IMPACTS OF RECREATION ACTIVITIES ON SAMBAR DEER BEHAVIOR AND HABITAT UTILIZATION IN KHAO YAI NATIONAL PARK

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to investigate how Sambar Deer (Cervus unicolor) responded to wildlife spotlighting activities in intensive use zone of Khao Yai National Park, and to compare the intensity of habitat utilization of Sambar Deer around two hiking trails having different use levels and within different season. Spotlight count and line transect methods were used in this study. Data were collected during July 2004 – September 2005. The study found that there were no differences in the quantity of Sambar Deer between the high use and low use days (t=0.238; P=0.814) and amount of wildlife spotlighting cars did not affect the responses of  the deer (c² = 5.897; df = 3; P= 0.117). However, there were significantly differences in the amount of time that the deer stop eating between the high tourism season and low tourism season; the average time for high season was 10.97 seconds/hour and for low season was 2.52 seconds/ hour (t=3.127; P=.008). This behavior was also significantly related to the distance from the road (c²=103.259; df = 6; P= 0.000); the closer to the road, the longer time the deer stop eating.  The study found that there were significantly differences in habitat utilization of Sambar Deer between the high use trail and low use trail, both in dry evergreen forest (t=4.937; P=0.000) and grassland (t=2.960; P= 0.008). Only in low use grassland where the deer track appeared very clear after controlled burning,  within 0-80 meters from trail,  it was found that distance from  trail significantly influenced the intensity of habitat utilization and accounted for 19% of variance in the intensity (F=5.153; P=0.033; R²=0.190).  Lastly, it was found that season affected habitat utilization of the deer in both high use trail (in dry evergreen forest t=8.831; P= 0.000 in grassland t=12.120; P= 0.000) and low use trail (in dry evergreen forest t=7.674; P= 0.000 in grassland t=16.066; P= 0.000).