Conservation of large forest carnivores

Abstract

Throughout the world, human occupation and utilization of forested wildlife habitat has caused changes in abundance and distribution of vegetation, wild prey and, not surprisingly, large members of the taxonomic order Carnivora. The level of habitat disturbance has ranged from complete deforestation that allowed for long-term agriculture and permanent human settlement, to sustainable vegetation modification that resulted in negligible human-related development (cf. Chapter 2). In many areas, expanding human populations and their concomitant utilization of wildlife habitat have resulted in decreased animal and plant food availability for carnivores; in combination with direct human-caused mortality, most large-carnivore populations have decreased as a result. However, some large carnivore species have not declined, and others have even prospered, as a result of human-related habitat disturbance. Since increased utilization of forest products is anticipated (Chapter 2), these large carnivore species will continue to be impacted well into the future.