The Asian elephant has lost two thirds of its habitat in 300 years

27 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

Habitats suitable for Asian elephants have declined by more than 64% –which is equivalent to 3.3 million square kilometers of land– since the year 1700,

According to a study published in the journal Scientific Reportsthe loss of habitat from 1700, after centuries of relative stability, coincides with colonial land use and subsequent agricultural intensification in South Asia.

Asian elephants live in diverse habitats such as grasslands and tropical rainforests, but with increasing human use of land and loss of habitats, elephants can come into conflict with humans.

To assess the historical distribution of elephant habitats and changes in land use, it is possible to model elephant data and environmental factors to infer habitat suitability in an area and over time.

Researcher Shermin de Silva, founder of Trunks and Leaves Inc., which focuses on elephant conservation, and her colleagues estimated the change in the extent and fragmentation of Asian elephant ecosystems in 13 countries between the years 850 and 2015. and calculated the change in suitable habitat from 1700 to 2015.

Habitats were classified as suitable if they exceeded a defined threshold modeled according to ecological criteria including, among other factors, percentage of primary forest and pasture, non-wooded vegetation, cropping and irrigation patterns, rates of timber felling, and urbanization, reports the University of California San Diego it’s a statement.

The authors compared an area within 100 km of the current range of elephants in Asia and found that in 1700 100% of the area could have been considered suitable habitat, but in 2015 less than half were considered adequate (48.6%).

They suggest that mainland China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and Sumatra have each lost more than half their range of suitable elephant habitat, with the largest declines in China (about 94% of suitable habitat lost). and India (about 86% of suitable habitat lost).

Estimates over the Borneo territory suggest that it has gained suitable habitat for elephants. The authors suggest that the decline in suitable habitat for Asian elephants it can lead to potential conflicts between elephants and people.

The authors conclude that taking landscape history into account is important to understand the distribution of elephants in Asia and to help develop more sustainable land use and conservation strategies to meet the needs of both elephants and people.