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Assessment of trees and crops damage caused by Hystrix indica in Cholistan region of Pakistan

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Research Paper 07/04/2024
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Assessment of trees and crops damage caused by Hystrix indica in Cholistan region of Pakistan

Muhammad Usman Gill, Irfan Ashraf Manj, Muhammad Nadeem Akram, Huzaifa Ismail, Muhammad Zikria, Sidra Gill, Shahid Nawaz
Int. J. Biosci.24( 4), 123-128, April 2024.
Certificate: IJB 2024 [Generate Certificate]
Key: AdverselyForest treesPorcupineStomach content

Abstract

Hystrix indica mainly depend on forest trees, agricultural crops including vegetables and fruits. Hystrix indica has an uncommonly wide, nocturnal and generally herbivorous eating behavior distributed all over the world including in Pakistan. The aim of the current research was to study Damage assessment and Eco-biology of Indian Crested Porcupine in Cholistan Districts (Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar). For this purpose, the stomach contents of 12 H. indica were collected from different selected research sites that exposed 25 plants species were consumed by the porcupine as food during the four diverse seasons. It is examined that Hystrix indica consumed the trees stem roots and fruit. Estimate Damage of Acacia modesta 27.93 ± 0.3, D. sissoo 20.2±0.3, M. alba 7.9±0.4, Prosopis juliflora 11.13 ±0.16 and Ziziphus jujuba 13.2±0.3. Results showed that crops of economic importance such as Zea mays, Triticum and Alfalfa were found severely damaged by porcupines in irrigated plains of Cholistan. Furthermore, woody tress, herbs farm crops were badly damaged by the attack of Porcupine. However, the most serious porcupine damage occurs in agroforestry zone. In forest plantation M. alba, Syzygium cumini, M. azedarach, Acacia modesta, D. sissoo severally damaged while, among vegetables Daucus carota, Ipomoea batatas and Solanum tuberosum adversely affected by the attack of porcupine.

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