Climate Change and Snow Leopards in China
Aside from a few rough estimates of habitat and population size,
almost nothing is known about the distribution, relative abundance, or
population trends of snow leopards in China. A new Google Challenge
Grant from the Google.org Fund of Tides Foundation will enable the
Trust to improve this situation. The grant is funding analysis to
create a better, more detailed map of snow leopard range in China, as
well as a series of maps exploring how climate change is likely to
shift snow leopard habitat and where increased conflicts between
humans and snow leopards could result. This information helps the
Trust as we decide how to focus our efforts to protect snow leopards
in China. In addition, researchers, conservationists, and policy
makers worldwide will have access to the maps, as well as an
interactive presentation in Google Earth for educational use.