Publications by authors named "Elshad Askerov"
Conserv Biol
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- Land use intensification is putting pressure on protected areas, especially nonforested rangelands, which comprise about 40% of these areas and face issues like overgrazing and land conversion.
- A study in the southern Caucasus assessed the effectiveness of 52 protected areas in mitigating land-use pressures and found that, overall, these areas failed to prevent green vegetation loss, with losses being greater inside protected zones in most countries.
- The study revealed that livestock overgrazing is a major driver of the ineffectiveness, particularly in multiple-use protected areas, and emphasizes the need for better integration of conservation efforts that consider nonforest ecosystems.
Article Synopsis
- Large carnivores, like the Persian leopard, are facing threats from habitat loss, prey depletion, and human persecution, leading to a decline in their populations.
- A model was created to analyze the impact of reducing persecution and restoring prey on leopard populations in the Caucasus, revealing potential for recolonization of suitable habitats if persecution is significantly reduced and prey is restored.
- The study emphasizes that reducing human-induced persecution is crucial for the survival of small carnivore populations and highlights the utility of metapopulation models in developing effective conservation strategies.
