TY - JOUR

T1 - Distributional patterns and habitat association of sympatric carnivores in Margalla Hills National Park, Pakistan, and a comparison of conventional versus molecular identification in carnivore scatology

AU - Fatima, Hira

AU - Mahmood, Tariq

AU - Hennelly, Lauren M.

AU - Farooq, Muhammad

AU - Munawar, Nadeem

AU - Ali, Waqas

AU - Sacks, Benjamin N.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Hira Fatima et al.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Knowledge of a speciesa' distribution is important for developing effective conservation programs. In Pakistan, little is known about the status or distribution of most carnivores coexisting in the same landscape. To address this knowledge gap, we studied distribution patterns of coexisting carnivores in Margalla Hills National Park, using both conventional as well as DNA-identified scats, and other signs. Although scat surveys remain a popular approach to study carnivores, scat identification based on morphology alone is error-prone. As part of our study, we therefore evaluated accuracy of morphological identification of scats using genetic techniques. Field surveys were conducted from September 2015 to December 2018. Using 593 direct (sighting, camera trapping, road kills) and indirect (scats, footprints) field signs, we detected total 11 carnivore species in the park, including 10 that were represented in the subset of 248 (47.7%) scats identified from DNA. The molecular analyses confirmed that the misidentification rate was highest for red fox (Vulpes vulpes) (8.47%), followed by Asiatic jackal (Canis aureus) (7.66%), but least for small Indian civet (Viverricula indica) (3.63%). For investigating habitat association of carnivores, and to test for the associations between species presence and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), we compared the mean and standard deviation of NDVI of each speciesa' presence locations with the mean and standard deviation of NDVI along the 23 sampling transects. Based on DNA-verified and all scats, carnivore species showed a range of mean NDVI, suggesting, preliminarily, some species may utilize a greater diversity of habitat types than others.

AB - Knowledge of a speciesa' distribution is important for developing effective conservation programs. In Pakistan, little is known about the status or distribution of most carnivores coexisting in the same landscape. To address this knowledge gap, we studied distribution patterns of coexisting carnivores in Margalla Hills National Park, using both conventional as well as DNA-identified scats, and other signs. Although scat surveys remain a popular approach to study carnivores, scat identification based on morphology alone is error-prone. As part of our study, we therefore evaluated accuracy of morphological identification of scats using genetic techniques. Field surveys were conducted from September 2015 to December 2018. Using 593 direct (sighting, camera trapping, road kills) and indirect (scats, footprints) field signs, we detected total 11 carnivore species in the park, including 10 that were represented in the subset of 248 (47.7%) scats identified from DNA. The molecular analyses confirmed that the misidentification rate was highest for red fox (Vulpes vulpes) (8.47%), followed by Asiatic jackal (Canis aureus) (7.66%), but least for small Indian civet (Viverricula indica) (3.63%). For investigating habitat association of carnivores, and to test for the associations between species presence and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), we compared the mean and standard deviation of NDVI of each speciesa' presence locations with the mean and standard deviation of NDVI along the 23 sampling transects. Based on DNA-verified and all scats, carnivore species showed a range of mean NDVI, suggesting, preliminarily, some species may utilize a greater diversity of habitat types than others.

KW - Carnivores

KW - distribution

KW - Margalla Hills National Park

KW - Pakistan

KW - scats

KW - sympatric

U2 - 10.1163/15707563-bja10116

DO - 10.1163/15707563-bja10116

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85175539014

VL - 73

SP - 379

EP - 398

JO - Animal Biology

JF - Animal Biology

SN - 1570-7555

ER -