Category: Uncategorized

Climate Change & Snow Leopards

Climate change is perhaps the overarching threat to snow leopards and their habitat. Knowledge about its impact on the species, its habitat and the people who share that habitat is growing but still remains incomplete and fragmentary. As our understanding of climate change impacts changes over time the Snow Leopard Network hopes to bring together experts and resource persons together to open up perspectives and share ideas for the way forward. 

Join us as we bring together practitioners and scientists from across the snow leopard range to share the latest thinking and evidence that is emerging on this key issue. We are particularly pleased to welcome Rinjan Shrestha, XiangYing Shi and Tserennadmid Nadia Mijiddorj who share some of the latest research findings on how climate change is influencing snow leopard habitats and people’s livelihoods in Nepal, Mongolia and China. The presentations are followed by a discussion facilitated by Sibylle Noras, a former SLN Steering Committee Member, on how we can use different approaches to gain a clearer picture of climate change influences.

More info about our speakers can be found here. 

Snow Leopard NEWS announced in Mandarin

We thank Snow Leopard Network China for sharing this initiative for teams across China. (Link to original Post)

国际雪豹网络 (SLN) 是一个全球性组织，致力于促进世界各地之间关于雪豹保护的信息和见解交流，并力求“联动向上”，提升雪豹保护的影响力。

秉承着这样的理念，SLN怀着激动的心情向大家宣布《雪豹新闻》Snow Leopard NEWs（SL NEWS）这一开源年报（annual open-access newsletter）的成立。

Snow Leopard NEWS（SL NEWS）是国际雪豹网络 (SLN) 的开源时讯年刊，是SLN指导委员会2021-2023年的优先事项，旨在促进全网雪豹保护者及研究人员间的交流。SL NEWS希望通过野外笔记和研究成果来收集整理和呈现有关雪豹生物学和保护的最新信息，包括雪豹的种群状态和栖息地的变化。欢迎各位以野外笔记、研究成果和保护前线手记的形式投稿。编辑团队将通过同行评议机制来定刊。

使命

分享雪豹生态学与保护的最新资讯。包括雪豹、它的猎物和雪豹栖息地共生的其他食肉动物。我们也寻求应对雪豹栖息地威胁的创新保护实践和政策。 另外，还会着重展示雪豹栖息地国家保护工作者和科研人员的的工作开展情况，并支持他们分享保护工作及科研成果。

编辑团队
编辑团队由SLN指导委员会成员和受邀的SLN成员组成。主编：Orjan Johansson博士，三位副主编：肖凌云博士、Justine Shanti Alexander博士和Munib Khanyari。SLN指导委员会主席Sandro Lovari博士担任名誉编辑。

现已成立了由SLN指导委员会和其他成员组成的编辑委员会。其主要职责是为审阅和评议过程提供全面的指导和支持。编委会希望能吸引世界各雪豹栖息地的投稿。 

投稿指南
SL NEWS发表与保护雪豹和雪豹分布范围内的共生物种有关的原创性科研成果、野外观察笔记和保护时讯。编辑团队将评审稿件，按需进行同行评议和稿件的接收。SL NEWS每年发布一次，但文章预览会提前在线发布。我们将在期刊中标出经过同行评议的笔记或文章。同时，SL NEWS也在申请ISSN注册。 
投稿类别
在SL NEWS上发表的文章分为以下几类：

野外笔记（Field Notes）（500-1,000字，正文，英文）：此类别以雪豹景观中的自然历史故事或实地观察为主。提交的作品所讲述的引人入胜的故事，需要能激发创新的假设或者能够体现更大背景下的雪豹及其他共生物种的生态、生物及演化。可以提交照片作为辅助观察记录。 

简短研究成果（Short Notes）（500-1,500字正文，英文）：短文内容覆盖与雪豹及其共生物种保护相关的新发现、方法或概念。这部分是《SL NEWS》中最注重数据的部分，典型框架包含概述、方法、结果及其简洁的讨论。也接受关于特定主题的简短评论论文。所有参考文献应嵌入文章中。可多用照片、图表和地图。这类文章一般会进行同行评议。 

