scholarly journals Prediction of leopard habitat suitability in Taman Negara main forest complex, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3(SI)) ◽  
pp. 806-811
Author(s):  
N.F. Khodri ◽  
◽  
T. Lihan ◽  
M.A. Mustapha ◽  
T.M. Taher ◽  
...  

Aim: This research assessed the distribution of leopard to predict the habitat suitability in Taman Negara National Park and adjacent forest area. Methodology: Environmental factors for habitat suitability were derived from geographical information system (GIS) data such as elevation, slope, land-use, distance from urban and distance from river. Leopard presence data from 1993 to 2008 were integrated with the environmental parameters using maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modeling to assess habitat suitability across the study area. Results: The results showed that distance from river contributed the most (39.3%) in the habitat suitability modeling followed by distance from urban (31.4%), elevation (12.3%), land use types (10.1%), and slope (6.9%). Distance from river and urban showed highest contribution that influenced leopard distribution in which most suitable habitat occurred in proximity with river and further from urban. Habitat suitability of leopard were distributed among 48% over 2,218,389 ha of the study area. Interpretation: The findings of this study provides knowledge on how the species move and exploit different habitat niches for more effective conservation management. It provide models for future wildlife conservation and urban planning.

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 207
Author(s):  
Wendy Wright ◽  
Xuan Zhu ◽  
Mateusz Okurowski

Toothed Leionema is one of four subspecies of Leionema bilobum from the Rutaceae family. A dense shrub or small tree, growing to ~4 m high, it is a poorly investigated species which is considered rare in Victoria, Australia. This paper presents the results of a study using Geographical Information Systems and Weights-of-Evidence predictive modelling to assess the importance of seven environmental factors in determining habitat suitability for this species in the Strzelecki Ranges, Victoria. This method is particularly useful in understanding the distribution of rare species, especially where the ecology of the species of interest is not well understood. Of the seven environmental factors considered here, four were found to be important: elevation, aspect, distance to water and distance to plantation (disturbed) areas. The modelling results indicate that areas with elevations between 350 and 550 m and a dominant south-western aspect that are close to plantation areas (within 700 m), and to water (within 1100–1200 m), provide potentially suitable habitat for Toothed Leionema in the region.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilo A. Calderón-Acevedo ◽  
Armando Rodríguez-Durán ◽  
J. Angel Soto-Centeno

AbstractHabitat loss and fragmentation are a leading cause of vertebrate population declines and extinction. Urbanization and natural disasters disrupt landscape connectivity, effectively isolating populations and increasing the risk of local extirpation particularly in island systems. Puerto Rico, one of the most isolated islands in the Caribbean, is home to 13 bat species that have been differentially affected by disturbance during the Anthropocene. We used circuit theory to model the landscape connectivity within Puerto Rico with the goal of understanding how fragmentation affects corridors among forested areas. Models combined species occurrences, land use, habitat suitability, and vegetation cover data to examine connectivity in the endemic bat Stenoderma rufum, and also at the bat community level across the island. Urbanization in Puerto Rico affected bat connectivity overall from east to west and underscored protected and rustic areas for the maintenance of forest corridors. Suitable habitat provided a reliable measure of connectivity among potential movement corridors that connected more isolated areas. We found that intense hurricanes can disrupt forest integrity and affect connectivity of suitable habitat. Some of the largest protected areas in the east of Puerto Rico are at an increasing risk of becoming disconnected from more continuous forest patches. The disruption of corridors that maintain connectivity on the island could explain previous findings of the slow post-hurricane population recovery of S. rufum. Given the increasing rate of urbanization, this pattern could also apply to other vertebrates not analyzed in this study. Our findings show the importance of maintaining forest integrity, emphasizing the considerable conservation value of rustic areas for the preservation of local biodiversity.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-310
Author(s):  
Adam Duarte ◽  
Daniel M. Wolcott ◽  
T. Edwin Chow ◽  
Mark A. Ricca

Abstract The Aleutian shield fern Polystichum aleuticum is endemic to the Aleutian archipelago of Alaska and is listed as endangered pursuant to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Despite numerous efforts to discover new populations of this species, only four known populations are documented to date, and information is needed to prioritize locations for future surveys. Therefore, we incorporated topographical habitat characteristics (elevation, slope, aspect, distance from coastline, and anthropogenic footprint) found at known Aleutian shield fern locations into a Geographical Information System (GIS) model to create a habitat suitability map for the entirety of the Andreaonof Islands. A total of 18 islands contained 489.26 km2 of highly suitable and moderately suitable habitat when weighting each factor equally. This study reports a habitat suitability map for the endangered Aleutian shield fern using topographical characteristics, which can be used to assist current and future recovery efforts for the species.


