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- Title
Habitat suitability assessment for the endangered Nilgiri Laughingthrush: A multiple logistic regression approach.
- Authors
Zarri, Ashfaq A.; Rahmani, Asad R.; Singh, A.; Kushwaha, S. P. S.
- Abstract
Application of remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools has assumed an increasingly important role in conservation biology and wildlife management by providing means for modelling potential distributions of species and their habitats, unlike the conventional ground surveys. We present here a predictive model of habitat suitability for the Nilgiri Laughingthrush, Garrulax cachinnans based on a synergistic use of field surveys and digitally processed satellite imagery combined with features mapped using GIS data layers. Collateral data were created in a GIS framework based on ground surveys comprising layers such as landuse, measures of proximity to likely features of disturbance and a digital terrain model. Multiple binomial logistic regression approach was used for modelling, and the model performance was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. About 320 km², 25.12% of the area of the Nilgiris considered for modelling was predicted to be suitable for the Nilgiri Laughingthrush. The area under the ROC curve was found to be 0.984 ± 0.003 (R²: 0.93 at P < 0.0001), implying a highly effective model. The assessed suitable habitat was highly fragmented and comprised of 1352 patches (natural as well as manmade) distributed all over the study area. The smallest suitable patch identified by the model was 400 m² and the largest patch 17.65 km². Also, ca. 92% of all patches were smaller than 0.5 km². We presume that some suitable habitat patches may be unoccupied due to strong fidelity of the species to shola (montane wet temperate forest) patches, low colonization rates, or large inter-fragment distances. Also, larger fragments might serve as source or 'exporters' of surplus individuals to maintain sink populations throughout the rest of the range. We discuss the implication of habitat fragmentation and narrow geographical range and anthropogenic pressure for the conservation of the Nilgiri Laughingthrush.
- Subjects
HABITATS; REMOTE sensing; CONSERVATION biology; HABITAT suitability index models; GEOGRAPHIC information systems; GARRULAX
- Publication
Current Science (00113891), 2008, Vol 94, Issue 11, p1487
- ISSN
0011-3891
- Publication type
Article