Is the hangul <i>Cervus hanglu hanglu</i> in Kashmir drifting towards extinction? Evidence from 19 years of monitoring

Ahmad, Khursheed; Mirelli, Marco; Charoo, Samina; Nigam, Parag; Qureshi, Qamar; Naqash, Rashid Y.; Focardi, Stefano

doi:10.1017/s0030605323000686

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The species is in Appendix I of CITES and in Schedule I Part A of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, amended up to 2002(Molur et al, 2003 giving it the highest level of protection from international trade and hunting, respectively. Nevertheless, this species is affected by conversion of natural forests to croplands, and other forms of land use change in the Kashmir Himalaya (Ahmad et al, 2021(Ahmad et al, , 2023Wani et al, 2016). Dearth of information on population at the regional level may either underrepresent or incorrectly classify a species at the global level, thereby influencing conservation actions (e.g., Khara et al, 2021 for Urial Ovis vigenei).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population assessment of the Endangered Kashmir Gray Langur (Semnopithecus ajax, Pocock 1928) using the double‐observer method

Hameed,

Bashir,

Ali

et al. 2024

American J Primatol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Primates are among the most threatened taxa globally, therefore, there is a need to estimate and monitor their populations. Kashmir Gray Langur Semnopithecus ajax is an endangered species for which there is no population estimate. We used double‐observer method to estimate its population size in the Kashmir region of North‐Western Himalaya. We walked 1284 km across 31 survey blocks spanning all three divisions of Kashmir viz., North, Central, and South Kashmir, covering an area of 411 km2. We counted a minimum of 1367 individual langurs from 27 groups. The detection probability for observer 1 (0.719) and observer 2 (0.656) resulted in a population estimate of 1496 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1367–1899) across 30 groups (with a mean group size of 51), giving a density estimate of 3.64 (3.33–4.62) langurs/km². We found double‐observer surveys to be suitable for the population estimation of langurs, and we make recommendations on how to effectively conduct primate surveys, especially in mountainous ecosystems. Our records extend the species distribution range beyond stated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Our findings also highlight that the Kashmir Himalaya is a stronghold of the species, where conservation efforts should focus.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population assessment of the Endangered Kashmir Gray Langur (Semnopithecus ajax, Pocock 1928) using the double‐observer method

Hameed,

Bashir,

Ali

et al. 2024

American J Primatol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Genetic insights to assist management of the Critically Endangered hangul Cervus hanglu hanglu in the Kashmir Himalaya

Narayan,

Srivastava,

Sreedharan

et al. 2023

Oryx

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The hangul Cervus hanglu hanglu, a Critically Endangered mountain ungulate of Jammu and Kashmir, India, faces the imminent threat of population loss and extinction. Effective management of its largest viable population in Dachigam National Park in the Kashmir Himalaya requires reliable demographic information. Using 14 microsatellite markers we identified 293 individuals (208 females and 85 males) through faecal analysis, and generated data on the genetic status and population size of the hangul in its winter habitat. The mean expected and observed heterozygosities of 0.62 and 0.59 are comparable to those of several red deer Cervus elaphus populations elsewhere. The effective population sizes were 46.3 and 93.7 when the frequencies of rare alleles were considered to be 0.050 and 0.010, respectively. The average mean kinship of the population was 0.34, and there was no evidence of a recent bottleneck event. In genetic mark–recapture analysis the best model included an effect of sex on both detection and recapture probabilities. Detection of males was highest in November, coinciding with the hangul breeding season, whereas detection of females was highest in December. Our estimate of the hangul population using genetic mark–recapture with bootstrapping was 394 individuals. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use genetic data to estimate the population of the hangul. It will guide future studies of this subspecies and also serve as an impetus for identifying founder animals for captive breeding, and for connecting the population in Dachigam National Park with the other small, isolated populations to ensure the long-term survival of this subspecies.

show abstract

Conserving the critically endangered Hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu) - Future distribution and efficiency of protected areas under climate change: Implications for the conservation of Dachigam landscape

Haq,

Waheed,

Walas

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Climate change is impacting species distribution, posing a significant threat to biodiversity. Special attention is needed for vulnerable species like the Kashmir Red Deer (Cervus hanglu hanglu). Despite being a global conservation symbol, holistic management is hindered by limited research. A comprehensive study mapping the potential habitat changes for the Hangul in the Dachigam landscape is crucial to enhance conservation efforts. We examined the prospective effects of expected global warming on the distribution of Hangul by assessing species range shifts and employing a maximum entropy approach. The Hangul was anticipated to be sensitive to upcoming global warming and would raise its risk of local extinction. The severity of repercussions from climate change grew as the time horizon increased and decreased the species' suitable habitat. By 2080, predictions indicated a gradual reduction in range or, in some scenarios, the complete loss of habitat, regardless of the potential for Hangul to disperse indefinitely. We estimated that the overall very highly suitable habitat in the protected region is currently 2220 ha, while its huge distribution area in the unprotected zone is 30,445 ha, emphasizing the necessity of establishing corridor connectivity between fragment populations and promoting conservation efforts. Among various climate conditions, the core-to-edge ratio is at its highest level in the current conditions. Our study reveals two critical findings: Firstly, endangered species unique to a particular region are highly susceptible to the ramifications of global warming. Secondly, when evaluating the outcomes of global warming, the highly suitable habitat is expected to shift under predicted climatic changes, with an average altitudinal migration of 700m. Consequently, conservation strategies must consider the expected regional shifts and are designed with a clear understanding of the accuracy in projecting climate change effects.

show abstract

Is the hangul Cervus hanglu hanglu in Kashmir drifting towards extinction? Evidence from 19 years of monitoring

Cited by 3 publications

References 18 publications

Population assessment of the Endangered Kashmir Gray Langur (Semnopithecus ajax, Pocock 1928) using the double‐observer method

Population assessment of the Endangered Kashmir Gray Langur (Semnopithecus ajax, Pocock 1928) using the double‐observer method

Genetic insights to assist management of the Critically Endangered hangul Cervus hanglu hanglu in the Kashmir Himalaya

Conserving the critically endangered Hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu) - Future distribution and efficiency of protected areas under climate change: Implications for the conservation of Dachigam landscape

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About