1
|
Dertien JS, Negi H, Dinerstein E, Krishnamurthy R, Negi HS, Gopal R, Gulick S, Pathak SK, Kapoor M, Yadav P, Benitez M, Ferreira M, Wijnveen AJ, Lee ATL, Wright B, Baldwin RF. Mitigating human-wildlife conflict and monitoring endangered tigers using a real-time camera-based alert system. Bioscience 2023; 73:748-757. [PMID: 37854891 PMCID: PMC10580963 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The recovery of wild tigers in India and Nepal is a remarkable conservation achievement, but it sets the stage for increased human-wildlife conflict where parks are limited in size and where tigers reside outside reserves. We deployed an innovative technology, the TrailGuard AI camera-alert system, which runs on-the-edge artificial intelligence algorithms to detect tigers and poachers and transmit real-time images to designated authorities responsible for managing prominent tiger landscapes in India. We successfully captured and transmitted the first images of tigers using cameras with embedded AI and detected poachers. Notifications of tiger images were received in real time, approximately 30 seconds from camera trigger to appearing in a smart phone app. We review use cases of this AI-based real-time alert system for managers and local communities and suggest how the system could help monitor tigers and other endangered species, detect poaching, and provide early warnings for human-wildlife conflict.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hrishita Negi
- Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - A J Wijnveen
- CVEDIA Ltd, in Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom
| | | | - Brett Wright
- Tigers United University Consortium, Clemson University, in Clemson, South Carolina, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Deka JR, Ali SZ, Ahamad M, Borah P, Gopi GV, Badola R, Sharma R, Hussain SA. Can Bengal Tiger ( Panthera tigris tigris) endure the future climate and land use change scenario in the East Himalayan Region? Perspective from a multiple model framework. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10340. [PMID: 37554398 PMCID: PMC10404654 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Large mammals are susceptible to land use and climate change, unless they are safeguarded within large, protected areas. It is crucial to comprehend the effects of these changes on mammals to develop a conservation plan. We identified ecological hotspots that can sustain an ecosystem for the endangered Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), an umbrella species. We developed three distinct ensemble species distribution models (SDMs) for the Bengal tiger in the Indian East Himalayan Region (IEHR). The first model served as the baseline and considered habitat type, climate, land cover, and anthropogenic threats. The second model focused on climate, land use, and anthropogenic threats, the third model focused on climate variables. We projected the second and third models onto two future climate scenarios: RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. We evaluated the threats possess to protected areas within eco-sensitive zone based on the potential tiger habitat. Finally, we compared the potential habitat with the IUCN tiger range. Our study revealed that the Brahmaputra valley will serve as the primary habitat for tigers in the future. However, considering the projected severe climate scenarios, it is anticipated that tigers will undergo a range shift towards the north and east, especially in high-altitude regions. Very high conservation priority areas, which make up 3.4% of the total area, are predominantly located in the riverine corridor of Assam. High conservation priority areas, which make up 5.5% of total area are located in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. It is important to note that conservation priority areas outside of protected areas pose a greater threat to tigers. We recommend reassessing the IUCN Red List's assigned range map for tigers in the IEHR, as it is over-predicted. Our study has led us to conclude both land use and climate change possess threats to the future habitat of tigers. The outcomes of our study will provide crucial information on identifying habitat hotspots and facilitate appropriate conservation planning efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Ruchi Badola
- Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradunUttarakhandIndia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Assessing tiger corridor functionality with landscape genetics and modelling across Terai-Arc landscape, India. CONSERV GENET 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-022-01460-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
4
|
Habitat connectivity for conserving cervids in a multifunctional landscape. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
5
|
Friedeberg-Gutiérrez DB, López-González CA, Lara-Díaz NE, MacKenzie D, Jesús-de la Cruz A, Juárez-Lopez R, Hidalgo-Mihart M. Landscape patterns in the occupancy of jaguars ( Panthera onca) and their primary prey species in a disturbed region of the Selva Maya in Mexico. MAMMALIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2021-0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In order to prioritize the conservation and management efforts to protect jaguars (Panthera onca), it is of utmost importance to determine their tolerance in face of human disturbances, habitat modifications and varying degrees of prey availability. We assessed the occupancy probability of jaguars and five of their most common prey species throughout a heterogeneous landscape in the Selva Maya in southern Mexico: armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), coati (Nasua narica), paca (Cuniculus paca), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu). Additionally, we projected prey and Jaguar occupancies onto a 5993 km2 landscape based on the habitat type in the area. We averaged the best prey models ranked by QAICc and found that white-tailed deer had the highest average occupancy probability of 0.72 ± 0.06 and paca the lowest with 0.14 ± 0.04. The average occupancy probability for jaguars was 0.35 ± 0.07 and the strongest predictor of jaguar occupancy was a positive effect of collared peccary occupancy. These findings support previous studies that show that predator distribution is largely influenced by their prey availability, even in the midst of degraded habitats, and underlies the essential need to incorporate protection plans for prey species in jaguar conservation strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana B. Friedeberg-Gutiérrez
- Laboratorio de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro , Av. De las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, CP. 76230 , Querétaro , Mexico
- Panthera México , Stirling Dickinson #27 , col San Antonio San Miguel de Allende , 37750 Guanajuato , Mexico
| | - Carlos A. López-González
- Laboratorio de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro , Av. De las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, CP. 76230 , Querétaro , Mexico
| | - Nalleli E. Lara-Díaz
- Laboratorio de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro , Av. De las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, CP. 76230 , Querétaro , Mexico
| | - Darryl MacKenzie
- Proteus Wildlife Research Consultants , PO Box 5193 , Dunedin , New Zealand
| | - Alejandro Jesús-de la Cruz
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco , Villahermosa , Mexico
| | - Rugieri Juárez-Lopez
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco , Villahermosa , Mexico
| | - Mircea Hidalgo-Mihart
