Collapse of the world’s largest herbivores

Science Advances, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 1(4)

Published: May 1, 2015

Large wild herbivores are crucial to ecosystems and human societies. We highlight the 74 largest terrestrial herbivore species on Earth (body mass ≥100 kg), threats they face, their important often overlooked ecosystem effects, conservation efforts needed save them predators from extinction. generally facing dramatic population declines range contractions, such that ~60% threatened with Nearly all in developing countries, where major include hunting, land-use change, resource depression by livestock. Loss of large can have cascading effects other including carnivores, scavengers, mesoherbivores, small mammals, ecological processes involving vegetation, hydrology, nutrient cycling, fire regimes. The rate decline suggests ever-larger swaths world will soon lack many vital services these animals provide, resulting enormous social costs.

Language: Английский

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Future threats to biodiversity and pathways to their prevention

Nature, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 546(7656), P. 73 - 81

Published: May 30, 2017

Language: Английский

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The environmental sustainability of insects as food and feed. A review

Agronomy for Sustainable Development, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 37(5)

Published: Sept. 15, 2017

Language: Английский

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Bushmeat hunting and extinction risk to the world's mammals

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 3(10), P. 160498 - 160498

Published: Oct. 1, 2016

Terrestrial mammals are experiencing a massive collapse in their population sizes and geographical ranges around the world, but many of drivers, patterns consequences this decline remain poorly understood. Here we provide an analysis showing that bushmeat hunting for mostly food medicinal products is driving global crisis whereby 301 terrestrial mammal species threatened with extinction. Nearly all these occur developing countries where major coexisting threats include deforestation, agricultural expansion, human encroachment competition livestock. The unrelenting suggests vital ecological socio-economic services will be lost, potentially changing ecosystems irrevocably. We discuss options current obstacles to achieving effective conservation, alongside failure stem such anthropogenic mammalian extirpation. propose multi-pronged conservation strategy help save from immediate extinction avoid security hundreds millions people.

Language: Английский

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Fear of large carnivores causes a trophic cascade

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 7(1)

Published: Feb. 23, 2016

Abstract The fear large carnivores inspire, independent of their direct killing prey, may itself cause cascading effects down food webs potentially critical for conserving ecosystem function, particularly by affecting herbivores and mesocarnivores. However, the evidence this has been repeatedly challenged because it remains experimentally untested. Here we show that manipulating in free-living mesocarnivore (raccoon) populations using month-long playbacks carnivore vocalizations caused just such effects, reducing foraging to benefit mesocarnivore’s which turn affected a competitor prey prey. We further report restoring our study system, where most have extirpated, succeeded reversing impacts. suggest results reinforce need conserve given significant “ecosystem service” them provides.

Language: Английский

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Leopard (Panthera pardus) status, distribution, and the research efforts across its range

PeerJ, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 4, P. e1974 - e1974

Published: May 4, 2016

The leopard's (Panthera pardus) broad geographic range, remarkable adaptability, and secretive nature have contributed to a misconception that this species might not be severely threatened across its range. We find only are several subspecies regional populations critically endangered but also the overall range loss is greater than average for terrestrial large carnivores. To assess status, we compile 6,000 records at 2,500 locations from over 1,300 sources on historic (post 1750) current distribution. map Africa Asia, delineating areas where confirmed present, possibly extinct or almost certainly extinct. leopard now occupies 25-37% of obscures important differences between subspecies. Of nine recognized subspecies, three (P. p. pardus, fusca, saxicolor) account 97% extant while another orientalis, nimr, japonensis) each lost as much 98% their Isolation, small patch sizes, few remaining patches further threaten six less 100,000 km(2) Approximately 17% protected, although some far less. found research was increasing, effort primarily with most whereas in need urgent attention were neglected.

Language: Английский

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Lion ( Panthera leo ) populations are declining rapidly across Africa, except in intensively managed areas

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 112(48), P. 14894 - 14899

Published: Oct. 26, 2015

Significance At a regional scale, lion populations in West, Central, and East Africa are likely to suffer projected 50% decline over the next two decades, whereas only increasing southern Africa. Many either now gone or expected disappear within few decades extent that intensively managed may soon supersede iconic savannah landscapes as most successful sites for conservation. The rapid disappearance of lions suggests major trophic downgrading African ecosystems with no longer playing pivotal role apex predator.

Language: Английский

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Prey depletion as a threat to the world's large carnivores

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 3(8), P. 160252 - 160252

Published: Aug. 1, 2016

Large terrestrial carnivores are an ecologically important, charismatic and highly endangered group of species. Here, we assess the importance prey depletion as a driver large carnivore endangerment globally using lists species for each compiled from literature. We consider spatial variation in endangerment, changes over time causes depletion, finding considerable evidence that loss base is major wide-ranging threat among In particular, clouded leopard ( Neofelis nebulosa ), Sunda diardi tiger Panthera tigris dhole Cuon alpinus ) Ethiopian wolf Canis simensis all have at least 40% their classified threatened on International Union Conservation Nature (IUCN) Red List and, along with Panethra pardus these except 50% declining. Of 494 our analysis, average just 6.9% ranges overlap protected areas. Together results show holistic approach to conservation involves protecting both directly upon which they depend.

Language: Английский

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The global decline of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and what it means for conservation

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 114(3), P. 528 - 533

Published: Dec. 27, 2016

Significance Here, we compile and present the most comprehensive data available on cheetah distribution status. Our analysis shows dramatic declines of across its distributional range. Most occur outside protected areas, where they are exposed to multiple threats, but there is little information population Simulation modeling that, growth rates suppressed extinction risk increases markedly. This result can be generalized other “protection-reliant” species, a decision tree provided improve their estimation. Ultimately, persistence protection-reliant species depends survival inside areas requires holistic approach conservation that engages rather than alienates local communities.

Language: Английский

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An inconvenient misconception: Climate change is not the principal driver of biodiversity loss

Conservation Letters, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 15(3)

Published: Jan. 20, 2022

Abstract The current perception that climate change is the principal threat to biodiversity at best premature. Although highly relevant, it detracts focus and effort from primary threats: habitat destruction overexploitation. We collated causes of vertebrate extinctions since 1900, information for amphibia, birds, mammals IUCN Red List, scrutinized others’ attempts compare with commensurate anthropogenic threats. In each analysis, none arguments founded on change's wide‐ranging effects are as urgent those loss Present conservation efforts must refocus these issues. Conserving ecosystems by focusing major threats not only protects but available, economically viable, global strategy reverse change.

Language: Английский

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