Data from: Multi-scale habitat modeling identifies spatial conservation priorities for mainland clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa)

Aim Deforestation is rapidly altering Southeast Asian landscapes,
resulting in some of the highest rates of habitat loss worldwide. Among
the many species facing declines in this region, clouded leopards rank
notably for their ambassadorial potential and capacity to act as powerful
levers for broader forest conservation programmes. Thus identifying core
habitat and conservation opportunities are critical for curbing further
Neofelis declines and extending umbrella protection for diverse forest
biota similarly threatened by widespread habitat loss. Furthermore, a
recent comprehensive habitat assessment of Sunda clouded leopards (N.
diardi) highlights the lack of such information for the mainland species
(N. nebulosa), and facilitates a comparative assessment. Location
Southeast Asia. Methods Species-habitat relationships are scale-dependent,
yet <5% of all recent habitat modeling papers apply robust
approaches to optimize multivariate scale relationships. Using one of the
largest camera trap datasets ever collected, we developed scale-optimized
species distribution models for two con-generic carnivores, and
quantitatively compared their habitat niches. Results We identified core
habitat, connectivity corridors, and ranked remaining habitat patches for
conservation prioritization. Closed canopy forest was the strongest
predictor, with ~25% lower Neofelis detections when forest cover declined
from 100 to 65%. A strong, positive association with increasing
precipitation suggests ongoing climate change as a growing threat along
drier edges of the species' range. While deforestation and land use
conversion were deleterious for both species, N. nebulosa was uniquely
associated with shrublands and grasslands. We identified 800km2 as a
minimum patch size for supporting clouded leopard conservation. Main
Conclusions We illustrate the utility of multi-scale modeling for
identifying key habitat requirements, optimal scales of use, and critical
targets for guiding conservation prioritization. Curbing deforestation and
development within remaining core habitat and dispersal corridors,
particularly in Myanmar, Laos, and Malaysia, is critical for supporting
evolutionary potential of clouded leopards and conservation of associated
forest biodiversity.