Using natural marks to estimate free-ranging dog Canis familiaris abundance in a MARK-RESIGHT framework in suburban Mumbai, India

Free-ranging dogs (Canis familiaris) are a major conservation issue in the tropics and adopt many ecological roles, alternatively functioning as predators, prey, or competitors of wildlife in diverse environments. Dogs are also potential reservoirs of disease that can be transmitted to both wildlife and people. Therefore a range of management interventions have been suggested to control dog populations. In order to monitor interventions to decrease dog populations, estimates of their population size are important and such methods need to be time- and cost-effective. We describe here a potential method that uses natural marks on dogs along with counts of non-marked individuals in a mark-resight framework to estimate the abundance of free-ranging dogs in a suburban area in India. Using the logit-normal mixed effects estimator to incorporate the effects of individual resighting heterogeneity, we found a total (Nj) of 680.64 ± 34.06 (95% CI = 617.22 – 751.35) dogs in the study area, with an overall mean resighting probability of 0.53 ± 0.03 (95% CI = 0.47 – 0.58). This corresponds to a density estimate of 57 dogs km−2 (CI = 51 – 63). Given that certain assumptions are met, this method may be useful to estimate abundance of dogs where other kinds of marks may be unavailable or impractical. This method may be applied to other species of feral animals as well, where some proportion of a population has distinct natural marks.publishedVersio

Opportunities for prioritizing and expanding conservation enterprise in India using a guild of carnivores as flagships

Conservation interventions in developing countries are frequently thwarted by socio-economic agendas, severely limiting the scope and rigor of biodiversity and habitat conservation. Very few ecological assessments incorporate human interests in conservation prioritization, creating asynchrony between planning and implementation. For conservation actions to be logistically feasible, multiple criteria including ecological, social, economic and administrative aspects must be considered. Understanding how these different dimensions interact spatially is also important for gauging the potential for conservation success. Here, we use a guild of select mammalian carnivores (wild canids and hyenas) in India to (i) generate distribution maps at the spatial scale of administrative sub-districts, that are relevant to management, (ii) examine ecological, social and biogeographic factors associated with their distribution, assess key threats, and identify areas important for their conservation, (iii) use prioritization tools for balancing habitat conservation, human needs and economic growth, and (iv) evaluate the spatial congruence between areas with high conservation potential, and areas currently in focus for protection efforts, conservation investments, and infrastructure development. We find that the current Protected Area system does not adequately cover or represent diverse habitats, that there is immense potential for States to increase financial investments towards alternative conservation strategies, and, most infrastructure projects may be potentially jeopardizing important carnivore habitats where the two overlap. Our framework allowed for identifying locations where conservation investments would lead to the highest benefits for carnivores as flagships, which also benefit other species across habitats. We make a case for re-evaluating how large-scale prioritization assessments are made, and for broadening the purview of conservation policies in India and other developing countries

Do wildlife crimes against less charismatic species go unnoticed? A case study of golden jackal canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758 poaching and trade in India

Wildlife crimes pertaining to lesser-known species do not usually garner adequate focus or interest by enforcement and conservation agencies. Additionally, illegal wildlife trade fuelled by religious beliefs in sorcery and superstition is an oft-neglected field of research. To draw attention to these two broad issues, we provide a baseline analysis of open-source reports on Golden Jackal Canis aureus poaching and trade in India. We highlight the pervasiveness of an active local and transnational 'jackal horn' trade, which is severely under-reported and insufficiently researched. News reports and government seizure data reveal that, between 2013 and 2019, 126 skins, eight tails, more than 370 'jackal horns', 16 skulls and two live jackals have been seized. The demand for the illusionary 'jackal horn' appears to be driven by extensive online endorsement and unsubstantiated claims made by religious practitioners, targeted primarily at south Asian markets. This preliminary study is an urgent call for concerted efforts to monitor the illegal trafficking and trade of this common species, with a particular focus on the demand and supply chains

Importance of Native Grassland Habitat for Den-Site Selection of Indian Foxes in a Fragmented Landscape

