How to promote terrestrial herbivores’ conservation in areas where small-scale agriculturalists set up fences − An analysis based on evolutionary game theory

Habitats of large herbivores have shrunk owing to the expansion of human activities. Consequently, wild herbivores frequently venture into adjacent farmlands to forage for crops. As a result, farmers use fences to prevent these herbivores from foraging. A dynamic game exists between whether farmers choose to set up fences and whether herbivores choose to venture into farmlands. This study established an evolutionary game model between farmers and herbivorous species. The effects of different factors on the game process were studied using model simulations to provide theoretical guidance for the conservation and management of herbivore species. Model simulations showed that food resources in herbivore habitats are key to protecting their populations. Therefore, management needs to restore and protect herbivore habitats, and in cases of extreme food shortages, herbivores should be artificially fed. Simultaneously, herbivores need to obtain certain food supplements from outside their habitats when food resources are scarce. Therefore, subsidies should be provided to farmers close to herbivore habitats to encourage them to use fences that allow a certain number of herbivores to pass through. In addition, increasing the buffer zone between herbivore habitats and farmland has positive implications for the conservation of large herbivore populations.