Snow leopards are one of the least known large cats, the population of which has dramatically de- creased. Their habitat loss was considered the main reason for the decline during the last decade, but their habitat pr...Snow leopards are one of the least known large cats, the population of which has dramatically de- creased. Their habitat loss was considered the main reason for the decline during the last decade, but their habitat preferences are still not well known. In this paper, we studied the winter habitat preferences of snow leopards in the Tomur National Nature Reserve （TNNR） in Northwest China during 2004-2005. We used sign surveys and tran- sects to study the winter habitat selection of snow leopards. The results indicated that snow leopards showed a preference for habitat variabilities in slope aspect, vegetation cover, dominant topographical features, landform ruggedness and grazing status. We found that prey availability and dominant topographical features were the most important factors that determined the winter habitat selection of snow leopards. Our results supported the idea that the habitat preferences of snow leopards are a tradeoff between suitable habitat features and avoidance of potential human interactions.展开更多
基金supported by the Science Supporting Project of the National Ministry of Science and Technology(2008BA C39B04)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30470262 and 30970340)+1 种基金the International Science and Technology Cooperation Program of China(2010DFA92720)the Chinese Academy of Sciences Visiting Professorships for Senior International Scientists(2009Z2-5)
文摘Snow leopards are one of the least known large cats, the population of which has dramatically de- creased. Their habitat loss was considered the main reason for the decline during the last decade, but their habitat preferences are still not well known. In this paper, we studied the winter habitat preferences of snow leopards in the Tomur National Nature Reserve （TNNR） in Northwest China during 2004-2005. We used sign surveys and tran- sects to study the winter habitat selection of snow leopards. The results indicated that snow leopards showed a preference for habitat variabilities in slope aspect, vegetation cover, dominant topographical features, landform ruggedness and grazing status. We found that prey availability and dominant topographical features were the most important factors that determined the winter habitat selection of snow leopards. Our results supported the idea that the habitat preferences of snow leopards are a tradeoff between suitable habitat features and avoidance of potential human interactions.
