Is livestock grazing compatible with green peafowl (Pavo muticus) conservation? Potential chance of peafowl-human coexistence

Abstract

Establishing adequate nature reserves and managing them effectively requires an enormous amount of resources, and is particularly challenging when species and communities are believed to have diverse needs. Decision-makers need to understand how wildlife survives in human-disturbed habitat and how they can coexist with anthropogenic activities. Forest livestock grazing is one of the main sources of income for many local communities in Yunnan Province, China, but its association with endangered green peafowl (Pavo muticus) is largely unknown. We linked our field survey data with satellite imagery and conducted occupancy modeling and diel activity analysis to examine the spatio-temporal response of green peafowl to free-ranging livestock in Yubaiding Nature Reserve. Although it is widely believed that many grazing practices should be prohibited in green peafowl habitat, we found that green peafowl occurrence probability was positively associated with moderate cattle and goat abundance. Our temporal analysis also showed that green peafowl did not avoid livestock grazing or individual people. In contrast to green peafowl tolerance to ordinary human activities, we found significant negative associations between green peafowl and major infrastructure. Our findings show that limits on grazing intensity are a possible management strategy for conserving green peafowl habitat instead of an outright grazing ban. Our study will contribute immediately to green peafowl conservation planning in China. Our study also has implications for the conservation plans for other species in other locations, because our findings convey that conservation targets can promote the synergy between species conservation and human activity.