A geospatial analysis and comparison of snow leopard and mountain lion habitat: implications for conservations and research

Abstract

Big cats form an integral part of landscape ecosystem management and are vital to the persistence of natural habitats. Global change, alongside human interactions has severely harmed populations of these predators, often to the point where many species are at risk of being, or already are, extinct. Two examples of big cats affected by human development are the snow leopard and the mountain lion, which each have their respective difficulties adapting to an anthropogenic world. Examples of factors that have affected these species include habitat loss and fragmentation, prosecution and poaching, and increased disturbance. The purpose of this report is to employ GIS and remote sensing techniques to analyze sample habitat of these animals and to determine how to best conserve the future of these big cats. The results of this paper showed that mountain lion habitat was more stochastic than that of snow leopards, however, both are changing. Future management projects directed towards these species will need to consider how these species’ habitat is being affected, moving forward.