scholarly journals Snow Leopard Dietary Preferences and Livestock Predation Revealed by Fecal DNA Metabarcoding: No Evidence for Apparent Competition Between Wild and Domestic Prey

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Lu ◽  
Lingyun Xiao ◽  
Chen Cheng ◽  
Zhi Lu ◽  
Jindong Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Apparent Competition ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Livestock Predation ◽  
Prey Preferences ◽  
Livestock Density ◽  
Dna Metabarcoding ◽  
Snow Leopards

Accurate assessments of the patterns and drivers of livestock depredation by wild carnivores are vital for designing effective mitigation strategies to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Snow leopard’s (Panthera uncia) range extensively overlaps pastoralist land-use and livestock predation there is widely reported, but the ecological determinants of livestock consumption by snow leopards remain obscure. We investigated snow leopard dietary habits at seven sites across the Sanjiangyuan region of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP), an area central to the species’ global range. Snow leopard abundance, wild prey composition, and livestock density varied among those sites, thus allowing us to test the effects of various factors on snow leopard diet and livestock predation. Using DNA metabarcoding, we obtained highly resolved dietary data from 351 genetically verified snow leopard fecal samples. We then analyzed the prey preferences of snow leopards and examined ecological factors related to their livestock consumption. Across the sites, snow leopard prey was composed mainly of wild ungulates (mean = 81.5% of dietary sequences), particularly bharal (Pseudois nayaur), and supplemented with livestock (7.62%) and smaller mammals (marmots, pikas, mice; 10.7%). Snow leopards showed a strong preference for bharal, relative to livestock, based on their densities. Interestingly, both proportional and total livestock consumption by snow leopards increased linearly with local livestock biomass, but not with livestock density. That, together with a slight negative relationship with bharal density, supports apparent facilitation between wild and domestic prey. We also found a significant positive correlation between population densities of snow leopard and bharal, yet those densities showed slight negative relationships with livestock density. Our results highlight the importance of sufficient wild ungulate abundance to the conservation of viable snow leopard populations. Additionally, livestock protection is critically needed to reduce losses to snow leopard depredation, especially where local livestock abundances are high.

scholarly journals Impact of wild prey availability on livestock predation by snow leopards

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 170026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kulbhushansingh R. Suryawanshi ◽  
Stephen M. Redpath ◽  
Yash Veer Bhatnagar ◽  
Uma Ramakrishnan ◽  
Vaibhav Chaturvedi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Wild Ungulates ◽  
Livestock Predation ◽  
Livestock Density ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Resultant Increase ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Snow Leopards

An increasing proportion of the world's poor is rearing livestock today, and the global livestock population is growing. Livestock predation by large carnivores and their retaliatory killing is becoming an economic and conservation concern. A common recommendation for carnivore conservation and for reducing predation on livestock is to increase wild prey populations based on the assumption that the carnivores will consume this alternative food. Livestock predation, however, could either reduce or intensify with increases in wild prey depending on prey choice and trends in carnivore abundance. We show that the extent of livestock predation by the endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia intensifies with increases in the density of wild ungulate prey, and subsequently stabilizes. We found that snow leopard density, estimated at seven sites, was a positive linear function of the density of wild ungulates—the preferred prey—and showed no discernible relationship with livestock density. We also found that modelled livestock predation increased with livestock density. Our results suggest that snow leopard conservation would benefit from an increase in wild ungulates, but that would intensify the problem of livestock predation for pastoralists. The potential benefits of increased wild prey abundance in reducing livestock predation can be overwhelmed by a resultant increase in snow leopard populations. Snow leopard conservation efforts aimed at facilitating increases in wild prey must be accompanied by greater assistance for better livestock protection and offsetting the economic damage caused by carnivores.

scholarly journals A transboundary study of spatiotemporal patterns of livestock predation and prey preferences by snow leopard and wolf in the Pamir

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. e00719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaffar Ud Din ◽  
Muhammad Ali Nawaz ◽  
Tahir Mehmood ◽  
Hussain Ali ◽  
Aziz Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatiotemporal Patterns ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Livestock Predation ◽  
Prey Preferences

scholarly journals What Factors Predispose Households in Trans-Himalaya (Central Nepal) to Livestock Predation by Snow Leopards?

