Trends and current state of research on greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) : A systematic review of the literature over a period of 33 years (1985-2018)

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved..

Greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is one of the most iconic wildlife species in the world. Once reduced to fewer than 500 during the 1960s, its global population has been recovering and is now over 3500, thanks to effective conservation programs in India and Nepal, the only two countries in the world where this species is found. It is one of the greatest success stories in biodiversity conservation given that hundreds of other species have disappeared, and thousands of species are on the verge of extinction. However, poaching is not the only threat for the long-term survival of rhinoceros. Loss and degradation of grassland habitat and the drying-up of wetlands are emerging threats predicted to worsen in the future, but the published information on rhinoceros has never been synthesized. In order to better understand the trends and current status of rhinoceros research and identify research gaps inhibiting its long-term conservation, we analyzed the themes discussed in 215 articles covering a period of 33 years between 1985 and 2018. Our findings suggest that studies on both free-ranging and captive rhinoceros are skewed towards biological aspects of the species including morphology, anatomy, physiology, and behaviour. There are no studies addressing the likely effects of climate change on the species, and limited information is available on rhinoceros genetics, diseases, habitat dynamics and the impacts of tourism and other infrastructure development in and around rhinoceros habitat. These issues will need addressing to maintain the conservation success of greater one-horned rhinoceros into the future.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2020

Erschienen:

2020

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:710

Enthalten in:

The Science of the total environment - 710(2020) vom: 25. März, Seite 136349

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Pant, Ganesh [VerfasserIn]
Maraseni, Tek [VerfasserIn]
Apan, Armando [VerfasserIn]
Allen, Benjamin L [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Climate change
Habitat dynamics
Invasive plant species
Journal Article
Megaherbivore
Population monitoring
Systematic Review
Vulnerability assessment

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 22.04.2020

Date Revised 22.04.2020

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136349

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM306446707