IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Sharma, S.; Dutta, T.; Maldonado, J.E.; Panwar, H.S.; Seidensticker, J. | |
| Genetic connectivity in carnivores: a case study of tigers, leopards, and bears from the highlands of central India | |
| 2016 Conference Proceeding | |
Mammalian carnivores can be excellent focal organisms to evaluate the degree of functional connectivity in a landscape because of their wide ranging movements and sensitivity to habitat fragmentation. We studied three large carnivores: tigers, leopards, and sloth bears in 5 tiger reserves in the central Indian highlands, one of the strongholds for all these species and a global priority landscape for tiger conservation. We traversed 8,000 km and sampled about 2,000 large carnivore fecal and hair samples. We genotyped these samples and identified 273 tigers, 217 leopards, and 55 sloth bears. Based on these samples we investigated the genetic variation, genetic structure, and gene flow in these species. We found various degrees of genetic variability and structure for the three species, and our analysis showed that the connectivity was functional for all three carnivores in this landscape. Our main finding of this study is that forest corridors play an important role in connecting the isolated populations. |
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