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco , Villahermosa , Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Carter NH, Pradhan N, Hengaju K, Sonawane C, Sage AH, Grimm V. Forecasting effects of transport infrastructure on endangered tigers: a tool for conservation planning. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13472. [PMID: 35602904 PMCID: PMC9121866 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of transport infrastructure is a major threat to endangered species worldwide. Roads and railways can increase animal mortality, fragment habitats, and exacerbate other threats to biodiversity. Predictive models that forecast the future impacts to endangered species can guide land-use planning in ways that proactively reduce the negative effects of transport infrastructure. Agent-based models are well suited for predictive scenario testing, yet their application to endangered species conservation is rare. Here, we developed a spatially explicit, agent-based model to forecast the effects of transport infrastructure on an isolated tiger (Panthera tigris) population in Nepal's Chitwan National Park-a global biodiversity hotspot. Specifically, our model evaluated the independent and interactive effects of two mechanisms by which transport infrastructure may affect tigers: (a) increasing tiger mortality, e.g., via collisions with vehicles, and (b) depleting prey near infrastructure. We projected potential impacts on tiger population dynamics based on the: (i) existing transportation network in and near the park, and (ii) the inclusion of a proposed railway intersecting through the park's buffer zone. Our model predicted that existing roads would kill 46 tigers over 20 years via increased mortality, and reduced the adult tiger population by 39% (133 to 81). Adding the proposed railway directly killed 10 more tigers over those 20 years; deaths that reduced the overall tiger population by 30 more individuals (81 to 51). Road-induced mortality also decreased the proportion of time a tiger occupied a given site by 5 years in the 20-year simulation. Interestingly, we found that transportation-induced depletion of prey decreased tiger occupancy by nearly 20% in sites close to roads and the railway, thereby reducing tiger exposure to transportation-induced mortality. The results of our model constitute a strong argument for taking into account prey distributions into the planning of roads and railways. Our model can promote tiger-friendly transportation development, for example, by improving Environmental Impact Assessments, identifying "no go" zones where transport infrastructure should be prohibited, and recommending alternative placement of roads and railways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neil H. Carter
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States of America
| | - Narendra Pradhan
- International Union for Conservation of Nature, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Krishna Hengaju
- International Union for Conservation of Nature, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | - Abigail H. Sage
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Wenatchee, United States of America
| | - Volker Grimm
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Landscape genetic connectivity in European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris): a matter of food, shelters and demographic status of populations. CONSERV GENET 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-022-01443-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
8
|
Tyagi A, Khan A, Thatte P, Ramakrishnan U. Genome‐wide
SNP
markers from fecal samples reveal anthropogenic impacts on connectivity: case of a small carnivore in the central Indian landscape. Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Tyagi
- National Centre for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
- SASTRA Deemed to be University Thanjavur India
| | - A. Khan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
| | - P. Thatte
- National Centre for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
- World Wide Fund for Nature‐India New Delhi India
| | - U. Ramakrishnan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Schoen JM, Neelakantan A, Cushman SA, Dutta T, Habib B, Jhala YV, Mondal I, Ramakrishnan U, Reddy PA, Saini S, Sharma S, Thatte P, Yumnam B, DeFries R. Synthesizing habitat connectivity analyses of a globally important human-dominated tiger-conservation landscape. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13909. [PMID: 35288989 PMCID: PMC9545158 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As ecological data and associated analyses become more widely available, synthesizing results for effective communication with stakeholders is essential. In the case of wildlife corridors, managers in human-dominated landscapes need to identify both the locations of corridors and multiple stakeholders for effective oversight. We synthesized 5 independent studies of tiger (Panthera tigris) connectivity in central India, a global priority landscape for tiger conservation, to quantify agreement on landscape permeability for tiger movement and potential movement pathways. We used the latter analysis to identify connectivity areas on which studies agreed and stakeholders associated with these areas to determine relevant participants in corridor management. Three or more of the 5 studies' resistance layers agreed in 63% of the study area. Areas in which all studies agree on resistance were of primarily low (66%, e.g., forest) and high (24%, e.g., urban) resistance. Agreement was lower in intermediate resistance areas (e.g., agriculture). Despite these differences, the studies largely agreed on areas with high levels of potential movement: >40% of high average (top 20%) current-flow pixels were also in the top 20% of current-flow agreement pixels (measured by low variation), indicating consensus connectivity areas (CCAs) as conservation priorities. Roughly 70% of the CCAs fell within village administrative boundaries, and 100% overlapped forest department management boundaries, suggesting that people live and use forests within these priority areas. Over 16% of total CCAs' area was within 1 km of linear infrastructure (437 road, 170 railway, 179 transmission line, and 339 canal crossings; 105 mines within 1 km of CCAs). In 2019, 78% of forest land diversions for infrastructure and mining in Madhya Pradesh (which comprises most of the study region) took place in districts with CCAs. Acute competition for land in this landscape with globally important wildlife corridors calls for an effective comanagement strategy involving local communities, forest departments, Appendix 1 and infrastructure planners. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jay M. Schoen
- Department of EcologyEvolution and Environmental BiologyColumbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | | | | | - Trishna Dutta
- Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest EcologyUniversity of GoettingenGöttingenGermany
| | | | | | | | - Uma Ramakrishnan
- The Biodiversity Collaborative, National Center for Biological SciencesTata Institute of Fundamental ResearchBangaloreIndia
| | | | | | - Sandeep Sharma
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity ResearchHalle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyMartin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalleGermany
| | | | | | - Ruth DeFries
- Department of EcologyEvolution and Environmental BiologyColumbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Network for Conserving Central IndiaGurgaonIndia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Puri M, Srivathsa A, Karanth KK, Patel I, Kumar NS. Links in a sink: Interplay between habitat structure, ecological constraints and interactions with humans can influence connectivity conservation for tigers in forest corridors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 809:151106. [PMID: 34688735 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Global land-use changes and rapid infrastructure development necessitate identification and conservation of wildlife corridors. Connectivity through corridors is shaped by species' structural, ecological and behavioral constraints. In multi-use landscapes, species' interactions with humans could additionally influence connectivity. Using the tiger Panthera tigris as a case study, we make simultaneous assessments of potential connectivity, habitat use and examine their links with the species' negative interactions with humans in central India. We assessed potential connectivity across 10, 000 sq. km of the Kanha-Pench forest corridor using graph-theoretic methods. Combining indirect sign surveys and occupancy models, we examined habitat use, and evaluated its congruence with potential connectivity. Next, we estimated spatial probabilities of livestock depredation through application of multi-state occupancy models to interview-based survey data from local residents. Habitat use by tigers was negatively associated with forest fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbance. Livestock depredation was positively associated with size of settlements and areas most frequented by tigers, and negatively with anthropogenic disturbance within forests. We found high congruence between connectivity and habitat use (r = 0.80); but the strong correlation did not hold in areas with very high levels of livestock depredation levels. Our results indicate that when areas of high use by tigers are constrained by limited connectivity, there are higher chances of human-tiger conflict, and these areas may be ecological traps for the species. Interactions with humans can be crucial in mediating connectivity for large carnivores in shared habitats. Our findings present an opportunity to consolidate areas where carnivore conservation and local livelihood needs can be balanced. Our framework also provides a foundation for spatial prioritization that incorporates a plurality of dimensions, with utility for connectivity conservation of other wide-ranging carnivores.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahi Puri
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bengaluru, India.
