Science deficiency in conservation practice: the monitoring of tiger populations in India

被引:99
作者
Karanth, KU
Nichols, JD
Seidensticker, J
Dinerstein, E
Smith, JLD
McDougal, C
Johnsingh, AJT
Chundawat, RS
Thapar, V
机构
[1] Wildlife Conservat Soc, Int Program, Bronx, NY 10460 USA
[2] US Geol Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Res Ctr, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
[3] Smithsonian Inst, Natl Zool Pk, Washington, DC 20008 USA
[4] World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC 20037 USA
[5] Univ Minnesota, Dept Fisheries & Wildlife, St Paul, MN 55108 USA
[6] Tiger Tops, Kathmandu, Nepal
[7] Wildlife Inst India, Dehra Dun 248001, Uttar Pradesh, India
关键词
D O I
10.1017/S1367943003003184
中图分类号
X176 [生物多样性保护];
学科分类号
090705 ;
摘要
Conservation practices are supposed to get refined by advancing scientific knowledge. We study this phenomenon in the context of monitoring tiger populations in India, by evaluating the 'pugmark census method' employed by wildlife managers for three decades. We use an analytical framework of modern animal population sampling to test the efficacy of the pugmark censuses using scientific data on tigers and our field observations. We identify three critical goals for monitoring tiger populations, in order of increasing sophistication: (1) distribution mapping, (2) tracking relative abundance, (3) estimation of absolute abundance. We demonstrate that the present census-based paradigm does not work because it ignores the first two simpler goals, and targets, but fails to achieve, the most difficult third goal. We point out the utility and ready availability of alternative monitoring paradigms that deal with the central problems of spatial sampling and observability. We propose an alternative sampling-based approach that can be tailored to meet practical needs of tiger monitoring at different levels of refinement.
引用
收藏
页码:141 / 146
页数:6
相关论文
共 40 条
[1]  
[Anonymous], 1982, ESTIMATION ANIMAL AB
[2]  
Burgman M. A., 1993, RISK ASSESSMENT CONS
[3]  
Burnham K. P., 1998, MODEL SELECTION INFE
[4]  
Choudhury S.R., 1972, Cheetal, V15, P67
[5]  
Choudhury S.R., 1970, Cheetal, V14, P41
[6]  
Chundawat Raghunandan S., 1999, P123
[7]  
Karanth K.U., 1987, P118
[8]  
KARANTH K U, 1988, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, V85, P1
[9]  
Karanth K.U., 2000, ECOLOGICAL STATUS CO
[10]  
Karanth K.U., 2002, MONITORING TIGERS TH