Modeling Habitat Distribution and Landscape Connectivity for African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in Malawi's Lower Shire Valley

INTRODUCTION This dataset supports a spatial ecological analysis of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) habitat quality and connectivity in the Lower Shire Valley, Malawi. It consists of multiple spatial data layers used for assessing habitat suitability, threats, and corridor modeling. The dataset includes the following components. All datasets are projected in WGS 84 / UTM Zone 36S to ensure spatial consistency. The data was prepared and analyzed using ArcGIS 10.8, QGIS 3.28, MaXent, and integrated into habitat quality modeling using the InVEST tool and least-cost path analysis. Occurrence Data (Shapefile):Point data representing confirmed sightings and presence records of African buffalo, compiled from field surveys and secondary sources. These georeferenced records were used in species distribution modeling and connectivity analysis. Study Area Boundary (Shapefile):A polygon layer delineating the spatial extent of the study area, covering protected areas, surrounding agricultural lands, and major ecological features in the Lower Shire Valley. Waterholes (Shapefile):Locations of known waterholes and seasonal water bodies that are critical to African buffalo movement and habitat preference, digitized from high-resolution satellite imagery and validated through ground-truthing. Wetlands (Shapefile):Delineated wetlands important for buffalo habitat and movement corridors. Environmental and Threat Variables (GeoTIFF format):Raster datasets representing key environmental and anthropogenic factors used in habitat quality and corridor modeling: Elevation – Derived from SRTM DEM, used to compute slope and topographic variation. Slope – Derived from elevation, representing terrain ruggedness. Population Density – Represents human pressure, sourced from WorldPop data. River Networks – Represented as distance-to-river and flow accumulation rasters. Land Use/Cover (optional) – Classified raster used in modeling habitat suitability. Bioclimatic Variables (GeoTIFFs):19 bioclimatic layers (e.g., annual precipitation, temperature seasonality) from WorldClim, used to analyze climatic influences on habitat suitability. Road Network (Shapefile):Linear features representing primary and secondary roads that fragment habitat and pose collision threats. Buildings (Shapefile):Point or polygon data representing built-up areas contributing to habitat degradation.