Pan Wenjing, Lin Liu, Luo Aidong, Zhang Li
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaXishuangbanna National Nature Reserve Bureau, Jinghong, Yunnan, China.
Integr Zool. 2009 Jun;4(2):220-231. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-4877.2009.00154.x.
There are 18 km of Kunming-Bangkok Highway passing through the Mengyang Nature Reserve of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province, China. From September 2005 to September 2006 the impact of this highway on movement of wild Asian elephants between the eastern and western part of the nature reserve was studied using track transecting, rural surveys and direct monitoring. Our results showed that the number of crossroad corridors used by Asian elephants diminished from 28 to 23 following the construction of the highway. In some areas, the elephant activity diminished or even disappeared, which indicated a change in their home ranges. The utilization rate of artificial corridors was 44%. We also found that elephants preferred artificial corridors that were placed along their original corridors. During the research, wild elephants revealed their adaptation to the highway. They were found walking across the highway road surface many times and for different reasons. We suggest that the highway management bureau should revise their management strategies to mitigate the potential risks caused by elephants on the road for the safety of the public and to protect this endangered species from harm. It is also very important to protect and maintain current Asian elephants corridors in this region.
有18公里的昆曼公路穿过中国云南省西双版纳国家级自然保护区的勐养自然保护区。2005年9月至2006年9月，利用样线调查、乡村调查和直接监测，研究了这条公路对保护区东西部野生亚洲象迁移的影响。我们的结果表明，公路建成后，亚洲象使用的交叉路口通道数量从28条减少到23条。在一些地区，大象活动减少甚至消失，这表明它们的活动范围发生了变化。人工通道的利用率为44%。我们还发现，大象更喜欢沿着它们原来通道设置的人工通道。在研究过程中，野生大象表现出了对公路的适应性。人们多次发现它们出于不同原因穿过公路路面。我们建议公路管理部门应修订其管理策略，以降低大象在路上对公众安全造成的潜在风险，并保护这一濒危物种免受伤害。保护和维护该地区目前的亚洲象通道也非常重要。
