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Winter diet composition of Himalayan serow Capricornis sumatraensis thar in Bani Wildlife Sanctuary: implications for the conservation of Quercus semecarpifolia forest

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Abstract

Himalayan serow (Capricornis sumatraensis thar), a subspecies of the mainland serow is classified as vulnerable according to IUCN. Although the knowledge of their diet selection is essential for understanding this species’ ecology and consequent conservation, little is known about the diet selection of Himalayan serow due to its elusive and secretive habits. We investigated the winter diet selection of Himalayan serow at food category level in the temperate forests of Bani Wildlife Sanctuary, the north-western Himalayas, during two winter seasons (November-February) of 2020 and 2021. A total of 1310 plant fragments belonging to six food categories were recorded by micro-histological analysis of faecal samples (n = 30). The majority of the diet comprised deciduous broad-leaved species (33.78%), followed by evergreen broad-leaved species (32.14.), graminoids (12.23%), evergreen conifers (6.05%), and forbs (2.97%). Diet selection value showed that Himalayan serow highly selected deciduous broad-leaved and evergreen broad-leaved species, whereas, graminoids were not preferred. Our findings unambiguously indicate that Himalayan serow is a browser during winter, selecting more digestible food plants within their habitats. Additionally, the availability of these preferred broad-leaved species may be important for the winter survival of Himalayan serow. We recommend that the winter habitat with a significant amount of forage must be well managed to supply the dietary requirements of serow.

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Acknowledgements

We express our immense thanks to the Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar for providing laboratory facilities. The authors owe special thanks to the Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu & Kashmir for allowing us to work in the sanctuary. We are obliged to Centre for Biodiversity and Plant taxonomy (CBT) for plant identification. The first author is highly indebted to University Grants Commission for all the financial assistance provided under the NET-JRF Scheme.

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  1. Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal Srinagar, India

    Iyaz Quyoom, Bilal A. Bhat, Zakir Hussain Najar & Syed Tanveer

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  1. Iyaz Quyoom
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Quyoom, I., Bhat, B.A., Najar, Z.H. et al. Winter diet composition of Himalayan serow Capricornis sumatraensis thar in Bani Wildlife Sanctuary: implications for the conservation of Quercus semecarpifolia forest. Biologia 79, 853–861 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-023-01575-4

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