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Li X, Bleisch WV, Hu W, Li Q, Wang H, Chen Z, Bai R, Jiang XL. Human disturbance increases spatiotemporal associations among mountain forest terrestrial mammal species. eLife 2024; 12:RP92457. [PMID: 38949865 PMCID: PMC11216745 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial and temporal associations between sympatric species underpin biotic interactions, structure ecological assemblages, and sustain ecosystem functioning and stability. However, the resilience of interspecific spatiotemporal associations to human activity remains poorly understood, particularly in mountain forests where anthropogenic impacts are often pervasive. Here, we applied context-dependent Joint Species Distribution Models to a systematic camera-trap survey dataset from a global biodiversity hotspot in eastern Himalayas to understand how prominent human activities in mountain forests influence species associations within terrestrial mammal communities. We obtained 10,388 independent detections of 17 focal species (12 carnivores and five ungulates) from 322 stations over 43,163 camera days of effort. We identified a higher incidence of positive associations in habitats with higher levels of human modification (87%) and human presence (83%) compared to those located in habitats with lower human modification (64%) and human presence (65%) levels. We also detected a significant reduction of pairwise encounter time at increasing levels of human disturbance, corresponding to more frequent encounters between pairs of species. Our findings indicate that human activities can push mammals together into more frequent encounters and associations, which likely influences the coexistence and persistence of wildlife, with potential far-ranging ecological consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - William V Bleisch
- China Exploration and Research Society, 2707-08 SouthMark, Wong Chuk HangHong KongChina
| | - Wenqiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Quan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Hongjiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Zhongzheng Chen
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal UniversityWuhuChina
| | - Ru Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Xue-Long Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
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Li XY, Hu WQ, Wang HJ, Jiang XL. Tiger reappearance in Medog highlights the conservation values of the region for this apex predator. Zool Res 2023; 44:747-749. [PMID: 37464931 PMCID: PMC10415778 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xue-You Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China. E-mail:
| | - Wen-Qiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Hong-Jiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Xue-Long Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China. E-mail:
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Li X, Hu W, Bleisch WV, Li Q, Wang H, Ti B, Qin Z, Sun J, Zhang F, Jiang X. Disproportionate loss of threatened terrestrial mammals along anthropogenic disturbance gradients. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 850:158038. [PMID: 35981589 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tens of thousands of species are increasingly confronted with habitat degradation and threatened with local extirpation and global extinction as a result of human activities. Understanding the local processes that shape the regional distribution patterns of at-risk species is useful in safeguarding species against threats. However, there is only limited understanding of the processes that shape the regional distribution patterns of threatened species. We explored the drivers and patterns of species richness of threatened, non-threatened and total terrestrial mammals by employing multi-region multi-species occupancy models based on data from a broad camera trapping survey at 1096 stations stratified across different levels of human activities in 54 mountain forests in southwest China. We compared correlates between total and threatened species richness and examined relationships of human impact variables with the proportion of threatened species and the site's local contribution to β diversity (LCBD). We found that threatened species richness was negatively related to human modification and human presence. However, both non-threatened and total species richness increased as human modification increased. Predicted proportions of threatened species were strongly and positively related to LCBD but negatively related to human modification and human presence. Our results indicate that human impacts can lead to disproportionate loss of threatened terrestrial mammals and highlight the importance of considering threatened species diversity independently from total species richness for directing conservation resources. Our approach represents one of the highest-resolution analyses of different types of human impacts on regional diversity patterns of threatened terrestrial mammals available to inform conservation policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Wenqiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - William V Bleisch
- China Exploration and Research Society, 2707-08 SouthMark, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong, China
| | - Quan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Hongjiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Bu Ti
- Deqan Administrative Sub-Bureau of Baimaxueshan National Nature Reserve, Diqing 674500, China
| | - Zhongyi Qin
- Chuxiong Administrative Sub-Bureau of Ailaoshan National Nature Reserve, Chuxiong 675000, China
| | - Jun Sun
- Gongshan Administrative Sub-Bureau of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Nujiang 673500, China
| | - Fuyou Zhang
- Baoshan Administrative Bureau of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Baoshan 678000, China
| | - Xuelong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China.
