Exploring options for a PES-like scheme to conserve red panda habitat and livelihood improvement in western Nepal

AbstractHabitat evaluation is essential for managing wildlife populations and formulating conservation policies. With the rise of innovative powerful statistical techniques in partnership with Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS techniques, spatially explicit species distribution modeling (SDM) has rapidly grown in conservation biology. These models can help us to study habitat suitability at the scale of the species range, and are particularly useful for examining the overlapping habitat between sympatric species. Species presence points collected through field GPS observations, in conjunction with 13 different topographic, vegetation related, anthropogenic, and bioclimatic variables, as well as a land cover map with seven classification categories created by support vector machine (SVM) were used to implement Maxent and GARP ecological niche models. With the resulting ecological niche models, the suitable habitat for asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and red panda (Ailurus fulgens) in Nepal Makalu Barun National Park (MBNP) was predicted. All of the predictor variables were extracted from freely available remote sensing and publicly shared government data resources. The modeled results were validated by using an independent dataset. Analysis of the regularized training gain showed that the three most important environmental variables for habitat suitability were distance to settlement, elevation, and mean annual temperature. The habitat suitability modeling accuracy, characterized by the mean area under curve, was moderate for both species when GARP was used (0.791 for black bear and 0.786 for red panda), but was moderate for black bear (0.857), and high for red panda (0.920) when Maxent was used. The suitable habitat estimated by Maxent for black bear and red panda was 716 km2 and 343 km2 respectively, while the suitable area determined by GARP was 1074 km2 and 714 km2 respectively. Maxent predicted that the overlapping area was 83% of the red panda habitat and 40% of the black bear habitat, while GARP estimated 88% of the red panda habitat and 58% of the black bear habitat overlapped. The results of land cover exhibited that barren land covered the highest percentage of area in MBNP (36.0%) followed by forest (32.6%). Of the suitable habitat, both models indicated forest as the most preferred land cover for both species (63.7% for black bear and 61.6% for red panda from Maxent; 59.9% black bear and 58.8% for red panda from GARP). Maxent outperformed GARP in terms of habitat suitability modeling. The black bear showed higher habitat selectivity than red panda. We suggest that proper management should be given to the overlapping habitats in the buffer zone. For remote and inaccessible regions, the proposed methods are promising tools for wildlife management and conservation, deserving further popularization.

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Response of the Endangered red panda Ailurus fulgens fulgens to anthropogenic disturbances, and its distribution in Phrumsengla National Park, Bhutan

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605316000399 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 51 (4) ◽

pp. 701-708 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Pema Dendup ◽

Ellen Cheng ◽

Choki Lham ◽

Ugyen Tenzin

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Anthropogenic Disturbance ◽

National Park ◽

Anthropogenic Disturbances ◽

Livestock Grazing ◽

Sensitive Species ◽

Faecal Pellets ◽

Red Panda ◽

Ailurus Fulgens ◽

Panda Habitat

AbstractAcross much of Asia protected areas have a dual objective of conserving biodiversity and supporting rural and indigenous livelihoods. For the red panda Ailurus fulgens and other sensitive species of concern, even limited anthropogenic disturbance may influence their use of protected areas. We quantified the prevalence of timber collection and livestock grazing, and their impacts on red panda habitat use, in Phrumsengla National Park, Bhutan. Red pandas used sites with at least 20% bamboo cover, as evidenced by presence of their faecal pellets. They avoided sites disturbed by livestock, regardless of bamboo availability. Timber collection itself was not an important predictor of red panda presence but bamboo may be harvested opportunistically from sites where timber is collected. Conservation efforts for the red panda should not rely on protected areas alone but should explicitly consider and mitigate impacts of anthropogenic disturbances in protected areas.

