1. Prevalence of Tree Cavities and their Use by
Vertebrate Fauna in Forest Ecosystem of Dhirkot,
AJ&K
Sajid Abbasi, Iftikhar Hussain, Tariq Mahmood,
Maqsood Anwar and Muhammad Rais
Department of Wildlife Management
PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi

2. Introduction
In forest ecosystems of Pakistan there are certain wildlife
species i.e. bats, flying squirrels, rodents, birds and reptiles
species use hollow bearing trees for nesting, breeding,
foraging and roosting, mainly subtropical pine forest and
moist temperate forests (Robert, 1991-1992 and 1998).
Although the tree hollows are the critical component of
forest ecosystem, a little is known about the characteristics of
these hollows, rather no report is available on such data from
the wildlife related ecologies of Pakistan.
The present study was designed as an initiative to carry
out investigations on hollow bearing trees in the forest
ecology of Dhirkot, District Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir
with the following objectives.

3. Objectives
• To collect basic information on type, size,
prevalence and distribution of hollow
bearing trees in forest ecology of the study area.
•To identify wildlife species associated with the tree
hollows to support their lives.

4. Study Site & Sampling
The study samplings were carried out at two observation sites
(1 km2
each) in a deciduous-mixed temperate-coniferous forest
spreading over 10 km2
located at 340 ˝ N; 730 34˝ E in the
Sanghar Bathara area,of district Dhirkot, A J& K

5. Observation Area-1
Upper zone of study site dominated by Blue Pine
(Pinus wallichiana)

6. Lower zone of study site dominated by Chir Pine Pinus
roxburgii) at Sanghar Bathara, Dhirkot, AJ&K
Observation Area-2

7. Definition: A cavity is defined as any completely excavated or
natural opening in a tree's bole or limbs that could provide
shelter to wildlife species.
 All the trees in 10 sampling plots at each study site were
observed for presence of tree cavities. Where ever required
binoculars were used to aid the visual inspection of snags
and excavated openings from several different angles.
 Tree cavities in larger and older trees were observed by
climbing on tree trunk and large branches.
 Those trees that had a larger diameter and difficult to
climbed, were climbed by installing a locally made bamboo
ladder at the base of the tree trunk to reach the upper
branches.

8. Data on following parameters were recorded:
 No. of cavities in each tree species.
 Condition of the cavity bearing trees either live or dead.
The height of cavity entrance from ground (m).
 Position of the cavities (trunk or branches)
 Type of cavity (natural or excavated).
 Dimensions of cavity (i.e diameter of entrance and depth (cm)
of cavities (wherever possible)

9. Observation and measurement of tree cavities

10. Tree Age Estimation
1: Annual growth rings
2: Pressler’s Borer Method

11. RESULTS
Tree species Tree species composition
in sub-plots (No. per 200
m2
)
Total
trees
(No.
per 1
km2
)
Cavity
bearin
g trees
(n)
Trees with
cavities (%)
Relative
abundance of
cavity bearing
trees (%)
a b c d e
Pinus wallichiana 185 150 2 61 85 483 12 2.48 35.29
Quercus incana 0 20 11 42 36 109 7 6.42 20.59
Quercus dilatata 0 0 2 18 4 24 3 12.5 8.82
Pinus roxburghii 5 0 4 0 0 9 1 11.11 2.94
Melia azedarach 0 0 5 0 0 5 3 60 8.82
Bauhinia variegata 0 0 5 0 0 5 3 60 8.82
Morus alba 0 0 4 0 0 4 2 50 5.88
Prunus armanica 0 0 4 0 0 4 2 50 5.88
Diospyros kaki 0 0 3 0 0 3 1 33.33 2.94
Juglans regia 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
Total 190 170 41 121 125 647 34 5.25 100
Vegetation Structure and Cavity Bearing Trees in Observation
Area-1

12. Tree species Tree species composition at
sub-plots (No. per 200 m2
)
Total
trees
(No. per
1 km2
)
Cavity
bearin
g trees
(n)
Trees
with
cavitie
s (%)
Relative
abundance
of cavity
bearing
trees (%)
a b c d e
Pinus roxburghii 40 21 130 10 1 202 2 0.99 4.08
Olea ferruginea 17 51 2 80 4 154 20 12.98 40.81
Prunus armanica 5 17 5 0 12 39 3 7.69 6.12
Melia azedarach 11 0 0 5 8 24 11 45.83 22.44
Diospyros kaki 6 0 3 2 11 22 2 9.09 4.08
Quercus incana 2 0 0 4 10 16 3 18.75 6.12
Morus alba 7 0 0 1 5 13 2 15.38 4.08
Bauhinia variegata 7 1 0 0 2 10 2 20 4.08
Pyrus communis 3 0 0 2 5 10 3 30 6.12
Juglans regia 3 0 0 0 0 3 1 33.33 2.04
Total 101 90 140 104 58 493 49 9.93 100
Vegetation structure and prevalence of cavity bearing trees in
observation area 2.

