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ABSTRACT The impact of electric energy transfers from power plants generation to substations then to consumers and its own environment is tremendous. Among various hazards, the overhead wires associated with power lines are the most fatal hazard to birds. The power lines and poles have caused fatal risks for birds and have affected their habitats significantly. Dangerous types of power poles in the middle voltage lines which have small distances between the lines and short insulators cause short-circuits between conductor wires or ground-faults. This paper presents a survey conducted in Multan city, Pakistan. In this survey, all 132kV high voltage grids and their 11kV outgoing feeders are observed and their locations are also marked on Google map. This survey includes current construction type of power lines and poles, principles for bird safety, photographic records, public views about deadly poles and Ultraviolet vision in Birds. This study also highlights the cause of bird casualties on high and large scale from overhead power lines. It presents different technical solutions for bird safety such as proper adjustments to the routing of the power lines and power pole constructions can effectively reduce the risks posed to birds. Detailed study is recommended on large scale; so that conservation measures can be suggested for reduction of losses on birds by power stations in Pakistan.

The decreasing status of on IUCN of Koklass pheasant ( Pucrasia macrolopha ) belongs to the family Phasianidae and the order Galliform needs the attention of researchers. The species with habitats as low as 6,000 feet and as high as 11,000 feet certainly cover a broad variety of habitats, such a wide altitude range embraces a diverse range of habitats. Insufficient research has been conducted on the suitability of moist temperate forests as a potential habitat for the Koklass pheasant. Therefore, this study was carried out to explore habitat suitability in 15 different sites which were located in the 4 districts of Hazara Division using GIS data science and environmental variables. A random sampling technique was used for laying out the transect. Overall, 45 line transects (Length 2–4 km, Width 10–30 m) were laid out in study sites. The size of sample plots for trees was 10x10m, for shrubs (4 x4m), and herbs and grasses 1x1m. The other habitat parameters like elevation, slope, cover, and frequency of plant at each point were also considered. We found the uneven distribution of Koklass pheasant in the Hazara Division. There were 59 occurrence points identified and highlighted the distribution of Koklass pheasant in the study area. Although all environmental variables were preferred by Koklass pheasant in its habitat statistical analysis proved that slope, level of disturbance, tree and shrub frequency of habitat contributed mostly to the presence of Koklass in each study site except the contribution of soil and herbs. The potential suitable habitat of Koklass pheasant was estimated to be 439.6 km 2 areas starting from Abbottabad to Mansehra in the Hazara division. Awareness and enforcing legal protection are recommended for the conservation of Koklass Pheasant in Moist temperate forest.

Rodent infestation on poultry farms incurs heavy economic losses to this industry by causing feed loss and disease introduction. Development and continuous improvement of rodents control techniques are vital to minimize and control the damages caused by rodents. Here, we test the feed preference of rodents for locally available and palatable food grains viz. millet (whole), wheat (cracked) and rice (broken) and taste additives namely whole egg (5%), eggshell (5%), peanut cracked (5%) and yeast (2%) that were offered mixed in millet-wheat (50:50 by wt.) bait. We tested the preferences of different food additives through a process of feed choice mechanism. We applied two different techniques to compare the preference of mixed feed baits, these techniques included no-choice with multiple choice feeding tests and paired choice with multiple choices feeding tests. The results indicated that consumption of bait with added whole egg was significantly higher (p > 0.05). Further test for its effectiveness as a carrier for rodenticides revealed 56%, 82% and 92%, reduction in rodent activities with zinc phosphide (2%), coumatetralyl (0.0375%) and Brodifacoum (0.005%) respectively. Our results point to a need on continuous improvement of feed baits by using different combinations to effectively control the rodent infestation.

