Role of Wildlife Corridors in Tiger Conservation

Context

Recently, To revive the population of tigers, the Maharashtra forest department is planning to translocate tigers from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR)  to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) by considering the importance of the Sahyadri-Konkan wildlife corridor.

Concerns Regarding the Population of Tigers in Sahyadri Tiger Reserve(STR)

The tiger population in the region has been historically low due to poaching, poor prey base, and changing habitat. 

• Even after the STR was notified, the number of tigers did not increase as breeding tigers did not colonize the reserve.
• However within the Boundaries of STR, Photo evidence & few and pugmark evidence has shown the presence of seven to eight tigers from time to time.

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Pipeline Process to Translocate of Tigers to  Sahyadri Tiger Reserve(STR)

Translocation is part of a long-term plan to revive the population of the big cats in the northern Western Ghats forests.

• The Translocation of tigers from TATR will be followed by their translocation from the Pench Tiger Reserve landscape, which is spread over Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. 
  • In all, the plan involves translocation of eight tigers : three males and five females.
• The translocation is part of the phase-II of the tiger recovery project; 
  • phase-I involves preparing the habitat for the big cats’ reintroduction, augmentation of prey, improving forest protection and building of a temporary enclosure for their soft release.
• The population can increase through the inflow of tigers from the forests, located towards the south of STR, in Goa and Karnataka, especially with the strengthening of the wildlife corridor. 

What are Wildlife Corridors?

Wildlife corridors are strips of habitats that connect larger landscapes or ecosystems which may be fragmented by human settlements, infrastructure and other forms of disturbances. These corridors allow for the movement of wildlife across ecosystems, to enable foraging for food, connecting different populations for mating and other motives for migration.

Two main categories Wildlife Corridors, Natural corridors and Man Made Corridors

Naturally established corridors have been created by natural circumstances and may have specific geographical features such as mountains and dense forests, entire expanses of land like plains or prairies; specific forest ecosystems such as tropical forests; or even a flowing water habitat which includes a river and its banks.

Man Made Corridors 

• Man-made corridors have been established by humans for supporting and maintaining biodiversity across many different environments.  
• The most common man-made corridors are the over and underpasses that were invented to avoid animal and human collisions via roads.
  • They also include smaller versions such as hedgerows on the edge of rural farmland. 

Currently, India recognises tiger and elephant corridors. As tigers and elephants are umbrella species, their protection benefits a host of other wildlife and flora that inhabit the same landscape.

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What is the Importance of the Sahyadri-Konkan Wildlife Corridor?

Sahyadri-Konkan Wildlife Corridor is a linear corridor spread north to south across the northern Western Ghats. It connects Sahyadri Tiger Reserve and Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra with Kali Tiger Reserve and Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka as well as four protected areas in Goa, viz. Mollem National Park and Mhadei, Netravali, and Cotigao wildlife sanctuaries. 

The Purposes of Wildlife Corridors 

Wildlife corridors have three main purposes/effects in order to stabilize populations of species within local environments: 

• Colonization: species are able to move and occupy new areas in search of resources such as food, water and shelter. 
• Migration: species that relocate seasonally can do so safely, effectively and without humans impeding their pathway (or vice versa). 
• Genetic diversity: species have more mating options, which strengthens the overall population and reduces inter-breeding.

Benefits of Wildlife Corridors 

• Biodiversity Conservation :  Ecological connectivity fosters biodiversity conservation by maintaining ecological function across landscapes, providing essential corridors for plant and wildlife movement to sustain healthy populations. 
• Facilitate for Adaptation to Climate Change : Connected habitats enable species to move and adjust in response to changing climate conditions, enhancing species’ and ecosystem resilience to climate change. 
• Provision of Ecosystem Services : Wildlife corridors contribute to the provision of ecosystem services vital for both humans and wildlife, such as water purification, oxygen production, erosion control, and insect pollination of important food crops. 
• Some Additional Benefits of Wildlife Corridors Depending on their location, wildlife corridors can benefit urban, suburban, rural, and wild environments. 
  • Protect urban and suburban open space 
  • Protect our natural heritage and conserve biodiversity 
  • Improve environmental quality and quality of life 
  • Provide recreation opportunities 
  • Provide an opportunity for people to interact with nature, including educational opportunities that stimulate the senses and imagination 
  • Enhance property values (possibly)

Potential Negative Impacts of Wildlife Corridors

• Social Impact of Human-Wildlife Conflict : Connecting landscapes may lead to increased wildlife-human conflicts, especially near human settlements and recreational areas, potentially affecting public perception of large carnivores repopulating these areas. 
• Introduction of Harmful Species :  Corridors facilitate the movement of not only native species but also invasive, exotic, and harmful species, potentially disrupting local ecosystems and increasing the spread of pathogens, diseases, and harmful insects. 
• Altering of Aquatic Systems : Connecting aquatic systems can lead to the spread of disease, invasive fish and animals, and changes in habitat quality, such as increased water temperature, which may adversely affect aquatic biodiversity.

Wildlife Corridors Essentials for Tiger Conservation 

They are crucial for the long-term survival of the tiger population as they help guard against localized extinctions and ensure the exchange of gene flow, which helps in population diversity. 

• Tigers have large home ranges and often travel long distances in search of mates and food. 
  • In doing so, they make use of these wildlife corridors and cross several human-dominated landscapes. 
• Policy Decisions plays an important role 
  • Mitigation measures such as underpasses, and wildlife crossings are now routinely ordered to safeguard tigers and other wildlife in projects where linear infrastructure projects fragment habitats.
  • Earlier Successful Instances : The construction of an overpass on the National Highway- 7 to protect the migratory route of tigers underneath between the Kanha and Pench Tiger Reserves is one instance of embedding mitigation measures to protect corridors.
    • Tigers routinely use the space beneath the elevated stretch of the highway to cross the forests.

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