The Himalayan region is one of the global biodiversity hotspots. However, its biodiversity and ecosystems are threatened due to abiotic and biotic drivers. One of the major biotic threats to biodiversity in this region is the rapid spread of Invasive Alien Species (IAS). Natural forests and grasslands are increasingly getting infested by IAS affecting regeneration of native species and decline in availability of bio-resources. Assessing the current status of IAS and prediction of their future spread would be vital for evolving specific species management interventions. Keeping this in view, we conducted an in-depth study on two IASs, viz.,Ageratina adenophoraandLantana camarain the Indian part of Kailash Sacred Landscape (KSL), Western Himalaya. Intensive field surveys were conducted to collect the presence ofA.adenophora(n= 567) andL.camara(n= 120) along an altitudinal gradient between 300 and 3000 m a.s.l. We performed Principal Component Analysis to nullify the multi-colinearity effects of the environmental predictors followingMaxEntspecies distribution model in the current and future climatic scenarios for both the species. All current and future model precision (i.e., Area Under the Curve; AUC) for both species was higher than 0.81. It is predicted that under the current rate of climate change and higher emission (i.e., RCP 8.5 pathway),A.adenophorawill spread 45.3% more than its current distribution and is likely to reach up to 3029 m a.s.l., whereas,L.camarawill spread 29.8% more than its current distribution range and likely to reach up to 3018 m a.s.l. Our results will help in future conservation planning and participatory management of forests and grasslands in the Kailash Sacred Landscape–India.

Conserving landscape connections among favorable habitats is a widely used strategy to maintain populations in an increasingly fragmented world. A species can then exist as a metapopulation consisting of several subpopulations connected by dispersal. Our study focuses on the importance of human–wildlife coexistence areas in maintaining connectivity among primary habitats of small ungulates within and outside protected areas in a large landscape in central India. We used geospatial information and species presence data to model the suitable habitats, core habitats, and connectivity corridors for four antelope species in an ~89,000 km² landscape. We found that about 63% of the core habitats, integrated across the four species, lie outside the protected areas. We then measured connectivity in two scenarios: the present setting, and a hypothetical future setting—where habitats outside protected areas are lost. We also modelled the areas with a high risk of human-influenced antelope mortality using eco-geographical variables and wildlife mortality records. Overall, we found that the habitats in multiple-use forests play a central role in maintaining the connectivity network for antelopes. Sizable expanses of privately held farmlands and plantations also contribute to the essential movement corridors. Some perilous patches with greater mortality risk for species require mitigation measures such as underpasses, overpasses, and fences. Greater conservation efforts are needed in the spaces of human–wildlife coexistence to conserve the habitat network of small ungulates.

Addressing the effects of human-caused habitat destruction on free-ranging threatened large carnivores requires actions that go ‘beyond borders’ in conserving and protecting their habitat and prey base. In this review, we compiled information from available literature on 20 years of conservation efforts aimed at tigers, co-predators, and their prey in the Far-Eastern Himalayan Landscape that is situated at the confluence of three global biodiversity hotspots covering parts of India, Myanmar, and China. The vast area of the proven biodiversity-rich forested landscape is highly suitable for long-term survival of carnivores, such as tigers. Habitat loss, ritual hunting, commercial exploitation, and poaching are the prevailing threats that have resulted in low tiger, co-predator, and prey population densities. Studies suggest that tiger presence is confined to a few areas, while other tiger populations have been extirpated across most parts of the landscape. Past research also suggests that the landscape holds low abundance of diverse prey species richness (n = 22), and urgent conservation measures are required to improve their habitat and numbers. This calls for greater regional and transboundary co-operation on research and knowledge sharing, conservation awareness programs for locals, and cross-border co-operation on wildlife monitoring. Strict policies are also required to enable PA managers to develop strategic plans to conserve large predators and protect their habitats and corridors.