Testing the disturbance invasion habitat linkage: How Forest management regimes shape ecological outcomes in a critical Nepalese corridor

Testing the disturbance invasion habitat linkage: How Forest management regimes shape ecological outcomes in a critical Nepalese corridor | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Testing the disturbance invasion habitat linkage: How Forest management regimes shape ecological outcomes in a critical Nepalese corridor Prabin Gauli This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9411886/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Tropical forest corridors face interacting pressures from anthropogenic disturbance, invasive alien plants (IAPS), and diverse management regimes. The Barandabhar Corridor in Nepal’s Terai Arc Landscapes is critical linkage between Chitwan National Park (CNP) and the Mahabharat range, yet no integrated, regime comparative synthesis exists. We conducted a PRISMA guided systematic review protected forest, buffer zone community forest (BZCF), Community Forest (CF), and Collaborative Forest to compare disturbance, IAPS dynamics, and habitat quality (wildlife signs). Disturbance intensity followed a clear gradient: BZCF (highest, driven by fuelwood collection, grazing, and roadkill) > CF (Intermediate) > protected forest (lowest). High disturbance regimes harboured significantly greater cover of four dominant (IAPS) (Mikania micrantha, Chromolaena odorata, Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorus). Cfs with intermediate disturbance exhibited the highest tree species diversity, empirically supporting the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) in Shorea robusta (Sal) forests. Wild ungulated signs (Chital, Sambar, Muntjac, wild pig) showed a strong negative association with IAPS cover. Endogenous (locally crafted) governance rules produced better ecological outcomes than exogenous state driven regimes, but elite capture and gender exclusion persist. Existing payment for ecosystem services (PES) mechanisms lack conditionality and scientific valuation. I conclude that management regimes is a primary drivers of ecological conditions; effective PES must be regime specific. An integrated, plot level, multi regime analysis linking ecological economic metrics is urgent needed. Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9411886","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":624634440,"identity":"a90598ef-d9c9-43ce-9451-9aa811002ad9","order_by":0,"name":"Prabin Gauli","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHACNoYEEMXO2P5BogLIYGZuIFILM2Mbg8UZMIMILWDADGRUtoFYBLSYSx9+9uDhjlp5g8PMbQ9uzquN5m8HavlRsQ2nFsu+NHODxDPHDTccZmw3nLnteO6Mw4wNjD1nbuPUYnCGwUwise0YI1BLg7TktmO5DUAG0F/4tLB/A2mxB2v5O+dY7nzCWnhAttQkArW0SUg21ORuIKTFsoen3CCx7UDyzMOMzQYSxw7kbgRqOYjPL+Y87Nse/myrs+073v7wgURNXe6884cPPvhRgcdhEOowjA9hHMCpHqGlDsavw6VwFIyCUTAKRjAAAL8ZYEe0nkv5AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Prabin","middleName":"","lastName":"Gauli","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-04-14 07:25:35","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9411886/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9411886/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":108999812,"identity":"8fcc0ff0-c66e-4658-83ac-37ed82ea4f09","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-11 14:44:35","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":448298,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"RevisedBlindManuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9411886/v1_covered_c3308398-147b-473b-b88f-987b6816178f.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Testing the disturbance invasion habitat linkage: How Forest management regimes shape ecological outcomes in a critical Nepalese corridor","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9411886/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9411886/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Tropical forest corridors face interacting pressures from anthropogenic disturbance, invasive alien plants (IAPS), and diverse management regimes. The Barandabhar Corridor in Nepal’s Terai Arc Landscapes is critical linkage between Chitwan National Park (CNP) and the Mahabharat range, yet no integrated, regime comparative synthesis exists. We conducted a PRISMA guided systematic review protected forest, buffer zone community forest (BZCF), Community Forest (CF), and Collaborative Forest to compare disturbance, IAPS dynamics, and habitat quality (wildlife signs). Disturbance intensity followed a clear gradient: BZCF (highest, driven by fuelwood collection, grazing, and roadkill) \u003e CF (Intermediate) \u003e protected forest (lowest). High disturbance regimes harboured significantly greater cover of four dominant (IAPS) (Mikania micrantha, Chromolaena odorata, Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorus). Cfs with intermediate disturbance exhibited the highest tree species diversity, empirically supporting the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) in Shorea robusta (Sal) forests. 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