Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 19, 2025
09:47
Spotting Cheetahs: Identifying Individuals by Their Footprints
Published on: May 1, 2016
14.9K
Estimating Leopard population sizes in western Mozambique using SNP-based capture-mark-recapture models.
Ryan E Forbes1,2, Graham I H Kerley1, Kristoffer T Everatt1,3,4
1Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha 6031, South Africa.
Journal of Mammalogy
|June 16, 2025
Summary
Genetic capture-mark-recapture models provided crucial population size estimates for vulnerable African leopards (Panthera pardus) in Mozambique. These findings highlight the need for genetic monitoring to inform conservation efforts for this elusive large carnivore.
Area of Science:
- Conservation Biology
- Wildlife Ecology
- Genetics
Background:
- Estimating population sizes for rare, cryptic species like large carnivores is essential for conservation but challenging.
- African leopards (Panthera pardus) are listed as vulnerable, facing population declines across their range.
- Accurate population data is scarce for many leopard populations, hindering effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate population sizes of African leopards in Limpopo National Park (LNP), Banhine National Park (BNP), and Lebombo Conservancy (LC) in Mozambique.
- To compare genetic capture-mark-recapture (CMR) estimates with trophic scaling to understand leopard density drivers.
- To advocate for the use of genetic CMR models in leopard population monitoring for conservation.
Main Methods:
- Noninvasive genetic sampling of leopards using scat collection.
- Application of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based capture-mark-recapture (CMR) models.
- Comparison of genetic density estimates with trophic scaling analyses.
Main Results:
- Estimated leopard populations: 87 in LNP, 15 in BNP, and 13 in LC.
- Trophic scaling suggests bottom-up prey limitation in LNP and LC, and top-down regulation in BNP.
- Genetic CMR models provided robust, noninvasive population estimates.
Conclusions:
- Genetic CMR models are effective for monitoring vulnerable leopard populations.
- Prey availability and predation dynamics influence leopard density in different conservation areas.
- Urgent implementation of genetic monitoring is recommended for informed conservation and management of leopards.
Related Concept Videos
00:30What are Populations and Communities?
35.0K
Overview
35.0K
02:04Conservation of Small Populations
13.7K
Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less...
13.7K
02:07Conservation of Declining Populations
9.8K
Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
9.8K
01:26Estimating Population Standard Deviation
3.1K
When the population standard deviation is unknown and the sample size is large, the sample standard deviation s is commonly used as a point estimate of σ. However, it can sometimes under or overestimate the population standard deviation. To overcome this drawback, confidence intervals are determined to estimate population parameters and eliminate any calculation bias accurately. However, this only applies to random samples from normally distributed populations. Knowing the sample mean and...
3.1K
02:31Habitat Fragmentation
17.9K
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
17.9K
01:17Wald-Wolfowitz Runs Test II
330
The Wald-Wolfowitz runs test, commonly referred to as the runs test, is a nonparametric test used to assess the randomness of ordered data. The test evaluates the number of runs, which are consecutive sequences of similar elements within the data. If the number of runs is significantly higher or lower than expected, the data is considered non-random, indicating a detectable pattern or structure.
For binary data, runs are identified using symbols such as + and −, or equivalently, 1s and...
For binary data, runs are identified using symbols such as + and −, or equivalently, 1s and...
330