Large mammal survey at Krau Wildlife Reserve, Pahang

Kassim, Hassan and Che Man, Aziz and Topani, Rahmat and Muhamad, Mokhtar and Wahid, Saidu and Yusof, Ebil (1999) Large mammal survey at Krau Wildlife Reserve, Pahang. [Journal / Magazine]

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Abstract

The objectives of the study were to determine the species diversity and altitudinal distribution of the vertebrate fauna found in the Krau Wildlife Reserve. The study sites covered four different habitats from the lowland (<300m in altitude), hill dipterocarp (301 -700m), upper-dipterocarp (701 -1200m) to montane oak laurel (>1200m). Observations of the samples were direct sightings and indirect identifications. A total of 301 individuals of large mammals counted, only 15 species of vertebrate were identified. These comprised 6 species of monkeys, 2 species of carnivores, and 7 species of herbivorous belonging to 13 genera of 9 families from 5 orders. The altitudinal distribution of the 15 species markedly influenced by the elevation. The lowland forest was found with 80% of the large mammal species identified with 174 individuals counted as compared to 66% with 86 individuals in the hill forest. Lower number of species and individuals were found in the sub-montane and montane forests being 7 species of 27 individuals in the former terrain in contrast to fi ve species of 12 individuals in the latter terrain. The gradual decline in species number from the hill to sub-montane and montane forests does not reflect species dependency of the different altitudinal zonations especially between the lowland to hill and sub-montane forests, but rather than within the habitat range from the lowland inhabitants. In the montane terrain, the four of the five species identified are primarily lowland inhabitants, thus their presence in the montane forest are transitional visitors. The only species, which can be contained as hill to montane forests, is the Serow (Naemorhedus sumatrensis) among the 15 species encountered.

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