Abstract
Human population growth and concomitant increases in demand for natural resources pose threats to many wildlife populations. The landscapes used by the endangered snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and their prey is increasingly subject to major changes in land use. We aimed to assess the influence of 1) key human activities, as indicated by the presence of mining and livestock herding, and 2) the presence of a key prey species, the blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), on probability of snow leopard site use across the landscape. In Gansu Province, China, we conducted sign surveys in 49 grid cells, each of 16 km2 in size, within a larger area of 3392 km2. We analysed the data using likelihood-based habitat occupancy models that explicitly account for imperfect detection and spatial auto-correlation between survey transect segments. The model-averaged estimate of snow leopard occupancy was high [0.75 (SE 0.10)], but only marginally higher than the naïve estimate (0.67). Snow leopard segment-level probability of detection, given occupancy on a 500 m spatial replicate, was also high [0.68 (SE 0.08)]. Prey presence was the main determinant of snow leopard site use, while human disturbances, in the form of mining and herding, had low predictive power. These findings suggest that snow leopards continue to use areas very close to such disturbances, as long as there is sufficient prey. Improved knowledge about the effect of human activity on large carnivores, which require large areas and intact prey populations, is urgently needed for conservation planning at the local and global levels. We highlight a number of methodological considerations that should guide the design of such research.
Highlights
Growing pressures of human populations and concomitant rises in demand for natural resources are rapidly fragmenting remaining habitats and putting some wildlife populations at risk [1,2,3,4,5]
We investigated key factors influencing the probability of snow leopard site use across the northern part of the Qilianshan National Nature Reserve (QNNR)
The QNNR area, which covers an area of 26,530 km2, supports carnivores including the snow leopard, brown bear (Ursus arctos), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), grey wolf (Canis lupus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and dhole (Cuon alpinus) [32], while blue sheep and white-lipped deer (Przewalskium albirostris) are the main wild ungulates within the area [30]
Summary
Growing pressures of human populations and concomitant rises in demand for natural resources are rapidly fragmenting remaining habitats and putting some wildlife populations at risk [1,2,3,4,5]. Large carnivores, which require large areas and intact prey populations, are especially under threat [2,6]. Some carnivores, such as pumas (Puma concolor) and leopards.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.