Spatial Analysis of Wildlife Habitat around Madihan forests of Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh in India, using Geospatial Technology

The tropical dry deciduous forests of Mirzapur district in Uttar Pradesh (state) in India are facing to severe threat from agricultural expansion, increased urbanisation, infrastructure development and unsustainable use of forest produce. The forests are nowadays fragmented and wildlife habitat is vanishing. Decreasing numbers of wild animal species requires using methods for preventing the loss of biodiversity.

The present study concerns analysis of satellite remote sensing data of Landsat OLI (2013) in conjunction with Geographic Information System (GIS) and support of Geographic Positioning System (GPS) to identify suitable habitat for wild animals. The thematic maps regarding e.g. land use, forest cover type were prepared. The weighted overlay method was used for integration of the thematic layers for identification of potential habitat and corridors for wildlife movement. Most suitable (2.54%), moderately suitable (12.0%) and least suitable (16.20%) areas were delineated and represented in a map. Highly suitable habitat was found at Dadri and Kotwa forest; moderately suitable habitat was found in Darhi Ram forests. Least suitable areas were found in Kotwa and Patewar forests. Such data are the basis to assess the wildlife conservation measures.