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Cited by 211Wildlife Ecology and ConservationRangeland and Wildlife ManagementAnimal Ecology and Behavior Studies

Recovery of wild large herbivores following livestock decline in a tropical Indian wildlife reserve

MADHUSUDAN, M. D.·2004·Journal of Applied Ecology
DOI 10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00950.x
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Abstract

Summary Resource competition is an important process governing the impact of livestock on native wild mammalian herbivores, an issue acknowledged to be of global conservation concern. Resource competition occurs between species when their resources (habitat and diet) overlap and are limiting. Yet the evidence that livestock compete with wild herbivores has remained weak because resource limitation is often difficult to demonstrate in the field. This 2‐year field study at Bandipur National Park, India, examined livestock‐mediated resource limitation among five wild herbivore species: wild pig Sus scrofa, chital Axis axis, sambar Cervus unicolor, gaur Bos gaurus and Asian elephant Elephas maximus, by comparing their distribution and densities in adjoining livestock‐grazed and livestock‐free areas before, and after, a 49% decline in livestock density. During 2001, mean densities of wild grazers, gaur (0·11 ha−1), chital (1·51 ha−1) and elephant (0·61 ha−1), were, respectively, 132, 11 and six times higher in the livestock‐free area than in the adjacent livestock‐grazed area. Densities of gaur, chital and elephant showed a sharp declining relationship with increasing livestock density, whereas no clear pattern was discernible with wild pig, a non‐ruminant generalist, and the sambar, a forest browser. Preferred plant biomass also fell sharply with increasing livestock density. Following the decline in livestock density in the livestock‐grazed area in 2002, the densities of gaur, chital and elephant increased by a factor of 57, five and two in the same area, respectively, whereas no changes were seen in the densities of wild pig and sambar or in the preferred plant biomass. Except for a decline in elephant density, the livestock‐free area did not show changes in wild herbivore densities. Given the considerable overlap in habitat and dietary preference/requirements between livestock and wild herbivores in the study area, it is suggested that the recovery of gaur, chital and elephant densities following the livestock decline represents their release from livestock‐mediated resource limitation. Synthesis and applications. These results indicate that resource competition may be intense between wild herbivores and grazing livestock, and if left unchecked could trigger declines of wild herbivores, particularly grazing ruminants and bulk feeders. These results also suggest that, where possible, interventions to reduce livestock grazing may rapidly benefit wild herbivores that have been competitively suppressed. This has important implications for the management of livestock grazing in India's wildlife reserves.

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  • Density of Bos gaurus in the backwaters of the Kabini dam in 2001-2002 was as high as 10-15 individuals/km2.

    “densities as high as 10-15 in the backwaters of the Kabini dam in 2001-2002 (Madhusudan 2004)”

    From Bos frontalis and Bos gaurus (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) (2018) · cites this paper as Madhusudan 2004

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Authors
MADHUSUDAN, M. D.
Affiliations
National Institute of Advanced Studies (IN)
Corresponding author
MADHUSUDAN, M. D.
ORCID
MADHUSUDAN, M. D.
Venue
Journal of Applied Ecology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2004-09-30
Volume
41
Issue
5
Pages
858-869
ISSN
  • 0021-8901 (ISSN-L)
  • 1365-2664
DOI
10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00950.x
OpenAlex
W1661404170
Cited by
211
References
69
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 11
FWCI
4.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
Journal of Applied Ecology (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
Keywords
livestock decline, resource competition, wild herbivores, livestock grazing, gaur, chital, Asian elephant, wild pigs, sambar, Bandipur National Park, grazing ruminants, human-wildlife conflict

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