Integration of the landscape of fear concept in grassland management – an experimental study on subtropical monsoon grasslands in Bardia National Park, Nepal.
Description
Using plots of varying mowing frequency (0-4 times), size (small: 49 m2; to large: 3600 m2), and artificial fertilisation type (none, phosphorus, nitrogen), we assessed the trade-offs between probable predation risk and resources made by three cervids (chital - Axis axis, swamp deer - Rucervus duvauceli, and hog deer - Axis porcinus). The experimental design incorporated three levels of treatment factors, viz., mowing; artificial fertilisation, and plot size. There are a total of seven replications spread over three sites, thus forming a complete design with a total of 189 experimental plots. We estimated deer’s level of use in the experimental plots through pellet group density expressed as pellet groups.m-2. A liner mixed effect model was used to analyse the data in R.
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Funders
- Himalayan Tiger Foundation, the Netherlands
- Zoological Society of London, Nepal Country Office
- National Trust for Nature Conservation