Estimating
snow leopard population abundance using photography and capture — recapture techniques.
This research has yielded fascinating insights into the predation patterns of
the snow leopard population of Mongolia's Tost mountains:
Populations closure test for all the four years were consistent with the assumption that
the snow leopard population was closed during the primary sampling periods (Table 1).
Yet, while the abundance estimates indicate a stable
snow leopard population in Tost, a closer examination reveals vigorous underlying dynamics.
The snow leopard population remained constant over most of the study period, with no apparent growth (λ = 1.08 + − 0.25).
Disproportionate mortality of males, presumably an important cause of the change in sex ratio of
the snow leopard population in Tost, is reported in several carnivores as resulting from human - induced factors such as poaching and retaliatory killing, including Amur tigers in southeast Russia [32], leopards in South Africa [34], and cougars in the Pacific Northwest [33], although there are exceptions (e.g. tiger population in Panna, Central India, that had turned male - biased prior to extinction due to poaching; [36], [37]-RRB-.
The snow leopard population size was estimated independently for each year.
«Fifteen years ago,
the snow leopard population in our Sarychat — Ertash reserve almost disappeared.
During this study, we've been constantly monitoring
the snow leopard population of Tost with camera traps, and have tracked a total of 23 individual snow leopards with GPS collars.
Their numbers appear stable - and just sufficient for now to sustain the area's
snow leopard population.
While estimates of the amount of small mammals snow leopards consume may have been overstated, the importance of large ungulate populations to the snow leopard's diets may have been understated, as this study suggests stable
snow leopard populations are possibly more reliant upon large ungulate prey than previously understood.
Researchers found that past food - habit studies on snow leopards could have been biased by the inclusion of non-target species in fecal analysis, potentially misinforming managers about the prey requirements that allow
snow leopard populations to succeed.
Evaluate and map the current status of key
snow leopard populations and habitats to set baselines and indicators against which to assess future change, conduct economic valuation of snow leopard habitats, and intensify scientific research and monitoring to support future policy and action.
Given our commitment to present and future generations, we must act now with resolution and authority to protect and recover
snow leopard populations and their fragile habitats for all people to enjoy.
Intensify conservation efforts in the large landscapes required for snow leopard survival by identifying and designating critical habitats of key
snow leopard populations as no - go areas for destructive land uses, maintaining their integrity and connectivity through natural corridors, and strengthening their protection on the ground.
The project will address the key existing and emerging threats
snow leopard populations and local communities face with a focus on four Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The snow leopard populations were expected to be open to changes between primary sampling periods (i.e. years) while we assumed the population to be closed to changes between secondary sampling periods.
The degree to which each threat is harming
snow leopard populations varies in different countries but the endangered species faces the same problems and challenges everywhere.
We use this tool to help us understand the diversity of specific
snow leopard populations as well as identify individual snow leopards and potentially their relationship to each other.
Not exact matches
Scientists often spend days tracking rare animals such as
snow leopards or orangutans for samples of DNA, for instance from hair or faeces, to understand their movements, monitor their
populations and propose ways to protect them.
The data from tigers, lions and
snow leopards provides a rich and diverse genome resource that could be used in future studies of conservation and
population genomics.
Otherwise, a
population of
snow leopards might not survive because there's not enough prey, or they may start eating more domestic livestock, which can cause problems with local human
populations.
In order to create effective conservation programs to help protect and conserve
populations of endangered
snow leopards, whose estimated
population is between 4,500 - 7,500 in the wild, University of Delaware researchers are studying their scat to try and understand what the large cats are eating.
«This can affect conservation plans because if
snow leopards are eating more large ungulates, we need to make sure we're maintaining those large ungulate
populations.
Weiskopf explained that a big problem with collecting and identifying scat in the field is that researchers mostly rely on morphological characteristics such as shape, size or associated signs of
snow leopards, and since scat from different species can look similar, this can lead to misrepresented
population estimates and errors in reporting what the
snow leopards are actually eating.
Uzbekistan represents the extreme western area of
snow leopard range and the country has the smallest
population of any of the range countries.
While we all hope and work towards keeping the
snow leopard alive in the wild zoo
populations also have their role in helping to educate the public about conservation of this and other endangered animals.
Still, it's a fragile balance — one that could be upended all too easily: «If an epidemic, or a sustained drought, were to decimate the ungulate
population for a year or so, it could have very serious consequences for the
snow leopards of Tost.
