Maxent Modelling for Predicting the Spatial Distribution and Habitat Suitability of Long-billed Vulture Gyps Indicus (Scopoli, 1786) in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Jacob Ngukir¹, Abprez Thungwon Kimsing¹, Talo Biju¹ and Daniel Mize^1,

¹Ecology and wildlife biology unit, Department of Zoology, Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh, Papumpare, A.P, India - 791112

Cite this paper:
Jacob Ngukir, Abprez Thungwon Kimsing, Talo Biju and Daniel Mize. Maxent Modelling for Predicting the Spatial Distribution and Habitat Suitability of Long-billed Vulture Gyps Indicus (Scopoli, 1786) in Arunachal Pradesh, India. Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences. 2022; 10(3):147-153. doi: 10.12691/aees-10-3-10

Abstract

Vultures are ecologically important primarily because of their scavenging role in cleaning carcasses of the environment. The Long-billed vulture Gyps indicus has suffered catastrophic declines in parts of its range and, thus, information about its global distribution and factors influencing its occurrence within this range are essential for its conservation. To this end, we estimated the spatial distribution of Long-billed vulture (LBV) and variables affecting this distribution. We used occurrence points (n = 10) from field survey conducted during 2016-2018 and past records and available literature, environmental variables related to these sites and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) software to predict the distribution of this species and its relationship to environmental variables. Out of ~82167.58 km² study area, the LBV had a predicted range of 1856.79 Km² i.e. 2.26 % of study area. The district with densest potential distribution was in East Siang, followed by Namsai, Lower Dibang Valley and a scanter potential distribution was around lower part of Papumpare, Changlang, and areas adjacent to the boundaries of neighboring state Assam. Elevation was related to the vulture’s most probable range: in particular higher temperature and low precipitation were important variables regardless of the season of observations examined. Conservation of identified habitats and mitigation of anthropogenic impacts are recommended for immediate and long-term conservation of the LBV in Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Keywords:
vultures habitat MaxEnt environmental variables conservation

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