DETERMINATION OF ECOLOGICAL AND DIETARY PREFERENCES OF BLACKBUCKS (ANTILOPE CERVICAPRA) POPULATION AT THREE DIFFERENT SANCTUARIES IN CHOLISTAN DESERT, PAKISTAN

Abstract The study conducted on semi-captive and free ranging blackbucks (Antilope cervicapra) at three different localities; Lal Suhanra National Park (RD25), Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Conservation Centre Black Buck Enclosure (SMBZA), and Dodhlan Forest, Fort Abbas under different conservation management practices. The assessments covered dry deciduous habitats and shrub/thorn forests in the same sanctuaries by visual observation and grid sections of 1km squares and for determine the dietary composition and palatability of certain indigenous plant species fecal slides were prepared. All slides were microscopically observed and compared for plant parts with reference slides. Nonparametric t-test was used to determine level of significance for ecological preference while dietary scores were represented as Median (IQR) and analyzed using a Kruskal Wallis test. Number of individuals observed were significantly different for Dry Deciduous and Shrub/thorn habitats. Mean blackbuck sightings were significantly higher in the dry deciduous habitats of RD25 (P<0.0001), SMBZA (P=0.0041), and Dodhlan Forest (P=0.0357). The highest number of sightings was reported in the dry deciduous section of SMBZA Black Buck Enclosure (24.8±8.17/Km). It was observed that grasses were most palatable and composed the greatest constituent of Blackbuck’s diet, whereby Cenchrus ciliaris (12.90 %), Aristida hystricula (6.94%), Cynodon dactylon (8.53%), Lasiurus scindicus (9.53%) and Ochthochloa compressa (9.13%) served as significant contributors to diet. Higher encounter rates, larger group sizes and greater dietary composition of tall grasses, indicated a preference for Dry Deciduous habitats by Blackbucks in Cholistan Desert of Pakistan.