High variability in ungulate density estimates suggests standardization of survey methodologies in Central Asia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5564/pib.v39i1.3146Keywords:
Ibex, argali, blue sheep, Central Asia, density estimation, Himalayas, urgunatesAbstract
In this systematic literature review, we sought to summarize methodological development used to estimate their population abundance and density and factors associated with the observed spatial variability in density estimates in key three species ibex Capra Sibirica, argali Ovis ammon, and blue sheep or bharal Pseudois nayaur. We retrieved density estimates of these three species from 97 peer-reviewed articles published between 1960 and 2023. We examined the relationship between density estimates (animal/km2 ) with multiple predictor variables such as elevation, season, survey and estimation methodology (e.g. distance sampling, total count, and double observer), sampling area, and whether the study area was protected or not among other factors. Our results show extreme spatial variability in density estimates of all three species (blue sheep, range = 0.1 to 9.3 individual/km2 ibex, range = 0.006 to 6 individual/km2 ; argali, range = 0.008 to 8 individual/km2 ). The results of regression models indicate significant variability in density estimates, particularly for blue sheep, influenced by elevation, protected areas, and estimation methods. For ibex, sampling area and season explained a larger proportion of variation whereas argali density was largely explained by elevation, snow leopard presence, season, and estimation method. These findings shed light on the challenges of estimating prey density in snow leopard habitats and provide insights for reconciling contrasting estimates, thus aiding in effective conservation efforts.
Төв Азийн туурайтан амьтдын нягтшилыг тооцоолох судалгааны аргазүйг стандартчилах тухай
Хураангуй. Бид энэхүү системчилсэн тоймдоо цоохор ирвэсийн гол идэш тэжээлийг бүрдүүлдэг янгир ямаа (Capra sibirica), аргаль хонь (Ovis ammon), хөх хонь (Pseudois nayaur)-ы тоо толгойн элбэгшил, нягтшилыг тооцоолох аргазүйг нэгтгэн дүгнэхийг зорив. Бид эдгээр гурван туурайтны зүйлийн нягтшилын тооцоог 1960-2023 оны хооронд хэвлэгдсэн 126 өгүүллээс судлагдсан улс, газрын нэр, судалгаанд хамрагдсан талбайн хэмжээ, судалгаа хийсэн улирал,он жил, судалгааны арга (зайны тандалт, нийт тоо,хос ажиглалт гэх мэт), тусгай хамгаалалттай газар эсэх, өндөршил, цоохор ирвэстэй зэрэг мэдээллийг цуглуулсан. Үр дүнгээс үзэхэд хөх хонь (тархалт = 0.1-9.3 бодгаль/km2), янгир ямаа (тархалт = 0.006-6 бодгаль/km2), аргаль хонь (тархалт = 0.008-8 бодгаль/km2) байв. Эдгээр туурайтан амьтдын нягтшил нь байгалийн хүчин зүйлээс хамаарч өндөр хэлбэлзэлтэй байв. Регрессийн загвар (Regression model)-ийн үр дүн нь өндөршил, тусгай хамгаалалттай газар нутаг, судалгааны аргазүйгээс хамаараад хөх хонины нягтшил нь хэлбэлзэж байгааг харуулж байна. Янгир ямааны нягтшилын хувьд судалгааны талбайн хэмжээ, улирлаас хамааралтай байсан бол аргаль хонины нягтшилыг тогтооход өндөршил, улирал, судалгааны арга болон цоохор ирвэсээс хамаарч байна. Эдгээр үр дүн нь цоохор ирвэсийн гол идэш болох янгир ямаа (Capra sibirica), аргаль хонь (Ovis ammon), хөх хонь (Pseudois nayaur) туурайтны нягтшилыг тооцоход тулгарч буй асуудлуудыг шийдэхэд эергээр нөлөөлж, нягтшилыг тооцох олон ялгаатай аргазүйг нэгтгэх ойлголт өгч, цаашлаад байгаль хамгаалах үйл хэрэгт үнэтэй хувь нэмэр оруулна гэж үзэж байна.
Түлхүүр үгс: Янгир ямаа, аргаль хонь, хөх хонь, Төв Ази, нягтшилын тооцоолол, туурайтан
233
References
W. J. Ripple et al., “Collapse of the world’s largest herbivores,” Sci. Adv., vol. 1, no. 4, p. e1400103, May 2015, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1400103
R. J. Hobbs, “Habitat Networks and Biological Conservation,” in Applying Landscape Ecology in Biological Conservation, K. J. Gutzwiller, Ed., New York, NY: Springer, 2002, pp. 150–170. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/978-1-4613-0059-5_9.
K. U. Karanth and M. E. Sunquist, “Prey Selection by Tiger, Leopard and Dhole in Tropical Forests,” J. Anim. Ecol., vol. 64, no. 4, pp. 439–450, 1995, https://doi.org/ 10.2307/5647.
J. L. Fox, C. Nurbu, and R. S. Chundawat, “The mountain ungulates of Ladakh, India,” Biol. Conserv., vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 167–190, Jan. 1991, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/0006-3207(91)90118-S.
N. J. Singh and E. J. Milner-Gulland, “Monitoring ungulates in Central Asia: current constraints and future potential,” Oryx, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 38–49, Jan. 2011, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605310000839.
G. B. Schaller, “Mountain Mammals in Pakistan,” Oryx, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 351–356, Jul. 1976, https://doi.org/ 10.1017/S0030605300014071.
