An Intial Analysis Of Human-wildlife Conflict In Hunchun Region,Northeastern China,Based On Occupancy Model

Human-wildlife conflict management is essential for the conservation and restoration of endangered species.The tiger（Panthera Tigris）is one of the most endangered large carnivores in the world,the conservation of wild population has attracted academic attention.However,human-wildlife conflict is one of the key problems affecting the restoration of wild tiger population,and understanding the spatial distribution characteristics of human-wildlife conflict and the division of risk areas is an important prerequisite for managing the conflict.Human-tiger conflict and ungulate damage to crops are two main forms of human-wildlife conflict.The amur tiger population is rare in China,and the intensified conflict between local residents and tigers is not conducive to the conservation of the Amur tiger population.The government has spent a lot of money on boar management and ecological compensation for conflicts caused by wild boar（Sus scrofa）damaging crops,which shows the importance of strengthening conflict management.In conflict management,mastering its spatial distribution is an important prerequisite.Based on a field survey of human-tiger conflict and boar damage in Hunchun Region in 2020,this study combined human-tiger conflict and boar damage in Hunchun Region from 2016 to 2020.Based on the single-season occupancy model,the impacts of 12factors such as aspect,altitude and distance from residential areas on human-tiger conflict and boar damage were analyzed to obtain the main driving factors of conflict,predict the occpancy rate of human-tiger conflict and boar damage,and classify the risk areas in this region,and put forward specific management suggestions.1.The current situation of human-wildlife conflict in Hunchun RegionThere were 259 human-tiger conflict incidents from 2016 to 2020,and all of them were incidents of The Amur tiger preying on livestock,among which the incidents of the Amur tiger preying on cattle accounted for 90%,mainly occurring from May to July every year.From2017 to 2020,there were 2,092 conflicts between humans and wild boar.The main crop damage caused by wild boar was corn,accounting for 84%,and most of them occurred in autumn harvest time from September to October each year.In the past four years,there were51 cases of black bear damage,9 cases of amur leopard damage,19 cases of ocelots predation on poultry and livestock.2.Distribution characteristics of human-wildlife conflict in Hunchun RegionHuman-tiger conflict mainly occurred in shady slope of theropencedrymion at middle and high altitude,and in areas with frequent prey activities of Amur tiger,far away from road and settlements.Aspect(∑_WI=0.44),prey distribution(∑_WI=0.28),altitude(∑_WI=0.18)and distance to theropencedrymion(∑_WI=0.13)had significant effects on the occurrence of human-tiger conflict.The damage events of wild boar mainly occurred on the sunny slope of lower elevation,near the edge of farmland and forest with lower slope near coniferous forest,and far from roads,close to residential area.Aspect(∑_WI=0.19),distance from settlements(∑_WI=0.10)and distance from coniferous forest(∑_WI=0.09)had great influence on the occurrence of wild boar damage.3.Regional division of human-wildlife conflict risk in Hunchun RegionThe area with high risk of human-tiger conflict in hunchun Region is 1827km²,accounting for 34%,mainly distributed around the national border.The area of medium-risk area is 396km²,accounting for 7%;The area with high risk of wild boar damage was 125km²,accounting for 2%;The area of medium-risk area was 512.5km²,accounting for 9%;The overlapping area of human-tiger conflict and wild boar damage was 262.5km²,mainly distributed in Chunhua Town,Hadamen Township and Yangpao Township.This study systematically analyzed the influencing factors of human-tiger conflict in Hunchun Region by using the occupancy model,and used the results of the occupancy model to divide the occupancy of human-wildlife conflict,which provided important data support for the mitigation and prevention of the serious human-tiger conflict and the damage of wild boar in Hunchun Region.Based on the research results of human-wildlife conflict in Hunchun Region,it is suggested that herdsmen should be prohibited from grazing livestock in areas with high risk of human-tiger conflict to reduce the risk of human-tiger conflict,that high-value cash crops should be prohibited from planting in areas with high risk of boar damage to reduce the property loss of farmers,and that the prevention and control facilities of wild boar should be replaced periodically.The ecological role of wild boar as wild prey of Amur tiger was considered while the number of wild boar was appropriately reduced in the overlapping areas of human-tiger conflict and boar damage risk.