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Li X, Hu W, Bleisch WV, Li Q, Wang H, Lu W, Sun J, Zhang F, Ti B, Jiang X. Functional diversity loss and change in nocturnal behavior of mammals under anthropogenic disturbance. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13839. [PMID: 34533235 PMCID: PMC9299805 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the Anthropocene, understanding the impacts of anthropogenic influence on biodiversity and behavior of vulnerable wildlife communities is increasingly relevant to effective conservation. However, comparative studies aimed at disentangling the concurrent effect of different types of human disturbance on multifaceted biodiversity and on activity patterns of mammals are surprisingly rare. We applied a multiregion community model to separately estimate the effects of cumulative human modification (e.g., settlement, agriculture, and transportation) and human presence (aggregated presence of dogs, people, and livestock) on species richness and functional composition of medium- and large-bodied mammals based on camera trap data collected across 45 subtropical montane forests. We divided the detected mammal species into three trophic guilds-carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores-and assessed the nocturnal shifts of each guild in response to anthropogenic activities. Overall, species richness tended to increase (β coefficient = 0.954) as human modification increased but richness decreased as human presence increased (β = -1.054). Human modification was associated with significantly lower functional diversity (mean nearest taxon distance [MNTD], β = -0.134; standardized effect sizes of MNTD, β = -0.397), community average body mass (β = -0.240), and proportion of carnivores (β = -0.580). Human presence was associated with a strongly reduced proportion of herbivores (β = -0.522), whereas proportion of omnivores significantly increased as human presence (β = 0.378) and habitat modification (β = 0.419) increased. In terms of activity patterns, omnivores (β = 12.103) and carnivores (β = 9.368) became more nocturnal in response to human modification. Our results suggest that human modification and human presence have differing effects on mammals and demonstrate that anthropogenic disturbances can lead to drastic loss of functional diversity and result in a shift to nocturnal behavior of mammals. Conservation planning should consider concurrent effects of different types of human disturbance on species richness, functional diversity, and behavior of wildlife communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Wenqiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | | | - Quan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Hongjiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Wen Lu
- Nuozhadu Provincial Nature Reserve Administrative BureauPu'erChina
| | - Jun Sun
- Gongshan Administrative Sub‐Bureau of Gaoligongshan National Nature ReserveNujiangChina
| | - Fuyou Zhang
- Baoshan Administrative Bureau of Gaoligongshan National Nature ReserveBaoshanChina
| | - Bu Ti
- Deqin Administrative Sub‐Bureau of Baimaxueshan National Nature ReserveDiqingChina
| | - Xuelong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
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Cremonesi G, Bisi F, Gaffi L, Zaw T, Naing H, Moe K, Aung Z, Mazzamuto MV, Gagliardi A, Wauters LA, Preatoni DG, Martinoli A. Camera Trapping to Assess Status and Composition of Mammal Communities in a Biodiversity Hotspot in Myanmar. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:880. [PMID: 33808844 PMCID: PMC8003726 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical forests comprise a critically impacted habitat, and it is known that altered forests host a lower diversity of mammal communities. In this study, we investigated the mammal communities of two areas in Myanmar with similar environmental conditions but with great differences in habitat degradation and human disturbance. The main goal was to understand the status and composition of these communities in an understudied area like Myanmar at a broad scale. Using camera trap data from a three-year-long campaign and hierarchical occupancy models with a Bayesian formulation, we evaluated the biodiversity level (species richness) and different ecosystem functions (diet and body mass), as well as the occupancy values of single species as a proxy for population density. We found a lower mammal diversity in the disturbed area, with a significantly lower number of carnivores and herbivores species. Interestingly, the area did not show alteration in its functional composition. Almost all the specific roles in the community were present except for apex predators, thus suggesting that the effects of human disturbance are mainly effecting the communities highest levels. Furthermore, two species showed significantly lower occupancies in the disturbed area during all the monitoring campaigns: one with a strong pressure for bushmeat consumption and a vulnerable carnivore threatened by illegal wildlife trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Cremonesi
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit—Guido Tosi Research Group—Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant, 3, 21100 Varese, Italy; (F.B.); (A.G.); (L.A.W.); (D.G.P.); (A.M.)
| | - Francesco Bisi
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit—Guido Tosi Research Group—Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant, 3, 21100 Varese, Italy; (F.B.); (A.G.); (L.A.W.); (D.G.P.); (A.M.)
- Istituto Oikos Onlus, Via Crescenzago 1, 20134 Milano, Italy; (L.G.); (T.Z.)
| | - Lorenzo Gaffi
- Istituto Oikos Onlus, Via Crescenzago 1, 20134 Milano, Italy; (L.G.); (T.Z.)
| | - Thet Zaw
- Istituto Oikos Onlus, Via Crescenzago 1, 20134 Milano, Italy; (L.G.); (T.Z.)
| | - Hla Naing
- Wildlife Conservation Society—Myanmar Program No. 12(B-21,22) Narnattaw Road, Shwe Kainnayi Housing, Kamayut Township, Yangon 11041, Myanmar; (H.N.); (K.M.); (Z.A.); (M.V.M.)
| | - Kyaw Moe
- Wildlife Conservation Society—Myanmar Program No. 12(B-21,22) Narnattaw Road, Shwe Kainnayi Housing, Kamayut Township, Yangon 11041, Myanmar; (H.N.); (K.M.); (Z.A.); (M.V.M.)
| | - Zarni Aung
- Wildlife Conservation Society—Myanmar Program No. 12(B-21,22) Narnattaw Road, Shwe Kainnayi Housing, Kamayut Township, Yangon 11041, Myanmar; (H.N.); (K.M.); (Z.A.); (M.V.M.)
| | - Maria V. Mazzamuto
- Wildlife Conservation Society—Myanmar Program No. 12(B-21,22) Narnattaw Road, Shwe Kainnayi Housing, Kamayut Township, Yangon 11041, Myanmar; (H.N.); (K.M.); (Z.A.); (M.V.M.)
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Arizona, 1064 E. Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Alessandra Gagliardi
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit—Guido Tosi Research Group—Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant, 3, 21100 Varese, Italy; (F.B.); (A.G.); (L.A.W.); (D.G.P.); (A.M.)
- Istituto Oikos Onlus, Via Crescenzago 1, 20134 Milano, Italy; (L.G.); (T.Z.)
| | - Lucas A. Wauters
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit—Guido Tosi Research Group—Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant, 3, 21100 Varese, Italy; (F.B.); (A.G.); (L.A.W.); (D.G.P.); (A.M.)
| | - Damiano G. Preatoni
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit—Guido Tosi Research Group—Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant, 3, 21100 Varese, Italy; (F.B.); (A.G.); (L.A.W.); (D.G.P.); (A.M.)
| | - Adriano Martinoli
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit—Guido Tosi Research Group—Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant, 3, 21100 Varese, Italy; (F.B.); (A.G.); (L.A.W.); (D.G.P.); (A.M.)
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