Author: Editorial Team

SLN Webinar; Using a genetic lens to understand endangered species

 

The Snow Leopard Network is pleased to announce our seventh SLN webinar of 2020. SLN is dedicating the month of November to exploring Genetics, in particular in support of snow leopard conservation. We already have launched the November training initiative with a module on genetics. The Webinar allows us to bring emphasis on this topic with a wider audience and drawing on experiences from different endangered species.

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Uma Ramakrishnan for this thematic discussion on how genetics can be brought to bear more effectively on specific aspects of snow leopard conservation. Uma has a wealth of knowledge and experience working on endangered species and developing methodological approaches for conservation. Uma will be joined by Dr. Byron Weckworth, Director of Panthera’s Snow Leopard and Conservation Genetic programs, as principal discussant.

About the Talk:
Dr. Uma Ramakrishnan will start by exploring the reasons species go extinct, and describe how genetic methods and data can inform our understanding of species’ futures. Uma will give some examples of her work with tigers, and summarise their knowledge on snow leopard conservation genetics, including some of their work to estimate snow leopard population size. Finally, she will describe ongoing efforts, (in collaboration with scientists at Stanford University,) to understand more about snow leopards globally and locally.
More about our guest:
Dr. Uma Ramakrishnan is an associate professor and senior fellow, DBT Wellcome Trust India Alliance, at the National Centre for Biological Sciences. She has studied the genetics of endangered species for the last fifteen years, and is interested in understanding how humans are affecting the evolutionary trajectory of species like snow leopards. Uma loves working with students and science communication, and tries to communicate her science to conservation managers.
“All my professional life, I have worked with scat. I love finding a scat and wondering…., what mysteries will this reveal?“, says Uma. 

Date/Time:  19:30 India time, Friday, November 20th (Please log into the meeting 5 min early to set up)

Location: ZOOM, to join this talk  REGISTER HERE  

Please note:

  • If you have never used Zoom before, we recommend that you try the link 10 minutes before the start of the lecture.
  • During the talk, please keep your microphone muted.
  • Please feel free to write questions in the comment area and there will be time for questions/discussion at the end of the talk.
  • The Zoom event is limited to 100 participants. Please register for the event and also sign in early to ensure your place.

 

Some news from the world of Snow leopards

We are pleased to provide members with a few links where snow leopards were mentioned in the news:

  1. A golden age of snow leopard protection in China; Xinhua News Agency
  2. Rare footage shows three snow leopards roaming in the wild 12,460 feet above sea level in ChinaBy Emilia Jiang – for Mailonline 
  3. WWF Altai-Sayan Programme Newsletter #53 

Module 6: PAWS Snow Leopard Distributions

We are thrilled to build on Module 1 of the SLN training initiative which focussed on camera trapping surveys to assess snow leopard abundance. This coming Module focusses on assessing snow leopard or prey distributions across landscapes. Both Module 1 and 6 aim to support the PAWS (Population Assessing of the Worlds Snow leopards) initiative and are offered thanks to the GSLEP Programme partnership. If you have the opportunity please join us for this 2nd PAWS training module.  

Course Content

To estimate how many snow leopards there are, we also need to know where they are. Assessment of the status and distribution of rare and elusive species such as the snow leopard is challenging. Recent surveys in some parts of the snow leopard range have indicated that our understanding of the species’ distributions might not be as accurate as previously thought. To minimize subjectivity and maximize replicability and reliability, it is important to address imperfect detection probability in estimating species distribution.

Occupancy surveys can be implemented with a variety of sampling methods, spatial extents, and effort levels. Assessing the distribution of a species at local and regional scales may also help track changes over time and gauge the effects of potential threats by comparing local extinctions and colonizations over time. Probability of site use
or occupancy, as a function of habitat can also help define strata for which specific intensive sampling strategies using spatial capture recapture methods can be developed.

