RESUMO
Pheasants are declining everywhere in the world and therefore updated information about their population and habitats are important for conservation and management. The present study was conducted in the Palas Valley, District Kohistan, Pakistan in late spring (May and June) 2020 and early spring (March and April) 2021 to assess the population and anthropogenic stress. The major focus was on three sympatric pheasant species, including Western Horned Tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus), Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus), and Koklass Pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha). We used the "Call Count Method" for the population assessment in the field, and a questionnaire survey was conducted to document the risk assessment of local residents of the valley. The population assessments revealed that the Koklass Pheasant is more adapted to increasing anthropogenic activities and its population appeared more or less similar as 22 years ago. In the past 22 years, Western Tragopan and Himalayan Monal have lost about 40-50% of their populations. Human interference in the form of illegal hunting, deforestation, and overgrazing was found to be common in the valley. The study concludes that the Palas Valley habitat is ideal for pheasant species; however, human interference in the form of urbanization, habitat fragmentation, illegal hunting, and deforestation is occurring at a rapid pace, causing havoc in the pheasant population.
Os faisões estão diminuindo em todo o mundo, por isso informações atualizadas sobre sua população e seus habitats são importantes para conservação e manejo. O presente estudo foi realizado no vale Palas, distrito de Kohistan, Paquistão, no final da primavera (maio e junho) de 2020 e início da primavera (março e abril) de 2021 para avaliar a população e o estresse antropogênico. O foco principal foram três espécies simpátricas de faisão, incluindo Tragopan de Chifres Ocidental (Tragopan melanocephalus), Monal-do-Himalaia (Lophophorus impejanus) e Faisão Koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha). Foi utilizado o "Método de Contagem de Chamadas" para avaliar a população em campo, e foi realizada uma pesquisa por questionário para documentar a avaliação de risco dos moradores locais do vale. As avaliações populacionais revelaram que o Faisão Koklass está mais adaptado às crescentes atividades antrópicas e que sua população se mantém mais ou menos semelhante à população de 22 anos atrás. Nos últimos 22 anos, Tragopan de Chifres Ocidental e Monal-do-Himalaia perderam cerca de 40 a 50% de suas populações. A interferência humana, sob a forma de caça ilegal, desmatamento e sobrepastoreio, era comum no vale. O estudo conclui que o habitat do vale Palas é ideal para espécies de faisão; no entanto, a interferência humana, por meio de urbanização, fragmentação de habitat, caça ilegal e desmatamento, está ocorrendo em ritmo acelerado, causando estragos na população de faisões.
Assuntos
Animais , População , Biodiversidade , Efeitos Antropogênicos , PaquistãoRESUMO
Pheasants are declining everywhere in the world and therefore updated information about their population and habitats are important for conservation and management. The present study was conducted in the Palas Valley, District Kohistan, Pakistan in late spring (May and June) 2020 and early spring (March and April) 2021 to assess the population and anthropogenic stress. The major focus was on three sympatric pheasant species, including Western Horned Tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus), Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus), and Koklass Pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha). We used the "Call Count Method" for the population assessment in the field, and a questionnaire survey was conducted to document the risk assessment of local residents of the valley. The population assessments revealed that the Koklass Pheasant is more adapted to increasing anthropogenic activities and its population appeared more or less similar as 22 years ago. In the past 22 years, Western Tragopan and Himalayan Monal have lost about 40-50% of their populations. Human interference in the form of illegal hunting, deforestation, and overgrazing was found to be common in the valley. The study concludes that the Palas Valley habitat is ideal for pheasant species; however, human interference in the form of urbanization, habitat fragmentation, illegal hunting, and deforestation is occurring at a rapid pace, causing havoc in the pheasant population.