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Author | Ulziibadrakh, T., Uudus, B., Lkhagvajav, P., Alexander, J. S., Johansson, O., Sharma, K., Samelius, G. | ||||
Title | Variation in plant composition along a gradient of increasing distance from wells in a mountain steppe in southern Mongolia | Type | Journal Article | ||
Year | 2023 | Publication | Snow Leopard Reports | Abbreviated Journal | |
Volume | Issue | Pages | 10-16 | ||
Keywords | desert steppe, livestock grazing, plant composition, South Gobi | ||||
Abstract | Habitat degradation and heavy grazing by livestock are common conservation challenges across the steppes of Mongolia and Central Asia. Livestock grazing patterns are generally not uniform and are typically greater near campsites and watering holes. In this study, we examined how plant composition in a mountain steppe in southern Mongolia varied along a gradient of increasing distance from wells. We found that the cover and average height of Ephedra prezewalskii increased with increasing distance from the wells whereas soil chemistry and the other variables of plant composition that we examined were similar along the gradient of increasing distance from the wells. These results suggest relatively limited impact of livestock grazing on plant composition in our study. However, our study was limited in space and time and further studies are needed to understand the impact of livestock grazing in this mountain steppe in southern Mongolia. | ||||
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Call Number | SLN @ rakhee @ | Serial | 1731 | ||
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Author | Tallian, A., Mattisson, J., Samelius, G., Odden, J., Mishra, C., Linnell, J. D. C., Lkhagvajav, P., Johansson, O. | ||||
Title | Wild versus domestic prey: Variation in the kill-site behavior of two large felids | Type | Journal Article | ||
Year | 2023 | Publication | Global Ecology and Conservation | Abbreviated Journal | |
Volume | 47 | Issue | e026750 | Pages | 1-13 |
Keywords | Eurasian lynx, Handling time, Landscape, Livestock, Predation, Snow leopard | ||||
Abstract | Livestock depredation is an important source of conflict for many terrestrial large carnivore species. Understanding the foraging behavior of large carnivores on domestic prey is therefore important for both mitigating conflict and conserving threatened carnivore populations. Handling time is an important, albeit often overlooked, component of predatory behavior, as it directly influences access to food biomass, which can affect predator foraging efficiency and subsequent kill rates. We used long-term data on snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in Mongolia (Asia) and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Norway (Europe) to examine how large carnivore foraging patterns varied between domestic and wild prey, and how the different landscape characteristics affected those patterns. Our results suggest handling time was generally shorter for domestic compared to wild prey. For snow leopards, rugged terrain was linked to increased handling time for larger prey. For lynx, handling time increased with terrain ruggedness for domestic, but not wild, prey, and was greater in closed compared to open habitats. There were also other differences in snow leopard and lynx foraging behavior, e.g., snow leopards also stayed longer at, and remained closer to, their kill sites than lynx. Shorter handling time suggests that felids may have utilized domestic prey less effectively than wild prey, i.e., they spent less time consuming their prey. This could a) result in an energetic or fitness cost related to decreased felid foraging efficiency caused by the risk of anthropogenic disturbance, or b) exacerbate conflict if reduced handling time associated with easy prey results in increased livestock depredation. |
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Call Number | SLN @ rakhee @ | Serial | 1737 | ||
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Author | Solari, K. A., Morgan, S., Poyarkov, A. D., Weckworth, B., Samelius, G., Sharma, K., Ostrowski, S., Ramakrishnan, U., Kubanychbekov, Z., Kachel, S., Johansson, O., Lkhagvajav, P., Hemmingmoore, H., Alexandrov, D. Y., Bayaraa, M., Grachev, A., Korablev, M. P., Hernandez-Blanco, J. A., Munkhtsog, B., Rosenbaum, B., Rozhnov, V. V., Rajabi, A. M., Noori, H., Armstrong, E. E., Petrov, D. A. | ||||
Title | Extreme in Every Way: Exceedingly Low Genetic Diversity in Snow Leopards Due to Persistently Small Population Size | Type | Journal Article | ||
Year | 2023 | Publication | bioRxiv | Abbreviated Journal | |
Volume | Issue | Pages | 1-24 | ||
