Understanding population baselines: status of mountain ungulate populations in the Central Tien Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan.

Mountain ungulates play an important role in maintaining ecosystems by influencing vegetation structure and nutrient cycling (Bagchi and Ritchie 2010). They are critical determinants of large carnivore populations, including the Vulnerable snow leopard Panthera uncia (Suryawanshi et al. 2017). However, owing to their remote mountainous habitats and associated challenges in sampling, there is a lack of information regarding mountain ungulate abundance and population trends (Singh and Milner-Gulland 2011). Robust population estimates over time help in determining population trends (Mihoub et al. 2017). Conservation status assessment of any species requires rigorous monitoring of their abundances.