Subsistence hunting impacts wildlife assemblages and functional ecology in tropical forests
Abstract Unsustainable wild meat hunting poses a significant threat to wildlife and tropical forest ecosystems. While high levels of extraction linked to commercial trade have received significant attention, the sustainability of subsistence hunting by Indigenous Peoples in Africa has been less stud...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87162-w |
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| author | Bradley Cain Julia E. Fa Rajan Amin Jacqueline Morrison Eva Avila Martin Stephan M. Funk Martin Jones David P. Mallon Robert Okale Guillermo Ros Brull Selvino R. de Kort |
| author_facet | Bradley Cain Julia E. Fa Rajan Amin Jacqueline Morrison Eva Avila Martin Stephan M. Funk Martin Jones David P. Mallon Robert Okale Guillermo Ros Brull Selvino R. de Kort |
| author_sort | Bradley Cain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Unsustainable wild meat hunting poses a significant threat to wildlife and tropical forest ecosystems. While high levels of extraction linked to commercial trade have received significant attention, the sustainability of subsistence hunting by Indigenous Peoples in Africa has been less studied. Understanding how changing lifestyles, particularly the sedentarisation of former hunter-gatherers, have affected the use of forest resources is crucial for wildlife conservation and livelihoods. The spatial management of hunting through the establishment of no-take zones, which act as sources for adjacent hunting areas, offers promise for the sustainability of Indigenous livelihoods. We conducted an extensive camera trap study in hunting areas subject to source-sink dynamics used by 10 sedentarised Baka communities. We compared species richness, occupancy, abundance, and community composition to a relatively non-hunted reference area in the adjacent Dja Faunal Reserve. Subsistence hunting by the Baka had a limited impact on species richness but significantly altered community composition and the abundance of carnivores, seed dispersers and granivores. These changes highlight that even the spatial management of hunting may have consequences for the sustainability of hunting systems and the functional ecology of tropical forests. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cac25bd66afb4022ae06adb06c501c26 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-cac25bd66afb4022ae06adb06c501c262025-01-26T12:27:26ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111310.1038/s41598-025-87162-wSubsistence hunting impacts wildlife assemblages and functional ecology in tropical forestsBradley Cain0Julia E. Fa1Rajan Amin2Jacqueline Morrison3Eva Avila Martin4Stephan M. Funk5Martin Jones6David P. Mallon7Robert Okale8Guillermo Ros Brull9Selvino R. de Kort10Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan UniversityDepartment of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan UniversityConservation Programmes, Zoological Society of LondonNorth of England Zoological Society, Chester ZooZerca y Lejos ONGDNature HeritageDepartment of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan UniversityDepartment of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan UniversityZerca y Lejos ONGDZerca y Lejos ONGDDepartment of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan UniversityAbstract Unsustainable wild meat hunting poses a significant threat to wildlife and tropical forest ecosystems. While high levels of extraction linked to commercial trade have received significant attention, the sustainability of subsistence hunting by Indigenous Peoples in Africa has been less studied. Understanding how changing lifestyles, particularly the sedentarisation of former hunter-gatherers, have affected the use of forest resources is crucial for wildlife conservation and livelihoods. The spatial management of hunting through the establishment of no-take zones, which act as sources for adjacent hunting areas, offers promise for the sustainability of Indigenous livelihoods. We conducted an extensive camera trap study in hunting areas subject to source-sink dynamics used by 10 sedentarised Baka communities. We compared species richness, occupancy, abundance, and community composition to a relatively non-hunted reference area in the adjacent Dja Faunal Reserve. Subsistence hunting by the Baka had a limited impact on species richness but significantly altered community composition and the abundance of carnivores, seed dispersers and granivores. These changes highlight that even the spatial management of hunting may have consequences for the sustainability of hunting systems and the functional ecology of tropical forests.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87162-w |
| spellingShingle | Bradley Cain Julia E. Fa Rajan Amin Jacqueline Morrison Eva Avila Martin Stephan M. Funk Martin Jones David P. Mallon Robert Okale Guillermo Ros Brull Selvino R. de Kort Subsistence hunting impacts wildlife assemblages and functional ecology in tropical forests Scientific Reports |
| title | Subsistence hunting impacts wildlife assemblages and functional ecology in tropical forests |
| title_full | Subsistence hunting impacts wildlife assemblages and functional ecology in tropical forests |
| title_fullStr | Subsistence hunting impacts wildlife assemblages and functional ecology in tropical forests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subsistence hunting impacts wildlife assemblages and functional ecology in tropical forests |
| title_short | Subsistence hunting impacts wildlife assemblages and functional ecology in tropical forests |
| title_sort | subsistence hunting impacts wildlife assemblages and functional ecology in tropical forests |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87162-w |
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