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<p>Wetland ecosystems worldwide face unprecedented threats, with over 70% lost since 1900, making spatial conservation planning for wetland-dependent species increasingly critical. This study presents a comprehensive spatial analysis of the Marsh Babbler (<i>Pellorneum palustre</i>), an endemic wetland specialist of South Asia, using an integrated analytical framework applicable to threatened species conservation globally. Using occurrence data from 30 confirmed presence sites across Northeast India’s Brahmaputra valley, we employed multiple complementary techniques including nearest neighbor analysis, kernel density estimation, Getis-Ord G* hotspot analysis, and DBSCAN clustering to characterize distribution patterns and identify conservation priorities.</p><p>Results revealed significant spatial clustering (R = 0.431, p &lt; 0.001) with mean nearest neighbor distances of 3,824.3&#xa0;m. Habitat-constrained null model analysis (999 Monte Carlo simulations) showed observed clustering exceeds that expected from habitat availability alone (simulated mean R = 1.783, 95% CI = 1.313–2.295), indicating aggregation to favorable microhabitat patches. Distribution range estimates varied considerably between methods, from 2819.5 km<sup>2</sup> (concave hull) to 55,517.04 km<sup>2</sup> (95% kernel density), highlighting the importance of multi-method approaches. Getis-Ord G* analysis identified only four significant high-abundance clusters at 95% confidence (13.3% of sites), indicating limited optimal habitat availability. DBSCAN revealed four distinct spatial populations across an elevation gradient of 78–173&#xa0;m.</p><p>These findings demonstrate the value of integrated spatial analysis for identifying multi-scale conservation priorities and underscore the vulnerability of wetland specialists to habitat fragmentation. This framework provides a replicable model for spatial conservation planning applicable to wetland-dependent species worldwide, supporting evidence-based habitat corridor establishment and protected area designation.</p>

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Identifying conservation priorities through spatial hotspot analysis: a multi-scale approach for the wetland-dependent Marsh Babbler (Pellorneum palustre) in the Brahmaputra valley

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月24日

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  • Harif Parengal,
  • P. R. Arun

摘要

Wetland ecosystems worldwide face unprecedented threats, with over 70% lost since 1900, making spatial conservation planning for wetland-dependent species increasingly critical. This study presents a comprehensive spatial analysis of the Marsh Babbler (Pellorneum palustre), an endemic wetland specialist of South Asia, using an integrated analytical framework applicable to threatened species conservation globally. Using occurrence data from 30 confirmed presence sites across Northeast India’s Brahmaputra valley, we employed multiple complementary techniques including nearest neighbor analysis, kernel density estimation, Getis-Ord G* hotspot analysis, and DBSCAN clustering to characterize distribution patterns and identify conservation priorities.

Results revealed significant spatial clustering (R = 0.431, p < 0.001) with mean nearest neighbor distances of 3,824.3 m. Habitat-constrained null model analysis (999 Monte Carlo simulations) showed observed clustering exceeds that expected from habitat availability alone (simulated mean R = 1.783, 95% CI = 1.313–2.295), indicating aggregation to favorable microhabitat patches. Distribution range estimates varied considerably between methods, from 2819.5 km2 (concave hull) to 55,517.04 km2 (95% kernel density), highlighting the importance of multi-method approaches. Getis-Ord G* analysis identified only four significant high-abundance clusters at 95% confidence (13.3% of sites), indicating limited optimal habitat availability. DBSCAN revealed four distinct spatial populations across an elevation gradient of 78–173 m.

These findings demonstrate the value of integrated spatial analysis for identifying multi-scale conservation priorities and underscore the vulnerability of wetland specialists to habitat fragmentation. This framework provides a replicable model for spatial conservation planning applicable to wetland-dependent species worldwide, supporting evidence-based habitat corridor establishment and protected area designation.