|
|
Xu, A., Jiang, Z., Li, C., Guo, J., Da, S., Cui, Q., et al. (2008). Status and conservation of the snow leopard Panthera uncia in the Gouli Region, Kunlun Mountains, China (Vol. 42).
Abstract: The elusive snow leopard Panthera unica is a rare and little studied species in China. Over 1 March-15 May 2006 we conducted a survey for the snow leopard in the Gouli Region, East Burhanbuda Mountain, Kunlun Mountains, Qinghai Province, China, in an area of c. 300 km2 at altitudes of 4,000-4,700 m. We surveyed 29 linear transects with a total length of c. 440 km, and located a total of 72 traces (pug marks, scrapes and urine marks) of snow leopard along four of the transects. We obtained eight photographs of snow leopard from four of six camera traps. We also recorded 1,369 blue sheep, 156 Tibetan gazelles, 47 argali, 37 red deer and one male white-lipped deer. We evaluated human attitudes towards snow leopard by interviewing the heads of 27 of the 30 Tibetan households living in the study area. These local people did not consider that snow leopard is the main predator of their livestock, and thus there is little retaliatory killing. Prospects for the conservation of snow leopard in this area therefore appear to be good. We analysed the potential threats to the species and propose the establishment of a protected area for managing snow leopard and the fragile alpine ecosystem of this region. (c) 2008 Fauna & Flora International.
|
|
|
|
Xinchun, M. (1994). Distribution in the wild and the captive raising of snow leopards in Xinjiang, China. In J.L.Fox, & D.Jizeng (Eds.), (pp. 157–162). Usa: Islt.
|
|
|
|
Xiao, L., Hua, F., Knops, J. M. H., Zhao, X., Mishra, C., Lovari, S., Alexander, J. S., Weckworth, B., Lu, Z. (2022). Spatial separation of prey from livestock facilitates coexistence of a specialized large carnivore with human land use. Animal Conservation, , 1–10.
Abstract: There is an increasing emphasis in conservation strategies for large carnivores on facilitating their coexistence with humans. Justification for coexistence strategies should be based on a quantitative assessment of currently remaining large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes. An essential part of a carnivore’s coexistence strategy has to rely on its prey. In this research, we studied snow leopards Panthera uncia whose habitat mainly comprises human-dominated, unprotected areas, to understand how a large carnivore and its primary prey, the bharal Pseudois nayaur, could coexist with human land use activities in a large proportion of its range. Using a combination of livestock census, camera trapping and wildlife surveys, across a broad gradient of livestock grazing intensity in a 363 000 km2 landscape on the Tibetan Plateau, we found no evidence of livestock grazing impacts on snow leopard habitat use, bharal density and spatial distribution, even though livestock density was 13 times higher than bharal density. Bharal were found to prefer utilizing more rugged habitats at higher elevations with lower grass forage conditions, whereas livestock dominated in flat valleys at lower elevations with higher productivity, especially during the resource-scarce season. These findings suggest that the spatial niche separation between bharal and livestock, together with snow leopards’ specialized bharal diet, minimized conflicts and allowed snow leopards and bharal to coexist in landscapes dominated by livestock grazing. In recent years, reduced hunting and nomadic herder’s lifestyle changes towards permanent residence may have further reinforced this spatial separation. Our results indicated that, for developing conservation strategies for large carnivores, the niche of their prey in relation to human land-use is a key variable that needs to be evaluated.
|
|
|
|
Xiao, C., Bai, D., Lambert, J. P., Li, Y., Cering, L., Gong, Z., Riordan, P., Shi, K. (2022). How Snow Leopards Share the Same Landscape with Tibetan Agro-pastoral Communities in the Chinese Himalayas. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 13(3), 483–500.
