Snow Leopard Habitat in Danger Due to Climate Change

A new study done by the conservation group World wildlife Fund claims that climate change presents a heightened threat for snow leopards in the Himalaya Mountains. It says nearly 30 percent of the snow leopard habitat in the Himalayas may be lost to treeline shift due to greenhouse gas emission.

He study done by WWF scientists was published in the Journal biological Conservation.

It is estimated that only 4,000 to 6,500 of the snow leopards species are remaining that are roughly distributed in the northern and central Asia Mountains. They mostly live in the Alpine areas above the treeline and generally below 16,000 feet where they are can feed on their prey.

According to the study, warmer and wetter conditions in the Himalayas will likely result in forests ascending into alpine areas, the snow leopards' preferred habitat.

"We know that snow leopards rarely venture into forested areas, and there's a limit to how high these animals can ascend. If the treeline shifts upwards, as our research predicts it will, we're looking at the snow leopard faced with diminishing options for where it can live," said Jessica Forrest, a WWF scientist and one the study's authors.

The study is a combination of both computer modelling and on the ground tracking efforts in high elevation areas, and modelled the impacts of various warming scenarios on the Himalayan portion of the snow leopard range.

It was noticed by the scientists that the warming at high elevations in the Himalayas is occurring at rates higher than the global average.

The study was done on the grounds of field based data and environmental information such as land cover, terrain ruggedness and elevation to map current snow leopard habitat. They also considered statistical method to look at the potential impact of climate change on the Himalayan treeline under three greenhouse gas emissions scenarios available from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC projects temperatures in the region to increase by 3-4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, accompanied by an increase in annual precipitation.

The study also emphasises the need to minimise threats like illegal hunting, human-wildlife conflict, and overgrazing of livestock in snow leopard habitat. 

Researchers identified areas that are likely to cope best with the effects of climate change, which could provide possible habitat for snow leopards. Many of these areas span national boundaries, showing the importance of transboundary cooperation to protect this rare species. 

WWF snow leopard expert and study co-author Dr. Rinjan Shrestha concluded saying, "Loss of alpine habitat not only means less room for snow leopards, but also has the potential to bring them closer to human activities like livestock grazing. As grazing intensifies and the leopards' natural prey decline, they could begin preying more heavily on livestock, resulting in increased retaliatory killings."