An evaluation of habitat selection of Asiatic black bears in a season of prevalent conflicts

Takahata, Chihiro; Nishino, Sadanori; Kido, Kirara; Izumiyama, Shigeyuki

doi:10.2192/ursus-d-11-00018.1

Cited by 46 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Human encounters with large apex carnivores, such as wolves Canis lupus , Sumatran tigers Panthera tigris and Asiatic black bears Ursus thibetanus , can result in attacks on humans and subsequent retaliatory threats to these species (Nyhus & Tilson , Takahata et al. , Behdarvand et al. ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only 7% of all studies reported that use of agroecosystems by carnivores resulted in conflicts with local human livelihoods, including crop raiding, crop damage, livestock depredation, and lethal or non-lethal injury to local people. Human encounters with large apex carnivores, such as wolves Canis lupus, Sumatran tigers Panthera tigris and Asiatic black bears Ursus thibetanus, can result in attacks on humans and subsequent retaliatory threats to these species (Nyhus & Tilson 2004, Takahata et al 2013, Behdarvand et al 2014). Human-wildlife conflicts have also resulted from damage caused by Asiatic black bears to coniferous tree plantations (Yamada & Fujioka 2010) and from crop damage in oil palm, banana, and rubber plantations caused by Malay civets Viverra tangalunga (Jennings et al 2010).…”

Section: Does Use Of Agroecosystems By Carnivores Resulted In Human-wmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of agroecosystem matrix habitats by mammalian carnivores (Carnivora): a global‐scale analysis

et al. 2018

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Less than a quarter of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems remain intact. Protected areas (PAs) are far exceeded in area by natural habitats that have been transformed for agriculture, and PAs are too small to safeguard viable wildlife populations. It is therefore imperative to understand the use of agricultural matrix habitats by native wildlife. In this study we seek to understand how the world's mammalian carnivore species (order Carnivora) use agricultural land. We assessed relationships between agroecosystem type, carnivore species traits and conservation status, and carnivore occurrence at agricultural sites, investigated the prevalent human–carnivore conflicts in anthropogenic landscapes, and identified knowledge gaps. We reviewed 129 studies reporting agroecosystem use by native carnivores to understand which agroecosystem types are used by different species, and which factors may affect their occurrence in these habitats. We uncovered records of 97 wild and two domesticated carnivore species within 41 types of crop in temperate and tropical regions that we classified into four agroecosystem types (agroforestry, tree plantations, perennial cropland, and annual cropland). Non‐threatened carnivore species were more likely to use agricultural ecosystems than threatened species. Adult body mass, energetic trophic level, and locomotion mode were significant predictors of carnivore occupancy in agricultural lands. Our results depict a globally consistent pattern, in which the use of agroecosystem landscapes by mammalian carnivores is related to both species traits and habitat quality. We emphasise the rarity of threatened carnivore and apex predator species in agroecosystems, which strengthens the paramount importance of retaining native habitat within agricultural landscapes. Understanding the role of agricultural habitat matrices, the influence of management intensification, and the threshold areas of native habitats within anthropogenic landscapes are essential for prescribing ways to prevent further erosion of the world's carnivores in human‐modified landscapes.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Does Use Of Agroecosystems By Carnivores Resulted In Human-wmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of agroecosystem matrix habitats by mammalian carnivores (Carnivora): a global‐scale analysis

et al. 2018

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“…Consequently, we are confident that the largest extent of human-bear boundaries during summer corresponds to the peak season of human-bear conflicts and incidents [43]. The boundaries of male bears were similarly distributed in both summer and autumn against significant seasonal differences in the females' map.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…Our human-bear boundary maps gave a reasonably accurate picture of remarkable seasonal differences, and the patterns of bear response to linear landscape features were successfully shown. Consequently, we are confident that the largest extent of human-bear boundaries during summer corresponds to the peak season of human-bear conflicts and incidents [43] . The boundaries of male bears were similarly distributed in both summer and autumn against significant seasonal differences in the females' map.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Habitat Selection of a Large Carnivore along Human-Wildlife Boundaries in a Highly Modified Landscape

et al. 2014

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When large carnivores occupy peripheral human lands conflict with humans becomes inevitable, and the reduction of human-carnivore interactions must be the first consideration for those concerned with conflict mitigation. Studies designed to identify areas of high human-bear interaction are crucial for prioritizing management actions. Due to a surge in conflicts, against a background of social intolerance to wildlife and the prevalent use of lethal control throughout Japan, Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) are now threatened by high rates of mortality. There is an urgent need to reduce the frequency of human-bear encounters if bear populations are to be conserved. To this end, we estimated the habitats that relate to human-bear interactions by sex and season using resource selection functions (RSF). Significant seasonal differences in selection for and avoidance of areas by bears were estimated by distance-effect models with interaction terms of land cover and sex. Human-bear boundaries were delineated on the basis of defined bear-habitat edges in order to identify areas that are in most need of proactive management strategies. Asiatic black bears selected habitats in close proximity to forest edges, forest roads, rivers, and red pine and riparian forests during the peak conflict season and this was correctly predicted in our human-bear boundary maps. Our findings demonstrated that bears selected abandoned forests and agricultural lands, indicating that it should be possible to reduce animal use near human lands by restoring season-specific habitat in relatively remote areas. Habitat-based conflict mitigation may therefore provide a practical means of creating adequate separation between humans and these large carnivores.

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“…Japan has a high population of Asiatic black bears on Honshu Island, which has attracted a number of studies aimed at understanding habitat needs. Three studies were conducted in Nagano Prefecture in central Honshu [116][117][118]. Early studies (1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001) with VHF radio-collars accumulated only ~500 total radio-locations over multiple years; one study had to eliminate 1000 of 1500 radio-locations due to uncertainty about the accuracy with respect to habitat patches [116], raising the possibility that the discarded locations may have been in habitats less accessible to the investigators (i.e., potentially creating a bias).…”

Section: Asiatic Black Bearsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Species–Habitat Associations: A Case Study with the World’s Bears

Garshelis¹

2022

Land

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Habitat modeling is one of the most common practices in ecology today, aimed at understanding complex associations between species and an array of environmental, bioclimatic, and anthropogenic factors. This review of studies of seven species of terrestrial bears (Ursidae) occupying four continents examines how habitat models have been employed, and the functionality of their predictions for management and conservation. Bear occurrence data have been obtained at the population level, as presence points (e.g., sign surveys or camera trapping), or as locations of individual radio-collared animals. Radio-collars provide greater insights into how bears interact with their environment and variability within populations; they are more commonly used in North America and Europe than in South America and Asia. Salient problematic issues apparent from this review included: biases in presence data; predictor variables being poor surrogates of actual behavioral drivers; predictor variables applied at a biologically inappropriate scale; and over-use of data repositories that tend to detach investigators from the species. In several cases, multiple models in the same area yielded different predictions; new presence data occurred outside the range of predicted suitable habitat; and future range projections, based on where bears presently exist, underestimated their adaptability. Findings here are likely relevant to other taxa.

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An evaluation of habitat selection of Asiatic black bears in a season of prevalent conflicts

Cited by 46 publications

References 24 publications

Use of agroecosystem matrix habitats by mammalian carnivores (Carnivora): a global‐scale analysis

Use of agroecosystem matrix habitats by mammalian carnivores (Carnivora): a global‐scale analysis

Habitat Selection of a Large Carnivore along Human-Wildlife Boundaries in a Highly Modified Landscape

Understanding Species–Habitat Associations: A Case Study with the World’s Bears

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