The high mountains of Asia are home to montane grasslands and shrublands. The vastness of this landscape witnesses a considerable degree of variations in the climate and geography throughout the entire region. The region thus has diverse ecology, from snow-covered mountains with low oxygen levels to dense forests. Such variations provide an opportunity for us to understand the effects of geography and climate on the carnivore community structure or carnivore assemblage (i.e. group of species with similar trait in a specific location). Snow leopards, red fox, wolves, brown bear, stone marten are few of the many carnivores that inhabit these regions.

Community structure is a pattern of species presence, absence and abundance in a certain area.

Generally, two major processes are known to shape this community structure- The first is a niche-based deterministic process, where habitat and species interactions act as the factors that determine the community structure. A niche-based deterministic process is one where no randomness is assumed in the development of the community structure.

The second is a random stochastic process, where speciation (evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species) and species dispersal act as the factors that shape the community structure. A random stochastic process is one species having a random probability of occurring in a landscape, which may be hard to predict.

Role of these two processes in shaping community structures may vary over space and time, or in more refined terminology, on a spatial and temporal scale.

In earlier days, such studies generally did not look at the role of scales. Recognition of scale dependency of various processes was an important milestone in community studies. However, it is still challenging to quantify the relative role of the processes on different scales.

Generally, on a broad scale like continental or biome level, species assemble through speciation and species dispersal. And on regional and local scales, species go through deterministic factors like environment and species interactions. This deterministic process acts as the selecting force that determines species the presence-absence and their relative abundance.

To understand the effects of these deterministic and random processes in shaping the carnivore community structure, we have devised our study based on three spatial scales.

On a continental and biome scale, we intend to compare null (species assembled by chance) and observed community; whether the species assembly close to the null assemblage suggests the role of a random process; and whether the difference between these two - null and observed, suggests the role of a deterministic process.

To understand species interaction and environmental factors, we will be using a multi-scale, multi-species occupancy method. Occupancy means a place occupied by species or not.

Through the comparison of these results on a local and regional scale, we will be able to understand if the presence of the species is affected by presence-absence of another species or other environmental factors.To understand the effects of these deterministic and random processes in shaping the carnivore community structure, we have devised our study based on three spatial scales.

On a continental and biome scale, we intend to compare null (species assembled by chance) and observed community; whether the species assembly close to the null assemblage suggests the role of a random process; and whether the difference between these two - null and observed, suggests the role of a deterministic process.

To understand species interaction and environmental factors, we will be using a multi-scale, multi-species occupancy method. Occupancy means a place occupied by species or not.

Through the comparison of these results on a local and regional scale, we will be able to understand if the presence of the species is affected by presence-absence of another species or other environmental factors.

Understanding of processes behind formation community structure will help to assess the impact of human land-use patterns on carnivore community structure. In the mountain systems of Asia, a rapid increase in tourism, infrastructure, and evolving agricultural practices have led to considerable changes in the landscape. Impact of these changes may differ for various species. Some species may be negatively affected while some others may show a positive response. These insights are expected to provide conservation managers with information about how carnivore populations and assemblages are going to be influenced by intensifying land use. This can help both species-specific and holistic (landscape level) conservation planning.