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Malla R, Panthi S, Adhikari H, Pariyar S, Baral R, Subedi R, Adhikari BP, Poudel M, Sedhai N, Poudel M. Habitat suitability of four threatened Himalayan species: Asiatic black bear, common leopard, musk deer, and snow leopard. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16085. [PMID: 37780372 PMCID: PMC10538300 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Biodiversity conservation is becoming challenging day by day. For this, it is essential to understand the distribution, habitat, and impact of anthropogenic activities on animals at risk. We assessed the suitable habitats and anthropogenic impacts on Asiatic black bears, common leopards, musk deer, and snow leopards in and outside the protected areas of Gandaki Province, Nepal. Methods We collected the presence locations of Asiatic black bears, common leopards, musk deer, and snow leopards based on scats and other signs. We employed the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) tool to identify suitable habitats of our studied species and their anthropogenic impacts on them. Results The total suitable habitat of the common leopard was found to be 6,052 km2, followed by the Asiatic black bear (5,819 km2), snow leopard (4,447 km2), and musk deer (1,690 km2) in Gandaki Province. Most of the areas of suitable habitat for common leopards and Asiatic black bears were outside the protected areas, and for musk deer and snow leopards were inside the protected areas. Elevation was the most important variable determining habitat suitability of Asiatic black bear, common leopard, and musk deer, whereas the distance to water was the most important variable determining habitat suitability of snow leopard. Asiatic black bears, common leopards, and musk deer face significant anthropogenic impacts, but snow leopards face some anthropogenic impacts. Conclusion Managing these animals' habitats inside and outside protected areas is essential. Hence, biodiversity conservation and livelihood opportunities should be balanced in the Himalayas on a win-win basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh Malla
- Forest Research and Training Center, Pokhara, Nepal
| | - Saroj Panthi
- Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment, Gandaki Province, Pokhara, Nepal
| | - Hari Adhikari
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Shiva Pariyar
- Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment, Gandaki Province, Pokhara, Nepal
| | - Rishi Baral
- National Trust for Nature Conservation, Annapurna Conservation Area, Pokhara, Nepal
| | | | | | | | | | - Megharaj Poudel
- Division Forest Office, Nawalpur, Nawalparsi (Bardaghat Susta East), Kawasoti, Nepal
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Qashqaei AT, Ghaedi Z, Coogan SCP. Diet composition of omnivorous Mesopotamian spiny-tailed lizards ( Saara loricata) in arid human-altered landscapes of Southwest Iran. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9783. [PMID: 36744080 PMCID: PMC9889844 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The Mesopotamian spiny-tailed lizard, Saara loricata, is one of the largest lizard species in the Middle East. Here, we report on the diet of the lizard and their potential role in seed dispersal in Southwestern Iran. We analyzed lizard fecal pellet groups (n = 124) for their food item composition and seed content. We calculated the relative frequency of occurrence (FO%), relative volume (V%), and importance value (IV%) for each food item. Moreover, the number of seeds of each plant food item was counted. Our findings reveal the first solid evidence of omnivorous behavior in the lizard. In total, 16 plant food items and 14 animal food items were identified. Herbaceous plants (IV = 110.2%) and invertebrates (4.8%) were the most important food groups. The plant food items with the highest FO% were Poaceae (56.4%), Centaurea sp. (43.5%), and Medicago polymorpha (27.4%); and the V% for these items were 53.6%, 30.9%, and 13.1%, respectively. Most of the seeds that were consumed by lizards were from Poaceae (547 seeds; 47.81%) and Fabaceae (285 seeds; 24.91%). We also found that each individual lizard could play an equal role in the seed dispersal of all plant families identified. Previous studies show that plant species density and richness are important features for the burrow site selection of Mesopotamian spiny-tailed lizard. This study highlights the potential role of lizards in influencing the vegetation communities around their burrows through seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sean C. P. Coogan
- Department of Renewable ResourcesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
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Ji Y, Liu F, Li D, Chen Z, Chen P. Spatial–Temporal Patterns of Sympatric Asiatic Black Bears (Ursus thibetanus) and Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) in Northeastern China. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12101262. [PMID: 35625108 PMCID: PMC9137604 DOI: 10.3390/ani12101262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Studying the spatial and temporal interactions between sympatric animal species is essential for understanding the mechanisms of interspecific coexistence. Both Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos) inhabit northeastern China, but their spatial–temporal patterns and the mechanism of coexistence were unclear until now. Camera traps were set in Heilongjiang Taipinggou National Nature Reserve (TPGNR) from January 2017 to December 2017 to collect photos of the two sympatric bear species. The Pianka index, kernel density estimation, and the coefficient of overlap were used to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of the two sympatric species. Our findings indicated that the spatial overlap between Asiatic black bears and brown bears was low, as Asiatic black bears occupied higher elevations than brown bears. The two species’ temporal activity patterns were similar at sites where only one species existed, yet they were different at the co–occurrence sites. Asiatic black bears and brown bears are competitors in this area, but they can coexist by changing their daily activity patterns. Compared to brown bears, Asiatic black bears behaved more diurnally. Our study revealed distinct spatial and temporal differentiation within the two species in TPGNR, which can reduce interspecific competition and facilitate coexistence between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunrui Ji
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Y.J.); (D.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Fang Liu
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Y.J.); (D.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China
- Correspondence: (F.L.); (P.C.)
