Global synthesis reveals that ecosystem degradation poses the primary threat to the world's medicinal animals
Although overexploitation threatens some high-profile medicinal animals, little is known about global patterns in the use of - and threats to - medicinal animals. We examined data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List and a literature survey to identify a diverse ca...
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| Autores principales: | , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
Resilience Alliance
2021
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/2d32237b955c48ff9d0075fd0366a91e |
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| Sumario: | Although overexploitation threatens some high-profile medicinal animals, little is known about global patterns in the use of - and threats to - medicinal animals. We examined data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List and a literature survey to identify a diverse catalog of medicinal animals (n = 1660). Most known species (~77%) are chordates in terrestrial habitats (~72%). Intensity of use generally maps to biodiverse regions with low human development. Most (~63%) species are decreasing, and primary threats relate to habitat loss and modification. Many (~62%) species have multiple uses, which is associated with higher endangerment and threats from exploitation than species used solely for medicine. Spiritual use medicinal species have a higher proportion of "at-risk" species (~19%) than those used otherwise (~6%), potentially owing to associations among rarity, perceived efficacy, and demand. These findings can inform spatially and taxonomically explicit biocultural strategies to safeguard not only biodiversity but also important human-animal relationships. |
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