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Habitat suitability models of mountain ungulates: identifying potential areas for conservation

Habitat suitability models of mountain ungulates: identifying potential areas for conservation Background: Determining the distribution of species and of suitable habitats is a fundamental part of conservation planning. We used slope and ruggedness of the terrain, forest type and distance to the nearest village to construct habitat suitability maps for three mountain ungulates (barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral) and Himalayan serow (Capricornis thar)) in the midhills of western Nepal. We used locations of sightings and signs of presence of these mountain ungulates collected during surveys along transect to derive a suitability value for each variable using Jacob’s index. A multiplication approach was used to combine environmental variables and produce a habitat suitability map for each of the three species. An independent dataset was used to evaluate the maps using Boyce’s index. This approach provides an overview of the probable distributions of the species in question. Results: We predict that of the total area studied, 57% is suitable for M. muntjak, 67% for N. goral and 41% for C. thar. Although there are suitable habitats for all three species throughout the study area, the availability of high-quality habitats for these species varied considerably. Conclusions: Suitable habitats for N. goral and C. thar were fragmented and mostly confined to http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Zoological Studies Springer Journals

Habitat suitability models of mountain ungulates: identifying potential areas for conservation

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References (79)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 by Paudel et al.; licensee Springer.
Subject
Life Sciences; Zoology
eISSN
1810-522X
DOI
10.1186/s40555-015-0116-9
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Background: Determining the distribution of species and of suitable habitats is a fundamental part of conservation planning. We used slope and ruggedness of the terrain, forest type and distance to the nearest village to construct habitat suitability maps for three mountain ungulates (barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral) and Himalayan serow (Capricornis thar)) in the midhills of western Nepal. We used locations of sightings and signs of presence of these mountain ungulates collected during surveys along transect to derive a suitability value for each variable using Jacob’s index. A multiplication approach was used to combine environmental variables and produce a habitat suitability map for each of the three species. An independent dataset was used to evaluate the maps using Boyce’s index. This approach provides an overview of the probable distributions of the species in question. Results: We predict that of the total area studied, 57% is suitable for M. muntjak, 67% for N. goral and 41% for C. thar. Although there are suitable habitats for all three species throughout the study area, the availability of high-quality habitats for these species varied considerably. Conclusions: Suitable habitats for N. goral and C. thar were fragmented and mostly confined to

Journal

Zoological Studies – Springer Journals

Published: Apr 25, 2015

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