Central India’s land-use patterns, roads fragmenting gaur & sambar populations, threatening genetic diversity

Sub: Env

Sec: Biodiversity

Context:

Land use patterns and roads in central India are disrupting the genetic connectivity of Gaur and Sambar.
The study by the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) indicated high genetic differentiation, suggesting small populations with little gene flow.

Study and Findings:

Researchers collected samples from tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh and
Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and genetic tools, they identified 921 samples as gaur and 504 samples as sambar.
The study found that gaur was most impacted by land-use changes, roads, and dense infrastructure, showing low genetic diversity.
Sambar, also affected by human presence, showed less differentiation but had low genetic diversity, likely due to their large population size.

Threats to Connectivity:

Central India faces threats from growing linear infrastructure like highways, railway lines, mining activities, and other development projects.
Such infrastructure creates fragmented populations confined within small habitat patches.

Conservation Implications

Gaur and sambar are crucial prey species for large carnivores like
Both species face threats from habitat fragmentation, habitat loss, illegal poaching, and other anthropogenic impacts.

Sambar deer:

The sambar (Rusa unicolour) is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent, South China and Southeast Asia that has been listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008.
Distribution: South Asia as far north as the south-facing slopes of the Himalayas in Nepal, Bhutan and India, in mainland Southeast Asia including Burma, Thailand, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia (Sumatra and Borneo), Taiwan, and South China, including Hainan.
Prefers the dense cover of deciduous shrubs and grasses.
Sambar are nocturnal or crepuscular.

Gaur:

The gaur is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since
The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 mature individuals in 2016, with the majority of those existing in India.
It is the largest species among the wild cattle and the The domesticated form of the gaur is called gayal (Bos frontalis) or Mithun.
IUCN status: Vulnerable

Protected Areas:

Source: DTE