Snow Leopard Population Genetics and Diet Analysis in the Baltistan Region of Northern Pakistan

(Poster)

Katherine Sipra
katie.sipra@comsats.edu.pk

COMSATS - Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) - Islamabad, Pakistan

DOI: 10.17011/conference/eccb2018/108618

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The snow leopard (Panthera uncia), is perfectly evolved to endure the frigid temperatures and rugged, inhospitable mountain terrain found throughout its Central Asian home range (1). This, along with it’s phantom-like behavior, make snow leopards especially difficult to study. Nonetheless, because of the vulnerable situation of this feline, it is imperative to research and gather as much information related to snow leopards as possible.

Fortunately, the emergence of population genetics through noninvasive scat sampling has made collecting data on elusive animals easier, making it the preferred method for doing research focused on difficult to observe fauna. This approach can provide information about species, sex, and individual identification, population density, species distribution, home range, land use, and diet (2).

Population genetics is the primary focus of this study due to the fact that data it provides such as the total number of remaining snow leopards, where populations are located, and where these populations are declining is information necessary for conservation action (1). Scats will be collected from the field and delivered to two separate institutions, both of which will run the same samples and cross-reference each other’s results. Samples will be run through several polymerase chain reactions (PCRs), each providing valuable data regarding snow leopard sex distribution, population density, and genetic diversity (2).

Dietary analyses will aid in clarifying prey availability and abundance. Previous studies have found ungulates, both wild and domestic, to make up the bulk of snow leopard’s diets (3). Their ungulate diet is supplemented with birds and small mammals, especially in the colder months when snow leopard demands outweigh the wild ungulate populations. Knowledge gained from analyses may ease tensions between snow leopards and humans by deflecting undeserved blame put on leopards by farmers for depredation (3).

Aside from retaliatory killings, other major threats to snow leopards include poaching, illegal trafficking of their parts, habitat loss due to livestock grazing and human expansion, and decline in natural prey due to legal and illegal hunting (3). Moreover, Pakistan has been ranked 7th most effected country in the Long-Term Climate Risk Index according to the German think tank – Germanwatch. Rising temperatures have led to an expansion of the upper forest limit, diminishing the home range of Panthera uncia and creating an environment for which they are not adapted.

The results of this study are expected to elucidate the health of the entire ecosystem. Genetic testing highlights snow leopard population statistics, while dietary analyses give insight into the prey species and even plant matter of the area. Data gathered through this research will provide answers to lingering unknowns and will be used to encourage positive change to protect the reducing environment of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.

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INTRO:
Genetic methods have potential to contribute valuable information to snow leopard conservation. This study proposes to use two approaches: non-invasive population genetics to understand snow leopard population structure and dynamics, and dietary DNA analysis to understand what snow leopards are eating.
MERITS:
The approach described is a good use of non-invasive genetic sampling to contribute to conservation. This work should improve knowledge of snow leopard movements and behaviours, and may help to manage perceptions of human-wildlife conflict in conservation areas. Duplication of lab work in two laboratories will provide a great opportunity to evaluate the risks of errors and validate the methods used.
CRITIQUE:
This appears to be a work in progress, so it is not clear whether any data will be available to present at the conference. However, a presentation at the conference would provide opportunity to disuss methods, so the abstract is still of interest and relevant.
DISCUSSION:
Without more detail on specifics of methods I can't suggest targeted improvements. It is important to have more discussion about how to reliably and effetively include environmental and trace DNA into conservation programs, and how the reults can and should be interpreted. Based on this abstract, this appears to be a well thought out case study and I would be interested to learn more about this work.

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INTRO:
The authors outline the aims and methods of a study to be conducted in Pakistan, which will gather demographic and life-history information about snow leopards. They introduce the genetic and diet analysis techniques which will be applied and summarise the contribution this work is expected to make to conservation of snow leopard and their habitat.
MERITS:
The authors make a strong, well-articulated case for the importance of their study to conservation of snow leopards. They provide a succint overview of the conservation challenges which demographic and diet data can address, and summarise an appropriate methodology that can achieve this. The application of population genetics and diet analysis is relevant and interesting to conservation researchers working on challenging species such as snow leopard.
CRITIQUE:
This is a study which is being planned, so no results or data are available. No mention is made of a pilot study, so presumably this has not been conducted at this stage. This being the case, a more detailed description of ways in which their planned methods are innovative, novel, or otherwise particularly robust would add more weight to work. For example, the authors don't outline the sampling strategy that will be used for collecting field samples which is presumably a challenging aspect of study design for this species.
DISCUSSION:
The research that is planned is both interesting and highly relevant for the conservation of an imperilled species. The application of population genetic techniques and diet analysis are both appropriate and interesting to conservationists working on similar species. Given that no data are to be presented, this work would provide an overview of conservation issues surrounding snow leopards and the role of planned research to address some of these. It would perhaps be more relevant to a wider audience if the authors highlight particular aspects of the study design that are particularly innovate.

Snow Leopard Population Genetics and Diet Analysis in the Baltistan Region of Northern Pakistan