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Abstract | Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) serve as an umbrella species whose conservation benefits their high-elevation Asian habitat. Their numbers are believed to be in decline due to numerous Anthropogenic threats; however, their conservation is hindered by numerous knowledge gaps. They are the least studied genetically of all big cat species and little is known about their historic population size and range, current population trends, or connectivity across their range. Here, we use whole genome sequencing data for 41 snow leopards (37 newly sequenced) to assess population connectivity, historic population size, and current levels of genetic diversity. Among our samples, we find evidence of a primary genetic divide between the northern and southern part of the range around the Dzungarian Basin and a secondary divide south of Kyrgyzstan around the Taklamakan Desert. However, we find evidence of gene flow, suggesting that barriers between these groups are permeable. Perhaps most noteworthy, we find that snow leopards have the lowest genetic diversity of any big cat species, likely due to a persistently small population size throughout their evolutionary history. Without a large population size or ample standing genetic variation to help buffer them from any forthcoming Anthropogenic challenges, snow leopard persistence may be more tenuous than currently appreciated. | ||||
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Call Number | SLN @ rakhee @ | Serial | 1739 | ||
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Author | Sharma, K., Bayrakcismith, R., Tumursukh, L., Johansson, O., Sevger, P., McCarthy, T., Mishra, C. | ||||
Title | Vigorous Dynamics Underlie a Stable Population of the Endangered Snow Leopard Panthera uncia in Tost Mountains, South Gobi, Mongolia | Type | Journal Article | ||
Year | 2014 | Publication | Plos One | Abbreviated Journal | |
Volume | 9 | Issue | 7 | Pages | |
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Abstract | Population monitoring programmes and estimation of vital rates are key to understanding the mechanisms of population growth, decline or stability, and are important for effective conservation action. 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. We used robust design multi-season mark-recapture analysis to estimate the trends in abundance, sex ratio, survival probability and the probability of temporary emigration and immigration for adult and young snow leopards. The snow leopard population remained constant over most of the study period, with no apparent growth (l = 1.08+20.25). Comparison of model results with the ‘‘known population’’ of radio-collared snow leopards suggested high accuracy in our estimates. Although seemingly stable, vigorous underlying dynamics were evident in this population, with the adult sex ratio shifting from being male-biased to female-biased (1.67 to 0.38 males per female) during the study. Adult survival probability was 0.82 (SE+20.08) and that of young was 0.83 (SE+20.15) and 0.77 (SE +20.2) respectively, before and after the age of 2 years. Young snow leopards showed a high probability of temporary emigration and immigration (0.6, SE +20.19 and 0.68, SE +20.32 before and after the age of 2 years) though not the adults (0.02 SE+20.07). While the current female-bias in the population and the number of cubs born each year seemingly render the study population safe, the vigorous dynamics suggests that the situation can change quickly. The reduction in the proportion of male snow leopards may be indicative of continuing anthropogenic pressures. Our work reiterates the importance of monitoring both the abundance and population dynamics of species for effective conservation. |
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Call Number | SLN @ rakhee @ | Serial | 1416 | ||
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Author | Samelius, G., Suryawanshi, K., Frank, J., Agvaantseren, B., Baasandamba, E., Mijiddorj, T., Johansson, O., Tumursukh, L., Mishra, C. | ||||
Title | Keeping predators out: testing fences to reduce livestock depredation at night-time corrals | Type | Journal Article | ||
Year | 2020 | Publication | Oryx | Abbreviated Journal | |
Volume | Issue | Pages | 1-7 | ||
Keywords | Canis lupus, carnivore conservation, coexistence, conflict mitigation, conservation conflict, livestock depreda- tion, Panthera uncia, preventative measure | ||||
Abstract | Livestock depredation by large carnivores is a global conservation challenge, and mitigation measures to reduce livestock losses are crucial for the coexistence of large carnivores and people. Various measures are employed to reduce livestock depredation but their effectiveness has rarely been tested. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of tall fences to reduce livestock losses to snow leopards Panthera uncia and wolves Canis lupus at night-time corrals at the winter camps of livestock herders in the Tost Mountains in southern Mongolia. Self-reported livestock losses at the fenced corrals were reduced from a mean loss of 3.9 goats and sheep per family and winter prior to the study to zero losses in the two winters of the study. In contrast, self-reported livestock losses in winter pastures, and during the rest of the year, when herders used different camps, remained high, which indicates that livestock losses were reduced because of the fences, not because of temporal variation in predation pressure. Herder attitudes towards snow leopards were positive and remained positive during the study, whereas attitudes towards wolves, which attacked livestock also in summer when herders moved out on the steppes, were negative and worsened during the study. This study showed that tall fences can be very effective at reducing night-time losses at corrals and we conclude that fences can be an important tool for snow leopard conservation and for facilitating the coexistence of snow leopards and people. | ||||
