Mobile animals and immobile protected areas: improving the coverage of nature reserves for Asian elephant conservation in China
Many protected areas worldwide have been established to protect the last natural refuges of flagship animal species. However, long-established protected areas do not always match the current distributions of target species under changing environmental conditions. Here we present a case study of the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Oryx |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605322000515/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1827877331946962944 |
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| author | Li-Li Li Qiao-Yan Wang Hong-Pei Yang Yong-Xiang Tao Lan-Xin Wang Zheng-Bin Yang Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz Rui-Chang Quan |
| author_facet | Li-Li Li Qiao-Yan Wang Hong-Pei Yang Yong-Xiang Tao Lan-Xin Wang Zheng-Bin Yang Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz Rui-Chang Quan |
| author_sort | Li-Li Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many protected areas worldwide have been established to protect the last natural refuges of flagship animal species. However, long-established protected areas do not always match the current distributions of target species under changing environmental conditions. Here we present a case study of the Asian elephant Elephas maximus in Xishuangbanna, south-west China, to evaluate whether the established protected areas match the species’ current distribution and to identify key habitat patches for Asian elephant conservation. Our results show that currently only 24.5% of the predicted Asian elephant distribution in Xishuangbanna is located within Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, which was established for elephant conservation. Based on the predicted Asian elephant distribution, we identified the most important habitat patches for elephant conservation in Xishuangbanna. The three most important patches were outside Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve and together they contained 43.3% of the estimated food resources for Asian elephants in all patches in Xishuangbanna. Thus, we identified a spatial mismatch between immobile protected areas and mobile animals. We recommend the inclusion of the three identified key habitat patches in a new national park currently being planned by the Chinese authorities for the conservation of the Asian elephant. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:34:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ab93b8867f2c4270ab000e22ee4436ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0030-6053 1365-3008 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:34:50Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Oryx |
| spelling | doaj.art-ab93b8867f2c4270ab000e22ee4436ee2023-08-04T12:01:33ZengCambridge University PressOryx0030-60531365-30082023-07-015753253910.1017/S0030605322000515Mobile animals and immobile protected areas: improving the coverage of nature reserves for Asian elephant conservation in ChinaLi-Li Li0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8810-7747Qiao-Yan Wang1Hong-Pei Yang2Yong-Xiang Tao3Lan-Xin Wang4Zheng-Bin Yang5Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4657-4216Rui-Chang Quan7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0777-700XSoutheast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw, 05282, Myanmar, and Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, ChinaResearch Institute of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Jinghong, Yunnan, 666100, ChinaResearch Institute of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Jinghong, Yunnan, 666100, ChinaResearch Institute of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Jinghong, Yunnan, 666100, ChinaResearch Institute of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Jinghong, Yunnan, 666100, ChinaResearch Institute of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Jinghong, Yunnan, 666100, ChinaSoutheast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw, 05282, Myanmar, and Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, ChinaSoutheast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw, 05282, Myanmar, and Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, ChinaMany protected areas worldwide have been established to protect the last natural refuges of flagship animal species. However, long-established protected areas do not always match the current distributions of target species under changing environmental conditions. Here we present a case study of the Asian elephant Elephas maximus in Xishuangbanna, south-west China, to evaluate whether the established protected areas match the species’ current distribution and to identify key habitat patches for Asian elephant conservation. Our results show that currently only 24.5% of the predicted Asian elephant distribution in Xishuangbanna is located within Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, which was established for elephant conservation. Based on the predicted Asian elephant distribution, we identified the most important habitat patches for elephant conservation in Xishuangbanna. The three most important patches were outside Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve and together they contained 43.3% of the estimated food resources for Asian elephants in all patches in Xishuangbanna. Thus, we identified a spatial mismatch between immobile protected areas and mobile animals. We recommend the inclusion of the three identified key habitat patches in a new national park currently being planned by the Chinese authorities for the conservation of the Asian elephant.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605322000515/type/journal_articleAsian elephantElephas maximusflagship specieshuman–elephant conflictkey habitat patchesnational parkprotected areasXishuangbanna |
| spellingShingle | Li-Li Li Qiao-Yan Wang Hong-Pei Yang Yong-Xiang Tao Lan-Xin Wang Zheng-Bin Yang Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz Rui-Chang Quan Mobile animals and immobile protected areas: improving the coverage of nature reserves for Asian elephant conservation in China Oryx Asian elephant Elephas maximus flagship species human–elephant conflict key habitat patches national park protected areas Xishuangbanna |
| title | Mobile animals and immobile protected areas: improving the coverage of nature reserves for Asian elephant conservation in China |
| title_full | Mobile animals and immobile protected areas: improving the coverage of nature reserves for Asian elephant conservation in China |
| title_fullStr | Mobile animals and immobile protected areas: improving the coverage of nature reserves for Asian elephant conservation in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mobile animals and immobile protected areas: improving the coverage of nature reserves for Asian elephant conservation in China |
| title_short | Mobile animals and immobile protected areas: improving the coverage of nature reserves for Asian elephant conservation in China |
| title_sort | mobile animals and immobile protected areas improving the coverage of nature reserves for asian elephant conservation in china |
| topic | Asian elephant Elephas maximus flagship species human–elephant conflict key habitat patches national park protected areas Xishuangbanna |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605322000515/type/journal_article |
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