scholarly journals Current status and conservation of the Endangered Przewalski's gazelle Procapra przewalskii, endemic to the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China

Oryx ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunlin Li ◽  
Zhigang Jiang ◽  
Xiaoge Ping ◽  
Jing Cai ◽  
Zhangqiang You ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Distance Sampling ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Qinghai Lake ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
Procapra Przewalskii

AbstractIn 2008 Przewalski's gazelle Procapra przewalskii, endemic to the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China, was recategorized from Critically Endangered to Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The species is still, however, threatened, and the human population and accompanying domestic livestock are increasing around Qinghai Lake. Here we provide up-to-date information on the distribution and population size of the species, evaluate its current conservation status and discuss the difficulties of protecting this gazelle species. We used both distance sampling and total counts to survey 16 sites where the species has been reported and found it at 13 of these, occupying a total area of c. 250 km2. Population size estimated from distance sampling (1,635) and total counts (1,544) was similar. About 20% of the gazelles located were in newly discovered areas for the species. The results indicate an overall growth in the population of Przewalski's gazelle since 2003, although some subpopulations have declined or been extirpated. In spite of conservation efforts Przewalski's gazelle is still threatened by habitat degradation and loss, habitat fragmentation, fencing, intensified competition with domestic livestock and predation. Further growth of this gazelle population is constrained by limited habitat availability and human–gazelle conflict. We recommend that management and conservation strategies need to incorporate comprehensive knowledge of the gazelle, long-term monitoring, and captive breeding of injured and orphaned gazelles to form a potential pool of individuals for future reintroductions to the historical range of the species outside the Qinghai Lake basin.

scholarly journals Carbon Dynamics in the Northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau from 1990 to 2030 Using Landsat Land Use/Cover Change Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingye Li ◽  
Jian Gong ◽  
Jean-Michel Guldmann ◽  
Shicheng Li ◽  
Jie Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Sharp Decrease ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Qinghai Lake ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Impact

Land use/cover change (LUCC) has an important impact on the terrestrial carbon cycle. The spatial distribution of regional carbon reserves can provide the scientific basis for the management of ecosystem carbon storage and the formulation of ecological and environmental policies. This paper proposes a method combining the CA-based FLUS model and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model to assess the temporal and spatial changes in ecosystem carbon storage due to land-use changes over 1990–2015 in the Qinghai Lake Basin (QLB). Furthermore, future ecosystem carbon storage is simulated and evaluated over 2020–2030 under three scenarios of natural growth (NG), cropland protection (CP), and ecological protection (EP). The long-term spatial variations in carbon storage in the QLB are discussed. The results show that: (1) Carbon storage in the QLB decreased at first (1990–2000) and increased later (2000–2010), with total carbon storage increasing by 1.60 Tg C (Teragram: a unit of mass equal to 1012 g). From 2010 to 2015, carbon storage displayed a downward trend, with a sharp decrease in wetlands and croplands as the main cause; (2) Under the NG scenario, carbon reserves decrease by 0.69 Tg C over 2020–2030. These reserves increase significantly by 6.77 Tg C and 7.54 Tg C under the CP and EP scenarios, respectively, thus promoting the benign development of the regional ecological environment. This study improves our understanding on the impact of land-use change on carbon storage for the QLB in the northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP).

scholarly journals Update of distribution, habitats, population size, and threat factors for the West African crocodile in Mauritania

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Carlos Campos ◽  
Fernando Martínez-Freiría ◽  
Fábio Vieira Sousa ◽  
Frederico Santarém ◽  
José Carlos Brito
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
West African ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Temperature Extremes ◽  
Local Conservation ◽  
The West ◽  
Water Abstraction ◽  
New Localities ◽  
Domestic Use

The West African crocodile (Crocodylus suchus) is an emblematic species from the Sahara-Sahel with scarce knowledge on distribution and conservation status. This study updated the knowledge on distribution, occupied habitats, population size, and factors that threaten C. suchus and its habitats in Mauritania. Five field expeditions to Mauritania (2011-2016), allowed the detection of 26 new localities, increasing by 27% the current number of all known locations (adding up to ). In most localities less than five individuals were observed, and in all visiting sites the number of observed individuals ranged from one to 23. Eleven threat factors were identified, being droughts and temperature extremes (100% localities affected) and water abstraction for domestic use and nomadic grazing (94%) the most frequent. These findings suggest that crocodiles are apparently vulnerable in Mauritania and that future local conservation strategies are needed to assure the continuity of its fragile populations and preserve their habitats.