Fragmentation of native habitats is now a ubiquitous phenomenon affecting wildlife at various scales. We examined selection of den-sites (n = 26) by Indian foxes (Vulpes bengalensis) in a highly modified short-grassland landscape in central India (Jan-May, 2010). At the scale of the home-range, defined by an 800 m circular buffer around den sites, we examined the effect of land-cover edges and roads on selection of sites for denning using a distance-based approach. At the smaller den-area scale, defined by a 25 m x 25 m plot around den and paired available sites, the effect of microhabitat characteristics was examined using discrete-choice models. Indian foxes selected den-sites closer to native grasslands (t = -9.57, P < 0.001) and roads (t = -2.04, P = 0.05) than random at the home-range scale. At the smaller scale, abundance of rodents and higher visibility increased the odds of selection of a site by eight and four times respectively, indicating resource availability and predator avoidance to be important considerations for foxes. Indian foxes largely chose to den in human-made structures, indicated by the proportion of dens found in earthen bunds (0.69) and boulder piles (0.27) in the study area. With agricultural expansion and human modification threatening native short-grassland habitats, their conservation and effective management in human dominated landscapes will benefit the Indian fox. The presence of some human-made structures within native grasslands would also be beneficial for this den dependent species. We suggest future studies examine the impact of fragmentation and connectivity of grasslands on survival and reproductive success of the Indian fox

Mammals make use of cashew plantations in a mixed forest-cashew landscape

Heterogeneous landscapes harboring mosaics of natural habitat and agriculture are increasingly gaining conservation focus in the tropics. While research on cash crops such as coffee, rubber, and oil palm has led to an understanding of their role as supplementary habitats, such has remained limited in cashew plantations despite it being a cash crop of global significance. We conducted a study to understand the occurrence of terrestrial mammal species in a mixed forest–cashew landscape in the northern Western Ghats, India. During January to April 2016, we used trail cameras to sample a total area of 25 km2 divided into 100 grid cells of 0.25 km2 each. We deployed six trail cameras for a 24 h period in each grid cell and obtained photo-captures of 11 species in forests, of which nine were detected in cashew plantations, but most species showed low capture rates. For three of these species—Indian crested porcupine, sambar, and wild pig—we modeled habitat use as a function of site-specific attributes. Wild pig showed a higher probability of use of cashew than forest, while porcupine and sambar did not show any pronounced differences between the two land uses. The probability of habitat use by sambar and porcupine was positively influenced by undergrowth but not for the wild pig. Wild pig habitat use was positively related to increased proximity of human settlements and increasing distance to forests, but the pattern was unreliable for sambar and porcupine. Our preliminary study demonstrates that a subset of terrestrial mammals in the forest makes use of cashew plantations and highlights the need for further research in forest–cashew landscapes to assess conservation opportunities.Ministry of Education (MOE)Published versionFunding for this work was provided by core grants to NCBS-TIFR by the Department of Atomic Energy (India) and a program grant from the Tata Trusts. AR received support from the Tier 1 project grant: Singaporean Ministry of Education Tier 1 RG145/19. This work comprises EOS contribution number 339

Study area map.

<p>The map shows the <i>c</i>. 460 km² study area with breeding den locations of Indian foxes (<i>V. bengalensis</i>) and dominant land-cover categories in and around the Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary in 2009-10.</p

Results of Euclidian distance analysis at the home-range scale.

<p>Figure shows the mean of distance ratios of habitat types (indicated as di_habitat type) with 95% confidence intervals as compared to 1. Values below 1 indicate selection, while values above 1 indicate avoidance of habitat types at the home-range scale.</p

Methodological approaches for estimating populations of the endangered dhole <i>Cuon alpinus</i>

Large carnivores are important for maintaining ecosystem integrity and attract much research and conservation interest. For most carnivore species, estimating population density or abundance is challenging because they do not have unique markings for individual identification. This hinders status assessments for many threatened species, and calls for testing new methodological approaches. We examined past efforts to assess the population status of the endangered dhole (Cuon alpinus), and explored the application of a suite of recently developed models for estimating their populations using camera-trap data from India’s Western Ghats. We compared the performance of Site-Based Abundance (SBA), Space-to-Event (STE), and Time-to-Event (TTE) models against current knowledge of their population size in the area. We also applied two of these models (TTE and STE) to the co-occurring leopard (Panthera pardus), for which density estimates were available from Spatially Explicit Capture–Recapture (SECR) models, so as to simultaneously validate the accuracy of estimates for one marked and one unmarked species. Our review of literature (n = 38) showed that most assessments of dhole populations involved crude indices (relative abundance index; RAI) or estimates of occupancy and area of suitable habitat; very few studies attempted to estimate populations. Based on empirical data from our field surveys, the TTE and SBA models overestimated dhole population size beyond ecologically plausible limits, but the STE model produced reliable estimates for both the species. Our findings suggest that it is difficult to estimate population sizes of unmarked species when model assumptions are not fully met and data are sparse, which are commonplace for most ecological surveys in the tropics. Based on our assessment, we propose that practitioners who have access to photo-encounter data on dholes across Asia test old and new analytical approaches to increase the overall knowledge-base on the species, and contribute towards conservation monitoring of this endangered carnivore

Capacity building for Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Final report. Indo- Norwegian pilot project on capacity building in biodiversity informatics for enhanced decision making, improved nature conservation and sustainable development.

