Antelope space‐use and behavior indicate multilevel responses to varying anthropogenic influences in a highly human‐dominated landscape

Abstract

A primary means of conserving a species or a habitat in a human‐dominated landscape is through promoting coexistence with humans while minimizing conflict. For this, we should understand how wildlife is impacted by direct and indirect human activities. Such information is rare in areas with high human densities. To investigate how animals respond to altered ecological conditions in human‐dominated landscapes, we focused on a wild herbivore of conservation concern in the Krishnasaar Conservation Area (KrCA) in Nepal. Here, blackbuck Antilope cervicapra , a generalist grazer, lives in refugia located with a growing human population. We studied the impacts of humans on habitat use and behavior of blackbuck. We laid 250 × 250 m grid cells in the entire KrCA and carried out indirect sign surveys with three replications for habitat use assessment. We observed herds of blackbuck for 89 h in different habitat types using scan sampling methods. Our habitat‐use survey showed that habitats under intensive human use were hardly used by blackbuck, even when high‐quality forage was available. Habitat openness was the major predictor of habitat use inside the core area, where levels of human activities were low. We also found a positive correlation between habitat use by blackbuck and livestock. Blackbuck were substantially more vigilant when they were in forest than in grassland, again indicating an influence of risk. Overall, blackbuck appear to be sensitive to the risk associated with both natural and anthropogenic factors. Our findings have direct implications for managing human–wildlife interactions in this landscape, specifically regarding strategies for livestock grazing in habitats highly used by blackbuck and concerning predictions of how changing land use will impact the long‐term persistence of blackbuck. Our work suggests that wild herbivores may be able to persist in landscapes with high human densities so long as there are refuges where human activities are relatively low.

Grouping dynamics of the northernmost population of blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) in Krishnasaar Conservation Area, Nepal

“…The main determining factors for group size in blackbuck, like other large herbivores, are risk of predation, resource availability, and habitat structure (Isvaran 2007;Jha & Isvaran 2022). Although the relationships between group size and the weather had high uncertainty (the 95% CLs of the parameters included zero), the trends were in the expected direction based on the findings of other studies.…”

“…The population of blackbuck in KrCA is unique in several ways. First, it is the northernmost population of the species in the world (Jha & Isvaran 2022). Second, in KrCA, humans, livestock, and blackbuck have existed in proximity for decades now.…”

“…In KrCA, animals live in refugia of habitat in multi-use landscape (Jha & Isvaran, 2022). Therefore, it becomes important to know how animals perceive risks associated with humans.…”

Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii) food sources and habitat use in Marsh–Savannah‐cultivation mosaics

“…We recorded direct encounters of sitatunga along transects, time when the sitatunga were seen, and noted their behaviour following the description in Table 1 (Jha & Isvaran, 2022; Meena & Chourasia, 2017). In addition, upon encountering indirect indicators during the transect walks, we searched thoroughly and recorded sitatunga observed (Newing et al., 2002).…”