10.5061/DRYAD.2RBNZS7PB
Fløjgaard, Camilla
0000-0002-5829-8503
Aarhus University
Pedersen, Pil Birkefeldt Møller
0000-0002-8378-4677
Aarhus University
Sandom, Christopher
University of Sussex
Svenning, Jens-Christian
Aarhus University
Ejrnæs, Rasmus
Aarhus University
Large herbivore biomass in protected areas
Dryad
dataset
2021
FOS: Biological sciences
rewilding
Biodiversity
Wildlife Management
Grazing
scaling law
megafauna
Carrying capacity
Klelund Deer Park*
Aage V. Jensens Fonde
https://ror.org/008hvd197
Carlsberg Foundation
https://ror.org/01kpjmx04
CF16-0005
The Velux Foundations
https://ror.org/007ww2d15
16549
2021-10-08T00:00:00Z
2021-10-08T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.27.968461
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5535290
54333 bytes
3
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Large herbivores provide key ecosystem processes, but have experienced
massive historical losses and are under intense pressure, leaving current
ecosystems with dramatically simplified faunas relative to the long-term
evolutionary norm. Hampered by a shifting baseline, natural levels of
large-herbivore biomass are poorly understood and seldom targeted. Here,
we present a collation of large-herbivore biomass data from published
sources as well as personal communication. The data includes continent,
ecosystem name, latitude, longitude, large herbivore biomass in kg/km2 and
the source of the data. It can be used together with net primary
productivity (e.g., using satellite-derived NPP retrieved from
http://files.ntsg.umt.edu/data/NTSG_Products/MOD17/GeoTIFF/MOD17A3/GeoTIFF_30arcsec/) to explore the scaling relationship between producer and consumer.
We collated published empirical data on large-herbivore biomass (kg/km2)
from Hatton et al. (2015), Rodriguez et al. (2014) and from personal
communication. Hatton et al. reports wild large-herbivore biomass (≥5 kg)
for 73 protected areas. Opposite to Hatton et al. we included the biomass
of megaherbivores (i.e., herbivores ≥1000 kg, e.g., elephants, rhinos, and
hippos) and migratory species (species with seasonal, long-distance
movement of individuals) weighted by the fraction of the year they spend
in the ecosystem. Rodriguez et al. reports contemporary ungulate biomass
of all species in the orders Perissodactyla, Artiodactyla or Proboscidea
for 95 natural areas (national parks and protected areas with some degree
of traditional pastoralism). We ensured no data overlap between Rodriguez
et al and Hatton et al. From Rodriguez et al., we included the livestock
biomass because grazing livestock in pastoralist systems also rely on the
local primary production. In total, we included 289 data points from 146
ecosystems across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.
GPS positions were checked using Google maps satellite images and place
names. Doubtful positions were checked against primary literature and
either placed accordingly or moved to reserve centers. We used data from
the years 1926-2009 as well as data from unknown years.
Refences: Hatton, I.A., McCann, K.S., Fryxell, J.M., Davies, T.J.,
Smerlak, M., Sinclair, A.R.E. & Loreau, M. (2015) The
predator-prey power law: Biomass scaling across terrestrial and aquatic
biomes. Science, 349. Rodriguez, J., Blain, H.A., Mateos, A.,
Martin-Gonzalez, J.A., Cuenca-Bescos, G. & Rodriguez-Gomez, G.
(2014) Ungulate carrying capacity in Pleistocene Mediterranean ecosystems:
Evidence from the Atapuerca sites. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology
Palaeoecology, 393, 122-134.