【FencingorNotWildlifefencesareconstructedforavarietyofreasonsincludingtopreventthespreadofdiseasestoprotectwildlifefrompoachers(偷猎者)andtohelpmanagesmallpopulationsofthreatenedspecies.Human-wildlifecon】
FencingorNot
Wildlifefencesareconstructedforavarietyofreasonsincludingtopreventthespreadofdiseasestoprotectwildlifefrompoachers(偷猎者)andtohelpmanagesmallpopulationsofthreatenedspecies.Human-wildlifeconflictisanothercommonreasonforbuildingfences.Wildlifecandamagevaluablefarmanimalsandcrops.Somespeciescarrydiseasesofagriculturalconcernandafewthreatenhumanlives.Atthesametimepeoplekillwildanimalsforfoodtradeortodefendlivesorpropertyandhumanactivitiesdestroywildlifehabitat(栖息地).Separatingpeopleandwildlifebyfencingcanappeartobeamutuallybeneficialwaytoavoidsuchharmfuleffects.ButinapaperinthejournalSciencepublishedrecentlysomescientistsarguethatfencingshouldonlybeusedifworsecomestoworst.
Accordingtothescientistsalthoughfencingcanhaveconservationbenefitsitalsohascosts.Whenareasofwildlifehabitatarechangedintoislandstheresultingsmallandisolatedpopulationstendtowardsextinctionandtheresultinglossoflarger-bodiedspeciescanaffectinteractionsbetweenspeciesinwaysthatcausefurtherlocalextinctions.Thereforescientistsareaskingthatconservationistscarefullyweighupthebiodiversitycostsandbenefitsofnewandexistingfences.
Inadditiontofences’ecosystem-wideimpactthescientistsdon’tthinktheyalwaysachievetheirspecificaims.Constructionoffencestoreducehuman-wildlifeconflicthasbeensuccessfulinsomeplacesbutthechallengesofappropriatefencedesignlocationconstructionandprotectionmeanthatfencesoftenfailtodelivertheanticipatedbenefits.Insomeplacesfencesalsoprovidepoacherswithareadysupplyofwireformakingtraps.
Avarietyofalternativeapproachesincludingbettercaringforfarmanimalscommunity-basedcrop-guardinginsuranceandwildlife-sensitiveland-useplanningaresuggestedtoreduceconflictsbetweenpeopleandwildlifewithouttheneedforfencing.SomeprojectsworkingwithlocalpeopleandgovernmentagenciesinIndonesiahaveshownthathuman-elephantconflictcanbedramaticallyreducedwithoutusingfences.
Thescientistsconcludethatasclimatechangeincreasestheimportanceoffacilitatingwildlifemobilityandcon