Habitat Distributions and Abundance of Four Wild Herbivores on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau: A Review

Understanding the change in the habitat distributions and abundance of wildlife in space and time is critical for the conservation of biodiversity and mitigate human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs). Tibetan antelope or chiru (<i>Pantholops hodgsonii</i>), Tibetan gazelle or goa (<i>Proca...

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Main Authors: Tian Qiao, Chiwei Xiao, Zhiming Feng, Junzhi Ye
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Land
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/23
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author Tian Qiao
Chiwei Xiao
Zhiming Feng
Junzhi Ye
author_facet Tian Qiao
Chiwei Xiao
Zhiming Feng
Junzhi Ye
author_sort Tian Qiao
collection DOAJ
description Understanding the change in the habitat distributions and abundance of wildlife in space and time is critical for the conservation of biodiversity and mitigate human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs). Tibetan antelope or chiru (<i>Pantholops hodgsonii</i>), Tibetan gazelle or goa (<i>Procapra picticaudata</i>), Tibetan wild ass or kiang (<i>Equus kiang</i>), and Wild yak (<i>Bos mutus</i>) have been sympatric on the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau (QTP) for numerous generations. However, reviews on the habitat distributions and abundance of these four wild herbivores (WHs), as well as the methods examining the changes in these aspects, are still lacking. Here, we firstly review the distributions and abundance of four major WHs on the QTP across different periods, examining the underlying causes of changes and HWCs. Furthermore, we critically compare three aspects of methods: transect surveys, machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) methods of studying WHs. The results show that since the 1990s, the distributions and abundance of WHs have exhibited a trend of initial decline followed by recovery, largely attributed to global climate warming and a decrease in illegal hunting. However, in recent years, the primary challenge has shifted from wildlife protection to balancing the human and wildlife interests within the constraints of limited resources. In the future, we should focus on enhancing the ecological functions of habitats to achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, as well as establishing a scientific compensation mechanism to mitigate human–wildlife conflicts. In order to accurately calculate the changes, we should select appropriate models to analyze the habitats of wildlife based on their specific characteristics and the environmental conditions. Additionally, with the advancement of large models, AI (artificial intelligence) should be utilized for precise and rapid wildlife conservation. The findings of this study also provide guidance and reference for addressing the issues related to wildlife habitats and abundance in other regions globally.
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spelling doaj-art-a0b7f95c9c884f5283567c98b8b458a72025-01-24T13:37:35ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2024-12-011412310.3390/land14010023Habitat Distributions and Abundance of Four Wild Herbivores on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau: A ReviewTian Qiao0Chiwei Xiao1Zhiming Feng2Junzhi Ye3Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, ChinaInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, ChinaInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, ChinaInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, ChinaUnderstanding the change in the habitat distributions and abundance of wildlife in space and time is critical for the conservation of biodiversity and mitigate human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs). Tibetan antelope or chiru (<i>Pantholops hodgsonii</i>), Tibetan gazelle or goa (<i>Procapra picticaudata</i>), Tibetan wild ass or kiang (<i>Equus kiang</i>), and Wild yak (<i>Bos mutus</i>) have been sympatric on the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau (QTP) for numerous generations. However, reviews on the habitat distributions and abundance of these four wild herbivores (WHs), as well as the methods examining the changes in these aspects, are still lacking. Here, we firstly review the distributions and abundance of four major WHs on the QTP across different periods, examining the underlying causes of changes and HWCs. Furthermore, we critically compare three aspects of methods: transect surveys, machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) methods of studying WHs. The results show that since the 1990s, the distributions and abundance of WHs have exhibited a trend of initial decline followed by recovery, largely attributed to global climate warming and a decrease in illegal hunting. However, in recent years, the primary challenge has shifted from wildlife protection to balancing the human and wildlife interests within the constraints of limited resources. In the future, we should focus on enhancing the ecological functions of habitats to achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, as well as establishing a scientific compensation mechanism to mitigate human–wildlife conflicts. In order to accurately calculate the changes, we should select appropriate models to analyze the habitats of wildlife based on their specific characteristics and the environmental conditions. Additionally, with the advancement of large models, AI (artificial intelligence) should be utilized for precise and rapid wildlife conservation. The findings of this study also provide guidance and reference for addressing the issues related to wildlife habitats and abundance in other regions globally.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/23abundancehabitat distributionswild herbivoresmachine learningQinghai–Tibetan plateau
spellingShingle Tian Qiao
Chiwei Xiao
Zhiming Feng
Junzhi Ye
Habitat Distributions and Abundance of Four Wild Herbivores on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau: A Review
Land
abundance
habitat distributions
wild herbivores
machine learning
Qinghai–Tibetan plateau
title Habitat Distributions and Abundance of Four Wild Herbivores on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau: A Review
title_full Habitat Distributions and Abundance of Four Wild Herbivores on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau: A Review
title_fullStr Habitat Distributions and Abundance of Four Wild Herbivores on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau: A Review
title_full_unstemmed Habitat Distributions and Abundance of Four Wild Herbivores on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau: A Review
title_short Habitat Distributions and Abundance of Four Wild Herbivores on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau: A Review
title_sort habitat distributions and abundance of four wild herbivores on the qinghai tibetan plateau a review
topic abundance
habitat distributions
wild herbivores
machine learning
Qinghai–Tibetan plateau
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/23
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