Goutam Kumar Saha

"Mountain Monarchs" of Khangchendzonga: Spatial Database and Habitat Models for Mountain Ungulates in Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, Sikkim Goutam Kumar Saha

The living legend of modern wildlife biology, Dr. George Schaller called them ?Mountain Monarchs?. Ungulates of the high altitudes are fascinating creatures with great adaptability to the harsh climatic conditions and extremely tough terrain. Habitat destruction, hunting and other such anthropogenic pressures pose a severe threat to the long-term survival of these little known species. This book represents the unknown facts about the ecology of mountain ungulates in the least- explored wilderness areas around the third highest peak of the world, Mt. Khangchendzonga, situated in the eastern Himalayan biodiversity hot-spot. Apart from distributions and abundances,this book also elucidates about the habitat use patterns of these species. Species distribution models and their implications for studying such rare and elusive species are discussed thoroughly here. This book also explains how to monitor these species in future and what steps can be taken to ensure their long term survival. To maintain the ecological balance of this fragile mountain landscape, the facts and findings described in this book can help the present and future students, managers and wildlife enthusiasts.