Might be of interest.
For YETI
Debabrata Phukon
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From:Madhavi Latha <madhavi@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 9 May 2019, 12:08 pm
Subject: Open defense of PhD thesis by Vikram Aditya on May 10, 2019
(Friday) at 11:00 am
To: Madhavi Latha <madhavi@xxxxxxxxx>
You are cordially invited to an open defense of PhD thesis
*Assessing the impacts of landscape change and habitat degradation on
mammal diversity and distribution in the northern Eastern Ghats, Andhra
Pradesh, using ecological, geographic and social information*
by
*Vikram Aditya*
*Ph.D. Scholar, ATREE*
Date & Time: May 10, 2019 at 11:00 AM
Venue: ATREE auditorium
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*Abstract*
Anthropogenic activities are causing landscape modification and
biodiversity loss. Mammals in particular are among the worst affected by
landscape change. Mammal extinction risks are highest in tropical forest
landscapes beyond hotspots and other high-priority landscapes with low
protection. The Northern Eastern Ghats (NEG) is one such ‘neglected
landscape’. Only 3.53% of area is protected. Dams, plantations, mining and
agriculture have led to landscape changes. This thesis attempts to
understand how landscape change and protection levels impacted mammals and
local communities in the NEG. Specifically, I aim to 1) understand how land
cover has changed between Papikonda National Park (PNP), and its relatively
unprotected buffer (BUP); 2) identify drivers of these changes; 3) measure
responses of mammals to change and differential levels of protection; and
4) study local communities’ perception regarding these changes. I address
these objectives through quantitative and qualitative approaches.
I reviewed land-use in NEG and show how this has changed between 1991 and
2014 using NDVI change analysis. I analysed forest change at landscape and
village levels to understand proxies at different scales. My analysis shows
that 12% of forest in PNP became degraded between 1991 and 2014, whereas
32.68% became degraded in BUP. Impact of villages on forests was greater
inside PNP due to higher dependence of communities on forests. Communities
mainly attributed changes in forest cover to shifting cultivation,
plantations and over-extraction of forest resources. Most habitat changes
occurred in low elevation dry deciduous forests, along roads, and close to
villages. These habitats are further threatened by the upcoming Polavaram
dam, which will result in their submergence.
I estimated mammal community parameters (presence, diversity and abundance)
across different habitats in PNP and BUP using 271 camera traps (CTs)
distributed across 58 (2x2 km) grids following an occupancy approach. I
quantified habitat structure and disturbance from covariates in 10x10m
plots around CTs. I enumerated 55 mammal species from surveys, secondary
data and interviews with local communities. Moist deciduous forests,
particularly at higher elevations, supported higher mammal presence,
diversity and abundance. PNP supported significantly higher mammal presence
and abundance than the BUP. The mammal community was highly skewed and
dominated by barking deers and wild pigs. Land cover changes most
negatively affected large herbivores like gaur and sambar than other
mammals. Dry deciduous forests supported high mammal richness, but are most
threatened by landscape change, particularly dams.
I analysed community observations of landscape change. Community dependence
on forests varied with tribal groups and their location. Correlation
between community observations of land cover change and satellite analysis
was strongest near villages, regardless of their location in the
conservation matrix, showing that in neglected landscapes, degradation is
independent of protection. I discuss these results in the context of forest
management, forest rights and tribal development schemes. This thesis
presents the first account of mammals from NEG, and how they’ve been
impacted by landscape change. It reveals the role of less known protected
areas in conserving biodiversity even in neglected landscapes.
------------------------------
*Tea/coffee will be served downstairs at 10:30 AM*
--
__________________________________________________________________
Madhavi Latha G
The Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO
Bangalore 560064, India
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Phone: +91-80-23635555 Extn: 121
Fax: +91-80-23530070
E-mail: madhavi@xxxxxxxxx
_________________________________________________________________
--
__________________________________________________________________
Madhavi Latha G
The Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO
Bangalore 560064, India
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Phone: +91-80-23635555 Extn: 121
Fax: +91-80-23530070
E-mail: madhavi@xxxxxxxxx
_________________________________________________________________