Threatened species richness along a Himalayan elevational gradient: quantifying the influences of human population density, range size, and geometric constraints.

BACKGROUND: A crucial step in conserving biodiversity is to identify the distributions of threatened species and the factors associated with species threat status. In the biodiversity hotspot of the Himalaya, very little is known about which locations harbour the highest diversity of threatened species and whether diversity of such species is related to area, mid-domain effects (MDE), range size, or human density. In this study, we assessed the drivers of variation in richness of threatened birds, mammals, reptiles, actinopterygii, and amphibians along an elevational gradient in Nepal Himalaya. RESULTS: Although geometric constraints (MDE), species range size, and human population density were significantly related to threatened species richness, the interaction between range size and human population density was of greater importance. Threatened species richness was positively associated with human population density and negatively associated with range size. CONCLUSIONS: In areas with high richness of threatened species, species ranges tend to be small. The preponderance of species at risk of extinction at low elevations in the subtropical biodiversity hotspot could be due to the double impact of smaller range sizes and higher human density.

Pathways of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction: A global review of empirical evidence.

Ecosystems provide valuable services in reducing the risks of disasters through various pathways, which are increasingly recognized as sustainable strategies for disaster management. However, there remains limited information on the underlying ecological processes of risk reduction. This paper addresses this gap by synthesizing ecological mechanisms and evaluating the 'level of evidence' and 'scale of use' through a review of 64 peer-reviewed research articles published between 2015 to 2022. These research articles covered nine types of disasters, predominantly floods (42.19 %), followed by urban heat waves (18.75 %), storm runoff (10.94 %), coastal erosion (9.38 %), tsunamis (4.69 %), and avalanches and landslides (6.25 % each). The level of evidence supporting ecological processes for disaster risk reduction is moderate, as is the 'scale of use'. Results show that there are a few studies describing the mechanism of ecosystem-mediated risk reduction and are mostly limited to the causal relationship. Empirical evidence demonstrates that forest and freshwater ecosystems buffer the risk of urban heat through processes such as transpiration, solar radiation interception, and evaporative cooling, while flood risks are mitigated by enhancing evapotranspiration, reducing water runoff time, and facilitating infiltration rates. Coastal erosion is reduced by dissipating wave energy and through beach nourishment, which facilitates ecological succession. The review underscores that hazard attenuation depends on factors such as forest type (e.g., species composition, age structure, and area), and landscape characteristics (e.g., matrix, composition and configuration). Moreover, the geographic scope of published research is largely confined to developed countries and the global north. Multidisciplinary research involving ecologists and disaster experts is imperative to address existing knowledge gaps and enhance the integration of ecosystem-based adaptation into disaster risk reduction strategies.

Measuring multi-dimensional disparity index: A case of Nepal.

This study introduces Multi-dimensional Disparity Index (MDI) to measure multi-form of disparity in different level of governments referencing Nepal. The measurement scale of MDI was developed by adopting Santos and Alkire's (2011) approaches. A wide range of thematic experts was consulted, employing the Semi-Delphi approach to determine its dimensions and indicators. The MDI in this study includes six dimensions and 34 indicators composited with dimension-wise indices like Economy Disparity Index [ECODI], Educational Disparity Index [EDUDI], Health Disparity Index [HDI], Geography and Climatic Vulnerability Index [GCVI], Living Standard Disparity Index [LSDI], and Demography Disparity Index [DDI]. Overall, the study revealed the extent of multi-dimensional disparity across three tiers of government in Nepal. More specifically, Nepal scored 0.388 MDI value. Karnali and Bagmati provinces are accounted as the highest and least deprived. This study contributes essential knowledge, particularly in exploring the dimensions and their indicators and develops an approach to measure multi-dimensional disparities. Most existing approaches for assessing disparities are mono-dimensional and measure the disparities in a single aspect. In this context, MDI provides a broader approach to consider multiple dimensions and measures multiple aspects in a country like Nepal, where disparity manifests at multiple levels.

The coverage of environmental issues in FM radios in Nepal: the current status and challenges.

Radio stations particularly those of local FM have an influential role in disseminating environmental concerns among the wide populace. This study provides the first nationwide assessment of FM radio coverage of environmental issues in Nepal by using data collected from a web-based questionnaire survey from 102 radio stations. We found that environmental programs were covered in 57% of radio stations, but they were among the least popular ones. Among various categories of environmental programs, the general category was the most common and popular, followed by forest and wildlife conservation and water resource management. Surprisingly, environmental pollution and disaster risk management were ranked as being less popular in comparison to their coverage. Environmental programs were mostly broadcasted weekly (73%) during prime time (morning and evening). Although there were agreements among respondents on the importance of environment program for radio stations (agreement = 0.74), nearly 22% of all radio stations terminated such programs in the past and only a few of them were interested to relaunch them in the foreseeable future. Limited funding was the most reported challenge followed by difficulty in finding environmental experts and radio journalists. We recommend the Government of Nepal to formulate a media engagement strategy to strengthen environmental campaigns in the face of rapid environmental change in Nepal.

