Species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity as tools to inform management and conservation for the critically endangered Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) in the Deosai National Park, Pakistan
The main cause of the global threat to large carnivore populations living in high-altitude areas is human pressure. The Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus, hereafter bear) is listed as a critically endangered species, and it dominates the higher altitudes of the North and Western Himalay...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1477480/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841543724506546176 |
|---|---|
| author | Tosif Fida Alireza Mohammadi Kamran Almasieh Luciano Bosso Shams Ud Din Urwah Shamas Muhammad Ali Nawaz Muhammad Kabir |
| author_facet | Tosif Fida Alireza Mohammadi Kamran Almasieh Luciano Bosso Shams Ud Din Urwah Shamas Muhammad Ali Nawaz Muhammad Kabir |
| author_sort | Tosif Fida |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The main cause of the global threat to large carnivore populations living in high-altitude areas is human pressure. The Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus, hereafter bear) is listed as a critically endangered species, and it dominates the higher altitudes of the North and Western Himalayan landscapes. Here, we used species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity to find bears’ suitable habitats and corridors in the Deosai National Park (DNP) and surrounding areas. Species distribution models detected a bear’s suitable habitat of 1,125 km2, of which ca. 73% was covered by DNP. The most crucial predictors in determining the bears’ distribution were elevation—particularly if it was between 3,500 and 4,500 meters above sea level—as well as the bears’ distance from rivers, cattle, and the DNP borders. We discovered robust connectivity among presence points in the core of the study area, particularly within the DNP boundaries, by using the electrical circuit theory models. Landscape connectivity values were indeed low in some areas outside and close to the DNP confines. Based on our findings, it is imperative to protect habitats and corridors that allow the bears to migrate between the suitable patches, particularly beyond the park’s boundaries, to improve bear conservation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d05786f7f8204cb098d54a5e38c012f2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-d05786f7f8204cb098d54a5e38c012f22025-01-13T06:11:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2025-01-011210.3389/fevo.2024.14774801477480Species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity as tools to inform management and conservation for the critically endangered Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) in the Deosai National Park, PakistanTosif Fida0Alireza Mohammadi1Kamran Almasieh2Luciano Bosso3Shams Ud Din4Urwah Shamas5Muhammad Ali Nawaz6Muhammad Kabir7Wildlife Ecology Lab, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, The University of Haripur, Haripur, PakistanDepartment of Environment Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, IranDepartment of Nature Engineering, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, IranInstitute for Agriculture and Forestry Systems in the Mediterranean, National Research Council of Italy, Naples, ItalyWildlife Ecology Lab, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, The University of Haripur, Haripur, PakistanDepartment of Biology, Federal Directorate of Education, Korang, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, QatarWildlife Ecology Lab, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, The University of Haripur, Haripur, PakistanThe main cause of the global threat to large carnivore populations living in high-altitude areas is human pressure. The Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus, hereafter bear) is listed as a critically endangered species, and it dominates the higher altitudes of the North and Western Himalayan landscapes. Here, we used species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity to find bears’ suitable habitats and corridors in the Deosai National Park (DNP) and surrounding areas. Species distribution models detected a bear’s suitable habitat of 1,125 km2, of which ca. 73% was covered by DNP. The most crucial predictors in determining the bears’ distribution were elevation—particularly if it was between 3,500 and 4,500 meters above sea level—as well as the bears’ distance from rivers, cattle, and the DNP borders. We discovered robust connectivity among presence points in the core of the study area, particularly within the DNP boundaries, by using the electrical circuit theory models. Landscape connectivity values were indeed low in some areas outside and close to the DNP confines. Based on our findings, it is imperative to protect habitats and corridors that allow the bears to migrate between the suitable patches, particularly beyond the park’s boundaries, to improve bear conservation.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1477480/fullconservationHimalayan brown bearlandscape connectivityspecies distribution modelswildlife management |
| spellingShingle | Tosif Fida Alireza Mohammadi Kamran Almasieh Luciano Bosso Shams Ud Din Urwah Shamas Muhammad Ali Nawaz Muhammad Kabir Species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity as tools to inform management and conservation for the critically endangered Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) in the Deosai National Park, Pakistan Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution conservation Himalayan brown bear landscape connectivity species distribution models wildlife management |
| title | Species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity as tools to inform management and conservation for the critically endangered Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) in the Deosai National Park, Pakistan |
| title_full | Species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity as tools to inform management and conservation for the critically endangered Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) in the Deosai National Park, Pakistan |
| title_fullStr | Species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity as tools to inform management and conservation for the critically endangered Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) in the Deosai National Park, Pakistan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity as tools to inform management and conservation for the critically endangered Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) in the Deosai National Park, Pakistan |
| title_short | Species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity as tools to inform management and conservation for the critically endangered Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) in the Deosai National Park, Pakistan |
| title_sort | species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity as tools to inform management and conservation for the critically endangered himalayan brown bear ursus arctos isabellinus in the deosai national park pakistan |
| topic | conservation Himalayan brown bear landscape connectivity species distribution models wildlife management |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1477480/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tosiffida speciesdistributionmodellingandlandscapeconnectivityastoolstoinformmanagementandconservationforthecriticallyendangeredhimalayanbrownbearursusarctosisabellinusinthedeosainationalparkpakistan AT alirezamohammadi speciesdistributionmodellingandlandscapeconnectivityastoolstoinformmanagementandconservationforthecriticallyendangeredhimalayanbrownbearursusarctosisabellinusinthedeosainationalparkpakistan AT kamranalmasieh speciesdistributionmodellingandlandscapeconnectivityastoolstoinformmanagementandconservationforthecriticallyendangeredhimalayanbrownbearursusarctosisabellinusinthedeosainationalparkpakistan AT lucianobosso speciesdistributionmodellingandlandscapeconnectivityastoolstoinformmanagementandconservationforthecriticallyendangeredhimalayanbrownbearursusarctosisabellinusinthedeosainationalparkpakistan AT shamsuddin speciesdistributionmodellingandlandscapeconnectivityastoolstoinformmanagementandconservationforthecriticallyendangeredhimalayanbrownbearursusarctosisabellinusinthedeosainationalparkpakistan AT urwahshamas speciesdistributionmodellingandlandscapeconnectivityastoolstoinformmanagementandconservationforthecriticallyendangeredhimalayanbrownbearursusarctosisabellinusinthedeosainationalparkpakistan AT muhammadalinawaz speciesdistributionmodellingandlandscapeconnectivityastoolstoinformmanagementandconservationforthecriticallyendangeredhimalayanbrownbearursusarctosisabellinusinthedeosainationalparkpakistan AT muhammadkabir speciesdistributionmodellingandlandscapeconnectivityastoolstoinformmanagementandconservationforthecriticallyendangeredhimalayanbrownbearursusarctosisabellinusinthedeosainationalparkpakistan |