| | - Arjun Srivathsa
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Wildlife Conservation Society, India Program, Bengaluru, India; School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Krithi K Karanth
- Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bengaluru, India; Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Imran Patel
- Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bengaluru, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Balbuena-Serrano Á, Zarco-González MM, Carreón-Arroyo G, Carrera-Treviño R, Amador-Alcalá S, Monroy-Vilchis O. Connectivity of priority areas for the conservation of large carnivores in northern Mexico. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
12
|
Khan A, Patel K, Shukla H, Viswanathan A, van der Valk T, Borthakur U, Nigam P, Zachariah A, Jhala YV, Kardos M, Ramakrishnan U. Genomic evidence for inbreeding depression and purging of deleterious genetic variation in Indian tigers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2023018118. [PMID: 34848534 PMCID: PMC8670471 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023018118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing habitat fragmentation leads to wild populations becoming small, isolated, and threatened by inbreeding depression. However, small populations may be able to purge recessive deleterious alleles as they become expressed in homozygotes, thus reducing inbreeding depression and increasing population viability. We used whole-genome sequences from 57 tigers to estimate individual inbreeding and mutation load in a small-isolated and two large-connected populations in India. As expected, the small-isolated population had substantially higher average genomic inbreeding (FROH = 0.57) than the large-connected (FROH = 0.35 and FROH = 0.46) populations. The small-isolated population had the lowest loss-of-function mutation load, likely due to purging of highly deleterious recessive mutations. The large populations had lower missense mutation loads than the small-isolated population, but were not identical, possibly due to different demographic histories. While the number of the loss-of-function alleles in the small-isolated population was lower, these alleles were at higher frequencies and homozygosity than in the large populations. Together, our data and analyses provide evidence of 1) high mutation load, 2) purging, and 3) the highest predicted inbreeding depression, despite purging, in the small-isolated population. Frequency distributions of damaging and neutral alleles uncover genomic evidence that purifying selection has removed part of the mutation load across Indian tiger populations. These results provide genomic evidence for purifying selection in both small and large populations, but also suggest that the remaining deleterious alleles may have inbreeding-associated fitness costs. We suggest that genetic rescue from sources selected based on genome-wide differentiation could offset any possible impacts of inbreeding depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anubhab Khan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore 560065, India;
| | - Kaushalkumar Patel
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - Harsh Shukla
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - Ashwin Viswanathan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore 560065, India
- Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore 570017, India
| | | | | | - Parag Nigam
- Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248001, India
| | | | | | - Marty Kardos
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA 98112;
| | - Uma Ramakrishnan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore 560065, India;
- Department of Biotechnology-Wellcome Trust India Alliance, Hyderabad 500034, India
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Exploratory dispersal movements by young tigers in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex: the challenges of securing a territory. MAMMAL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-021-00602-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
14
|
Modi S, Mondol S, Nigam P, Habib B. Genetic analyses reveal demographic decline and population differentiation in an endangered social carnivore, Asiatic wild dog. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16371. [PMID: 34385570 PMCID: PMC8361113 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95918-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Deforestation and agricultural intensification have resulted in an alarming change in the global land cover over the past 300 years, posing a threat to species conservation. Dhole is a monophyletic, social canid and, being an endangered and highly forest-dependent species, is more prone to the loss of favorable habitat in the Anthropocene. We determined the genetic differentiation and demographic history of dhole across the tiger reserves of Maharashtra using the microsatellite data of 305 individuals. Simulation-based analyses revealed a 77-85% decline in the major dhole sub-populations. Protected areas have provided refuge to the historically declining dhole population resulting in clustering with strong genetic structure in the remnant dhole population. The historical population decline coincides with the extreme events in the landscape over the past 300 years. The study highlights the pattern of genetic differentiation and diversity of a highly forest-dependent species which can be associated with the loss of forest cover outside tiger reserves. It also warrants attention to develop conservation plans for the remnant surviving population of dholes in India.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shrushti Modi
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, 248001, India
| | - Samrat Mondol
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, 248001, India
| | - Parag Nigam
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, 248001, India
| | - Bilal Habib
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, 248001, India.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Armstrong EE, Khan A, Taylor RW, Gouy A, Greenbaum G, Thiéry A, Kang JT, Redondo SA, Prost S, Barsh G, Kaelin C, Phalke S, Chugani A, Gilbert M, Miquelle D, Zachariah A, Borthakur U, Reddy A, Louis E, Ryder OA, Jhala YV, Petrov D, Excoffier L, Hadly E, Ramakrishnan U. Recent Evolutionary History of Tigers Highlights Contrasting Roles of Genetic Drift and Selection. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:2366-2379. [PMID: 33592092 PMCID: PMC8136513 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Species conservation can be improved by knowledge of evolutionary and genetic history. Tigers are among the most charismatic of endangered species and garner significant conservation attention. However, their evolutionary history and genomic variation remain poorly known, especially for Indian tigers. With 70% of the world’s wild tigers living in India, such knowledge is critical. We re-sequenced 65 individual tiger genomes representing most extant subspecies with a specific focus on tigers from India. As suggested by earlier studies, we found strong genetic differentiation between the putative tiger subspecies. Despite high total genomic diversity in India, individual tigers host longer runs of homozygosity, potentially suggesting recent inbreeding or founding events, possibly due to small and fragmented protected areas. We suggest the impacts of ongoing connectivity loss on inbreeding and persistence of Indian tigers be closely monitored. Surprisingly, demographic models suggest recent divergence (within the last 20,000 years) between subspecies and strong population bottlenecks. Amur tiger genomes revealed the strongest signals of selection related to metabolic adaptation to cold, whereas Sumatran tigers show evidence of weak selection for genes involved in body size regulation. We recommend detailed investigation of local adaptation in Amur and Sumatran tigers prior to initiating genetic rescue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anubhab Khan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore, India
| | - Ryan W Taylor
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,End2End Genomics, LLC, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Alexandre Gouy
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gili Greenbaum
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Alexandre Thiéry
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan T Kang
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, Singapore
| | | | - Stefan Prost
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gregory Barsh
- Hudsonalpha Institute, Hunstville, AL, USA.,Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Martin Gilbert
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Russia Program, New York, NY, USA.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Dale Miquelle
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Russia Program, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Anuradha Reddy
- Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species, CCMB, Hyderabad, India
| | - Edward Louis
- Department of Genetics, Omaha Zoo, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Oliver A Ryder
- San Diego Zoo, Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, CA, USA
| | | | - Dmitri Petrov
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Laurent Excoffier
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elizabeth Hadly
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Russia Program, New York, NY, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Dong X, Zhang J, Gu X, Wang Y, Bai W, Huang Q. Evaluating habitat suitability and potential dispersal corridors across the distribution landscape of the Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani) in Sichuan, China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
|
17
|
Akbar S, Saritha SK. Quantum inspired community detection for analysis of biodiversity change driven by land-use conversion and climate change. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14332. [PMID: 34253748 PMCID: PMC8275618 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93122-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Community detection remains little explored in the analysis of biodiversity change. The challenges linked with global biodiversity change have also multiplied manifold in the past few decades. Moreover, most studies concerning biodiversity change lack the quantitative treatment central to species distribution modeling. Empirical analysis of species distribution and abundance is thus integral to the study of biodiversity loss and biodiversity alterations. Community detection is therefore expected to efficiently model the topological aspect of biodiversity change driven by land-use conversion and climate change; given that it has already proven superior for diverse problems in the domain of social network analysis and subgroup discovery in complex systems. Thus, quantum inspired community detection is proposed as a novel technique to predict biodiversity change considering tiger population in eighteen states of India; leading to benchmarking of two novel datasets. Elements of land-use conversion and climate change are explored to design these datasets viz.-Landscape based distribution and Number of tiger reserves based distribution respectively; for predicting regions expected to maximize Tiger population growth. Furthermore, validation of the proposed framework on the said datasets is performed using standard community detection metrics like-Modularity, Normalized Mutual Information (NMI), Adjusted Rand Index (ARI), Degree distribution, Degree centrality and Edge-betweenness centrality. Quantum inspired community detection has also been successful in demonstrating an association between biodiversity change, land-use conversion and climate change; validated statistically by Pearson's correlation coefficient and p value test. Finally, modularity distribution based on parameter tuning establishes the superiority of the second dataset based on the number of Tiger reserves-in predicting regions maximizing Tiger population growth fostering species distribution and abundance; apart from scripting a stronger correlation of biodiversity change with land-use conversion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sana Akbar
- Department of CSE, MANIT, Bhopal, India.
