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Adhikari JN, Bhattarai BP, Baral S, Thapa TB. Landscape-level habitat connectivity of large mammals in Chitwan Annapurna Landscape, Nepal. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70087. [PMID: 39157668 PMCID: PMC11327774 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The populations of many species of large mammals occur in small isolated and fragmented habitat patches in the human-dominated landscape. Maintenance of habitat connectivity in the fragmented landscapes is important for maintaining a healthy population of large mammal. This study evaluated the landscape patches and their linkages on two carnivores (leopard and Himalayan black bear) and seven prey species (northern red muntjac, chital, sambar, wild pig, Himalayan goral, rhesus macaque, and langur) between Chitwan National Park (CNP) and Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) by using the least-cost path (LCP) approach and the Linkage Mapper tool in ArcGIS. A total of 15 habitat patches (average area 26.67 ± 12.70 km2) were identified that had more than 50% of the total studied mammals. A weak relation among the habitat patches was found for chital and sambar (Cost-weighted distance [CWD]: Euclidean distance EucD >100), showed poor connectivity between the habitat patches, while ratio of CWD and EucD was low (i.e., low LCP) between majority of the patches for muntjac, wild pig and leopard hence had potential functional connectivity along the landscape. Similarly, low LCP between the habitat patches located in the mid-hills was observed for Himalayan goral and Himalayan black bear. Furthermore, the multi-species connectivity analysis identified the potential structural connectivity between the isolated populations and habitat patches. Therefore, these sites need to be considered connectivity hotspots and be prioritized for the conservation of large mammals in the landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagan Nath Adhikari
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and TechnologyTribhuvan UniversityKathmanduNepal
- Department of Zoology, Birendra Multiple CampusTribhuvan UniversityBharatpurNepal
- Nepal Zoological SocietyKathmanduNepal
| | - Bishnu Prasad Bhattarai
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and TechnologyTribhuvan UniversityKathmanduNepal
- Nepal Zoological SocietyKathmanduNepal
| | - Suraj Baral
- Section of HerpetologyLeibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change–Museum Koenig BonnBonnGermany
| | - Tej Bahadur Thapa
- Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and TechnologyTribhuvan UniversityKathmanduNepal
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2
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Dalui S, Sharma LK, Thakur M. Barriers and corridors: Assessment of gene flow and movement among red panda populations in eastern Himalayas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 931:172523. [PMID: 38657804 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Landscape features can impede dispersal, gene flow, and population demography, resulting in the formation of several meta-populations within a continuous landscape. Understanding a species' ability to overcome these barriers is critical for predicting genetic connectivity and population persistence, and implementing effective conservation strategies. In the present study, we conducted a fine-scale spatial genetic analysis to understand the contemporary gene flow within red panda populations in the Eastern Himalayas. Employing geometric aspects of reserve design, we delineated the critical core habitats for red pandas, which comprise 14.5 % of the landscape (12,189.75 Km2), with only a mere 443 Km2 falling within the protected areas. We identified corridors among the core habitats, which may be vital for the species' long-term genetic viability. Furthermore, we identified substantial landscape barriers, including Sela Pass in the western region, Siang river in the central region, and the Dibang river, Lohit river, along with Dihang, Dipher, and Kumjawng passes in the eastern region, which hinder gene flow. We suggest managing red panda populations through the creation of Community Conservation Reserves in the identified core habitats, following landscape-level management planning based on the core principles of geometric reserve design. This includes a specific emphasis on identified core habitats of red panda (CH-RP 5 and CH-RP 8) to facilitate corridors and implement meta-population dynamics. We propose the development of a comprehensive, long-term conservation and management plan for red pandas in the transboundary landscape, covering China, Nepal, and Bhutan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supriyo Dalui
- Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053, India; Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019, India
| | - Lalit Kumar Sharma
- Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053, India
| | - Mukesh Thakur
- Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053, India.
