| The Yangtze finless porpoise: On an accelerating path to extinction? | |
| Mei, Zhigang1; Zhang, Xinqiao1,2,3; Huang, Shiang-Lin1; Zhao, Xiujiang4; Hao, Yujiang1; Zhang, Lin1; Qian, Zhengyi1; Zheng, Jinsong1; Wang, Kexiong1; Wang, Ding1; Wang, KX (reprint author), Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Hydrobiol, Wuhan 430072, Peoples R China. | |
| 2014-04-01 | |
| Source Publication | BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
 |
| ISSN | 0006-3207 |
| Volume | 172Issue:-Pages:117-123 |
| Abstract | For the conservation of endangered animals to be effective, information on population distribution and abundance requires regular updating from census efforts. The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) has recently been reclassified as critically endangered (CR) due to a rapid decline in abundance. Baseline measures currently used for identifying extinction risk and implementing conservation actions may lag behind the actual demographic trend of a population and, thus, should be updated frequently. In this study, we report the results of a line transect survey of porpoises conducted in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in 2012. Five hundred and five porpoises (95% CI = 348 to 662, CV = 15.86%) remain in the main stem of the Yangtze River, mostly concentrated between Ezhou and Zhenjiang. Our results reveal that the decline in the Yangtze finless porpoise population is more rapid than previously estimated. The porpoise distribution has become more restricted and fragmented with two new gaps in their distribution. We show that the extinction risk for the Yangtze finless porpoise population has increased substantially and, hence, the expected time to extinction has moved closer. Current conservation methods are insufficient and ineffective, and need to be revised. More active conservation actions, such as enforcing year-long fishing bans in the in situ reserves and building more ex situ reserves, should be implemented urgently. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.; For the conservation of endangered animals to be effective, information on population distribution and abundance requires regular updating from census efforts. The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) has recently been reclassified as critically endangered (CR) due to a rapid decline in abundance. Baseline measures currently used for identifying extinction risk and implementing conservation actions may lag behind the actual demographic trend of a population and, thus, should be updated frequently. In this study, we report the results of a line transect survey of porpoises conducted in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in 2012. Five hundred and five porpoises (95% CI = 348 to 662, CV = 15.86%) remain in the main stem of the Yangtze River, mostly concentrated between Ezhou and Zhenjiang. Our results reveal that the decline in the Yangtze finless porpoise population is more rapid than previously estimated. The porpoise distribution has become more restricted and fragmented with two new gaps in their distribution. We show that the extinction risk for the Yangtze finless porpoise population has increased substantially and, hence, the expected time to extinction has moved closer. Current conservation methods are insufficient and ineffective, and need to be revised. More active conservation actions, such as enforcing year-long fishing bans in the in situ reserves and building more ex situ reserves, should be implemented urgently. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
| Subtype | Article |
| Keyword | Yangtze Finless Porpoise Census Line Transect Survey Population Abundance Intrinsic Rate Of Increase Extinction Risk |
| Department | [Mei, Zhigang; Zhang, Xinqiao; Huang, Shiang-Lin; Hao, Yujiang; Zhang, Lin; Qian, Zhengyi; Zheng, Jinsong; Wang, Kexiong; Wang, Ding] Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Hydrobiol, Key Lab Aquat Biodivers & Conservat, Wuhan 430072, Peoples R China; [Zhang, Xinqiao] Univ Chinese Acad Sci, Beijing 100039, Peoples R China; [Zhang, Xinqiao] WWF China, Beijing 100006, Peoples R China; [Zhao, Xiujiang] China Three Gorges Corp, Beijing 100038, Peoples R China |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.biocon.2014.02.033 |
| WOS Headings | Science & Technology ; Life Sciences & Biomedicine |
| Funding Organization | National Natural Science Foundation of China [31170501, 31070347]; Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSCX2-EW-Z-4]; Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest [201203086] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [31170501, 31070347]; Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSCX2-EW-Z-4]; Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest [201203086] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [31170501, 31070347]; Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSCX2-EW-Z-4]; Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest [201203086] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [31170501, 31070347]; Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSCX2-EW-Z-4]; Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest [201203086] |
| Indexed By | SCI |
| Language | 英语 |
| WOS Research Area | Biodiversity & Conservation ; Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| WOS Subject | Biodiversity Conservation ; Ecology ; Environmental Sciences |
| WOS ID | WOS:000336337800014 |
| WOS Keyword | FRESH-WATER CETACEAN ; POPULATION DECLINE ; CONSERVATION ; RIVER ; ABUNDANCE ; HABITATS |
| Funding Organization | National Natural Science Foundation of China [31170501, 31070347]; Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSCX2-EW-Z-4]; Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest [201203086] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [31170501, 31070347]; Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSCX2-EW-Z-4]; Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest [201203086] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [31170501, 31070347]; Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSCX2-EW-Z-4]; Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest [201203086] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [31170501, 31070347]; Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSCX2-EW-Z-4]; Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest [201203086] |
| Citation statistics | |
| Document Type | 期刊论文 |
| Identifier | http://ir.ihb.ac.cn/handle/342005/19995 |
| Collection | 水生生物多样性与资源保护研究中心_期刊论文 |
| Corresponding Author | Wang, KX (reprint author), Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Hydrobiol, Wuhan 430072, Peoples R China. |
| Affiliation | 1.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Hydrobiol, Key Lab Aquat Biodivers & Conservat, Wuhan 430072, Peoples R China 2.Univ Chinese Acad Sci, Beijing 100039, Peoples R China 3.WWF China, Beijing 100006, Peoples R China 4.China Three Gorges Corp, Beijing 100038, Peoples R China |
| Recommended Citation GB/T 7714 | Mei, Zhigang,Zhang, Xinqiao,Huang, Shiang-Lin,et al. The Yangtze finless porpoise: On an accelerating path to extinction?[J]. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION,2014,172(-):117-123. |
| APA | Mei, Zhigang.,Zhang, Xinqiao.,Huang, Shiang-Lin.,Zhao, Xiujiang.,Hao, Yujiang.,...&Wang, KX .(2014).The Yangtze finless porpoise: On an accelerating path to extinction?.BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION,172(-),117-123. |
| MLA | Mei, Zhigang,et al."The Yangtze finless porpoise: On an accelerating path to extinction?".BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 172.-(2014):117-123. |
| Files in This Item: | ||||||
| File Name/Size | DocType | Version | Access | License | ||
| The Yangtze finless （649KB） | 开放获取 | CC BY-NC-SA | View Application Full Text | |||
Items in the repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
Edit Comment