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Dutta, T.; McRae, B.; Sharma, S.; DeFries, R.
Mapping corridors and barriers to improve connectivity in a tiger conservation landscape in central India
2016  Conference Proceeding

Protected areas (PAs) are the cornerstone for conservation in Asia, but protecting connectivity between PAs is equally crucial for the long-term viability of many wild species. India has one-fifth of the world's human population, and seventy percent of the global wild tiger population. Maintaining large interconnected landscapes for a wide ranging species such as the tiger is a major conservation challenge in rapidly developing India where PAs are small, forests are fragmented, and the intervening landscape is heavily modified by human activities. We mapped corridors in central India, a global priority landscape for tiger conservation, by using a combination of least cost mapping and circuit theory. We identified least-cost corridors, pinch-points, and barriers to tiger movement. Our analyses suggest that there are several opportunities to maintain and improve connectivity in this landscape. We mapped a total of thirty-five linkages in the region and calculated metrics to estimate their quality and importance. We identified barriers at different scales where restoration efforts could improve connectivity in the landscape. Many of these barriers could be restored through more strategic implementation of existing reforestation and mitigation measures required of infrastructure, mining, and other development sectors. We present ways to apply these results to landscape level conservation planning in this region by highlighting specific examples where different strategies could be implemented to conserve and enhance connectivity.

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