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3
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Mohammadi A, Ranjbaran A, Farhadinia MS, López-Bao JV, Clevenger AP. The Asiatic cheetah's road to extinction. Science 2023; 382:384. [PMID: 37883557 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk7900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Mohammadi
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad S Farhadinia
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Kent, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - José Vicente López-Bao
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Spanish National Research Council, Oviedo University, Mieres, Spain
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4
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Karami P, Tavakoli S, Esmaeili M. Fine-scale habitat suitability and connectivity analysis for the core populations of Yellow-spotted mountain pond-breeding newt (Neurergus derjugini) in the west of Iran and east of Iraq. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
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Wang P, Feng B, Zhang L, Fan X, Tang Z, Dong X, Zhang J, Zhou C, Bai W. Assessment of habitat suitability and connectivity across the potential distribution landscape of the sambar (Rusa unicolor) in Southwest China. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.909072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat suitability assessment is the basis for wildlife conservation management and habitat restoration. It is a useful tool to understand the quality of wildlife habitat and its potential spatial distribution. In order to reveal the habitat suitability and connectivity of sambar (Rusa unicolor) to promote species and biodiversity conservation, this study collected records of sambar (Rusa unicolor) from over 2,000 camera traps in the forests of Southwest China in the past 5 years to assess the overall situation of their habitat. The results of the species distribution model revealed that the suitable habitat area for sambar in the five major mountain ranges (Minshan, Qionglai, Daxiangling, Xiaoxiangling, and Liangshan) in Southwest China is 18,231 km2, accounting for 17.02% of the total area. The most suitable habitat of sambar is primarily distributed in Qionglai, as well as the intersection areas of Daxiangling, Xiaoxiangling, and Minshan. The temperature annual range, temperature seasonality, elevation, and distance to road were important factors affecting the distribution of suitable habitat for sambar. Analysis of landscape pattern shows that there were 273 habitat patches, with a maximum patch area of 9,983 km2, accounting for 54.8% of the total suitable habitat area. However, the segmentation index and separation index of each habitat patch were 0.99 and 106.58, respectively, indicating a relatively high habitat fragmentation in the study area. The results of habitat connectivity analysis showed that the Qionglai mountains have the largest suitable habitat area and the highest connectivity among habitat patches. However, habitat connectivity between the five mountains is very low, suggesting that gene flow among these mountain ranges is probably limited. We therefore recommend strengthening protection of sambar and their habitat, with special attention to the establishment of corridors between the different mountain populations.
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Daberger M, Kuemmerle T, Khaleghi Hamidi A, Khalatbari L, Abolghasemi H, Mirzadeh HR, Ghoddousi A. Prioritizing livestock grazing right buyouts to safeguard Asiatic cheetahs from extinction. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
- Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human‐Environment Systems (IRI THESys) Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
| | | | - Leili Khalatbari
- CIBIO/InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources Vairão Portugal
- Mohitban Society Tehran Iran
| | | | | | - Arash Ghoddousi
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
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7
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Ashrafzadeh MR, Khosravi R, Mohammadi A, Naghipour AA, Khoshnamvand H, Haidarian M, Penteriani V. Modeling climate change impacts on the distribution of an endangered brown bear population in its critical habitat in Iran. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 837:155753. [PMID: 35526639 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is one of the major challenges to the current conservation of biodiversity. Here, by using the brown bear, Ursus arctos, in the southernmost limit of its global distribution as a model species, we assessed the impact of climate change on the species distribution in western Iran. The mountainous forests of Iran are inhabited by small and isolated populations of brown bears that are prone to extinction in the near future. We modeled the potential impact of climate change on brown bear distribution and habitat connectivity by the years 2050 and 2070 under four representative concentration pathways (RCPs) of two general circulation models (GCMs): BCC-CSM1-1 and MRI-CGCM3. Our projections revealed that the current species' range, which encompasses 6749.8 km2 (40.8%) of the landscape, will decline by 10% (2050: RCP2.6, MRI-CGCM3) to 45% (2070: RCP8.5, BCC-CSM1-1). About 1850 km2 (27.4%) of the current range is covered by a network of conservation (CAs) and no-hunting (NHAs) areas which are predicted to decline by 0.64% (2050: RCP2.6, MRI-CGCM3) to 15.56% (2070: RCP8.5, BCC-CSM1-1) due to climate change. The loss of suitable habitats falling within the network of CAs and NHAs is a conservation challenge for brown bears because it may lead to bears moving outside the CAs and NHAs and result in subsequent increases in the levels of bear-human conflict. Thus, re-evaluation of the network of CAs and NHAs, establishing more protected areas in suitable landscapes, and conserving vital linkages between habitat patches under future climate change scenarios are crucial strategies to conserve and manage endangered populations of the brown bear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Ashrafzadeh
- Department of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources and Earth Sciences, Shahrekord University, 8818634141 Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Rasoul Khosravi
