Assessing effects of landscape modifications and identifying priority areas for two Asian otters in coastal wetlands
Conserving species inhabiting areas overlapped with human settlements is more challenging than usual as anthropogenic impacts need to be accounted for when management plans are formulated. This study aims to identify conservation priority areas for two otter species and evaluate the impact of land-u...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423003955 |
| _version_ | 1827591118330527744 |
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| author | Naruemon Tantipisanuh Wanlop Chutipong Anucha Kamjing Utai Dachyosdee Dusit Ngoprasert |
| author_facet | Naruemon Tantipisanuh Wanlop Chutipong Anucha Kamjing Utai Dachyosdee Dusit Ngoprasert |
| author_sort | Naruemon Tantipisanuh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Conserving species inhabiting areas overlapped with human settlements is more challenging than usual as anthropogenic impacts need to be accounted for when management plans are formulated. This study aims to identify conservation priority areas for two otter species and evaluate the impact of land-use changes on conservation management in the coastal wetlands of southern Thailand. We conducted camera-trap surveys across 283 grids of 25 km2 each between 2016 and 2020. A single-species occupancy model was applied to estimate the occupancy probability of two otter species in relation to landscape characteristics and human factors. Occupancy probabilities were then correlated with anthropogenic threat levels obtained from Bayesian Belief Network to identify conservation management hotspots and conservation importance areas under various scenarios. The Smooth-coated Otter shows a higher occupancy probability in the Andaman, where a larger proportion of less disturbed wetlands remains compared to the Gulf. The Small-clawed Otter, in contrast, has higher occupancy in the Gulf. In the Andaman, the Smooth-coated Otter appears to occupy areas associated with lower human impacts and a higher proportion of natural habitats, while in the Gulf, both otter species have higher occupancy in areas where modifications of natural habitats are more intensive. In total, 1350 km2 were identified as very high conservation management hotspots, with an additional 750 km2 identified as very high conservation importance. The majority of these areas were located along the Andaman coast. However, land-use changes expanded the management hotspot areas to 2025 km2 while reducing conservation importance areas to just 175 km2. Our results emphasize the importance of protecting natural habitats and the urgency of implementing management interventions for otters on the Andaman coast, for the long-term survival of these threatened species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:27:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5acf3dd146e943da9784ff531b0e1501 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:27:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-5acf3dd146e943da9784ff531b0e15012023-12-10T06:16:15ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942023-12-0148e02760Assessing effects of landscape modifications and identifying priority areas for two Asian otters in coastal wetlandsNaruemon Tantipisanuh0Wanlop Chutipong1Anucha Kamjing2Utai Dachyosdee3Dusit Ngoprasert4Conservation Ecology Program, Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10150, Thailand; Corresponding author.Conservation Ecology Program, Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10150, ThailandConservation Ecology Program, Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10150, ThailandMangrove Research and Development Institute, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Bangkok 10210, ThailandConservation Ecology Program, Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10150, Thailand; Natural Resource management and Sustainability, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10150, ThailandConserving species inhabiting areas overlapped with human settlements is more challenging than usual as anthropogenic impacts need to be accounted for when management plans are formulated. This study aims to identify conservation priority areas for two otter species and evaluate the impact of land-use changes on conservation management in the coastal wetlands of southern Thailand. We conducted camera-trap surveys across 283 grids of 25 km2 each between 2016 and 2020. A single-species occupancy model was applied to estimate the occupancy probability of two otter species in relation to landscape characteristics and human factors. Occupancy probabilities were then correlated with anthropogenic threat levels obtained from Bayesian Belief Network to identify conservation management hotspots and conservation importance areas under various scenarios. The Smooth-coated Otter shows a higher occupancy probability in the Andaman, where a larger proportion of less disturbed wetlands remains compared to the Gulf. The Small-clawed Otter, in contrast, has higher occupancy in the Gulf. In the Andaman, the Smooth-coated Otter appears to occupy areas associated with lower human impacts and a higher proportion of natural habitats, while in the Gulf, both otter species have higher occupancy in areas where modifications of natural habitats are more intensive. In total, 1350 km2 were identified as very high conservation management hotspots, with an additional 750 km2 identified as very high conservation importance. The majority of these areas were located along the Andaman coast. However, land-use changes expanded the management hotspot areas to 2025 km2 while reducing conservation importance areas to just 175 km2. Our results emphasize the importance of protecting natural habitats and the urgency of implementing management interventions for otters on the Andaman coast, for the long-term survival of these threatened species.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423003955Asian Small-clawed OtterBayesian Belief NetworkOccupancy probabilitySmooth-coated Otter |
| spellingShingle | Naruemon Tantipisanuh Wanlop Chutipong Anucha Kamjing Utai Dachyosdee Dusit Ngoprasert Assessing effects of landscape modifications and identifying priority areas for two Asian otters in coastal wetlands Global Ecology and Conservation Asian Small-clawed Otter Bayesian Belief Network Occupancy probability Smooth-coated Otter |
| title | Assessing effects of landscape modifications and identifying priority areas for two Asian otters in coastal wetlands |
| title_full | Assessing effects of landscape modifications and identifying priority areas for two Asian otters in coastal wetlands |
| title_fullStr | Assessing effects of landscape modifications and identifying priority areas for two Asian otters in coastal wetlands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing effects of landscape modifications and identifying priority areas for two Asian otters in coastal wetlands |
| title_short | Assessing effects of landscape modifications and identifying priority areas for two Asian otters in coastal wetlands |
| title_sort | assessing effects of landscape modifications and identifying priority areas for two asian otters in coastal wetlands |
| topic | Asian Small-clawed Otter Bayesian Belief Network Occupancy probability Smooth-coated Otter |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423003955 |
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