| | - Diqiang Li
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Y.J.); (D.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Zhiyu Chen
- The Administration of Duluhe Provincial Wetland Nature Reserve, Hegang 154100, China;
| | - Peng Chen
- College of Landscape Architecture, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Correspondence: (F.L.); (P.C.)
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Abstract
Habitat modeling is one of the most common practices in ecology today, aimed at understanding complex associations between species and an array of environmental, bioclimatic, and anthropogenic factors. This review of studies of seven species of terrestrial bears (Ursidae) occupying four continents examines how habitat models have been employed, and the functionality of their predictions for management and conservation. Bear occurrence data have been obtained at the population level, as presence points (e.g., sign surveys or camera trapping), or as locations of individual radio-collared animals. Radio-collars provide greater insights into how bears interact with their environment and variability within populations; they are more commonly used in North America and Europe than in South America and Asia. Salient problematic issues apparent from this review included: biases in presence data; predictor variables being poor surrogates of actual behavioral drivers; predictor variables applied at a biologically inappropriate scale; and over-use of data repositories that tend to detach investigators from the species. In several cases, multiple models in the same area yielded different predictions; new presence data occurred outside the range of predicted suitable habitat; and future range projections, based on where bears presently exist, underestimated their adaptability. Findings here are likely relevant to other taxa.
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Parchizadeh J, Belant JL. Human-caused mortality of large carnivores in Iran during 1980–2021. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Basnett R, Kumar A, Vishwakarma A, Boro BK. Seasonal diets of Asiatic black bear ( Ursus thibetanus) in the Khangchendzonga National Park, Eastern Himalaya India. J NAT HIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2021.1899324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Basnett
- Wildlife Resources & Conservation Laboratory Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science & Technology (Deemed to Be University), Itanagar, India
| | - Awadhesh Kumar
- Wildlife Resources & Conservation Laboratory Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science & Technology (Deemed to Be University), Itanagar, India
| | - Anurag Vishwakarma
- Wildlife Resources & Conservation Laboratory Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science & Technology (Deemed to Be University), Itanagar, India
| | - Barin Kumar Boro
- Wildlife Resources & Conservation Laboratory Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science & Technology (Deemed to Be University), Itanagar, India
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Phylogenetic analysis of marginal Asiatic black bears reveals a recent Iranian–Himalayan divergence and has implications for taxonomy and conservation. Mamm Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-020-00044-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Fahimi H, Qashqaei AT, Chalani M, Asadi Z, Broomand S, Ahmadi N, Yusefi GH. Evidence of seed germination in scats of the Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus in Iran (Mammalia: Carnivora). ZOOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2018.1444573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hadi Fahimi
- Borderless Wildlife Conservation Society, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Habitats and Biodiversity, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali T. Qashqaei
- Plan for the Land Society, Tehran, Iran
- Mohitban Society, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Chalani
- Borderless Wildlife Conservation Society, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Asadi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Habitats and Biodiversity, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Nahid Ahmadi
- Borderless Wildlife Conservation Society, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C. Evin, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholam Hosein Yusefi
- Mohitban Society, Tehran, Iran
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
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Ali A, Zhou Z, Waseem M, Khan MF, Ali I, Asad M, Qashqaei AT. An assessment of food habits and altitudinal distribution of the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in the Western Himalayas, Pakistan. J NAT HIST 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1303097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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