Every year, massive herds of large mammals take on arduous long-distance migrations to find food, favorable weather and a suitable place to raise their young. An international team of scientists has now launched the first-ever online atlas showcasing the migration paths of several hooved mammals, also known as ungulates, from around the world.
The new Atlas of Ungulate Migration, developed by more than 80 scientists with the Global Initiative on Ungulate Migration (GIUM), provides up-to-date migratory paths of 20 global populations of mammals. Among these are well-known migrations, such as that of the wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), which migrates in herds of millions between Kenya and Tanzania, as well as the long trek of the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) between Zimbabwe and Botswana (elephants aren’t true ungulates but are considered to be almost-ungulates with toes instead of hooves).
The atlas also maps lesser-known treks, such as those made by the saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) in Kazakhstan, the Mongolian khulan or wild ass (Equus hemionus hemionus) in Mongolia, the takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana) in China, red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Europe, and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in the western U.S.
This atlas, researchers say, can help governments, conservationists and wildlife managers better understand animal movement. It can also help them tackle various threats to migratory wildlife, including poaching, climate change and fragmentation of key habitats from infrastructure like roads, railways and fences.
“This atlas represents a major milestone for conservation worldwide, and we believe the migration maps will be a tangible and effective tool to help stem the loss of the world’s ungulate migrations,” Matthew Kauffman, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and member of the GIUM scientific advisory board, said in a statement.
Earlier this year, a report published by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), a United Nations biodiversity treaty, found that nearly 44% of migratory species listed under the CMS are experiencing population declines. A key threat is the loss and fragmentation of their habitats due to human activities.
The interactive atlas maps some of these threats, such as a railway line that slices across the saiga antelope’s migratory path in Kazakhstan.
“Understanding how animals respond to the types of mitigation options available, in addition to where animals are being blocked by fencing or railways, is important for restoring migrations severed by development,” Nandintsetseg Dejid, a wildlife ecologist with the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center in Germany, said in the statement.
Anthony Sinclair, a wildlife ecologist at the University of British Columbia in Canada, told Science that the current atlas has information gaps in places like South America. However, the GIUM researchers noted in the statement that they’ll be adding migratory maps for many more ungulate populations in the future.
Banner image of saiga antelope by Yakov Fedorov via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Credits
