TY - JOUR

T1 - Space and habitat use by wild Bactrian camels in the Transaltai Gobi of southern Mongolia

AU - Kaczensky, Petra

AU - Adiya, Yadamsuren A.

AU - von Wehrden, Henrik

AU - Mijiddorj, Batmunkh

AU - Walzer, Christian

AU - Güthlin, Denise

AU - Ebkhbileg, Dulamtseren

AU - Reading, Richard P.

PY - 2014/1

Y1 - 2014/1

N2 - Wild Bactrian camels (Camela ferus) are listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and only persist in some of the most remote locations in northern China and southern Mongolia. Although the species has been recognized as an umbrella species for the fragile central Asian desert ecosystem and has been high on the conservation agenda, little is known about the species' habitat requirements, with most information coming from anecdotal sightings and descriptive studies. We compiled the only available telemetry data from wild camels worldwide. Seven wild camels, which were followed for 11-378 monitoring days, covered a total range of 28,410km 2, with individual annual ranges being >12,000km 2 for three animals followed over a year. Camels reacted strongly to capture events, moving up to 64km from the capture site within a day, whereas normal average daily straight line distances were 3.0-6.4km/day. Camels showed a preference for intermediate productivity values (NDVI, habitat type) and landscape parameters (distance to water, elevation) and an avoidance of steep slopes. Our telemetry results suggest that wild camels still range throughout the entire Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area (SPA), are highly mobile, and very sensitive to human disturbance. Their habitat preference may be a trade-off between dietary and safety requirements. Small sample size did not allow the development of a full habitat model testing all variables simultaneously and we urgently call for more data from additional wild camels as a foundation for evidence driven conservation actions.

AB - Wild Bactrian camels (Camela ferus) are listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and only persist in some of the most remote locations in northern China and southern Mongolia. Although the species has been recognized as an umbrella species for the fragile central Asian desert ecosystem and has been high on the conservation agenda, little is known about the species' habitat requirements, with most information coming from anecdotal sightings and descriptive studies. We compiled the only available telemetry data from wild camels worldwide. Seven wild camels, which were followed for 11-378 monitoring days, covered a total range of 28,410km 2, with individual annual ranges being >12,000km 2 for three animals followed over a year. Camels reacted strongly to capture events, moving up to 64km from the capture site within a day, whereas normal average daily straight line distances were 3.0-6.4km/day. Camels showed a preference for intermediate productivity values (NDVI, habitat type) and landscape parameters (distance to water, elevation) and an avoidance of steep slopes. Our telemetry results suggest that wild camels still range throughout the entire Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area (SPA), are highly mobile, and very sensitive to human disturbance. Their habitat preference may be a trade-off between dietary and safety requirements. Small sample size did not allow the development of a full habitat model testing all variables simultaneously and we urgently call for more data from additional wild camels as a foundation for evidence driven conservation actions.

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Camela ferus

KW - Habitat use

KW - Mongolia

KW - Movement patterns

KW - Satellite telemetry

KW - Wild Bactrian camels

KW - Ecosystems Research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84890861435&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.11.033

DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.11.033

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 24695588

VL - 169

SP - 311

EP - 318

JO - Biological Conservation

JF - Biological Conservation

SN - 0006-3207

ER -