Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | Modeling the effect of top predators and habitat on the distribution of mesocarnivores in large-carnivore landscapes of India and central Europe |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Focus area : | Ecology and Conservation Biology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. T Ramesh, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore, Tamilnadu (641108) |
Contact info : | ramesh81ngl@gmail.com;
riddhikalle@gmail.com |
Details
Executive Summary : | Global change negatively impacts wildlife habitats, affecting top-down control of top predators over mesocarnivores. Interactions between large carnivores and mesocarnivore species are well-studied, but little is known about how habitat conditions modulate these interactions to generate occupancy patterns at the landscape scale. This information could advance understanding about carnivore ecology and inform regional-scale conservation and management strategies. The contrasting population dynamics of the scavenger community of mesocarnivores and the population status of large carnivores between India and central Europe provide an opportunity to increase understanding about top-down control of top predators over mesocarnivores and their conservation. This study will map potential landscapes for conserving large to medium-sized carnivores in India, Austria, and surrounding countries in central Europe, gather detections of focal carnivore species, and fit a co-occurrence occupancy model to examine the effects of interactions between carnivore species on their distribution while accounting for habitat variables. The findings may lead to revisiting conservation policies that focus almost exclusively on top predators and provide insights into the effectiveness of conservation efforts and natural resource management to maintain mesocarnivores in India and central Europe. |
Co-PI: | Dr. Riddhika Ramesh, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (641108) |
Total Budget (INR): | 8,76,000 |
Organizations involved