A paradox of local abundance amidst regional rarity: the value of montane refugia for Persian leopard conservation

Farhadinia, Mohammad S.; McClintock, Brett T.; Johnson, Paul J.; Behnoud, Pouyan; Hobeali, Kaveh; Moghadas, Peyman; Hunter, Luke; Macdonald, David W.

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-50605-2

Cited by 27 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Whilst dual‐camera trap survey stations still provide the most accurate and effective way of collecting recapture data for complete identities of large carnivores, the development of SPIM (Augustine, 2018) and similar packages for partially identified datasets (McClintock, 2015) allows alternative survey design considerations for conservation management (Augustine et al ., 2018; Farhadinia et al ., 2019). Robust, and often rapid, density estimates are key for species management (Bauer et al ., 2015; Jacobson et al ., 2016), and SPIM provides a cost‐effective and accurate method for analysing camera trap data that deviates from the conventional dual‐camera trap survey design (Augustine et al ., 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial partial identity model reveals low densities of leopard and spotted hyaena in a miombo woodland

et al. 2020

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Decline in global carnivore populations has led to increased demand for assessment of carnivore densities in understudied habitats. Spatial capture-recapture (SCR) is used increasingly to estimate species densities, where individuals are often identified from their unique pelage patterns. However, uncertainty in bilateral individual identification can lead to the omission of capture data and reduce the precision of results. The recent development of the two-flank spatial partial identity model (SPIM) offers a cost-effective approach, which can reduce uncertainty in individual identity assignment and provide robust density estimates. We conducted camera trap surveys annually between 2016 and 2018 in Kasungu National Park, Malawi, a primary miombo woodland and a habitat lacking baseline data on carnivore densities. We used SPIM to estimate density for leopard (Panthera pardus) and spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) and compared estimates with conventional SCR methods. Density estimates were low across survey years, when compared to estimates from sub-Saharan Africa, for both leopard (1.9 AE 0.19 SD adults/100 km 2) and spotted hyaena (1.15 AE 0.42 SD adults/100 km 2). Estimates from SPIM improved precision compared with analytical alternatives. Lion (Panthera leo) and wild dog (Lycaon pictus) were absent from the 2016 survey, but lone dispersers were recorded in 2017 and 2018, and both species appear limited to transient individuals from within the wider transfrontier conservation area. Low densities may reflect low carrying capacity in miombo woodlands or be a result of reduced prey availability from intensive poaching. We provide the first leopard density estimates from Malawi and a miombo woodland habitat, whilst demonstrating that SPIM is beneficial for density estimation in surveys where only one camera trap per location is deployed. The low density of large carnivores requires urgent management to reduce the loss of the carnivore guild in Kasungu National Park and across the wider transfrontier landscape.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial partial identity model reveals low densities of leopard and spotted hyaena in a miombo woodland

et al. 2020

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“…Raza et al, 2012) or from the western Iranian populations (e.g. Moqanaki et al, 2013;Parchizadeh and Adibi, 2019;Farhadinia et al, 2019). It is very important to conduct further surveys to find out the exact numbers and population size of the Persian leopards in Bamo Mountain and adjacent areas.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring of the Wild Mammal Fauna in Bamo Mountain in Northern Iraq (Kurdistan) for the First Time Using Camera Trap Method and Raising Awareness for Its Conservation

Ahmed

Majeed

2020

Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus.

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Mammals are under threat worldwide due to deforestation, hunting, and other human activities. In Iraq, a total of 93 species of wild mammals have been recorded including species with global conservation concern. Bamo Mountain is situated within the Zagros Mountains in northern Iraq which is a suitable habitat for wild mammals. Due to scarcity of the field survey efforts and cryptic behavior, monitoring of the wild mammals fauna in Zagros Mountain seems challenging. Therefore, we used a camera trap which seems to be an ideal way to determine species diversity of wild mammals in Bamo Mountain. Moreover, interviews with local villagers were performed. The mammalian diversity of Bamo Mountain is not fully explored but seemed threatened by local extinction due to poaching and wildlife trafficking, minefields, and annual fires. In this study, a total of eight species of wild mammals were recorded for the first time in Bamo Mountain using camera trap method including the Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor Pocock, 1927, and the Wild goat Capra aegagrus Erxleben, 1777, flagship and key species of conservation concern. As far as it is concerned, the major threats on the wild mammals were discussed and some important points were highlighted towards the establishment of the protected area in Bamo Mountain.

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“…Importantly, in the absence of other large carnivores, kleptoparasitism by conspecifics can still be a major source of losses [20]. The high population density (5.6 individuals/100 km 2 [47]) and large home range overlap between neighboring conspecifics in Tandoureh [27] make caching behaviour important for avoiding this [20,48].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding decision making in a food-caching predator using hidden Markov models

et al. 2020

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Background: Tackling behavioural questions often requires identifying points in space and time where animals make decisions and linking these to environmental variables. State-space modeling is useful for analysing movement trajectories, particularly with hidden Markov models (HMM). Yet importantly, the ontogeny of underlying (unobservable) behavioural states revealed by the HMMs has rarely been verified in the field. Methods: Using hidden Markov models of individual movement from animal location, biotelemetry, and environmental data, we explored multistate behaviour and the effect of associated intrinsic and extrinsic drivers across life stages. We also decomposed the activity budgets of different movement states at two general and caching phases. The latter-defined as the period following a kill which likely involves the caching of uneaten prey-was subsequently confirmed by field inspections. We applied this method to GPS relocation data of a caching predator, Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor in northeastern Iran. Results: Multistate modeling provided strong evidence for an effect of life stage on the behavioural states and their associated time budget. Although environmental covariates (ambient temperature and diel period) and ecological outcomes (predation) affected behavioural states in non-resident leopards, the response in resident leopards was not clear, except that temporal patterns were consistent with a crepuscular and nocturnal movement pattern. Resident leopards adopt an energetically more costly mobile behaviour for most of their time while nonresidents shift their behavioural states from high energetic expenditure states to energetically less costly encamped behaviour for most of their time, which is likely to be a risk avoidance strategy against conspecifics or humans. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that plasticity in predator behaviour depending on life stage may tackle a trade-off between successful predation and avoiding the risks associated with conspecifics, human presence and maintaining home range. Range residency in territorial predators is energetically demanding and can outweigh the predator's response to intrinsic and extrinsic variables such as thermoregulation or foraging needs. Our approach provides an insight into spatial behavior and decision making of leopards, and other large felids in rugged landscapes through the application of the HMMs in movement ecology.

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A paradox of local abundance amidst regional rarity: the value of montane refugia for Persian leopard conservation

Cited by 27 publications

References 65 publications

Spatial partial identity model reveals low densities of leopard and spotted hyaena in a miombo woodland

Spatial partial identity model reveals low densities of leopard and spotted hyaena in a miombo woodland

Monitoring of the Wild Mammal Fauna in Bamo Mountain in Northern Iraq (Kurdistan) for the First Time Using Camera Trap Method and Raising Awareness for Its Conservation

Understanding decision making in a food-caching predator using hidden Markov models

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