Population and conservation threats to the vulnerable Sarus crane Grus antigone in Nepal

作者：Hari Prasad Sharma, Hem Bahadur Katuwal, Sandeep Regmi, Rajendra Narsingh Suwal, Rashmi Acharya, Amrit Nepali, Sabin Kc, Bishnu Aryal, Krishna Tamang, Basudha Rawal, Amir Basnet, Bashu Dev Baral, Surya Devkota, Sagar Parajuli, Niraj Regmi, Pradip Kandel, Bishal Subedi, Hari Giri, Samjhana Kawan, Gokarna Jung Thapa, Bishnu Prasad Bhattarai · 发表于：Ecology and Evolution · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1002/ece3.10929 · 被引用次数：7 · 研究领域：Wildlife Ecology and Conservation、Bat Biology and Ecology Studies、Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation

), which inhabits agricultural-wetland ecosystems. Despite the burgeoning built-up areas and diminishing agricultural and wetland spaces, scant research investigates the impact of these changing land uses on the globally vulnerable Sarus crane in Nepal. During the pre-breeding season from April to June 2023, our comprehensive study meticulously scrutinized Sarus crane population status and factors associated with the occurrences and conservation challenges across 10 specific districts of Nepal. Our study documented a total of 690 individuals of Sarus cranes in five districts. The Lumbini Province has 685 individuals, occupying 11 roosting sites. Conversely, the remaining five districts have no Sarus cranes presence during this period. Wetland, farmland and built-up areas exhibited a significantly positive influence on Sarus crane occurrences in the Lumbini Province. Additionally, we recorded 47 fatalities of Sarus cranes over the past 13 years in the Lumbini Province due to electrocution and collisions. Our study provides a baseline dataset crucial for developing conservation policies, particularly during the dry season when Sarus crane populations tend to congregate in larger flocks. The adaptation of the Sarus crane to urbanized landscapes exposes them to several anthropogenic threats in the coming days. Therefore, protecting wetlands and farmland areas and adopting transboundary conservation approaches are imperative for the long-term conservation of the Sarus crane and it...