COVID-19 Highlights the Need for More Effective Wildlife Trade Legislation.

Zoonosis-based epidemics are inevitable unless we revisit our relationship with the natural world, protect habitats, and regulate wildlife trade, including live animals and non-sustenance products. To prevent future zoonoses, governments must establish effective legislation addressing wildlife trade, protection of habitats, and reduction of the wildlife-livestock-human interface.

Red panda fine-scale habitat selection along a Central Himalayan longitudinal gradient.

Red panda Ailurus fulgens, an endangered habitat specialist, inhabits a narrow distribution range in bamboo abundance forests along mountain slopes in the Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains. However, their habitat use may be different in places with different longitudinal environmental gradients, climatic regimes, and microclimate. This study aimed to determine the habitat variables affecting red panda distribution across different longitudinal gradients through a multivariate analysis. We studied habitat selection patterns along the longitudinal gradient in Nepal's Himalaya which is grouped into the eastern, central, and western complexes. We collected data on red panda presence and habitat variables (e.g., tree richness, canopy cover, bamboo abundance, water availability, tree diameter, tree height) by surveys along transects throughout the species' potential range. We used a multimodal inference approach with a generalized linear model to test the relative importance of environmental variables. Although the study showed that bamboo abundance had a major influence, habitat selection was different across longitudinal zones. Both canopy cover and species richness were unimportant in eastern Nepal, but their influence increased progressively toward the west. Conversely, tree height showed a decreasing influence on habitat selection from Eastern to Western Nepal. Red panda's habitat selection revealed in this study corresponds to the uneven distribution of vegetation assemblages and the dry climatic gradient along the eastern-western Himalayas which could be related to a need to conserve energy and thermoregulate. This study has further highlighted the need of importance of bamboo conservation and site-specific conservation planning to ensure long-term red panda conservation.

Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Nepal: Patterns of Human Fatalities and Injuries Caused by Large Mammals.

Injury and death from wildlife attacks often result in people feeling violent resentment and hostility against the wildlife involved and, therefore, may undermine public support for conservation. Although Nepal, with rich biodiversity, is doing well in its conservation efforts, human-wildlife conflicts have been a major challenge in recent years. The lack of detailed information on the spatial and temporal patterns of human-wildlife conflicts at the national level impedes the development of effective conflict mitigation plans. We examined patterns of human injury and death caused by large mammals using data from attack events and their spatiotemporal dimensions collected from a national survey of data available in Nepal over five years (2010-2014). Data were analyzed using logistic regression and chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. The results show that Asiatic elephants and common leopards are most commonly involved in attacks on people in terms of attack frequency and fatalities. Although one-horned rhinoceros and bears had a higher frequency of attacks than Bengal tigers, tigers caused more fatalities than each of these two species. Attacks by elephants peaked in winter and most frequently occurred outside protected areas in human settlements. Leopard attacks occurred almost entirely outside protected areas, and a significantly greater number of attacks occurred in human settlements. Attacks by one-horned rhinoceros and tigers were higher in the winter, mainly in forests inside protected areas; similarly, attacks by bears occurred mostly within protected areas. We found that human settlements are increasingly becoming conflict hotspots, with burgeoning incidents involving elephants and leopards. We conclude that species-specific conservation strategies are urgently needed, particularly for leopards and elephants. The implications of our findings for minimizing conflicts and conserving these imperiled species are discussed.

Habitat suitability models of mountain ungulates: identifying potential areas for conservation.

BACKGROUND: Determining the distribution of species and of suitable habitats is a fundamental part of conservation planning. We used slope and ruggedness of the terrain, forest type and distance to the nearest village to construct habitat suitability maps for three mountain ungulates (barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral) and Himalayan serow (Capricornis thar)) inthe midhills of western Nepal. We used locations of sightings and signs of presence of these mountain ungulates collected during surveys along transect to derive a suitability value for each variable using Jacob's index. A multiplication approach was used to combine environmental variables andproduce a habitat suitability map for each of the three species. An independent dataset was used to evaluate the maps using Boyce's index. This approach provides an overview of the probable distributions of the species in question. RESULTS: We predict that of the total area studied, 57% is suitable for M. muntjak, 67% for N. goral and 41% for C. thar. Although there are suitable habitats for all three species throughout the study area, the availability of high-quality habitats for these species varied considerably. CONCLUSIONS: Suitable habitats for N. goral and C. thar were fragmented and mostly confined to the southern and northern parts of the study area. This study provides important baseline information for conservation biologists concerned with maintaining biodiversity in the midhills of Nepal.