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, 71441-13131 Shiraz, Iran
| | - Alireza Mohammadi
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Ali Asghar Naghipour
- Department of Nature Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Earth Sciences, Shahrekord University, 8818634141 Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Hadi Khoshnamvand
- Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Haidarian
- Faculty of Natural Resources, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran
| | - Vincenzo Penteriani
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, CSIC/University of Oviedo/Principality of Asturias), Campus Mieres, Mieres, Spain
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Identification and analysis of areas prone to conflict with wild boar (Sus scrofa) in the vineyards of Malayer County, western Iran. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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9
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Rezaei S, Mohammadi A, Bencini R, Rooney T, Naderi M. Identifying connectivity for two sympatric carnivores in human-dominated landscapes in central Iran. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269179. [PMID: 35709185 PMCID: PMC9202930 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Central Iran supports a diversity of carnivores, most of which are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. Carnivore conservation requires the identification and preservation of core habitats and ensuring connectivity between them. In the present study, we used species distribution modeling to predict habitat suitability and connectivity modeling to predict linkage (resistant kernel and factorial least-cost path analyses) for grey wolf and golden jackal in central Iran. For grey wolf, elevation, topographic ruggedness, and distance to Conservation Areas (CAs) were the strongest predictors; for golden jackal, distance to human settlements, dump sites and topographic ruggedness were the most influential variables in predicting the occurrence of this species. Our results also indicated a high potential for large parts of the landscape to support the occurrence of these two canid species. The largest and the most crucial core habitats and corridor paths for the conservation of both species are located in the southern part of the study landscape. We found a small overlap between golden jackal corridor paths and core habitats with CAs, which has important implications for conservation and future viability of the golden jackal populations. Some sections of core areas are bisected by roads, where most vehicle collisions with grey wolf and golden jackal occurred. To minimize mortality risk, we propose that successful conservation of both species will necessitate integrated landscape-level management, as well as conservation of core areas and corridors and development of mitigation strategies to reduce vehicle collisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Rezaei
- Faculty of Science Engineering, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Alireza Mohammadi
- Faculty of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Roberta Bencini
- Department of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia UWA, Perth, Australia
| | - Thomas Rooney
- Department of Biological Science, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Morteza Naderi
- Department of Agriculture and Environment, University of Arak, Arak, Iran
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10
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Rezaei S, Mohammadi A, Malakoutikhah S, Khosravi R. Combining multiscale niche modeling, landscape connectivity, and gap analysis to prioritize habitats for conservation of striped hyaena (Hyaena hyaena). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0260807. [PMID: 35143518 PMCID: PMC8830629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying spatial gaps in conservation networks requires information on species-environment relationships, and prioritization of habitats and corridors. We combined multi-extent niche modeling, landscape connectivity, and gap analysis to investigate scale-dependent environmental relationships, and identify core habitats and corridors for a little-known carnivore in Iran, the striped hyaena (Hyaena hyaena). This species is threatened in Iran by road vehicle collisions and direct killing. Therefore, understanding the factors that affect its habitat suitability, spatial pattern of distribution, and connectivity among them are prerequisite steps to delineate strategies aiming at human-striped hyaena co-existence. The results showed that the highest predictive power and extent of habitats was obtained at the extent sizes of 4 and 2 km, respectively. Also, connectivity analysis revealed that the extent and number of core habitats and corridors changed with increasing dispersal distance, and approximately 21% of the landscape was found to support corridors. The results of gap analysis showed that 15–17% of the core habitats overlapped with conservation areas. Given the body size of the species, its mobility, and lack of significant habitat specialization we conclude that this species would be more strongly influenced by changes in habitat amount rather than landscape configuration. Our approach showed that the scale of variables and dispersal ability must be accounted for in conservation efforts to prioritize habitats and corridors, and designing conservation areas. Our results could facilitate the conservation of striped hyaena through the identification and prioritization of habitats, establishment of conservation areas, and mitigating conflicts in corridors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Rezaei
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States of America
| | - Alireza Mohammadi
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Shima Malakoutikhah
- Department of Environmental science, Faculty of Natural resources, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Rasoul Khosravi
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
- * E-mail:
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11
