By Yunrui Ji, Xuelei Wei, and Diqiang Li.
In recent decades, environmental movements and conservation programs have successfully protected and restored ecosystems, benefiting wild animal populations. However, this success brings new challenges, especially the increasing interactions and conflicts between humans and wildlife. A comprehensive examination of the dynamics of human-wildlife interactions is imperative to adapt current strategies and ensure sustainable conservation. Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is one species that regularly interacts with rural people across Asia. Our study focuses on the bears in Western Yunnan, China, a region with favorable bear conditions and significant environmental changes due to conservation policies.
We conducted a comprehensive study, combining species distribution models and semi-structured interviews, to understand the spatial-temporal dynamics of bear habitats and human-bear interactions within the social-ecological system. We explored local residents’ perceptions and the impacts of these dynamics on their support for conservation efforts. Despite localized losses, the bear habitat and population improved due to forest restoration and reduced human impact. Interestingly, there was a rise in human-bear interactions, but this did not diminish local communities’ support for conservation. Most respondents endorsed the policies, highlighting positive impacts on their livelihoods.
Our study underscores the complex nature of human-wildlife interactions within social-ecological systems. Our quantitative spatialization results provide essential insights for guiding conservation and management actions. Our findings also reinforce the importance of balance between community development and nature conservation in human-wildlife coexistence.
Relational Thinking 