Assessing Asian Elephant Habitat Preferences in the Central Western Ghats Using GIS, Remote Sensing, and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Abstract

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing are geospatial technologies that have been widely utilized in environmental science for decades, including data collecting and analysis on animal physical disability, wilderness modeling, and site assessment. Remote sensing technology has been employed in the present investigation. GIS and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods were used to assess the habitat preferences of Asian elephants. Use satellite imagery and topographic maps to create environments and habitats, including land use cover (LULC), static vegetation (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), water, Digital Elevation models (DEM), line and aspect. Next comes the use of AHP to determine the location, select the location's priority and distribution pattern. This study examined the habitat preferences of Asian elephants in the Shakleshpur Taluk in the Central Western Ghats in the Karnataka district of Hassan.The results show that 16 percent of the land and 18 percent of the population is covered with forests. Most places have an altitude of 25° to 40° and an altitude of 800 m and 1000 m. The amount of water in the region is limited to the habitat of the elephants. Habitats inhabited by elephants highlight the need for good management inside and outside protected areas to protect these elephants, especially in areas of translocation, to ensure that habitats are compatible. This information will be useful to people working to safeguard Asian elephants and their surroundings in the Western Ghats.