主要研究 今天

The iconic lion (Panthera leo) has been listed as a vulnerable species 在 国际自然保护联盟濒危物种红色名录 since 1996, due largely to a roughly 43 percent decline in African lion populations since the early 1990s. To combat this decline, lion conservationists and researchers are now developing plans that consider how the ecological and sociopolitical threats to lion populations vary by country. Fikirte Erda自然资源与环境助理教授 主要研究 College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA), conducted research to pinpoint the specific stressors that weaken different lion populations in Africa—research that can be used to create more nuanced and targeted lion conservation plans in consideration of these identified stressors. Erda recently joined an international team in publishing her findings in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

以有针对性的研究和策略推进保护

“Escalating anthropogenic pressures on resources paint a challenging future for wildlife in general. The situation is particularly dire for lions, given that nearly all of their habitat falls within the bottom 25 percent of the world’s poorest countries,” said Erda, who has studied conservation planning in east Africa since the late 2000s and conservation for megacarnivores like the lion since 2014. “It is unsustainable for the global community to expect some of the world’s poorest communities to shoulder the responsibility of sustaining viable populations of endangered species. This study highlights the ethical and moral obligation of wealthier nations to significantly contribute to the conservation of freely ranging wild lions.”

The dramatic drop in lion populations over just a few decades stems from several ecological factors, 比如栖息地的缩小和猎物数量的减少. Additionally, the strength of governmental conservation plans and general government stability in countries with lion populations are major determinants of lion vulnerability. Lion populations are jeopardized by different ecological and sociopolitical issues depending 在 regi在y inhabit — for example, 高人口密度影响了坦桑尼亚的狮子, 但在博茨瓦纳的压力要小得多——这就是为什么更广泛, nonspecific conservation plans can be ineffective.

“虽然历史上一直有跟踪狮子种群规模的充分研究数据, 很少有研究考虑到狮子种群面临的具体威胁, 更不用说考虑到社会政治威胁,” stated Erda. “The strategy of considering population fragility and considering both ecological and sociopolitical variables can and should be applied to other endangered species as well to create more exacting and effective conservation plans.”

A Comprehensive Model for Lion Conservation Success

对于这个 recent study, Erda worked with an international team of research scientists to develop a model for analyzing threats to conservation and to apply this model to lion populations in Africa. 他们研究了25个国家的62个自由放养的狮子种群, identifying the extent of ecological and sociopolitical risk for each of these populations.

他们通过考虑牛密度等因素来评估生态脆弱性, which increases likelihood of lion-human conflict; nearby human population density; isolation of a lion population, which limits genetic variation; population size; and how much lion habitat was in a protected area. Sociopolitical fragility was calculated by examining a country’s existing environmental and conservation policies, the strength and stability of the government, 人口增长率(这增加了对健康和自然资源的压力), and economic health, 因为政府可能会优先考虑陷入困境的经济，而不是保护工作.

Using this approach, researchers were able to identify the lion populations facing the highest ecological risks, such as the population in Maze National Park in Ethiopia, where the threat to lions is caused by high density of cattle and human populations surrounding lion territory. 他们还能够确定面临最高社会政治风险的狮子种群. For example, lion populations in Somalia were found to be the most fragile mainly due to lack of governance and conservation policy.

Erda added, “This pioneering research establishes a precedent for a methodological approach to evaluate conservation investments for other wildlife facing ecological and sociopolitical issues."

对非洲狮种群面临的具体威胁有了更好的了解, conservation groups can better target their approaches, and governments can work on shaping policy that prioritizes addressing the most pressing dangers to the lions in their individual countries. Additionally, this model can be modified and applied to other endangered species with complex and varied threats to their survival.

This work is co-authored by S. K. Nicholson, A. Dickman, A. Hinks, J. Riggio, H. Bauer, A. Loveridge, M. Becker, C. 贝格,年代. Bhalla, D. Burnham, A. Cotterill, S. Dolrenry, E. Dröge, P. Funston, L. Hazzah, D. Ikanda, F. Gebresenbet, P. Henschel, R. L. Mandisodza-Chikerema, M. Mbizah, L. Hunter, K. Jacobsen, P. Lindsey, N. Maputla, E. Macdonald, D. W. Macdonald, R. Kantai Duff, C. Packer, C. Sillero-Zubiri, T. Mudumba, P. Strampelli, E. A. Sogbohossou, P. Tyrrell and A. P. Jacobson .