A new snow leopard record reflects the value of remote protected areas for connectivity
As wildlife becomes more isolated in human-dominated and rapidly changing environments, species conservation requires investment in landscape connectivity. Identifying stepping stones (discrete areas of suitable habitat that facilitate the movement of dispersing individuals) can help meet connectivi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Oryx |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S003060532200120X/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797754614879092736 |
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| author | Ganchimeg Wingard Rentsen Oyunbat Joseph Zebrowski Richard Reading Erica Garroutte Anandpurev Tumurbaatar Bayarsaikhan Otgongotob Batsaikhan Nyamsuren James D. Murdoch |
| author_facet | Ganchimeg Wingard Rentsen Oyunbat Joseph Zebrowski Richard Reading Erica Garroutte Anandpurev Tumurbaatar Bayarsaikhan Otgongotob Batsaikhan Nyamsuren James D. Murdoch |
| author_sort | Ganchimeg Wingard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As wildlife becomes more isolated in human-dominated and rapidly changing environments, species conservation requires investment in landscape connectivity. Identifying stepping stones (discrete areas of suitable habitat that facilitate the movement of dispersing individuals) can help meet connectivity goals. We report the occurrence of the snow leopard Panthera uncia in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia, over 250 km from the nearest known population, one of the easternmost records for the species. Ikh Nart Nature Reserve lies within a region considered highly resistant to movement but harbours high densities of argali sheep Ovis ammon and Siberian ibexes Capra sibirica, both important prey items for snow leopards. This occurrence reveals a new distribution record for the species, the capacity of the species to move across low-quality environments, the value of investment in community conservation and collaborative park management, and the role of remote protected areas such as Ikh Nart Nature Reserve as stepping stones for facilitating population expansion and broader connectivity to other potentially suitable but unoccupied areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:34:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cb881752da8c41a4a65acb70ae8c6a79 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0030-6053 1365-3008 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:34:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Oryx |
| spelling | doaj.art-cb881752da8c41a4a65acb70ae8c6a792023-08-04T12:01:32ZengCambridge University PressOryx0030-60531365-30082023-05-015738638810.1017/S003060532200120XA new snow leopard record reflects the value of remote protected areas for connectivityGanchimeg Wingard0Rentsen Oyunbat1Joseph Zebrowski2Richard Reading3Erica Garroutte4Anandpurev Tumurbaatar5Bayarsaikhan Otgongotob6Batsaikhan Nyamsuren7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2804-8607James D. Murdoch8Denver Zoological Foundation, Denver, USAMongolian Conservation Initiative, Ulaanbaatar, MongoliaNew Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, USACoalition for International Conservation, Denver, USAInstitute for Integrative Conservation, Williamsburg, USAIkh Nart Nature Reserve, Dalanjargalan, MongoliaIkh Nart Nature Reserve, Dalanjargalan, MongoliaMongolian Conservation Initiative, Ulaanbaatar, MongoliaUniversity of Vermont, Burlington, USAAs wildlife becomes more isolated in human-dominated and rapidly changing environments, species conservation requires investment in landscape connectivity. Identifying stepping stones (discrete areas of suitable habitat that facilitate the movement of dispersing individuals) can help meet connectivity goals. We report the occurrence of the snow leopard Panthera uncia in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia, over 250 km from the nearest known population, one of the easternmost records for the species. Ikh Nart Nature Reserve lies within a region considered highly resistant to movement but harbours high densities of argali sheep Ovis ammon and Siberian ibexes Capra sibirica, both important prey items for snow leopards. This occurrence reveals a new distribution record for the species, the capacity of the species to move across low-quality environments, the value of investment in community conservation and collaborative park management, and the role of remote protected areas such as Ikh Nart Nature Reserve as stepping stones for facilitating population expansion and broader connectivity to other potentially suitable but unoccupied areas.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S003060532200120X/type/journal_articleConnectivitydistributionMongoliaPanthera unciaprotected areasnow leopardstepping stone |
| spellingShingle | Ganchimeg Wingard Rentsen Oyunbat Joseph Zebrowski Richard Reading Erica Garroutte Anandpurev Tumurbaatar Bayarsaikhan Otgongotob Batsaikhan Nyamsuren James D. Murdoch A new snow leopard record reflects the value of remote protected areas for connectivity Oryx Connectivity distribution Mongolia Panthera uncia protected area snow leopard stepping stone |
| title | A new snow leopard record reflects the value of remote protected areas for connectivity |
| title_full | A new snow leopard record reflects the value of remote protected areas for connectivity |
| title_fullStr | A new snow leopard record reflects the value of remote protected areas for connectivity |
| title_full_unstemmed | A new snow leopard record reflects the value of remote protected areas for connectivity |
| title_short | A new snow leopard record reflects the value of remote protected areas for connectivity |
| title_sort | new snow leopard record reflects the value of remote protected areas for connectivity |
| topic | Connectivity distribution Mongolia Panthera uncia protected area snow leopard stepping stone |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S003060532200120X/type/journal_article |
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