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Habitat Suitability Modelling for Sambar (Rusa unicolor): A Remote Sensing and GIS Approach

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Environment and Earth Observation

Part of the book series: Springer Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry ((SPRINGERREMO))

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Abstract

The concept of wildlife species conservation starts with the identification of their suitable habitat as it provides essential information for wildlife refuge design and management. In this study, multiple logistic regression is integrated with remote sensing and geographic information system to evaluate the suitable habitats available for sambar (Rusa unicolor) in Chandoli Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, India (17° 04′ 00″N to 17° 19′ 54″N and 73° 40′ 43″E to 73° 53′ 09″E). Satellite imageries of LISS-III of IRS-P6 of study area were digitally processed. To generate collateral data topographic maps were analysed in a GIS framework. Layers of different variables such as land use land cover, forest density, proximity to disturbances and water resources and a digital terrain model were created from satellite imageries and topographic maps. These layers along with GPS location of sambar presence/absence and multiple logistic regression (MLR) techniques were integrated in a GIS environment to model habitat suitability index of sambar. The results indicate that approximately 69.92 km2 (24 %) of the forest of tiger reserve was least suitable for sambar, whereas 82.60 km2 (28 %) was moderately suitable, 88.25 km2 (30 %) suitable and 54.01 km2 (18 %) was highly suitable. The accuracy level of this model was 80.2 %. The model advocates that forests of this area are most appropriate for declaring it as a reserve for sambar conservation.

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Acknowledgements

The author is thankful to Prof. SPS Kushwaha, former Head, Forestry and Ecology Division and the Dean, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Dehradun, India for supervision and GIS-laboratory facilities. I am also thankful to Prof. H.S.A. Yahya, Dean Faculty of Life Science & former Chairman, Department of Wildlife Sciences, AMU, Aligarh (India) for encouraging and providing opportunity to work with IIRS, Dehradun. Thanks are also due to Aditya Singh, Dr. Mohammed Irfan (formerly from ATREE) and Director and forest staffs of Chandoli Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, India for their technical and logistic supports during my field studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Ekwal Imam

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  1. Ekwal Imam
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Correspondence to Ekwal Imam .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University , Kolkata, India

    S. Hazra

  2. School of Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    A. Mukhopadhyay

  3. Department of Science and Technology , Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    A. R. Ghosh

  4. Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Indian Space Research Organisation, Dehradun, India

    D. Mitra

  5. Indian Space Research Organisation, National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad, India

    V. K. Dadhwal

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Imam, E. (2017). Habitat Suitability Modelling for Sambar (Rusa unicolor): A Remote Sensing and GIS Approach. In: Hazra, S., Mukhopadhyay, A., Ghosh, A., Mitra, D., Dadhwal, V. (eds) Environment and Earth Observation. Springer Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46010-9_15

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