Monitoring Rarity: The Critically Endangered Saharan Cheetah as a Flagship Species for a Threatened Ecosystem

摘要: Deserts are particularly vulnerable to human impacts and have already suffered a substantial loss of biodiversity. In harsh variable desert environments, large herbivores typically occur at low densities, their carnivore predators even lower densities. The continued survival carnivores is key healthy functioning ecosystems, the ability gather reliable information on these rare density species, including presence, abundance density, critical monitoring management. Here we test camera trap methodologies as tool for an extremely wide-ranging felid, critically endangered Saharan cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki). Two trapping surveys were carried out over 2–3 months across 2,551km2 grid in Ti-n-haggen region Ahaggar Cultural Park, south central Algeria. A total 32 records obtained. We show behaviour ecology severely constrained by environment, leading them be more nocturnal, wide-ranging, densities relative savannah environments. Density estimates ranged from 0.21–0.55/1,000km2, some lowest ever recorded Africa, average home range size was estimated 1,583km2. use our results predict that, order detect presence with p>0.95 survey effort least 1,000 days required. Our study identifies Park area conservation cheetah. meets requirements charismatic flagship species that can used “market” landscape sufficiently scale help reverse historical neglect threatened ecosystems.