Where the tropical owls are: reserve status and habitat variables explain the distribution of owls in the mosaic landscape of Garo Hills, north-eastern India.
North-east India, a part of the Indo-Burma region and one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world, faces several biodiversity issues including shorter fallow periods between jhum cycles which gives lesser time for forests to recoup, encroachment, and logging, leading to widespread habitat loss and degradation. With slash-burn agriculture also being practiced in many parts of the north-east, Community Reserves that largely make up the Protected Area network could likely act as refugia for several species. Our study explored how owls use these Reserves in the Garo Hills in Meghalaya.