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2187
Author(s):  
Mahesh P. Tiwari ◽  
Bishnu P. Devkota ◽  
Rodney M. Jackson ◽  
Bir Bahadur Khanal Chhetri ◽  
Sistata Bagale
Keyword(s):  
Economic Loss ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
Livestock Predation ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
Average Loss ◽  
Snow Leopards

Livestock depredation across the trans-Himalaya causes significant economic losses to pastoralist communities. Quantification of livestock predation and the assessment of variables associated with depredation are crucial for designing effective long-term mitigation measures. We investigated the patterns and factors of livestock depredation by snow leopards (Panthera uncia) using semi-structured questionnaires targeting herders in the Narphu valley of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. During the two years (2017/18 and 2018/19), 73.9% of the households interviewed (n = 65) lost livestock to snow leopards, with an annual average loss of two livestock per household. Of the total depredation attributed to snow leopards, 55.4% were yak (mainly female: 79%), 31.7% goat, 6.8% sheep, 3.2% horse and 2.8% cattle. Results from applying Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) revealed the total number of livestock owned and the number of larger bodied livestock species as the main explanatory covariates explaining livestock depredation. Forty-one (41%) of all herders considered snow leopard’s preference for domestic livestock as the main factor in livestock predation, whereas only 5% perceived poor herding practice as the main reason for the loss. Our study found poor and changing herding practices in the valley, whereby 71% herders reported careful herding as a solution to snow leopard depredation, and 15% of herders considered the complete extermination of snow leopards as the best solution to the problem. Tolerance levels and awareness among herders towards snow leopard conservation is increasing, mainly due to the Buddhist religion and strict law enforcement within this protected area. We recommend the effective implementation of a community-based livestock insurance scheme to compensate the economic loss of herders due to predation and improved herding practices as the recommended mitigation measures for ensuring livestock security and snow leopards’ conservation in the valley.

scholarly journals Investigating the potential impact of trophy hunting of wild ungulates on snow leopard Panthera uncia conservation in Tajikistan

Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon M. Kachel ◽  
Kyle P. McCarthy ◽  
Thomas M. McCarthy ◽  
Nuzar Oshurmamadov
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Wild Ungulates ◽  
Trophy Hunting ◽  
Similar Area ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Panthera Uncia

AbstractDeclining availability of prey is potentially a major factor limiting snow leopard Panthera uncia populations in Tajikistan and neighbouring states. Conservation initiatives to develop community-based trophy hunting programmes for ibex Capra sibirica and argali Ovis ammon polii aim to provide financial incentives for communities to limit poaching of wild ungulates. Such programmes could help to reverse local declines in ibex and argali populations, and consequently snow leopard populations, while simultaneously improving the economic status of local people. However, in practice the desired effect may not materialize. To investigate the premise, we estimated the population density of the snow leopard, using a spatial capture–recapture model based on camera trapping in two study areas (each c. 1,000 km2) in the Tajik Pamirs: a well-managed trophy hunting concession and an otherwise similar area where grazing and poaching are unmanaged. We used distance-truncated counts to assess relative densities of wild and domestic ungulates between sites, and faecal analyses to compare the dietary habits of snow leopards. Our data were limited in scope but suggested that the density of snow leopards and the relative density of wild and domestic ungulates may have been greater in the hunting concession, where wild ungulates accounted for a greater proportion of prey items. Our results provide preliminary evidence that trophy hunting of ungulates may be a viable tool for achieving snow leopard conservation goals; however, we conclude that further investigation is necessary to adequately address the question.

Regional Comparison of Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) Diet using DNA Metabarcoding

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 797-817
Author(s):  
Charlotte E. Hacker ◽  
Matthew Jevit ◽  
Shafqat Hussain ◽  
Ghulam Muhammad ◽  
Bariushaa Munkhtsog ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Regional Comparison ◽  
Dna Metabarcoding ◽  
Panthera Uncia

scholarly journals Conservation of snow leopards: spill-over benefits for other carnivores?

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine S. Alexander ◽  
Jeremy J. Cusack ◽  
Chen Pengju ◽  
Shi Kun ◽  
Philip Riordan
Keyword(s):  
Red Fox ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Eurasian Lynx ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Cuon Alpinus ◽  
Sign Surveys ◽  
Snow Leopards

