Defining Priority Areas For Felid Conservation In Tibet

A new article in Ecosystem Health and Sustainability by Assistant Curator of Mammals Anderson Feijó and colleagues from 10 institutes in China shows how priority areas for felid conservation in Tibet can be delineated without jeopardizing the livelihood and development of local communities. The team assembled the largest dataset of felid distribution in the region (nearly 500 individual georeferenced localities of 11 species), through partnerships with local governmental bureaus and long-term field surveys. This diverse array includes emblematic cats such as snow leopards, clouded leopards, lynxes, and tigers, making Tibet one of the regions with the highest felid diversity in the world. The study integrates multiple biodiversity metrics incorporating the ecological role and the evolutionary history of the various species, together with livestock density, farmland and urban areas, and other human needs. The team concluded that about 21% of Tibet ranks as a high priority for felid conservation. The selected areas take into account alternative land uses that compete with biodiversity conservation to balance sustainability and societal development. Worrisomely, 76% of the high-priority areas are currently unprotected. Allocating stricter protective management for felid populations and habitats in these areas would minimize human-wildlife conflicts. The largest extension of the key unprotected regions is located in southeastern Tibet close to the border with India, Bhutan, and Nepal, demanding transnational conservation efforts across the whole Pan-Himalaya region. The team also recommends a set of compensation programs to further mitigate human-wildlife conflicts across Tibet.
January 5. 2024