Identifying Priority Areas for the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) Within a Shared Landscape
ABSTRACT Habitat loss is one of the primary drivers of large felid decline. The leopard (Panthera pardus), a generalist large felid species, has the behavioural and dietary flexibility to exploit different habitat types of varying human influence. Understanding habitat selection in a shared landscap...
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Wiley
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70404 |
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| author | Aparna Kolekar Kimberley Hockings Kristian Metcalfe Sanjay Gubbi |
| author_facet | Aparna Kolekar Kimberley Hockings Kristian Metcalfe Sanjay Gubbi |
| author_sort | Aparna Kolekar |
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| description | ABSTRACT Habitat loss is one of the primary drivers of large felid decline. The leopard (Panthera pardus), a generalist large felid species, has the behavioural and dietary flexibility to exploit different habitat types of varying human influence. Understanding habitat selection in a shared landscape is critical for the development of conservation strategies and managing negative human–leopard interactions. The development of conservation policy requires data on large spatial scales, which is mostly lacking, especially within shared landscapes in India. This study aims to determine habitat selection by Indian leopards and the anthropogenic, environmental, and climatic variables contributing to this selection. Leopard occurrence records were obtained from an occupancy survey conducted in the five administrative districts in Karnataka (28,375 km2). 267 randomly selected 30 km2 grids were each walked for 10 km and all leopard signs were recorded. Environment variables were chosen to reflect land use, climatic, topographic, and human disturbances that could affect habitat selection at a resolution of 0.1 km2. The mean ensemble model was projected to the state of Karnataka. Habitat selection predicted by the ensemble model was driven by proximity to forest cover and rocky outcrops, higher precipitation, and negatively by distance to cropland and roads. Protected Areas and Reserved Forests in the study covered 47% of the predicted habitat, while 25% is within human‐use areas such as human habitation and croplands. This study predicts that half of the habitat selected by leopards is outside of protected areas and reserved forests. The selection of human‐use areas is predicted because of the availability of cover from irrigated croplands and the proximity to natural cover that provides refuge. Livestock density did not drive large‐scale habitat selection. The preservation of natural cover and rocky outcrops that provide refuge between protected areas is paramount for leopard conservation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ce6db8c60d244ecbae36253f65d69610 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-ce6db8c60d244ecbae36253f65d696102025-08-20T01:58:37ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-10-011410n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70404Identifying Priority Areas for the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) Within a Shared LandscapeAparna Kolekar0Kimberley Hockings1Kristian Metcalfe2Sanjay Gubbi3Holématthi Nature Foundation Bengaluru IndiaCentre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Cornwall UKCentre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Cornwall UKCentre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Cornwall UKABSTRACT Habitat loss is one of the primary drivers of large felid decline. The leopard (Panthera pardus), a generalist large felid species, has the behavioural and dietary flexibility to exploit different habitat types of varying human influence. Understanding habitat selection in a shared landscape is critical for the development of conservation strategies and managing negative human–leopard interactions. The development of conservation policy requires data on large spatial scales, which is mostly lacking, especially within shared landscapes in India. This study aims to determine habitat selection by Indian leopards and the anthropogenic, environmental, and climatic variables contributing to this selection. Leopard occurrence records were obtained from an occupancy survey conducted in the five administrative districts in Karnataka (28,375 km2). 267 randomly selected 30 km2 grids were each walked for 10 km and all leopard signs were recorded. Environment variables were chosen to reflect land use, climatic, topographic, and human disturbances that could affect habitat selection at a resolution of 0.1 km2. The mean ensemble model was projected to the state of Karnataka. Habitat selection predicted by the ensemble model was driven by proximity to forest cover and rocky outcrops, higher precipitation, and negatively by distance to cropland and roads. Protected Areas and Reserved Forests in the study covered 47% of the predicted habitat, while 25% is within human‐use areas such as human habitation and croplands. This study predicts that half of the habitat selected by leopards is outside of protected areas and reserved forests. The selection of human‐use areas is predicted because of the availability of cover from irrigated croplands and the proximity to natural cover that provides refuge. Livestock density did not drive large‐scale habitat selection. The preservation of natural cover and rocky outcrops that provide refuge between protected areas is paramount for leopard conservation.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70404habitat losshabitat selectionhuman–carnivore conflict and coexistencehuman–leopard interactionsIndian leopardshared landscape |
| spellingShingle | Aparna Kolekar Kimberley Hockings Kristian Metcalfe Sanjay Gubbi Identifying Priority Areas for the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) Within a Shared Landscape Ecology and Evolution habitat loss habitat selection human–carnivore conflict and coexistence human–leopard interactions Indian leopard shared landscape |
| title | Identifying Priority Areas for the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) Within a Shared Landscape |
| title_full | Identifying Priority Areas for the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) Within a Shared Landscape |
| title_fullStr | Identifying Priority Areas for the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) Within a Shared Landscape |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identifying Priority Areas for the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) Within a Shared Landscape |
| title_short | Identifying Priority Areas for the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) Within a Shared Landscape |
| title_sort | identifying priority areas for the indian leopard panthera pardus fusca within a shared landscape |
| topic | habitat loss habitat selection human–carnivore conflict and coexistence human–leopard interactions Indian leopard shared landscape |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70404 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aparnakolekar identifyingpriorityareasfortheindianleopardpantherapardusfuscawithinasharedlandscape AT kimberleyhockings identifyingpriorityareasfortheindianleopardpantherapardusfuscawithinasharedlandscape AT kristianmetcalfe identifyingpriorityareasfortheindianleopardpantherapardusfuscawithinasharedlandscape AT sanjaygubbi identifyingpriorityareasfortheindianleopardpantherapardusfuscawithinasharedlandscape |