The habitat suitability of Salvadora oleoides and Tamarix aphylla can be one of the most significant steps towards conserving these tree species. Habitat loss presents a critical threat to the existence of S . oleoides and T . aphylla . Protecting their suitable habitats and implementing conservation approaches is crucial to address this challenge. By ensuring the preservation of their habitats and adopting effective conservation strategies, we can mitigate the threat of habitat loss and promote the survival of these species. The potential distribution of S . oleoides and T . aphylla was predicted using a MaxEnt model. This study also presents the conservation status of S . oleoides and T . aphylla in the tropical thorn forests of the Bahawalpur subdivision. Data were gathered from the field survey based on bioclimatic variables. Overall, 20 sample plots were taken, and the coordinates were recorded for each sample plot. MaxEnt software and the environmental variables were used to study each tree species separately (19 bioclimatic variables were used). The Jackknife test was conducted to find the total general tree cover and mean temperature. The MaxEnt model showed high accuracy for each tree species, with the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) training mean testing values for S . oleoides being 0.976 and T . aphylla 0.987. The study showed that both species were distributed irregularly in the tropical thorn forest of the Bahawalpur subdivision. The results highlight that it is essential to implement proven long-term management and conservation techniques to ensure the well-being and sustainability of forest trees in the Bahawalpur sub-division. In conclusion, concerted efforts to map, understand habitat suitability, and raise awareness of endangered species in the tropical thorn forest are crucial for effective conservation planning and resource allocation in the face of climate change.

Most species of pheasants (Galliformes: Phasianidae) occur in Asia. In Pakistan, pheasants occur from 245–3050 m in altitude, and one of these, the Kalij pheasant ( Lophura leucomelanos ) is a large-bodied, brightly-colored habitat quality indicator species. The present study was designed to determine spatiotemporal variation, population size, and the relative abundance of Kalij pheasants in Haripur, Pakistan. The line transects and point count methods were used to collect direct (physical observations) and indirect signs (feathers and calls) to avoid double counting. Twenty field surveys were conducted along 16 transects with an area of 0.811 km 2 in 4 study sites to quantify habitat utilization of Kalij pheasant. Kalij pheasant activities were observed at the start of dawn (0600 hours to 0730 hours) and ended by 1630 hours to 1800 hours dusk period with only a few sightings during the middle of the day. Study sites were selected based on confirmation of presence signs. Twenty-seven individuals with direct (16) and indirect (feather = 5, calls = 6) signs were encountered while walking along line transects. Twelve signs were counted (sightings = 3, Calls = 9) within the radius of 11–50 m in the point count method. Results showed that the Kalij pheasant occupied scrub forest with dense vegetation between 500-1100m away. The mean encounter rate of the Kalij pheasant was 0.82/km, which was higher from July to September. The sex ratio (1.17) is biased toward males in the overall population of Kalij pheasants. The estimated mean density of the Kalij pheasant in Haripur was 6.97 animals/km 2 , and the total abundance was 142 individuals. New potential sites may be identified and declared as protected areas, and awareness and support of the local community are recommended for the protection and management of the Kalij pheasant.

Northern red muntjac ( Muntiacus vaginalis ; “barking deer”) is a shy and small-sized cervid mammal, limited to the outer Himalayan foothill forests in Pakistan. Habitat characteristics were measured by locating direct and indirect signs. To quantify habitat utilization of barking deer, 80 field surveys were conducted in the study area along transects. 1200 Quadrats at 50 m intervals were deployed along these transect lines to determine microhabitat factors associated with seasonal distribution. The food composition of the barking deer was determined through fecal droppings analysis by micro-histological technique. Forty-five fecal samples of barking deer were collected from the study area (Murree-Kotli Sattian-Kahuta National Pak); summer (28) and winter (17). The micro-histological analysis revealed that more plant species are available in its habitat during the summer season (27) as compared to winter (19). Due to browsing nature barking deer mostly feed on trees in both seasons. While shrubs are slightly higher in winters. In summer barking deer consumed 10 Trees, 6 Shrubs, 5 Herbs, and 6 kinds of grass species. Dominant tree species were Phyllanthus emblica and Acacia modesta . Dominant shrub species were Ziziphus nummularia and Justicia adhatoda . In winter barking deer consumed 8 Trees, 7 Shrubs, 3 Herbs, and 1 Grass. Dominant tree species were Bauhinia variegata and Acacia modesta while shrubs included Ziziphus nummularia and Carissa opaca .