Using coprophilous fungi to reconstruct the history of pastoralism in the Qinghai Lake Basin, Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-cheng Wei ◽  
Guang-liang Hou ◽  
Qi-shun Fan ◽  
David B Madsen ◽  
Zhan-jie Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Total Concentration ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Qinghai Lake ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
Human Settlement ◽  
Coprophilous Fungi ◽  
History Of ◽  
Qinghai Lake Basin

The history of permanent human settlement in the high-altitude regions (>3000 m above sea level [masl]) of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is important in understanding human adaptation to this cold “Third Pole” region. The Qinghai Lake Basin was an important corridor used by prehistoric humans migrating to the inner QTP. Pastoralism is currently the most important means of sustaining permanent human settlement in the high-altitude regions of the QTP. However, the lack of reliable proxy measures reflecting prehistoric pastoral activities impedes our understanding of how pastoralism developed. The identification of coprophilous fungi in prehistoric cultural deposits may help refine the history of pastoralism. We collected 21 modern domesticated herbivore dung samples and 66 surface soil samples from the Qinghai Lake Basin for fungal spore analyses. We then evaluated how useful such analyses are for identifying grazing activities. Fifty-three samples were also collected from the JXG2 stratigraphic profile (∼10.0–0 ka; 3312 masl) for fungal spore analysis. Results indicate that low and stable values of the total concentration of coprophilous fungi were present from ∼10.0 to ∼5.5 ka. Concentrations gradually increased from ∼5.5 to ∼4.2 ka, significantly increased from ∼4.2 to ∼2.6 ka, and then increased dramatically after ∼2.6 ka. By combining these results with charcoal concentrations (>50 µm), lithic artifacts, bones and potsherds recovered from the JXG2 site, we infer that early pastoralism in Qinghai Lake Basin appeared between ∼6.0 to ∼5.5 ka and gradually intensified throughout the remainder of the Holocene as herding and farming gradually replaced hunting–gathering as the primary subsistence strategies. These results are supported by pollen records, archeological remains and historical records in the northeastern QTP.

Land-use effects on organic and inorganic carbon patterns in the topsoil around Qinghai Lake basin, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

CATENA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
pp. 345-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunli Li ◽  
Qi Li ◽  
Liang Zhao ◽  
Shidong Ge ◽  
Dongdong Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Qinghai Lake ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
Organic And Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Land Use Effects ◽  
Qinghai Lake Basin

Landscape reconstruction and the relationship between human and environment in Yaowuyao area, Northeastern Tibetan Plateau since 15000 yr BP

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naimeng Zhang ◽  
Qinghai Xu ◽  
Dongju Zhang ◽  
Ulrike Herzschuh ◽  
Zhongwei Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Human Activity ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Qinghai Lake ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Landscape Reconstruction ◽  
Qinghai Lake Basin ◽  
Early Human

<p>Understanding the paleoenvironment (such as climate and landscape) in the area where the early ancient human appears on the Tibetan Plateau is an interesting topic. Based on the results of pollen data on the Yaowuyao loess section of the Qinghai Lake Basin, we used landscape reconstruction algorithms to reconstruct the changes in vegetation cover for 15,000 years. It is shown that the vegetation in the Yaowuyao area changed from temperate steppe (15-7.5 ka) to forest-steppe (7.5-4 ka). Compared with previous studies on the sediment in Qinghai Lake, our study can better reflect the local environment of the Qinghai Lake basin. Furthermore, based on the paleoclimate change data and archeological data from the surrounding areas, it is noticed that while precipitation increases and trees increase, human activities decrease. This may be caused by the substance and strategies of the ancient human beings that have adapted to the steppe. In addition, our results also show that the intensity of ancient human activity has a negative correlation with plant biodiversity, which may be related to human disturbance to the environment. Our paleoecological and environmental study not only shows the paleoenvironment of the early human activities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau but also revealed possible early human activity signals.</p>

scholarly journals Out of the darkness: the first comprehensive survey of the Critically Endangered Anjouan Scops Owl Otus capnodes

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
KATHLEEN E. GREEN ◽  
BRONWEN M. DANIEL ◽  
SAMUEL P. LLOYD ◽  
ISHAKA SAID ◽  
AMELAID HOUMADI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Distance Sampling ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Encounter Rate ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Point Counts ◽  
Comprehensive Survey