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Trends in Wildlife Connectivity Science from the Biodiverse and Human-Dominated South Asia. J Indian Inst Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s41745-021-00240-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
19
|
Krishnan A. Lessons Across Scales: Molecular Ecology and Wildlife Conservation. J Indian Inst Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s41745-021-00232-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
20
|
Sarkar MS, Niyogi R, Masih RL, Hazra P, Maiorano L, John R. Long-distance dispersal and home range establishment by a female sub-adult tiger (Panthera tigris) in the Panna landscape, central India. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01494-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
21
|
McLellan ML, McLellan BN, Sollmann R, Wittmer HU. Vital rates of two small populations of brown bears in Canada and range-wide relationship between population size and trend. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:3422-3434. [PMID: 33841794 PMCID: PMC8019027 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying mechanisms of population change is fundamental for conserving small and declining populations and determining effective management strategies. Few studies, however, have measured the demographic components of population change for small populations of mammals (<50 individuals). We estimated vital rates and trends in two adjacent but genetically distinct, threatened brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations in British Columbia, Canada, following the cessation of hunting. One population had approximately 45 resident bears but had some genetic and geographic connectivity to neighboring populations, while the other population had <25 individuals and was isolated. We estimated population-specific vital rates by monitoring survival and reproduction of telemetered female bears and their dependent offspring from 2005 to 2018. In the larger, connected population, independent female survival was 1.00 (95% CI: 0.96-1.00) and the survival of cubs in their first year was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.62-0.95). In the smaller, isolated population, independent female survival was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.64-0.93) and first-year cub survival was 0.33 (95% CI: 0.11-0.67). Reproductive rates did not differ between populations. The large differences in age-specific survival estimates resulted in a projected population increase in the larger population (λ = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.04-1.13) and population decrease in the smaller population (λ = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.72-0.95). Low female survival in the smaller population was the result of both continued human-caused mortality and an unusually high rate of natural mortality. Low cub survival may have been due to inbreeding and the loss of genetic diversity common in small populations, or to limited resources. In a systematic literature review, we compared our population trend estimates with those reported for other small populations (<300 individuals) of brown bears. Results suggest that once brown bear populations become small and isolated, populations rarely increase and, even with intensive management, recovery remains challenging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L. McLellan
- School of Biological SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonWellingtonNew Zealand
| | | | - Rahel Sollmann
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of California DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Heiko U. Wittmer
- School of Biological SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonWellingtonNew Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
How can spatio-temporal overlap in mammals assist in maximizing biodiversity conservation? A case study of Periyar Tiger Reserve. Biologia (Bratisl) 2021. [DOI: 10.2478/s11756-020-00645-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
23
|
Jhala Y, Gopal R, Mathur V, Ghosh P, Negi HS, Narain S, Yadav SP, Malik A, Garawad R, Qureshi Q. Recovery of tigers in India: Critical introspection and potential lessons. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vaibhav Mathur
- National Tiger Conservation Authority Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change Government of India New Delhi India
| | - Prodipto Ghosh
- The Energy and Resources Institute India Habitat Center New Delhi India
| | | | - Sunita Narain
- Center for Science and Environment India Habitat Center New Delhi India
| | - Satya Prakash Yadav
- National Tiger Conservation Authority Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change Government of India New Delhi India
| | - Amit Malik
- National Tiger Conservation Authority Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change Government of India New Delhi India
| | - Rajendra Garawad
- National Tiger Conservation Authority Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change Government of India New Delhi India
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Pliscoff P, Simonetti JA, Grez AA, Vergara PM, Barahona-Segovia RM. Defining corridors for movement of multiple species in a forest-plantation landscape. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
|
25
|
Bowman J, Adey E, Angoh SYJ, Baici JE, Brown MGC, Cordes C, Dupuis AE, Newar SL, Scott LM, Solmundson K. Effects of cost surface uncertainty on current density estimates from circuit theory. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9617. [PMID: 32832267 PMCID: PMC7409782 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Conservation practitioners are often interested in developing land use plans that increase landscape connectivity, which is defined as the degree to which the landscape facilitates or impedes movement among resource patches. Landscape connectivity is often estimated with a cost surface that indicates the varying costs experienced by an organism in moving across a landscape. True, or absolute costs are rarely known however, and therefore assigning costs to different landscape elements is often a challenge in creating cost surface maps. As such, we consider it important to understand the sensitivity of connectivity estimates to uncertainty in cost estimates. Methods We used simulated landscapes to test the sensitivity of current density estimates from circuit theory to varying relative cost values, fragmentation, and number of cost classes (i.e., thematic resolution). Current density is proportional to the probability of use during a random walk. Using Circuitscape software, we simulated electrical current between pairs of nodes to create current density maps. We then measured the correlation of the current density values across scenarios. Results In general, we found that cost values were highly correlated across scenarios with different cost weights (mean correlation ranged from 0.87 to 0.92). Changing the spatial configuration of landscape elements by varying the degree of fragmentation reduced correlation in current density across maps. We also found that correlations were more variable when the range of cost values in a map was high. Discussion The low sensitivity of current density estimates to relative cost weights suggests that the measure may be reliable for land use applications even when there is uncertainty about absolute cost values, provided that the user has the costs correctly ranked. This finding should facilitate the use of cost surfaces by conservation practitioners interested in estimating connectivity and planning linkages and corridors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Bowman
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Canada.,Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Chad Cordes
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Canada
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Abstract
Of all the big cats, or perhaps of all the endangered wildlife, the tiger may be both the most charismatic and most well-recognized flagship species in the world. The rapidly changing field of molecular genetics, particularly advances in genome sequencing technologies, has provided new tools to reconstruct what characterizes a tiger. Here we review how applications of molecular genomic tools have been used to depict the tiger's ancestral roots, phylogenetic hierarchy, demographic history, morphological diversity, and genetic patterns of diversification on both temporal and geographical scales. Tiger conservation, stabilization, and management are important areas that benefit from use of these genome resources for developing survival strategies for this charismatic megafauna both in situ and ex situ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Jin Luo
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China;
| | - Yue-Chen Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China;
| | - Xiao Xu
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China;
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Contribution of Connectivity Assessments to Green Infrastructure (GI). ISPRS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEO-INFORMATION 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/ijgi9040212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A major goal of green infrastructure (GI) is to provide functional networks of habitats and ecosystems to maintain biodiversity long-term, while at the same time optimizing landscape and ecosystem functions and services to meet human needs. Traditionally, connectivity studies are informed by movement ecology with species-specific attributes of the type and timing of movement (e.g., dispersal, foraging, mating) and movement distances, while spatial environmental data help delineate movement pathways across landscapes. To date, a range of methods and approaches are available that (a) are relevant across any organism and movement type independent of time and space scales, (b) are ready-to-use as standalone freeware or custom GIS implementation, and (c) produce appealing visual outputs that facilitate communication with land managers. However, to enhance the robustness of connectivity assessments and ensure that current trends in connectivity modeling contribute to GI with their full potential, common denominators on which to ground planning and design strategies are required. Likewise, comparable, repeatable connectivity assessments will be needed to put results of these scientific tools into practice for multi-functional GI plans and implementation. In this paper, we discuss use and limitations of state-of-the-art connectivity methods in contributing to GI implementation.
