Effects of human activities on population density of Ochotona curzoniae in Sichuan Changshagongma Wetlands

This study quantified drivers of plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) population density in Sichuan Changshagongma Wetlands, an internationally significant conservation area. Using field survey and analytical method including ANOVA, post-hoc Tukey tests, and multiple linear regression (MLR), we assessed four anthropogenic factors: livestock grazing intensity, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) plant harvesting frequency, proximity to human settlements, and road disturbance impacts. The results indicated that: 1) Grazing intensity, residential distance and road disturbance had significant effects on the population density of O. curzoniae, but the frequency of TCM plant harvesting had no significant effect. 2) The population density of O. curzoniae in moderate to heavy grazing (grade 3−4) was significantly higher than that in other grazing intensities. 3) The population density of O. curzoniae was the highest when the residential distance was 1 km−3 km (level 3), but the density was lower at very close (< 1 km, level 4) and very far (> 5 km, level 1) distances. There was a positive correlation between the degree of road interference and O. curzoniae density, and the O. curzoniae density in areas with severe interference (< 100 m, grade 3) increases significantly. The MLR model incorporating grazing intensity, settlement proximity, and road disturbance explained 92.4% variation of O. curzoniae population density, which showed that these factors had certain prediction ability for pika distribution. This study demonstrate that human activities indirectly affect the distribution of O. curzoniae by changing the habitat environment, which provide scientific basis for ecosystem protection and rodent control in Sichuan Changshagongma international Wetlands.