Modeling Distribution and Habitat Suitability for the Snow Leopard in Bhutan
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one of the world's most elusive felids. In Bhutan, which is one of the 12 countries where the species still persists, reliable information on its distribution and habitat suitability is lacking, thus impeding effective conservation planning for the species....
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Conservation Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2021.781085/full |
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| author | Dechen Lham Gabriele Cozzi Stefan Sommer Phuntsho Thinley Phuntsho Thinley Namgay Wangchuk Sonam Wangchuk Sonam Wangchuk Arpat Ozgul |
| author_facet | Dechen Lham Gabriele Cozzi Stefan Sommer Phuntsho Thinley Phuntsho Thinley Namgay Wangchuk Sonam Wangchuk Sonam Wangchuk Arpat Ozgul |
| author_sort | Dechen Lham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one of the world's most elusive felids. In Bhutan, which is one of the 12 countries where the species still persists, reliable information on its distribution and habitat suitability is lacking, thus impeding effective conservation planning for the species. To fill this knowledge gap, we created a country-wide species distribution model using “presence-only” data from 420 snow leopard occurrences (345 from a sign survey and 77 from a camera-trapping survey) and 12 environmental covariates consisting of biophysical and anthropogenic factors. We analyzed the data in an ensemble model framework which combines the outputs from several species distribution models. To assess the adequacy of Bhutan's network of protected areas and their potential contribution toward the conservation of the species, we overlaid the output of the ensemble model on the spatial layers of protected areas and biological corridors. The ensemble model identified 7,206 km2 of Bhutan as suitable for the snow leopard: 3,647 km2 as highly suitable, 2,681 km2 as moderately suitable, and 878 km2 as marginally suitable. Forty percent of the total suitable habitat consisted of protected areas and a further 8% of biological corridors. These suitable habitats were characterized by a mean livestock density of 1.3 individuals per hectare, and a mean slope of 25°; they closely match the distribution of the snow leopard's main wild prey, the bharal (Pseudois nayaur). Our study shows that Bhutan's northern protected areas are a centre for snow leopard conservation both at the national and regional scale. |
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| format | Article |
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| issn | 2673-611X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:24:56Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Conservation Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-829a802043b84d728dac705eee54bdce2022-12-22T04:04:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Conservation Science2673-611X2021-11-01210.3389/fcosc.2021.781085781085Modeling Distribution and Habitat Suitability for the Snow Leopard in BhutanDechen Lham0Gabriele Cozzi1Stefan Sommer2Phuntsho Thinley3Phuntsho Thinley4Namgay Wangchuk5Sonam Wangchuk6Sonam Wangchuk7Arpat Ozgul8Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandCenter for Conservation, Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research, Bumthang, BhutanEcosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, AustraliaNature Conservation Division, Department of Forests and Parks Services, Thimphu, BhutanWildlife Conservation Division, Department of Forests and Parks Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Thimphu, BhutanNatural Resources Development Ltd., Thimphu, BhutanDepartment of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandThe snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one of the world's most elusive felids. In Bhutan, which is one of the 12 countries where the species still persists, reliable information on its distribution and habitat suitability is lacking, thus impeding effective conservation planning for the species. To fill this knowledge gap, we created a country-wide species distribution model using “presence-only” data from 420 snow leopard occurrences (345 from a sign survey and 77 from a camera-trapping survey) and 12 environmental covariates consisting of biophysical and anthropogenic factors. We analyzed the data in an ensemble model framework which combines the outputs from several species distribution models. To assess the adequacy of Bhutan's network of protected areas and their potential contribution toward the conservation of the species, we overlaid the output of the ensemble model on the spatial layers of protected areas and biological corridors. The ensemble model identified 7,206 km2 of Bhutan as suitable for the snow leopard: 3,647 km2 as highly suitable, 2,681 km2 as moderately suitable, and 878 km2 as marginally suitable. Forty percent of the total suitable habitat consisted of protected areas and a further 8% of biological corridors. These suitable habitats were characterized by a mean livestock density of 1.3 individuals per hectare, and a mean slope of 25°; they closely match the distribution of the snow leopard's main wild prey, the bharal (Pseudois nayaur). Our study shows that Bhutan's northern protected areas are a centre for snow leopard conservation both at the national and regional scale.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2021.781085/fullBhutanensemblehabitat suitabilityprotected areasspecies distribution modelsnow leopard |
| spellingShingle | Dechen Lham Gabriele Cozzi Stefan Sommer Phuntsho Thinley Phuntsho Thinley Namgay Wangchuk Sonam Wangchuk Sonam Wangchuk Arpat Ozgul Modeling Distribution and Habitat Suitability for the Snow Leopard in Bhutan Frontiers in Conservation Science Bhutan ensemble habitat suitability protected areas species distribution model snow leopard |
| title | Modeling Distribution and Habitat Suitability for the Snow Leopard in Bhutan |
| title_full | Modeling Distribution and Habitat Suitability for the Snow Leopard in Bhutan |
| title_fullStr | Modeling Distribution and Habitat Suitability for the Snow Leopard in Bhutan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modeling Distribution and Habitat Suitability for the Snow Leopard in Bhutan |
| title_short | Modeling Distribution and Habitat Suitability for the Snow Leopard in Bhutan |
| title_sort | modeling distribution and habitat suitability for the snow leopard in bhutan |
| topic | Bhutan ensemble habitat suitability protected areas species distribution model snow leopard |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2021.781085/full |
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