KNP Faunal Survey
INTRODUCTION

The faunal component of the Khirthar National Park Baseline Study was established to determine the distribution and abundance of representative animal species in the Park and relate those to other components of the Park. Eight different sampling techniques were used to locate species and estimate their abundances. Following this, data from this initial periods of fieldwork were entered on computer spreadsheets and analyzed statistically.

154 species of birds, 34 species of mammal, 29 species of reptile and 4 species of amphibians were detected in the Park, and distribution and abundance data collected on each. Of these, 18 species of birds and 10 species of mammals appear to be rare in Pakistan as a whole.

Associations between each species and selected physical and botanical features of the sampling sites were identified using correlation analysis. Different species are associated with different combinations of identified habitat types; many are limited in distribution and appear specialised to particular habitats, while a few are widespread and seem generalised in their requirements.

Of the three species of large non-domestic herbivores present in the Park, initial statistical analyses suggest that ibex distribution is associated primarily with higher elevations and, to a much smaller extent, with two site attributes and the cover of two plant species. Urial distribution is associated with rocky sites carrying four particular plant species. The chinkara distribution is partly associated with a different set of plant species from that of the urial; however additional data are needed to help account for the remaining variability in abundance data on the chinkara and urial especially.

Relationships between the distribution patterns of the more numerous vertebrate species have been displayed using two techniques: cluster analysis and ordination. Suites of species with common features in their distributions (e.g. rocky sites, farmland) are identifiable, as are some very widespread species.

At the time of publishing the website, additional work had yet to be undertaken both in the field and in the laboratory before the final results of the faunal survey could be made available.