Recognize that mountain ecosystems inhabited by
snow leopards provide essential ecosystem services, including storing and releasing water from the origins of river systems benefitting one - third of the world's human
population; sustaining the pastoral and agricultural livelihoods of local communities which depend on biodiversity for food, fuel, fodder, and medicine; and offering inspiration, recreation, and economic opportunities;
Ensure that industry, mining, infrastructure, and rural development programs and projects are fully sensitive to the conservation needs of
snow leopards and their ecosystems, do not adversely affect or fragment key
populations or critical habitats, and employ wildlife - friendly design, offsets, and other mitigation tools.
In 1960 there were 22 captive
snow leopards in Europe and North America but by 1976 the
population had increased to 167, many of them wild caught animals.
The current estimate for the number of
snow leopards is at 20 - 50 individual cats, which is less than 1 % of the global
population.
It shows that this sliver of
snow leopard habitat we're working to protect in Mongolia is a suitable home for this endangered cat, and could support a healthy
population.»
India team finds
snow leopards and a healthy
population of prey in a stretch of the Himalayas that hadn't been surveyed before.
Snow leopards function as a keystone species — although they occur in relatively low abundance, snow leopards play a critical role in regulating the populations of other species, preventing any one species from dominating the habi
Snow leopards function as a keystone species — although they occur in relatively low abundance,
snow leopards play a critical role in regulating the populations of other species, preventing any one species from dominating the habi
snow leopards play a critical role in regulating the
populations of other species, preventing any one species from dominating the habitat.
I will attempt to learn more about the effects of climate change on local ecosystems, and make use of data based on perceptions, livestock
populations and rangeland experiments to aid
snow leopard conservation strategies.
The adult
population was estimated separately for each year using photographic data of 8, 11, 13 and 13 adult
snow leopards identified respectively for each year.
As livestock numbers in northern India grow, some of the
snow leopard's main prey species
populations are shrinking fast.
Comparison of model results with the «known
population» of radio - collared
snow leopards suggested high accuracy in our estimates.
However, assuming individuals that migrated permanently were lost from the study
population (died), we estimated the life expectancy of adult
snow leopards to be 5 years (95 % CI: 2.05 — 13.78 years).
«We have also been monitoring the
population of key
snow leopard prey such ibex and argali continuously for the last several years», Gustaf explains, «but we have never before tracked such prey animals to gain a detailed understanding of how they use the habitat.
· Working with range country governments, SLT have identified 23 priority landscapes covering almost 25 % of
snow leopard habitat to be protected by 2020 and ensure
populations remain connected.
Our work, apart from providing the first estimates of vital rates and other
population characteristics of the endangered
snow leopard, reiterates the value of long - term monitoring of both abundance and
population dynamics for conservation planning and action.
We examine the trends in
population abundance and sex ratio, and estimate the detectability, survival probability and probabilities of temporary emigration and immigration for adult and young
snow leopards.
We report, for the first time, the
population trends and vital rates of the endangered
snow leopard based on camera trapping over four years in the Tost Mountains, South Gobi, Mongolia.
In this first ever multi-year monitoring of
snow leopards, we found the
population in Tost Mountains of South Gobi to have remained almost constant, and the estimated mean adult
population remained between 12 and 14, and the total
population (including young) between 19 and 21.
The change in sex ratio of
snow leopards in Tost was accompanied by a potential decline in the number of cubs per female over the study period as the female
population increased.
For felid species with individually distinct fur patterns, such as tigers Panthera tigris [8], jaguars Panthera onca [10]--[12],
snow leopards Panthera uncia [13],
leopards Panthera pardus [14], cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus [15] and ocelots Leopardus pardalis [16], [17], data from camera - trapping can be analysed using capture - recapture models to estimate abundances and
population dynamics [2].
With this, we created the first estimates for
snow leopard prey
populations.
Saving
Snow Leopards, Jaguars, and Lions The group has also been tracking snow leopards in Mongolia, working to secure a vital jaguar corridor in Colombia, and helping create a pan-African lion corridor to connect core populations of the iconic
Snow Leopards, Jaguars, and Lions The group has also been tracking snow leopards in Mongolia, working to secure a vital jaguar corridor in Colombia, and helping create a pan-African lion corridor to connect core populations of the ico
Leopards, Jaguars, and Lions The group has also been tracking
snow leopards in Mongolia, working to secure a vital jaguar corridor in Colombia, and helping create a pan-African lion corridor to connect core populations of the iconic
snow leopards in Mongolia, working to secure a vital jaguar corridor in Colombia, and helping create a pan-African lion corridor to connect core populations of the ico
leopards in Mongolia, working to secure a vital jaguar corridor in Colombia, and helping create a pan-African lion corridor to connect core
populations of the iconic cat.