Effects of Habitat Fragmentation and Human Encroachment on Tiger Population Dynamics in Central Indian Forests

Abstract

Tigers (Panthera tigris) are one of the keystone species of the ecosystem of Central India. Tigers are vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, either from deforestation, urbanization, and infrastructure development, which is not conducive to tigers, or due to humans encroaching on their habitat with settlements and agriculture, thereby losing the possibility of gene flow and increasing the likelihood of conflict situations. Combining camera trap data and GPS collaring with other field surveys and multi-temporal satellite imagery, this study aims to understand the effects of habitat fragmentation and human pressures on tiger population dynamics. Occupancy models and PVA (population viability analysis) were used to estimate the utilization of the sites, movement corridors, and possible                     long-term population trends. Fragmentation parameters (patch size, edge density, landscape connectivity) were measured, and anthropogenic pressure that can affect fragmentation by human settlement and land use by closeness to human settlement and road density, and by land use change was evaluated. Results have shown details of uneven distribution of tigers across different patches, and of decreased dispersal in smaller, fragmented habitats. E.g., Satpura and Kanha patches with           82-85% of occupancy. Tigers are less likely to be found, and their movement is restricted in areas with high edge densities and near human settlements. These results indicate the combined effects of fragmentation and anthropogenic pressures and the importance of both contiguous forest patches and an improved landscape connectivity via corridor restoration. Use of spatial planning, restoration, and monitoring of human encroachments in conservation strategies should help in sustaining tiger populations. The study offers a landscape-level evidence-based management framework to guide interventions in the alternative of coexistence at the human-tiger interface in fragmented forest settings.