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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
environmental science
Drivers of habitat availability for terrestrial mammals: Unravelling the role of livestock, land conversion and intrinsic traits in the past 50 years
Global Change Biology, Volume 29, No. 24, Year 2023
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Description
The global decline of terrestrial species is largely due to the degradation, loss and fragmentation of their habitats. The conversion of natural ecosystems for cropland, rangeland, forest products and human infrastructure are the primary causes of habitat deterioration. Due to the paucity of data on the past distribution of species and the scarcity of fine-scale habitat conversion maps, however, accurate assessment of the recent effects of habitat degradation, loss and fragmentation on the range of mammals has been near impossible. We aim to assess the proportions of available habitat within the lost and retained parts of mammals' distribution ranges, and to identify the drivers of habitat availability. We produced distribution maps for 475 terrestrial mammals for the range they occupied 50 years ago and compared them to current range maps. We then calculated the differences in the percentage of ‘area of habitat’ (habitat available to a species within its range) between the lost and retained range areas. Finally, we ran generalized linear mixed models to identify which variables were more influential in determining habitat availability in the lost and retained parts of the distribution ranges. We found that 59% of species had a lower proportion of available habitat in the lost range compared to the retained range, thus hypothesizing that habitat loss could have contributed to range declines. The most important factors negatively affecting habitat availability were the conversion of land to rangeland and high density of livestock. Significant intrinsic traits were those related to reproductive timing and output, habitat breadth and medium body size. Our findings emphasize the importance of implementing conservation strategies to mitigate the impacts caused by human activities on the habitats of mammals, and offer evidence indicating which species have the potential to reoccupy portions of their former range if other threats cease to occur. © 2023 The Authors. Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Pacifici, Michela
Italy, Rome
Sapienza Università Di Roma
Mallon, David P.
United Kingdom, Cambridge
Iucn Species Survival Commission
Meijaard, Erik
Unknown Affiliation
Solari, Sergio
Colombia, Medellin
Universidad de Antioquia
Tognelli, Marcelo F.
United States, The Plains
American Bird Conservancy
Belant, Jerrold L.
United States, Syracuse
Suny College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Butynski, Thomas M.
Kenya, Nanyuki
Eastern Africa Primate Diversity and Conservation Program
D'Huart, Jean Pierre
Unknown Affiliation
Da Re, Daniele
Belgium, Louvain-la-neuve
Université Catholique de Louvain
de Jong, Yvonne A.
Kenya, Nanyuki
Eastern Africa Primate Diversity and Conservation Program
Dheer, Arjun
Germany, Berlin
Leibniz-institut Für Zoo- Und Wildtierforschung
Goodrich, John M.
United States, New York
Panthera Usa
King, Sarah R.B.
United States, Fort Collins
Colorado State University
Tanzania, Arusha
Iucn/ssc Equid Specialist Group
Lewison, Rebecca L.
United States, San Diego
San Diego State University
Melo, Fabiano Rodrigues de
Unknown Affiliation
Robinson, Timothy P.
Italy, Rome
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rondinini, Carlo
Italy, Rome
Sapienza Università Di Roma
Semiadi, G.
Indonesia, Central Jakarta
Badan Riset Dan Inovasi Nasional
Strier, Karen B.
United States, Madison
University of Wisconsin-madison
Talebi, Mauricio G.
Brazil, Sao Paulo
Universidade Federal de São Paulo
Taylor, William Andrew
South Africa, Parkview
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Ting, Nelson
United States, Eugene
University of Oregon
Wiesel, Ingrid
Namibia, Luderitz
Brown Hyena Research Project
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Statistics
Authors: 23
Affiliations: 32
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1111/gcb.16964
ISSN:
13541013
Research Areas
Sexual And Reproductive Health