Estimating densities of large herbivores in tropical forests: Rigorous evaluation of a dung-based method

Ecology and Evolution
Farshid S AhrestaniK Ullas Karanth

Abstract

When sighting-based surveys to estimate population densities of large herbivores in tropical dense forests are not practical or affordable, surveys that rely on animal dung are sometimes used. This study tested one such dung-based method by deriving population densities from observed dung densities of six large herbivores (chital, elephant, gaur, muntjac, sambar, and wild pig) in two habitats, dry deciduous forests (DDF) and moist deciduous forests (MDF), within Nagarahole National Park, southern India. Using the program DUNGSURV, dung pile counts, decay rates estimated from field experiments, and defecation rates derived from literature were analyzed together by a model that allows for random events affecting dung decay. Densities of chital were the highest, followed by sambar. Wild pig densities were similar in the two habitats, sambar densities were higher in DDF, and densities of the other species were higher in MDF than in DDF. We compared DUNGSURV estimates with densities estimated using distance sampling in the same season. DUNGSURV estimates were substantially higher for all species in both habitats. These differences highlight the challenges that researchers face in computing unbiased estimates of dung decay rates and ...Continue Reading

References

Apr 13, 2010·The Journal of Applied Ecology·Len ThomasKenneth P Burnham
Jun 1, 1997·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·M H Kohn, R K Wayne
Nov 26, 2015·Science Advances·William J RippleBlaire Van Valkenburgh
Jan 27, 2016·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Yadvinder MalhiJohn W Terborgh

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Citations

Feb 10, 2021·Scientific Reports·Rattanawat ChaiyaratNaris Bhumpakphan

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Software Mentioned

DISTANCE
DUNGSURV

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