Floristic Composition and Dietary Relationship Between Livestock and Himalayan Tahr in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal

Abstract

Floristic composition and the dietary relationship between Himalayan Tahr and livestock were studied in Sagarmatha National Park. The study was carried out in July/August 2006. Main objectives of the study were to study the forage availability and dietary overlap between Himalayan Tahr and livestock. Stratified random sampling was adopted to calculate the floristic composition of the study area. Total numbers of 45 and 55 species were found in Mongla and Phortche respectively. The species compositions of both rangelands were almost similar and the Sørenson’s index of similarity (ISs) was calculated 0.83. Rhododendron lepidotum, Cotoneaster microphyllus, Carex anomoea and Avena sp. were the dominant flora of Sagarmatha National Park. Simpson’s diversity index was found 0.941 of Mongla and 0.937 of Phortse rangelands. Micro histological technique was applied to determine the food habit of Himalayan Tahr and liuvestock. By analysis of fecal materials, 24 species of plants were identified in the fecal of Tahr and 31 species, in the fecal of livestock. Tahr’s diet contains 25% of grasses, 28% sedges and 47% of herbs and shrubs. The livestock diet composed of 18.5% of grasses, 20% sedges and 61.5% of herbs and shrubs. Both Tahr and the livestock used 22 species of common plants. The Morisita index of niche overlap between livestock and Tahr was found 0.83, and the niche breadth of Tahr and livestock was 0.0137 and 0.0175, respectively. The Relative Importance Value of species (RIV) that was eaten by Tahr and Livestock was determined. The highest RIV was found in Avena sp. (117.12) followed by the Carex anomoea (70.15), Poa sp. (23.43), Gueldeastaedtia himalaica (20.78), Potentialla sp. (18.75) for Tahr’s diet and for livestock Avena sp. (74.08) followed by Carex anomoea (35.04), Trisetum spicatum (23.43) have higher RIV.