this poorly known species in RMNP.

Furthermore, the confirmed presence of this endangered species suggests that sustainable management of this grassland habitat could be important for its future survival since the condition of grasslands has been waned over the years due to uncontrolled burning of grasslands, invasion of grassland by woody plants, and weed species.

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Carbon Storage Potential of Temperate Mixed Coniferous Trees in Community Forests of Bumthang

Forest ecosystems capture and store a large amount of carbon over long stretches of time. International financial incentive such as UN REDD+ to mitigate climate change needs adequate records on the net carbon stocks available in the forests. To estimate the potential carbon stocks in the temperate mixed coniferous forests of Bhutan, a study was conducted in Siptangzur and Shambayung Community Forests (CF), the oldest CFs in Bumthang Dzongkhag. The total aboveground biomass of trees was estimated using an allometric equation based on trunk diameter developed by the Department of Forest and Park Services (DoFPS). Biomass estimate was converted to forest carbon stock. The study was conducted in the forests dominated by blue pine and spruce. 60% of the trees had diameters of less than 20cm, suggesting a high potential of increasing biomass over time. The above ground biomass for Siptangzur and Shambayung CFs based on sample area was 67.74 t ha-1 and 205.28 t ha-1 respectively.

The total carbon stock at Siptangzur and Shambayung was 4619.49 ton and 6650.29 ton respectively. The results show high carbon stocks and future increase of biomass available for carbon sequestration.

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An Annotated Checklist of Bird species Recorded from 1st October 2015 – 30th September 2016 Using Social Media.

The ‘Birds of Bhutan’ (BoB) is a citizenscience Facebook forum that was created in October 2015. It is a platform for exchanging information related to bird species in Bhutan. The Forum had more than 3000 members as of 30th September, 2016. Members comprised of birders from Bhutan and birding visitors from around the globe. The members voluntarily contribute bird information to the forum along with photographic evidence. This first annual report is synthesized based on the posts made by the members of this online group. The Forum was created with an objective to build and expand the knowledge base on the birds of Bhutan through documentation of bird diversity by observation, photography, and sharing of information. The ultimate aim of the Forum is to promote awareness, educate people on birds, monitor, and contribute to bird conservation. The Forum also contributes to the creation of knowledge over the years about the birds’ migration patterns, breeding habitats, and population trends.

Every post made on the Forum was reviewed by experts and documented.

The Forum documented 351 species of birds between 2015 and 2016 out of which a few are threatened bird species in Bhutan.

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