This book demonstrates how varying levels of human disturbance manifested through different management regimes influence composition, richness, diversity and abundance of key mammal, bird and plant species, even within ecologically similar habitats. Based on our results, we show the critical importance of the ‘wildlife preservation’ approach for effective biodiversity conservation. The study also provides examples of a practical application of rigorous methods of quantitative sampling of different plant and animal taxa as well as human influences, thus serving as a useful manual for protected area managers. Protected
areas of various kinds have been established in India with the goal of
arresting decline in, and to provide for, recovery of biodiversity and
ecosystem services. A model that targets ‘wildlife preservation’ under state
ownership is practiced across the country. However, forests in India are under
intensive human pressure and varying levels of protection; therefore,protected
areas may also experience open-access resource use, a model that is being
aggressively advocated as a viable alternative to ‘preservationism’. We have
evaluated the conservation efficacy of alternative forest management models by
quantifying levels of biodiversity under varied levels of access, resource
extraction and degree of state-sponsored protection in the Nagarahole forest
landscape of southwestern India.