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Gantchoff MG, Conlee L, Belant J. The effectiveness of opportunistic public reports versus professional data to estimate large carnivore distribution. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mariela G. Gantchoff
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
| | - Laura Conlee
- Missouri Department of Conservation Columbia Missouri USA
| | - Jerrold Belant
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
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12
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Oboudi R, Malekian M, Khosravi R, Fadakar D, Adibi MA. Genetic structure and ecological niche segregation of Indian gray mongoose ( Urva edwardsii) in Iran. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14813-14827. [PMID: 34765143 PMCID: PMC8571580 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Combining genetic data with ecological niche models is an effective approach for exploring climatic and nonclimatic environmental variables affecting spatial patterns of intraspecific genetic variation. Here, we adopted this combined approach to evaluate genetic structure and ecological niche of the Indian gray mongoose (Urva edwardsii) in Iran, as the most western part of the species range. Using mtDNA, we confirmed the presence of two highly differentiated clades. Then, we incorporated ensemble of small models (ESMs) using climatic and nonclimatic variables with genetic data to assess whether genetic differentiation among clades was coupled with their ecological niche. Climate niche divergence was also examined based on a principal component analysis on climatic factors only. The relative habitat suitability values predicted by the ESMs for both clades revealed their niche separation. Between-clade climate only niche comparison revealed that climate space occupied by clades is similar to some extent, but the niches that they utilize differ between the distribution ranges of clades. We found that in the absence of evidence for recent genetic exchanges, distribution models suggest the species occurs in different niches and that there are apparent areas of disconnection across the species range. The estimated divergence time between the two Iranian clades (4.9 Mya) coincides with the uplifting of the Zagros Mountains during the Early Pliocene. The Zagros mountain-building event seems to have prevented the distribution of U. edwardsii populations between the western and eastern parts of the mountains as a result of vicariance events. Our findings indicated that the two U. edwardsii genetic clades in Iran can be considered as two conservation units and can be utilized to develop habitat-specific and climate change-integrated management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razie Oboudi
- Department of Natural ResourcesIsfahan University of TechnologyIsfahanIran
| | - Mansoureh Malekian
- Department of Natural ResourcesIsfahan University of TechnologyIsfahanIran
| | - Rasoul Khosravi
- Department of Natural ResourcesSchool of AgricultureShiraz UniversityShirazIran
| | - Davoud Fadakar
- Department of Natural ResourcesIsfahan University of TechnologyIsfahanIran
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Rodrigues RG, Srivathsa A, Vasudev D. Dog in the matrix: Envisioning countrywide connectivity conservation for an endangered carnivore. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan G. Rodrigues
- Wildlife Conservation Society–India Bengaluru India
- National Centre for Biological SciencesTIFR Bengaluru India
| | - Arjun Srivathsa
- Wildlife Conservation Society–India Bengaluru India
- School of Natural Resources and Environment University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Divya Vasudev
- Conservation Initiatives Guwahati India
- Centre for Wildlife Studies Bengaluru India
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14
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Salgueiro PA, Valerio F, Silva C, Mira A, Rabaça JE, Santos SM. Multispecies landscape functional connectivity enhances local bird species' diversity in a highly fragmented landscape. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 284:112066. [PMID: 33561758 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Local species assemblages are likely the result of habitat and landscape filtering. However, there is still limited knowledge on how landscape functional connectivity complements habitat attributes in mediating local species assemblages in real-world fragmented landscapes. In this study, we set up a non-manipulative experimental design in a standard production forest to demonstrate how functional connectivity determines the spatial distribution of a bird community. We test single- and multispecies spatially explicit, landscape functional connectivity models framed within the circuit theory, considering also patch attributes describing habitat size and quality, to weight their effects on species occurrence and community assemblage. We found that single-species functional connectivity effects contributed positively for occurrence of each species. However, they rarely provided competing alternatives in predicting community parameters when compared to multispecies connectivity models. Incorporating multispecies connectivity showed more consistent effects for all community parameters, than single-species models, since the overlap between species' dispersal abilities in the landscape shows poor agreement. Habitat size and quality, though less important, were also determinant in explaining community parameters while possibly relating to the provision of suitable nesting and foraging conditions. Both habitat and landscape filters concur to govern community assembly, though likely influencing different processes: while landscape connectivity determines which species can reach a patch, habitat quality determines which species settle in the patch. Our results also suggest that surrogating multispecies connectivity from single species has potential to source bias by assuming species perceive landscape and its barriers similarly. Inference on this issue must be gathered from as much species as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro A Salgueiro
- UBC - Conservation Biology Lab, Portugal; LabOr - Laboratory of Ornithology, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Évora. Mitra, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal.