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On the impact of earthquake-induced landslides on Red Panda Ailurus fulgens (Mammalia: Carnivora: Ailuridae) habitat in Langtang National Park, Nepal

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.6451.13.9.19191-19202 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 19191-19202

Author(s):

Yogesh Rana Magar ◽

Man Kumar Dhamala ◽

Ajay Mathema ◽

Raju Chauhan ◽

Sijar Bhatta

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Geographical Information ◽

Infrastructure Development ◽

Gorkha Earthquake ◽

Potential Habitat ◽

2015 Gorkha Earthquake ◽

Red Panda ◽

Average Size ◽

The Impact ◽

Panda Habitat

In addition to the threats of human encroachment, infrastructure development, tourism activities, habitat fragmentation, and human-wildlife interactions, natural disasters also pose a threat to the habitat of endangered species such as the Red Panda. This study aims to assess the impact of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake-induced landslides on the Red Panda’s habitat in Langtang National Park (LNP), central Nepal Himalaya. Remote sensing and geographical information system were applied to estimate the potential and core habitats of the Red Panda, and collect information on earthquake-induced landslides. Field sampling and verification of remotely collected data were done within a year of the earthquake. Considering preferred vegetation types, elevation range, aspects, distance from water sources, and Red Panda presence points, an area of 214.34 km2 was estimated as the potential habitat of Red Panda in the Park. Thirty-nine landslides were identified in LNP triggered by the Gorkha earthquake, 14 of which occurred in the core Red Panda habitat. As a result of the earthquake-induced landslides, a significant decrease in tree density was observed in the areas affected by the landslides. Similarly, the bamboo cover was observed to be significantly lower in the areas affected by landslides compared to the unaffected adjacent areas. The average size of the landslide, causing damage to the Red Panda habitat was 0.8 ha. The potential habitat damaged by the earthquake-induced landslide was estimated to be 11.20 ha which is equivalent to the habitat required by one Red Panda. The findings could be useful in initiating restoration of the damaged Red Panda habitat in LNP.

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Status of gastrointestinal parasites in Red Panda of Nepal

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.3767 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e3767 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Damber Bista ◽

Saroj Shrestha ◽

Ajaya Jang Kunwar ◽

Sakshi Acharya ◽

Shant Raj Jnawali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Parasite Prevalence ◽

Gastrointestinal Parasites ◽

Systematic Sampling ◽

Open Defecation ◽

Mean Intensity ◽

Coprological Examination ◽

Red Panda ◽

The Status ◽

Panda Habitat

Red pandas are known to be highly susceptible to endoparasites, which can have a prominent impact on the population dynamics of this endangered species. There are very limited published reports on prevalence and risk of parasites in wild populations of red panda, especially localized reports. This study attempts to provide an in-depth insight of the status of endoparasites in red pandas, which is critical for strengthening conservation efforts. A total of 272 fecal samples were collected through systematic sampling across the red panda distribution range in Nepal and coprological examination was completed using standard techniques. It was followed by an estimation of prevalence and mean intensity of parasites, as well as statistical analysis, which was carried out using R statistical software. Parasite prevalence was documented in 90.80% (n = 247) out of 272 samples examined which includes seven different species along with three genera of parasites belonging to Protozoans (3 species), Cestodes (1 genus, 1 species) and Nematodes (2 genera, 3 species). Nematodes predominated in all infected samples (87.62%). Prevalence ofAncyclostoma duodenale(n = 227, 70.06%), having a mean intensity of 3.45 ± 2.88 individuals per sample, was observed, followed byAscaris lumbricoides(n = 19, 5.86%) andEntamoeba histolytica(n = 24, 7.41%). Eight variables for assessing the determinants of infestation were tested: protected areas; non-protected areas; aspect; elevation; slope; and distance to water sources, herding stations, and settlements. Only the settlement displayed significant association (β= −1534e−04,t = − 2.192,p = 0.0293) though each parasite species displayed dissimilar association with different variables. This study indicates the urgent need of improving existing herding practice through habitat zonation, rotational grazing, medication of livestock, and prohibition of open defecation within and around red panda habitat.

