Ecological studies of habitat and feeding of wild ungulates in the thar Region of jodhpur, rajasthan (india)

The utilization of different habitats was influenced by availability of preferred food plants as well as human interference through different activities. We studied the habitat utilization by wild ungulatesnamely Blackbuck (Antelope cervicapra) and Chinkara (Gazellabennetti) in non-closed area of Jodhpur. Data obtained from different study sites were compared by correlating the percentage time spent on different plant species during different seasons.We collected the data from different habitat of arid region of Jodhpur during August 2003 to July 2005. A review of information available on the food plants and preferred habits of wild Thar ungulates revealed that the both wild ungulate Blackbuck and Chinkara spent maximum time in HCF during summer and monsoon season. Analyses of the compiled data on food plants show that the Crotalaria burhia was the most dominant plant species with 74.11 of Importance Value Index (IVI) at JajiwalDhora and with 74.45 of IVI at Surpura area of Jodhpur.