Modelling potential habitat for snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in Ladakh, India.

ABSTRACT: The snow leopard Panthera uncia is an elusive species inhabiting some of the most remote and inaccessible tracts of Central and South Asia. It is difficult to determine its distribution and density pattern, which are crucial for developing conservation strategies. Several techniques for species detection combining camera traps with remote sensing and geographic information systems have been developed to model the habitat of such cryptic and low-density species in challenging terrains. Utilising presence-only data from camera traps and direct observations, alongside six environmental variables (elevation, aspect, ruggedness, distance to water, land cover, and prey habitat suitability), we assessed snow leopard habitat suitability across Ladakh in northern India. This is the first study to m

SUBMITTER: Watts SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6350993 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature