@article {77440, title = {Human footprint differentially impacts genetic connectivity of four wide-ranging mammals in a fragmented landscape}, journal = {DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS}, volume = {26}, year = {2020}, month = {03/2020}, pages = {299-314}, abstract = {

Aim: Maintaining connectivity is critical for long-term persistence of wild carnivores in landscapes fragmented due to anthropogenic activity. We examined spatial genetic structure and the impact of landscape features on genetic structure in four widespread species-jungle cat (Felis chaus), leopard (Panthera pardus), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) and tiger (Panthera tigris).

Location: Our study was carried out in the central Indian landscape, a stronghold in terms of distribution and abundance of large mammals. The landscape comprises fragmented forests embedded in a heterogeneous matrix of multiple land use types.

Methods: Microsatellite data from non-invasively sampled individuals (90 jungle cats, 82 leopards, 104 sloth bears and 117 tigers) were used to investigate genetic differentiation. Impact of landscape features on genetic structure was inferred using a multimodel landscape resistance optimization approach.

Results: All four study species revealed significant isolation by distance (IBD). The correlation between genetic and geographic distance was significant only over a short distance for jungle cat, followed by longer distances for sloth bear, leopard and tiger. Overall, human footprint had a high negative impact on gene flow in tigers, followed by leopards, sloth bears and the least on jungle cats. Individual landscape variables-land use, human population density, density of linear features and roads-impacted the study species differently. Although land use was found to be an important variable explaining genetic structure for all four species, the amount of variation explained, and the optimum spatial resolution and the resistance values of different land use classes varied.

Main conclusions: As expected from theory, but rarely demonstrated using empirical data, the pattern of spatial autocorrelation of genetic variation scaled with dispersal ability and density of the study species. Landscape genetic analyses revealed species-specific impact of landscape features and provided insights into interactions between species biology and landscape structure. Our results emphasize the need for incorporating functional connectivity data from multiple species for landscape-level conservation planning.

}, doi = {10.1111/ddi.13022}, author = {Thatte, P and Chandramouli, A and Tyagi, A and Patel, K and Baro, P and Chhattani, H and Ramakrishnan, U} } @article {71094, title = {Human footprint differentially impacts genetic connectivity of four wide-ranging mammals in a fragmented landscape}, journal = {Diversity and Distribution}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, abstract = {

Aim

Maintaining connectivity is critical for long-term persistence of wild carnivores in landscapes fragmented due to anthropogenic activity. We examined spatial genetic structure and the impact of landscape features on genetic structure in four widespread species{\textemdash}jungle cat (Felis chaus), leopard (Panthera pardus), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) and tiger (Panthera tigris).

Location

Our study was carried out in the central Indian landscape, a stronghold in terms of distribution and abundance of large mammals. The landscape comprises fragmented forests embedded in a heterogeneous matrix of multiple land use types.

Methods

Microsatellite data from non-invasively sampled individuals (90 jungle cats, 82 leopards, 104 sloth bears and 117 tigers) were used to investigate genetic differentiation. Impact of landscape features on genetic structure was inferred using a multimodel landscape resistance optimization approach.

Results

All four study species revealed significant isolation by distance (IBD). The correlation between genetic and geographic distance was significant only over a short distance for jungle cat, followed by longer distances for sloth bear, leopard and tiger. Overall, human footprint had a high negative impact on gene flow in tigers, followed by leopards, sloth bears and the least on jungle cats. Individual landscape variables{\textemdash}land use, human population density, density of linear features and roads{\textemdash}impacted the study species differently. Although land use was found to be an important variable explaining genetic structure for all four species, the amount of variation explained, and the optimum spatial resolution and the resistance values of different land use classes varied.

Main conclusions

As expected from theory, but rarely demonstrated using empirical data, the pattern of spatial autocorrelation of genetic variation scaled with dispersal ability and density of the study species. Landscape genetic analyses revealed species-specific impact of landscape features and provided insights into interactions between species biology and landscape structure. Our results emphasize the need for incorporating functional connectivity data from multiple species for landscape-level conservation planning.

}, doi = {10.1111/ddi.13022}, author = {Thatte, P and Chandramouli, A and Tyagi, A and Patel, K and Baro, B and Chhattani, H and Ramakrishnan, U} } @article {66849, title = {Protected areas and biodiversity conservation in India}, journal = {BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION}, volume = {237}, year = {2019}, month = {09/2019}, pages = {114-124}, abstract = {

Three well-supported generalizations in conservation biology are that developing tropical countries will experience the greatest biodiversity declines in the near future, they are some of the least studied areas in the world, and in these regions especially, protection requires local community support. We assess these generalizations in an evaluation of protected areas in India. The 5\% of India officially protected covers most ecoregions and protected areas have been an important reason why India has suffered no documented species extinctions in the past 70 years. India has strong legislation favouring conservation, government investment focused on 50 Tiger Reserves, and government compensation schemes that facilitate local support, all of which brighten future prospects. However, many protected areas are too small to maintain a full complement of species, making connectivity and species use of buffer zones a crucial issue. Conservation success and challenges vary across regions according to their development status. In less developed areas, notably the biodiverse northeast Himalaya, protected areas maintaining the highest biodiversity result from locally-focused efforts by dedicated individuals. Across India, we demonstrate considerable opportunities to increase local income through ecotourism. Our evaluation confirms a lack of data, increasing threats, and the importance of local support. Research on biodiversity in buffer zones, development of long-term monitoring schemes, and assessment of cash and conservation benefits from tourism are in particular need. For policy makers, two main goals should be the development of monitoring plans for {\textquoteleft}eco-sensitive zones{\textquoteright} around protected areas, and a strong emphasis on preserving established protected areas.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.biocon.2019.06.024}, author = {Ghosh-Harihar, M and An, R and Athrey, R and Borthakur, U and Chanchani, P and Chetry, D and Datta, A and Harihar, A and Karanth, KK and Mariyam, D and Mohan, D and Onial, M and Ramakrishnan, U and Robin, VV and Saxena, A and Shahabuddin, G and Thatte, P and Vijay, V and Wacker, K and Mathur, VB and Pimm, SL and Price, TD} }