13. Tree species Total
trees at
site No.
1
(No. per
1 km2
)
Total trees
at site No.
2
(No. per 1
km2
)
Combin
ed (Site
No. 1 &
Site No.
2)
(%) Cavity
bearing
trees
(n)
Cavity
bearing
trees (%)
Relative
abundance
of cavity
bearing trees
(%)
Pinus wallichiana 483 0 483 42.36 12 2.48 14.45
Quercus incana 109 16 125 10.96 10 8.00 12.05
Quercus dilatata 24 0 24 2.10 3 12.5 3.61
Pinus roxburghii 9 202 211 18.5 3 1.42 3.61
Melia azedarach 5 24 29 2.54 14 48.27 16.87
Bauhinia variegata 5 10 15 1.31 5 33.33 6.02
Morus alba 4 13 17 1.49 4 23.53 4.82
Prunus armanica 4 39 43 3,77 5 10.42 6.02
Diospyros kaki 3 22 25 2.19 3 12.00 3.61
Juglans regia 1 3 4 0.35 1 25.00 1.20
Olea ferruginea 0 154 154 13.5 20 12.99 24.10
Pyrus communis 0 10 10 0.95 3 30.00 3.61
Total 647 493 1140 100 83 7.28 100
Vegetation Structure and Cavity Bearing Trees in the two Observation
Areas

14. Fauna recorded
Multiple cavities in Blue Pine tree used by Flying Squirrel

15. Internal view of Excavated cavity used by Flying squirrel for nesting.

16. Hatchlings of Yellow fronted Wood-pecker in tree cavity

17. Golden-backed wood packer foraging on dead tree

18. Tree species Condition of the trees bearing
the cavities
No.
of
tree
caviti
es
Position of tree
cavities
Type of tree cavities
Live Dead Total Trunk Branches *Natural Excavated
n % n % n n % n % n % n %
Pinus wallichiana 6 50 6 50 12 34 28 82 6 18 20 59 14 41
Pinus roxburghii 3 100 0 0 3 4 4 10
0
0 0 0 0 4 100
Olea ferruginea 0 0 20 100 20 60 42 70 18 30 58 97 2 3
Quercus incana 6 60 4 40 10 26 16 62 10 38 18 69 8 31
Quercus dilatata 2 67 1 33 3 8 5 62 3 38 2 25 6 75
Melia azedarach 9 64 5 36 14 32 26 81 6 19 7 22 25 78
Pronus armanica 1 20 4 80 5 11 6 55 5 45 7 64 4 36
Morus alba 2 50 2 50 4 11 9 82 2 18 7 64 4 36
Diospyros kaki 3 100 0 0 3 5 5 10
0
0 0 0 0 5 100
Juglans regia 0 0 1 100 1 3 2 67 1 33 3 100 0 0
Pyrus communis 2 67 1 33 3 8 6 75 2 25 5 63 3 37
Characteristics of cavity bearing trees & tree cavities

19. Vertebrate fauna Tree species Age
appox.
(Year)
No. of
Cavitie
s
Cavity Entrance
Diameter (cm)
Avg. (Range)
Height from
ground (m)
Avg. (Range)
Cavity depth
(cm)
Avg. (Range)
Mammals
Flying squirrel Pinus wallichiana 80 4 14.3 (6 - 21) 9 (3.5-15) >90 (>90)
Quercus incana 60 4 6.6 (3 - 8) 10 ( 7-12) 55 (35- 85)
Long fingered bat Pinus wallichiana 77 3 4.3 (2 - 7) 11 (3- 20 ) >90 (>90)
Birds (Passerine)
Common myna Pinus wallichiana 72 2 5 (3 - 7) 7 (3- 11) 42.5 (35- 50)
Melia azedarach 50 3 5 (4 - 7) 4 (2- 5) 44 (40- 46)
Diospyros kaki 55 1 6 (6) 5.5 (5.5) 42 (42)
Pyrus communis 77 1 5 (5) 3(3) 47 (47)
Great tit Olea ferruginaea 72 2 5.5 (5.5) 3.5 (3.5) 30 (28- 32)
Diospyros kaki 45 1 4.5 (4.5) 6 (6) 30 (30)
Himalayan tree
creeper
Quercus incana 54 2 5 (4 - 6) 10 (7-13) 37 (34- 40)
House sparrow Melia azedarach 85 3 5 (3-6 ) 3.3 (2-5 ) 45 (45)
Prunus armanica 63 1 6 (6) 4 (4) 65 (65)
Olea ferruginaea 87 3 6 (3 - 8) 3 (2- 4) 45 (22- 65)
Chust-nut bellied
nuthatchs
Quercus incana 148 1 6 (6) 4 (4) 38 (38)

