🤯 Did You Know (click to read)
Buffer zones around protected areas are often established to reduce direct human-wildlife conflict.
Urban and agricultural expansion near forest margins compresses the boundary between human settlements and tiger habitat. Edge development increases noise, light pollution, and road access. Tigers require undisturbed interior forest for successful breeding and hunting. Encroachment reduces these safe zones. Increased human presence elevates risk of accidental encounters and retaliatory killing. The interface between city and forest becomes a pressure point. For a species with fewer than 150 individuals, even minor encroachment matters.
💥 Impact (click to read)
Edge effects alter vegetation, microclimate, and prey behavior. Development introduces domestic animals and waste that can change ecological dynamics. Tigers navigating these zones face higher mortality risk.
Strategic land-use planning is essential to maintain buffer zones. Without deliberate zoning, expansion will steadily erode core habitat. Urban growth trajectories directly influence apex predator survival probabilities.
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