Social and Environmental Drivers of Black-Necked Crane (BNC) Habitat Suitability in Bhutan: Insights From Maxent Modelling and Conservation Implications

The conservation of Bhutan's Black-Necked Cranes (BNC) began in 1986 under the Forest and Nature Conservation Act of 1995, prioritizing habitat enhancement, community involvement, and scientific research. Employing the Maxent-LQH model, we comprehensively assessed BNC habitat suitability in Bhutan, selecting 10 environmental variables based on their AIC. Our analysis, utilizing a dataset of 23 occurrence records, identified key determinants such as distance to settlements, NDVI, roads, and rivers, impacting habitat suitability. The spatially confined suitable habitat area for BNC in Bhutan encompasses 549 km², accounting for 1.44% of the nation's land area, with secondary variables contributing modestly. While validation metrics (AUC = 0.98, TSS = 0.83) demonstrate high accuracy, acknowledging methodological limitations is essential. Furthermore, integrating these insights into conservation strategies is crucial, advocating for the extension of existing conservation zones and identifying novel areas for conservation. These findings underscore the critical role of environmental determinants in shaping BNC distribution patterns, necessitating tailored conservation efforts to protect this endangered species and its habitat in Bhutan.