Module 6 aims to equip participants with the knowledge and tools to plan and carry out snow leopard distribution survey across large areas using interviews of key informants, sign surveys, camera traps and genetic surveys. We will discuss means and workflows to collect, process and organize data in a way that it can be used for occupancy analyses. Additionally, we will be sharing the latest Macro level methods and tools recommended by the PAWS GSLEP Programme. The Macro Level design tools provide recommendation for assessing snow leopard distribution across large area (5,000 sq km) and how to select sites for more intensive surveying. Distribution estimates of occupancy can be obtained by conducting interview surveys, camera trapping or sign based occupancy methods. The module will cover key concepts underlying occupancy models and taking into account detection probability.

Meet the Trainers

Dr. Koustubh Sharma: Koustubh is the International Coordinator of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program and a Senior Regional Ecologist with the Snow Leopard Trust. He, along with Justine help coordinate Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards (PAWS) as a GSLEP initiative. He holds a PhD in Wildlife Zoology from Mumbai University, and a Masters degree in Physics. He has undergone training on spatial capture recapture methods at the Centre for Research in Ecological and Environmental Research (CREEM), University of St. Andrews, and on advanced applications of ArcGIS by ESRI. He has been involved with colleagues and partners in developing training tool-kits and delivering training workshops for a suite of ecological methods relevant for snow leopard research and conservation.

Dr. Justine Shanti Alexander: Justine is the Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Network. She provides technical support to GSLEP for the population assessment of the worlds snow leopards (PAWS) and other efforts related to snow leopard conservation. Justine also acts as the Regional Ecologist for the Snow Leopard Trust and supports research and conservation work across the snow leopard range. She holds a PhD in snow leopard population assessments from Beijing Forestry University and a MSc in Conservation Science from Imperial College London. 

Dr. Ian Durbach: Ian is part statistician, part operations researcher. He is a research fellow at the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling at the University of St Andrews, where he currently works on two projects: modelling behavioural responses of whales to sonar, and designing the camera trap component of the first range-wide survey of snow leopards. He is also adjunct associate professor in the Department of Statistical Sciences at the University of Cape Town, where he is part of the Centre for Statistics in Ecology, the Environment, and Conservation (SEEC). Ian is also interested in multi-criteria decision modelling (MCDM) for supporting decisions between options whose outcomes are uncertain, and applying machine learning to ecological classification tasks involving images, audio, and video.

Criteria for participation

    • Snow Leopard Network Member
    • Experience of working on snow leopard conservation or concrete plans to be involved in such efforts
    • Confirmed availability to attend all the four online seminars of a given module
    • Number of participants is limited to 20-30
    • Priority will be given to participants from snow leopard range countries

Planned Schedule

    • 2 hour online Zoom Seminars take place every Wednesday of the month, December 2020 (4 Seminars; December 2nd, 9th , 16th , 23rd) at 14:00 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan time
    • Additional group work, assignments or readings are likely to be organized by the trainers
    • Please note we expect all participants to attend the complete set of Seminars as they are interconnected and build on each other
    • Details of each specific Seminar topic will be shared approximately 5 days beforehand; including any expected preparations by participants.

Deadline for Applications

    • Friday, November 20th, 2020. Please note places are limited so please do not delay in applying.
    • To apply please check the Criteria for participation and complete the following Application

Kindly note these trainings are free to participants. Also that the trainers are sharing their time and knowledge with us as a gesture to the Network and to snow leopards!

Publication Alert: New Article to our Bibliography

Please see details below, of a new article added to our Bibliography:

Title: Meta-replication, sampling bias, and multi-scale model selection: A case study on snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in western China.

Authors: Atzeni, L., Cushman, S. A., Bai, D., Wang, J., Chen, P., Shi,
K., Riordan, P.

