On the high trail: examining determinants of site use by the Endangered snow leopard <i>Panthera uncia</i> in Qilianshan, China

Alexander, Justine Shanti; Shi, Kun; Tallents, Lucy; Riordan, Philip

doi:10.1017/s0030605315001027

Cited by 40 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…In terms of thematic coverage, there are gaps in all key framework dimensions, particularly those related to human interactions; and understanding the influence on snow leopards of livestock herding practices, and an assessment of the effectiveness of protected areas; the impact of large economic and infrastructural developments, that have direct implications for national policy development. Priority is also needed for setting criteria for more systematic population assessments (Alexander et al, 2015a(Alexander et al, , 2015b) and large-scale occupancy studies, and the assessment of threats (Taubmann et al, 2015). Large-scale sites should ensure wide range coverage within and outside protected areas across China, and allow for snow leopard corridor assessments (Taubmann et al, 2015).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A spotlight on snow leopard conservation in China

Alexander

Zhang

Shi

et al. 2016

Integrative Zoology

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China holds the greatest proportion of the snow leopard's (Panthera uncia) global range and is central to their conservation. The country is also undergoing unprecedented economic growth, which increases both the threats to the snow leopard and the opportunities for its conservation. In this paper we aim to review published literature (from 1950 to 2014) in English and Mandarin on snow leopard ecology and conservation in China in order to identify thematic and geographic research gaps and propose research priorities. We first retrieved all published items that considered snow leopards in China (n = 106). We extracted from these papers 274 reports of snow leopard presence in China. We then reviewed a subset of papers (n = 33) of this literature, which specifically focused on snow leopard ecology and conservation within China. We introduced a thematic framework that allows a structured and comprehensive assessment of findings. This framework recognizes 4 critical and interrelated topics underpinning snow leopard ecology and conservation: habitat (distribution and protected area coverage); prey (distribution and abundance, predator-prey relationships); human interactions (hunting and trade, livestock interactions and conflicts); and the underlying policy context. Significant gains in knowledge as well as research gaps and priorities are discussed with reference to our framework. The modest quantity and limited scope of published research on the snow leopard in China calls for a continued and intensified effort to inform and support national conservation policies.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A spotlight on snow leopard conservation in China

Alexander

Zhang

Shi

et al. 2016

Integrative Zoology

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“…There is therefore an urgent need for rigorous and practical assessment methods to appraise threats at the local level [ 47 ]. In 2013, we conducted a camera trap study in a smaller part of QNNR (480 km 2 ) to explore possible determinants of snow leopard site use and highlighted the need for further assessments at a larger scale [ 47 , 48 ]. Here, we present such an appraisal of the Northern section of QNNR covering several thousand square kilometres.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our findings support the proposition that prey presence is a key determinant of snow leopard site use [ 27 , 49 ]. This relationship was not observed at the camera trap level [ 47 ], highlighting that such relationships may only emerge at the larger scale. Blue sheep are widespread in QNNR, as evidenced by the detection of blue sheep signs in 76% of sampled grid cells.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We therefore selected a grid cell size of 16 km 2 at the lower end of published home range estimates, 11–142 km 2 [ 27 , 34 ]. Based on our previous work [ 19 ] this grid cell size appears to provide adequate spatial coverage despite the logistical challenges posed by the mountainous terrain.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study, we applied occupancy modelling to assess landscape-scale probability of site use by snow leopards in a selected area of the Qilian Mountain range, Gansu Province, China. This work aimed to extend and scale up our previous occupancy work on snow leopards in a smaller part of the Qilianshan mountains [ 19 ]. Occupancy modelling incorporates the probability of detection into the estimation of occupancy or habitat use, overcoming the potential bias related to false absences [ 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Patterns of Snow Leopard Site Use in an Increasingly Human-Dominated Landscape

et al. 2016

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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.

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Occupancy, density, and activity patterns of a Critically Endangered leopard population on the Kawthoolei‐Thailand border

Montgomery¹,

Stokes²,

K'lu³

et al. 2023

Population Ecology

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Large carnivores have been largely extirpated from Southeast Asia due to deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and poaching. Estimating the density of endangered carnivore populations, and identifying relationships between species occupancy and both environmental and anthropogenic factors, is essential for effective conservation planning. Recently, the IUCN conservation status of the Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) was upgraded to “Critically Endangered.” We surveyed Kweekoh Wildlife Sanctuary in Kawthoolei, an area administered by the Karen ethnic group in eastern Myanmar, to quantify (1) leopard population density using spatially explicit mark‐resight (SMR) models, (2) leopard occupancy as influenced by important ecological variables, and (3) potential differences in activity between melanistic and spotted leopard morphs. Leopard density was estimated to be 1.39 ± SE 0.22/100 km2. Leopard occupancy (ψ = 0.43; 95% credible interval: 0.26–0.67) increased further from roads, at relatively higher elevations, and in areas with higher relative abundance of wild boar. Leopard activity was cathemeral, with higher activity during night hours, and significant overlap (Δ = 0.84; 95% confidence interval: 0.71–0.96) between melanistic and spotted morphs. However, melanistic leopards were more active during twilight hours than spotted individuals whose activity did not significantly vary throughout the day. Indochinese leopard density estimates in Kweekoh were among the lowest reported from Southeast Asia. Leopard occupancy was highest in the sanctuary's core areas, suggesting the presence of negative anthropogenic impacts along the sanctuary borders. We suggest our low density estimates warrant immediate and decisive conservation action, including better protection for leopards, their habitat, and their prey.

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On the high trail: examining determinants of site use by the Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia in Qilianshan, China

Cited by 40 publications

References 33 publications

A spotlight on snow leopard conservation in China

A spotlight on snow leopard conservation in China

Patterns of Snow Leopard Site Use in an Increasingly Human-Dominated Landscape

Occupancy, density, and activity patterns of a Critically Endangered leopard population on the Kawthoolei‐Thailand border

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