Feb 2��p I Journal ojChemoand Biosphere, Issue 1: VoL 1, pp. 90-98 Key tiger habitats in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya Ashish Kumae and Marcot B. G. 2 lAshish Kumar, JalaSRI Watershed Surveiliance and Research Institute, KCE Society's Moolji Jaitha College, Jilha Peth, Jalgaon - 425 001, Maharashtra,India,
[email protected] 2Bruce G. Marcot, USDAForest Service, PacificNorthwest Research Station, 620 S. W. Main Street, Portland, OR 97205, U.S.A.,
[email protected] Abstract We describe assumed tiger habitat characteristics andattempt to identifY potential tiger habitats in the Garo Hills region of Megha\aya, North East India. Conserving large forest tracts and protected wildlife habitats provides an opportunity for restoring populations of wide-ranging wildlife such as tigers and elepha.TJts. Basedon limited fieldobservations coupled with focused group discussion with local villagers andsenior staffmembers of the wildlife wing ofthe State Forest Departmentof Megahlaya,we identified 20 localities in South GaroHills, which if protected andmanaged for tiger conservation, could help restore this fast disappearing species. An integrated multidisciplinary landscape scale approach to wildlife management, including designation of intact forest corridors among protected areas and reserved forests, would greatlycontribute to conservation of tigers andoverall biodiversity of this region. Keywords: tiger, population viability, landscape approach, conservation, corridors, core habitats Introduction Although the disappearance of tigers from The first ever scientific census of tiger some parks and reserves may be due, in part, to (Pantheratigris tigris) populations by the National poaching and other anthropogenic stressors, it is Tiger Conservation Authority (New Delhi) and still vital to defineand provide for their basic needs Wildlife Institute ofIndia (Dehradun) during 2007 for habitat and prey.