Collapse
|
28
|
Functional status of a wildlife corridor with reference to tiger in Terai Arc Landscape of India. Trop Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42965-020-00060-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
29
|
Menchaca A, Rossi NA, Froidevaux J, Dias-Freedman I, Caragiulo A, Wultsch C, Harmsen B, Foster R, de la Torre JA, Medellin RA, Rabinowitz S, Amato G. Population genetic structure and habitat connectivity for jaguar (Panthera onca) conservation in Central Belize. BMC Genet 2019; 20:100. [PMID: 31881935 PMCID: PMC6933898 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-019-0801-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Connectivity among jaguar (Panthera onca) populations will ensure natural gene flow and the long-term survival of the species throughout its range. Jaguar conservation efforts have focused primarily on connecting suitable habitat in a broad-scale. Accelerated habitat reduction, human-wildlife conflict, limited funding, and the complexity of jaguar behaviour have proven challenging to maintain connectivity between populations effectively. Here, we used non-invasive genetic sampling and individual-based conservation genetic analyses to assess genetic diversity and levels of genetic connectivity between individuals in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and the Maya Forest Corridor. We used expert knowledge and scientific literature to develop models of landscape permeability based on circuit theory with fine-scale landscape features as ecosystem types, distance to human settlements and roads to predict the most probable jaguar movement across central Belize. RESULTS We used 12 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci to identify 50 individual jaguars. We detected high levels of genetic diversity across loci (HE = 0.61, HO = 0.55, and NA = 9.33). Using Bayesian clustering and multivariate models to assess gene flow and genetic structure, we identified one single group of jaguars (K = 1). We identified critical areas for jaguar movement that fall outside the boundaries of current protected areas in central Belize. We detected two main areas of high landscape permeability in a stretch of approximately 18 km between Sittee River Forest Reserve and Manatee Forest Reserve that may increase functional connectivity and facilitate jaguar dispersal from and to Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. Our analysis provides important insights on fine-scale genetic and landscape connectivity of jaguars in central Belize, an area of conservation concern. CONCLUSIONS The results of our study demonstrate high levels of relatively recent gene flow for jaguars between two study sites in central Belize. Our landscape analysis detected corridors of expected jaguar movement between the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and the Maya Forest Corridor. We highlight the importance of maintaining already established corridors and consolidating new areas that further promote jaguar movement across suitable habitat beyond the boundaries of currently protected areas. Continued conservation efforts within identified corridors will further maintain and increase genetic connectivity in central Belize.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Menchaca
- School of Biological Sciences, the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, USA.
| | - Natalia A Rossi
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, USA
- The Wildlife Conservation Society, New York City, USA
| | - Jeremy Froidevaux
- School of Biological Sciences, the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Anthony Caragiulo
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, USA
| | - Claudia Wultsch
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, USA
- City University of New York, New York City, USA
| | - Bart Harmsen
- Panthera, New York City, USA
- Environmental Research Institute, University of Belize, Belmopan, Belize
- Southampton University, Southampton, UK
| | - Rebecca Foster
- Panthera, New York City, USA
- Southampton University, Southampton, UK
| | - J Antonio de la Torre
- School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Rodrigo A Medellin
- Instituto de Ecologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Salisa Rabinowitz
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, USA
| | - George Amato
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Thatte P, Chandramouli A, Tyagi A, Patel K, Baro P, Chhattani H, Ramakrishnan U. Human footprint differentially impacts genetic connectivity of four wide‐ranging mammals in a fragmented landscape. DIVERS DISTRIB 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Prachi Thatte
- National Center for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
| | - Anuradha Chandramouli
- National Center for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
| | - Abhinav Tyagi
- National Center for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
| | - Kaushal Patel
- National Center for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
| | - Phulmani Baro
- National Center for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
| | - Himanshu Chhattani
- National Center for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
| | - Uma Ramakrishnan
- National Center for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Genetic structure of tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in India and its implications for conservation. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
|
32
|
Tyagi A, Kumar V, Kittur S, Reddy M, Naidenko S, Ganswindt A, Umapathy G. Physiological stress responses of tigers due to anthropogenic disturbance especially tourism in two central Indian tiger reserves. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz045. [PMID: 31321036 PMCID: PMC6626984 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Tigers continue to face unprecedented threats to their existence due to poaching, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbances. The present study examines the physiological stress response of tigers due to anthropogenic activities including wildlife tourism in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and Kanha Tiger Reserve using faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) measurement. We collected a total of 341 faecal samples from both reserves during tourism and non-tourism periods. Data on various anthropogenic disturbances including tourism activities like number of vehicles and visitors were also collected. We ascertained the species identity and sex of all the samples collected using genetic markers. fGCMs were extracted using a previously reported procedure, and fGCM concentrations were subsequently determined using an established enzyme immunoassay. There was no significant difference in overall mean fGCM concentrations between the two tiger reserves, but within each reserve, concentrations were significantly higher in tigers during the tourism period as compared to the non-tourism period. We also found that the number of tourist vehicles and disturbance level significantly correlated with fGCM concentrations. This study further supports the assumption that unbridled tourism associated with high anthropogenic disturbance can be related to perceived stress and consequently may have an impact on the reproductive fitness of tigers and long-term survival of isolated populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abhinav Tyagi
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Sagar Kittur
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Mahender Reddy
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Sergey Naidenko
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Leninsky, pr. 33, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andre Ganswindt
- Mammal Research Institute, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Govindhaswamy Umapathy
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Upadhyay HS, Behera S, Dutta SK, Sahu HK, Sethy J. A viable tiger population in Similipal Tiger Reserve, India? Calculating if the ungulate prey base is limiting. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hari Shankar Upadhyay
- H. S. Upadhyay and S. Behera , Odisha Biodiversity Board, Nayapali, IN-751015 Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Satyaranjan Behera
- H. S. Upadhyay and S. Behera , Odisha Biodiversity Board, Nayapali, IN-751015 Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Sushil Kumar Dutta
- K. Dutta, H. K. Sahu and J. Sethy, Dept of Zoology, North Orissa Univ., Baripada, Odisha, India
| | - Hemanta Kumar Sahu
- K. Dutta, H. K. Sahu and J. Sethy, Dept of Zoology, North Orissa Univ., Baripada, Odisha, India
| | - Janmejay Sethy
- K. Dutta, H. K. Sahu and J. Sethy, Dept of Zoology, North Orissa Univ., Baripada, Odisha, India
