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Diversity
Special Issues
Human-Wildlife Conflicts
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Human-Wildlife Conflicts

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 9845

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yunchuan Dai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Ecology and Environmental Resources, Chongqing Academy of Social Sciences, Chongqing 400020, China
Interests: human–wildlife conflicts; conservation biology; protected area management; climate change; landscape ecology; ecological modeling; ecological security
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yuguang Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biological Conservation of State Forestry Administration, Beijing 100091, China
Interests: human–wildlife conflicts; conservation biology; protected area management; landscape genetics; conservation genetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Charlotte Hacker

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Snow Leopard Conservancy, Sonoma, CA 95476, USA
Interests: human–wildlife conflict; international wildlife policy; illegal wildlife trade; conservation genetics
Dr. Yadong Xue

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China
Interests: conservation biology; human–wildlife conflict; desert animals diversity; protected areas’ planning; wildlife monitoring

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Personal injury and property loss caused by wildlife often deteriorates the relationship between humans and animals, prompting retaliatory killings that threaten species survival. Large carnivores are of great significance for maintaining the health and stability of local ecosystems. In recent years, conflicts between humans and large carnivores in many countries have increased dramatically, seriously affecting community enthusiasm for carnivores and the conservation of other species, as well as encouraging retaliatory killings. Understanding the current status of these conflicts, people’s knowledge and attitudes and identifying the risk areas and conflict driving mechanisms are crucial to formulate and implement effective mitigation and bear conservation measures.

This Special Issue aims to bring together studies analyzing the human–wildlife conflicts across different countries in an effort to better understand the drivers, patterns and outcomes of human–wildlife conflicts. We are particularly interested in:

  • The current status, characteristics and human cognition of human–wildlife conflicts;
  • Identifying the drivers leading to increased human–wildlife conflicts;
  • The mitigation strategies for human–wildlife conflicts;
  • The risk assessment for human–wildlife conflicts;
  • Conservation policies, laws and ecological compensation for large carnivores.

Dr. Yunchuan Dai
Prof. Dr. Yuguang Zhang
Dr. Charlotte Hacker
Dr. Yadong Xue
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • human–wildlife conflicts
  • risk assessment
  • conflict driving mechanisms
  • mitigation strategies
  • wildlife conservation management
  • ecological compensation
  • community economic development in protected areas
  • ecological modeling
  • application of 3S technology in wildlife protection

