Mesopredator spatial and temporal response to large-predators and anthropogenic activities in a Central Indian Reserve
Chatterjee, N., Davate, M., Habib, B. and Nigam, P. (2018). Mesopredator spatial and temporal response to large-predators and anthropogenic activities in a Central Indian Reserve. 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology. doi: 10.17011/conference/eccb2018/107750
Date
2018Copyright
© the Authors, 2018
The survival and long-term persistence of mammalian carnivores is a key conservation
challenge in developing countries like India. Many species of carnivores are forced to
inhabit unprotected human-dominated landscapes given the miniscule proportion of
land designated to protected areas. Differential human activity across a landscape
grossly influences the activity patterns of both predator and prey species, depending
on their degree of specialisation in feeding habits and habitat use. There lies a dearth
of studies addressing the spatio-temporal dynamics of large and meso-predators in
such disturbed landscapes. We conducted camera trap studies in dry deciduous
forests of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, Central India hypothesizing
that temporal and spatial partitioning among meso- and apex predators would be
affected across landscapes with differential anthropogenic activities. Motion-detecting
camera traps were systematically deployed across an area of 1700 sq.km following a
systematic grid sampling with a gradient of human use. Temporal activity overlap for
different species was calculated from photo-capture timings using non-parametric
kernel density distribution. We found that spatial and temporal partitioning between
apex-predators and meso-predators decreased with increase in difference in body
sizes. Tigers and leopards showed pronounced spatial partitioning. Dholes avoided
tigers through temporal segregation, their activity peaks following plummets in the
activity of the apex carnivore of this landscape. Species altered their activities
temporally at sites with higher human activities. This was reflected as higher temporal
overlap between the activities of predators at such locations. Results from our study
provide insights on the ecology of a spectrum of carnivore species varying markedly in
their body-sizes and feeding habits. Planning effective conservation strategies require
a holistic understanding of the spatio-temporal dynamics between large predators,
mesopredators and prey at multiple scales in the backdrop of varying anthropogenic
influences. Marking of prioritisation areas could facilitate persistence of carnivores in
this multi-use landscape.
1. Anthropogenic activity
2. Carnivore community
3. Niche separation
3.
...
Publisher
Open Science Centre, University of JyväskyläConference
ECCB2018: 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology. 12th - 15th of June 2018, Jyväskylä, Finland
Original source
https://peerageofscience.org/conference/eccb2018/107750/Metadata
Show full item recordCollections
- ECCB 2018 [712]
License
Related items
Showing items with similar title or keywords.
-
The effect of natural habitat and human activities on large cat’s predation risk in a tropical landscape: including spatial and temporal scales in a two-dimensional approach
Lecuyer, Lou; Rousseu, Francois; Zou, Zhiwen; Rogan, John; Calme, Sophie (Open Science Centre, University of Jyväskylä, 2018)Livestock predation by large cats represents a threat both to livestock production and to large cat conservation when retaliation occurs. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence the occurrence of attacks and ... -
How much it costs? Economics of staying near protected area of people around Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, Central India
Chatterjee, Anindita Bidisha (Open Science Centre, University of Jyväskylä, 2018)Economics is an integral part of conservation as it plays an important role in determining people’s attitude towards wildlife. Out of 1.3 billion people in India, approximately 400 million live near forested areas with ... -
Structure and dynamics of reserved field ecosystem in central Finland
Törmälä, Timo (1982)This study deals with the plant community, decomposition activity, soil fauna and field-layer fauna of reserved fields in central Finland, with special attention to primary production, herbivory, succession, trophic structure ... -
Atlantic cod individual spatial behaviour and stable isotope associations in a no‐take marine reserve
Monk, Christopher T.; Power, Michael; Freitas, Carla; Harrison, Philip M.; Heupel, Michelle; Kuparinen, Anna; Moland, Even; Simpfendorfer, Colin; Villegas‐Ríos, David; Olsen, Esben M. (Wiley, 2023)1. Foraging is a behavioural process and, therefore, individual behaviour and diet are theorized to covary. However, few comparisons of individual behaviour type and diet exist in the wild. 2. We tested whether behaviour ... -
Estimation of grasslands species diversity from their spectro-temporal heterogeneity using satellite image time series with high spatial and temporal resolutions
Lopes, Mailys; Fauvel, Mathieu; Ouin, Anne; Girard, Stéphane (Open Science Centre, University of Jyväskylä, 2018)Grasslands represent a significant source of biodiversity in farmed landscapes because of their plant and animal diversity. However, this biodiversity is threatened by the intensification of agriculture. It is therefore ...