2005, 13 (5): 451 461 Biodiversity Science doi: 10.1360/biodiv.050031 http: //www.biodiversity-science.net 1, 2, 3 1* 3 4 5 1 (, 100080) 2 (, 410004) 3 (, 150040) 4 (, 510260) 5 (, 434400) : (Elephas maximus) (Rhinoceros sp.)(elaphurus davidianus) (Rhinopithecus roxellana) (Hylobates sp.) (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) (Cervus nippon) (Ursus arctos),,,, :,, 19 30, 21, 5 6 10,, : :, Elephas maximus, Rhinoceros sp., Ailuropoda melanoleuca, Rhinopithecus roxellana, Hylobates sp., Elaphurus davidianus, Causes of endangerment or extinction of some mammals and its relevance to the reintroduction of Père David s deer in the Dongting Lake drainage area Daode Yang 1,2,3, Zhigang Jiang 1*, Jianzhang Ma 3, Huijian Hu 4, Pengfei Li 5 1 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080 2 Institute of Wildlife Conservation, Central South Forestry University, Changsha 410004 3 College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040 4 South China Institute of Wildlife, Guangzhou 510260 5 Bureau of Hubei Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve, Shishou County 434400 Abstract: Large mammals such as Asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus), rhino (Rhinoceros sp.), golden monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana), gibbon (Hylobates sp.), giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), sika deer(cervus nippon), and brown bear (Ursus arctos) once lived in the Dongting Lake drainage area of the middle-lower reaches of Yangtze River. However, due to climate change, geomorphological change and human disturbance, these large mammals were extirpated from the : 2005-01-31; : 2005-06-02 : (G2000046805) 30230080 (04JJ3057) * Author for correspondence. E-mail: jiangzg@ioz.ac.cn
452 Biodiversity Science 13 area. After humans settled in the Dongting Lake drainage area, human activity was the major cause of the extinction of local mammalian fauna, especially human hunting, habitat loss to human settlements and land reclamation. Rhino and Asiatic elephant were extirpated or emigrated from the area during the late period of the Northern Song Dynasty while Père David's deer, golden monkey, gibbon, giant panda, sika deer and brown bear became extinct in the Dongting Lake Drainage Area in the late 19 th century. According to our investigations during past years, such a process of species extinction is still escalating. We recorded 21 national key protected mammals in the 30 nature reserves or forest parks in the Dongting Lake drainage area. Among those species, five species are critically endangered, six species are endangered and ten species are vulnerable. Primary causes that threaten the survival of mammals are habitat loss, environmental pollution, hunting, and competition for food or habitat among wild animals. Impacts of human activities on survival of presently endangered mammalian species are much greater than ever before. These threats should be considered when reintroducing Père David's deer to the Dongting Lake region. A suitable habitat with enough foods and space and no human disturbance, a healthy founder population under close monitoring, and active conservation measures based on community co-management will be prerequisites for successful re-establishment of the extinct Père David's deer in the Dongting Lake drainage area. Key words: conservation measures, Asiatic elephant, rhino, giant panda, golden monkey, gibbon, impacts of human activity 1,,, (Wilcove et al., 1998) 133 (,1998), (Elaphurus davidianus) (Equus przewalskii) (Cervus eldi hainanus),, (Jiang et al., 2000) Shuster Wade(2003),, (reintroduction) (IUCN, 1995; Nicoll et al., 2004) (Panthera tigris amoyensis) (Cervus nippon),,,,, 1985 (,1990;, 2001),, 1998 ( ),,,,, 2000 6 2004 12,,, 2, (28 44 29 35 N, 111 53 113 05 E), U,
5 : 453,, 50.27% 49.73%, 37 360 km 2, 31700 km 2 ; (, 2000),, 16.4 17.0, 3.8 4.5 ; 28.7 29.2 1200 1400 mm, ; ;, ; ( ), (Pinus massoniana) (Cunninghamia lanceolata)(phyllostachys heterocycla)(camellia oleifera) ( ) ( ), 259 430 km 2 78.96%,,,, ;, ;,,, 3,,,, (, 1990) (, 1995) (, 2000) (, 1987), 1984 2004,, ( ) ( ) ( )(, 2002a) ( ) ( ) () 30, ; 1996 2000,,, 2001, 1994 IUCN,
454 Biodiversity Science 13 2000 2001,, 10,, (, 2002b) 4 4.1,,,, (, 1990),, (Macaca mulatta) (Stegedon orientalis) (Rhinoceros sinensis),, :, ; 19 4.1.1, (, 1985) : ( ),, () 1576 1908 : ( )19 (1750) (1869) () (, 1993), (, 1996b) 4.1.2, (, 1995) :,,, ;, ;,, (, 1990),, 1050 7 8 (),, 12 ( ) (, 2001); 4.1.3 ( ) () () ( ) (, 1995),,, : 5 40, ;,, ;,,, (, 1990), : 4.1.4
