Redistribution of large and medium-sized mammals in a sacred natural site, western China

Abstract

Sacred natural sites are the unique landforms protected and worshiped by local communities for cultural or religious purposes. Although the traditionally-managed sites are suggested to have potential in contributing towards biodiversity conservation, few studies have examined the effectiveness of such sites on the protection of animal diversity. In this study, we used large and medium-sized mammals (> 2 kg) as representative taxa to investigate the potential for conserving biodiversity in a Tibetan sacred natural site in western China, where access was commonly restricted, but local monks and pilgrims occasionally scheduled rituals and religious worship practices as part of Tibetan Buddhist practices. We recorded 13 species, relying on a census technique of counting feces. The results showed that neither the species richness nor relative abundance of large and medium-sized mammals protected by the sacred natural site differed significantly from the surrounding matrix (i.e., the portion of the landscape surrounding the sacred natural site). However, there was a difference in the distribution of mammals between the sacred natural site and the matrix. The results suggest that carnivores, potential predators, avoided the sacred natural site whereas it is a site favored by herbivores. Although our study is from a single-paired site and the analyses are exploratory, the current results provide insights into understanding the potential for sacred natural sites to act as refuges for wildlife. Future studies that examine the role of such sites in cultural ecosystem service are needed.