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Successful conservation hinges on the reliable prediction and prioritisation of population core habitats and dispersal corridors. However, reliance on singlespecies connectivity has produced mixed results and, in most cases, failed to protect other species under the appealing but often unfulfilled guise of umbrella protection. The main objectives of this study were: (1) to identify core habitats and dispersal corridors for population connectivity of 15 terrestrial mammal species across Bhutan, (2) to identify indicator species of wildlife connectivity, (3) to prioritise core areas and dispersal corridors for the focal umbrella and indicator species, (4) to develop composite multispecies connectivity maps and evaluate the effectiveness of the existing protected area network. We used kernel density (KD) to identify core habitat areas and factorial least-cost path (LCP) to map dispersal corridors. We used correlation and cluster analyses to identify umbrella and indicator species, and quantitative ranking to prioritise core areas and corridors for these focal species. Finally, we produced maps of multispecies core areas and corridors, and identified gaps in the existing protected area network (PAN). We found that ungulates were generally more effective than carnivores in serving as umbrella species for core habitat protection, with Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) emerging as the most effective umbrella for core habitats and muntjac (Muntiacus muntjac) for dispersal corridors. We identified six focal connectivity indicator species in Bhutan: tiger (Panthera tigris), dhole (Cuon alpinus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), Asian elephant, and sambar deer (Rusa unicolor). Most indicator species' core areas and dispersal corridors outside the PAN were in southern Bhutan, indicating opportunities for increased multispecies connectivity through expanding protected area network in this region. A total of 40% of multispecies core areas and 24% of dispersal corridors were under PAN, with large parts of Bhutan offering suitable core areas and corridors for multispecies conservation. Core areas and corridors of the 15 considered species only partially overlapped, stressing the importance of multi-species consideration in designating wildlife corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the conversion of natural forest into agricultural land and human settlement has altered avian diversity and structure often leading to functional and/or phylogenetic homogenisation. While the effects of land‐use change on avian functional diversity (FD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD) is well studied in the tropics, it is poorly understood and scarcely studied in the Himalayas let alone in eastern Himalayan bird communities.Using data from replicated transect surveys, we investigated the effects of land‐use change (agriculture, settlement and forest) on the community diversity and structure of 336 bird species while accounting for imperfect detection across 679‐point count locations along an elevational gradient in the eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot of Bhutan.The main findings of our study are (a) bird community occupancy along the elevational gradient is negatively associated with human land use (agriculture and settlement), (b) bird assemblages at higher elevations were functionally and phylogenetically clustered and (c) agriculture and settlement harboured disproportionately higher FD and PD whereas forest had phylogenetically diverse communities within functionally convergent traits.Synthesis and applications. Our findings suggest that high functional diversity in agriculture and settlement offers an opportunity for a broad range of ecosystem services such as pollination, insect‐ and rodent‐pest control. Agricultural practices that protect and improve bird‐friendly habitats (particularly for insectivores) should be promoted. To facilitate coexistence, educational programmes on the importance of the functional roles of birds should be implemented to raise farmers' awareness of the importance of farmland biodiversity. Management interventions should seek to integrate bird conservation and farm production. Safeguarding edge habitats and forests abutting human settlements would be key to promoting phylogenetically diverse assemblages and ecological functions in Himalayan working landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The survival of large carnivores is increasingly precarious due to extensive human development that causes the habitat loss and fragmentation. Habitat selection is influenced by anthropogenic as well as environmental factors, and understanding these relationships is important for conservation management. We assessed the environmental and anthropogenic variables that influence site use of clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa in Bhutan, estimated their population density, and used the results to predict the species’ site use across Bhutan. We used a large camera‐trap dataset from the national tiger survey to estimate for clouded leopards, for the first time in Bhutan, (1) population density using spatially explicit capture–recapture models and (2) site‐use probability using occupancy models accounting for spatial autocorrelation. Population density was estimated at D ^ Bayesian = 0.40 (0.10 SD) and D ^ maximum − likelihood = 0.30 (0.12 SE) per 100 km2. Clouded leopard site use was positively associated with forest cover and distance to river while negatively associated with elevation. Mean site‐use probability (from the Bayesian spatial model) was ψ ^ spatial = 0.448 (0.076 SD). When spatial autocorrelation was ignored, the probability of site use was overestimated, ψ ^ nonspatial = 0.826 (0.066 SD). Predictive mapping allowed us to identify important conservation areas and priority habitats to sustain the future of these elusive, ambassador felids and associated guilds. Multiple sites in the south, many of them outside of protected areas, were identified as habitats suitable for this species, adding evidence to conservation planning for clouded leopards in continental South Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of a growing human footprint, understanding interactions among threatened large carnivores is fundamental to effectively mitigating anthropogenic threats and managing species. Using data from a large-scale camera trap survey, we investigated the effects of environmental and anthropogenic variables on the interspecific interaction of a carnivore guild comprising of tiger, leopard and dhole in Bhutan. We demonstrate the complex effects of human settlement density on large carnivore interactions. Specifically, we demonstrate that leopard-dhole co-occupancy probability was higher in areas with higher human settlement density. The opposite was true for tiger-leopard co-occupancy probability, but it was positively affected by large prey (gaur) abundance. These findings suggest that multi-carnivore communities across land-use gradients are spatially structured and mediated also by human presence and/or the availability of natural prey. Our findings show that space-use patterns are driven by a combination of the behavioural mechanism of each species and its interactions with competing species. The duality of the effect of settlement density on species interactions suggests that the benefits of exploiting anthropogenic environments are a trade-off between ecological opportunity (food subsidies or easy prey) and the risk of escalating conflict with humans.