TitleThree's Company: Human infrastructure and diminishing savannas accentuate meso-carnivore interactions in a shared landscape of western India
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2026
AuthorsGanguly D, Srivathsa A, Vasudev D, Ramakrishnan U
JournalBiological Conservation
Volume313
Pagination111618
Date Published January 2026
Type of ArticleResearch Article
KeywordsCarnivores, Free-ranging dogs, Habitat use, Human impacts, Interspecific interactions, Shared landscapes, Tropics
Abstract

Human modifications to natural landscapes negatively impact carnivore communities. Some species may yet benefit from habitat modifications by way of resource subsidisation or reduced competition, while trading-off heightened risks. We examined a meso-carnivore community comprising golden jackal Canis aureus, jungle cat Felis chaus, Indian fox Vulpes bengalensis and desert cat Felis lybica ornata in a semi-arid landscape of Kachchh, India. First, we mapped their potential habitats and gauged the extent of fragmentation as a measure of vulnerability. Using camera-trapping and indirect sign surveys within an occupancy modelling framework, we then examined species' space use and interactions, incorporating the potential mediating influence of anthropogenic factors. Finally, we assessed temporal and fine-scale spatio-temporal co-occurrence. The most fragmented native habitat, open savanna, was positively associated with the occurrence of three of the four species. We found some evidence for body size-based dominance shaping patterns of species' spatial overlap. Spatially co-occurring species also showed temporal overlaps; temporally overlapping species further seemed to aggregate at fine spatio-temporal scales. Human disturbance mediated species interactions, wherein species pairs tended to co-occur less frequently in human-modified areas (e.g., metalled roads). Rectifying policy surrounding savanna habitats informed by species space use and interactions and affording them protection may help preserve species, prevent potential competition-driven species loss and homogenisation of the biotic communities in semi-arid landscapes.

URLhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000632072500655X?via%3Dihub
DOI10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111618