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Notes | Approved | no | |||
Call Number | SLN @ rakhee @ | Serial | 1492 | ||
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Author | McCarthy, T.; Murray, K.; Sharma, K.; Johansson, O. | ||||
Title | Preliminary results of a long-term study of snow leopards in South Gobi, Mongolia | Type | Journal Article | ||
Year | 2010 | Publication | Cat News | Abbreviated Journal | |
Volume | Autumn | Issue | 53 | Pages | 15-19 |
Keywords | snow leopard, Mongolia, monitor, population, Panthera, Snow Leopard Trust, Snow Leopard Conservation Fund, South Gobi, ecology, radio collar, GPS-satellite collar, home range, camera trapping, fecal genetics, occupancy modeling | ||||
Abstract | Snow leopards Panthera uncia are under threat across their range and require urgent conservation actions based on sound science. However, their remote habitat and cryptic nature make them inherently difficult to study and past attempts have provided insufficient information upon which to base effective conservation. Further, there has been no statistically-reliable and cost-effective method available to monitor snow leopard populations, focus conservation effort on key populations, or assess conservation impacts. To address these multiple information needs, Panthera, Snow Leopard Trust, and Snow Leopard Conservation Fund, launched an ambitious long-term study in Mongolia’s South Gobi province in 2008. To date, 10 snow leo-pards have been fitted with GPS-satellite collars to provide information on basic snow leopard ecology. Using 2,443 locations we calculated MCP home ranges of 150 – 938 km2, with substantial overlap between individuals. Exploratory movements outside typical snow leopard habitat have been observed. Trials of camera trapping, fecal genetics, and occupancy modeling, have been completed. Each method ex-hibits promise, and limitations, as potential monitoring tools for this elusive species. | ||||
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Language | English | Summary Language | Original Title | ||
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Call Number | SLN @ rana @ | Serial | 1151 | ||
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Author | Johansson, O., Ullman, K., Lkhagvajav, P., Wiseman, M., Malmsten, J., Leijon, M. | ||||
Title | Detection and Genetic Characterization of Viruses Present in Free-Ranging Snow Leopards Using Next-Generation Sequencing | Type | Journal Article | ||
Year | 2020 | Publication | Frontiers in Veterinary Science | Abbreviated Journal | |
Volume | 7 | Issue | 645 | Pages | 1-9 |
Keywords | snow leopard, free-ranging, virome, Mongolia, rectal swabs, next-generating sequencing, Panthera unica | ||||
Abstract | Snow leopards inhabit the cold, arid environments of the high mountains of South and Central Asia. These living conditions likely affect the abundance and composition of microbes with the capacity to infect these animals. It is important to investigate the microbes that snow leopards are exposed to detect infectious disease threats and define a baseline for future changes that may impact the health of this endangered felid. In this work, next-generation sequencing is used to investigate the fecal (and in a few cases serum) virome of seven snow leopards from the Tost Mountains of Mongolia. The viral species to which the greatest number of sequences reads showed high similarity was rotavirus. Excluding one animal with overall very few sequence reads, four of six animals (67%) displayed evidence of rotavirus infection. A serum sample of a male and a rectal swab of a female snow leopard produced sequence reads identical or closely similar to felid herpesvirus 1, providing the first evidence that this virus infects snow leopards. In addition, the rectal swab from the same female also displayed sequence reads most similar to feline papillomavirus 2, which is the first evidence for this virus infecting snow leopards. The rectal swabs from all animals also showed evidence for the presence of small circular DNA viruses, predominantly Circular Rep-Encoding Single-Stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses and in one case feline anellovirus. Several of the viruses implicated in the present study could affect the health of snow leopards. In animals which are under environmental stress, for example, young dispersing individuals and lactating females, health issues may be exacerbated by latent virus infections. |
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Call Number | Serial | 1612 | |||
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Author | Johansson, O., Samelius, G., Wikberg, E, Chapron, G., Mishra, C., Low, M | ||||
Title | Identification errors in camera- trap studies result in systematic population overestimation | Type | Journal Article | ||
