Department of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan.
Expert Remote Sensing and GIS, House # 01, Street # 21, F8/2, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Sci Rep. 2024 Jan 30;14(1):2505. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-51588-5.
The current distribution of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is available on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species website; however, nothing is known about the historical extent and occurrence of this species. Therefore, we aimed to understand the historical distribution of the Asiatic black bear, and map and estimate its total size, to compare it with that of species current distribution. In addition, we analyzed a network of protected areas in the past and current ranges of the species. We employed geographic information system (GIS) software to reconstruct and measure the historical range of the Asiatic black bear, comparing past and current ranges to analyze its expected range contraction. The main focus of the study was to enhance our understanding of the species' historical distribution, contributing to better conservation strategies for the present and future perspectives. The utilization of GIS tools facilitates a comprehensive exploration of the factors influencing the species' decline, ultimately aiding in more effective management and conservation efforts. We used published records of black bear's occurrence in anywhere in history to reconstruct its historical distribution range. Results revealed that the Asiatic black bear was more widely distributed in historical times and its range spanned across approximately 15.86 million km while its current range is limited to approximately 7.85 million km, showing a range contraction of approximately 49.5% (8.02 million km reduced). The total protected areas in the historical range of the species were found to be N = 9933, with total size of 0.946 million km, against N = 6580 (0.667 million km) that are present in the current range. Approximately 27.5% of the protected areas have lost the Asiatic black bear since historical times.
目前，有关亚洲黑熊（Ursus thibetanus）的分布情况可在 IUCN 红色名录濒危物种网站上查询，但关于该物种的历史分布范围却一无所知。因此，我们旨在了解亚洲黑熊的历史分布情况，并绘制和估计其总体数量，以便将其与当前分布范围进行比较。此外，我们还分析了过去和当前该物种分布范围内的保护区网络。我们利用地理信息系统（GIS）软件对亚洲黑熊的历史分布范围进行重建和测量，比较过去和现在的分布范围，以分析其预期的收缩范围。本研究的主要重点是增强我们对该物种历史分布的了解，为当前和未来的保护策略提供参考。GIS 工具的利用有助于全面探讨影响物种减少的因素，最终有助于更有效的管理和保护工作。我们利用历史上黑熊在任何地方出现的记录来重建其历史分布范围。结果表明，亚洲黑熊在历史时期分布更为广泛，其分布范围约为 1586 万平方千米，而目前的分布范围则局限在约 785 万平方千米，范围收缩了约 49.5%（减少了 802 万平方千米）。该物种历史分布范围内的保护区总数为 9933 个，总面积为 0.946 万平方千米，而目前分布范围内的保护区总数为 6580 个（0.667 万平方千米）。自历史时期以来，大约有 27.5%的保护区已经失去了亚洲黑熊。
