Spatial prioritization of selected mining pitlakes from Eastern Coalfields region, India: A species distribution modelling approach

Abstract

AbstractPitlake conservation is still a naive idea in a developing country. Species distribution modelling approaches can prove to be a useful tool in protecting biodiversity. The current study considers the ecological health of pitlakes through models of three winter migratory waterfowl species, namely Anser indicus (bar‐headed goose), Nettapus coromandelianus (cotton pygmy goose) and Netta rufina (red‐crested pochard), providing practical information for conservation setups in and around selected pitlakes in Eastern India. The AUC ± SD (Standard deviation) values of MaxEnt models of target species, viz. A. indicus, N. coromandelianus, and N. rufina are 0.729 ± 0.026, 0.772 ± 0.012, and 0.732 ± 0.024, respectively. Thus through the evaluation of the respective models and ground truth verification criteria, three pitlakes have proven to hold excellent conditions for the survival of these winter migratory birds as compared to the 20 studied ones. Three zones were created in these three lakes based on their characteristics to support these species and their associates. A large chunk of the region falls under the proposed zone of conservation priority sites from each of the three pitlakes. The need of the hour is to fulfill the voids between researchers, policymakers, and Eastern Coalfield's administration and work towards implementing the proposed idea.