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Doctorat
Inde
2016
Resolving conflict between conservation and livelihoods crop damage by blackbuck Antilope cervicapra in semi arid India
Titre : Resolving conflict between conservation and livelihoods crop damage by blackbuck Antilope cervicapra in semi arid India
Auteur : Chaitanya Krishna
Université de soutenance : Manipal University
Grade : Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2016
Résumé
The dryland biome occupies two-fifths of the terrestrial land mass and
harbours unique biodiversity adapted to the climatic conditions therein. This
biome is critical for sustaining one-third of the global human and half of
global livestock populations. It is therefore vital to assess the degree of
‘wildlife friendliness’ in dryland human-production systems. I examined the
processes by which blackbuck can persist in human-modified dryland
habitats. Their habitat use varied dynamically with seasonally-changing levels
of resources and risks, with protected habitats registering maximum use.
Blackbuck appeared to overcome risks through fine-scale spatial and temporal
responses in grouping behaviour. The findings show that human activities can
strongly influence and perhaps limit ungulate habitat-use and behaviour ; but
spatial heterogeneity in risk, particularly the presence of refuges, can allow
ungulates to persist in landscapes with high human and livestock densities.
The use of agricultural habitats is restricted to fields adjoining natural
habitats, and the intensity of crop use increased with the number of nonagricultural habitat sides. While the dryland farming system in the study area
is largely “blackbuck friendly” due to the monsoon-driven, single-crop
agriculture practices, there are limits due to species traits that result in a
dynamically changing patchwork of friendly and unfriendly agricultural
habitats. Vehicular-traffic is a major mortality factor in agricultural
landscapes. Among mammals, blackbuck accounted for 70% of all roadrelated mortalities in the study area. Male wolves and blackbuck were four
times more at risk of vehicular-traffic related mortality. As road-related
mortalities of non-mammalian taxa are not prioritized for record keeping and
the likelihood of injured animals moving away from the road and succumbing
to injuries afterwards, the reported figures are an underestimate of the actual
mortality that is occurring in the area. I find that even small well-protected
areas are able to buffer a large wild ungulate against the risks posed by
human activities. These results are important as they show that it is possible to
find mechanisms through which wildlife and human interests can perhaps be
met simultaneously
Page publiée le 19 février 2021