scholarly journals Habitat suitability and connectivity inform a co-managed policy of protected areas networks for Asian elephants in China

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Huang ◽  
Xueyou Li ◽  
Laxman Khanal ◽  
Xuelong Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Habitat Requirements ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Asian Elephants ◽  
Maximum Entropy Modeling ◽  
Economic Context ◽  
Level Of Economic Development

Enlarging protected areas (PAs) network is critical to ensure the long-term viability of Asian elephants from habitat fragmentation and loss. While challenges are raised in the strictly government-managed policy of PAs networks due to the difficulties in persuading participation of stakeholders and meeting habitat requirements of the elephants. This study hypothesized that a co-managed policy is more plausible than the strict policy to enlarge PAs network for Asian elephants in a “developing” world. We identified the suitable habitat for Asian elephants using the maximum entropy modeling approach (MaxEnt) and examined the socio-economic context of the habitat. The hypothesis was supported by our results: (1) Asian elephants prefer forest matrix with multiple land use (50% forest cover) rather than interior of large forest and roam in proximity of human habitations (mean distance 1.85 km); (2) suitability and the level of economic development of the habitats are negatively correlated (p = 0.04). Additionally, we provided an empirical study on corridor designing for the study area in China.

scholarly journals Habitat suitability and connectivity inform a co-managed policy of protected areas networks for Asian elephants in China

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Huang ◽  
Xueyou Li ◽  
Laxman Khanal ◽  
Xuelong Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Habitat Requirements ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Asian Elephants ◽  
Maximum Entropy Modeling ◽  
Economic Context ◽  
Level Of Economic Development

Enlarging protected areas (PAs) network is critical to ensure the long-term viability of Asian elephants from habitat fragmentation and loss. While challenges are raised in the strictly government-managed policy of PAs networks due to the difficulties in persuading participation of stakeholders and meeting habitat requirements of the elephants. This study hypothesized that a co-managed policy is more plausible than the strict policy to enlarge PAs network for Asian elephants in a “developing” world. We identified the suitable habitat for Asian elephants using the maximum entropy modeling approach (MaxEnt) and examined the socio-economic context of the habitat. The hypothesis was supported by our results: (1) Asian elephants prefer forest matrix with multiple land use (50% forest cover) rather than interior of large forest and roam in proximity of human habitations (mean distance 1.85 km); (2) suitability and the level of economic development of the habitats are negatively correlated (p = 0.04). Additionally, we provided an empirical study on corridor designing for the study area in China.

scholarly journals Predicting the distribution of vulnerable fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus in Nepal

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rama Mishra ◽  
Hans de Iongh ◽  
Herwig Leirs ◽  
Babu Ram Lamichhane ◽  
Naresh Subedi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Genetic Connectivity ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Potential Habitat ◽  
Comprehensive Information ◽  
Potential Habitats ◽  
Effective Conservation

The fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus is a wetland specialist endemic to South and Southeast Asia. Nepal represents the northern limit of its biogeographic range, but comprehensive information on fishing cat distribution in Nepal is lacking. We compiled fishing cat occurrence records (n=154) from Nepal, available in published literature and unpublished data (2009 – 2020), to assess their distribution. Bioclimatic and environmental variables associated with their occurrence were used to predict the potential fishing cat range using MaxEnt modeling. Fishing cat distribution was influenced by elevation, precipitation of the warmest quarter (18_bio), precipitation of the driest month (14_bio) and land cover. Wetlands and forest cover were the important predictors of fishing cat distribution. The model predicted an area of 4.4% (6,679 km2) of Nepal as potential habitat for the fishing cat. About two third of the predicted potentially suitable habitat lies outside protected areas, however a large part of the highly suitable habitat (67%) falls within protected areas. The predicted habitat map serves as a reference for future investigation into fishing cat distribution as well as formulating and implementing effective conservation programs for fishing cats in Nepal. Fishing cat conservation initiatives should include habitats both inside and outside the protected areas to ensure long-term survival. We recommend conservation of wetland sites, surveys of fishing cats in the identified potential habitats, and study of their genetic connectivity and population status.

