Search Filter

Keywords:

 

Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) - Call for papers!

Comparison of Murldae Populations in Two Different Habitats at Bang Phra Reservoir Non-hunting Area

(Thailand), Master of Science in Wildlife Studies (University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Abstract:

 

This study aimed to estimate and compare the population characteristics of animals in Family Muridae in different non-agricultural habitats at Bang Phra Reservoir Non-hunting Area, Cholburi Province, Thailand. Multiple capture-recapture sampling was applied by laying out 10 x 10 grids with an area of 0.81 ha each in forest plantation, grazed and ungrazed grasslands habitats from November to December 1992.

In the forest plantation grid, 27 R. rattus were captured. Population estimate was 27-46 animals, with a biomass of3.39- 6.15 kg and density of 15.60- 26.52 animals/ha. The mean home range was 0.0432 ha and mean movement distance was 41.69 m. The sex and age ratios were 1:1.

Two specimens of M cervicolor were captured in the grazed grassland. There was no quantitative data for this species because the number captured was too small. A number of B. indica were trapped in ungrazed grassland. Their estimates were 12-18 animals for population size, 4.69-6.83 kg for biomass, and 8.17-12.26 animals/ha for density. The mean home range was 0.0320 ha and mean movement distance was 31.20 m. Sex ratio was 1 :3 and age ratio was 1:1.

The population s ize and density of murids in forest plantation were larger than in grassland but their biomasses were almost equal. Individual home range and movement distance of B. indica in grassland seemed smaller than those in forest plantation but they were not statistically different. The diversity index of murid species in each habitat type was equal to one because there was only one species that had been captured in each grid location.