保护前线手记（Notes from the Conservation Frontline）（500-1,000字，正文，英文）：这部分稿件应突出从业者在雪豹景观保护前线所面对的问题。笔记应简明扼要，并展示出与更宽泛的保护文献的关联。文章结构无要求，可选合适形式分享从业者的观点（包括介绍、主要观察和讨论）。参考文献需嵌入文本中，除非必要，无需使用图形、图表或表格。 

字数统计不包括每个类别的摘要（最多150个字，英文）、表格内容、参考文献以及表格和图标题。

提交格式 
  • 提交的内容必须为Word文档格式。
  • 提交的内容应包括以下部分（提交类别、标题、作者列表、作者联系方式、摘要、正文、致谢和参考书目）。
  • 字号为12，双倍行距，标注页码和行号。并请说明是否同意对提交的稿件进行同行评议。
  • 请提供三位推荐同行专家评审的姓名和电子邮件地址（或任何可能涉及审稿利益冲突的专家姓名）。 
摘要
  • 最多150个单词，包括基本原理、方法、结果和主要发现。
图表及照片
  • 包含阐明文章而需要的物种、栖息地、景观图片或其他图表资料。
  • 图表、图纸和标题在缩小后应清晰易读。
  • 地图应标明公制单位比例尺和指北针。
参考文献
  • 文中对出版物的引用按作者姓名和出版年份。 
  • 文末参考书目按字母顺序排列：作者姓名、出版年份、作品的完整标题、期刊名称（斜体）、卷号和页码。例如：Johansson Ö., McCarthy T., Samelius G., Andrén H., Tumursukh L., Mishra C., 2015. Snow leopard predation on a livestock dominated landscape in Mongolia. Biological Conservation 184: 251–258. 
  • 如果参考文献中有两本（篇）或以上相同作者及年份的书籍或论文，在参考文献列表和文中都应在发表年份后加上小写的a、b等。
提交流程
  • 雪豹新闻Snow Leopard NEWS第一期投稿征集时间为2021年6月1日至12月1日。
  • 请按照上述提交格式指南将您的注释提交到以下电子邮件地址：news@snowleopardnetwork.org 
  • 主编与副主编们将进行初审并与作者沟通，包括是否需要对稿件进行同行评议。一些稿件可能直接发表，无需同行评议。如果稿件不适合本期刊，也会相应地通知作者。一般来说，初评会在收到稿件后2-3周完成。 
  • 如果接受同行评议，提交的内容将发送同行专家评审。编辑将根据专家反馈意见决定是否接受稿件，不论是否修改。 
  • 期刊会是开源性质的，可供公众查阅。
  • 雪豹新闻每年在线发布；第一期预计在2022年上半年。 
公告
  • 雪豹新闻（首发版）正接受投稿  
  • 雪豹新闻 正在寻找英语编辑人员，对要发表的笔记或文章进行最终编辑。职位是志愿者的形式（目前没有报酬）。如果您有这方面的技能，并希望在做出贡献。请发送简历至：news@snowleopardnetwork.org

    并说明可参与程度。

  • 英文版投稿指南原文（pdf版，点击“阅读原文”下载）

Session 2: R Studio and Hypothesis Testing

In this session, we explore in more details the fundamentals of statistical theory. Using built-in datasets in R, you will learn how to identify methods that are most appropriate depending on the data you are working with, as well as essential principles of hypothesis testing.

Session 2.1: Review

Session 2.2: Fundamentals II and R Studio

Session 2.3: Hypothesis Testing

Session 2.4: Application of Hypothesis Testing

Session 3: Fundamentals III

Using what we learned in the previous two sessions, we will work through all essential steps involved in data analysis, with a focus on linear regression. This includes the formulation of a hypothesis, data preparation and visualisation, statistical testing, and finally, results interpretation. We will complete two full practical exercises in R using built-in datasets. At the end of this session, you will be split into different groups in order to carry out one final analysis, which will be presented the week after.

