BENGALURU: Here is some good news. Bandipur Tiger Reserve, which has been facing instances of man-animal conflicts, has shown a considerable improvement in its habitat compared to 23 other reserves in the country.
Recent scientific findings reveal that Bandipur has shown improvement in terms of its vegetation during a three-decade period after it was declared a tiger reserve.
However, the other reserves have not fared well in terms of the conservation of vegetation. This has cast serious doubts on the long-term viability of tiger reserves, despite they receiving maximum legal protection and special funding through central schemes with their budgetary allocation being significantly higher than other protected areas like national parks and sanctuaries.
The tiger reserve hit the headlines recently after a ‘killer’ tiger, looking for new territory and food, gave sleepless nights to villagers and forest officials.
After being declared a tiger reserve, the vegetation has improved in over 50 per cent of the area in Bandipur and Satpura, with Bandipur showing an improvement of more than 90 per cent. Studies show that vegetation has declined in 13 out of 25 reserves in the country, with a decline of over 75 per cent recorded in Bandhavgarh, Panna, Corbett, Pench, Tadoba-Andhari and Indravati.
The study was carried out by scientists of Centre for Wildlife Studies -- Pradeep S Koulgi and Krithi K Karanth, and Nicholas Clinton of Google Inc. Using landsat imagery, scientists evaluated the rate of change of vegetation in tiger reserves and sanctuaries from 1984 to 2012.
Their results indicated extensive vegetation browning and drying in about half of the studied reserves, with these trends often being similar or worse than in matched sanctuaries. Scientists found that the elevated protection granted to a tiger reserve may be insufficient in preserving vegetation and so cast doubts on the long-term viability of tiger habitats. Lead author Pradeep S Koulgi said, “Our results indicate that large tracts of vegetation in several tiger reserves may have declined over the years and their protection level elevation may not have translated into improvement in the vegetation.”
Krithi Karanth adds, “With significant financial investments, media attention and management boosts that these reserves receive, it is essential that independent evaluation of not just tigers but factors such as forest vegetation condition be rigorously conducted so that we can understand what is improving or worsening over time.”
This study will help in designing monitoring and adaptive management at large spatial and management scales by assisting in planning ground data collection for biodiversity variables.