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Identifying suitable habitat and corridors for Indian Grey Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) in Chotta Nagpur Plateau and Lower Gangetic Planes: A species with differential management needs. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215019. [PMID: 30969994 PMCID: PMC6457547 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Different Biogeographic provinces and environmental factors are known to influence the dispersibility of long-ranging carnivores over the landscape. However, lack of empirical data on long-ranging carnivores may lead to erroneous decisions in formulating management plans. The Indian Grey wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) is known to be distributed in the vast areas of the Indian subcontinent. However, the actual population estimates are available only for Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Bihar. Whereas, its distribution, population and habitat ecology is poorly known from the eastern region. Hence, this article aimed to evaluate the habitat suitability along with landscape connectivity for the species over the two major biogeographic provinces of India, i.e., Lower Gangetic Plains (7b) and Chhota Nagpur Plateau (6b). The present model with significantly higher Area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.981, indicates its accuracy in predicting the suitable habitats and identifying biological corridors by using environmental, topological and anthropogenic variables. Precipitation of the driest quarter and the precipitation of seasonality were the two best performing variables in our model, capable of explaining about 26% and 22.4% variation in the data respectively. Out of the total area i.e. 4,16,665 Km2, about 18,237 Km2 (4.37%) was found to be highly suitable area and about 3,16,803 Km2 (76.03%) areas as least suitable. The corridor analysis indicated that the habitat connectivity was highest in the border line area of the two biotic provinces located in the south-eastern zone via districts of Purba Singhbhum and Paschim Singhbhum of Jharkhand state and Bankura and West Midnapore districts of West Bengal state. Among the Protected Areas (PAs), natural corridors exist connecting the Simlipal National Park (NP)-Satkosia Wildlife Santuray (WLS), Dalma ranges of Chotta Nagpur plateau along with Badrama WLS, Khulasuni WLS and Debrigarh WLS. Differential management through landscape level planning may be helpful in securing the future of the species in the landscape.
Collapse
|
35
|
Shanu S, Idiculla J, Qureshi Q, Jhala Y, Aggarwal A, Dimri P, Bhattacharya S. A graph theoretic approach for modelling tiger corridor network in Central India-Eastern Ghats landscape complex, India. ECOL INFORM 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
36
|
Duangchatrasiri S, Jornburom P, Jinamoy S, Pattanvibool A, Hines JE, Arnold TW, Fieberg J, Smith JLD. Impact of prey occupancy and other ecological and anthropogenic factors on tiger distribution in Thailand's western forest complex. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:2449-2458. [PMID: 30891192 PMCID: PMC6405490 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 10/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite conservation efforts, large mammals such as tigers (Panthera tigris) and their main prey, gaur (Bos gaurus), banteng (Bos javanicus), and sambar (Rusa unicolor), are highly threatened and declining across their entire range. The only large viable source population of tigers in mainland Southeast Asia occurs in Thailand's Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM), an approximately 19,000 km2 landscape of 17 contiguous protected areas.We used an occupancy modeling framework, which accounts for imperfect detection, to identify the factors that affect tiger distribution at the approximate scale of a female tiger's home range, 64 km2, and site use at a scale of 1-km2. At the larger scale, we estimated the proportion of sites at WEFCOM that were occupied by tigers; at the finer scale, we identified the key variables that influence site-use and developed a predictive distribution map. At both scales, we examined key anthropogenic and ecological factors that help explain tiger distribution and habitat use, including probabilities of gaur, banteng, and sambar occurrence from a companion study.Occupancy estimated at the 64-km2 scale was primarily influenced by the combined presence of all three large prey species, and 37% or 5,858 km2 of the landscape was predicted to be occupied by tigers. In contrast, site use estimated at the scale of 1 km2 was most strongly influenced by the presence of sambar.By modeling occupancy while accounting for imperfect probability of detection, we established reliable benchmark data on the distribution of tigers in WEFCOM. This study also identified factors that limit tiger distributions; which managers can then target to expand tiger distribution and guide recovery elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Somphot Duangchatrasiri
- Wildlife Research DivisionDepartment of National Parks, Plant, and Wildlife ConservationBangkokThailand
| | - Pornkamol Jornburom
- University of MinnesotaSaint PaulMinnesota
- Wildlife Conservation Society Thailand ProgramNonthaburiThailand
| | | | | | - James E. Hines
- Patuxent Wildlife Research CenterU.S. Geological SurveyLaurelMaryland
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Monteiro WP, Veiga JC, Silva AR, Carvalho CDS, Lanes ÉCM, Rico Y, Jaffé R. Everything you always wanted to know about gene flow in tropical landscapes (but were afraid to ask). PeerJ 2019; 7:e6446. [PMID: 30783576 PMCID: PMC6377592 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The bulk of the world’s biodiversity is found in tropical regions, which are increasingly threatened by the human-led degradation of natural habitats. Yet, little is known about tropical biodiversity responses to habitat loss and fragmentation. Here we review all available literature assessing landscape effects on gene flow in tropical species, aiming to help unravel the factors underpinning functional connectivity in the tropics. We map and classify studies by focus species, the molecular markers employed, statistical approaches to assess landscape effects on gene flow, and the evaluated landscape and environmental variables. We then compare qualitatively and quantitatively landscape effects on gene flow across species and units of analysis. We found 69 articles assessing landscape effects on gene flow in tropical organisms, most of which were published in the last five years, were concentrated in the Americas, and focused on amphibians or mammals. Most studies employed population-level approaches, microsatellites were the preferred type of markers, and Mantel and partial Mantel tests the most common statistical approaches used. While elevation, land cover and forest cover were the most common gene flow predictors assessed, habitat suitability was found to be a common predictor of gene flow. A third of all surveyed studies explicitly assessed the effect of habitat degradation, but only 14 of these detected a reduced gene flow with increasing habitat loss. Elevation was responsible for most significant microsatellite-based isolation by resistance effects and a single study reported significant isolation by non-forested areas in an ant. Our study reveals important knowledge gaps on the study of landscape effects on gene flow in tropical organisms, and provides useful guidelines on how to fill them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jamille Costa Veiga
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Amanda Reis Silva
- Departamento de Botânica, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | | | | | - Yessica Rico
- CONACYT, Red de Diversidad Biológica del Occidente Mexicano, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Rodolfo Jaffé
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, PA, Brazil.,Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Harihar A, Chanchani P, Borah J, Crouthers RJ, Darman Y, Gray TNE, Mohamad S, Rawson BM, Rayan MD, Roberts JL, Steinmetz R, Sunarto S, Widodo FA, Anwar M, Bhatta SR, Chakravarthi JPP, Chang Y, Congdon G, Dave C, Dey S, Durairaj B, Fomenko P, Guleria H, Gupta M, Gurung G, Ittira B, Jena J, Kostyria A, Kumar K, Kumar V, Lhendup P, Liu P, Malla S, Maurya K, Moktan V, Van NDN, Parakkasi K, Phoonjampa R, Phumanee W, Singh AK, Stengel C, Subba SA, Thapa K, Thomas TC, Wong C, Baltzer M, Ghose D, Worah S, Vattakaven J. Recovery planning towards doubling wild tiger Panthera tigris numbers: Detailing 18 recovery sites from across the range. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207114. [PMID: 30408090 PMCID: PMC6224104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
