Causes of domestic livestock ?wild herbivore conflicts in the alpine of the Plateau

Studying the causes of human-wildlife conflicts is important for reducing these conflicts. Human-wildlife conflicts can be divided into wild carnivore- and wild herbivore-related conflicts. Compared with carnivore-related conflicts, herbivore-related conflicts such as domestic livestock-wild herbivore conflicts (LHCs) have not been adequately studied, and there is scarce information on LHC intensity, causes, and impacts. LHCs frequently and extensively occur in the alpine ecosystem of the Chang Tang Plateau, China. Herbivorous wildlife competes with livestock for forage and habitat, which degrades the ecosystem, influences community livelihood, and decreases residents' tolerance of wildlife. This study analyzed LHC causes in this plateau by focusing on forage competition, wild herbivore habitat and grazing land overlap using a comprehensive carrying capacity analysis method and niche Maxent model by integrating field surveys, statistical data, and remote sensing data. By integrating the domestic livestock with herbivorous wildlife into carrying capacity analysis, the stocking rate was 110%, which was 10% over the carrying capacity threshold. Overlap between wild herbivore habitat and domestic livestock grazing land was high, with Tibetan antelope ranging in 88% of the grazing land and domestic livestock grazing activities in 39.2% of Tibetan antelope habitat. Pasture fencing aggravated LHCs by fragmenting herbivore habitats and obstructing Tibetan antelope migration routes. LHCs in this plateau could be mitigated by extending the existing wildlife-related damage compensation scheme to cover wild herbivore-related damages, optimizing pasture fencing layout, diversifying community livelihood, and popularizing community-based wildlife management.