Assessing Vertebrate Diversity and Bio-Ecological Threats in Maslakh Forest, Quetta | InformativeBD

Shahid Ur Rehman, from the institute of Pakistan. Asmatullah Kakar, from the institute of Pakistan. Mohammad Niaz Khan Kakar, from the institute of Pakistan. Nosheen Rafique, from the institute of Pakistan. Nasrullah, from the institute of Pakistan. Zafarullah, from the institute of Pakistan. And Muhammad Qaim, from the institute of Pakistan. wrote a Research Article about, Assessing Vertebrate Diversity and Bio-Ecological Threats in Maslakh Forest, Quetta. Entitled, Vertebrate fauna diversity and bio-ecological threats finding in Maslakh State Forest Mountain Range, District Quetta, Pakistan. This research paper published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES). an open access scholarly research journal on Biodiversity. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences | INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

The present study was conducted from August 2020 to December 2021 to count the vertebrate population and to examine the negative impact cause their scarcity. The Maslakh range forest (30°03′ to 30°21′ N and 66°31′ to 66°49′ E) extends over an area of 115,040 hectors with an altitude of 1406 meter to 4228 meter. Standard methods such as track counts, point surveys, line transects, road side counts, pellet counts, trapping, fresh holes, tracks counting, baited spotlight trick and normal spotlight were used to record the number of mammal species. For aves fauna survey strip census trick was used, and for reptiles, amphibian species direct counting (night observations, one-hour plot searching, stones, rocks and rotten trees turning) were processed, while indirect counting (informations) were obtained from field staff, game inspectors, game watchers, and local villagers. In total 153 vertebrate species including 28 mammals (18.30%), 100 birds (65.36%), 22 reptiles (13.92%) and 3 amphibians (2.06%) were recorded. Threatened species recorded were Striped hyaena (Hyaena hyaena Linnaeus, 1758), Indian wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758), Balochistan urial (Ovis vignei blanfordi Blanford, 1894), Chinkara (Gazella bennettii Sykes, 1831), and the imperial eagles (Aquila heliaca Blanford,1894) found to be critically endangered. It was observed that hunting and capturing of animals of the study area and native live-stock grazing were known to be the main reasons of fauna and flora decline. Another important factor was noted to be droughts intensity due to climatic change of the area. It is concluded that prompt management plan of the Forestry Department Balochistan (Balochistan wildlife Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act 1974 may be implemented in its full spirit at the earliest to save the vertebrate fauna, vegetation and natural fresh water reservoirs of Maslakh range forest, Pakistan.

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Introduction

In Balochistan province (Pakistan), the marked decline in biodiversity happened due to anthropogenic activities like deforestation, species migration, and habitat fragmentation (Groombridge, 1998; Qasim et al., 2017). Other factors that violate biodiversity include increased human and live-stock population, habitat destruction, global warming, and also putting the lives in danger of some useful and unique species (Rawat & Agarwal, 2015; Tareen, 2017; Baboo et al., 2017; Javed, 2019). 

Major threats to vertebrate fauna diversity and habitat loss are forest degradation, wood logging, hunting, and disturbance by humans of the area (Khan et al., 2018). Maslakh wildlife protected area was established in 1968. The area was declared as a wildlife sanctuary for chinkara and urial (IUCN, 1997; Groombridge, 1998; WWF-Pakistan, 1998; Government of Balochistan and IUCN Pakistan, 2000; Ghalib et al., 2007) according to Balochistan wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation, and Management) Act 1974. 

The Chinkara population in Maslakh range forest was almost wiped out by large hunting (Virk, 1991). The hill ranges are drained by main rainy Pishin river (Said & Hussain, 1959). The middle belt of about 8-9 km has no surface or groundwater (Said & Hussain, 1959).

Maslakh range (state) forest lies in the Olive-Pistacia vegetation zone. Due to extreme lopping and overgrazing in the past, tree growth in Maslakh is represented only by Pistacia khinjuk and infrequent copies of Fraxinus xanthoxyloides (Rafi, 1965). The predominant tree species are Olea ferruginea, Pistacia khinjuk, Prunus eburnea, Stocksia braubica and Berberis vulgaris. Artemisia maritima and Cousinia minuta constitute the main ground cover above 5,500' while Hammada griffithii replaces Artemisia in lower parts. The major grassses are Sipa pennata, Chrysopogon aucheri, Cymbopogon schoenanthus, Aeluropus littoralis, Poa sinaica and P. bulbosa (Rafi, 1965; Marwat et al., 1989). 

As previously, no literatures are available on vertebrate fauna diversity of Maslakh range forest Quetta. Therefore, to accomplish this gape of scientific knowledge, the vertebrate population count was estimated and the bio-ecological problems of the study area were determined. The management strategy required for conservation and organization of wildlife in the range forest was proposed.

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