Nature Conservation Foundation

About: Nature Conservation Foundation is a nonprofit organization based out in Mysore, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Biodiversity. The organization has 153 authors who have published 375 publications receiving 10202 citations.

Going further South: new data on the breeding of Nyctalus noctula (Schreber, 1774) in Central Europe

Abstract: We collected data on the reproduction of Nyctalus noctula in Hungary by mist-netting and monitoring bat boxes. The capture or observation of juveniles and lactating females were considered evidence of breeding. A total of 1413 N. noctula were mist-netted in four study areas, corresponding to 24 new breeding locations for Hungary. In southern Hungary, one breeding colony with 20-25 individuals was observed in a bat box in a protected park, while another was found in the hollow of a white poplar. Twenty lactating females and 3 juveniles were mist-netted in the Zemplen Mountains. Our data document the regular breeding of the species in Hungary, the breeding area being wider than previously reported. Further breeding colonies are likely to be located in the floodplain forests of some main rivers, such as the Tisza and the Danube. Riassunto Sempre piu a sud: nuovi dati sull’areale riproduttivo di Nyctalus noctula (Schreber, 1774) in Europa centrale Tramite cattura con reti e il monitoraggio di cassette nido, sono stati raccolti dati inediti sulla riproduzione di Nyctalus noctula in Ungheria. Sono stati considerati prove certe di attivita riproduttiva la cattura o l’osservazione di giovani o di femmine in allattamento. Sono stati censiti 1413 esemplari, per un totale di 24 nuovi siti di riproduzione ungheresi. Nell’Ungheria meridionale sono state osservate due nursery, una, con 20-25 individui, in una cassetta nido posizionata in un’area protetta e una nella cavita di un pioppo bianco. Venti femmine in allattamento e 3 giovani sono stati catturati nelle Zemplen Mountains. I dati raccolti dimostrano che la specie si riproduce regolarmente in Ungheria e che il suo areale riproduttivo e piu esteso di quanto precedentemente segnalato. Ulteriori colonie riproduttive potrebbero essere localizzate nelle foreste ripariali dei principali fiumi, come il Tisza e il Danubio.

Factors Affecting Provisioning Times of Two Stork Species in Lowland Nepal

Abstract: . The ecology of stork colonies in southern Asia are very poorly understood. Factors affecting provisioning times of adults were evaluated at nests of two stork species, the Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans) and the Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus), in lowland Nepal, where the landscape is dominated by multi-cropped agriculture fields. Analyses focused on understanding if provisioning times were influenced more due to colony-level variables, wetlands around colonies, or season. Using generalized additive mixed models and the information-theoretic approach, colony-level variables (brood size and chick age) showed non-trivial associations with provisioning times (substantially better than the null model). Univariate models with colony size and wetlands had poor support (worse than the null model). Season, which represented the changing cropping patterns, rainfall, and wetness on the landscape, was the most important variable for both species. The combination of season and wetlands was very ...

Every hill has its leopard: patterns of space use by leopards (Panthera pardus) in a mixed use landscape in India.

Abstract: Understanding abundance and distribution of species is often necessary for wildlife conservation. However, elusive species such as the leopard (Panthera pardus) that have wide geographical distribution and typically low abundance pose a constant challenge to conservationists due to logistical and methodological constraints. Although leopard abundance has been estimated at the scale of protected areas or other smaller regions, reliable information describing leopard distribution over large spatial scales remains largely unavailable. Knowledge about space use by leopards within landscapes could help improve conservation management, reduce human-wildlife conflict, and also facilitate population status monitoring. We carried out occupancy surveys across c. 24,000 km2 in southern India in a landscape that consisted a mosaic of leopards' natural habitats and highly human-dominated areas. We investigated the effects of key ecological and anthropogenic variables in determining leopard space use patterns. We addressed imperfect detections obtained using sign surveys conducted on spatially replicated transects within sampling units by modeling detection as a function of spatial auto-correlation and covariates. Our results show that the probability of site-use by leopards across the landscape varied between 0.02 (95% CI [0.01-0.09]) and 0.99 (95% CI [0.99-1.0]) across the study area. The best model (AIC weight = 0.97) showed that the probability of leopard space use was affected by the proportion of natural habitats and the presence of large wild prey in the sampling unit. Given that India is undergoing rapid modifications due to economic changes and demand for natural resources, we emphasize the need for landscape-based approach for conserving and monitoring leopards. We argue that leopards are an indicator of functional ecosystems represented by scrub, deciduous forest and rocky outcrops that do not always get prioritized for conservation, unlike densely forested habitats. Similarly, conservation of natural large wild prey, especially outside the protected area system, should assume greater importance, which could also have a positive impact on reducing human-leopard conflict.

Winter bird abundance, species richness and functional guild composition at Delhi’s ponds: does time of day and wetland extent matter?

Abstract: Urbanisation can limit species persistence and bias composition of functional guilds with serious consequences for ecosystem functioning and conservation planning. Standardised biodiversity surveys are missing at most tropical urban cities where biodiversity levels are high alongside rapidly increasing rates of urbanisation. We explored the utility of time-bound surveys to document winter birds at ponds (wetlands ≤ 5 ha) in Delhi, India at two different times of the day (morning and evening) and in areas with varying extents of wetlands. Systematic surveys at 39 ponds during January–March 2020 yielded an estimated 173 ± 22 bird species (∼37% of Delhi’s birds). The total bird species assemblage at ponds did not vary significantly with time of day, but β-diversity increased marginally with increasing extent of wetlands. Total bird abundance and species richness varied substantially with time of day, with differences apparent across several species rich functional feeding and habitat guilds. Abundance and species richness of some guilds, including species-poor guilds, varied in ponds located in areas with differing extent of wetlands. Reliable and comparable measures of species abundance and species richness (both total and across functional guilds)— metrics commonly used to set research and conservation priorities—in urban habitats can be obtained after appropriately standardising field effort. Such standardised efforts can help underscore the importance of maintaining and improving erstwhile-ignored habitats such as unprotected ponds that are providing refugia to hundreds of bird species in mega-cities like Delhi.

Birds of the Kerala Agricultural University campus, Thrissur District, Kerala, India - an update

Abstract: An updated checklist of the birds of the Kerala Agricultural University main campus is presented here. The current checklist includes 172 species in 60 families and 17 orders. The campus avifauna includes two Western Ghats endemic species and three globally threatened species. The Kerala Agricultural University main campus also supports 11 species of birds included in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and 16 species that are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES). Seasonality chart prepared using eBird is also provided for each of the species.