2025-07-04 中国科学院(CAS)
中国科学院西双版納熱帯植物園の研究者らが『Journal of Animal Ecology』に発表した研究によると、絶滅危惧種アジアゾウ(Elephas maximus)の存在は、熱帯林における哺乳類群集の健全性と機能性に大きく貢献している。雲南省の熱帯林で2017年から2021年にかけて収集されたカメラトラップのデータを分析した結果、ゾウの生息域では哺乳類の出現頻度が高く、複雑で安定した共存ネットワークが観察された。特に偶蹄類や霊長類の個体数が顕著に多かった。ゾウは捕食者や競争相手として認識されておらず、生態系の中核種としての役割が明らかとなった。ゾウの減少は哺乳類ネットワーク全体の崩壊を招く可能性があり、その保護は熱帯林全体の生態系維持に不可欠である。
<関連情報>
- https://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/life/202507/t20250704_1046869.shtml
- https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.70097
アジアゾウは熱帯林において、より強固な哺乳類群集と関連している Asian elephants are associated with a more robust mammalian community in tropical forests
Li-Li Li, Ru-Chuan He, Cheng Chen, Rui-Chang Quan
Journal of Animal Ecology Published: 29 June 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.70097
Abstract
- Megaherbivores are experiencing a global extinction crisis before we fully understand their ecological functions. While the role of megaherbivores as ecosystem engineers—enhancing environmental structure complexity and facilitating seed dispersal—is well-documented, their influence on animal community assemblies remains less explored, especially in tropical forests. This knowledge gap is crucial for effective, functional-oriented conservation planning.
- Therefore, we investigated the association between Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and mammalian community assemblages—from community to species level—in tropical forests of Southwest China, using long-term monitoring data from camera traps.
- Our results revealed that the presence of Asian elephants was associated with a more robust co-occurrence network within mammalian communities. Additionally, elephants were positively correlated with the abundance of mammal species, especially ungulates and primates. At the species level, while some mammals temporarily avoided Asian elephants, most retained their diel activity patterns, presumably because they were neither in a predator–prey relationship nor intense competitors.
- Our results show that Asian elephants not only affect vegetation but also are associated with a more robust mammalian community. Consequently, protecting elephants is a pivotal conservation action towards maintaining robust animal communities in Asian tropical forests.
