Mapping potential wildlife habitats around Haro Abba Diko controlled hunting area, Western Ethiopia
Abstract Remote sensing and geographic information system technologies provide useful data to analyze and map potential wildlife habitats based on physical parameters collected from the field. HADCHA was established with a total area of 20,000 ha, while many more comparable potential wildlife habita...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7913 |
| _version_ | 1818681310361681920 |
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| author | Mosissa Geleta Erena Tekalegn G. Yesus |
| author_facet | Mosissa Geleta Erena Tekalegn G. Yesus |
| author_sort | Mosissa Geleta Erena |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Remote sensing and geographic information system technologies provide useful data to analyze and map potential wildlife habitats based on physical parameters collected from the field. HADCHA was established with a total area of 20,000 ha, while many more comparable potential wildlife habitats were left outside the area. This study aims to identify and map potential wildlife habitats around HADCHA. Data were collected using Landsat 5 thematic mapper and Sentinel‐2A satellite image, a digital elevation model with 30 m pixels downloaded from ASTER data, and existing GIS Shapefile layers. Thematic Mapper data were downloaded from USGS and processed with Erdas Imagine 2015 software. To evaluate potential wildlife habitat around HADCHA, habitat suitability parameters such as settlement, slope, water, and road buffer zones were used for habitat evaluation and mapping. Accordingly, 16,795 ha of potential wildlife habitats were identified and mapped on westwards of HADCHA. In the new PPWH, about 476.68 ha (2.84%) were moderately suitable, 14,119.17 ha (84.04%) suitable and 2,200.08 ha (13.10%) highly suitable but only 4.2 ha (0.02%) identified as unsuitable. Legal protection of the PPWH around HADCHA could increase the conservation of African buffalo, other mammals, and their habitats. While the mapped potential wildlife habitats had the potential to be parts of HADCHA, it was neglected and has not yet obtained conservation attention. The finding appeals for legal protection of the PPWH and expansion of HADCHA, which could maximize the conservation efforts taken to wild animals of the area. Neglecting this potential wildlife habitat for a long period of time exposed African buffalo and other large‐sized mammals to illegal hunting practices. Policymakers and conservationists shall revise and design the future action plan of HADCHA on how to expand the current‐controlled hunting area and maximize revenue generation from African buffalo and other potential trophy species of the area. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:00:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1b495c11610345e2add31498b7a9bae7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:00:55Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-1b495c11610345e2add31498b7a9bae72022-12-21T21:53:17ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582021-08-011116112821129410.1002/ece3.7913Mapping potential wildlife habitats around Haro Abba Diko controlled hunting area, Western EthiopiaMosissa Geleta Erena0Tekalegn G. Yesus1Department of Biology Wollega University Nekemte EthiopiaDepartment of Remote Sensing and Geo‐Informatics Wollega University Nekemte EthiopiaAbstract Remote sensing and geographic information system technologies provide useful data to analyze and map potential wildlife habitats based on physical parameters collected from the field. HADCHA was established with a total area of 20,000 ha, while many more comparable potential wildlife habitats were left outside the area. This study aims to identify and map potential wildlife habitats around HADCHA. Data were collected using Landsat 5 thematic mapper and Sentinel‐2A satellite image, a digital elevation model with 30 m pixels downloaded from ASTER data, and existing GIS Shapefile layers. Thematic Mapper data were downloaded from USGS and processed with Erdas Imagine 2015 software. To evaluate potential wildlife habitat around HADCHA, habitat suitability parameters such as settlement, slope, water, and road buffer zones were used for habitat evaluation and mapping. Accordingly, 16,795 ha of potential wildlife habitats were identified and mapped on westwards of HADCHA. In the new PPWH, about 476.68 ha (2.84%) were moderately suitable, 14,119.17 ha (84.04%) suitable and 2,200.08 ha (13.10%) highly suitable but only 4.2 ha (0.02%) identified as unsuitable. Legal protection of the PPWH around HADCHA could increase the conservation of African buffalo, other mammals, and their habitats. While the mapped potential wildlife habitats had the potential to be parts of HADCHA, it was neglected and has not yet obtained conservation attention. The finding appeals for legal protection of the PPWH and expansion of HADCHA, which could maximize the conservation efforts taken to wild animals of the area. Neglecting this potential wildlife habitat for a long period of time exposed African buffalo and other large‐sized mammals to illegal hunting practices. Policymakers and conservationists shall revise and design the future action plan of HADCHA on how to expand the current‐controlled hunting area and maximize revenue generation from African buffalo and other potential trophy species of the area.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7913African buffalocontrolled huntingEthiopiaGISHaro Abba Dikowildlife habitats |
| spellingShingle | Mosissa Geleta Erena Tekalegn G. Yesus Mapping potential wildlife habitats around Haro Abba Diko controlled hunting area, Western Ethiopia Ecology and Evolution African buffalo controlled hunting Ethiopia GIS Haro Abba Diko wildlife habitats |
| title | Mapping potential wildlife habitats around Haro Abba Diko controlled hunting area, Western Ethiopia |
| title_full | Mapping potential wildlife habitats around Haro Abba Diko controlled hunting area, Western Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Mapping potential wildlife habitats around Haro Abba Diko controlled hunting area, Western Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mapping potential wildlife habitats around Haro Abba Diko controlled hunting area, Western Ethiopia |
| title_short | Mapping potential wildlife habitats around Haro Abba Diko controlled hunting area, Western Ethiopia |
| title_sort | mapping potential wildlife habitats around haro abba diko controlled hunting area western ethiopia |
| topic | African buffalo controlled hunting Ethiopia GIS Haro Abba Diko wildlife habitats |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7913 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mosissageletaerena mappingpotentialwildlifehabitatsaroundharoabbadikocontrolledhuntingareawesternethiopia AT tekalegngyesus mappingpotentialwildlifehabitatsaroundharoabbadikocontrolledhuntingareawesternethiopia |