Anthropogenic and environmental correlates of spatial patterns of co-occurrence of small felids in a montane landscape

Abstract

Understanding how sympatric small felids respond to their environmental surroundings in a human matrix landscape is important to determine their habitat use, distribution and conservation. However, structured survey design and large sample size studies are often rare for cryptic small-and medium-sized felids hindering their reliable and meaningful inferences for conservation management. We employed a multi-species occupancy model on a large-scale camera trap dataset to investigate the effects of environmental and anthropogenic variables on the occupancy, as well as the mechanisms facilitating sympatry among three small felids in Bhutan: the threatened Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii), marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata), and the least concern leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). Through their co-occurrence patterns at local and landscape scales, we could identify their potential interactions and the factors influencing them. We found that one species pair (marbled cat: leopard cat) had low co-occurrence at higher elevations. The interactions among the other felid pairs (Asiatic golden cat: marbled cat and Asiatic golden cat: leopard cat) were not directly mediated by human disturbances and were constant across the elevational gradient. We identified important predictors of marginal occupancy for two species: forest cover, river density, and slope for the marbled cat; and housing density, forest cover, and slope for the leopard cat. However, none of the predictor variables significantly influenced Asiatic golden cat occupancy. Our findings suggest that environmental factors, like forest cover and slope, may influence individual felid occupancy and consequently shape their interactions. We recommend that small felid conservation in heterogeneous landscapes need to consider the impacts of human land use; limit forest conversion and protect rugged habitats. Through this study, we provide new insights into small felid sympatry in montane landscapes, expanding our understanding of their complex coexistence patterns.