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Asian Elephants in China: Estimating Population Size and Evaluating Habitat Suitability

We monitored the last remaining Asian elephant populations in China over the past decade. Using DNA tools and repeat genotyping, we estimated the population sizes from 654 dung samples collected from various areas. Combined with morphological individual identifications from over 6,300 elephant photo...

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Autores principales: Zhang, Li, Dong, Lu, Lin, Liu, Feng, Limin, Yan, Fan, Wang, Lanxin, Guo, Xianming, Luo, Aidong
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2015
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4438002/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25992617
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0124834
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author Zhang, Li
Dong, Lu
Lin, Liu
Feng, Limin
Yan, Fan
Wang, Lanxin
Guo, Xianming
Luo, Aidong
author_facet Zhang, Li
Dong, Lu
Lin, Liu
Feng, Limin
Yan, Fan
Wang, Lanxin
Guo, Xianming
Luo, Aidong
author_sort Zhang, Li
collection PubMed
description We monitored the last remaining Asian elephant populations in China over the past decade. Using DNA tools and repeat genotyping, we estimated the population sizes from 654 dung samples collected from various areas. Combined with morphological individual identifications from over 6,300 elephant photographs taken in the wild, we estimated that the total Asian elephant population size in China is between 221 and 245. Population genetic structure and diversity were examined using a 556-bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA, and 24 unique haplotypes were detected from DNA analysis of 178 individuals. A phylogenetic analysis revealed two highly divergent clades of Asian elephants, α and β, present in Chinese populations. Four populations (Mengla, Shangyong, Mengyang, and Pu’Er) carried mtDNA from the α clade, and only one population (Nangunhe) carried mtDNA belonging to the β clade. Moreover, high genetic divergence was observed between the Nangunhe population and the other four populations; however, genetic diversity among the five populations was low, possibly due to limited gene flow because of habitat fragmentation. The expansion of rubber plantations, crop cultivation, and villages along rivers and roads had caused extensive degradation of natural forest in these areas. This had resulted in the loss and fragmentation of elephant habitats and had formed artificial barriers that inhibited elephant migration. Using Geographic Information System, Global Positioning System, and Remote Sensing technology, we found that the area occupied by rubber plantations, tea farms, and urban settlements had dramatically increased over the past 40 years, resulting in the loss and fragmentation of elephant habitats and forming artificial barriers that inhibit elephant migration. The restoration of ecological corridors to facilitate gene exchange among isolated elephant populations and the establishment of cross-boundary protected areas between China and Laos to secure their natural habitats are critical for the survival of Asian elephants in this region.
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spelling pubmed-44380022015-05-29 Asian Elephants in China: Estimating Population Size and Evaluating Habitat Suitability Zhang, Li Dong, Lu Lin, Liu Feng, Limin Yan, Fan Wang, Lanxin Guo, Xianming Luo, Aidong PLoS One Research Article We monitored the last remaining Asian elephant populations in China over the past decade. Using DNA tools and repeat genotyping, we estimated the population sizes from 654 dung samples collected from various areas. Combined with morphological individual identifications from over 6,300 elephant photographs taken in the wild, we estimated that the total Asian elephant population size in China is between 221 and 245. Population genetic structure and diversity were examined using a 556-bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA, and 24 unique haplotypes were detected from DNA analysis of 178 individuals. A phylogenetic analysis revealed two highly divergent clades of Asian elephants, α and β, present in Chinese populations. Four populations (Mengla, Shangyong, Mengyang, and Pu’Er) carried mtDNA from the α clade, and only one population (Nangunhe) carried mtDNA belonging to the β clade. Moreover, high genetic divergence was observed between the Nangunhe population and the other four populations; however, genetic diversity among the five populations was low, possibly due to limited gene flow because of habitat fragmentation. The expansion of rubber plantations, crop cultivation, and villages along rivers and roads had caused extensive degradation of natural forest in these areas. This had resulted in the loss and fragmentation of elephant habitats and had formed artificial barriers that inhibited elephant migration. Using Geographic Information System, Global Positioning System, and Remote Sensing technology, we found that the area occupied by rubber plantations, tea farms, and urban settlements had dramatically increased over the past 40 years, resulting in the loss and fragmentation of elephant habitats and forming artificial barriers that inhibit elephant migration. The restoration of ecological corridors to facilitate gene exchange among isolated elephant populations and the establishment of cross-boundary protected areas between China and Laos to secure their natural habitats are critical for the survival of Asian elephants in this region. Public Library of Science 2015-05-19 /pmc/articles/PMC4438002/ /pubmed/25992617 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0124834 Text en © 2015 Zhang et al http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are properly credited.
spellingShingle Research Article
Zhang, Li
Dong, Lu
Lin, Liu
Feng, Limin
Yan, Fan
Wang, Lanxin
Guo, Xianming
Luo, Aidong
Asian Elephants in China: Estimating Population Size and Evaluating Habitat Suitability
title Asian Elephants in China: Estimating Population Size and Evaluating Habitat Suitability
title_full Asian Elephants in China: Estimating Population Size and Evaluating Habitat Suitability
title_fullStr Asian Elephants in China: Estimating Population Size and Evaluating Habitat Suitability
title_full_unstemmed Asian Elephants in China: Estimating Population Size and Evaluating Habitat Suitability
title_short Asian Elephants in China: Estimating Population Size and Evaluating Habitat Suitability
title_sort asian elephants in china: estimating population size and evaluating habitat suitability
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4438002/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25992617
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0124834
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