Big mammals at higher risk of extinction in world's poorest countries


Date:
August 24, 2020
Source:
University of York
Summary:
A review, which looks at 81 studies carried out between 1980 and
2020, has found that illegal hunting is causing worrying declines
in the big mammal populations of protected areas across the globe,
and particularly in poorer countries.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
Big mammals such as elephants, rhinos and primates are at highest risk
of extinction in the national parks and nature reserves of the world's
poorest countries, a new global review has found.


==========================================================================
The review, which looked at 81 studies carried out between 1980 and 2020,
found that illegal hunting was causing worrying declines in the big
mammal populations of protected areas across the globe, and particularly
in poorer countries.

In the four continents included in the study, 294 different mammal
species were discovered to have been illegally hunted in the national
parks created to protect them.

The threat species face in poorer countries may be down to a boom in
bushmeat trade and a lack of resources for conservation.

In order to protect species, governments and policy makers need to focus
on tackling human poverty, the researchers urge.

Lead author of the study, Dr Alfan Rija, of Tanzania's Sokoine
University of Agriculture who conducted the review while a PhD student
at the University of York, said: "We have known for several years that
illegal hunting reduces mammal populations, but our review reveals that
this is happening even inside protected areas and particularly affects
larger mammals (those with a body mass of over 100kg) in the poorest
countries. In poorer countries such as my home of Tanzania, bushmeat
is a valuable source of income and protein in some areas and there is
also less resources available to invest in the security and policing of national parks.

"The threat from illegal hunting is particularly dangerous to large
mammals because they have slow growth rates and so over-hunting is likely
to cause population decline.

"Aside from concerns about the future of many of these species being
in peril, the loss of mammals due to illegal hunting pressure has been
related to substantial loss of important functional characteristics
in an ecosystem. They support many ecological interactions -- such
as seed dispersal and regeneration -- and their decline threatens
wider biodiversity." The study found that in general across the globe, stricter protected areas showed lower rates of large mammal population
decline. However, this was not the case in Asia, where stricter national
parks had higher rates of illegal hunting and species decline.

Senior author of the study, Dr Colin Beale from the Department of Biology
at the University of York, said: "Our research adds to a growing number of studies that suggest Asia is currently a particular focus for the illegal
trade of wildlife body parts. Despite strict laws, illegal hunters may
be forced to enter protected areas where most sought-after species such
as snow leopard, tiger, pangolin, orangutans and sun bears still remain.

"Improving the effectiveness of Asian protected areas will be important
to strengthen biodiversity conservation across continental Asia, and
is likely to need a range of measures including ensuing effective law enforcement as well as work with communities in and around valuable
wildlife areas." The study was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture,
in Tanzania.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_York. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Alfan A. Rija, Rob Critchlow, Chris D. Thomas, Colin
M. Beale. Global
extent and drivers of mammal population declines in protected
areas under illegal hunting pressure. PLOS ONE, 2020; 15 (8):
e0227163 DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0227163 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200824105611.htm

--- up 6 hours, 50 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1337:3/111)