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LaPoint S, Balkenhol N, Hale J, Sadler J, Ree R. Ecological connectivity research in urban areas. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott LaPoint
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Am Obstberg 1 78315 Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Universitätsstraße 10 78464 Konstanz Germany
| | - Niko Balkenhol
- Department of Wildlife Sciences Georg‐August‐University Göttingen Büsgenweg 3 37077 Göttingen Germany
| | - James Hale
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Birmingham Birmingham B15 2TT UK
| | - Jonathan Sadler
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Birmingham Birmingham B15 2TT UK
| | - Rodney Ree
- Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria School of BioSciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Vic. 3010 Australia
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Robin VV, Gupta P, Thatte P, Ramakrishnan U. Islands within islands: two montane palaeo-endemic birds impacted by recent anthropogenic fragmentation. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:3572-84. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Revised: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. V. Robin
- National Centre for Biological Sciences; Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; Bellary Road Bangalore 560065 India
| | - Pooja Gupta
- National Centre for Biological Sciences; Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; Bellary Road Bangalore 560065 India
| | - Prachi Thatte
- National Centre for Biological Sciences; Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; Bellary Road Bangalore 560065 India
| | - Uma Ramakrishnan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences; Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; Bellary Road Bangalore 560065 India
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Singh SK, Mishra S, Aspi J, Kvist L, Nigam P, Pandey P, Sharma R, Goyal SP. Tigers of Sundarbans in India: is the population a separate conservation unit? PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118846. [PMID: 25919139 PMCID: PMC4412631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sundarbans tiger inhabits a unique mangrove habitat and are morphologically distinct from the recognized tiger subspecies in terms of skull morphometrics and body size. Thus, there is an urgent need to assess their ecological and genetic distinctiveness and determine if Sundarbans tigers should be defined and managed as separate conservation unit. We utilized nine microsatellites and 3 kb from four mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes to estimate genetic variability, population structure, demographic parameters and visualize historic and contemporary connectivity among tiger populations from Sundarbans and mainland India. We also evaluated the traits that determine exchangeability or adaptive differences among tiger populations. Data from both markers suggest that Sundarbans tiger is not a separate tiger subspecies and should be regarded as Bengal tiger (P. t. tigris) subspecies. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of the mtDNA data revealed reciprocal monophyly. Genetic differentiation was found stronger for mtDNA than nuclear DNA. Microsatellite markers indicated low genetic variation in Sundarbans tigers (He= 0.58) as compared to other mainland populations, such as northern and Peninsular (Hebetween 0.67- 0.70). Molecular data supports migration between mainland and Sundarbans populations until very recent times. We attribute this reduction in gene flow to accelerated fragmentation and habitat alteration in the landscape over the past few centuries. Demographic analyses suggest that Sundarbans tigers have diverged recently from peninsular tiger population within last 2000 years. Sundarbans tigers are the most divergent group of Bengal tigers, and ecologically non-exchangeable with other tiger populations, and thus should be managed as a separate "evolutionarily significant unit" (ESU) following the adaptive evolutionary conservation (AEC) concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujeet Kumar Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India
| | - Sudhanshu Mishra
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India
| | - Jouni Aspi
- Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Laura Kvist
- Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Parag Nigam
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India
| | - Puneet Pandey
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India
| | - Reeta Sharma
- Population and Conservation Genetics, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta, 6, P-2780–156, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Surendra Prakash Goyal
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India
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Providing more protected space for tigers Panthera tigris: a landscape conservation approach in the Western Ghats, southern India. ORYX 2015. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605314000751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractConservation of large carnivores is challenging as they face various threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation. One of the current challenges to tiger Panthera tigris conservation in India is the conversion of habitat to uses that are incompatible with conservation of the species. Bringing more tiger habitat within a protected area system and in the process creating a network of connected protected areas will deliver dual benefits of wildlife conservation and protection of watersheds. Focusing on the southern Indian state of Karnataka, which holds one of the largest contiguous tiger populations, we attempted to address this challenge using a conservation planning technique that considers ecological, social and political factors. This approach yielded several conservation successes, including an expansion of the protected area network by 2,385 km2, connection of 23 protected areas, and the creation of three complexes of protected areas, increasing the protected area network in Karnataka from 3.8 to 5.2% of the state's land area. This represents the largest expansion of protected areas in India since the 1970s. Such productive partnerships between government officials and conservationists highlight the importance of complementary roles in conservation planning and implementation.
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Yumnam B, Jhala YV, Qureshi Q, Maldonado JE, Gopal R, Saini S, Srinivas Y, Fleischer RC. Prioritizing tiger conservation through landscape genetics and habitat linkages. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111207. [PMID: 25393234 PMCID: PMC4230928 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Even with global support for tiger (Panthera tigris) conservation their survival is threatened by poaching, habitat loss and isolation. Currently about 3,000 wild tigers persist in small fragmented populations within seven percent of their historic range. Identifying and securing habitat linkages that connect source populations for maintaining landscape-level gene flow is an important long-term conservation strategy for endangered carnivores. However, habitat corridors that link regional tiger populations are often lost to development projects due to lack of objective evidence on their importance. Here, we use individual based genetic analysis in combination with landscape permeability models to identify and prioritize movement corridors across seven tiger populations within the Central Indian Landscape. By using a panel of 11 microsatellites we identified 169 individual tigers from 587 scat and 17 tissue samples. We detected four genetic clusters within Central India with limited gene flow among three of them. Bayesian and likelihood analyses identified 17 tigers as having recent immigrant ancestry. Spatially explicit tiger occupancy obtained from extensive landscape-scale surveys across 76,913 km(2) of forest habitat was found to be only 21,290 km(2). After accounting for detection bias, the covariates that best explained tiger occupancy were large, remote, dense forest patches; large ungulate abundance, and low human footprint. We used tiger occupancy probability to parameterize habitat permeability for modeling habitat linkages using least-cost and circuit theory pathway analyses. Pairwise genetic differences (FST) between populations were better explained by modeled linkage costs (r>0.5, p<0.05) compared to Euclidean distances, which was in consonance with observed habitat fragmentation. The results of our study highlight that many corridors may still be functional as there is evidence of contemporary migration. Conservation efforts should provide legal status to corridors, use smart green infrastructure to mitigate development impacts, and restore habitats where connectivity has been lost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibek Yumnam
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248001, India
| | | | - Qamar Qureshi
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248001, India
| | - Jesus E Maldonado
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20008, United States of America; Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20013, United States of America
| | - Rajesh Gopal
- National Tiger Conservation Authority, Bikaneer House, Shah Jahan Road, New Delhi 110011, India
| | - Swati Saini
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248001, India
| | - Y Srinivas
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248001, India
| | - Robert C Fleischer
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20008, United States of America
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