AbstractIn high-altitude settings of Central Asia the Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia has been recognized as a potential umbrella species. As a first step in assessing the potential benefits of snow leopard conservation for other carnivores, we sought a better understanding of the presence of other carnivores in areas occupied by snow leopards in China's Qilianshan National Nature Reserve. We used camera-trap and sign surveys to examine whether other carnivores were using the same travel routes as snow leopards at two spatial scales. We also considered temporal interactions between species. Our results confirm that other carnivores, including the red fox Vulpes vulpes, grey wolf Canis lupus, Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx and dhole Cuon alpinus, occur along snow leopard travel routes, albeit with low detection rates. Even at the smaller scale of our camera trap survey all five carnivores (snow leopard, lynx, wolf, red fox and dhole) were observed. Kernel density estimates suggested a high degree of temporal overlap between the snow leopard and the fox, and the snow leopard and the lynx, as indicated by high overlap coefficient estimates. There is an opportunity to consider protective measures at the local scale that would benefit various species simultaneously. However, it should also be recognized that snow leopard conservation efforts could exacerbate human–wildlife conflicts through their protective effect on other carnivore species.

scholarly journals PSII-17 Program Chair Poster Pick: Effect of ruminal protozoa on methane emissions in ruminants – a meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 397-398
Author(s):  
Xiaoxia Dai ◽  
Kenneth Kalscheur ◽  
Pekka Huhtanen ◽  
Antonio Faciola
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Positive Relationships ◽  
Ruminal Fermentation ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The effects of ruminal protozoa (RP) concentration on methane emissions from ruminants were evaluated in a meta-analysis using 67 publications reporting data from 85 in vivo experiments. Experiments included in the database reported methane emissions (g/kg DMI) and RP (log10 cells/mL) from the same group of animals. Quantitative data including diet chemical composition, ruminal fermentation, total tract digestibility, and milk production; and qualitative information including methane mitigation strategies, animal type, and methane measurement methods were also collected. The studies were conducted in dairy cows (51%), beef steers (32%) and small ruminants (32%). 70% of the studies reported a reduction in methane emissions. Supplemental lipids reduced methane emissions 95% of the time. The relationship between methane emissions and RP concentration was evaluated as a random coefficient model with the experiment as a random effect and weighted by the inverse pooled SEM squared, including the possibility of covariance between the slope and the intercept. A quadratic effect of RP concentration on methane emissions was detected: CH4= -28.8 + 12.2 × RP-0.64 × RP2. To detect potential interfering factors in the relationship, the influence of several qualitative and quantitative factors were separately tested. Acetate, butyrate, and isobutyrate molar proportions had positive relationships with methane emissions and influenced the relationship between RP concentration and methane emissions, where the presence of ruminal fermentation variables reduced the effects of RP concentration in methane emissions. Total tract digestibility of DM, OM, and CP had negative relationships while NDF digestibility had a positive relationship with methane emissions; however, they only changed the magnitude of intercept and slope of RP and RP2 for the relationship. For dairy cows, milk fat and protein concentrations had positive relationships and milk yield had a negative relationship with methane emissions and changed the magnitude of intercept and slope of RP and RP2 for the relationship.

scholarly journals Prey Preferences of the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia): Regional Diet Specificity Holds Global Significance for Conservation

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e88349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvador Lyngdoh ◽  
Shivam Shrotriya ◽  
Surendra P. Goyal ◽  
Hayley Clements ◽  
Matthew W. Hayward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Prey Preferences ◽  
Panthera Uncia

Is there a cost of parasites to caribou?

Parasitology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 136 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. HUGHES ◽  
S. D. ALBON ◽  
R. J. IRVINE ◽  
S. WOODIN
Keyword(s):  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Apparent Competition ◽  
Range Shift ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Contributory Factor ◽  
Ovibos Moschatus ◽  
Winter Range ◽  
Nematode Parasites

SUMMARYMacroparasites potentially play a significant but often ignored role in the ecology and dynamics of wild ruminant populations. In the Arctic, parasites may impact on host populations by exacerbating the effects of seasonal and limited forage availability on the condition, fecundity and survival of individuals. We studied the effects of abomasal nematode parasites and warble flies, Hypoderma tarandi, on condition and pregnancy of caribou Rangifer tarandus in the Dolphin-Union herd, Nunavut, Canada. By the end of winter, female caribou over 2 years old showed a significant decrease in body weight with increasing nematode burden, and a decrease in back fat depth with increasing warble abundance. These effects were exaggerated in the non-pregnant fraction of the population. High warble larvae burdens were also associated with significantly reduced probability of being pregnant. Our research demonstrates a negative relationship between parasites and caribou condition that may have consequences for their fitness. Additionally, we discuss the possibility that muskox Ovibos moschatus share some parasite species with the caribou and could lead to elevated burdens in the sympatric host. Parasites may have been a contributory factor in a previous winter range-shift of the caribou herd and this may reflect a form of apparent competition between the two ungulate species.

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