| Broad scale functional connectivity for Asian elephants in the Nepal-India transboundary region | |
| Neupane, Dinesh2; Baral, Suraj2; Risch, Thomas S.; Campos-Arceiz, Ahimsa | |
| 2022 | |
| Source Publication | JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
 |
| ISSN | 0301-4797 |
| Volume | 321Issue:xPages:- |
| Abstract | The Nepal-India transboundary region hosts one of Asia's most complex large mammal assemblages, including a small (but growing) population of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). These elephants occur in four widespread and geographically disjunct subpopulations, and some of them undergo seasonal transboundary movements. We conducted a broad-scale evaluation of the amount and quality of elephant habitat available in the region and of functional landscape connectivity between and within subpopulations using Maxent, circuit theory, and least -cost path analysis. Habitat suitability was highly influenced by abiotic geographical factors (altitude and precipitation) and less by ecological factors (habitat heterogeneity, plant productivity) and human disturbance (distance to settlements). The region had a relatively small amount of high and optimal suitability habitat (12.6% out of 93,700 km(2)) but all subpopulations seem to be far from carrying capacity, suggesting ample potential for further population growth. Landscape connectivity was higher between and within the west and far-west sub-populations, which should be considered a single subpopulation. The central and east subpopulations, however, had low to very low between-subpopulation connectivity. Conservation priorities include maintaining the current connectivity in the west subpopulation and across the border in the east, and protecting high-quality habitats in eastern Nepal. Restoring connectivity between the central and other subpopulations is possible if the number of elephants continues growing, and it should be a long-term conservation aspiration. Maintaining and enhancing landscape connectivity in this region requires transboundary cooperation and coordination between Nepali and Indian authorities. If successful, it will bring considerable benefits for the conservation of elephants and other wildlife. |
| Keyword | Habitat suitability Maxent Ecological corridor Terai Arc Transboundary conservation Megafauna |
| Subject Area | Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115921 |
| Indexed By | SCI |
| Language | 英语 |
| WOS ID | WOS:000848446300007 |
| Citation statistics | |
| Document Type | 期刊论文 |
| Identifier | https://ir.xtbg.ac.cn/handle/353005/13100 |
| Collection | 2012年后新成立研究组 |
| Affiliation | 1.Southeast Asia Biodivers Res Inst, Chinese Acad Sci, Ctr Integrat Conservat, Xishuangbanna Trop Bot Garden, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, Peoples R China 2.Chinese Acad Sci, Southeast Asia Biodivers Res Inst, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, Peoples R China 3.Resources Himalaya Fdn, Lalitpur, Nepal 4.Risch, Thomas S.] Arkansas State Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Jonesboro, AR USA 5.Risch, Thomas S.] Arkansas State Univ, Arkansas Biosci Inst, State Univ, AR 72467 USA |
| Recommended Citation GB/T 7714 | Neupane, Dinesh,Baral, Suraj,Risch, Thomas S.,et al. Broad scale functional connectivity for Asian elephants in the Nepal-India transboundary region[J]. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT,2022,321(x):-. |
| APA | Neupane, Dinesh,Baral, Suraj,Risch, Thomas S.,&Campos-Arceiz, Ahimsa.(2022).Broad scale functional connectivity for Asian elephants in the Nepal-India transboundary region.JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT,321(x),-. |
| MLA | Neupane, Dinesh,et al."Broad scale functional connectivity for Asian elephants in the Nepal-India transboundary region".JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 321.x(2022):-. |
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| Broad scale function（6195KB） | 期刊论文 | 出版稿 | 开放获取 | CC BY-NC-SA | View Download | |
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