The Impact of Hunting on the Mammalian Fauna of Tropical Asian Forests

摘要: People have hunted mammals in tropical Asian forests for at least 40,000 yr. This period has seen one confirmed global extinction (the giant pangolin, Manis palaeojavanica) and range restrictions several large mammals, but there is no strong evidence unsustainable hunting pressure until the last 2000‐3000 yr, when elephants, rhinoceroses, other species were progressively eliminated from parts of their ranges. Regional declines most occurred largely within 50 Recent subsistence typically focused on pigs deer (hunted with dogs spears or snares), monkeys arboreal (often caught blowpipes), porcupines rodents (smoked dug out burrows). Over importance been increasingly outweighed by market. The biomass dominated same as before, sold mostly local consumption, numerous additional are targeted colossal regional trade wild animals food, medicines, raw materials, pets. Many populations mammalian dispersers seeds understory browsers depleted eliminated, while seed predators had a more variable fate. Most this now illegal, law enforcement generally weak. However, examples successful show that impacts can be greatly reduced where sufficient political will. Ending should highest conservation priority. HABITAT LOSS AND DEGRADATION such massive visible threats to biodiversity Asia impact sometimes considered secondary, comparison Africa Neotropics (Primack & Corlett 2005, Sodhi Brook 2006). almost all remaining forest region few areas support vertebrate fauna they potentially could if prevented. reduction may, turn, slow vegetation recovery through its dispersal, particularly since hunters favor disperse fruits (Corlett 1998, 2002). Hunting, moreover, easily controlled than problems forests. In it relatively marginal economic activity, involving people. Hunting become problem because high human population densities well-developed infrastructure not only makes accessible, also gives access distant urban markets luxury medicinal) products. review covers (including trapping) closed-canopy habitats subtropical west Wallace’s line, i.e., Oriental Indomalayan region. excludes eastern Indonesia, very different fauna, much arid western part area covered uniform genus family level, many widespread species. Information was obtained sources, including: archaeological data; studies contemporary hunters; observations wildlife markets; changes faunas over time. Mammalian nomenclature follows Wilson