Multi-scale habitat selection modeling identifies threats and conservation opportunities for the Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi)

摘要: Abstract Clouded leopards are among Asia's most widely distributed felids, but also its least known and vulnerable. occur in some of the rapidly disappearing forests world, yet a comprehensive assessment their status habitat use is lacking, which turn limits identification priority conservation needs capacity to act as umbrella species for conserving associated forest biodiversity. To address this need Sunda (Neofelis diardi), we applied multi-scale modeling identify both key environmental variables influencing optimal scales relationship with these variables. We detected clouded at 18.3% 1544 camera stations 17 22 sampling locations on islands Borneo Sumatra. Multi-scale GLMM revealed that recent loss large-scale plantations strongly negatively influence leopard detection. Our findings suggest higher elevations ridges important components N. diardi use. illustrate how scale optimization can provide critical information characterizing requirements protected areas, core patches connectivity gaps future protection. indicate greater challenges facing Sumatra, including poaching pressure, fragmentation, roughly half area available Borneo. This research contributes vital insights assist prioritizing networks protection vulnerable felid biodiversity it an ambassador species.