Monitoring Rarity: The Critically Endangered Saharan Cheetah as a Flagship Species for a Threatened Ecosystem

Belbachir, Farid; Pettorelli, Nathalie; Wacher, Tim; Belbachir-Bazi, Amel; Durant, Sarah M.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0115136

Cited by 57 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 48 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is one of the most wide-ranging carnivores, with home ranges documented in excess of 3,000 km 2 (10, 11) and movements of translocated animals exceeding 1,000 km (11). However, densities seldom exceed 0.02/km 2 and have been recorded as low as 0.0002/km 2 (12). Historically widespread across Africa and southwestern Asia, cheetah are now known to occur in only 9% of their past distributional range (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The global decline of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and what it means for conservation

Durant

Mitchell

Groom

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

179

211

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Establishing and maintaining protected areas (PAs) are key tools for biodiversity conservation. However, this approach is insufficient for many species, particularly those that are wide-ranging and sparse. The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus exemplifies such a species and faces extreme challenges to its survival. Here, we show that the global population is estimated at ∼7,100 individuals and confined to 9% of its historical distributional range. However, the majority of current range (77%) occurs outside of PAs, where the species faces multiple threats. Scenario modeling shows that, where growth rates are suppressed outside PAs, extinction rates increase rapidly as the proportion of population protected declines. Sensitivity analysis shows that growth rates within PAs have to be high if they are to compensate for declines outside. Susceptibility of cheetah to rapid decline is evidenced by recent rapid contraction in range, supporting an uplisting of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List threat assessment to endangered. Our results are applicable to other protection-reliant species, which may be subject to systematic underestimation of threat when there is insufficient information outside PAs. Ultimately, conserving many of these species necessitates a paradigm shift in conservation toward a holistic approach that incentivizes protection and promotes sustainable human-wildlife coexistence across large multiple-use landscapes.population viability analysis | threat assessment | protected areas | landscape conservation | megafauna T he spread and dominance of humans across the world during the Anthropocene have precipitated a sixth global biodiversity extinction crisis (1). To maximize biodiversity retention through this period of rapid change, scarce conservation resources need to be targeted toward species and ecosystems that are most Significance Here, we compile and present the most comprehensive data available on cheetah distribution and status. Our analysis shows dramatic declines of cheetah across its distributional range. Most cheetah occur outside protected areas, where they are exposed to multiple threats, but there is little information on population status. Simulation modeling shows that, where cheetah population growth rates are suppressed outside protected areas, extinction risk increases markedly. This result can be generalized to other "protection-reliant" species, and a decision tree is provided to improve their extinction risk estimation. Ultimately, the persistence of protection-reliant species depends on their survival outside and inside protected areas and requires a holistic approach to conservation that engages rather than alienates local communities.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The global decline of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and what it means for conservation

Durant

Mitchell

Groom

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

179

211

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To identify habitat patches with minimum areas capable of sustaining cheetahs, we focused on patches larger than 1,700 km 2 . We selected this threshold value based on preliminary telemetry results (H. Jowkar, personal communication, 2007) and the estimated mean home‐range size of the Saharan cheetah, a subspecies living in a comparable arid ecosystem (i.e., 1,583 km 2 ; Belbachir et al., ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining landscape suitability and habitat connectivity to conserve the last surviving population of cheetah in Asia

Ahmadi

Nezami²,

Jowkar³

et al. 2017

Diversity and Distributions

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim The Asiatic cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, a critically endangered large felid, has disappeared from vast tracks of its historical range across south‐western Asia. It is currently confined to the arid ecosystems of central Iran for which little is known about its distribution and habitat linkages. We proposed the first evaluation of Asiatic cheetah's distribution and developed models of landscape suitability and connectivity to inform future conservation planning. Location Central Iran. Methods We analysed presence data of a 14‐year‐long cheetah monitoring programme according to environmental and anthropogenic factors, and generated an ensemble model of habitat suitability based on seven species distribution models (SDMs). We then used the concept of circuit theory and landscape connectivity prioritization (LCP) on resultant core habitats and landscape suitability to evaluate potential linkages between core areas. Results Core habitats, that is, the areas hosting the largest continuous suitable habitats for Asiatic cheetahs, covered approximately 49,144 km2 (c. 6.3% of the study area). Availability of prey species, avoidance of human‐dominated areas and their infrastructures, and rough landscapes covered with sparse vegetation were the most predictive factors of the core habitats for the last cheetah population in Asia. Although relatively vast, the area of potential core habitats available to cheetahs appeared to be fragmented with limited connectivity between the northern and southern parts of this distribution. Main conclusions Our approach highlights the importance of distribution models to recognize, at a coarse‐scale level, a spatial population structure and habitat suitability characteristics for a large carnivore surviving at very low density. We have identified specific areas of suitable habitat where developing new landscape protection and adaptive conservation management; and improving the safety of important linkages between core habitats are likely to promote the conservation of the last surviving population of cheetah in Asia.

show abstract

“…Such precision has not yet been recorded in closed capture–recapture studies with cheetahs. For example, two studies using the heterogeneity M h model in CAPTURE recorded an abundance estimate of seven males with a SE of 1.93 and a range of 6–14 males in South Africa (Marnewick, Funston, & Karanth, ) or an abundance estimate of five males with a SE of 1.36 and a range of 5–11 males in Algeria (Belbachir, Pettorelli, Wacher, Belbachir‐bazi, & Durant, ). The precision of abundance estimates as in our study, coupled with the accuracy of abundance estimates, is an obvious and important advantage of spatial tactic and mixture models in MARK, over the traditionally used heterogeneity M h model in CAPTURE.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping with intrasexual behavioral differences: Capture–recapture abundance estimation of male cheetah

Edwards

Fischer

Wachter

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Population estimates are a fundamental requirement of ecology and conservation. While capture–recapture models are an established method for producing such estimates, their assumption of homogeneous capture probabilities is problematic given that heterogeneity in individual capture probability is inherent to most species. Such variation must be accounted for by abundance models; otherwise, biased estimates are risked.Here, we investigate the performance of four types of heterogeneity models for estimating abundance of male cheetah Acinonyx jubatus, a species with two distinct spatial tactics of territorial and nonterritorial (floater) males. The differences in spatial movements of territory holders and floaters are expected to result in intrasexual heterogeneous capture probabilities. Four heterogeneity models were used to model male abundance at five territories in central Namibia; (a) a spatial tactic model, (b) a finite mixture model, both run in program MARK, (c) a floater‐only model, and (d) a heterogeneity Mh model, both run in the program CAPTURE. Camera trap data of cheetah, taken at frequently visited marking trees, were used to derive true abundance. Model results were compared to the true abundance to assess the accuracy of estimates.Only models (a), (b), and (c) were able to consistently produce accurate results. Mixture models do not require prior knowledge regarding spatial tactic of males, which might not always be available. Therefore, we recommend such models as the preferred model type for cheetahs.Results highlight the potential for mixture models in overcoming the challenges of capture probability heterogeneity and in particular their use with species where intrasexual behavioral differences exist.

show abstract

Monitoring Rarity: The Critically Endangered Saharan Cheetah as a Flagship Species for a Threatened Ecosystem

Cited by 57 publications

References 48 publications

The global decline of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and what it means for conservation

The global decline of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and what it means for conservation

Combining landscape suitability and habitat connectivity to conserve the last surviving population of cheetah in Asia

Coping with intrasexual behavioral differences: Capture–recapture abundance estimation of male cheetah

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About