Journal ArticleDOI
Connecting the dots: mapping habitat connectivity for tigers in central India
TLDR
In this article, the authors identified and prioritized movement routes using a combination of least-cost corridor modeling and circuit theory, and mapped a total of thirty-five linkages in the region and calculated metrics to estimate their quality and importance.Abstract:
Large connected landscapes are paramount to maintain top predator populations. Across their range, tiger (Panthera tigris) populations occur in small fragmented patches of habitat, often isolated by large distances in human-dominated landscapes. We assessed connectivity between 16 protected areas (PAs) in central India, a global priority landscape for tiger conservation, using data on land use and land cover, human population density, and transportation infrastructure. We identified and prioritized movement routes using a combination of least-cost corridor modeling and circuit theory. Our analyses suggest that there are several opportunities to maintain connectivity in this landscape. We mapped a total of thirty-five linkages in the region and calculated metrics to estimate their quality and importance. The highest quality linkages as measured by the ratio of cost-weighted distance to Euclidean distance are Kanha–Phen/Bandhavgarh–SanjayGhasidas/Melghat–Satpura, and cost-weighted distance to least-cost path length are Nawegaon–Tadoba/Achanakmar–SanjayGhasidas/Kanha–Phen. We used current flow centrality to evaluate the contribution of each PA and linkage toward facilitating animal movement. Values are highest for Kanha and Pench tiger reserves, and the linkages between Kanha–Phen, Kanha–Pench, and Pench–Satpura, suggesting that these PAs and linkages play a critical role in maintaining connectivity in central India. In addition, smaller areas such as Bor, Nawegaon, and Phen have high centrality scores relative to their areas and thus may act as important stepping stones. We mapped pinch points, which are sections of the linkages where tiger movement is restricted due to unfavorable habitat, transportation networks, human habitation, or a combination of factors. Currently, very limited data exist on tiger movement outside of PAs to validate model results. Regional-scale connectivity mapping efforts can assist managers and policy makers to develop strategic plans for balancing wildlife conservation and other land uses in the landscape.read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
Ecosystem management as a wicked problem
Ruth DeFries,Harini Nagendra +1 more
TL;DR: Counter to previous technical approaches that applied simple formulas to estimate sustainable yields of single species, current research recognizes the inherent complexity of ecosystems and the inability to foresee all consequences of interventions across different spatial, temporal, and administrative scales.
Journal ArticleDOI
Circuit-theory applications to connectivity science and conservation.
Brett G. Dickson,Christine M. Albano,Ranjan Anantharaman,Paul Beier,Joseph Fargione,Tabitha A. Graves,Miranda E. Gray,Kimberly R. Hall,Josh Lawler,Paul B. Leonard,Caitlin E. Littlefield,Meredith L. McClure,John Novembre,Carrie A. Schloss,Nathan H. Schumaker,Viral B. Shah,David M. Theobald +16 more
TL;DR: Applications of circuit theory to the science and practice of connectivity conservation, including topics in landscape and population genetics, movement and dispersal paths of organisms, anthropogenic barriers to connectivity, fire behavior, water flow, and ecosystem services, are focused on.
Journal ArticleDOI
Construction and optimization of an ecological network based on morphological spatial pattern analysis and circuit theory
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper proposed a new method for constructing ecological networks for Asian elephants affected by human disturbance by focusing on the importance of steppingstones for optimization, and a network connecting source areas was then constructed using circuit theory.
Journal ArticleDOI
Maintaining tiger connectivity and minimizing extinction into the next century: Insights from landscape genetics and spatially-explicit simulations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used landscape genetic simulations to model 86 different scenarios that incorporated impacts of future land-use change on inferred population connectivity and extinction, linking basic science to land use change policy and planned infrastructure development.
Data from: Prioritizing tiger conservation through landscape genetics and habitat linkages
Bibek Yumnam,Yadvendradev V. Jhala,Qamar Qureshi,Rajesh Gopal,Jesús E. Maldonado,Swati Saini,Yellapu Srinivas,Robert C. Fleischer +7 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used individual-based genetic analysis in combination with landscape permeability models to identify and prioritize movement corridors across seven tiger populations within the Central Indian Landscape, and found that the covariates that best explained tiger occupancy were large, remote, dense forest patches; large ungulate abundance, and low human footprint.
References
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Book
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Journal ArticleDOI
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