2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 1000-1008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph R. Krieger ◽  
James S. Diana

We evaluated the quantity, quality, and spatial distribution of riverine nursery habitat for larval, young-of-year (YOY), and juvenile (<500 mm) lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the North Channel of the St. Clair River (SCR), Michigan, using habitat suitability modeling (HSM) and fish collections. This HSM was developed using georeferenced habitat information on substrates, invertebrate densities, benthic flow velocities, and water depth. High-quality habitat comprised 29.1% of the study area, primarily in river bends and other areas where water velocities were highly varied. In all, 283 larval lake sturgeon were collected, with the majority found in high-quality habitat (81%) and heavily clustered in three locations (91.2% of total catch). Substrate composition and benthic flow velocity were the best indicators of observed larval catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) patterns. Available data on captured YOY and juveniles were used to corroborate modeled habitat output and revealed strong associations between modeled habitat conditions and young lake sturgeon presence. An abundance of suitable habitat for young lake sturgeon within the North Channel of the SCR suggests that lack of suitable spawning habitat or high mortality early in life limits recruitment success in this system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilo A. Calderón-Acevedo ◽  
Armando Rodríguez-Durán ◽  
J. Angel Soto-Centeno

AbstractUrbanization and natural disasters can disrupt landscape connectivity, effectively isolating populations and increasing the risk of local extirpation particularly in island systems. To understand how fragmentation affects corridors among forested areas, we used circuit theory to model the landscape connectivity of the endemic bat Stenoderma rufum within Puerto Rico. Our models combined species occurrences, land use, habitat suitability, and vegetation cover data that were used either as resistance (land use) or conductance layers (habitat suitability and vegetation cover). Urbanization affected connectivity overall from east to west and underscored protected and rustic areas for the maintenance of forest corridors. Suitable habitat provided a reliable measure of connectivity among potential movement corridors that connected more isolated areas. We found that intense hurricanes that disrupt forest integrity can affect connectivity of suitable habitat. Some of the largest protected areas in the east of Puerto Rico are at an increasing risk of becoming disconnected from more continuous forest patches. Given the increasing rate of urbanization, this pattern could also apply to other vertebrates. Our findings show the importance of maintaining forest integrity, emphasizing the considerable conservation value of rustic areas for the preservation of local biodiversity.


2021 ◽  
pp. 382-397
Author(s):  
Brian L. Cypher ◽  
Scott E. Phillips ◽  
Tory L. Westall ◽  
Erin N. Tennant ◽  
Lawrence R. Saslaw ◽  
...  

The Tipton kangaroo rat (Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides; TKR) is listed as endangered both Federally and by the state of California due to profound habitat loss throughout its range in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California. Habitat loss is still occurring and critical needs for TKR include identifying occupied sites, quantifying optimal habitat conditions, and conserving habitat. Our objectives were to (1) conduct surveys to identify sites where TKR were extant, (2) assess habitat attributes on all survey sites, (3) generate a GIS-based model of TKR habitat suitability, (4) use the model to determine the quantity and quality of remaining TKR habitat, and (5) use these results to develop conservation recommendations. We surveyed for TKR on 44 sites by live-trapping and detected TKR on 15 sites. Sites with TKR tended to have larger alkali scalds and no obvious sign of past tilling compared to sites without TKR. Also, sites with TKR usually had relatively sparse ground cover and seepweed (Suaeda nigra) was present. The non-protected Heermann’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni), a larger competitor, was either absent or present in relatively low numbers at sites with TKR, and when present its abundance was inversely related to that of TKR. Based on our habitat suitability modeling, an estimated 30,000 ha of moderately high or high quality TKR habitat and 60,000 ha of lower or medium quality habitat remain. However, habitat is still being lost and conversion of at least one survey site with TKR occurred during this project. Recommendations for TKR conservation are to (1) conduct additional TKR surveys on unsurveyed but suitable sites, (2) conserve suitable habitat on unprotected lands, (3) manage vegetation on occupied sites if necessary, (4) restore disturbed lands to increase suitability for TKR, and (5) research methods and conduct translocations of TKR to unoccupied sites with suitable habitat.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
AHMAD DWI SETYAWAN ◽  
Jatna Supriatna ◽  
Nisyawati ◽  
Ilyas Nursamsi ◽  
SUTARNO SUTARNO ◽  
...  

