Comparison of AHP and Maxent Model for Assessing Habitat Suitability of Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus) in Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

Habitat suitability is an illustrious mission to conserve the ecosystems and its components. Human wildlife conflicts have increased tremendously due to habitat fragmentation; reason being human encroachment for their own use or for commercial purpose like forest products and unsustainable development programs leading to major decline in Biodiversity. Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), Madhya Pradesh has great capacity to nurture young Wild dogs (Cuon alpinus) because it supports lots of biodiversity especially herbivores which will be great availability of food and have great tree cover on the landscape. The motive of this study is to find out the landscape which will suitable for Wild dog (Cuon alpinus) at PTR, MP using presence SDM (Species Distribution Model) at 900 m grain Size using Maxent, Ecological Niche Factor analysis and Bioclim and compare with AHP (Analytical hierarchical process). Maxent gives contributions of every factor in percentage also gives responses curve of every factor separately and also give permutation importance of every factor. Results show that the model with accuracy more than 0.90 AUC value. Bioclimatic variable 17 and LULC contributes the moderately high in the model. For AHP only need experts, who fill the Saaty table on the basis of environmental variables importance to wild dog (Cuon alpinus). Calculate or predict the habitat suitability of wild dog (Cuon alpinus) by experts rating to every environmental variable (comparison of every variables with respect to each other) from 1 to 9 or inverse like 1/9. Maxent shows that out of the about 750 km2 areas, more than 150 km2 found to be highly suitable at 900 m grain size SDM. This shows PTR, MP has the great potential to nurture or sustain Wild dog (Cuon alpinus) because wild dog (Cuon alpinus) need larger area to walk, they walk daily around 20–25 km to find their food and PTR, MP is immensely rich in large size herbivore animals like Chital (Axis axis). Strict implementation of laws is required this can be achieved by government agencies like forest department and others along with that awareness can be spread among the local residents of the PTR, MP so the wildlife and their habitat can be conserve by the conservationists and wildlife experts.