Abstract
AbstractUnderstanding the distribution of wildlife species and their response to diverse anthropogenic pressures is important for conservation planning and management of wildlife space in human-dominated landscapes. Assessments of anthropogenic impacts on mammals of the Indian Himalayan Region have mostly been limited to locations inside protected areas. We studied the occurrence of mammals in an unexplored landscape, the 7,586 km2 Bhagirathi basin, at an altitude of 500–5,200 m. The basin encompasses wilderness areas of various habitat types and protection status that are exposed to a range of anthropogenic pressures. Camera trapping at 209 locations during October 2015–September 2017 confirmed the occurrence of 39 species of mammals, nine of which are categorized as threatened (four Vulnerable, five Endangered) and four as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. We recorded five mammal species that were hitherto undocumented in Uttarakhand State: the argali Ovis ammon, Tibetan sand fox Vulpes ferrilata, woolly hare Lepus oiostolus, Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx and woolly flying squirrel Eupetaurus cinereus. In addition, we recorded two Endangered species, the dhole Cuon alpinus and tiger Panthera tigris. Threatened species such as the sambar Rusa unicolor, common leopard Panthera pardus and Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus occur in a wide variety of habitats despite anthropogenic disturbance. We recorded the snow leopard Panthera uncia in areas with high livestock density but temporally segregated from human activities. The musk deer Moschus spp. and Himalayan brown bear Ursus arctos isabellinus were recorded in subalpine habitats and appeared to be less affected by human and livestock presence. Our findings highlight the potential of the Bhagirathi basin as a stronghold for conservation of several threatened and rare mammal species.
Highlights
The mammals of the Indian Himalayan Region are exceptionally diverse, and many are endemic to the region (Schaller, ), but they are threatened by persecution (Mishra, ; Naha et al, ), habitat loss and degradation (Namgail et al, ; Kittur et al, ), and competition with livestock (Bhatnagar, ; Mishra et al, ; Bhattacharya et al, )
We recorded five mammal species (Fig. ) that were hitherto not known to be present in Uttarakhand State: the argali Ovis ammon, Tibetan sand fox Vulpes ferrilata, woolly hare Lepus oiostolus, Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx, and woolly flying squirrel Eupetaurus cinereus
Our model did not show a significant influence of anthropogenic pressures on the Himalayan brown bear, but the high capture rates of livestock and high temporal overlap with livestock suggest there could be a high probability of livestock depredation by the species, which could lead to retaliatory killings
Summary
The mammals of the Indian Himalayan Region are exceptionally diverse, and many are endemic to the region (Schaller, ), but they are threatened by persecution (Mishra, ; Naha et al, ), habitat loss and degradation (Namgail et al, ; Kittur et al, ), and competition with livestock (Bhatnagar, ; Mishra et al, ; Bhattacharya et al, ). Anthropogenic disturbance is dynamic, and responses of wildlife are likely to be influenced by human density and location at a given time, and the duration of human activity (Rogala et al, ; Carter et al, ) Understanding these dynamics facilitates conservation planning and illuminates the processes governing wildlife behaviour in humandominated landscapes (Hojnowski, ). The , km Bhagirathi basin in Uttarakhand, India, is recognized for its ecological, socio-cultural and conservation significance (Rajvanshi et al, ). This landscape encompasses wilderness areas of various habitat types and protection status that are exposed to a range of anthropogenic pressures. The only protected area in the Bhagirathi basin is the , km Gangotri National Park, which provides protection to species of the Trans-Himalaya and Greater Himalaya
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