中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园机构知识库

Abstract In the human‐dominated epoch of the Anthropocene, nations worldwide are trying to adopt a variety of strategies for biodiversity conservation, including flagship‐based approaches. The Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ) plays a pivotal role as a flagship species in India's biodiversity conservation efforts, particularly within its tropical forest ecosystems. As the country harboring the largest Asian elephant population among the 13 range countries, India's conservation strategies offer valuable insights for other range countries. This study elucidates India's elephant conservation paradigm by outlining a historical account of elephant conservation in the country and examining the current administrative and legal frameworks. These are instrumental in implementing strategies aimed at maintaining sustainable elephant populations. Our study also analyzes trends in elephant populations and negative human–elephant interactions, drawing upon data from a centralized government database. Our findings indicate that the elephant population in India is reasonably stable, estimated at between 25,000 and 30,000 individuals. This figure constitutes nearly two‐thirds of the global Asian elephant population. India's elephant population occupies ~163,000 km 2 of diverse habitats, comprising 5% of the country's land area, with their distribution spread across the northern, northeastern, east‐central, and southern regions. This distribution has shown fluxes, particularly in the east‐central region, where large‐scale elephant dispersals have been observed. Between 2009 and 2020, human–elephant conflicts in India have resulted in an average annual loss of 450 (±63.7) human lives. During the same period, the central and state governments paid an average of US$ 4.79 million (±1.97) annually as ex gratia for property losses. Recognizing the critical nature of these conflicts, India has implemented various measures to manage this pressing conservation challenge. Overall, sustaining the world's largest extant population of wild elephants in the midst of India's human‐dominated landscapes is enabled by a robust institutional policy and legal framework dedicated to conservation. This commitment is further reinforced by strong political will and a deep‐rooted cultural affinity towards elephants and nature, which fosters a higher degree of tolerance and support for conservation efforts. 摘要 在人类主导的人类世时代,世界各国正试图采取各种策略,包括基于旗舰物种来进行生物多样性保护。亚洲象( Elephas maximus )在印度生物多样性保护工作中扮演着重要的旗舰物种角色,特别是在其热带森林生态系统中。作为 13 个亚洲象分布国中亚洲象种群数量最多的国家,印度在亚洲象保护范例方面有着重要的经验,其他分布国也能从中受益。在此,我们通过概述印度保护亚洲象的历史以及当前实施旨在维持可持续亚洲象种群的策略的行政和法律框架,来阐明印度的亚洲象保护模式。我们还根据中央政府数据库,介绍了亚洲象种群和人象负面互动的趋势。研究表明,印度的亚洲象数量稳定在25,000至30,000头之间,占全球亚洲象数量的近三分之二。印度的亚洲象种群分布在北部、东北部、中东部和南部的约16.3万平方公里的多样化栖息地中,占其总陆地面积的5%。亚洲象的分布呈现出波动性,尤其是在中东部地区,观察到了大规模的亚洲象散布现象。2009‐2020 年间,平均每年有450人(± 63.7)死于人象冲突。同期,中央政府和邦政府平均支付了479万美元(± 197)的财产损失补偿金。印度认识到负面的人象互动是亚洲象保护面临的紧迫挑战,并采取了一系列措施加以管理。总体而言,印度能够在人类主导的景观中维持现存最大的野生亚洲象种群,得益于其强大的保护制度、政策和法律框架以及政治意愿,而对亚洲象和大自然的深厚文化情感则进一步巩固了这种政治意愿,并转化为更好的容忍度。【审阅谷昊】 Plain language summary Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus ) are highly endangered, occurring as isolated, fragmented populations across 13 range countries. Among the range countries, India is home to more than 60% of the extant wild elephant population, with 25,000–30,000 elephants spread over 1,63,000 km 2 of diverse landscapes. Available data on population trends suggests India's elephant population has been reasonably stable. However, these elephants often live close to human‐dominated areas, leading to frequent human–wildlife conflicts, affecting both human livelihoods and elephant conservation. To tackle this issue, India has been advancing a variety of mitigation strategies to reduce these conflicts. Despite these challenges, India's robust legislation and policy framework, backed by strong political commitment, have been vital in current elephant conservation practices. This study discusses key contemporary challenges facing elephant conservation in India and ways to manage them with the objective of effectively sustaining viable elephant populations. Practitioner points India harbors the world's largest extant population of the endangered Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ). Major challenges to elephant conservation in India include human–elephant conflict and the impacts of infrastructure development. The country has developed and implemented institutional, policy, and legal reforms, which, combined with public support for wildlife conservation and political backing, will enable elephant conservation in India.