With less than 3200 wild tigers in 2010, the heads of 13 tiger-range countries committed to doubling the global population of wild tigers by 2022. This goal represents the highest level of ambition and commitment required to turn the tide for tigers in the wild. Yet, ensuring efficient and targeted implementation of conservation actions alongside systematic monitoring of progress towards this goal requires that we set site-specific recovery targets and timelines that are ecologically realistic. In this study, we assess the recovery potential of 18 sites identified under WWF's Tigers Alive Initiative. We delineated recovery systems comprising a source, recovery site, and support region, which need to be managed synergistically to meet these targets. By using the best available data on tiger and prey numbers, and adapting existing species recovery frameworks, we show that these sites, which currently support 165 (118-277) tigers, have the potential to harbour 585 (454-739) individuals. This would constitute a 15% increase in the global population and represent over a three-fold increase within these specific sites, on an average. However, it may not be realistic to achieve this target by 2022, since tiger recovery in 15 of these 18 sites is contingent on the initial recovery of prey populations, which is a slow process. We conclude that while sustained conservation efforts can yield significant recoveries, it is critical that we commit our resources to achieving the biologically realistic targets for these sites even if the timelines are extended.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jimmy Borah
- WWF-India, Assam, India
- WWF-Greater Mekong Program, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | | | - Yury Darman
- WWF-Russia, Amur branch, Vladivostok, Russia
| | | | | | | | - Mark Darmaraj Rayan
- WWF-Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malaysia
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | - Meraj Anwar
- WWF-India, Terai Arc Landscape Office, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India
| | | | | | - Youde Chang
- WWF-China, Changchun, Jilin Province, P. R. China
| | | | - Chittaranjan Dave
- WWF-India, Satpura Maikal Landscape Office, Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Soumen Dey
- WWF-India, Satpura Maikal Landscape Office, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Boominathan Durairaj
- WWF-India, Western Ghats Nilgiris Landscape Office, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Harish Guleria
- WWF-India, Terai Arc Landscape Office, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Mudit Gupta
- WWF-India Terai Arc Landscape Office, Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | | | - Bopanna Ittira
- WWF-India, Programme Office, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Jyotirmay Jena
- WWF-India, Satpura Maikal Landscape Office, Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | | | - Krishna Kumar
- WWF-India, Western Ghats Nilgiris Landscape Office, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Vijay Kumar
- WWF-India, Western Ghats Nilgiris Landscape Office, Bhavanisagar, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Peiqi Liu
- WWF-China, Changchun, Jilin Province, P. R. China
| | | | - Kamlesh Maurya
- WWF-India Terai Arc Landscape Office, Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Carrie Stengel
- WWF-Tigers Alive Initiative, Washington-D.C., United States of America
| | | | | | - Tiju C. Thomas
- WWF-India, Western Ghats Nilgiris Landscape Office, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Schlaepfer DR, Braschler B, Rusterholz HP, Baur B. Genetic effects of anthropogenic habitat fragmentation on remnant animal and plant populations: a meta-analysis. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Schlaepfer
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; Yale University; New Haven Connecticut 06511 USA
| | - Brigitte Braschler
- Section of Conservation Biology; Department of Environmental Sciences; University of Basel; CH-4056 Basel Switzerland
| | - Hans-Peter Rusterholz
- Section of Conservation Biology; Department of Environmental Sciences; University of Basel; CH-4056 Basel Switzerland
| | - Bruno Baur
- Section of Conservation Biology; Department of Environmental Sciences; University of Basel; CH-4056 Basel Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Dutta T, Sharma S, DeFries R. Targeting restoration sites to improve connectivity in a tiger conservation landscape in India. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5587. [PMID: 30310737 PMCID: PMC6173158 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maintaining and restoring connectivity between source populations is essential for the long term viability of wide-ranging species, many of which occur in landscapes that are under pressure to meet increasing infrastructure needs. Identifying barriers in corridors can help inform conservation and infrastructure development agencies so that development objectives can be achieved without compromising conservation goals. Here, we use the tiger landscape in central India as a case study to identify barriers, associate them with existing infrastructure, and quantify the potential improvement by restoring or mitigating barriers. Additionally, we propose an approach to categorize linkages based on their current status within and between Protected Areas (PAs). METHODS We generated a hybrid landuse-landcover map of our study area by merging datasets. We used least-cost methods and circuit theory to map corridors and generate linkage metrics. We mapped barriers and used the improvement score (IS) metric to quantify potential improvement by restoring or mitigating them. Based on criteria that represent the status of corridors between-PAs and populations within-PAs, we ranked linkages into one of four categories: Cat1-linkages that currently have high quality and potential for tiger connectivity and should be maintained, Cat2W-linkages where focus on habitat and tiger populations may improve connectivity, Cat2B-linkages where focus on reducing barriers between PAs may improve connectivity, and Cat3-linkages where effort is needed to both reduce barriers between PAs and improve tiger populations and habitat within PAs. We associated barriers with infrastructure and present maps to show where restoration or mitigation measures can be targeted to have the highest potential impact. RESULTS We mapped 567 barriers within 30 linkages in this landscape, of which 265 barriers intersect with infrastructure (694 km of roads, 150 km of railway, 48 reservoirs, 10 mines) and 302 barriers are due to land-use or gaps in forest cover. Eighty-six barriers have both roads and railways. We identified 7 Cat1, 4 Cat2w, 9 Cat2b, and 10 Cat3 linkages. Eighty surface mines and thermal power plants are within 10 km of the least-cost paths, and more coal mines are closer to connectivity areas where linkages are narrow and rank poorly on both axes. DISCUSSION We present spatial and quantitative results that can help conservation practitioners target mitigation and restoration efforts. India is on the path to rapid economic growth, with infrastructure development planned in biodiversity-rich areas. The mitigation hierarchy of avoiding, minimizing, and offsetting impacts due to proposed development projects can be applied to corridors in this landscape. Cross-sectoral cooperation at early stages of project life-cycles to site, design, and implement solutions can maintain connectivity while meeting infrastructure needs in this rapidly changing landscape.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Trishna Dutta
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Wildlife Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Georg-August Universität, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sandeep Sharma
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
- Workgroup on Endangered Species, J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ruth DeFries
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Dresser CM, Pierson TW, Fitzpatrick BM. Isolation by distance, local adaptation, and fortuitous coincidence of geo-political boundaries with spatial-genetic clusters in southern Bog Turtles. Glob Ecol Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
|
42
|
|
43
|
Sadhu A, Jayam PPC, Qureshi Q, Shekhawat RS, Sharma S, Jhala YV. Demography of a small, isolated tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) population in a semi-arid region of western India. BMC ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1186/s40850-017-0025-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
|
44
|