20. Vertebrate fauna Tree species Age
appox.
(Year)
No. of
Cavitie
s
Cavity Entrance
Diameter (cm)
Avg. (Range)
Height from
ground (m)
Avg. (Range)
Cavity depth
(cm)
Avg. (Range
Birds
Yellow-fronted
woodpecker
Melia azedarach 36 2 6.5 (5 - 8) 4 (3- 5) 43 (33- 53)
Himalan pied
woodpecker
Quercus incana 47 2 6 (5- 7) 10 (8.5-12.5) 48 (45-51)
Pinus wallichiana 69 2 5 (4.5-5.5) 13 (10-16) 42 (39- 45)
Scaly-bellied
woodpecker
Pinus wallichiana 62 2 6 (5 - 7) 13 (12- 14) 42.5 (30- 55)
Quercus dilatata 55 2 5.5 (4 - 7) 7 (5- 9) 44 (40- 48)
Rufous-bellied
woodpecker
Melia azedarach 40 2 4.5 (3 - 6) 5 (4.5- 5.5) 38 (32- 44)
Glden-backed
woodpecker
Bahunia verrigata 98 1 7 (7) 3 (3) 30 (30)
Blue throated
barbet
Morus alba 75 3 7.5 (6 - 9) 3 (3- 3) 52 (42- 60)
Prunus armanica 82 2 7 (6-8) 5 (4.5- 5.5) 46 (43- 49)
Reptiles Snakes
Kashmir cliff racer Pinus wallichiana 118 1 9 (9) 5 (5) >100 (>100)
Common cat
snake
Pyrus communis 145 1 5 (5) 3 (3) 47 (47)
Melia azedarach 47 1 9 (9) 4 (4) 45 (45)
Lizards
Spotted barn
gecko
Quercus incana 97 1 5 (5) 3 (3- 3) 32 (32)
Bahunia verrigata 77 1 10 (10) 2 (2) 18 (18)

21. Vertebrate
fauna
N Entrance Diameter
of Tree Cavity (cm)
Mean ± SD (range)
Depth of Tree
Cavity (cm)
Mean ± SD (range)
Height of Tree
Cavity from
Ground (m)
Mean ± SD
(range)
Mammals 11 8.78 ± 5.95 (2-21) > 90 9.9 ± 5.13 (3-20)
Aves 41 5.56 ± 1.49 (3-9) 42.43 ± 9.88 (22-65) 7.05 ± 7.25 (2-16)
Reptiles 5 6.38 ± 2.77 (3-10)
30.00 ± 11.96 (18-
100)
3.13 ± 0.99 (2-5)

22. Tree species Occupancy of tree cavities by vertebrate fauna
Cavities Mammals Birds Reptiles Total (use) unused
n n % n % n % n % n %
Pinus wallichiana 34 7 21 6 18 1 3 14 41 20 59
Pinus roxburghii 4 0 0 1 25 0 0 1 25 3 75
Olea ferruginea 60 0 0 7 12 2 3 9 15 51 85
Quercus incana 26 4 11 5 18 1 4 10 38 16 62
Quercus dilatata 8 0 0 2 25 0 0 2 25 6 75
Melia azadarach 32 0 0 10 31 1 3 11 34 21 66
Pronus armanica 11 0 0 3 27 1 9 4 36 7 64
Morus alba 11 0 0 3 27 0 9 3 27 8 77
Diospyros kaki 5 0 0 2 40 0 0 2 40 3 60
Juglans regia 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 100
Pyrus communis 8 0 0 1 13 1 13 2 25 6 75
Bahunia verrigata 9 0 0 1 11 1 11 2 22 7 78
Total 211 11 5.21 41 19 8 4 60 28.4 151 71.6

23. Total percentage of used and unused cavity

24. Conclusion
Occupancy of tree cavities by vertebrate fauna.

25. Shukreiya.