| | - Francesco Valerio
- UBC - Conservation Biology Lab, Portugal; CIBIO-UE - Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Pole of Évora, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Évora. Mitra, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal.
| | - Carmo Silva
- UBC - Conservation Biology Lab, Portugal; MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, USA; Department of Biology, University of Évora. Mitra, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal.
| | - António Mira
- UBC - Conservation Biology Lab, Portugal; MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, USA; Department of Biology, University of Évora. Mitra, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal.
| | - João E Rabaça
- LabOr - Laboratory of Ornithology, Portugal; MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, USA; Department of Biology, University of Évora. Mitra, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal.
| | - Sara M Santos
- UBC - Conservation Biology Lab, Portugal; MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, USA; Department of Biology, University of Évora. Mitra, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal.
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15
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Morovati M, Karami P, Bahadori Amjas F. Accessing habitat suitability and connectivity for the westernmost population of Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus gedrosianus, Blanford, 1877) based on climate changes scenarios in Iran. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242432. [PMID: 33206701 PMCID: PMC7673494 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change, as an emerging phenomenon, has led to changes in the distribution, movement, and even risk of extinction of various wildlife species and this has raised concerns among conservation biologists. Different species have two options in the face of climate change, either to adopt or follow their climatic niche to new places through the connectivity of habitats. The modeling of interpatch landscape communications can serve as an effective decision support tool for wildlife managers. This study was conducted to assess the effects of climate change on the distribution and habitat connectivity of the endangered subspecies of Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus gedrosianus) in the southern and southeastern Iran. The presence points of the species were collected in Provinces of Kerman, Hormozgan, and Sistan-Baluchestan. Habitat modeling was done by the Generalized Linear Model, and 3 machine learning models including Maximum Entropy, Back Propagation based artificial Neural Network, and Support Vector Machine. In order to achieve the ensemble model, the results of the mentioned models were merged based on the method of "accuracy rate as weight" derived from their validation. To construct pseudo-absence points for the use in the mentioned models, the Ensemble model of presence-only models was used. The modeling was performed using 15 habitat variables related to climatic, vegetation, topographic, and anthropogenic parameters. The three general circulation models of BCC-CSM1, CCSM4, and MRI-CGCM3 were selected under the two scenarios of RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 by 2070. To investigate the effect of climate change on the habitat connections, the protected areas of 3 provinces were considered as focal nodes and the connections between them were established based on electrical circuit theory and Pairwise method. The true skill statistic was employed to convert the continuous suitability layers to binary suitable/unsuitable range maps to assess the effectiveness of the protected areas in the coverage of suitable habitats for the species. Due to the high power of the stochastic forest model in determining the importance of variables, this method was used. The results showed that presence/absence models were successful in the implementation and well distinguished the points of presence and pseudo-absence from each other. Based on the random forests model, the variables of Precipitation of Driest Quarter, Precipitation of Coldest Quarter, and Temperature Annual Range have the greatest impact on the habitat suitability. Comparing the modeling findings to the realities of the species distribution range indicated that the suitable habitats are located in areas with high humidity and rainfall, which are mostly in the northern areas of Bandar Abbas, south of Kerman, and west and south of Sistan-Baluchestan. The area of suitable habitats, in the MRI-CGCM3 (189731 Km2) and CCSM4 (179007 Km2) models under the RCP2.6 scenario, is larger than the current distribution (174001 Km2). However, in terms of the performance of protected areas, the optimal coverage of the species by the boundary of the protected areas, under each of the RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios, is less than the present time. According to the electric circuit theory, connecting the populations in the protected areas of Sistan-Baluchestan province to those in the northern Hormozgan and the southern Kerman would be based on the crossing through the heights of Sistan-Baluchestan and Hormozgan provinces and the plains between these heights would be the movement pinch points under the current and future scenarios. Populations in the protected areas of Kerman have higher quality patch connections than that of the other two provinces. The areas such as Sang-e_Mes, Kouh_Shir, Zaryab, and Bahr_Aseman in Kerman Province and Kouhbaz and Geno in Hormozgan Province can provide suitable habitats for the species in the distribution models. The findings revealed that the conservation of the heights along with the caves inside them could be a protective priority to counteract the effects of climate change on the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Morovati
