Reconstructing mechanisms of extinctions to guide mammal conservation biogeography

Abstract

An emerging research program on population and geographic range dynamics of Australia's mammals illustrates an approach to better understand and respond to geographic range collapses of threatened wildlife in general. In 1788, Europeans colonized an Australia with a diverse and largely endemic mammal fauna, where many species that are now extinct or threatened were common and widespread.Subsequent population declines, range collapses and extinctions were caused by introduced predators and herbivores, altered land use, modified fire regimes and the synergies between these threats. Declines in population and range size continue for many Australian mammals despite legislative protection and conservation interventions. Here, we propose an approach that integrates museum data and other historical records into process-explicit macroecological models to better resolve mammal distributions and abundances as they were at European arrival. We then illustrate how this integrative approach can identify the likely synergistic mechanisms causing mammal

Millennial processes of population decline, range contraction and near extinction of the European bison

“…Managers clearly need new information that will help to maximize the probability of successful reintroductions of European bison, and potential flow-on benefits to nature and people [ 16 ]. This information includes, but is not limited to, knowledge of the geographical structure and dynamics of the range of the European bison immediately prior to and during its demographic decline [ 7 ]. Without this biogeographic information, the consequences of improper management decisions can be severe.…”

“…New insights into the biogeography of the species were made possible because our validated process-driven ecological modelling framework allowed us to reconstruct its abundance as well as its likelihood of occurrence. Similar approaches could be used to reconstruct the causes of population declines and range collapses of other large herbivores being reintroduced to Eurasia [ 6 ] and other continents [ 7 ], including American bison ( Bison bison ), improving awareness of past threats and enriching current conservation actions.…”

“…Currently, there is much speculation as to whether the pathway to near extinction for the European bison was a recent and abrupt human-driven event, or a much longer and more drawn-out process that involved past climatic and environmental change as well as sustained hunting by humans [ 5 ]. A better biogeographic understanding of the ecological processes of population decline and range contraction for European bison is needed to inform evidence-based solutions for its future protection and recovery [ 6 , 7 ].…”