Open AccessRoad development in Asia: Assessing the range-wide risks to tigers
Author(s) -
Neil Carter,
Alexander K. Killion,
Tara Easter,
Jodi S. Brandt,
Adam T. Ford
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
science advances
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.928
H-Index - 146
ISSN - 2375-2548
DOI - 10.1126/sciadv.aaz9619
Subject(s) - tiger , panthera , endangered species , wildlife , geography , china , range (aeronautics) , wildlife conservation , fishery , environmental protection , environmental resource management , ecology , environmental science , predation , biology , habitat , engineering , computer security , archaeology , aerospace engineering , computer science
Roads are proliferating worldwide at an unprecedented rate, with potentially severe impacts on wildlife. We calculated the extent and potential impacts of road networks across the 1,160,000-km, 13-country range of the globally endangered tiger ()-a conservation umbrella species. We found that roads were pervasive, totaling 134,000 km across tiger conservation landscapes (TCLs), even in tiger priority sites and protected areas. Approximately 43% of the area where tiger breeding occurs and 57% of the area in TCLs fell within the road-effect zone. Consequently, current road networks may be decreasing tiger and prey abundances by more than 20%. Nearly 24,000 km of new roads will be built in TCLs by 2050, stimulated through major investment projects such as China's Belt and Road Initiative. Given that roads will be a pervasive challenge to tiger recovery in the future, we urge decision-makers to make sustainable road development a top priority.
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