Habitat degradation is a major threat to the survival of chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii). Detailed knowledge for habitat conservation in this steppe-dwelling ungulate is needed if effective conservation and management strategies are to be developed. The distribution of potential habitat and the relative value of habitat to chiru on a regional scale remains unknown, hindering landscape conservation planning. Our aim was to identify and rank chiru habitat across the Chang Tang region of the Tibetan Plateau. We assessed overall habitat suitability using geographical data, field surveys, and information contained within previous studies. We identified 10194 km2 of optimal habitat (1.71 % of the region), 256816 km2 of suitable habitat (43.17 % of the region), and 213799 km2 of marginal habitat (35.94 % of the region). Our habitat model shows that suitable habitat is located primarily in the central (Nyingma county and Shuanghu county) and western (Geze county) regions of the study area. When we looked specifically at a chiru reserve (Chang Tang Nature Reserve) located within the study area, we found that over half of the reserve could be classified as suitable habitat. This highlights the regional importance of this reserve to chiru conservation. Our findings further indicate that the protection of suitable habitat and improvement of habitat linkages will be important features of any regional chiru conservation plan.
Landscapes are constantly changing and, for plant species, this means that some suitable patches disappear while others emerge. Distribution of species in the landscape depends, therefore, not only on actual distribution of suitable habitat patches but also on a species’ ability to persist in habitats that are already unsuitable and disperse to habitats that have become suitable. Distribution of species in such landscapes thus strongly depends on the spatio-temporal structure of the landscape and species traits. The present study aims to determine to what degree past land use affects the present distribution of dry grassland plant species at a regional scale. We studied the distribution of 52 dry grassland species in 215 grassland patches. Data on bedrock, slope, potential irradiation, area and past land use for two periods (1950s and 1980s) were collected from maps. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess the relative contribution of environmental and historical factors on present species distribution. In addition, analyses were carried out to reveal the relationship between past land use and occurrence of single species. This study shows that dry grasslands are habitats with rapid land-use changes. Distribution of species in these habitats is largely determined by environmental conditions, but past land-use also has a significant effect. In many species, the effect of past land use is even more important than the effect of environmental conditions. For the species investigated, those restricted both to former pastures and fields could be identified. Only a minority of species are restricted to continuous grasslands. This indicates that many species colonized places cultivated in 1950 within 50 years, suggesting that the dynamics of these species is relatively fast. The results suggest that many dry grassland communities in the region are of recent origin and the distribution of species in these habitats is partly determined by past land use. In addition to information on environmental conditions, detailed knowledge of land use history, landscape structure and species attributes is needed in order to understand the distribution of species in dry grassland communities.
Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are now confined to fragmented habitats in western China, with more than 60 % of individuals inhabiting 63 protected areas. Knowledge of the environmental features required by giant pandas is critically important for protected area spatial arrangement and subsequent assessments. Here we developed a distribution model for giant pandas in the Tangjiahe Nature Reserve using Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) model. We found that less than 40 % of this key reserve is of high suitability for giant pandas, highly suitable habitat being primarily characterized as coniferous forests away from roads within the reserve. Although there was a clear core zone occupied by giant pandas, which included the vast majority of known giant panda locations, only about 45 % of this zone was classified as highly suitable habitat (suitable and optimal). Therefore, the spatial arrangement within the reserve may need to be modified to effectively manage the remaining population of giant pandas. Of particular concern are several tourism proposals being considered by local government, which, if implemented, will increase the isolation of the local population from those in the surrounding area. Our analysis identifies Caijiaba and Baixiongping as areas that should become conservation priorities. Our approach provides valuable data to advise conservation policy and could be easily replicated across other protected areas.