Escalating human–wildlife conflict in the Wolong Nature Reserve, China: A dynamic and paradoxical process

Abstract

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) has become a conservation focus for both protected area management and local communities in many parts of the world. The incidence and mediation of HWCs are rooted in coupled environmental and socioeconomic contexts. A systematic analysis of HWCs was undertaken in 2016 in the Wolong Nature Reserve located in Sichuan Province, southwestern China. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 201 local households to understand the occurrence of wildlife damage, the wildlife species involved, the typical losses incurred, and the mitigation measures employed. The results revealed that local HWC has increased rapidly in recent years due to effective biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration policies. Despite the widespread occurrence of HWCs, with nearly all respondents stating that they had suffered a financial loss, appropriate compensation schemes are lacking. Local respondents' expected compensation amount and style were investigated, and it was concluded that integrated compensation and community development plans are needed to mediate and resolve HWC. In particular, greater attention should be given to reduce local households' dependence on agriculture and transform local livelihood strategies to alternative economic activities not related to farming, such as ecotourism development and migrating employment.

Assessing the spatial-temporal patterns of conflicts between humans and Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) around the Gaoligongshan Nature Reserve, China

“…Human-carnivore conflicts occur when the needs of wildlife or humans negatively impact each other (Xu et al, 2019;Zimmermann et al, 2020). These conflicts have existed since prehistory and persist today in areas where humans and carnivores share landscapes (Honda, 2009;Can et al, 2014;Bhatia et al, 2020).…”

Mapping the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Cropland Abandonment and Recultivation across the Yangtze River Basin

“…Furthermore, in mountainous areas, greater distances between homes and croplands increases the likelihood of abandonment, particularly on steeper terrains [106,107]. While GGP was not the focus of this study, the increased wildlife crop raiding associated with forest expansion due to GGP could raise production costs [108]. This may be another major reason for cropland abandonment in mountainous areas.…”

Free‐ranging livestock affected the spatiotemporal behavior of the endangered snow leopard (Panthera uncia)

“…To make matters worse, free-ranging grazing that allows livestock to roam relatively more extensively in these fragile habitats exacerbates the disturbance. Although blue sheep are undoubtedly a staple food source, local livestock has been added to snow leopards' diet (Hong et al, 2021), contributing to widespread human-animal conflicts without adequate compensation programs (Xu et al, 2019). With the increasing scale of grazing in the reserve (Liu, Gou, et al, 2021, Liu, Qi, et al, 2021, it is predictable that livestock-induced pressure on wildlife will be intensified (Pudyatmoko, 2017) and the human-animal conflict will be exacerbated (Johansson et al, 2015).…”