Roost tree ecology and habitat use in shergarh wildlife sanctuary, Kota, Rajasthan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64171/IJPR.2026.6.2.8-11Keywords:
Habitat selection, Fruit bats, Peafowl, Wildlife, Roosting, Structural parameters, GBHAbstract
A field-based assessment of roost trees was conducted across Barapati, Chota Dungar, Tikli, Amlawda, and Bada Dungar forest blocks of Shergarh Wildlife Sanctuary. A total of 281 roost-tree observations belonging to 56 tree/shrub species were documented. Structural parameters including GBH and height were analyzed along with roosting associations of birds and mammals. IVI analysis identified dominant ecological roost species, while Shannon and Simpson diversity indices revealed high habitat heterogeneity across forest blocks. Statistical analysis indicated significant variation in GBH among blocks (ANOVA F=0.19, p=0.9449). Large canopy species such as Terminalia bellirica, Mitragyna parvifolia, Ficus benghalensis, and Anogeissus pendula emerged as keystone roost trees supporting raptors, owls, hornbills, parakeets, and passerines.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Krishnenda Singh Nama, Kiran Choudhary, Omprakash Bairwa, Priyanka Suman, Rinkesh Kumar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
