Access to suitable water sources is important for mammals. This study aimed to compared mammal diversity and water use among water springs, standard artificial ponds, and water pans within the Khao ...Phaeng Ma Non-Hunting Area in 2020 and 2021. Two camera traps were installed at each water sources for 749 nights with a total of 12 camera traps of 6 water sources. A total of 19,467 photographs were recorded comprising 13,777 photographs of gaur (Bos gaurus, vulnerable and the most important species in the area), and 5690 photographs of other mammals. In the wet season, relative use was highest at standard artificial pond number 2, which is established in the forest plantation area (4 × 4 m spacing, 12–20 m height, and 60%–80 % crown cover) and has a high volume of water, and at water pan number 1, which mimics a natural water spring in the man-made grassland and can supply water to mammals throughout the year. In the dry seasons, relative use was highest at water pan numbers 1 and 2; at the same time, other water sources dried up. During the study period, the number of mammal species was highest at water pan number 1 (10 species, diversity index H′ = 1.38), and water pan number 2 (11 species, H′ = 1.75). Grazers and browsers, including gaur, sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), northern red muntjac (Muntiacus vaginalis), omnivores (e.g. wild boar, Sus scrofa), and Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus), used the water pan in the artificial grassland and standard artificial pond in the forest plantation rather than the water spring in the dry evergreen forest. Beside forest types, the use of water springs was associated with water period (months), while the use of standard artificial pond and water pans was associated with water surface area, water depth, altitude, species diversity, and species richness, and number of mammals photographed. The results show that water pans were more suitable for utilization by mammals than are other water sources.
Teaser: Mammal diversity, water utilization.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The hydrology of a wetland largely influences its vegetation, which affects the value of the wetland to human and animal life. Water level fluctuation is one of many factors impacting wetland ...ecosystem diversity, and precipitation variability is one of the most influential drivers of plant species composition in wetlands. This study describes the effects of water level fluctuation caused by decreased precipitation on the non-submerged aquatic vegetation community in the Nong Bong Khai Lake, Nong Bong Khai Non-hunting Area, Chiang Rai, Thailand. We applied non-submerged aquatic vegetation distribution maps based on images from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at two altitudes (30m and 90 m). Rapid decreases (from 1.0 m to 0.2 m) in the water level from 2018 to 2020 were influenced by lower than average precipitation during 2019 and 2020. Increased terrestrial area (dry land) caused by low water levels offered favorable conditions for terrestrial plant species productivity. The vegetation map generated from a 30-m orthophoto showed a decrease in native plant species and an increase in invasive plant species, most notably a rapid expansion of Mimosa pigra in low water level areas. The distribution map generated by applying a 90-m UAV orthophoto showed Eichhornia crassipes continuously increased during the period of low water level. Mapping revealed that the species declined in the area in March 2020 due to the destruction caused by a heavy hailstorm. Extensive water coverage by Eichhornia crassipes mats might result in low dissolved oxygen values, indicating an increase in pollution in the lake.
We describe a new lowland forest-dwelling species of the genus Acanthosaura from Phuket Island and the Phuket mountain range in southwestern Thailand. Acanthosaura phuketensis sp. nov., the 11
...species in the genus, seems most closely related to A. crucigera from Myanmar and western Thailand and A. cardamomensis from the Cardamom Mountains, but can be differentiated from them by a combination of morphological and coloration characteristics. This new discovery stresses the importance of preserving the last forest patches remaining on Phuket Island, home to three other squamate endemics.
This study investigated methods for identifying daily incidence rates for bird species. It focused on relationships between incidence rates, site and season. We used sightings of 23 common resident ...species routinely reported every month from January 2004 to December 2007 at seven wetland locations in the Thale Noi non-hunting area of southern Thailand. Our findings revealed that the log-linear model gives a quite satisfactory fit, so it appears a suitable type of model for bird abundance. On taking logarithms of the incidence rates though, the zero counts must be replaced by an appropriate constant. Our model suggests that Cattle Egret (
Bubulcus ibis
) was found at the Thale Noi non-hunting area with the highest incidence rate. In contrast, we found a low mean of model outputs for Lesser Whistling-Duck (
Dendrocygna javanica
) relative to the mean in the data, and this species was not observed on at least 25 % or 3 days per year. These data had a low number of zeros and a large number of various species. Therefore, we recognize a remark on “what is being counted” that it is important to reasonably explain the species abundance in terms of statistical and ecological approaches.
Bird assemblages in the Thale Noi protected area of southern Thailand were investigated using data concerning 23 common resident species routinely reported every month from January 2004 to December ...2007 at seven wetland locations. These common resident species were selected using three requirements: (1) they are defined in Lekagul and Round (2005), (2) they were seen in each of the four years, and (3) they had median incidence rate per day greater than zero. The aim of this study was to classify groups of species with respect to incidence rates by season and location. Using factor analysis to find groups of species with common incidence patterns, we isolated five groups of birds that correlated with respect to their habitats and availability of food. The first group (seven species) was found in habitats predominantly providing continuous flooding and aquatic plants. The second group (six species) was found in terrestrial habitats containing various food supplies, especially grain and insects. The third group (six species) was found in habitats connecting from shallow fresh water to suburban environments and typically providing insect food sources both in water and on land. The fourth group (two species) was found in similar habitats to that of the second group, but related to fruit trees. The fifth group (two species) was found in lowland habitats with dense undergrowth providing different food types including insects, seeds and fruit, particularly figs. The classification reflects bird behaviours rather than bird taxonomies.
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