Year | 2020 | Publication | Scientific Reports | Abbreviated Journal | |
Volume | 10 | Issue | 6393 | Pages | 1-10 |
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Abstract | Reliable assessments of animal abundance are key for successful conservation of endangered species. For elusive animals with individually-unique markings, camera-trap surveys are a benchmark standard for estimating local and global population abundance. Central to the reliability of resulting abundance estimates is the assumption that individuals are accurately identified from photographic captures. To quantify the risk of individual misidentification and its impact on population abundance estimates we performed an experiment under controlled conditions in which 16 captive snow leopards (Panthera uncia) were camera-trapped on 40 occasions and eight observers independently identified individuals and recaptures. Observers misclassified 12.5% of all capture occasions, resulting in systematically inflated population abundance estimates on average by one third (mean ± SD = 35 ± 21%). Our results show that identifying individually-unique individuals from camera-trap photos may not be as reliable as previously believed, implying that elusive and endangered species could be less abundant than current estimates indicate. | ||||
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Notes | Approved | no | |||
Call Number | SLN @ rakhee @ | Serial | 1496 | ||
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Author | Johansson, O., Rauset, G. R., Samelius, G., McCarthy, T., Andren, H., Tumursukh, L., Mishra, C. | ||||
Title | Land sharing is essential for snow leopard conservation | Type | Journal Article | ||
Year | 2016 | Publication | Biological Conservation | Abbreviated Journal | |
Volume | Issue | 203 | Pages | 1-7 | |
Keywords | Home range, LoCoH, Mongolia, Panthera uncial, Protected areas, Land sparing | ||||
Abstract | Conserving large carnivores in an increasingly crowded planet raises difficult challenges. A recurring debate is whether large carnivores can be conserved in human used landscapes (land sharing) or whether they require specially designated areas (land sparing). Here we show that 40% of the 170 protected areas in the global range of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) are smaller than the home range of a single adult male and only 4– 13% are large enough for a 90% probability of containing 15 or more adult females. We used data from 16 snow leopards equipped with GPS collars in the Tost Mountains of South Gobi, Mongolia, to calculate home range size and overlap using three different estimators: minimum convex polygons (MCP), kernel utility distributions (Kernel), and local convex hulls (LoCoH). Local convex hull home ranges were smaller and included lower proportions of unused habitats compared to home ranges based on minimum convex polygons and Kernels. Intra-sexual home range overlapwas low, especially for adult males, suggesting that snowleopards are territorial. Mean home range size based on the LoCoH estimates was 207 km2 ± 63 SD for adult males and 124 km2 ± 41 SD for adult females. Our estimates were 6–44 times larger than earlier estimates based on VHF technology when comparing similar estimators, i.e. MCP. Our study illustrates that protected areas alone will not be able to conserve predatorswith large home ranges and conservationists and managers should not restrict their efforts to land sparing. | ||||
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Call Number | SLN @ rakhee @ | Serial | 1446 | ||
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Author | Johansson, O., Nyam, E., Lkhagvajav, P., Alexander, J. A., Samelius, G. | ||||
Title | Predation Patterns and Hunting Behaviour of Snow Leopards: Insights from an Ibex Hunt | Type | Journal Article | ||
Year | 2023 | Publication | Snow Leopard Reports | Abbreviated Journal | |
Volume | Issue | Pages | 6-9 | ||
Keywords | ambush, Capra sibirica, kill site, mountain, Panthera uncia | ||||
Abstract | The hunting behaviours of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) are poorly understood. In this note, we describe the successful hunt of an adult male ibex (Capra sibirica) by a known male snow leopard in Tost Mountains, Mongolia. The hunt started in a mountain slope close to three large boulders and progressed downhill for 115 m until it concluded at the bottom of a drainage. By comparing the habitat where the ibex was killed to the kill sites of 158 ibex and 17 argali (Ovis ammon) that were killed by GPS-collared snow leopards, we demonstrate that the majority (62%) of these kills occurred in drainages. We propose that in successful hunts, snow leopards commonly ambush from above, causing prey individuals to typically flee downhill. Thereby the prey maintain their momentum and it is not until they are slowed down upon reaching the bottom of the drainage that the snow leopards are able to subdue them. | ||||
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Call Number | SLN @ rakhee @ | Serial | 1730 | ||
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