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Measuring protected-area effectiveness using vertebrate distributions from leech iDNA

Author

Listed:
  • Yinqiu Ji

    (Kunming Institute of Zoology)

  • Christopher C. M. Baker

    (Harvard University
    US Army ERDC Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory)

  • Viorel D. Popescu

    (Ohio University
    University of Bucharest)

  • Jiaxin Wang

    (Kunming Institute of Zoology)

  • Chunying Wu

    (Kunming Institute of Zoology)

  • Zhengyang Wang

    (Harvard University)

  • Yuanheng Li

    (Kunming Institute of Zoology
    Harvard University)

  • Lin Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Chaolang Hua

    (Yunnan Forestry Survey and Planning Institute)

  • Zhongxing Yang

    (Yunnan Forestry Survey and Planning Institute)

  • Chunyan Yang

    (Kunming Institute of Zoology)

  • Charles C. Y. Xu

    (McGill University)

  • Alex Diana

    (University of Kent)

  • Qingzhong Wen

    (Yunnan Forestry Survey and Planning Institute)

  • Naomi E. Pierce

    (Harvard University)

  • Douglas W. Yu

    (Kunming Institute of Zoology
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of East Anglia)

Abstract

Protected areas are key to meeting biodiversity conservation goals, but direct measures of effectiveness have proven difficult to obtain. We address this challenge by using environmental DNA from leech-ingested bloodmeals to estimate spatially-resolved vertebrate occupancies across the 677 km2 Ailaoshan reserve in Yunnan, China. From 30,468 leeches collected by 163 park rangers across 172 patrol areas, we identify 86 vertebrate species, including amphibians, mammals, birds and squamates. Multi-species occupancy modelling shows that species richness increases with elevation and distance to reserve edge. Most large mammals (e.g. sambar, black bear, serow, tufted deer) follow this pattern; the exceptions are the three domestic mammal species (cows, sheep, goats) and muntjak deer, which are more common at lower elevations. Vertebrate occupancies are a direct measure of conservation outcomes that can help guide protected-area management and improve the contributions that protected areas make towards global biodiversity goals. Here, we show the feasibility of using invertebrate-derived DNA to estimate spatially-resolved vertebrate occupancies across entire protected areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Yinqiu Ji & Christopher C. M. Baker & Viorel D. Popescu & Jiaxin Wang & Chunying Wu & Zhengyang Wang & Yuanheng Li & Lin Wang & Chaolang Hua & Zhongxing Yang & Chunyan Yang & Charles C. Y. Xu & Alex D, 2022. "Measuring protected-area effectiveness using vertebrate distributions from leech iDNA," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-28778-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28778-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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