Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Di indonesia, rattus argentiventer menyebabkan kehilangan hasil padi pra-panen yang signifikan, sehingga mengancam ketahanan pangan. untuk mengurangi kerusakan akibat tikus, masyarakat di aceh telah mengintroduksi burung hantu (tyto alba) dengan menyediakan rumah burung hantu (rubuha/gupon). penelitian ini menginvestigasi efek introduksi burung hantu terhadap perilaku mencari makan, kelimpahan relatif tikus sawah, serta tingkat kerusakan tanaman padi di sekitar rubuha. penelitian dilakukan selama dua fase pertumbuhan tanaman pada musim tanam padi gadu (kemarau) di pidie jaya, aceh, pada 3 lokasi dengan rubuha dan 3 lokasi tanpa rubuha. setiap lokasi berjarak setidaknya 1 km antara satu dengan lainnya. pada setiap lokasi, perilaku mencari makan tikus dan persepsi risiko predasi di lahan sawah dinilai menggunakan metode giving-up densities (guds) yang melibatkan nampan berisi pasir beserta potongan kelapa pada 4 jarak yang berbeda dari tepi lahan. selain itu, aktivitas dan kelimpahan relatif tikus dinilai menggunakan tracking tiles (ubin pelacak jejak) dan perhitungan lubang aktif, sementara penilaian kerusakan oleh tikus dilakukan dengan menghitung persentase anakan padi yang terpotong di sepanjang transek. hasil penelitian mengungkapkan bahwa aktivitas permukaan tikus dan kerusakan tanaman secara signifikan lebih rendah pada lokasi yang memiliki rubuha. meskipun konsumsi umpan buatan dan jumlah lubang aktif secara statistik sebanding di antara perlakuan, efek penekanan dari burung hantu terhadap perilaku mencari makan hewan pengerat terlihat nyata. kami menyimpulkan bahwa introduksi burung hantu ke dalam agroekosistem padi memberikan strategi pengendalian hayati yang efektif dan berkelanjutan terhadap hama tikus padi jika diterapkan sebagai bagian dari pendekatan manajemen hewan pengerat berbasis ekologi (ecologically-based rodent management).

In Indonesia, Rattus argentiventer causes significant pre-harvest rice loss, threatening food security. To reduce rat damage, communities in Aceh have introduced barn owls (Tyto alba) by providing nest boxes. This study investigated the effect of introduced barn owls on the foraging behaviour, relative abundance of rice-field rats and crop damage to the rice crop surrounding the owl nest boxes. The study was conducted during two crop growth stages in the dry rice cropping season in Pidie Jaya, Aceh, in 3 sites with owl nest boxes and 3 sites without owl nest boxes. Each site was at least 1 km apart. In each site, rodent foraging behaviour and the perceived risk of predation in a rice field was assessed using giving-up densities (GUDs) involving trays of sand containing pieces of coconut at 4 different distances from the field edge. In addition, rodent activity and relative abundance was assessed using tracking tiles and active burrow counts, and rat damage assessments were conducted by assessing the percentage of cut rice tillers along transects. The results revealed that rat surface activity and crop damage was significantly lower in the sites with barn owl nest boxes. Although artificial bait consumption and active burrow counts remained statistically comparable between treatments, the owls’ suppressive effect on rodent foraging behaviour was evident. We conclude that the introduction of barn owls into rice agroecosystems provides an effective and sustainable biological control strategy against rodent pests of rice when deployed as part of an ecologically-based rodent management approach.