Susceptibility assessment of human–leopard conflict in Aravalli landscape of Haryana using geospatial techniques

Abstract

Increasing global population pressure and related proliferations in demands for resources which eventually resulted in sensitive pressure on regions covering valued biodiversity. Human–wildlife conflict is one of the most common issues in conservation, encircling a huge diversity of circumstances and species. However, reasons of conflict are frequently more complex than predicted and issues which can affect human behaviour in these circumstances need to be implicit. The Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) populations are being isolated in their micro habitat due to landscape fragmentation and increasing anthropogenic pressure over the India. Therefore, encounters between Leopards, livestock and humans are increasing in many areas, rising concerns about the costs of Leopards conservation. The present study aimed to assess of human–leopard conflict in the Aravalli landscape of Haryana (Gurugram, Mewat and Faridabad districts), India. The study was undertaken to investigate the ecological aspects of human–leopard conflict through spatial characteristics and dynamics of such conflict. In the present study, GPS field survey and mapping were done for the conflict’s sites in three districts of Haryana by the reference of newspaper articles, news reports and internet sources. Afterwards, GPS field survey was carried out to verify conflict sites in the landscape. To understand ecological aspects of human–leopard conflict, the result shows that forest cover in the Aravalli landscape has been decreased continuously from 1996 to 2018. It has been also recorded that barren rocky land has been reduced in the given time period. In contrast, agriculture and settlement have been increased dramatically from 1996 to 2018. The change matrix analyses show that forest cover and barren rocky land has been converted in agriculture land as well as human settlements. In the study area, it has also been found that water bodies have also been declined. For Susceptibility zonation, 10 parameters were selected and prepared by help of literature review and validated using linear support vector machine model. Maxent model was run for 30-m grain size and output suggested a susceptibility zone for human–leopard conflict in the Gurugram, Faridabad and Mewat. The study concludes that the human–leopard conflicts were mostly recorded in the area which has been converted from forest land to agriculture or settlements and they were found to be most susceptible. The human–leopard conflicts were also recorded at the edge of forested land in study area.