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran
- Medicinal and Industrial Plants Research Institute, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran
| | - Peyman Karami
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment Sciences, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran
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Hosseini M, Farashi A, Khani A, Farhadinia MS. Landscape connectivity for mammalian megafauna along the Iran-Turkmenistan-Afghanistan borderland. J Nat Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2019.125735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Parchizadeh J, Shilling F, Gatta M, Bencini R, Qashqaei AT, Adibi MA, Williams ST. Roads threaten Asiatic cheetahs in Iran. Curr Biol 2019; 28:R1141-R1142. [PMID: 30300597 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife-vehicle collisions are an important cause of mortality for many animal species. They also prove extremely detrimental to the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) [1,2]. One to two Asiatic cheetahs are killed by vehicles on Iran's roads annually [3,4]. As such, the Asiatic cheetah could be the next charismatic felid subspecies to go extinct in the near future [5]. We identified one statistically-significant cluster of cheetah-vehicle collisions on the Shahroud-Sabzevar Highway (SSH), in Semnan Province. Because of the extremely small population of cheetahs and the corresponding difficulty of finding statistically-significant clusters, we propose that every single cheetah-vehicle collision should be considered important. We further recommend that wildlife underpasses and associated fencing be constructed in areas of previous cheetah-vehicle collisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Parchizadeh
- Third Floor, Number 24, Zartoshtian Alley, Hafez Street, City of Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran.
| | - Fraser Shilling
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Maria Gatta
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Roberta Bencini
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, M079, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Ali Turk Qashqaei
- Plan for the Land Society, P.O. 1689733767, City of Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Adibi
- Semnan Provincial Office of Iran's Department of the Environment, Semnan Province, Iran; Faculty of Environment and Energy, Department of Habitats and Biodiversity, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, City of Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
| | - Samual T Williams
- Department of Zoology, School of Mathematical & Natural Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa; Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom; Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education (IGDORE)
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Gantchoff M, Conlee L, Belant J. Conservation implications of sex‐specific landscape suitability for a large generalist carnivore. DIVERS DISTRIB 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mariela Gantchoff
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife Conservation, College of Environmental Science and Forestry State University of New York Syracuse New York USA
| | - Laura Conlee
- Missouri Department of Conservation Columbia Missouri USA
| | - Jerrold Belant
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife Conservation, College of Environmental Science and Forestry State University of New York Syracuse New York USA
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Dickson BG, Albano CM, Anantharaman R, Beier P, Fargione J, Graves TA, Gray ME, Hall KR, Lawler JJ, Leonard PB, Littlefield CE, McClure ML, Novembre J, Schloss CA, Schumaker NH, Shah VB, Theobald DM. Circuit-theory applications to connectivity science and conservation. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2019; 33:239-249. [PMID: 30311266 PMCID: PMC6727660 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2018] [Revised: 09/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Conservation practitioners have long recognized ecological connectivity as a global priority for preserving biodiversity and ecosystem function. In the early years of conservation science, ecologists extended principles of island biogeography to assess connectivity based on source patch proximity and other metrics derived from binary maps of habitat. From 2006 to 2008, the late Brad McRae introduced circuit theory as an alternative approach to model gene flow and the dispersal or movement routes of organisms. He posited concepts and metrics from electrical circuit theory as a robust way to quantify movement across multiple possible paths in a landscape, not just a single least-cost path or corridor. Circuit theory offers many theoretical, conceptual, and practical linkages to conservation science. We reviewed 459 recent studies citing circuit theory or the open-source software Circuitscape. We focused on applications of circuit theory to the science and practice of connectivity