Deserts are generally prone to a number of ecological hazards which act as agents for the development of particularly a very diverse group of grasses, which can resist to salt stress through multiple morpho-anatomical and physio-biochemical mechanisms. Of such grasses, Cymbopogon jwarancusa is found inhabiting different saline patches of the Cholistan desert, so its different populations were selected from five saline habitats [least saline Derawar Fort (DF); moderately saline Trawaywala Toba (TW) and Bailahwala Dahar (BD), and high saline Ladam Sir (LS) and Pati Sir (PS)] and tested for their salt tolerance mechanism. Differentially adapted populations of this grass showed specific modifications in terms of anatomical features, mainly increased sclerification in both external hypodermis and internal endodermis, cortical layers, and increased size of xylem vessels with increase in salinity of the habitat. Increased endodermal thickness may control radial movement of water in roots. The reduction in leaf area is found to be the principal strategy that makes C. jwarancusa promising to attenuate the effects of the reduced availability of water under saline stress. Thick epidermis with dense cuticle and large bulliform cells area can be particularly considered as an important adaptation of this grass against physiological drought. Moreover, increased density of trichomes is found critical for checking undue water loss through the leaf surface and increase in these tissues at high salinity level may indicate that this species has better adapted to saline habitat.

Present study documented some aspects of breeding biology of grey francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus) such as breeding season, nest structure, clutch size, incubation period and hatching success in the Salt Range of Punjab, one of important area of grey francolin distribution in Pakistan. Breeding season of grey francolin in the study area extended from mid March to end of July. All of its nests located during the study were found on the ground in natural vegetation consisting of Acacia modesta, Acacia nilotica, Ziziphus mauritiana, Dalbergia sissoo, Desmostachia bipinnata and Cynodon dactylon. Egg laying occurred mainly in the months of April and May, having mean egg laying span of 12.1±1.20 days (range 7-18 days) and a mean clutch size of 6.8±0.78 eggs per nest (range 4-12). Mean incubation period was 15.7±1.86 days (range 13-20 days). Out of a total of 68 eggs located in various nests, 53 hatched (74.80%) with a mean hatching rate of 5.3±0.85 eggs per clutch. The fledging success was estimated at 4.6±0.81 per clutch (77%). No difference was found between forest and cultivated habitats with respect to diameter and shape of nest, egg laying period, clutch size, egg weight, and incubation period, however, volume of the eggs was significantly more in cultivated habitat (ANOVA: F = 4.09; df = 1; P = 0.01) as compared to the natural forest habitat. Study suggested that grey francolin's successful breeding in Salt Range is mainly associated with natural vegetation and crop cultivated fields around natural vegetation, which supports its healthy population.

Cattle egret is considered as biological insect pest control agent in our agricultural ecosystem. To analyze this activity present work was planned to collect the preliminary information about habitat requirements and different breeding aspects of Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis). The fieldwork was performed for two years (2012, 2013) at three different stations in the surrounding area of Faisalabad. Based on results it was concluded that Cattle egrets are colonial breeders and colonies were monospecific with no other ardeidae members nesting in the neighborhood. They prefer sites for nest building, which have regular accessibility of water, and usual human activities are common nearby. The breeding period was discerned to be start from April to August and Acacia nilotica was observed as most preferred tree for nesting followed by Syzygium cuminii.At three selected sites, 30 nests from each were marked and regularly monitored to get data on nesting behavior (nest height and diameter), birds plumage variations, courtship behavior, eggs measurements (clutch size, eggs length, breadth and weight), incubation and hatching. The hatching of the chicks was observed to be an asynchronous one i.e., chicks did not hatch at the same time but at an interval of a day (20-25 h). Role of parents during weaning period i.e. feeding and parental care of nestlings was performed by both partners. It may be said that Cattle egret is an insectivorous bird and take food from the agricultural fields in surroundings of study sites. Therefore, an awareness program about the beneficial status of Cattle egret in agro-ecosystem is recommended to protect and promote their habitats from anthropogenic activities.

Study methods For data collection purpose, study area was divided into two study sites i.e., Deva Range and Vatala Range, further classified into three habitat types i.e., open areas, forest areas and cultivated areas in each range.To determine the magnitude of the Indian peafowl's vegetation preference, we calculated Ivlev's electivity indices; IEI= a-b / a+b Where a' is the proportional use of a vegetation or habitat type and b' is the availability of that type.[...]an IEI of 1.0 denotes maximum preference of a vegetation type, zero denotes use exactly according to availability and a value of -1.0 denotes total avoidance (Fjellstad and Steinheim, 1996).[...]Indian peafowl collectively preferred forest habitat in the study area.The most serious threats to the peafowl and other wildlife species in the study area were recorded to be habitat degradation as a result of livestock grazing, fuel wood cutting and grass collection by the local population.