They are intended to counteract the effect of the fragmentation of habitats around the world: However, when planning corridors for game movement between isolated populations, too little attention has been paid to the behavior of the people living there, say researchers. You are now presenting the concept of “anthropogenic resistance”. Its aim is to ensure sustainable landscapes worldwide in which humans and animals can coexist.
For us, near-natural habitats have long been islands in the sea of the cultural landscape, but fragmentation is also spreading around the world: human land use and roads are increasingly fragmenting the habitats of wild animals in many ecosystems. In order for them to survive, connections between populations must be ensured. Without such “wildlife corridors”, groups of animals are isolated, unable to reproduce and may become extinct. When planning such stepping stone habitats or green bridges, it must be clarified to what extent they will be accepted by the animals and lead to desired migratory movements. So far, the focus has mostly been on the features of the landscape. To assess this so-called landscape resistance, which wild animals have to overcome to use the corridors, aspects such as forest areas, altitude, agricultural use and the degree of urbanization are taken into account.
Concept: anthropogenic resistance
The human influences are usually summarized in categories such as population density or distance to settlements or streets. As the international research team has now criticized, this assessment system falls short. Thus, not only the presence, absence or number of people should be taken into account, but also what people are actually doing in the areas concerned and how they think. You describe this factor through the concept of anthropogenic resistance. As the scientists explain, a number of behaviors and socio-economic factors can significantly influence how species move in landscapes.
As part of their study, the scientists examined three case studies in detail: wolves in Washington state, leopards in Iran and large predators in central India. As they explain, the basic principles also apply to many other species and regions. According to them, the concept of anthropogenic resistance can thus be widely applied. For example, also in the case of the Eurasian lynx, which is currently returning to its historical range in Europe, or on deer. In their study, the researchers make it clear how hunting, poaching or supplementary feeding can influence the movement reactions of wild animals.
Values and traditions play a role
Fundamentally, beliefs, values and traditions of people can also shape anthropogenic resistance and thus have a significant impact on the animal world in various areas, say the scientists. The team shows how subtle differences in human behavior can determine where wild animals move in a landscape and where they survive. For example, in some parts of the world, cultural and religious beliefs can lead to large predators such as tigers and lions being tolerated despite the threats to livestock farming and human life.
In the case of the wolf, on the other hand, it is rather the other way round: The relationships between humans and these predators are problematic in many parts of the world, which shapes the degree of anthropogenic resistance. Another example is the brown bear: “Anthropogenic resistance is also relevant for the BearConnect project, in which the connection between European brown bear populations is investigated,” says co-author Niko Balkenhol from the University of Göttingen. “Bears are able to travel long distances, as the example of the bear JJ1, better known as Bruno, shows. He migrated from the Italian region of Trento to Bavaria, where he was shot. So Bruno was able to cross the landscape, but he was stopped by strong resistance from people who couldn’t tolerate his behavior, ”says the scientist.
As part of the study, the interdisciplinary team also shows how social scientists and natural scientists could work together to record “anthropogenic resistance” and include it in the corridor planning. The researchers are convinced that this can benefit efforts to ensure the functionality of the landscape for wildlife and humans. “The study shows that it is advantageous for social and natural scientists to work together in future studies in order to better understand the effects of human behavior on the animal world,” sums up co-author Trishna Dutta from the University of Göttingen.
Source: University of Göttingen, Humboldt University of Berlin, specialist article: One Earth, doi: 10.1016 / j.oneear.2020.12.003