Into the Al Hajar with the Arabian Tahr 2012 FIELD REPORT Background Information Lead PI: Dr Steve Ross Report completed by: Steve Ross, Mansoor Al Jahdhami, Debbie Winton Period Covered by this report: Sept 2011- Nov 2012 Research site: We are now working at the Oman wide scale across the Hajar Mountains Protected area status: Yes, Wadi Sareen area has been slightly expanded and is undergoing official (Royal Decree) recognition as a national reserve
SECTION ONE: Scientific research achievements Top highlight from the past season - Development of camera trap tahr survey method using water pools. - Setting of camera trap survey 2012 at 16 water pools. - Successful collection of camera trap survey 2012 analyses will take place in 2013. - Development of a trap suitable for Arabian tahr, construction of the trap, adaptation of the trap to the rocky habitat. - Safe capture of 3 Arabian tahr. - Collaring and monitoring of 1 male and 1 female tahr using GPS collars. - Development of methodology and initial organisation of a ranger monitoring system. - Presentations given at Sultan Qaboos University. -School visit and engagement with Swefat private school. - Initiation of Oman wide Surveys setting cameras and sign surveys conducted at 5 locations across the Hajars. This will be extended in 2013. Reporting against research objectives Objective 1: Development of Arabian tahr survey methods. A twofold objective: i) to develop a reliable survey technique that can be used by rangers to monitor tahr population size in the future; ii) to estimate the population size of tahr within reasonable bounds. - A pilot study to assess a range of monitoring, survey, and research methods for the Arabian tahr (and more broadly for mountain research) has been completed. - A camera trapping survey to determine tahr population size in Wadi Sareen Nature Reserve has been completed. - A ranger data collection and management system has been developed and is ready for implementation.
Objective 2: The spatial ecology of Arabian tahr A safe trapping method has been developed and 2 Arabian tahr have been captured (1 male and 1 female) and GPS collars attached. The collars have already started to send data informing us of the behaviour and ecology of Arabian tahr. This successful pilot project will be extended in 2013. Objective 3: The distribution and resource selection of Arabian tahr in Oman An Oman-wide survey to determine the distribution of Arabian tahr has been initiated. Several sign and camera trap surveys have been completed in Musandam, Jebel Misht, Jebel Kwar, and Jebal Qahwan in Sharkia. We are starting to build a picture of the Arabian tahr, which is answering important questions relating to the species staus and distribution. - We have initiated the GPS collaring project of tahr and we expect to have enough data for analyses of resource selection in approximately 2 to 2.5 years. Objective 4: Competition and overlap between domestic goats and Arabian tahr. "We have 30,000 photographs containing information on temporal separation between domestic goat and tahr, density of domestic goats, and demography of tahr. This data will be analysed when time becomes available." We have not progressed further regarding this objective due to lack of human resources. Objective 5: The function and distribution of tahr scrapes. We are now monitoring 10 foci pits and have discovered the use of seasonal rubs - areas where scent is left using hoof and head rubbing. We have shown that the use of scrapes as an index of population size is not a reliable method. As numerous males use the same scrape the system is more complex than previously thought. We have confirmed the use of pits for communication between tahr by numerous videos of scent marking behaviour. We will incorporate experimental techniques in 2013 to improve understanding of this behaviour. Objective 6: Human knowledge, attitudes, and experience of the natural environment. This has not progressed due to lack of human resources. Objective 7: Understanding the current socio-economic situation This has not progressed due to lack of human resources. Objective 8: Options for sustainable incomes This has not progressed due to lack of human resources.
Objective 9: Botanical distributions, data-basing, and botanical capacity A botany course is planned for scientists in Wadi Sareen in 2013, to begin botanical surveys of the area. Research will progress only when we have a botanist working on the project. Objective 10: Biodiversity inventories: providing a baseline for conservation management This has not progressed due to lack of human resources. However, we are collecting large species distribution data through camera trapping. Objective 11: Raising wildlife management capacity and project training Through the process of co-building the tahr project and on-the-job training we have exposed Diwan scientists and rangers to a range of research techniques and tools, conservation management, and field project development. This has built capacity in conservation management techniques which are being applied in other projects in Oman through the Office for Conservation of the Environment. We have also developed a ranger data collection and data management system which we will implement in 2013.
SECTION TWO: Impacts Partnerships National field research centre for environmental conservation - permissions, logistical support, advice, means to influence policy. The National Centre leadership is taking an increasing role in the tahr project and discussions have been made to provide support in many areas previously lacking. Office for conservation of the environment - The partnership with OCE has been mainly logistics and permissions. Dr. Mansoor has continued to be very involved in decision-making around the project and plays a key role in improving park management and implementation of methods within the reserve. The project has worked with 5 new biologists within OCE who have supported the work and received valuable training and capacity development. Rangers have worked less on the project this year due to recent promotions and responsibilities. We hope the relationship between OCE, the National Centre, and Earthwatch will continue to grow as it is key to project success, capacity development, and the legacy of the tahr project. Contributions to conventions, agendas, policies, management plans National or regional Wadi Sareen Management plan - The tahr project was key to influencing this management plan with data, discussions, and advice. This plan will be followed by a Royal Decree to establish an official status of Wadi Sareen Nature Reserve. Local Wadi Sareen Management plan - The tahr project was key to influencing this management plan with data, discussions, and advice. This plan will be followed by a Royal Decree to establish an official status of Wadi Sareen Nature Reserve. Developing Environmental Leaders All three of the rangers that were part of the tahr team at the start of the project and took part in many of the research and monitoring activities have been promoted and given management roles. I feel the training they received was a key part of the decision to promote, and will stand them in good stead to take up the role of leading the reserve management. They are still very much in touch with the lead PI, and advice and discussions
are provided to steer them whenever they need guidance. A total of 5 new biologists from OCE have taken part in project activities including capture, management, and development of a data collection and management system. Advice and informal tuition have been given to these biologists on other work they are conducting. Furthermore formal ranger training has not taken place due to a number of road blocks in this area. A teacher day out in Wadi Sareen was conducted where a teacher team were given a presentation, taken out to the field and took part in discussion about environmental education. Conservation of Taxa The Arabian tahr (Arabitragus jayakari) is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. This is a regional endemic with 99% of the population occurring in Oman. All of our work is concerned with improving understanding of status, threats, and ways to monitor the population. Following this enlightening process, actions on how to protect the population can be made. We are making good progress with these goals. Ecosystem Services We provide education in this area but have dropped the ecosystem services research to a lack of human resources. Local community activities Education materials have been made for schools regarding 5 key species of the hajar mountain ecosystem. The materials are being distributed to schools in the local areas and further developed in collaboration with the National Centre and local schools. Grey literature and other dissemination We were commissioned by the National Centre to write a table top book - The Arabian tahr: a photographic journey through the Hajar mountains. This is expected to be published early 2013. I gave a presentation in SQU.
SECTION THREE: Anything else Acknowledgements Thanks to Earthwatch and the National Centre for Field Research and Environmental Conservation for their continued and increasing support of the project.