| Abstract Detail
Conservation Biology Sen, Sandeep [1], Shivaprakash, Nagaraju [2], Aravind, Nilavara A. [1], Ravikanth, Gudasalamani [1], Dayanandan, Selvadurai [2]. Ecological niche modeling predicts invasion risks of endemic land snail (Indrella ampulla) into Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) plantations in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in India. Indrella ampulla, a land snail endemic to tropical rain forests in the Western Ghats has recently spread into Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) plantations in the region and becoming a pest causing significant economic impacts. We used ecological niche modeling (ENM) to predict the environmental conditions suitable for persistence of I. ampulla and assess the invasion risk into cardamom plantations. Using maximum entropy niche modelling technique (MaxEnt), we predicted the distribution and niche overlap for I. ampulla and Cardamom (E. cardamomum) cultivation areas under present and future (2050) climatic scenarios. We developed an invasion risk map of I. ampulla to cardamom cultivation areas in the Western Ghats based on the suitability map, land cover data and proximity of cardamom cultivation areas to source populations of I. ampulla. Our results indicated that climatic (precipitation in the coldest quarter and Isothermality) and soil (Cation exchange capacity) parameters strongly correlated with the distribution of I. ampulla. The cardamom cultivation areas in southern Western Ghats are predicted to experience highest (75-100%) I. ampulla invasion risk. However, the habitat area suitable for I. ampulla in the Western Ghats is predicted to decrease under the changing climatic conditions reducing the invasion risk of I. ampulla into cardamom plantations. The habitat suitability maps of the present study provide means to device conservation and management strategies for Indrella ampulla and Ellettaria cardamomum.
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1 - ATREE, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560064, India
2 - Concordia University, Biology Department, 7141 Sherbrooke West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
Keywords:
Elettaria
Indrella
invasive species
Niche Modeling
conservation.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 66
Location: Salon 19/20/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Wednesday, July 29th, 2015
Time: 2:00 PM
Number: 66003
Abstract ID:1258
Candidate for Awards:None |
