Abstract
Managing Human-Leopard Conflicts Using GIS and Remote Sensing Track: Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management Author(s): Manoj Agarwal, Devendra Singh, S.P. Goyal, Qamar Qureshi There has been an increase in man-animal conflicts in different parts of India. Remote sensing and GIS have been used to estimate the severity of human-leopard conflicts in relation to vegetation categories. The satellite data was used to prepare thematic map using the hybrid classification method. To study the conflict zones, a spatial grid of 2 km x 2 km was generated, and in each grid conflict level and associated landscape characteristics were recorded. The area was categorized into different conflict categories such as low, medium, high. It was found that high and medium conflict zones have higher scrub cover (>48%), and the grids are more adjacent to forest and habitat/agriculture. The conflicts were highest in areas having more or less equal percentage of forest and habitation/agriculture. In no conflict zones, the grids have a forest and habitation/agriculture ratio of almost 70:30. The study has given a better understanding of how to mitigate human-leopard conflicts. Manoj Agarwal Wildlife Institute of India Computer and GIS Centre Post Box. 18, Chandrabani, Dehradun , Uttaranchal 248001 IN Phone: 0135-2640111 Fax: 91-135-2640117 E-mail: manojkumar@wii.gov.in Devendra Singh Wildlife Institue of India Post Box 18 Chandrabani Dehradun , Uttaranchal 248001 IN Phone: 91-135-2640111 E-mail: devendra@wii.gov.in S.P. Goyal Wildlife Institute of India Animal Ecology & Conservation Biology Deptt. Post Box 18 Chandrabani Dehardun , Uttaranchal 248001 IN Phone: 91-135-2640111 E-mail: goyalsp@wii.gov.in Qamar Qureshi Wildlife Institute of India Landscape Level Planning & Management Deptt. Post Box 18 Dehradun , Uttaranchal 248001 IN Phone: 91-135-2640111 E-mail: qnq@wii.gov.in |
|||||
