Implication of snow leopard distribution, population dynamics and landscape genetics, and prey preference for its conservation in Nepal
| Thesis title in Czech: | Vliv rozšíření, populační dynamiky a krajinné genetiky, a preference druhů kořisti na ochranu levharta sněžného v Nepálu |
|---|---|
| Thesis title in English: | Implication of snow leopard distribution, population dynamics and landscape genetics, and prey preference for its conservation in Nepal |
| Key words: | sněžný leopard, Nepál, krajinné genetiky, populační dynamika |
| English key words: | snow leopard, Nepal, landscape genetics, population dynamics |
| Academic year of topic announcement: | 2013/2014 |
| Thesis type: | dissertation |
| Thesis language: | angličtina |
| Department: | Institute for Environmental Studies (31-550) |
| Supervisor: | prof. RNDr. Pavel Kindlmann, DrSc. |
| Author: | hidden - assigned by the advisor |
| Date of registration: | 20.12.2013 |
| Date of assignment: | 20.12.2013 |
| Date of electronic submission: | 28.01.2021 |
| Date of proceeded defence: | 02.06.2021 |
| Opponents: | prof. RNDr. František Sedláček, CSc. |
| prof. Ing. Jaroslav Červený, CSc. | |
| Preliminary scope of work |
| Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a critically endangered, moderately large cat occupying alpine and subalpine areas of Central Asia. Its effective population size is suspected to be fewer than 2500. One tenth of this population lives in Nepal, distributed along its northern frontier, mainly in the districts of Mustang, Mugu, Dolpo and Humla. Despite Nepal's continual effort to save the snow leopard, its long-term viability is threatened by the conflict with humans: loss of habitat caused by human expansion, retaliatory killings caused by livestock depredation, and poaching - primarily associated with the trade in snow leopard pelts, bones, and body parts that are used in oriental medicine. Leopard’s preservation now requires using reliable ecological knowledge for conservation interventions, as detailed empirical data on its abundance, interaction with other species and with humans are mostly lacking.
The aim of this thesis is therefore determination of the abundance, population dynamics and diet of snow leopard and of the abundance of its prey species in main districts, where such data are still lacking. This includes determination of (i) density and habitat use of both leopard and its prey, (ii) relative abundance of individual prey species in its diet, (iii) degree of livestock depredation. The methodology will include intensive camera trapping and monitoring of its presence signs (footprints, scats etc.) and of the sightings of its prey during transect walks. Diet composition will be determined by scat analysis. Data collection will require 6 months of field work each year. The results will be offered to the Nepalese authorities ad will identify the main threats to snow leopard in individual areas of Nepal and determine the necessary conservation actions required to maintain its viable populations there. Output publications will include spatially dependent viability analysis of the target species and a spatially-explicit model of its dynamics and distribution. |
| Preliminary scope of work in English |
| Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a critically endangered, moderately large cat occupying alpine and subalpine areas of Central Asia. Its effective population size is suspected to be fewer than 2500. One tenth of this population lives in Nepal, distributed along its northern frontier, mainly in the districts of Mustang, Mugu, Dolpo and Humla. Despite Nepal's continual effort to save the snow leopard, its long-term viability is threatened by the conflict with humans: loss of habitat caused by human expansion, retaliatory killings caused by livestock depredation, and poaching - primarily associated with the trade in snow leopard pelts, bones, and body parts that are used in oriental medicine. Leopard’s preservation now requires using reliable ecological knowledge for conservation interventions, as detailed empirical data on its abundance, interaction with other species and with humans are mostly lacking.
The aim of this thesis is therefore determination of the abundance, population dynamics and diet of snow leopard and of the abundance of its prey species in main districts, where such data are still lacking. This includes determination of (i) density and habitat use of both leopard and its prey, (ii) relative abundance of individual prey species in its diet, (iii) degree of livestock depredation. The methodology will include intensive camera trapping and monitoring of its presence signs (footprints, scats etc.) and of the sightings of its prey during transect walks. Diet composition will be determined by scat analysis. Data collection will require 6 months of field work each year. The results will be offered to the Nepalese authorities ad will identify the main threats to snow leopard in individual areas of Nepal and determine the necessary conservation actions required to maintain its viable populations there. Output publications will include spatially dependent viability analysis of the target species and a spatially-explicit model of its dynamics and distribution. |