@article {118431, title = {Chasms in charismatic species research: Seventy years of carnivore science and its implications for conservation and policy in India}, journal = {BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION }, volume = {273}, year = {2022}, month = {09/2022}, abstract = {

Substantial research and conservation resources are invested towards studying, protecting, and managing carnivore populations, globally. But scholarly investigations that link the outcomes of ecological research and their applications are not commonplace. Such syntheses can have implications for large predator management and human well-being. India holds strategic importance for carnivore conservation and management, supporting 60 species (including two sub-species), at relatively high densities. Reviewing all carnivore studies published in post-independence India (1947-2020), we investigate the academic impacts of published journal articles, and the role of institutions and collaborative research. We then present an analysis of the thematic patterns, trends, and biases in carnivore research. Using multiple case studies, we discuss the pertinence of ecological research in shaping litigation, policy, and conservation, while also deliberating on the facilitative role of funding and bureaucracy. Despite their purported charisma, not all carnivores benefited from extensive ecological studies, nor did conservation policy adequately draw from available scientific information; research studies were skewed towards large felids, and litigation/policies were overwhelmingly shaped by one species, the Bengal tiger Panthera tigris. We argue for reorienting current research efforts through increased focus on lesser-known species, adopting best practices in socio-ecological studies, widening the ambit of interdisciplinary work, democratizing carnivore science through partnerships, and enhancing synergy between carnivore researchers and research groups. Considered together, we believe this paper can serve as a guide for planning future research, for amplifying the overall profile of carnivore conservation science, and may be adapted across tropical countries of the Global South.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109694}, author = {Srivathsa, Arjun and Banerjee, Aditya and Banerjee, Soumya and Chawla, Malaika Mathew and Das, Anshita and Ganguly, Divyajyoti and Rodrigues, Ryan G. and Adhya, Tiasa and Bhatia, Saloni and Kshettry, Aritra and Majgaonkar, Iravatee and Punjabi, Girish A. and Puri, Mahi and Singh, Priya and Surve, Nikit} } @article {80777, title = {A strategic road map for conserving the Endangered dhole Cuon alpinus in India}, journal = {MAMMAL REVIEW}, year = {2020}, month = {07/2020}, abstract = {

1. Large carnivores face high extinction risks, often exacerbated by the absence of adequate information on their ecological requirements, and the high economic and socio-political commitments that their conservation warrants. Country-scale conservation plans can serve as effective frameworks to prioritise areas, actions, and conservation investments.

2. We explore conservation tenets of retention, recovery, and restoration for the Endangered dholeCuon alpinusin India - a global stronghold for the species. Specifically, we: 1) examine the current status of dholes in India{\textquoteright}s states using a recent distribution assessment; 2) identify areas for directing management interventions - zones to be targeted for population recovery and for habitat recovery; 3) identify potential areas for range expansion; 4) use eco-socio-political criteria to determine state-wise conservation priority scores and likelihood of conservation action; and 5) conduct an exhaustive review of all published literature on dholes.

3. Dholes occupy similar to 49\% of potential habitats in 685 of mainland India{\textquoteright}s 2342 sub-districts. We identified 143 sub-districts with potential for dhole population recovery, 145 for habitat recovery, and 404 for range expansion. Of the 34 mainland states/union territories, 17 were identified as high priority for dhole conservation. Of these, nine are adequately equipped to implement management actions to conserve dholes, while eight need to improve capacity towards increasing likelihood of conservation success.

4. Literature on dholes (from 1874 to 2019;n=237) was dominated by natural history notes, followed by distribution records and studies of population ecology. A majority of the reviewed studies were from India (55\% of 215 country-specific papers). The number of studies showed an exponential increase over time: 43\% were published in the last decade.

5. Our review of published literature revealed significant knowledge gaps in terms of quantitative ecological assessments across all dhole range-countries. Given this context, our results provide a comprehensive, multi-dimensional, and administratively feasible road map for dhole conservation in India, with potential applicability in other dhole range-countries and also for other threatened species.

}, doi = {10.1111/mam.12209}, author = {Srivathsa, Arjun and Sharma, Sushma and Singh, Priya and Punjabi, Girish A. and Oli, Madan K.} }