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Evidences of red panda in Rachuli VDC, Kalikot district, Nepal

Journal of Natural History Museum ◽

10.3126/jnhm.v30i0.27541 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. 121-128

Author(s):

Bishok Dangol ◽

Mukesh Kumar Chalise

Keyword(s):

Dominant Species ◽

Food Plant ◽

Altitudinal Range ◽

Betula Utilis ◽

Red Panda ◽

Development Committee ◽

Quercus Semecarpifolia ◽

Village Development Committee ◽

Important Value Index ◽

Panda Habitat

Presence of the red panda was assessed in Rachuli Village Development Committee (VDC)(latitude 290 1.98’ N to 2903.57’ N and longitude 81013.52’ E to 81015.87’ E, at altitudinal range between 1800 to 4400 masl), Kalikot, mid-west Nepal. The interaction and interviews with local peoples was organised to collect initial confirmation on occurrence of the red panda. For sign survey of animal, altogether 20 quadrate plots (each of 10×10 sq. meters) at the point where pellets of red panda were found, were laid between altitude of 2800 m to 3300 masl. The presence of Red panda pellets in the study area was major evidence of presence of redpanda in the area. The lowest altitude in which pellet found was 2993 m and the highest was3297 m. The highest number of pellets was observed in altitudinal range of 3100 m to 3150m. The average number of pellets per group was 10.13 ± 5.33. The typical dominant species of trees in red panda habitat were Betula utilis, Abies spectabilis and Quercus semecarpifolia observed with the highest Important Value Index (IVI) of 83.80, 75.83 and 52.80 respectively. Nigalo (Thamnocalamus sp.), the most preferable food plant of red panda, was distributed widely in the study range. The number of pellets groups in the plots and nigalo density were positively correlated (0.795, significant statistically at 0.01 levels (2-tailed)).

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Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of Ecological Policy Compromises Human Well-Being and Giant Panda Habitat Conservation in Giant Panda National Park

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13095013 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 5013

Author(s):

Dan Zhu ◽

Degang Yang

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Socioeconomic Factors ◽

National Park ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Giant Panda ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Well Being ◽

Habitat Conservation ◽

Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity ◽

Panda Habitat

Identifying how policy, socioeconomic factors, and environmental factors influence changes in human well-being (HWB) and conservation efficiency is important for ecological management and sustainable development, especially in the Giant Panda National Park (GPNP). In this study, we systematically analyzed the differences in the conservation status of the giant panda habitat and changes in HWB over 15 years in the GPNP, which includes six mountain sites, Minshan (MS), Qionglai (QLS), Xiaoxiangling (XXL), Liangshan (LS), Qinling (QL), and Daxiangling (DXL). Redundancy analyses were used to determine the factors contributing (policy, socioeconomic factors, and environmental factors) to HWB and giant panda habitat conservation (HC). In addition, using a structural equation model (SEM), we investigated the relationship between the aforementioned three factors and their direct and indirect effects on HWB and HC. The results indicated that there was spatiotemporal heterogeneity of HWB and HC in our study area. There was an increasing number of plant species as well as an increased number of giant panda in GPNP. Generally, HWB in 2015 showed an increasing trend compared with that in 2000. Socioeconomic factors (23.6%) have the biggest influence on HWB and HC, followed by policy (23.2%) and environmental factors (19.4%). Conservation policy had a significantly positive influence on HWB (0.52), while it negatively influenced HC (−0.15). Socioeconomic factors significantly negatively influenced HWB (−0.38). The formulation and implementation of policies to promote economic development will contribute to the protection of giant pandas and their habitat. Our results provide insight on the conservation status of the giant panda habitat, HWB, and factors influencing them in different mountain sites in the GPNP, as well as having implications for the future management of the GPNP.

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Red panda: a novel method for detecting variants in single-cell RNA sequencing

BMC Genomics ◽

10.1186/s12864-020-07224-3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (S11) ◽

Author(s):