Abstract: Replicated multiple scale species distribution models (SDMs) have become increasingly important to identify the correct variables determining species distribution and their influences on ecological responses. This study explores multi-scale habitat relationships of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in two study areas on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau of western China. Our primary objectives were to evaluate the degree to which snow leopard habitat relationships, expressed by predictors, scales of response, and magnitude of effects, were consistent across study areas or locally landcape-specific. We coupled univariate scale optimization and the maximum entropy algorithm to produce multivariate SDMs, inferring the relative suitability for the species by ensembling top performing models. We optimized the SDMs based on average omission rate across the top models and ensembles’ overlap with a simulated reference model. Comparison of SDMs in the two study areas highlighted landscape-specific responses to limiting factors. These were dependent on the effects of the hydrological network, anthropogenic features, topographic complexity, and the heterogeneity of the landcover patch mosaic. Overall, even accounting for specific local differences, we found general landscape attributes associated with snow leopard ecological requirements, consisting of a positive association with uplands and ridges, aggregated low-contrast landscapes, and large extents of grassy and herbaceous vegetation. As a means to evaluate the performance of two bias correction methods, we explored their effects on three datasets showing a range of bias intensities. The performance of corrections depends on the bias intensity; however, density kernels offered a reliable correction strategy under all circumstances. This study reveals the multi-scale response of snow leopards to environmental attributes and confirms the role of meta-replicated study designs for the identification of spatially varying limiting factors. Furthermore, this study makes important contributions to the ongoing discussion about the best approaches for sampling bias correction.

URL:https://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Atzeni_et_al_2020.pdf

 

Land of the Snow Leopard

Last Friday, on International Snow Leopard Day, Snow Leopard Conservancy hosted a virtual event to highlight the work of the Land of the Snow Leopard Network.

SLC was joined by key members of the Land of the Snow Leopard Network from Central Asia. This gathering highlighted the interconnection of Indigenous People and the sacred Snow Leopard.

We wanted to share the recorded virtual event with the SLN.

The Land of the Snow Leopard Network is an unprecedented conservation initiative, a groundbreaking collaboration between Western conservation science and Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, with the goal of creating pathways for Indigenous involvement in the conservation of snow leopards.For more information please visit

https://landofsnowleopard.org/

and

https://snowleopardconservancy.org/land-of-the-snow-leopard/

.

Thank you very much.

Conservation of Pallas’s cats, (also known as manul), and synergistic impacts on snow leopards and mountain ecosystems.

A virtual event for GSLEP 

Pallas’s cats (also known as manul) share much of their range with snow leopards and the two species face similar threats. Addressing threats to Pallas’s cats can therefore be extended to snow leopards and vice versa and joint conservation efforts will be beneficial for both species and the ecosystems at large. The Pallas’s Cat International Conservation Alliance (PICA for short) invites you to join them in the discussion on how Pallas’s cats and snow leopards are good indicator species for different parts of the ecosystem and how joint conservation efforts will have synergistic effects that will benefit snow leopards, Pallas’s cats, and the mountain ecosystem at large. The meeting took place at the virtual venue (http://join.globalsnowleopard.org) on Monday 26 Oct, 2020, between 12:00 and 14:00 Bishkek time. 

You can watch it here – https://youtu.be/zZpGULP0bc4

The Mountain Ghost: Science of Snow Leopards with Dr Jonny Hanson

 

On International Snow Leopard Day, join conservationist Dr Jonny Hanson for an interactive and engaging exploration of the science of snow leopards. From natural selection and camera trapping to social surveys and ecosystem services, learn about the natural history of and threats to this elusive big cat, its coexistence with local communities …

www.youtube.com

WWF Russia and WWF Mongolia, on International snow leopard day, confirm the first evidence of the snow leopard’s presence in Mongolia on the Munku-Sardyk mountain near border with Russia.

Media Release
 
23 October

 

Snow leopards registered for the first time in the transboundary area of Russia and Mongolia on Mongolian side of the Eastern Sayan mountains.
WWF received the first evidence of the snow leopard’s presence in Mongolia on the Munku-Sardyk mountain, the highest peak of Eastern Sayan.
 
 
 
