Humanity in its desire for lasting economic growth has killed, stolen and destroyed everything it found in its path. An example of this is The serious condition of the Asian elephant (elephas maximus). Although revered in many countries of the continent, this large animal on the verge of extinction. One of the reasons is the loss of areas where this species can live in peace. And more than half of the vast grasslands and tropical forests in which they lived were gone within three centuries.
According to various studies, it is estimated that they are currently on the market and about 50,000 specimens in the wildwith another 15,000 in captivity.
According to a recently published article Scientific Reportsand under the leadership of Shermin de Silva, an expert on these thick-skinned animals, The habitat of these Asian giants has decreased by more than 64% in a little over three centuries.. This percentage corresponds to the loss of 3.3 million square kilometers of land in Asia.
According to the paper’s authors, this habitat loss occurs after centuries of relative stability that reigned until recently. The decline of these animals coincides with changes in land use and agricultural intensification since colonial times. in South Asia.
This habitat loss may also make it difficult for these animals to coexist with humans and increase the risk of conflict between the two in the near future.
To carry out this study, De Silva and colleagues evaluated the spatial distribution of elephants in up to 13 countries of the continent over three centuries. They added to this data an assessment of how land use changed in these locations between 1850 and 2015. Both data can be used to model the suitability of a habitat over time.
For a habitat to be considered “adequate” for animals to live together, it had to meet certain minimum criteria. Some criteria defined by percentage of forest and pasture, treeless vegetation, cultivation and irrigation patterns, wood extraction rates or percentage of urbanization.
So, for example, they saw that the area where the elephants live today has shrunk by more than 51.4%. Because while in 1700 elephants could live in 100% of that area, now they barely live in 48.6% of that area.
Widespread casualties in Asia
Mainland China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and Sumatra take the cake in this habitat loss. Each of these countries has lost more than half of enough space for elephants to develop their lives.
The country most affected is China. In these three centuries, the thick-skinned habitable area has been reduced to only 6%. India, home to two-thirds of the world’s population of this species, is also not far behind. At least 86% of suitable habitats for their venerable elephants have been lost in this country. Only on the giant island of Borneo (Indonesia) has there been an increase in areas suitable for elephants.
According to the researchers, the need to structure land uses that are more respectful of the Asian elephant is crucial to stopping the extinction of this species.
Reference work: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-30650-8
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