5 : 455,, (1869 ) : (), (1907 ),, (, 1990): (, 2001) 4.1.5 19(, 1990) :, (1750) ( ),, ; 19, ;,, 19 ;,,, 19 4, 15 (), 16, 17 ( ), 19 (, 2001),,,, () 1948 :,,,,,, 4.2 4.2.1 21 ( 1) (Panthera pardus fusca)(neofelis nebulosa nebulosa) (Lipotes vexillifer)(moschus berezorskii) 5 ; (Macaca thibetana) (Manis pentadactyla aurita) (Cuon alpinus lepturns)(selenarctos thibetanus)(lutra lutra chinensis)(mustela flavigula) (Prionodon pardicolor) (Viverra zibetha ashtoni) (Viverricula india pallida) (Felis temmincki) (Neomeris phocaenoides) ( )(Hydropotes i. inermis) (Cervus unicolor) ( )(Capricornis sumatraensis)(naemorhaedus goral) 16 (, 1992;, 2000, 2002a;, 2004) 4.2.2, 16 ;, (, 1987) 1 :, ;, ;, 50%, 4.2.3 1994 IUCN, ( 2), 50;, 500 ; 10 20
456 Biodiversity Science 13 1 Table 1 Species and geographical distribution of national key protected mammals in the Dongting Lake drainage area Scientific name PRIMATES Lorisidae Macaca mulatta M. thibetana PHOLIDOTA Manidae Manis pentadactyla aurita CARNIVORA Canidae Cuon alpinus lepturns Ursidae Selenarctos thibetanus Mustelidae Mustela flavigula Lutra lutra chinensis Viverridae Prionodon pardicolor Viverra zibetha ashtoni Viverricula india pallida Felidae Felis temmincki Neofelis n. nebulosa Panthera pardus fusca Panthera tigris amoyensis ARTIODACLYLA Moschidae Moschus berezorskii Cervidae Hydropotes i. inermis Cervus unicolor Fauna Widespread Widespread Widespread Widespread Widespread Geographical distribution ( ) ( ) ( ) Wuling Mountains, Nanling Mountains, and Mufu Mountains () ( ) Wuling Mountains and Nanling Mountains, Mountainous and hilly areas of the Dongting Lake drainage area, The whole Dongting Lake drainage area ( ) ( ) Wuling Mountains, Nanling Mountains, The whole Dongting Lake drainage area, The whole water areas of the Dongting Lake drainage area ( ) ( ) Wuling Mountains, Nanling Mountains,, Whole Dongting Lake drainage area,, The whole Dongting Lake drainage area, The whole mountainous and hilly areas of the Dongting Lake drainage area, Mountainous forest areas of the Dongting Lake drainage area Wuling Mountains, Nanling Mountains, Xuefeng Mountains and Mufu Mountains () ( ) Wuling Mountains and Nanling Mountains () ( ) ( ) ( ) Wuling Mountains, Xuefeng Mountains, Nanling Mountains, and Mufu Mountains, The whole Dongting Lake drainage area, mainly Dongting Lake area and Xuefeng Mountains ( ), ( ) Wuling Mountains and Nanling Mountains
5 : 457 1 ( ) Table 1 (continued) Scientific name Bovidae Capricornis sumatraensis Naemorhaedus goral CETACEA Delphinidae Neomeris phocaenoides Platanistidae Lipotes vexillifer Fauna Geographical distribution ( ) Mountain forest areas of the Dongting Lake drainage area ( ) Mountain forest areas of the Dongting Lake drainage area Dongting Lake, Xiangjiang River, and Jingjiang section of the Yangtze River, 1918 Dongting Lake and Jingjiang section of the Yangtze River, ;,, 15,,, (, 2000;, 2001) 5,, 10 4.2.4 (Banks et al., 2002),, 21 ( 2),, ; ; ;, 20 50, (,1999;, 2000),,,, (), : 20 70,, 5 5.1 (, 1987), 150 : 1770 1780,, ; 1781 1810,, ; 1811 1835,, ; 1836 1910,, 150,,, 618 1524 ( ), 17.41 ; 1525 1859 ( ), 2.11300, 151(, 1991),
458 Biodiversity Science 13 2 Table 2 Protection grade, population size, endangerment category and main threats to national key protected mammals in the Dongting Lake drainage area Scientific name Protection grade Population size * Endangerment category Macaca mulatta 3000 M. thibetana 210 Manis pentadactyla aurita 5000 Main threats Cuon alpinus lepturns Extinct Critically endangered Selenarctos thibetanus 310 Mustela flavigula 8000 Lutra lutra chinensis 3000 Prionodon pardicolor 240 Viverra zibetha ashtoni 4000 Viverricula india pallida 7000 Felis temmincki 240 Neofelis n. nebulosa I 150 Panthera pardus fusca I 15 Critically endangered Panthera tigris amoyensis I 6 Critically endangered Moschus berezorskii I 1160 Hydropotes i. inermis Extinct Critically endangered Cervus unicolor 1530 Capricornis sumatraensis 1280 Naemorhaedus goral 1320 Neomeris phocaenoides 250 Habitat loss and human hunting Environmental pollution and habitat loss Habitat loss, human hunting and food shortage Habitat loss, human hunting and food shortage Habitat loss, human hunting and food shortage Habitat loss, human hunting and food shortage Habitat loss and human hunting Environmental pollution, habitat loss and human hunting Lipotes vexillifer Extinct Critically endangered Environmental pollution, habitat loss and human hunting
5 : 459, ;, 1998, 24(5 19 ) 5.2, 17 918,,,, 48 571,, 319 139, 594 835 (, 1995),,, ( 1816 ), 491.5 (, 1995),, 5.3 (,1987), 6000 km 2,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 276 33134,,, 6000 km 2 100,,,, 1825 6000 km 2 ; 1896 5400 km 2, 1925 4700 km 2 (, 1990), 5.4 :,,,, (, 2002b) :,, :,,, (Jiang et al., 2000;, 2001;, 2002b;, 1996a, b), (Schistosoma japonicum), 21,,,, 10 : (Campbell, 1980),, (Meffe et al.,1994;
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