System evolution model of human disturbances in panda habitats

Zhigang Yan, Buddhi Dayananda, Wei Qin, Jie Gao, Xueli Wang and Igor Popovic

Ecological Modelling, 2023, vol. 484, issue C

Abstract: Anthropogenic associated habitat fragmentation has had a profound impact on great panda populations and their geographical distribution. Quantifying how panda disturbances manifest temporally and to what extent spatially can be challenging to model given the complexity of data structures and predictor variables involved. To inform future panda protection efforts and research in conservation ecology, we adopted a new approach to modeling the spatial patterns of simultaneously occurring panda disturbances over time using a system evolution model. Based on the 3rd (1999–2003) and 4th (2011–2014) National Wild Giant Panda field surveys, we analyzed the development and spatial trends of local and regional habitat disturbances affecting panda populations in China. Between 1999 and 2014, human disturbances in Minshan and Xiaoxiangling decreased by 16.15% and 36.62%, respectively, while increasing trends of 7.59%, 0.89%, and 34.49% were observed in Qionglaishan, Daxiangling, and Liangshan respectively. Ecological protection measures have also increased in Minshan, Xiaoxiangling, and Liangshan by 4.10%, 19.01%, and 4.56%, respectively, whilst a reverse trend was identified in Qionglaishan (-3.52%) and Daxiangling (-8.09%). The regional imbalance of human disturbances in Minshan, Xiaoxiangling, and Liangshan increased by 46.36%, 33.59%, and 18.82%, respectively, whilst decreasing in Qionglaishan (-4.81%) and Daxiangling (-36.39). Our findings demonstrate the utility of information entropy theory in examining cross-sectional data of multiple disturbances affecting wildlife populations. Application of this method in the context of panda habitat fragmentation has helped identify unique temporal and spatial characteristics of human disturbances impacting panda habitats over time.

Keywords: Information entropy; Habitat; Human disturbance; Ecological protection; System model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380023002132
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:484:y:2023:i:c:s0304380023002132

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2023.110483

Access Statistics for this article

Ecological Modelling is currently edited by Brian D. Fath

More articles in Ecological Modelling from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().