Landscape level patterns of mammalian assemblages in Bellary district, Karnataka

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of habitat fragmentation on mammalian assemblages. Besides that, it also addresses how large predators can shape the behavioural patterns of prey and subordinate predators if diverse mammalian species need to be conserved. Such studies are urgently required in India, as landscape transformation is taking a toll at an alarmingly high rate in the name of development. Furthermore, fragmented Deccan landscapes provide a unique opportunity to examine how species interactions and behavioural adjustments facilitate coexistence under anthropogenic pressure, particularly within carnivore guilds where apex predators, mid-level carnivores, and prey species increasingly overlap with humans. Despite this, integrative assessments combining habitat use, community structure, fragmentation dynamics, and species interactions remain rare in peninsular India. By combining occupancy modelling, activity pattern analysis, community metrics, nestedness analysis, and multispecies interaction models, my study provides a comprehensive assessment of how mammals respond to human-modified landscapes. The findings offer critical insights for biodiversity conservation, landscape management, and coexistence strategies in multi-use ecosystems. The study aims to understand how landscape-level factors and interspecific interactions shape mammalian communities in a human-modified, fragmented and semi-arid ecosystem. By integrating data across anthropogenic land-use gradients, patch characteristics, and interspecies behavioural responses, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms influencing mammalian persistence in fragmented landscapes. Specifically, the study examines how different land-use types, such as PAs, RFs, and adjoining Fringe Mosaic Farmlands (FMFLs), support varying levels of mammalian abundance, richness, diversity, community, and activity. It examines how anthropogenic and natural habitat variables determine the responses of mammals. It further investigates how forest patch attributes influence species assemblage, identifying which life-history traits make species more vulnerable to extinction. Beyond habitat features, the study explores species interactions, including spatial and temporal segregation among top carnivores, meso-carnivores, and prey species to understand coexistence strategies under anthropogenic pressure.