Projecting the theoretical niche of a recently re-discovered population of feral Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in the North Rupununi wetlands, Guyana

Figures & data

Figure 1. Map of the North Rupununi wetlands including water buffalo observations, indigenous communities, private ranches, protected areas, and major habitat types [45]

Figure 2. (top) Asian water buffalo caught on camera traps set in the North Rupununi wetlands (©Karanambu Trust/Rupununi Wildlife Research Unit); (middle left) an adult male water buffalo killed by hunters near Kwaimatta Village (©Kevin Edwards); (middle right) track of an adult Asian water buffalo in a dry creek bed near Taraqua Lake (©Gerard Pereira); (bottom left) North Rupununi wetlands during the rainy season (©Matt Hallett); (bottom right) dry season fire in the Rupununi savannas (©Matt Hallett)

Figure 3. Habitat suitability as a function of elevation (top) and distance to water (bottom)

Table 1. Variables used in the top MaxEnt model and their permutation importance

Variable	Permutation importance
Distance to water	46.1
Elevation	42.2
Slope	7.4
Land cover	2.4
Tree cover	1.9

Figure 4. Map of the theoretical niche of feral Asian water buffalo in the Rupununi Region, Guyana [42]

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