Abstract. Setyawan AD, Supriatna J, Nisyawati, Nursamsi I, Sutarno, Sugiyarto, Sunarto, Pradan P, Budiharta S, Pitoyo A, Suhardono S, Setyono P, Indrawan M. 2020. Anticipated climate changes reveal shifting in habitat suitability of high-altitude selaginellas in Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 5482-5497. High-altitude ecosystems with humid and cool climate are the preferred habitat for some Selaginella species (selaginellas). Such habitats are available in Java, Indonesia, which also has fertile soils with rich mineral contents resulted from volcanic activities. However, the high-altitude ecosystems in Java are threatened by various anthropogenic activities as well as changes in climate conditions, potentially affecting some Selaginella species. This study aimed to investigate the shift in suitable habitat of four species of high-altitude Selaginella spp. (Selaginella involvens, S. opaca, S. ornata, and S. remotifolia) in Java Island under current and future climate conditions predicted by several representative greenhouse gas concentration pathways. Presence data of Selaginella localities were collected from field survey between 2007 and 2014 across the island, as well as occurrence points from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility database. A total of 1,721 occurrence points data along with environmental and climate data were used to develop species distribution models using MaxEnt. Future habitat distributions were projected under four climate scenarios to see the shift in suitable habitat and altitudinal ranges. The results showed that the distribution of the four high-altitude Selaginella species are strongly influenced by altitude, annual average temperature, and annual rainfall. In the present time, 37.32% (48,974 km2) of the area of Java has been predicted to be suitable for high-altitude Selaginella. Under the optimistic climate scenario (RCP 2.6), the highly suitable area will likely to decrease by almost 35% in the year 2080, whereas the medium and low suitable areas will reduce by about 37.2% and 18.3%, respectively. Under the pessimistic scenario (RCP 8.5), about 21.2% of low suitable areas will be lost in 2080, whereas the medium and highly suitable areas are predicted to decrease by around 38.1% and 33.4%, respectively. Under the pessimistic scenario, there will be upward shift by 51.1 m in the year 2030 from the current’s mean altitude and will shift by almost 150 m in the year 2080. The maximum altitude of predicted suitable habitat is also predicted to increase to reach almost 3500 m asl in the year 2080. The results of this study imply that habitat shift of four high-altitude Selaginella species varies depending on the scenario, but in all cases, the losses are greater than gains.


Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 465
Author(s):  
Courtney E. Stuart ◽  
Lisa M. Wedding ◽  
Simon J. Pittman ◽  
Stephanie J. Green

Coastal habitats have experienced significant degradation and fragmentation in recent decades under the strain of interacting ecosystem stressors. To maintain biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, coastal managers and restoration practitioners face the urgent tasks of identifying priority areas for protection and developing innovative, scalable approaches to habitat restoration. Facilitating these efforts are models of seascape connectivity, which represent ecological linkages across heterogeneous marine environments by predicting species-specific dispersal between suitable habitat patches. However, defining the suitable habitat patches and migratory pathways required to construct ecologically realistic connectivity models remains challenging. Focusing on two reef-associated fish species of the Florida Keys, United States of America (USA), we compared two methods for constructing species- and life stage-specific spatial models of habitat suitability—penalized logistic regression and maximum entropy (MaxEnt). The goal of the model comparison was to identify the modeling algorithm that produced the most realistic and detailed products for use in subsequent connectivity assessments. Regardless of species, MaxEnt’s ability to distinguish between suitable and unsuitable locations exceeded that of the penalized regressions. Furthermore, MaxEnt’s habitat suitability predictions more closely aligned with the known ecology of the study species, revealing the environmental conditions and spatial patterns that best support each species across the seascape, with implications for predicting connectivity pathways and the distribution of key ecological processes. Our research demonstrates MaxEnt’s promise as a scalable, species-specific, and spatially explicit tool for informing models of seascape connectivity and guiding coastal conservation efforts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiyi Su ◽  
Manjit Bista ◽  
Mingshi Li

