"Human wildlife conflicts" is on the rise. Most tropical forest fringe communities can now identify a clear "peak" and "lean" conflict season in a calendar year. Are wildlife moving into humanospheres in certain times because the conditions inside forests (their natural habitat) at that time are bad? How to check this ? Will analysing the various biotic (vegetation characteristics) and abiotic (select meteorological parameters, stream water parameters) in the adjacent forests in the two "conflict seasons" answer the question? If so, What are the other possible measurable parameters?
The issue is important and relevant in current scenario. More people would be interested to learn about the findings of the research.
The contents in the following link provided interesting reading, may not be worthy for your purpose:
https://www.currentconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/CC_4.
The following thesis may not be so relevant to the proposed work, but may provide useful clues:
http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/KEY%20DETERMINANTS%20OF%20CONFLICT.pdf
Very valid question Dr. G.K. Nair on Human wild conflict and wildlife movements in humanospheres?? I am not wildlife expert but what I know that resource availability and its sharing with wildlife are important. Secondly as you said seasons role , obviously biological system of wildlife need good habitat factors which may vary with seasons for food, shelter and water. Further which kind of wildlife like Herbivores or carnivores or other sub groups will also decide the conflicts. eg. Tiger and elephant!! Herbivores are more targeted for hunt while they target the crops in lean season summer or late winter, tropical climate may not have that sharp distinction. In rainy season everything is fine but most of wildlife wish for open places for resting so again human habitation is suitable. In short it the area of wildlife habitat and resource availability to sustain that population is need to be assessed before declaring any area as wildlife habitat rather on fringe presence of wilds. The fringe areas of wildlife habitat are how agriculturally or socially distributed is also equally important. GIr Lion NP is good example though there are also conflict due the over population of Lions than the prey base and state not willing to share Lion with outside Gujarat. But more the cases are conflict of sharing of resources even in the peak period not for food but else habitat requirement. So those factors also be taken into consideration carrying capacity of wildlife areas vis a vis conflicts along with seasons role.
Definitely the vegetation characteristics, topography, terrain, grass cover, etc affect the animal movement.
Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, loss of food species and prey, encroachment of forest fringe areas and corridors influence the movement of wild animals in to the human habitations.
I have analysed relation on habitat fragmentation and large mammals conflicts, the paper is published in Ecological indicators, will contribute to some understanding on the issue.
For the human and monkey conflicts it is better to analyze the agriculture fields adjacent to the forests whether they are cultivated or kept fallow.
Dear Gopakumar
I think it could be interesting to analyze forest size and forest distance to human habitations. This information, crossed with data about wildlife home range could help in predict some predation patterns.
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