Session 3.1: Introduction to fundamentals III

 

Session 3.2: Application in R

Session 4: Regressions, Correlations and more

This session will start with presentation of results from the last analysis (see Session 3). The rest of the session will be dedicated to identifying and avoiding common mistakes in data analysis. This will allow us to also discuss issues related to results interpretation, which is essential in the field of conservation science when results may directly inform conservation planning.

Session 4.1: T-test and ANOVA Recap

Session 4.2: Regression and Correlation

Session 4.3: Beyond and Conclusion

 

Session 1: Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation

Welcome to Module 11! In this Session we focus on introducing principles of monitoring and evaluation and how it can support community conservation programs. We cover core terms, principles and approaches to M&E that are important foundations of conservation program planning and implementation. 

Session 1.1: Introduction

Session 1.2: Partners Principles for community conservation

Session 1.3: M&E Change is complex

Session 1.4: M&E understanding your context and contribution to change

Session 2: Monitoring & Community Conservation

This Session explores participatory approaches to Monitoring! We use a case study from Spiti, India to illustrate how programs evolve and can monitor key outputs and outcomes.
Checkout what key principles stuck with participants.

Session 2.1: Introduction to Participatory Monitoring

Session 2.2: Shen Case Study

Session 2.3: Introduction to monitoring

Session 2.4: Shen as an example of Participatory Monitoring

Session 3: Participatory Approaches to Evaluation

James shares two case studies related to evaluating conflict and climate change adaptation strategies. Through these case studies we explore relevant indicators/approaches to assess progress towards the harder to measure longer outcomes (such as resilience, adaptation, etc.) through stakeholder participatory approaches.  

As preparation for the session please feel free to check out this video related to Climate Adaptation Strategies for Rural Livelihoods in Indonesia. James will be sharing insights on how the team evaluated progress in their programs. Please also read the following three publications that share more details on these case studies and the approaches. 

Session 3.1: Background to conservation conflict MEL

Session 3.2: Discussion on indicators

Session 3.3: Feedback and final discussion

 

New Note to Bibliography

 

 

 

Please find details of a new note reporting a SL predation on an adult yak, which has been added to our bibliography:

Title: Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) predation and consumption of an adult yak in the Mongolian Altai.

Authors: ???? ?????Krofel, M., Groff, C., Oberosler, V., Augugliaro, C., Rovero, F.

Introduction: The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is an apex predator of mountainous ecosystems in Central Asia, characterised by relatively long feeding times and low kill rates (Johansson et al. 2015; Mallon et al. 2016). Predation is mainly focused on wild ungulates and the vast majority of animals killed by snow leopards are smaller than 100 kg (Lovari et al. 2013). Throughout most of their range, Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica), blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), and argali (Ovis ammon) represent the most important prey (Hunter 2015). These species weigh up to 180 kg, which was suggested to be near the maximum limit of the prey size that snow leopard can handle (i.e. about 3 times its size) (e.g. Schaller 1977; Hunter 2015). Accordingly, researchers generally assume that prey like adult yaks (Bos grunniens) with an average body weight of 250 kg (Bagchi & Mishra 2006), are too large to be killed by snow leopards (e.g. Devkota et al. 2013; Chetri et al. 2017). In contrast, local livestock herders report that snow leopard can also kill larger prey, including adult yaks (e.g. Li et al. 2013; Suryawanshi et al. 2013), but confirmed records of snow leopard killing prey of this size appear to be lacking in the literature. We also have very limited knowledge about the consumption of snow leopard kills, and the scavengers, including conspecifics, that are using them (Fox & Chundawat 2016; Schaller 2016). Here we report on a predation event and the following consumption process of a snow leopard kill, a free-roaming adult female yak, which we studied in 2019 using snow tracking, direct observation and camera trapping in the Mongolian Altai.

URL: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Krofel_et_al_2021.pdf