AbstractHabitat evaluation is essential for managing wildlife populations and formulating conservation policies. With the rise of innovative powerful statistical techniques in partnership with Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS techniques, spatially explicit species distribution modeling (SDM) has rapidly grown in conservation biology. These models can help us to study habitat suitability at the scale of the species range, and are particularly useful for examining the overlapping habitat between sympatric species. Species presence points collected through field GPS observations, in conjunction with 13 different topographic, vegetation related, anthropogenic, and bioclimatic variables, as well as a land cover map with seven classification categories created by support vector machine (SVM) were used to implement Maxent and GARP ecological niche models. With the resulting ecological niche models, the suitable habitat for asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and red panda (Ailurus fulgens) in Nepal Makalu Barun National Park (MBNP) was predicted. All of the predictor variables were extracted from freely available remote sensing and publicly shared government data resources. The modeled results were validated by using an independent dataset. Analysis of the regularized training gain showed that the three most important environmental variables for habitat suitability were distance to settlement, elevation, and mean annual temperature. The habitat suitability modeling accuracy, characterized by the mean area under curve, was moderate for both species when GARP was used (0.791 for black bear and 0.786 for red panda), but was moderate for black bear (0.857), and high for red panda (0.920) when Maxent was used. The suitable habitat estimated by Maxent for black bear and red panda was 716 km2 and 343 km2 respectively, while the suitable area determined by GARP was 1074 km2 and 714 km2 respectively. Maxent predicted that the overlapping area was 83% of the red panda habitat and 40% of the black bear habitat, while GARP estimated 88% of the red panda habitat and 58% of the black bear habitat overlapped. The results of land cover exhibited that barren land covered the highest percentage of area in MBNP (36.0%) followed by forest (32.6%). Of the suitable habitat, both models indicated forest as the most preferred land cover for both species (63.7% for black bear and 61.6% for red panda from Maxent; 59.9% black bear and 58.8% for red panda from GARP). Maxent outperformed GARP in terms of habitat suitability modeling. The black bear showed higher habitat selectivity than red panda. We suggest that proper management should be given to the overlapping habitats in the buffer zone. For remote and inaccessible regions, the proposed methods are promising tools for wildlife management and conservation, deserving further popularization.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff R. Troy ◽  
Nick D. Holmes ◽  
Joseph A. Veech ◽  
André F. Raine ◽  
M. Clay Green

Abstract The Newell's shearwater, or ‘A’o Puffinus newelli, is endemic to the main islands of the Hawaiian Archipelago and is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Using abiotic and biotic environmental variables, we developed a terrestrial habitat suitability model for this species on Kauai to predict habitat that could be suitable in the absence of anthropogenic threats. In addition, we developed a habitat/threat-isolation index incorporating information from our suitability model to identify regions of structurally suitable habitat with less exposure to certain anthropogenic threats (relative to other portions of the island). The habitat suitability model suggests that slope, density of rock fragments within the soil, and native vegetation cover are important factors associated with the current known distribution of the Newell's shearwater on Kauai, and that a moderate portion of the sloped interior terrain of Kauai could potentially be suitable nesting habitat for this species. The habitat/threat-isolation index identified the mountains on the north-central portion of the island as structurally suitable habitat most isolated from a combination of major anthropogenic disturbances (relative to other portions of the island). Much of this region, however, is privately owned and not designated as an official reserve, which could indicate a need for increased conservation action in this region in the future. This information is important for conservation biologists and private landowners because expanding efforts to control nonnative predators, as well as management of additional lands as reserves, may be necessary for the protection and preservation of the Newell's shearwater.


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