Adam Cornish ◽

Shrabasti Roychoudhury ◽

Krishna Sarma ◽

Suravi Pramanik ◽

Kishor Bhakat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Single Cell ◽

Rna Sequencing ◽

Articular Chondrocytes ◽

Genetic Diseases ◽

Simulated Data ◽

Single Nucleotide ◽

Single Cell Rna Sequencing ◽

Red Panda ◽

Novel Method ◽

Rare Cells

Abstract Background Single-cell sequencing enables us to better understand genetic diseases, such as cancer or autoimmune disorders, which are often affected by changes in rare cells. Currently, no existing software is aimed at identifying single nucleotide variations or micro (1-50 bp) insertions and deletions in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Generating high-quality variant data is vital to the study of the aforementioned diseases, among others. Results In this study, we report the design and implementation of Red Panda, a novel method to accurately identify variants in scRNA-seq data. Variants were called on scRNA-seq data from human articular chondrocytes, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), and simulated data stemming from the MEF alignments. Red Panda had the highest Positive Predictive Value at 45.0%, while other tools—FreeBayes, GATK HaplotypeCaller, GATK UnifiedGenotyper, Monovar, and Platypus—ranged from 5.8–41.53%. From the simulated data, Red Panda had the highest sensitivity at 72.44%. Conclusions We show that our method provides a novel and improved mechanism to identify variants in scRNA-seq as compared to currently existing software. However, methods for identification of genomic variants using scRNA-seq data can be still improved.

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Forestry Policy and Legitimacy: The Case of Forest Devolution in Vietnam

Journal of Asian and African Studies ◽

10.1177/0021909620935424 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 55 (6) ◽

pp. 848-862

Author(s):

Thi Kim Phung Dang

Keyword(s):

Forest Management ◽

Sustainable Forest Management ◽

Land Allocation ◽

Forest Land ◽

Forestry Policy ◽

Local Resources ◽

Intrinsic Values ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Livelihood Improvement ◽

Research Findings

Although forest devolution has become a key strategy of forestry reforms to mobilise local resources for sustainable forest management, there is growing concern about the legitimacy of this strategy. There have been escalating disputes between forestry agencies and local people as to who receives the rights to forests. Examining the policy of forest land allocation in Vietnam helps us to understand this legitimacy issue. Research findings from three case studies show trade-offs between the two policies’ goals, environmental protection and livelihood improvement, due to locals’ low awareness of the intrinsic values of forests and their lack of knowledge regarding the policy.

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Usefulness of Banana (Musa paradisiaca) Wastes in Manufacturing of Bio-products: A Review

The Agriculturists ◽

10.3329/agric.v12i1.19870 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 148-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

AKM Mohiuddin ◽

Manas Kanti Saha ◽

Md Sanower Hossian ◽

Aysha Ferdoushi

Keyword(s):

National Economy ◽

Waste Utilization ◽

Fish Feed ◽

Fruit Crops ◽

Banana Production ◽

Musa Paradisiaca ◽

Almost Everywhere ◽

Livelihood Improvement ◽

Golden Opportunity ◽

Banana Wastes

Banana (Musa paradisiaca) is one of the most important gigantic and oldest cultivated fruit crops grown almost everywhere in Bangladesh. Presently, the banana pseudostem is hazardous waste in Bangladesh whilst it has been used in several countries to develop important bio-products such as fibre to make yarn, fabric, apparel as well as fertilizer, fish feed, bio-chemicals, paper, handicrafts, pickles, candy, etc. Looking at this perspective, entrepreneurs of Bangladesh should take this golden opportunity and do the needful for such kind of business. The land of our country is suitable for banana production. Its fruit is a healthy diet and demandable in local markets as well as the free waste could be utilized to produce such bio-products which will contribute directly in our national economy. Thus, farmers or entrepreneurs should cultivate more banana trees in unproductive lands of coastal and hilly areas for extra income from the useless wastes and ensure eco-friendly environment. Women can also be employed in production of different bio-products from banana wastes and thus, they can contribute to their livelihood improvement. In conclusion, this review on banana waste utilization will be of help to the farmers, entrepreneurs, planners, scientists as well as Bangladesh government to take proper initiatives in socioeconomic improvement of Bangladesh. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/agric.v12i1.19870 The Agriculturists 2014; 12(1) 148-158

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Angiostrongylus-associated pneumonia in a red panda (Ailurus fulgens)

Veterinary Record Case Reports ◽

10.1136/vetreccr-2016-000305 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. e000305

Author(s):

Marie Kubiak ◽

Mark Frederick Stidworthy ◽

Sam Sharpe

Keyword(s):

Red Panda ◽

Ailurus Fulgens

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