Spatial Dynamics and Ecology of Large Ungulate Populations in Tropical Forests of India
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Beschreibung
Large ungulates in tropical forests are among the most threatened taxa of mammals. Excessive hunting, degradation of and encroachments on their natural habitats by humans have contributed to drastic reductions in wild ungulate populations in recent decades. As such, reliable assessments of ungulate-habitat relationships and the spatial dynamics of their populations are urgently needed to provide a scientific basis for conservation efforts. However, such rigorous assessments are methodologically complex and logistically difficult, and consequently many commonly used ungulate population survey methods do not address key problems. As a result of such deficiencies, key parameters related to population distribution, abundance, habitat ecology and management of tropical forest ungulates remain poorly understood.
This book addresses this critical knowledge gap by examining how population abundance patterns in five threatened species of large ungulates vary across space in the tropical forests of the Nagarahole-Bandipur reserves in southwestern India. It also explains the development and application of an innovative methodology – spatially explicit line transect sampling – based on an advanced hierarchical modelling under the Bayesian inferential framework, which overcomes common methodological deficiencies in current ungulate surveys. The methods and results presented provide valuable reference material for researchers and professionals involved in studying and managing wild ungulate populations around the globe.
Large ungulates in tropical forests are among the most threatened taxa of mammals. Excessive hunting, degradation of and encroachments on their natural habitats by humans have contributed to drastic reductions in wild ungulate populations in recent decades. As such, reliable assessments of ungulate-habitat relationships and the spatial dynamics of their populations are urgently needed to provide a scientific basis for conservation efforts. However, such rigorous assessments are methodologically complex and logistically difficult, and consequently many commonly used ungulate population survey methods do not address key problems. As a result of such deficiencies, key parameters related to population distribution, abundance, habitat ecology and management of tropical forest ungulates remain poorly understood.
This book addresses this critical knowledge gap by examining how population abundance patterns in five threatened species of large ungulates vary across spacein the tropical forests of the Nagarahole-Bandipur reserves in southwestern India. It also explains the development and application of an innovative methodology – spatially explicit line transect sampling – based on an advanced hierarchical modelling under the Bayesian inferential framework, which overcomes common methodological deficiencies in current ungulate surveys. The methods and results presented provide valuable reference material for researchers and professionals involved in studying and managing wild ungulate populations around the globe.
Describes a practically tested, cutting-edge methodological framework to assess ungulate-habitat relationships Presents unique aspect of incorporation of spatial data and relevant analytic information on ecological and management questions concerning threatened ungulate species Demonstrates the utility of spatially-explicit modelling approach for generating results relevant for the conservation monitoring of larger mammal species at landscape scales Illustrates application of Bayesian hierarchical spatial modelling and Markov Chain Monte Carlo approaches to survey design, field practices, modelling of data and estimation of ungulate population density and related parameters Introduces innovative methods to improve standard traditional line transect field surveys and data with additional integration of spatial data elements Explains a unique approach to estimation of animal population density and abundance at a large spatial scale across and in densely forested rugged terrains
Autor*in
N. Samba Kumar
Themen in »Spatial Dynamics and Ecology of Large Ungulate Populations in Tropical Forests of India«
Large Ungulates Spatial Hierarchical Models Line Transect Sampling Wildlife Conservation Tropical Forests