Identifying priority areas to guide management planning of a protected area network to support snow leopard ( Panthera uncia ) in Asia

Protected areas (PAs) remain central to global biodiversity strategies to reduce accelerating declines in biodiversity; ensuring proper management, coverage and placement of PAs is key to facilitating connectivity for wildlife populations. Graph theory approaches provide a rigorous framework to evaluate connectivity performance of existing or proposed PAs.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an existing PA network across Central Asia in providing functional connectivity for snow leopard ( Panthera uncia ). We used the Integral Index of Connectivity (IIC) and its fractions to rank each PA's contribution to functional connectivity of the network, and to prioritize individual PAs. We also analysed PAs' degree of protection in relation to their importance for connectivity, and compared the current PA network to previously identified conservation areas.

We found that some PAs that ranked as high importance for connectivity showed lower degrees of official protection, including PAs that were deemed irreplaceable as connectors. PAs critical to maintaining and increasing connectivity were identified and ranked across the range, as well as areas of conservation interest that may not be currently protected.

Practical implication : our findings provide decision support for revising PA boundaries and elevating legal status of high‐value sites. We anticipate upgraded protection status and selective expansion or addition of PAs can enhance and protect functional connectivity for not only snow leopard, but also other high‐altitude species, and assist countries in meeting global biodiversity goals as outlined in the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Target 3 (30 × 30) and Target 12 (enhancing connectivity).