Alternatives to Conservation Fences for the Protection of Tibetan Antelopes in the Tibetan Plateau
As a continuation of my previous research under PhD mentor Wenjing Xu in the ecological stage of Tibetan antelopes (Pantholops hodgsonii) as well as my support for fence mapping in Yellowstone Ecosystem, I developed an individual research to investigate for alternatives to conservation fences for the protection of Tibetan antelopes. My research outcome is summarized in a term paper presented for course LDARCH 130.
Introduction
The Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), or chiru, is one of the most famous animal species that is always associated with the mysterious Western China border and “spiritual creatures that survive in the harshest environment on earth”. They usually inhabit at elevations of 4000-5000 m only in the Tibetan Plaetau region. Remote and high, the chiru's range has seldom been penetrated by biologists. Knowledge concerning the species is largely confined to accounts by explorers, hunters, and expeditions collecting museum specimens (Schaller et. al.).
However, chiru has been through significant population declines during the last century. From minimal early explorer records, there used to be 500,000~1000,000 chiru in the early 1900s. However, poaching and habitat exploitation have significantly reduced Chiru’s population starting the 1950s. From a study in 2015, there are only a total of 10,000~15,000 chiru existed (Xia et. al.).
Historically, people on the Plateau lived a nomadic life. However, due to the dramatic increase in population and deterioration of soil due to over-grazing, nomadic life was prohibited and local residents were allocated permitted grazing land by the central government. Starting 2004, conservation fences became even more widely used for excluding seasonal grazing and protecting the ecosystem. However, in the following years, issues resulting from fencing gradually emerged, including poachers using wire fences to trap chiru, fences blocking migration tracks, etc.
Therefore, this paper will primarily investigate finding better alternatives to fencing for the conservation of Tibetan antelopes (chiru) in the North-west Tibetan Plateau, China. The structure of this paper will be focusing on two aspects: first, evaluating the state and negative impacts of exclusion fencing on wildlife; second, identifying potential alternatives.