Paper Title
HABITAT SUITABILITY ANALYSIS OF SANGAIDEER IN KEIBULLAMJAO NATIONAL PARK USING GIS TECHNOLOGY

Abstract
The Sangai deer (Rucervuseldii) is an endangered and endemic species determined solely in KeibulLamjao National Park (KLNP), located in Manipur, India. This species, regularly called the “dancing deer,” is facing vital risk because of growing anthropogenic disturbances and degradation of its fragile habitat, particularly the floating meadows referred to as “phumdis”. This study aims to evaluate the habitat suitability of Sangai deer in KeibulLamjao National Park (KLNP), by incorporating the method of Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information System (GIS), and multi-standard decision-making strategies. Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM 30m resolution and 10m Sentinel data were used for manual classification of Land Use pattern and calculation of Elevation and Slope. This study identified the highest land use pattern in agricultural land, having 32.36% within the Loktak Catchment area. Habitat analysis reveals central and southern part of KLNP more suitable for Sangai deer, which are mostly covered by Grasslands, thick phumdis with vegetation and agricultural lands. The study highlights the environmental variables influencing the species distribution, providing insights for conservation planning, assisting to layout substantial control techniques and manual habitat recovery efforts to make sure the long-time period survival of the Sangai deer. Keywords - Sangai deer, Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), Geographic Information System (GIS), Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)