Natesh M, Atla G, Nigam P, Jhala YV, Zachariah A, Borthakur U, Ramakrishnan U. Conservation priorities for endangered Indian tigers through a genomic lens. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9614. [PMID: 28851952 PMCID: PMC5575265 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09748-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tigers have lost 93% of their historical range worldwide. India plays a vital role in the conservation of tigers since nearly 60% of all wild tigers are currently found here. However, as protected areas are small (<300 km2 on average), with only a few individuals in each, many of them may not be independently viable. It is thus important to identify and conserve genetically connected populations, as well as to maintain connectivity within them. We collected samples from wild tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) across India and used genome-wide SNPs to infer genetic connectivity. We genotyped 10,184 SNPs from 38 individuals across 17 protected areas and identified three genetically distinct clusters (corresponding to northwest, southern and central India). The northwest cluster was isolated with low variation and high relatedness. The geographically large central cluster included tigers from central, northeastern and northern India, and had the highest variation. Most genetic diversity (62%) was shared among clusters, while unique variation was highest in the central cluster (8.5%) and lowest in the northwestern one (2%). We did not detect signatures of differential selection or local adaptation. We highlight that the northwest population requires conservation attention to ensure persistence of these tigers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meghana Natesh
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India. .,Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA) University, Tirumalaisamudram, Thanjavur, 613401, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Goutham Atla
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Parag Nigam
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, 248001, India
| | | | - Arun Zachariah
- Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Lakkidi Post, Pookode, Kerala, 673576, India
| | - Udayan Borthakur
- Aaranyak, 12 Kanaklata Path in Lachit Path, Ajanta Path, Survey, Beltola, Guwahati, 781028, Assam, India
| | - Uma Ramakrishnan
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Reddy PA, Cushman SA, Srivastava A, Sarkar MS, Shivaji S. Tiger abundance and gene flow in Central India are driven by disparate combinations of topography and land cover. DIVERS DISTRIB 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel A. Cushman
- US Forest Service; Rocky Mountain Research Station; Flagstaff AZ USA
| | | | - Mriganka Shekhar Sarkar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology; Hyderabad India
- Wildlife Institute of India; Dehradun India
| | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Singh SK, Aspi J, Kvist L, Sharma R, Pandey P, Mishra S, Singh R, Agrawal M, Goyal SP. Fine-scale population genetic structure of the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in a human-dominated western Terai Arc Landscape, India. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174371. [PMID: 28445499 PMCID: PMC5405937 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite massive global conservation strategies, tiger populations continued to decline until recently, mainly due to habitat loss, human-animal conflicts, and poaching. These factors are known to affect the genetic characteristics of tiger populations and decrease local effective population sizes. The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) at the foothills of the Himalaya is one of the 42 source sites of tigers around the globe. Therefore, information on how landscape features and anthropogenic factors affect the fine-scale spatial genetic structure and variation of tigers in TAL is needed to develop proper management strategies for achieving long-term conservation goals. We document, for the first time, the genetic characteristics of this tiger population by genotyping 71 tiger samples using 13 microsatellite markers from the western region of TAL (WTAL) of 1800 km2. Specifically, we aimed to estimate the genetic variability, population structure, and gene flow. The microsatellite markers indicated that the levels of allelic diversity (MNA = 6.6) and genetic variation (Ho = 0.50, HE = 0.64) were slightly lower than those reported previously in other Bengal tiger populations. We observed moderate gene flow and significant genetic differentiation (FST= 0.060) and identified the presence of cryptic genetic structure using Bayesian and non-Bayesian approaches. There was low and significantly asymmetric migration between the two main subpopulations of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve and the Corbett Tiger Reserve in WTAL. Sibship relationships indicated that the functionality of the corridor between these subpopulations may be retained if the quality of the habitat does not deteriorate. However, we found that gene flow is not adequate in view of changing land use matrices. We discuss the need to maintain connectivity by implementing the measures that have been suggested previously to minimize the level of human disturbance, including relocation of villages and industries, prevention of encroachment, and banning sand and boulder mining in the corridors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sujeet Kumar Singh
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, India
| | - Jouni Aspi
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Laura Kvist
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Reeta Sharma
- Population and Conservation Genetics, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Puneet Pandey
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, India
| | | | - Randeep Singh
- Department of Wildlife Sciences, Amity University, Noida, India
| | - Manoj Agrawal
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Habib B, Rajvanshi A, Mathur VB, Saxena A. Corridors at Crossroads: Linear Development-Induced Ecological Triage As a Conservation Opportunity. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
48
|
Mondal I, Habib B, Talukdar G, Nigam P. Triage of Means: Options for Conserving Tiger Corridors beyond Designated Protected Lands in India. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
49
|
Are corridors good for tigers Panthera tigris but bad for people? An assessment of the Khata corridor in lowland Nepal. ORYX 2016. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605316000661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractAs part of a landscape-scale programme for conserving tigers Panthera tigris the Khata corridor was established between Bardia National Park in Nepal and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in India in early 2000. We examined its functionality by comparing the status of tigers and prey in the corridor and in the adjacent National Park, using camera trapping, transect sampling and diet analysis of scats. Tiger movement was inferred from the photographs, and tiger–human conflict was assessed by means of questionnaires and interviews. The corridor harboured transient individuals as well as resident, breeding tigers. Tigers with core areas in the corridor were also recorded in the two protected areas, and vice versa. Wild prey was 3–4 times more abundant in the area of the National Park bordering the corridor than in the corridor itself, and domestic livestock constituted 12–15% of the tigers’ food in the corridor. Livestock losses and human fatalities or injuries were relatively low compared to within the buffer zones of the National Parks. Despite such problems and restrictions on grazing and extraction of natural resources, local residents were generally positive towards tigers and the corridor. The successful establishment of the corridor and the positive attitudes of local people were attributable to community development programmes initiated to compensate for the imposed restrictions, financed by the government and national and international organizations. By linking Bardia National Park and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary via the Khata corridor, a protected tiger landscape of c. 3,000 km2 was established in west-central Nepal and northern India.
Collapse
|
50
|
Gour DS, Reddy PA. Genetic monitoring critical in low-density and poorly studied tiger ( Panthera tigris) habitats in India. A comment by D.S. Gour & P.A. Reddy. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2015.1119195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Digpal S. Gour
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India
- Escuela de Ingeniería en Alimentos, Biotecnología y Agronomía, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Querétaro 76130, México
| | - Patlolla Anuradha Reddy
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India
| |
Collapse
|