 
WWF Russia and WWF-Mongolia received the first ever video and photo-confirmation that snow leopards inhabit the Mongolian side of the Ikh Sayan ridge in Khuvsgul aimag (province). There are two snow leopards captured by camera in Ikh Sayan ridge in Mongolian side. Both individuals were confirmed by WWF Russia and WWF-Mongolia experts as well-known males that WWF has been following for ages on a Russian side of the ridge. 
“The video and photo confirmation of the snow leopards migrating from Russia to Mongolia and back is extremely important. It proves the importance to collaboration between both countries on scientific and governmental level to save the globally endangered species like snow leopard. The Eastern Sayan population of snow leopards in the transboundary zone of Russia and Mongolia is the only population, which portion in Mongolia totally depends on Russian animals, it’s a very isolated snow leopard population from a core snow leopard habitat”, says Alexander Karnaukhov, Senior Coordinator of Altai-Sayan Branch of WWF Russia.
One of the snow leopards registered on Mongolian side of the ridge by cameras turned out to be “Russian” individual that WWF Russia has been observing for years. It’s a male called Munko after the name of Munku-Sardyk (Mong. Munkh Saridag) mountain ridge the individual inhabits, the border area between Russia and Mongolia. This year Munko was the first snow leopard in Russia whose mating call was recorded by WWF. Munko is a strong dominant male in his area. Another one is a snow leopard male called Champion (named by local people after the local sports champion).
Assessment of current status and identification of snow leopards in the Russian-Mongolian border areas is implemented within the frames of the Project “Transboundary cooperation on the conservation of Amur tigers, Amur leopards and Snow leopards in North-East Asia” funded by North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC) in Russia. It is also implemented within the Nationwide Snow leopard population assessment in Mongolia funded by WWF-Netherlands, WWF-Germany and WWF-US.
“Mongolia and Russian joint monitoring of the transboundary snow leopard population has provided great news for us. We have a confirmation of the regular border crossing of snow leopards. Munkh Saridag mountain ridge, where Munko is recorded, is the very east-northern known distribution of Snow leopard in the world. Research is a joint success of the Ulaan Taiga and Khuvsgul Protected Area Administrations, supported by WWF-Mongolia from Mongolian side and Asia Irbis NGO supported by WWF Russia from Russian side. The monitoring work will continue for the sake of these isolated snow leopard population’s well-being in the future. Thus, WWF-Mongolia and WWF-Russia along with their respective partners from protected areas are starting to cooperate to maintain such transboundary snow leopard populations”, says Ph.D. Gantulga Bayandonoi, Species Officer at WWF-Mongolia. 
The joint study in two countries is expected to obtain the reliable data on the current status of snow leopards so that priority action plans to conserve the species could be developed based on scientific data. The results will be announced in 2021.
Tatiana Ivanitskaya| tivanitskaya@wwf.ru | +7 906 971 88 10 

WWF Russia.

 

 

Some Articles to share

 

Sharing these two articles and book chapter, for your information.

Human-snow leopard conflict in the Chang Tang region of Tibet, China
JD Farrington, D Tsering – Biological Conservation, 2019
 
The official abstract for the article is here:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320718319177?via%3Dihub

Snow leopard distribution in the Chang Tang region of Tibet, China
JD Farrington, D Tsering – Global Ecology and Conservation, 2020

 

The article is here and open access, 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989419307115

Tsering, Dawa, and John D. Farrington. “Human-wildlife conflict, conservation, and nomadic livelihoods in the Chang Tang.” Tibetan Pastoralists and Development: Negotiating the Future of Grassland Livelihoods. Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag Wiesbaden, Germany, 2017. 141-156.

 

Master of Camouflage

Sharing a pic with SLN Members 

Thank you for sharing this wonderful image by Shivkumar, who is one of the most dedicated frontline officers of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department posted in the Lahaul region. 
 
Shiv has spent many years trying to film and photograph snow leopards in and around Udaipur, where he is posted. He has also managed to capture the animal on camera trap over the past few years. Shiv is an amazing naturalist and also a very avid birder. He took this picture last winter when he visited Spiti. This image recently won the First Prize in the Wildlife category in a photography competition organised by the State Forest Department on the occasion of Wildlife Week in India.
 
Shiv is always very happy for his images to be used for general awareness creation. This is the image with a watermark of his name. I’m sure most SLN members are thrilled to see this image and may also wish to use it in various fora. They can get in touch with Shiv (contact details below), should they wish to get in touch with him, or should they wish to congratulate him personally on his continuing commitment towards his work.
At Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary , Lahaul Spiti
Himachal Pradesh, India. 
Shiv Kumar Forest Guard
Himachal Pradesh Forest Department
#wildlahaulspiti
Email: himalyanibex@gmail.com
Mobile:
09418183819