Protected Areas: offering security to whom, when and where?

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALICE B. KELLY ◽  
A. CLARE GUPTA
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Context ◽  
Term Management ◽  
Over Time

SUMMARYThis study considers the issue of security in the context of protected areas in Cameroon and Botswana. Though the literature on issues of security and well-being in relation to protected areas is extensive, there has been less discussion of how and in what ways these impacts and relationships can change over time, vary with space and differ across spatial scales. Looking at two very different historical trajectories, this study considers the heterogeneity of the security landscapes created by Waza and Chobe protected areas over time and space. This study finds that conservation measures that various subsets of the local population once considered to be ‘bad’ (e.g. violent, exclusionary protected area creation) may be construed as ‘good’ at different historical moments and geographical areas. Similarly, complacency or resignation to the presence of a park can be reversed by changing environmental conditions. Changes in the ways security (material and otherwise) has fluctuated within these two protected areas has implications for the long-term management and funding strategies of newly created and already existing protected areas today. This study suggests that parks must be adaptively managed not only for changing ecological conditions, but also for shifts in a protected area's social, political and economic context.

scholarly journals The social context for conservation: amphibians in human-shaped landscapes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tibor Hartel ◽  
Ben C Scheele ◽  
Laurentiu Rozylowicz ◽  
Andra Horcea-Milcu ◽  
Dan Cogalniceanu
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Direct Control ◽  
Adaptive Potential ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Economic Context ◽  
The Social ◽  
Natural Landscapes

Many human-shaped landscapes support viable amphibian populations due to the habitats created and/or maintained as a consequence of human actions. The challenges and approaches required to achieve the persistence of amphibians in human-shaped landscapes are markedly different from approaches commonly applied in protected areas. Contrary to protected areas or natural landscapes where amphibian conservationists can have direct control over management, in human-shaped landscapes, management options are best approached through understanding local communities’ values and socio-economic aspirations. However, consideration of the social aspects of amphibian conservation are vastly under-represented in the amphibian conservation literature. We propose that amphibian conservationists should: (i) assess the controllability of their mitigation actions for achieving long-term sustainability, (ii) understand the values and attitudes of individual landowners towards amphibians and amphibian-friendly management (local scale) and land stewardship on which amphibian conservation initiatives can be built (landscape scale), and (iii) understand the social and economic drivers of land-use change operating at regional levels, which is crucial for building adaptive potential in conservation programs. Since targeted amphibian conservation initiatives are limited in many human-shaped landscapes, consideration of the socio-economic context conducive to amphibian persistence is crucial.

scholarly journals Habitat suitability for primate conservation in north-east Brazil

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 803-813
Author(s):  
Bárbara Moraes ◽  
Orly Razgour ◽  
João Pedro Souza-Alves ◽  
Jean P. Boubli ◽  
Bruna Bezerra
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Change Scenario ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Priority Areas ◽  
North East

AbstractBrazil has a high diversity of primates, but increasing anthropogenic pressures and climate change could influence forest cover in the country and cause future changes in the distribution of primate populations. Here we aim to assess the long-term suitability of habitats for the conservation of three threatened Brazilian primates (Alouatta belzebul, Sapajus flavius and Sapajus libidinosus) through (1) estimating their current and future distributions using species distribution models, (2) evaluating how much of the areas projected to be suitable is represented within protected areas and priority areas for biodiversity conservation, and (3) assessing the extent of remaining forest cover in areas predicted to be suitable for these species. We found that 88% of the suitable areas are outside protected areas and only 24% are located in areas with forest cover. Although not within protected areas, 27% of the climatically suitable areas are considered priority areas for conservation. Future projections, considering a severe climate change scenario, indicate that A. belzebul, S. flavius and S. libidinosus may lose up to 94, 98 and 54% of their suitable range, respectively. The establishment of primate populations and their long-term survival in these areas are at risk. Mitigation actions such as the implementation of new protected areas, forest restoration and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will be essential for the conservation of Brazilian primates.

