Effect of invasive plant species coverage on the occurrence of wild ungulates

Abstract

The spread of invasive plant species (IPS) is widely recognized as one of the major threats to biodiversity. However, the impact of IPS on wildlife habitat utilization remains poorly understood. This study investigated the impact of IPS on the habitat utilization of wild ungulates in Parsa National Park (PNP) of Nepal. We used camera traps and sign survey methods to detect wild ungulates between December 2022 and October 2023. In each survey plot, we also recorded the occurrence and coverage of IPS, tree canopy cover, and the distances to the nearest settlement, road, and water source. Twenty IPS were recorded in the PNP during this study. Our results revealed that the barking deer were more prevalent at sites with lower IPS coverage (β = −0.065; p = 0.009), while the sambar deer were more prevalent at sies with higher IPS coverage (β = 0.053; p = 0.019) and at low tree canopy cover (β = −0.078; p = 0.008). The habitat use of barking deer was found to be higher closer to roads (β = −0.641; p = 0.004), while the sambar deer were found far from settlements (β = 0.953; p = 0.021). These results highlight the importance of managing wild ungulate habitats by controlling IPS in the PNP to conserve wild ungulate species.