Exploring the diversity and abundance of wildlife in human-dominated landscape in eastern Thailand

Abstract

The area around the Sanam Chai Khet Forestry Research and Training Station (SCKFRTS) has been declared a degraded forest. The remaining wildlife in the area is affected by habitat loss, conversion of natural areas to agricultural areas, human settlements, fragmentation, and human disturbance, resulting in the loss of species, populations, and genetic resources. However, there are no studies on wildlife diversity in this region. Therefore, we investigated the diversity, abundance, and activity period of mammals in the SCKFRTS region to provide guidelines for efficient conservation management. We conducted a study of the diversity, abundance, and activity period of wildlife species using camera trapping in the SCKFRTS, from July 2023 to May 2024, for 11 months, with 46 camera trap locations, totaling 1,668 trap nights. The results revealed 3 classes, 11 orders, and 22 species of wildlife species. The wildlife diversity index was 2.03. The highest species diversity index was observed for wild elephants (0.36), followed by that for red junglefowl (0.24) and large-spotted civets (0.20). The relative abundance index of all the recorded species was 15.95%. Wild elephants were the most abundant (7.31%) species. Species that were active at night included the large-spotted civet, small Indian civet, and long-tailed giant rat. Cathemeral species included the golden jackal, northern red muntjac, and wild elephant. Strongly diurnal species included the small Indian mongoose, northern pig-tailed macaque, and Indochinese ground squirrel. These findings indicate that various natural wildlife inhabits the area. Therefore, the impact of activities conducted in this area on wildlife should be considered. Management should be conducted as a model for conservation in the area, and the ecology of important wildlife in the area should be monitored.