Hanssen, F. (editor), Mathur, V.B. (editor), Athreya, V., Barve, V., Bhardwaj, R., Boumans, L., Cadman, M., Chavan, V., Ghosh, M., Lindgaard, A., Lofthus, Ø., Mehlum, Pandav, B., Punjabi, G. A., F., González Talaván, A., Talukdar, G., Valland, N. and Vang, R. Capacity building for Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Final report. Indo- Norwegian pilot project on capacity building in biodiversity informatics for enhanced decision making, improved nature conservation and sustainable development. - NINA Report 1079. 116 pp. Dette pilotprosjektet har vært koordinert av Norsk Institutt for Naturforskning (NINA) i nært samarbeid med Wildlife Insitutute of India (WII), Artsdatabanken, Naturhistorisk Museum ved Universitetet i Oslo, Wildlife Conservation Society- India Program (WCS) og Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWF) i India. Prosjektet er finansiert av den Norske Regjering med støtte fra den og India. Prosjektet har samarbeidet med Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) og har implementert flere av deres kapasitetsbyggende verktøy, standarder og tjenester. I tillegg er WII og Naturhistorisk Museum nasjonale GBIF- noder. Prosjektet er nært knyttet til indiske og internasjonale strategier for utvikling av biodiversitetsinfrastruktur. Prosjektet har fokusert på nasjonale brukerbehov, viltkamerametodikk, dataforvaltning, åpen datadeling og barrierer for åpen datadeling. Seks casestudier har vist hvordan biodiversitetsinformatikk, bruk av viltkamera, datamobilisering og strategier for deling av data kan bidra til forbedrede beslutningsprosesser. Dette har ført til en bedre forståelse for bruk av viltkamera, occupancy-modellering, DNA-analyser, artsutbredelse, rovvilt/samfunn konflikter, effekter av menneskelig aktivitet på ville dyr, habitatrestaurering, behov knyttet til forvaltning av tigre, samt etterforskning av ulovlig jakt på tiger. Prosjektet har gjennomført en mindre datarepatrieringsøvelse ved de norske naturhistoriske museene. Kapasitetsbyggingskomponenten i dette arbeidet overfor internasjonale museumssamlinger ligger primært i beskrivelsen av hvordan repatrierte data kan mobiliseres gjennom GBIF. WII har utviklet en nasjonal database og en webportal for mobilisering av viltkameradata. Dette utviklingsarbeidet er et viktig skritt i retning av å utvikle et nasjonalt åpent system for forvaltning av viltkamerabilder og tilhørende metadata. Prosjektet har også utviklet en Best Practice Guide (BPG) for publisering av biodiversitetsdata avledet fra viltkamerabilder. Denne guiden vil bli vedlikeholdt av GBIF i fremtiden. Dette prosjektet har vist høy relevans i forhold til de kapasitetsbyggingsbehov som er identifisert av IPBES. Som prosjektet viser er det store internasjonale synergier innen kapasitetsbygging knyttet til biodiversitetsinformatikk, bruk av viltkamera, datamobilisering, datarepatriering, dataforvaltning og forbedrede strategier for datadeling. I avslutningsfasen av dette pilotprosjektet har prosjektpartnerne bestemt seg for å se etter nye samarbeidsmuligheter under IPBES.Hanssen, F. (editor), Mathur, V.B. (editor), Athreya, V., Barve, V., Bhardwaj, R., Boumans, L., Cadman, M., Chavan, V., Ghosh, M., Lindgaard, A., Lofthus, Ø., Mehlum, Pandav, B., Punjabi, G. A., F., González Talaván, A., Talukdar, G., Valland, N. and Vang, R. This pilot project has been coordinated by The Norwegian Institute of Nature Research (NINA) in close collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre (NBIC), The Nature History Museum at the University of Oslo (NHM), the Wildlife Conservation Society- India Program (WCS) and the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWF) in India. The Norwegian Government has funded the project with support from the Indian Government. The project has collaborated with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and has implemented several of the capacity building tools, standards and services offered by GBIF. In addition, WII and NHM host the national GBIF- nodes of India and Norway. Furthermore, the project is closely linked to the Indian and international strategies on biodiversity infrastructure development. The project has focused on national user needs, camera trapping techniques, data management, open access and barriers towards open access. Six case studies demonstrate how biodiversity informatics, camera trapping, data mobilization and access policies can contribute to improved decision making. This has led to a better understanding of camera trapping techniques, occupancy modelling, DNA-analysis, species distribution, human-wildlife conflicts, human disturbance effects on wild mammals, habitat recovery, tiger population management needs and investigation of tiger poaching. The project has conducted a minor data repatriation exercise at Norwegian natural history museums. The capacity-building component of this towards international legacy collections is in the description of how to mobilize data through GBIF. WII has developed a national database and a web-portal for mobilizing camera trap data. These developments are important steps towards a national, open biodiversity data management system for camera trap images and their axillary metadata. The project has developed a Best Practice Guide (BPG) for publishing of biodiversity data derived from camera trapping. This BPG will be maintained by GBIF in the future. This capacity-building pilot project has clearly proved relevance in addressing the capacity building needs identified by IPBES. As the project results show, there are many international synergies in capacity-building of biodiversity informatics, camera trapping, data mobilization, data repatriation, data management and data sharing policy improvement. Finalizing the pilot project, the project partners have decided to look for new possibilities for collaboration under the IPBES.© Norsk institutt for naturforskning. Publikasjonen kan siteres fritt med kildeangivelse

