242
Lucas and Mitchell (2017; this book). The MODIS data provided invaluable insights
into the frequency and distribution of fires, identifying that the majority occurred in
the moist mixed deciduous forests and alluvial grasslands.
Distribution and Movement of Tigers
Although camera trapping occurred over a relatively short period, 52 tiger sightings
were obtained. The resulting photographs allowed 14 different individuals to be
distinguished and their gender determined. The movement of tigers was variable but
several individuals moved large distances (tens of kilometers), with one male having a substantive range (232 km
2
). A general movement of tigers towards forested
areas in the northern sections (of slightly higher elevation) may be attributable to the
comparatively low availability of prey in the grassland areas during the winter
months.
Reference to the land cover classification generated from Landsat sensor data
indicated that the majority of tigers remained within the forest areas, although some
males ventured into the riverine areas. Whilst recognizing that the observation
period was relatively short, it was evident that some tigers remained in forest areas
in proximity to the fires but were also sufficiently far away (typically 5–10 km) from
the last known burn. It is hypothesized that tigers may stay close to areas that are
burning (or may be susceptible to burning) in order to take advantage of prey species fleeing from the fire. They may also anticipate or take advantage of the prey
species returning to graze on new growth in the periods following the fires. The
influence of fires on the distribution of large cats and their prey has also been noted
by Sarma et al. (2008) and Takahata et al. (2010) but further studies are need to
specifically link occurrence and movements with fire activity. Avoidance of areas
occupied or influenced by humans was noticeable, with many individuals located
towards the less disturbed central areas where human activity and vehicular movements were minimal and prey was more abundant.
A practical outcome from the study is that information generated on individual
movement of tigers can assist future surveillance, especially as the likelihood of
tiger movements can be communicated to the forest camps. Training in the use of
camera traps and photographic interpretation allows frontline staff to identify individual tigers and contribute to a better understanding of their ranging behaviour in
this landscape. Whilst tigers may benefit from fires, they may also be disturbed from
those that are human-induced and therefore the establishment of camps in close
proximity to fire prone areas may lead to prevention of many and hence less overall
disturbance of habitats.
The tigers showed minimal overlap with leopards and clouded leopards and
some studies (e.g., Rabinowitz et al. 1987) have suggested that the clouded leopard
may alter its range or become less nocturnal when larger competitive species occur.
Further research on the movement of tigers and other large cats based on camera
S. Ghosh and R. Lucas
Lucas and Mitchell (2017; this book). The MODIS data provided invaluable insights
into the frequency and distribution of fires, identifying that the majority occurred in
the moist mixed deciduous forests and alluvial grasslands.
Distribution and Movement of Tigers
Although camera trapping occurred over a relatively short period, 52 tiger sightings
were obtained. The resulting photographs allowed 14 different individuals to be
distinguished and their gender determined. The movement of tigers was variable but
several individuals moved large distances (tens of kilometers), with one male having a substantive range (232 km
2
). A general movement of tigers towards forested
areas in the northern sections (of slightly higher elevation) may be attributable to the
comparatively low availability of prey in the grassland areas during the winter
months.
Reference to the land cover classification generated from Landsat sensor data
indicated that the majority of tigers remained within the forest areas, although some
males ventured into the riverine areas. Whilst recognizing that the observation
period was relatively short, it was evident that some tigers remained in forest areas
in proximity to the fires but were also sufficiently far away (typically 5–10 km) from
the last known burn. It is hypothesized that tigers may stay close to areas that are
burning (or may be susceptible to burning) in order to take advantage of prey species fleeing from the fire. They may also anticipate or take advantage of the prey
species returning to graze on new growth in the periods following the fires. The
influence of fires on the distribution of large cats and their prey has also been noted
by Sarma et al. (2008) and Takahata et al. (2010) but further studies are need to
specifically link occurrence and movements with fire activity. Avoidance of areas
occupied or influenced by humans was noticeable, with many individuals located
towards the less disturbed central areas where human activity and vehicular movements were minimal and prey was more abundant.
A practical outcome from the study is that information generated on individual
movement of tigers can assist future surveillance, especially as the likelihood of
tiger movements can be communicated to the forest camps. Training in the use of
camera traps and photographic interpretation allows frontline staff to identify individual tigers and contribute to a better understanding of their ranging behaviour in
this landscape. Whilst tigers may benefit from fires, they may also be disturbed from
those that are human-induced and therefore the establishment of camps in close
proximity to fire prone areas may lead to prevention of many and hence less overall
disturbance of habitats.
The tigers showed minimal overlap with leopards and clouded leopards and
some studies (e.g., Rabinowitz et al. 1987) have suggested that the clouded leopard
may alter its range or become less nocturnal when larger competitive species occur.
Further research on the movement of tigers and other large cats based on camera
S. Ghosh and R. Lucas