conservation, including topics in landscape and population genetics, movement and dispersal paths of organisms, anthropogenic barriers to connectivity, fire behavior, water flow, and ecosystem services. Circuit theory is likely to have an effect on conservation science and practitioners through improved insights into landscape dynamics, animal movement, and habitat-use studies and through the development of new software tools for data analysis and visualization. The influence of circuit theory on conservation comes from the theoretical basis and elegance of the approach and the powerful collaborations and active user community that have emerged. Circuit theory provides a springboard for ecological understanding and will remain an important conservation tool for researchers and practitioners around the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett G. Dickson
- Conservation Science Partners Inc., 11050 Pioneer Trail, Suite 202, Truckee, CA, 96161, U.S.A
- Landscape Conservation Initiative, Northern Arizona University, Box 5694, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, U.S.A
| | - Christine M. Albano
- Conservation Science Partners Inc., 11050 Pioneer Trail, Suite 202, Truckee, CA, 96161, U.S.A
| | | | - Paul Beier
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, U.S.A
| | - Joe Fargione
- The Nature Conservancy – North America Region, 1101 West River Parkway, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN, 55415, U.S.A
| | - Tabitha A. Graves
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 38 Mather Drive, West Glacier, MT, 59936, U.S.A
| | - Miranda E. Gray
- Conservation Science Partners Inc., 11050 Pioneer Trail, Suite 202, Truckee, CA, 96161, U.S.A
| | - Kimberly R. Hall
- The Nature Conservancy – North America Region, 1101 West River Parkway, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN, 55415, U.S.A
| | - Josh J. Lawler
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA, 98195, U.S.A
| | - Paul B. Leonard
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Science Applications, 101 12th Avenue, Number 110, Fairbanks, AK, 99701, U.S.A
| | - Caitlin E. Littlefield
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA, 98195, U.S.A
| | - Meredith L. McClure
- Conservation Science Partners Inc., 11050 Pioneer Trail, Suite 202, Truckee, CA, 96161, U.S.A
| | - John Novembre
- Department of Human Genetics, Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, U.S.A
| | - Carrie A. Schloss
- The Nature Conservancy, 201 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105, U.S.A
| | - Nathan H. Schumaker
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 200 Southwest 35th Street, Corvallis, OR, 97330, U.S.A
| | - Viral B. Shah
- Julia Computing, 45 Prospect Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, U.S.A
| | - David M. Theobald
- Conservation Science Partners Inc., 11050 Pioneer Trail, Suite 202, Truckee, CA, 96161, U.S.A
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Climate Modelling Shows Increased Risk to Eucalyptus sideroxylon on the Eastern Coast of Australia Compared to Eucalyptus albens. PLANTS 2017; 6:plants6040058. [PMID: 29186755 PMCID: PMC5750634 DOI: 10.3390/plants6040058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aim: To identify the extent and direction of range shift of Eucalyptus sideroxylon and E. albens in Australia by 2050 through an ensemble forecast of four species distribution models (SDMs). Each was generated using four global climate models (GCMs), under two representative concentration pathways (RCPs). Location: Australia. Methods: We used four SDMs of (i) generalized linear model, (ii) MaxEnt, (iii) random forest, and (iv) boosted regression tree to construct SDMs for species E. sideroxylon and E. albens under four GCMs including (a) MRI-CGCM3, (b) MIROC5, (c) HadGEM2-AO and (d) CCSM4, under two RCPs of 4.5 and 6.0. Here, the true skill statistic (TSS) index was used to assess the accuracy of each SDM. Results: Results showed that E. albens and E. sideroxylon will lose large areas of their current suitable range by 2050 and E. sideroxylon is projected to gain in eastern and southeastern Australia. Some areas were also projected to remain suitable for each species between now and 2050. Our modelling showed that E. sideroxylon will lose suitable habitat on the western side and will not gain any on the eastern side because this region is one the most heavily populated areas in the country, and the populated areas are moving westward. The predicted decrease in E. sideroxylon's distribution suggests that land managers should monitor its population closely, and evaluate whether it meets criteria for a protected legal status. Main conclusions: Both Eucalyptus sideroxylon and E. albens will be negatively affected by climate change and it is projected that E. sideroxylon will be at greater risk of losing habitat than E. albens.
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Khosravi R, Hemami MR, Cushman SA. Multispecies assessment of core areas and connectivity of desert carnivores in central Iran. DIVERS DISTRIB 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rasoul Khosravi
- Department of Natural Resources; Isfahan University of Technology; Isfahan Iran
| | - Mahmoud-Reza Hemami
- Department of Natural Resources; Isfahan University of Technology; Isfahan Iran
| | - Samuel A. Cushman
- Rocky Mountain Research Station; USDA Forest Service; Flagstaff AZ USA
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