Feasibility of reintroducing grassland megaherbivores, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, and swamp buffalo within their historic global range

Abstract Reintroduction of endangered species is an effective and increasingly important conservation strategy once threats have been addressed. The greater one-horned rhinoceros and swamp buffalo have declined through historic hunting and habitat loss. We identify and evaluate available habitat acr...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Harshini Y. Jhala, Qamar Qureshi, Yadvendradev V. Jhala, Simon A. Black
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/97347ca745654a23b1f2a18753aca552
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:97347ca745654a23b1f2a18753aca552
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:97347ca745654a23b1f2a18753aca5522021-12-02T13:30:11ZFeasibility of reintroducing grassland megaherbivores, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, and swamp buffalo within their historic global range10.1038/s41598-021-83174-42045-2322https://doaj.org/article/97347ca745654a23b1f2a18753aca5522021-02-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83174-4https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Reintroduction of endangered species is an effective and increasingly important conservation strategy once threats have been addressed. The greater one-horned rhinoceros and swamp buffalo have declined through historic hunting and habitat loss. We identify and evaluate available habitat across their historic range (India, Nepal, and Bhutan) for reintroducing viable populations. We used Species Distribution Models in Maxent to identify potential habitats and evaluated model-identified sites through field visits, interviews of wildlife managers, literature, and population-habitat viability analysis. We prioritize sites based on size, quality, protection, management effectiveness, biotic pressures, and potential of conflict with communities. Our results suggest that populations greater than 50 for rhinoceros and 100 for buffalo were less susceptible to extinction, and could withstand some poaching, especially if supplemented or managed as a metapopulation. We note some reluctance by managers to reintroduce rhinoceros due to high costs associated with subsequent protection. Our analysis subsequently prioritised Corbett and Valmiki, for rhino reintroduction and transboundary complexes of Chitwan-Parsa-Valmiki and Dudhwa-Pilibhit-Shuklaphanta-Bardia for buffalo reintroductions. Establishing new safety-nets and supplementing existing populations of these megaherbivores would ensure their continued survival and harness their beneficial effect on ecosystems and conspecifics like pygmy hog, hispid hare, swamp deer, hog deer, and Bengal florican.Harshini Y. JhalaQamar QureshiYadvendradev V. JhalaSimon A. BlackNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Harshini Y. Jhala Qamar Qureshi Yadvendradev V. Jhala Simon A. Black Feasibility of reintroducing grassland megaherbivores, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, and swamp buffalo within their historic global range
description	Abstract Reintroduction of endangered species is an effective and increasingly important conservation strategy once threats have been addressed. The greater one-horned rhinoceros and swamp buffalo have declined through historic hunting and habitat loss. We identify and evaluate available habitat across their historic range (India, Nepal, and Bhutan) for reintroducing viable populations. We used Species Distribution Models in Maxent to identify potential habitats and evaluated model-identified sites through field visits, interviews of wildlife managers, literature, and population-habitat viability analysis. We prioritize sites based on size, quality, protection, management effectiveness, biotic pressures, and potential of conflict with communities. Our results suggest that populations greater than 50 for rhinoceros and 100 for buffalo were less susceptible to extinction, and could withstand some poaching, especially if supplemented or managed as a metapopulation. We note some reluctance by managers to reintroduce rhinoceros due to high costs associated with subsequent protection. Our analysis subsequently prioritised Corbett and Valmiki, for rhino reintroduction and transboundary complexes of Chitwan-Parsa-Valmiki and Dudhwa-Pilibhit-Shuklaphanta-Bardia for buffalo reintroductions. Establishing new safety-nets and supplementing existing populations of these megaherbivores would ensure their continued survival and harness their beneficial effect on ecosystems and conspecifics like pygmy hog, hispid hare, swamp deer, hog deer, and Bengal florican.
format	article
author	Harshini Y. Jhala Qamar Qureshi Yadvendradev V. Jhala Simon A. Black
author_facet	Harshini Y. Jhala Qamar Qureshi Yadvendradev V. Jhala Simon A. Black
author_sort	Harshini Y. Jhala
title	Feasibility of reintroducing grassland megaherbivores, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, and swamp buffalo within their historic global range
title_short	Feasibility of reintroducing grassland megaherbivores, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, and swamp buffalo within their historic global range
title_full	Feasibility of reintroducing grassland megaherbivores, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, and swamp buffalo within their historic global range
title_fullStr	Feasibility of reintroducing grassland megaherbivores, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, and swamp buffalo within their historic global range
title_full_unstemmed	Feasibility of reintroducing grassland megaherbivores, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, and swamp buffalo within their historic global range
title_sort	feasibility of reintroducing grassland megaherbivores, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, and swamp buffalo within their historic global range
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/97347ca745654a23b1f2a18753aca552
work_keys_str_mv	AT harshiniyjhala feasibilityofreintroducinggrasslandmegaherbivoresthegreateronehornedrhinocerosandswampbuffalowithintheirhistoricglobalrange AT qamarqureshi feasibilityofreintroducinggrasslandmegaherbivoresthegreateronehornedrhinocerosandswampbuffalowithintheirhistoricglobalrange AT yadvendradevvjhala feasibilityofreintroducinggrasslandmegaherbivoresthegreateronehornedrhinocerosandswampbuffalowithintheirhistoricglobalrange AT simonablack feasibilityofreintroducinggrasslandmegaherbivoresthegreateronehornedrhinocerosandswampbuffalowithintheirhistoricglobalrange
_version_	1718392990159863808

Feasibility of reintroducing grassland megaherbivores, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, and swamp buffalo within their historic global range

Ejemplares similares