Integrating Multiple Diversity and Socioeconomic Criteria in Tibetan Felid Conservation

作者：Yonglei Lv, Anderson Feijó, Keji Guo, Wendong Xie, Jilong Cheng, Deyan Ge, Lin Xia, Yaqian Cui, Gang Song, Yanhua Qu, Jingjing Hu, Zeng Dan, Dunzhu Pubu, Erning Wu, Xingcheng He, Yu Xu, Bin Wang, Qisen Yang, Zhixin Wen · 发表于：Ecosystem Health and Sustainability · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.34133/ehs.0160 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：Wildlife Ecology and Conservation、Species Distribution and Climate Change、Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Conservation planning in areas prone to human–wildlife interactions requires strong integration between biodiversity protection and other human society needs. Livestock depredation by felids is one of the most reported human–wildlife conflicts in Tibet, reinforced by expanding rangeland and rebounding of wildlife populations. Tibet harbors the richest felid diversity in China; nevertheless, only two protected areas were designated targeting this emblematic group. Here, we combined species distribution modeling and systematic conservation planning approaches to identify priority areas for felid conservation in Tibet. Specifically, we assessed conservation priorities based on three complementary biodiversity indexes (taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic) integrated with livestock density, land use, and human disturbances. Based on the most comprehensive dataset of felid species, we found that large parts of Tibet remain poorly studied and most of the felid populations inhabit unprotected Tibetan lands. In addition, we detected that livestock density is positively related to large-sized felid distributions, reflecting the long-term conflict in this region. Our prioritization analyses identified large priority areas for felid conservation in Tibet. Worrisomely, approximately 76% of them lie outside of existing and planned protected areas, with four noteworthy gaps. The largest extension of these key regions for felid conservation is located in southeastern Tibet close to the b...