| Reversing net loss but aggravating fragmentation of habitat in the global Asian elephant range in the mid-2010s | |
| Zhang, Xin1,2; Campos-Arceiz, Ahimsa; Chen, Fei7; Yin, Wenping8,9; Xie, Fei1,2; Zhang, Jiejing7; Fan, Hui1,2 | |
| 2025 | |
| Source Publication | BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
 |
| ISSN | 0006-3207 |
| Volume | 307Issue:xPages:- |
| Abstract | Megafauna, such as elephants, are flagship species and play keystone roles in maintaining ecosystem function. Human-induced deforestation has considerably reduced the global geographic range and population size of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in recent decades, yet some reports suggest a possible recent recovery of some of their habitats. The long-term global dynamics of these habitats, however, remain largely unknown. In this study, we compiled environmental covariates from 39 published papers that assessed habitat suitability for Asian elephants. Using these covariates and a habitat suitability index model, we investigated the interannual dynamics of habitat suitability across the species' range from 2000 to 2020. Additionally, we analyzed trends in habitat fragmentation during the same period. Our findings revealed a significant 4.36 % decline in suitable habitat areas over two decades. Interestingly, a tipping point occurred around 2014, when habitat suitability stabilized and began to show slight improvement. However, habitat fragmentation continued to worsen throughout the study period. Notably, habitat suitability was higher in transboundary regions, where degradation was less severe than within protected areas. After 2018, habitat suitability in transboundary regions surpassed that of the protected areas. These findings emphasize the need to prioritize the protection of remaining Asian elephant populations and address the challenges of habitat fragmentation and connectivity across the species' range. Our study highlights the conservation potential often-overlooked transboundary regions and underscores the importance of leveraging geospatial data spanning long time periods and large spatial scales for comprehensive habitat evaluations. |
| Keyword | Fragmentation Habitat evaluation Habitat loss and degradation Landscape metrics Time series analysis Transboundary conservation |
| Subject Area | Biodiversity & Conservation ; Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111189 |
| Indexed By | SCI |
| Language | 英语 |
| WOS ID | WOS:001480895800001 |
| Citation statistics | |
| Document Type | 期刊论文 |
| Identifier | https://ir.xtbg.ac.cn/handle/353005/14644 |
| Collection | 2012年后新成立研究组 |
| Affiliation | 1.Yunnan Univ, Inst Int Rivers & Ecosecur, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, Peoples R China 2.Yunnan Univ, Yunnan Key Lab Int Rivers & Transboundary Ecosecur, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, Peoples R China 3.Minist Educ, Key Lab Ecosecur Southwest China, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, Peoples R China 4.Chinese Acad Sci, Southeast Asia Biodivers Res Inst, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, Peoples R China 5.Chinese Acad Sci, Ctr Integrat Conservat, Xishuangbanna Trop Bot Garden, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, Peoples R China 6.Yunnan Int Joint Lab Southeast Asia Biodivers Cons, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, Peoples R China 7.Yunnan Key Lab Conservat Trop Rainforests & Asian, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, Peoples R China 8.Asian Elephant Res Ctr Natl Forestry & Grassland A, Kunming 650216, Yunnan, Peoples R China 9.China Univ Min & Technol, Sch Environm & Spatial Informat, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, Peoples R China 10.Tech Univ Munich, Professorship Big Geospatial Data Management, D-85521 Ottobrunn, Germany |
| Recommended Citation GB/T 7714 | Zhang, Xin,Campos-Arceiz, Ahimsa,Chen, Fei,et al. Reversing net loss but aggravating fragmentation of habitat in the global Asian elephant range in the mid-2010s[J]. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION,2025,307(x):-. |
| APA | Zhang, Xin.,Campos-Arceiz, Ahimsa.,Chen, Fei.,Yin, Wenping.,Xie, Fei.,...&Fan, Hui.(2025).Reversing net loss but aggravating fragmentation of habitat in the global Asian elephant range in the mid-2010s.BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION,307(x),-. |
| MLA | Zhang, Xin,et al."Reversing net loss but aggravating fragmentation of habitat in the global Asian elephant range in the mid-2010s".BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 307.x(2025):-. |
| Files in This Item: | Download All | |||||
| File Name/Size | DocType | Version | Access | License | ||
| Reversing net loss b（5452KB） | 期刊论文 | 出版稿 | 开放获取 | CC BY-NC-SA | View Download | |
Items in the repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
Edit Comment