Abstract: The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits a human-altered alpine landscape and is often tolerated by residents in regions where the dominant religion is Tibetan Buddhism, including in Qomolangma NNR on the northern side of the Chinese Himalayas. Despite these positive attitudes, many decades of rapid economic development and population growth can cause increasing disturbance to the snow leopards, altering their habitat use patterns and ultimately impacting their conservation. We adopted a dynamic landscape ecology perspective and used multi-scale technique and occupancy model to better understand snow leopard habitat use and coexistence with humans in an 825 km2 communal landscape. We ranked eight hypothetical models containing potential natural and anthropogenic drivers of habitat use and compared them between summer and winter seasons within a year. HABITAT was the optimal model in winter, whereas ANTHROPOGENIC INFLUENCE was the top ranking in summer (AICcw≤2). Overall, model performance was better in the winter than in the summer, suggesting that perhaps some latent summer covariates were not measured. Among the individual variables, terrain ruggedness strongly affected snow leopard habitat use in the winter, but not in the summer. Univariate modeling suggested snow leopards prefer to use rugged land in winter with a broad scale (4000 m focal radius) but with a lesser scale in summer (30 m); Snow leopards preferred habitat with a slope of 22° at a scale of 1000 m throughout both seasons, which is possibly correlated with prey occurrence. Furthermore, all covariates mentioned above showed inextricable ties with human activities (presence of settlements and grazing intensity). Our findings show that multiple sources of anthropogenic activity have complex connections with snow leopard habitat use, even under low human density when anthropogenic activities are sparsely distributed across a vast landscape. This study is also valuable for habitat use research in the future, especially regarding covariate selection for finite sample sizes in inaccessible terrain.
|
|
|
|
WWF Russia & WWF Mongolia Programme Office. (2011). Altai-Sayan Ecoregion WWF Newsletter April-June 2011 (Vol. April-June).
|
|
|
|
WWF Russia & Mongolia. (2010). WWF Altai-Sayan Newsletter. Russia: WWF.
Abstract: WWF Russia and WWF Mongolia share the main achievements of both offices in Altai – Sayan Ecoregion regarding species conservation, protected areas, ecotourism, public awareness,education, eco clubs, fresh water. Several articles reference snow leopards and argali:
WWF Russia
Camera Trapping in Argut River Valley
Community inspection is established in Republic of Altai to take part in anti – poaching activities in the key territory for argali and snow leopard conservation
“Land of Snow Leopard” Ecotourism Project as a tool to protect Irbis and Argali by local communities
Snow Leopard and Argali inspired the Masters of Felt Making of Republic of Altai
Snow Leopard – a Treasure of Tuva. WWF introduces Tuva journalists to the snow leopard (Tsagaan Shibetu Ridge)
WWF and Oxfam –GB joint project works on capacity building of local people in Tuva
WWF Mongolia
Nature conservation through involving local residents and supporting their initiatives
Community groups trans-boundary cooperation
Altai-Sayan PA administration staff start to undertake quality research activities at experts level
|
|
|
|
WWF Russia & Mongolia. (2010). WWF Altai-Sayan Newsletter. WWF.
Abstract: A Snow Leopard – A Treasure of Tuva. A beautiful animal as a winner of a wide-scale public vote
WWF will train a Scat Detection Dog for snow leopard monitoring project
WWF assessed the possibility to fight illegal helicopter hunting
WWF considers support of antipoaching activities an essential part of wildlife conservation in Altai – Sayan
Snow Leopard Camera Trapping in Argut River Valley
“Stars” of Tuva appeal to Snow Leopard Conservation
|
|
|
|
WWF Russia & Mongolia. (2011). WWF Newsletter Altai-Sayan Ecoregion January – March 2011. WWF Russia & Mongolia.
|
|
|
|
WWF Russia & Mongolia. (2011). WWF Newsletter Altai-Sayan Ecoregion July – September 2011.
|
|
|
|
WWF Russia & Mongolia. (2010). WWF Altai-Sayan Newsletter. Russia: WWF.
Abstract: WWF Russia and WWF Mongolia share the main achievements of both offices in Altai – Sayan Ecoregion regarding species conservation, protected areas, ecotourism, public awareness, education, eco clubs, fresh water. Several articles reference snow leopards:
WWF Mongolia
Argali population observation in transboundary area
WWF Russia
Ecotourism camps in the habitats of a snow leopard and argali WWF and UNDP
WWF Russia
WWF assessed the level of conflict between herders and a snow leopard in Republic of Tyva
WWF Russia
The first ecological festival in the history of Mountain Altai for snow leopard conservation!
|
|