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1001 KiB  
Article
Factors Affecting the Adoption of Anti-Predation Measures by Livestock Farmers: The Case of Northern Chile
by Camila Núñez, Lisandro Roco and Victor Moreira
Diversity 2024, 16(9), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16090567 - 11 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1353
Abstract
Livestock farming has been a practice of great importance for the evolution of civilization, not only influencing social, economic, and cultural aspects at a global level, but also food, the economy, and sustainability, especially in developing countries, where it generates significant pressure on [...] Read more.
Livestock farming has been a practice of great importance for the evolution of civilization, not only influencing social, economic, and cultural aspects at a global level, but also food, the economy, and sustainability, especially in developing countries, where it generates significant pressure on natural resources and biodiversity. In this context, conflict arises between wildlife, mainly top predators, and livestock farmers. Despite the efforts of different communities to implement measures against predation, the conflict continues to increase. In Latin America, the livestock sector is growing at a much higher rate than in the rest of the world, particularly in Chile, where around a third of agricultural production units use livestock as their main source of livelihood. To understand the factors influencing the behavior of goat farmers when adopting measures, we applied a hurdle model with social, spatial, economic, and productive information to assess the decision to adopt measures and the intensity of the adoption of such practices. To perform this, we used data from a survey, administered in 2014 to 476 farmers located in the three provinces of the Coquimbo Region. Our dependent variable was defined by six measures: a protection dog, night confinement of the herd, supervised grazing, anti-carnivore corral, the death or capture of the predator, and repelling the predator. The adoption decision, as well as the intensity of adoption, were influenced by the location, household size, the type of livestock, the income generated by the livestock, health management, and access to technical advice. The decision to adopt measures was influenced by the production system and whether it was self-sustaining, while the intensity of adoption was influenced by herd size and the number of losses due to predation. The results showed the importance of developing and adjusting livestock support initiatives in the study area, including those that could be created, based on differentiated measures according to the profiles of farmers in the territory. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human-Wildlife Conflicts)
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15 pages, 7866 KiB  
Article
Severe Disturbance of Chinese Pangolins Caused by Free-Ranging Domestic Dogs in Unprotected Areas
by Yulin Zhang, Haiyang Gao, Hongliang Dou, Jinzhen Yang, Jingxin Wang, Zuofu Xiang and Yan Hua
Diversity 2024, 16(7), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16070386 - 5 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1308
Abstract
Unprotected areas with endangered species generally face severe human disturbance. Domestic dogs are a special form of human disturbance and are sympatrically distributed with critically endangered Chinese pangolins in remote mountainous regions of Guangdong, China. Conflicts in habitat utilization between domestic dogs and [...] Read more.
Unprotected areas with endangered species generally face severe human disturbance. Domestic dogs are a special form of human disturbance and are sympatrically distributed with critically endangered Chinese pangolins in remote mountainous regions of Guangdong, China. Conflicts in habitat utilization between domestic dogs and Chinese pangolins have rarely been evaluated, yet these conflicts might result in a decline in population viability in the wild. To address how domestic dogs affect Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) in spatiotemporal niches, we used camera traps to obtain information on the distribution and activity of Chinese pangolins and GPS collars to track free-ranging domestic dog activity in the Wuqinzhang and Pengzhai forest areas of Guangdong, China. Combined with environmental variables, we used individual and cave locations to predict a potentially suitable habitat for Chinese pangolins with Maxent. We used the minimum convex polygon method (MCP) to obtain the home ranges of the domestic dogs. Then, we calculated the overlap between the potentially suitable habitat for Chinese pangolins and the home ranges of free-ranging domestic dogs. In the temporal niche, we compared the daily activity rhythms between domestic dogs and Chinese pangolins and assessed the influences of domestic dogs on Chinese pangolins through avoidance–attraction ratios (AARs). Our results show that the potentially suitable habitat of the Chinese pangolin comprises only approximately 24% of the Wuqinzhang forest area and 12% of the Pengzhai forest area. The percentages of habitat overlap were approximately 48% and 71% in the Wuqinzhang and Pengzhai forest areas, respectively. There was less overlap in the temporal niche between Chinese pangolins and free-ranging domestic dogs, but their AAR was significant. Our results reveal that the Chinese pangolin is facing severe disturbances from free-ranging domestic dogs in spatial niches in unprotected areas. We suggest that assessments of Chinese pangolins’ survival status should be conducted as soon as possible, especially in unprotected areas. To expand and optimize established nature reserves for the Chinese pangolin, further strengthening of domestic dog management is necessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human-Wildlife Conflicts)
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15 pages, 33597 KiB  
Article
Roadkill Patterns on Workdays, Weekends and Long Weekends: Anticipating the Implications of a Four-Day Work Week
by Linas Balčiauskas, Andrius Kučas and Laima Balčiauskienė
Diversity 2024, 16(2), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16020084 - 26 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2281
Abstract
Understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of animal road mortality is important for planning protective measures and raising driver awareness. In our study of Lithuania, spanning from 2002 to 2022, we examined these patterns based on road types and categorized them by working [...] Read more.
Understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of animal road mortality is important for planning protective measures and raising driver awareness. In our study of Lithuania, spanning from 2002 to 2022, we examined these patterns based on road types and categorized them by working days, weekends, and long weekends, predicting the potential impact of transitioning to a four-day working week. We found that road type explains 22–50% of the variability in roadkill numbers for moose, red deer, wild boar, and roe deer. The highest occurrences were on main roads, while regional roads had the fewest incidents. The overall number of roadkills, especially those involving ungulates, was highest on weekends, followed by workdays, with the least on long weekends. However, these variations lacked statistical significance, and their effect size was small. We also observed a trend of increased roadkill numbers on the day before, the first day, notably on All Saints Day, or the last day of long weekends. In this context, with the introduction of a four-day work week, we are only expecting the highest roadkill numbers to move from Friday to Thursday. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human-Wildlife Conflicts)
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17 pages, 602 KiB  
Article
Input Behavior of Farmer Production Factors in the Range of Asian Elephant Distribution: Survey Data from 1264 Households in Yunnan Province, China
by Beimeng Liu, Yuchen Du, Mengyuan Zhao and Yi Xie
Diversity 2023, 15(11), 1147; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15111147 - 18 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1352
Abstract
This article, based on the sustainable livelihood framework and survey data from 1264 households in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Puer City, and Lincang City in Yunnan Province, China, analyzes the impact mechanism of livelihood capital on the production input behavior of farmers affected [...] Read more.
This article, based on the sustainable livelihood framework and survey data from 1264 households in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Puer City, and Lincang City in Yunnan Province, China, analyzes the impact mechanism of livelihood capital on the production input behavior of farmers affected by Asian elephant damage and the moderating effect of Asian elephant damage on this process using ordinary least squares (OLS) models. The study finds the following: (1) Asian elephant damage has a significant negative effect on farmers’ production input, meaning that as the severity of Asian elephant damage increases, farmers reduce their input into agricultural production factors. (2) Livelihood capital has a significant positive effect on farmers’ production input, and both the increment and stock of livelihood capital promote an increase in farmers’ production input. (3) Asian elephant damage strengthens the influence of livelihood capital on farmers’ inputs of agricultural production factors. Based on these findings, four recommendations are proposed: emphasizing the cultivation and enhancement of farmers’ livelihood capital, improving strategies for managing and preventing wildlife damage, optimizing the economic compensation mechanism for human–wildlife conflicts, and adhering to sustainable development and resource allocation. These recommendations aim to enhance wildlife conservation and management policies, strengthen farmers’ risk-coping capabilities, and ensure the sustainability of agricultural production and livelihoods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human-Wildlife Conflicts)
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24 pages, 5556 KiB  
Article
Responses of GPS-Tagged Territorial Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos to Wind Turbines in Scotland
by Alan H. Fielding, David Anderson, Stuart Benn, John Taylor, Ruth Tingay, Ewan D. Weston and D. Philip Whitfield
Diversity 2023, 15(8), 917; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15080917 - 8 Aug 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2413
Abstract
Research on potentially adverse effects of wind farms is an expanding field of study and often focuses on large raptors, such as golden eagles, largely because of their life history traits and extensive habitat requirements. These features render them sensitive to either fatality [...] Read more.
Research on potentially adverse effects of wind farms is an expanding field of study and often focuses on large raptors, such as golden eagles, largely because of their life history traits and extensive habitat requirements. These features render them sensitive to either fatality (collision with turbine blades) or functional habitat loss (avoidance through wariness of turbines). Simplistically, avoidance is antagonistic to collision; although, the two processes are not necessarily mutually exclusive in risk. A bird that does not enter a wind farm or avoids flying close to turbines cannot collide with a blade and be killed. In the USA, collision fatality is implicated as the typical adverse effect. In Scotland, avoidance of functional habitat loss appears more likely, but this depends in part on the habitat suitability of turbine locations. Previous Scottish studies have largely concentrated on the responses of GPS-tagged non-territorial golden eagles during dispersal. Several arguments predict that territorial eagles may have lower avoidance (be less wary) of turbines than non-territorial birds. Hence, we contrasted the responses of GPS-tagged non-territorial (intruding) and territorial eagles to the same turbines at 11 operational Scottish wind farms. We show that territorial eagles rarely approached turbines, but, as in previous Scottish studies of non-territorial birds, the spatial extent of avoidance depended on the habitat suitability of both turbine locations and their wider surroundings. Unexpectedly, we found that territorial eagles were apparently as wary as intruding non-territorial conspecifics of the same turbines. Our results show that regardless of age or territorial status, Scottish golden eagles largely avoided wind turbine locations, but this avoidance was conditional, in part, on where those turbines were located. Responses to turbines were also strongly dependent on birds’ identities and different wind farms. We speculate on how widespread our findings of avoidance of turbines by golden eagles are elsewhere in Europe, where there appear to be no published studies showing the level of collision fatalities documented in the USA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human-Wildlife Conflicts)
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