scholarly journals Environmental requirements for three sea pen species: relevance to distribution and conservation

2014 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 576-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Greathead ◽  
J. M. González-Irusta ◽  
J. Clarke ◽  
P. Boulcott ◽  
L. Blackadder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Habitat Suitability Index ◽  
Suitability Index ◽  
Environmental Requirements ◽  
Adequacy Criterion ◽  
Suitable Area

Abstract The aim is to determine the environmental requirements, estimate the extent of suitable habitat for three sea pen species, and assess the implications for marine protected areas (MPAs). The sea pen Funiculina quadrangularis and the habitat associated with two further sea pen species, Virgularia mirabilis and Pennatula phosphorea, are of key conservation importance and are recommended for protection within MPAs. This study models their potential distributions using the MAXimum ENTropy algorithm and assesses these in relation to five possible marine protected areas (pMPAs) proposed for Scottish waters. Metrics relevant to assessing the efficacy of MPAs are also presented. Four environmental variables of prime importance for predicting the presence of all three species of sea pen were identified: mud, minimum salinity, depth, and gravel. The habitat suitability index increased with mud content. The modelled distribution of F. quadrangularis indicated a deeper distribution than V. mirabilis or P. phosphorea and was not present in sediment with gravel content above 30%. Pennatula phosphorea had the smallest area of suitable habitat, while V. mirabilis had the largest. The percentage predicted suitable area for each species that was encompassed by the five pMPAs ranged from 11% for F. quadrangularis to 15% for P. phosphorea. Some of the largest areas predicted as suitable for F. quadrangularis lay outside the pMPAs. The model results indicated differences in the environmental requirements of the three species of sea pen that can be linked to the autecology of each species. Patch sizes, calculated from a binary output of the model, were used to estimate the degree of habitat fragmentation, thereby giving a partial assessment of the adequacy criterion for these pMPAs. The results suggest that potential MPAs within the study area cover sizeable areas of potential sea pen habitat. However, further areas suitable for F. quadrangularis could be considered.

scholarly journals Modeling Distribution and Habitat Suitability for the Snow Leopard in Bhutan

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dechen Lham ◽  
Gabriele Cozzi ◽  
Stefan Sommer ◽  
Phuntsho Thinley ◽  
Namgay Wangchuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Ensemble Model ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
Biological Corridors

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one of the world's most elusive felids. In Bhutan, which is one of the 12 countries where the species still persists, reliable information on its distribution and habitat suitability is lacking, thus impeding effective conservation planning for the species. To fill this knowledge gap, we created a country-wide species distribution model using “presence-only” data from 420 snow leopard occurrences (345 from a sign survey and 77 from a camera-trapping survey) and 12 environmental covariates consisting of biophysical and anthropogenic factors. We analyzed the data in an ensemble model framework which combines the outputs from several species distribution models. To assess the adequacy of Bhutan's network of protected areas and their potential contribution toward the conservation of the species, we overlaid the output of the ensemble model on the spatial layers of protected areas and biological corridors. The ensemble model identified 7,206 km2 of Bhutan as suitable for the snow leopard: 3,647 km2 as highly suitable, 2,681 km2 as moderately suitable, and 878 km2 as marginally suitable. Forty percent of the total suitable habitat consisted of protected areas and a further 8% of biological corridors. These suitable habitats were characterized by a mean livestock density of 1.3 individuals per hectare, and a mean slope of 25°; they closely match the distribution of the snow leopard's main wild prey, the bharal (Pseudois nayaur). Our study shows that Bhutan's northern protected areas are a centre for snow leopard conservation both at the national and regional scale.

scholarly journals The social context for conservation: amphibians in human-shaped landscapes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tibor Hartel ◽  
Ben C Scheele ◽  
Laurentiu Rozylowicz ◽  
Andra Horcea-Milcu ◽  
Dan Cogalniceanu
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Direct Control ◽  
Adaptive Potential ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Economic Context ◽  
The Social ◽  
Natural Landscapes