Ö. Johansson, T. McCarthy, G. Samelius, H. Andrén, L. Tumursukh, and C. Mishra, “Snow leopard predation in a livestock dominated landscape in Mongolia,” Biol. Conserv., vol. 184, pp. 251–258, Apr. 2015, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.02.003.
S. Lyngdoh, S. Shrotriya, S. P. Goyal, H. Clements, M. W. Hayward, and B. Habib, “Prey Preferences of the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia): Regional Diet Specificity Holds Global Significance for Conservation,” PLoS ONE, vol. 9, no. 2, p. e88349, Feb. 2014, https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0088349.
S. Bagchi, C. Mishra, and Y. V. Bhatnagar, “Conflicts between traditional pastoralism and conservation of Himalayan ibex (Capra sibirica) in the Trans-Himalayan mountains,” Anim. Conserv., vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 121–128, 2004, https://doi.org/ 10.1017/S1367943003001148.
C. Mishra, S. E. Van Wieren, P. Ketner, I. M. A. Heitkönig, and H. H. T. Prins, “Competition between domestic livestock and wild bharal Pseudois nayaur in the Indian Trans‐Himalaya,” J. Appl. Ecol., vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 344–354, Apr. 2004, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00885.x.
J. Berger, B. Buuveibaatar, and C. Mishra, “Globalization of the Cashmere Market and the Decline of Large Mammals in Central Asia,” Conserv. Biol., vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 679–689, Aug. 2013, https://doi.org/ 10.1111/cobi.12100.
R. M. Jackson, G. G. Ahlborn, P. Avenue, and M. Gurung, “Reducing livestock depredation losses in the Nepalese Himalaya,” 1996.
J. Haider, M. Z. Khan, M. Anwer, S. Ali, and H. Ali, “Population status and migration trends of Marco Polo argali (Ovis ammon polii) in Pakistan,” Mammalia, vol. 82, no. 5, pp. 481–485, Sep. 2018, https://doi.org/ 10.1515/mammalia-2017-0121.
M. Khanyari et al., “Investigating parasite dynamics of migratory ungulates for sustaining healthy populations: Application to critically-endangered saiga antelopes Saiga tatarica,” Biol. Conserv., vol. 266, p. 109465, Feb. 2022, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109465.
K. R. Suryawanshi, Y. V. Bhatnagar, and C. Mishra, “Standardizing the double-observer survey method for estimating mountain ungulate prey of the endangered snow leopard,” Oecologia, vol. 169, no. 3, pp. 581–590, Jul. 2012, https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s00442-011-2237-0.
C. F. Dormann et al., “Collinearity: a review of methods to deal with it and a simulation study evaluating their performance,” Ecography, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 27–46, Jan. 2013, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2012.07348.x.
D. R. Anderson and K. P. Burnham, “Avoiding Pitfalls When Using Information-Theoretic Methods,” J. Wildl. Manag., vol. 66, no. 3, pp. 912–918, 2002, https://doi.org/10.2307/3803155.
D. I. MacKenzie and L. L. Bailey, “Assessing the fit of site-occupancy models,” J. Agric. Biol. Environ. Stat., vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 300–318, Sep. 2004, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-019-1440-8.
S. B. MacKenzie and P. M. Podsakoff, “Common Method Bias in Marketing: Causes, Mechanisms, and Procedural Remedies,” J. Retail., vol. 88, no. 4, pp. 542–555, Dec. 2012, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2012.08.001.
D. I. MacKenzie, J. D. Nichols, J. A. Royle, K. H. Pollock, L. Bailey, and J. E. Hines, Occupancy estimation and modeling: inferring patterns and dynamics of species occurrence. Elsevier, 2017.
Leki, P. Thinley, R. Rajaratnam, and R. Shrestha, “Establishing baseline estimates of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) abundance and density to sustain populations of the vulnerable snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in Western Bhutan,” Wildl. Res., vol. 45, no. 1, p. 38, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1071/WR16218.
Z. Liu, X. WANG, L. TENG, and L. CAO, “Food habits of blue sheep, Pseudois nayaur in the Helan Mountains, China,” Folia Zool., vol. 56, Jan. 2007.
R. B. Harris and D. H. Pletscher, “Incentives toward conservation of argali Ovis ammon: a case study of trophy hunting in western China,” Oryx, vol. 36, no. 04, Oct. 2002, https://doi.org/ 10.1017/S0030605302000728.
M. R. Frisina and Y. Onon, “Population status of mongolian argali Ovis ammon with reference to sustainable use management,” 2007.
K. Suryawanshi, M. Khanyari, K. Sharma, P. Lkhagvajav, and C. Mishra, “Sampling bias in snow leopard population estimation studies,” Popul. Ecol., vol. 61, Feb. 2019, https://doi.org/ 10.1002/1438-390X.1027.
Xinkang Bao, Mengjie Lu, Pengzu Pei, Liang Wang, Jianliang Li, and Jiaqi Li, “Investigation of bird and mammal diversity in the Gansu Anxi Extreme-arid Desert National Nature Reserve using infrared camera traps.” Accessed: Nov. 02, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/abstract/abstract60955.shtml
C. Odonjavkhlan et al., “Factors affecting the spatial distribution and co‐occurrence of two sympatric mountain ungulates in southern Mongolia,” J. Zool., vol. 314, no. 4, pp. 266–274, Aug. 2021, https://doi.org/ 10.1111/jzo.12889.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Odonjavkhlan Chagsaldulam
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright on any research article in the Proceedings of the Institute of Biology is retained by the author(s).
The authors grant the Proceedings of the Institute of Biology license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.
Articles in the Proceedings of the Institute of Biology are Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License - CC BY NC.
This license permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
