Agricultural lands offer seasonal habitats to tigers in a human‐dominated and fragmented landscape in India
Abstract Conserving wide‐ranging large carnivores in human‐dominated landscapes is contingent on acknowledging the conservation value of human‐modified lands. This is particularly true for tigers (Panthera tigris), now largely dependent on small and fragmented habitats, embedded within densely popul...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Ecosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3080 |
| _version_ | 1818852222318936064 |
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| author | Rekha Warrier Barry R. Noon Larissa Bailey |
| author_facet | Rekha Warrier Barry R. Noon Larissa Bailey |
| author_sort | Rekha Warrier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Conserving wide‐ranging large carnivores in human‐dominated landscapes is contingent on acknowledging the conservation value of human‐modified lands. This is particularly true for tigers (Panthera tigris), now largely dependent on small and fragmented habitats, embedded within densely populated agroecosystems in India. Devising a comprehensive conservation strategy for the species requires an understanding of the temporal patterns of space use by tiger within these human‐modified areas. These areas are often characterized by altered prey communities, novel risks resulting from high human densities and seasonally dynamic vegetative cover. Understanding space use within these areas is vital to devising human‐tiger conflict prevention measures and for conserving landscape elements critical to maintain functional connectivity between populations. We documented seasonal space‐use patterns of tigers in agricultural lands surrounding protected areas in the Central Terai Landscape (CTL) in northern India. We estimated the probability of space use and its drivers by applying dynamic occupancy models that correct for false‐positive and false‐negative errors to tiger detection
on‐detection data within agricultural areas. These data were generated by conducting local interviews, sign surveys, and camera trapping within 94 randomly selected 2.5‐km2 grid cells. We found that agricultural areas were used with high probability in the winter (0.64; standard error [SE] 0.08), a period of high vegetative cover availability. The use of agricultural lands was lower in the summer (0.56; SE 0.09) and was lowest in the monsoon season (0.21; SE 0.07), tracking a decline in vegetative cover and available habitat across the landscape. Availability of vegetative cover and drainage features positively influenced space use, whereas use declined with increasing distance to protected areas and the extent of human settlements. These findings highlight the role of agricultural areas in providing seasonal habitats for tigers and offer a basis for understanding where tigers and humans co‐occur in these landscapes. These findings help expand our current understanding of what constitutes large carnivore habitats to include human‐dominated agricultural areas. They underscore the need for greater integration of land‐sharing and land‐sparing initiatives to conserve large carnivores within human‐dominated agroecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T07:17:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-da17478a3aee4749bbb13421863372af |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-8925 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T07:17:29Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-da17478a3aee4749bbb13421863372af2022-12-21T20:31:01ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252020-07-01117n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.3080Agricultural lands offer seasonal habitats to tigers in a human‐dominated and fragmented landscape in IndiaRekha Warrier0Barry R. Noon1Larissa Bailey2Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University 1474 Campus delivery Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USADepartment of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University 1474 Campus delivery Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USADepartment of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University 1474 Campus delivery Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USAAbstract Conserving wide‐ranging large carnivores in human‐dominated landscapes is contingent on acknowledging the conservation value of human‐modified lands. This is particularly true for tigers (Panthera tigris), now largely dependent on small and fragmented habitats, embedded within densely populated agroecosystems in India. Devising a comprehensive conservation strategy for the species requires an understanding of the temporal patterns of space use by tiger within these human‐modified areas. These areas are often characterized by altered prey communities, novel risks resulting from high human densities and seasonally dynamic vegetative cover. Understanding space use within these areas is vital to devising human‐tiger conflict prevention measures and for conserving landscape elements critical to maintain functional connectivity between populations. We documented seasonal space‐use patterns of tigers in agricultural lands surrounding protected areas in the Central Terai Landscape (CTL) in northern India. We estimated the probability of space use and its drivers by applying dynamic occupancy models that correct for false‐positive and false‐negative errors to tiger detection on‐detection data within agricultural areas. These data were generated by conducting local interviews, sign surveys, and camera trapping within 94 randomly selected 2.5‐km2 grid cells. We found that agricultural areas were used with high probability in the winter (0.64; standard error [SE] 0.08), a period of high vegetative cover availability. The use of agricultural lands was lower in the summer (0.56; SE 0.09) and was lowest in the monsoon season (0.21; SE 0.07), tracking a decline in vegetative cover and available habitat across the landscape. Availability of vegetative cover and drainage features positively influenced space use, whereas use declined with increasing distance to protected areas and the extent of human settlements. These findings highlight the role of agricultural areas in providing seasonal habitats for tigers and offer a basis for understanding where tigers and humans co‐occur in these landscapes. These findings help expand our current understanding of what constitutes large carnivore habitats to include human‐dominated agricultural areas. They underscore the need for greater integration of land‐sharing and land‐sparing initiatives to conserve large carnivores within human‐dominated agroecosystems.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3080false‐positive detection errorhabitat useIndiainterview surveysland‐use planninglarge carnivores |
| spellingShingle | Rekha Warrier Barry R. Noon Larissa Bailey Agricultural lands offer seasonal habitats to tigers in a human‐dominated and fragmented landscape in India Ecosphere false‐positive detection error habitat use India interview surveys land‐use planning large carnivores |
| title | Agricultural lands offer seasonal habitats to tigers in a human‐dominated and fragmented landscape in India |
| title_full | Agricultural lands offer seasonal habitats to tigers in a human‐dominated and fragmented landscape in India |
| title_fullStr | Agricultural lands offer seasonal habitats to tigers in a human‐dominated and fragmented landscape in India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Agricultural lands offer seasonal habitats to tigers in a human‐dominated and fragmented landscape in India |
| title_short | Agricultural lands offer seasonal habitats to tigers in a human‐dominated and fragmented landscape in India |
| title_sort | agricultural lands offer seasonal habitats to tigers in a human dominated and fragmented landscape in india |
| topic | false‐positive detection error habitat use India interview surveys land‐use planning large carnivores |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3080 |
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