Decades of leopard coexistence in the Himalayas driven by ecological dynamics, not climate change
The interaction between two predators in overlapping habitats with distinct habitat requirements poses critical challenges for conservation and management strategies. This study explores the ecological dynamics and coexistence of common leopards (Panthera pardus) and snow leopards (Panthera uncia) i...
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000022 |
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| author | Paras Bikram Singh Pradip Saud Prakash Chandra Aryal Pawan Rai Jeff R. Muntifering Huijian Hu Ajay Karki Yiming Hu Kumar P. Mainali |
| author_facet | Paras Bikram Singh Pradip Saud Prakash Chandra Aryal Pawan Rai Jeff R. Muntifering Huijian Hu Ajay Karki Yiming Hu Kumar P. Mainali |
| author_sort | Paras Bikram Singh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The interaction between two predators in overlapping habitats with distinct habitat requirements poses critical challenges for conservation and management strategies. This study explores the ecological dynamics and coexistence of common leopards (Panthera pardus) and snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in the Himalayan regions, explicitly focusing on their spatial and temporal distribution as well as factors influencing their habitat overlap. Utilizing historical accounts dating back to the 1950s and our winter sighting data from trail cameras from 2016 to 2023 in the trans-Himalayan part of Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal (3100–4696 m), we provide substantial evidence of the common leopard’s established residency at high altitudes traditionally associated with snow leopards. This challenges the notion that the co-occurrence of these species is a recent phenomenon attributable to climate change. Instead, our findings suggest a long-term adaptation of common leopards to high-altitude environments, demonstrated by their ability to survive and breed in cold temperatures as low as −18°C. We show that the likelihood of co-occurrence of the two leopard species increases with proximity to open forest canopy, farmland and greater distances from snowline. In contrast, steep terrain negatively impacted the likelihood of co-occurrence, highlighting the snow leopard’s specialized adaptations to rugged landscapes. Our analysis reveals a considerable overlap between common and snow leopards in sub-alpine mixed forest and alpine scrub. This overlap extends to dietary habits along the altitudinal range, with both species preying on similar wild and domestic animals, highlighting the potential for interspecies competition, especially during the winter months when prey availability decreases. Understanding the ecological dynamics is crucial for conserving both species, providing insights into their adaptation to environmental changes and informing necessary measures for their continued coexistence in the higher Himalayas. |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj-art-d3fbdf956448450e8877df4287ad43dd2025-01-23T05:27:02ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942025-01-0157e03401Decades of leopard coexistence in the Himalayas driven by ecological dynamics, not climate changeParas Bikram Singh0Pradip Saud1Prakash Chandra Aryal2Pawan Rai3Jeff R. Muntifering4Huijian Hu5Ajay Karki6Yiming Hu7Kumar P. Mainali8Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China; Biodiversity Conservation Society (BioCoS) Nepal, Bagdol, Lalitpur, Nepal; Corresponding authors at: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China.College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, University of Arkansas at Monticello, 110 University Court Monticello, AR 71655, USA; University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Arkansas Forest Resources Center, University of Arkansas at Monticello, 110 University Court 71655, USAGoldenGate International College, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 4059, Nepal; Environment Protection and Study Center (ENPROSC), Kathmandu, NepalBiodiversity Conservation Society (BioCoS) Nepal, Bagdol, Lalitpur, NepalGreat Plains Zoo, Sioux Falls, SD, USA; Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Tubney OX13 5QL, UKGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, ChinaDepartment of Zoology and Physiology Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82072, USA; Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, NepalGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China; Corresponding authors at: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China.Conservation Innovation Center, Chesapeake Conservancy, Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USAThe interaction between two predators in overlapping habitats with distinct habitat requirements poses critical challenges for conservation and management strategies. This study explores the ecological dynamics and coexistence of common leopards (Panthera pardus) and snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in the Himalayan regions, explicitly focusing on their spatial and temporal distribution as well as factors influencing their habitat overlap. Utilizing historical accounts dating back to the 1950s and our winter sighting data from trail cameras from 2016 to 2023 in the trans-Himalayan part of Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal (3100–4696 m), we provide substantial evidence of the common leopard’s established residency at high altitudes traditionally associated with snow leopards. This challenges the notion that the co-occurrence of these species is a recent phenomenon attributable to climate change. Instead, our findings suggest a long-term adaptation of common leopards to high-altitude environments, demonstrated by their ability to survive and breed in cold temperatures as low as −18°C. We show that the likelihood of co-occurrence of the two leopard species increases with proximity to open forest canopy, farmland and greater distances from snowline. In contrast, steep terrain negatively impacted the likelihood of co-occurrence, highlighting the snow leopard’s specialized adaptations to rugged landscapes. Our analysis reveals a considerable overlap between common and snow leopards in sub-alpine mixed forest and alpine scrub. This overlap extends to dietary habits along the altitudinal range, with both species preying on similar wild and domestic animals, highlighting the potential for interspecies competition, especially during the winter months when prey availability decreases. Understanding the ecological dynamics is crucial for conserving both species, providing insights into their adaptation to environmental changes and informing necessary measures for their continued coexistence in the higher Himalayas.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000022ForestCamera trapHabitat overlapPrey speciesOpen canopySteep-slope |
| spellingShingle | Paras Bikram Singh Pradip Saud Prakash Chandra Aryal Pawan Rai Jeff R. Muntifering Huijian Hu Ajay Karki Yiming Hu Kumar P. Mainali Decades of leopard coexistence in the Himalayas driven by ecological dynamics, not climate change Global Ecology and Conservation Forest Camera trap Habitat overlap Prey species Open canopy Steep-slope |
| title | Decades of leopard coexistence in the Himalayas driven by ecological dynamics, not climate change |
| title_full | Decades of leopard coexistence in the Himalayas driven by ecological dynamics, not climate change |
| title_fullStr | Decades of leopard coexistence in the Himalayas driven by ecological dynamics, not climate change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Decades of leopard coexistence in the Himalayas driven by ecological dynamics, not climate change |
| title_short | Decades of leopard coexistence in the Himalayas driven by ecological dynamics, not climate change |
| title_sort | decades of leopard coexistence in the himalayas driven by ecological dynamics not climate change |
| topic | Forest Camera trap Habitat overlap Prey species Open canopy Steep-slope |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000022 |
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