Effectiveness of management zoning designed for flagship species in protecting sympatric species

Abstract

Flagship species have been used widely as umbrella species (i.e., species with large home range whose protection often provides protection for sympatric species) in the management of China's nature reserves. This conflation of flagship and umbrella species is best represented by the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and other large, endangered mammals designated as conservation targets in site selection and planning of reserves. Few empirical studies have tested the effectiveness of flagship species as surrogates for a broader range of sympatric species. Using extensive camera-trap data, we examined the effectiveness of management zones designated to protect flagship (target) species in conserving sympatric species in 4 wildlife reserves (Gutianshan, Changqing, Laohegou, and Wolong). We tested whether the progression from peripheral to core zones was associated with an increasing habitat association for both target and sympatric species. The distribution patterns of the study species across the zones in each reserve indicated a disparity between management zones and the species' habitat requirements. Management zone was included in the final model for all target species, and most of them had higher occurrence in core zones relative to less-protected zones, but zone was not a predictor for most of the sympatric species. When management zone was associated with the occurrence of sympatric species, threatened species generally had higher detections in core zones, whereas common species had higher detections outside of the core zone. Our results suggested that reserve planning based on flagship species does not adequately protect sympatric species due to their specialized habitat requirements. We recommend re-examining the effectiveness of management zoning and urge a multispecies and reserve-wide monitoring plan to improve protection of China's wildlife. Efectividad del Manejo de Zonación Diseñada para Especies Bandera en la Protección de Especies SimpátricasResumen: Las especies bandera se han utilizado ampliamente como especies paraguas (es decir, especies con una extensa distribución cuya protección frecuentemente proporciona protección para especies simpátricas) en el manejo de las reservas naturales de China. Esta combinación de especie bandera y especie paraguas tiene su mejor representación en el panda gigante (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) y otros grandes mamíferos en peligro de extinción designados como objetivos de conservación en la selección de sitio y la planeación de reservas. Pocos estudios empíricos han probado la efectividad de las especies bandera como sustitutas de una especie simpátrica * Address correspondence to Keping Ma, email kpma@ibcas.ac.cn †Both the authors contributed equally to this article. Article impact statement: Zoning designations in China's wildlife reserves aimed at conserving flagship species may not meet the habitat needs of most sympatric species.

Assessment of effective conservation of the Sichuan takin by giant panda reserves through functional zoning

“…The continuous loss of biodiversity requires more rational and efficient utilization of existing natural conservation resources (Wallisdevries et al 2002;Cardinale et al 2012). However, at the landscape or inside the reserves, the conservation mode is based on the adoption of the giant panda as the flagship species, which has certain limitations in southwest China (Li & Pimm 2016;Shen et al 2020). Our research supports this view.…”

“…However, it is rare to estimate the effectiveness of functional zoning in quantitatively protecting the habitats of other local species. Unreasonable functional zoning impairs the efficiency of conservation management in nature reserves (Mörtberg et al 2007;Atkinson & Canter 2011;Shen et al 2020). Under the view of Modern System Theory, structure determines function.…”

An Evolutionary Point of View of Animal Ethics

“…One first consequence is that the ethics of animals is not different from the ethics of ecosystems because all species have evolved as interconnected entities (Thébault and Fontaine, 2010;Ulanowicz et al, 2014), and if one is granted rights, the second automatically obtains the same rights. This might happen directly, with animals and plants being parts of the ecosystems, or indirectly, such as protecting a flag or umbrella species, e.g., the giant panda, for the protection of the all ecosystems (Shen et al, 2020). Granting legal identity to rivers protects more than just the rivers themselves; it also protects biodiversity, cultures, and ethnicities (Wilson and Lee, 2019).…”

Opportunities for prioritizing and expanding conservation enterprise in India using a guild of carnivores as flagships

“…Basic ecological information on key indicator species that represent the health of these habitats is severely inadequate or inaccurate (Hurlbert andJetz 2007, Ghosh-Harihar et al 2019). This creates an imperative need for identifying and using appropriate flagship species (Veríssimo et al 2013, Shen et al 2020 or species assemblages as surrogates to conserve such diverse yet neglected ecosystems.…”