Many human-shaped landscapes support viable amphibian populations due to the habitats created and/or maintained as a consequence of human actions. The challenges and approaches required to achieve the persistence of amphibians in human-shaped landscapes are markedly different from approaches commonly applied in protected areas. Contrary to protected areas or natural landscapes where amphibian conservationists can have direct control over management, in human-shaped landscapes, management options are best approached through understanding local communities’ values and socio-economic aspirations. However, consideration of the social aspects of amphibian conservation are vastly under-represented in the amphibian conservation literature. We propose that amphibian conservationists should: (i) assess the controllability of their mitigation actions for achieving long-term sustainability, (ii) understand the values and attitudes of individual landowners towards amphibians and amphibian-friendly management (local scale) and land stewardship on which amphibian conservation initiatives can be built (landscape scale), and (iii) understand the social and economic drivers of land-use change operating at regional levels, which is crucial for building adaptive potential in conservation programs. Since targeted amphibian conservation initiatives are limited in many human-shaped landscapes, consideration of the socio-economic context conducive to amphibian persistence is crucial.

scholarly journals Large carnivore habitat suitability modelling for Romania and associated predictions for protected areas

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogdan Cristescu ◽  
Csaba Domokos ◽  
Kristine J. Teichman ◽  
Scott E. Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
National Level ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
Traffic Volumes

Habitat characteristics associated with species occurrences represent important baseline information for wildlife management and conservation, but have rarely been assessed for countries recently joining the EU. We used footprint tracking data and landscape characteristics in Romania to investigate the occurrence of brown bear (Ursus arctos), gray wolf (Canis lupus) and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and to compare model predictions between Natura 2000 and national-level protected areas (gap analysis). Wolves were more likely to occur where rugged terrain was present. Increasing proportion of forest was positively associated with occurrence of all large carnivores, but forest type (broadleaf, mixed, or conifer) generally varied with carnivore species. Areas where cultivated lands were extensive had little suitable habitat for lynx, whereas bear occurrence probability decreased with increasing proportion of built areas. Pastures were positively associated with wolf and lynx occurrence. Brown bears occurred primarily where national roads with high traffic volumes were at low density, while bears and lynx occurred at medium-high densities of communal roads that had lower traffic volumes. Based on predictions of carnivore distributions, natural areas protected in national parks were most suitable for carnivores, nature parks were less suitable, whereas EU-legislated Natura 2000 sites had the lowest probability of carnivore presence. Our spatially explicit carnivore habitat suitability predictions can be used by managers to amend borders of existing sites, delineate new protected areas, and establish corridors for ecological connectivity. To assist recovery and recolonization, management could also focus on habitat predicted to be suitable but where carnivores were not tracked.

scholarly journals Planning the peninsula-wide recovery of the Iberian lynx: identification of favourable habitat areas

Mammalia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 413-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Germán Garrote ◽  
Javier Fernández-López ◽  
Eva Rojas ◽  
Guillermo López ◽  
Miguel Angel Simón
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Iberian Lynx ◽  
Lynx Pardinus ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Potential Habitat ◽  
Presence Data

AbstractThe creation of new populations through reintroductions in their former range is still necessary for the long-term conservation of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). A large-scale assessment of habitat suitability is a necessary prerequisite for evaluating the possibility of carrying out lynx reintroductions. We modelled habitat suitability for the Iberian lynx in the Iberian Peninsula using MaxEnt. Lynx presence data for 2010–2013 from Andujar-Cardeña and Doñana populations were used. Habitat variables were quantified using the CORINE Land Cover. This habitat suitability model predicted an environmentally suitable area of 87,747 km2, which represents 14.08% of the whole Iberian Peninsula. Of the total suitable habitat identified, 45% is located in a large continuous area in the south-western quadrant coinciding with the historical range of the species in the mid-20th century. However, there are also relevant patches mainly in the north-eastern quadrant. About 55% of the potential area suitable for the lynx falls outside protected areas. If Iberian lynx populations are to attain levels that will facilitate their long-term survival, it will be necessary to consider potential habitat for the species throughout the whole of the Iberian Peninsula.

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