Local Gazetteers Reveal Contrasting Patterns of Historical Distribution Changes between Apex Predators and Mesopredators in Eastern China

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundHumans have been causing the sixth wave of mass extinction of biodiversity. The situation of predators, especially of carnivores, is a key indicator of biodiversity, and the mesopredator release is a typical phenomenon in ecosystem recess. Local gazetteers 地方志 are a rich resource for historical biodiversity research. But there are obvious biases in previous studies focusing in only presence records and neglecting the absence records. We recollected and analyze the records by fixed methods to research historical change of biodiversity.MethodsInnovatively, this research uses both presence and absence records from local gazetteers to reconstruct the distribution of 8 kinds of mammalian predators (i.e. tiger, leopard, bear, wolf, fox, civet, dhole and mustelid) in eastern China from 1573 A.D. to 1949 A.D. (sorted into 4 periods). Then we analyze the distribution changes, the relation between animals and the influence from human.ResultsWith the human population booming, the distribution of large/apex predators retreated overall, but the distribution of mesopredators expanded overall. Besides, the predator distribution relations formed different groups, not match the body size groups totally.ConclusionsBased on our reconstructions, we provide direct proof of human disturbance on mammal distribution in China, and extend support for the mesopredator release hypothesis. And we tested the predator guild hypothesis by proving that dhole were successful to coexist with tiger and leopard in history.ProspectsWe have also collected records for other wild animals from local gazetteers in China. Based on the collection, we have built the Database of Wild Mammal Records in Chinese Local Gazetteers and are building the Database of Wild Bird Records in Chinese Local Gazetteers. We aim to continue relevant studies using these databases in the future.