Sex-Specific Habitat Suitability Modeling for Panthera tigris in Chitwan National Park, Nepal: Broader Conservation Implications

Li An,Jie Dai,Eve Bohnett,Rebecca Lewison,Maheshwar Dhakal,Curtis Battle,Neil Carter,Alex Zvoleff,Jhamak Karki,Piotr Jankowski,Dirgha Ghimire

doi:10.3390/su132413885

Abstract

Although research on wildlife species across taxa has shown that males and females may differentially select habitat, sex-specific habitat suitability models for endangered species are uncommon. We developed sex-specific models for Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris) based on camera trapping data collected from 20 January to 22 March 2010 within Chitwan National Park, Nepal, and its buffer zone. We compared these to a sex-indiscriminate habitat suitability model to assess the benefits of a sex-specific approach to habitat suitability modeling. Our sex-specific models produced more informative and detailed habitat suitability maps and highlighted vital differences in the spatial distribution of suitable habitats for males and females, specific associations with different vegetation types, and habitat use near human settlements. Improving and refining habitat models for this and other critically endangered species provides the necessary information to meet established conservation goals and population recovery targets.

Highlights

The accelerated pace of human development and land-use change, overexploitation of natural capital, and environmental degradation have caused a loss of terrestrial mammal habitat quality during the past two centuries, especially for sizeable terrestrial carnivore species [1,2,3,4,5]
The analysis focuses on Chitwan National Park (CNP), the methodological tools and techniques we present can serve as a template for assessing sex-specific habitat suitability for large carnivore species, including tigers, throughout their range
The best performing model had a test AUC of 0.67 and included two variables: prey abundance, which was positively associated with male presence and contributed 70% to maximum entropy (Maxent)’s suitability prediction; and distance to water, which was negatively related to male presence, and contributed 30%

Summary

Introduction

The accelerated pace of human development and land-use change, overexploitation of natural capital, and environmental degradation have caused a loss of terrestrial mammal habitat quality during the past two centuries, especially for sizeable terrestrial carnivore species [1,2,3,4,5]. These large-bodied, wide-ranging carnivores are often at the top of food webs, with low abundances due to their high metabolic demands and requiring high prey abundance and expansive habitats for persistence.

Results

Discussion

Conclusion