Field‐based evaluation of conservation surrogates at local scales: Moving beyond a single umbrella species on the Tibetan Plateau

Prioritising conservation efforts towards single surrogate species (such as umbrella species) to conserve other sympatric species is a common practice, as it offers a pragmatic approach when distribution data are sparse and funding is constrained. However, the effectiveness of a single umbrella species is context‐dependent, and the utility of umbrella species selected for regional conservation purposes must be evaluated with systematic field data to refine choices at local scales and guide adaptive management.

We evaluated the effectiveness of snow leopards Panthera uncia , a commonly used umbrella species in Central Asia's mountain ecosystems, in representing co‐occurring species' conservation needs. Using a multi‐site camera trap dataset spanning over 7000 km ² , we adopted a multi‐species occupancy modelling (MSOM) framework to quantify similarity among species' habitat preferences at fine spatial scales, while accounting for imperfect detection. We categorised the mammalian community into distinct habitat‐based groups and compared snow leopards with other sympatric species as potential umbrella species based on their representativeness of other species' habitat needs and broader biodiversity patterns.

Our results indicate that snow leopards effectively serve as an umbrella for mountain‐endemic species but poorly represent the broader mammal community in total species richness and threatened species richness. Cluster analysis of MSOM results revealed three major habitat groups: (1) alpine meadow specialists, (2) generalists and (3) alpine shrub‐meadow/open woodland specialists. Top umbrella candidates predominantly arise from the generalist and alpine shrub‐meadow/open woodland specialist groups, whereas snow leopards ranked highly for endemic species richness within their own alpine meadow specialist group.

Synthesis and applications . These findings underscore the scale‐dependent performance of conservation surrogates showing that broad geographical range overlaps (e.g. based on global distribution maps) can diverge from fine‐scale habitat requirements evaluated with field data. This suggests that conservation actions based on a single charismatic species may miss threats and habitat needs at local scales. We advocate identifying multiple umbrella species to better represent the habitat requirements of a broader species assemblage. Given the growing use of camera trap surveys, our framework provides a path from single‐species to community‐level conservation, thereby guiding targeted monitoring where resources are limited.