Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 25, 2026
09:11
Cortisol Measurement in Koala Phascolarctos cinereus Fur
Published on: August 23, 2019
11.1K
Conflict between conservation and development: cash forest encroachment in Asian elephant distributions
Peng Liu1, Hui Wen2, Franziska K Harich3
1Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
Scientific Reports
|August 5, 2017
Summary
China's economic development has led to smaller, fragmented Asian elephant habitats. Conservation efforts must focus on restoring natural forests and creating ecological corridors for species survival.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- China's rapid economic development over four decades has significantly impacted wildlife populations and habitats.
- Forestry policies and market trends have indirectly influenced the distribution of Asian elephants.
- Understanding the conflict between development and conservation is crucial for effective policy-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map historical Asian elephant distribution against human land use changes.
- To analyze the fragmentation and decline of natural forest habitats over 40 years.
- To inform land-use planning for endangered elephant conservation.
Main Methods:
- Spatial analysis of historical elephant distribution data.
- Mapping of land-use changes, including natural forests, rubber, and tea plantations.
- Correlation analysis between land-use patterns and elephant habitat fragmentation.
Main Results:
- Asian elephant distribution is confined to unbroken natural forests.
- Elephant distribution ranges have shrunk and become fragmented over 40 years.
- Natural forest area decreased by 16%, with encroachment by monoculture cash trees like rubber and tea plantations.
Conclusions:
- Restoring elephant habitats is critical for species survival in the region.
- Establishing ecological corridors is essential to connect fragmented elephant populations.
- Land-use planning for plantations must incorporate the needs of endangered elephants, particularly in Xishuangbanna and southern Pu'er.
Related Concept Videos
00:53Migration
9.0K
Migration is long-range, seasonal movement from one region or habitat to another. This common strategy, carried out by many different organisms around the world, is an adaptive response that typically corresponds to changes in an organism’s environment, like resource availability or climate. Migrations can involve huge groups of thousands of animals as well as single individuals traveling alone and can range from thousands of kilometers to just a few hundred meters.
9.0K
02:31Habitat Fragmentation
21.6K
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
21.6K
02:07Conservation of Declining Populations
13.5K
Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
13.5K
01:38Limits to Natural Selection
35.5K
Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.
35.5K
01:57What is Conservation Biology?
24.6K
Conservation biology is a scientific field that focuses on the preservation of biodiversity in order to protect ecosystems while meeting the needs of the human population. Humans require properly functioning ecosystems to maintain our supply of natural resources, including food, medicines, and building materials.
24.6K
01:43Sustainable Development
15.3K
As the human population continues to grow and use resources, we must be mindful of our planet’s natural limits. Sustainable development provides a pathway to maintain and improve human life now while also ensuring that future generations will have the resources that they need. The long-term success of sustainability efforts rests on understanding the interplay between human actions and ecological systems.
15.3K