SummaryAlthough birds are among the best studied taxa, many of the globally threatened species lack the information required to fully assess their conservation status and needs. One such species is the Anjouan Scops Owl Otus capnodes which was presumed extinct until its rediscovery to science in 1992. Based on the limited extent and decline of the moist forests in the highlands of Anjouan in the Comoro Islands, a population size of only 100–200 pairs was estimated and the species was classified as ‘Critically Endangered’. The current study is the first comprehensive survey ever conducted on this species, and aimed to establish the current distribution and population size. Point counts with distance sampling were conducted across the agroforestry and forest zones of Anjouan in both a dry and wet season. A niche suitability model predicted the species distribution to be wider than expected with owls observed as low as 300 m altitude and in highly modified agroforestry habitats. However, the encounter rate in natural relatively undisturbed forest was significantly greater than in other habitats. The wider than expected geographic range of O. capnodes supports a possible downlisting of this species on the IUCN Red List to ‘Endangered’. Population size was found to be far greater than previously thought, at approximately 3,450 individual owls in the dry season and 5,450 in the wet season. These results show the importance of investing in robust surveys of poorly known and cryptic bird species, and provide up to date and important information for landscape scale conservation planning in the Comoros Islands.

scholarly journals Waterbird population estimates for a key staging site in Kazakhstan: a contribution to wetland conservation on the Central Asian flyway

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Schielzeth ◽  
Götz Eichhorn ◽  
Thomas Heinicke ◽  
Johannes Kamp ◽  
Maxim A. Koshkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Steppe Zone ◽  
Wetland Conservation ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Population Estimates ◽  
The South ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
South West ◽  
Population Size Estimates

AbstractRealistic population size estimates for waterbirds are crucial for the application of wetland conservation strategies, since the identification of internationally important wetlands is based on local numbers relative to the population size of the respective species. Central Asia is a poorly surveyed region that is situated at the intersection of migration routes that lead waterbirds from Western Siberia to the south-west (South-West Asia, East Africa) and to the south-east (South Asia, India). We calculated waterbird population estimates for the Tengiz–Korgalzhyn region, a large wetland complex in the steppe zone of Central Kazakhstan, based on waterbird surveys conducted between 1999 and 2004. For 20 of 43 species analysed the region supported more than 5% of the relevant flyway populations. Five species occurred with more than 40% of the flyway totals, including the Endangered White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala and the Vulnerable Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus. Peak numbers were recorded in summer and autumn and for most species numbers were more than an order of magnitude lower on spring migration compared with autumn migration. We identified 72 individual sites that held more than 20,000 waterbirds or more than 1% of a particular flyway population at least once. These sites are likely to constitute priorities for conservation. The general conservation status of the region is favourable, since many of the important sites are located within a strict nature reserve. However, outside the reserve hunting, fishing and powerline casualties represent conservation issues that should be monitored more carefully in the future.

Estimating the population size of a threatened arboreal marsupial: use of distance sampling to dispense with ad hoc survey techniques

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. de Tores ◽  
Sue Elscot
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Distance Sampling ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Land Use Decisions

Context. Long-term land-use decisions potentially affecting the conservation status of rare fauna are often based on a dearth of relevant biological information and population estimates are regularly derived from ad hoc methodologies. This can significantly affect the outcomes from development assessment and approval processes. Aim. Our aims were to apply distance-sampling techniques to derive robust, quantitative estimates of the population size of a threatened arboreal marsupial, the western ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis Thomas, 1888), demonstrate the advantages of this approach and, in doing so, provide conservation managers, decision makers and consultants with a reliable framework for surveying the species. Methods. We used line-transect sampling to derive estimates of density and abundance for P. occidentalis at two sites in south-western Western Australia where estimates were previously derived through ad hoc techniques. Key results. Our findings support the assertion that previous surveys of P. occidentalis populations have underestimated the population size to a varying extent at both of our survey sites. Land-use and development-application decisions have previously been based on similar surveys. Conclusions. Distance sampling, if applied routinely when surveying P. occidentalis, will reduce the uncertainty associated with derived estimates of abundance. Implications. Appropriate use of distance-sampling methods will enable managers and decision makers to assess more quantitatively the potential effect from, and place appropriate approval conditions on, proposals that modify or destroy P. occidentalis habitat. The use of the program Distance will enable such decisions to be based on robust, repeatable estimates of population size, with quantified confidence limits and variance estimates.

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