Climate Change and Biosecurity Risks
Korean Water Deer - A threatened species not a pest
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v14i1.8846Keywords:
BiosecurityAbstract
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has led efforts to monitor and conserve populations of animals, plants, and fungi since 1964. However, recent research suggests the list is not effectively accounting for the consequences of rapid man-made climate change. The Korean Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) is classified as vulnerable internationally, but in South Korea it is widely considered a pest, with the government offering bounties to cull what are considered high numbers. Both the IUCN’s classification and the Korean government’s approach to Korean Water Deer fail to consider the possibility of a rapid decline in numbers due to rapidly spreading biosecurity threats facilitated by rapid climate change. This paper describes the current status of Korean Water Deer, the biosecurity threats the population faces, and potential solutions to protect the population. This case study of Korean Water Deer will also add to evidence that the IUCN’s classification system is failing to accurately describe the potential for rapid collapse of mammal populations due to biosecurity threats facilitated by climate change.
Downloads
References or Bibliography
Amer, S., Kim, S., Yun, Y., Na, K. (2019) Novel variants of the newly emerged Anaplasma capra from Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) in South Korea. Parasites & Vectors, 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3622-5
Baldwin, M. (2021) Water Deer Distribution – Native Range. Wildlife Online. Retrieved from: https://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/animals/article/water-deer-distribution-native-range
Bellard, C., Bertelsmeier, C., Leadley, P., Thuiller, W. (2012) Impacts of Climate Change on the Future of Biodiversity. Ecology, (15)4. DOI:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01736.x
Bradley, B., Beaury, E., Fusco, E., Lopez, B. (2023) Invasive Species Policy Must Embrace a Changing Climate. Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange. URL: https://www.cakex.org/documents/invasive-species-policy-must-embrace-changing-climate#:~:text=As%20we%20develop%20much%2Dneeded,stop%20invasions%20before%20they%20start
Caceres, S. (2012) Climate change and animal diseases: making the case for adaptation. Animal Health Research Reviews, 13(2). DOI: 10.1017/S1466252312000199
Choi, S., Kong., W., Hwang, G., Koo, K. (2021) Trends in the effects of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems in the Republic of Korea. Journal of Ecology and Environment (45). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-021-00188-9
Faramarzi, H., Nasiri, M., Khosravi, M., Keshavarzi, A., Ardakani, A. (2019) Potential Effects of Climactic Parameters on Human Brucellosis in Fars Province, Iran, during 2009-2015. Iran Journal of Medical Sciences, 44(6). doi: 10.30476/ijms.2019.44968
Finch, D., Butler, J., Runyon, J., Fettig, C., Kilkenny, F., Shibu, J., Frankel, S., Cushman, S., Cobb, R., Dukes, J., Hicke, J., Amelon, S. (2021) Effects of Climate Change on Invasive Species. In: Poland, T.M., Patel-Weynand, T., Finch, D.M., Miniat, C.F., Hayes, D.C., Lopez, V.M. (eds) Invasive Species in Forests and Rangelands of the United States. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45367-1_4
Gianoli, E., Molina-Montenegro, M. (2021) Evolution of physiological performance in invasive plants under climate change. Evolution, 75. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.14314
Harris, R.B. & Duckworth, J.W. (2015). Hydropotes inermis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T10329A22163569. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T10329A22163569.en
Jang, L. (2024) Caught in the Crosshairs: South Korea’s Water Deer Struggle for Survival Amid Modern Threats. KoreaBizWire. http://koreabizwire.com/caught-in-the-crosshairs-south-koreas-water-deer-struggle-for-survival-amid-modern-threats/273701
Jung, J., Shimuzu, Y., Omasa, K., Kim, S., Lee, S. (2016) Developing and testing a habitat suitability index model for Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) and its potential for landscape management decisions in Korea. Animal and Cell Systems, 20(4), 218-227. https://doi.org/10.1080/19768354.2016.1210228
Kil, J., Shim, K., Lee, H. (2004) Assessing Ecological Risk of Invasive Alien Plants in South Korea. Weed Technology, 18. Cambridge University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3989679
Kim, S., Choi, H., Yoon, J., Woo, C., Chung, H., Kim, J., Shin, J. (2014) Pathogens in water deer (Hydropotes inermis) in South Korea, 2010-12. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 50(3). DOI: 10.7589/2013-06-137
Lee, S., Lee, E. (2020) Internationally vulnerable Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) can act as an ecological filter by endozoochory. Global Ecology and Conservation. 24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01368
Park, H., Woo., D., Choi, T., Hong, S. (2021) Assessment of the Behavioral Response of the Korean Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) to Different Fence Heights. Animals, 11(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11040938
Peng, S., Shrestha, N., Luo, Y., Li, Y., Cai., H., Qin, H., Ma, K., Wang, Z. (2023) Incorporating global change reveals extinction risk beyond the current Red List. Current Biology, 33(17). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.047
Pfenning-Butterworth, A., Buckely, L., Drake, J., Farner, J., Farrell, M., Gehman, A. (2024) Interconnecting global threats: climate change, biodiversity loss, and infectious diseases. Planetary Health, 8(4). DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00021-4
Queiros, J., Vicente, J., Boadella, M., Gortazar, C., Alves, P. (2013) The impact of management practices and past demographic history on the genetic diversity of red deer (Cervus elaphus): an assessment of population and individual fitness. Bological Journal of the Linnean Society, 111(1) https://doi.org/10.1111/bij.12183
Seong, G., Han, Y., Oh, S., Chae, J., Yu, D., Park, J., Park, B., Yoo, J., Choi, K. (2015) Detection of Tick-Borne Pathogens in the Korean Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) from Jeonbuk Province, Korea. The Korean Journal of Parisitology 53(5). doi: 10.3347/kjp.2015.53.5.653
Shi, W., Wang, Y., Bao, Y., Shou., L., Chen., H. (2014) Genetic assessment of captive Chinese water deer populations in Zhoushan Archipelago, China. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 54, 160-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2014.01.011
Thomas, C., Cameron, A., Green, R. (2004). Extinction risk from climate change. Nature 427, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02121
Tinsley, M., Lewis, F., Brulisauer, F. (2012) Network modelling of BVD transmission. Veterinary Research, 10;43(1) doi: 10.1186/1297-9716-43-11
Water Deer (2024) Animalia: Water Deer. Retrieved from: https://animalia.bio/water-deer
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2025 Sihyun Park; Eric Ahn
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright holder(s) granted JSR a perpetual, non-exclusive license to distriute & display this article.