Capacity building for Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Final report 2014: Indo- Norwegian pilot project on capacity building in biodiversity informatics for enhanced decision making, improved nature conservation and sustainable development

Prosjektet har samarbeidet med Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) og har implementert flere av deres kapasitetsbyggende verktøy, standarder og tjenester. I tillegg er WII og Naturhistorisk Museum nasjonale GBIF- noder. Prosjektet er nært knyttet til indiske og internasjonale strategier for utvikling av biodiversitetsinfrastruktur. Prosjektet har fokusert på nasjonale brukerbehov, viltkamerametodikk, dataforvaltning, åpen datadeling og barrierer for åpen datadeling. Seks casestudier har vist hvordan biodiversitets- informatikk, bruk av viltkamera, datamobilisering og strategier for deling av data kan bidra til forbedrede beslutningsprosesser. Dette har ført til en bedre forståelse for bruk av viltkamera, occupancy-modellering, DNA-analyser, artsutbredelse, rovvilt/samfunn konflikter, effekter av menneskelig aktivitet på ville dyr, habitatrestaurering, behov knyttet til forvaltning av tigre, samt etterforskning av ulovlig jakt på tiger. Prosjektet har gjennomført en mindre datarepatrieringsøvelse ved de norske naturhistoriske mu-seene. Kapasitetsbyggingskomponenten i dette arbeidet overfor internasjonale museumssam-linger ligger primært i beskrivelsen av hvordan repatrierte data kan mobiliseres gjennom GBIF. WII har utviklet en nasjonal database og en webportal for mobilisering av viltkameradata. Dette utviklingsarbeidet er et viktig skritt i retning av å utvikle et nasjonalt åpent system for forvaltning av viltkamerabilder og tilhørende metadata. Prosjektet har også utviklet en Best Practice Guide (BPG) for publisering av biodiversitetsdata avledet fra viltkamerabilder. Denne guiden vil bli ved-likeholdt av GBIF i fremtiden. Dette prosjektet har vist høy relevans i forhold til de kapasitetsbyggingsbehov som er identifisert av IPBES. Som prosjektet viser er det store internasjonale synergier innen kapasitetsbygging knyttet til biodiversitetsinformatikk, bruk av viltkamera, datamobilisering, datarepatriering, data-forvaltning og forbedrede strategier for datadeling. I avslutningsfasen av dette pilotprosjektet har prosjektpartnerne bestemt seg for å se etter nye samarbeidsmuligheter under IPBES. India, Norway, IPBES, GBIF, citizen science, biodiversity informat-ics, wildlife camera trapping, training, capacity building, data shar-ing, data repatriation, tiger, snow leopard, leopard, GIS, Database IPBES, GBIF, citizen science, biodiversitetsinformatikk, viltkamera, kapasitetsbygging, deling av data, tiger, snøleopard, leopard, GIS, Databas