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Caro T, Dobson A, Kiffner C, Waltert M. Threat to Tanzanian Park requires compromise. Science 2023; 381:844. [PMID: 37616359 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj4393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Caro
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Andrew Dobson
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Christian Kiffner
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Waltert
- Department of Conservation Biology, University of Gottingen, 37073 Gottingen, Germany
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2
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Yan Z, Tan M. Changes in light pollution in the Pan-Third Pole's protected areas from 1992 to 2021. ECOL INFORM 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2023.102016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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3
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Quintana I, Cifuentes EF, Dunnink JA, Ariza M, Martínez-Medina D, Fantacini FM, Shrestha BR, Richard FJ. Severe conservation risks of roads on apex predators. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2902. [PMID: 35190573 PMCID: PMC8861172 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05294-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The global expansion of road networks threatens apex predator conservation and ecosystem functioning. This occurs through wildlife-vehicle collisions, habitat loss and fragmentation, reduced genetic connectivity and increased poaching. We reviewed road impacts on 36 apex predator species and assessed their risk from current roads based on road exposure and species vulnerability. Our findings reveal all apex predators are exposed to road impacts. Eight of the ten species with the highest risk occur in Asia, although other high-risk species are present in the Americas, Africa and Europe. The sloth bear suffers the highest risk of all apex predators, followed by the tiger and dhole. Based on species risk from roads, we propose a widely applicable method to assess the potential impact of future roads on apex predators. We applied this method to proposed road developments in three areas: the Brazilian Amazon, Africa, and Nepal, to locate high-impact road segments. Roughly 500 protected areas will be intersected by these roads, threatening core apex predator habitats. We advocate the need for rigorous road development planning to apply effective mitigation measures as an urgent priority and to avoid construction in wilderness areas and predator strongholds.
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Harvey Williams F, Williams HF, Knight A. Barriers and benefits to tree kangaroo conservation in Papua New Guinea. J Nat Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2021.125972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Lala F, Chiyo PI, Kanga E, Omondi P, Ngene S, Severud WJ, Morris AW, Bump J. Wildlife roadkill in the Tsavo Ecosystem, Kenya: identifying hotspots, potential drivers, and affected species. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06364. [PMID: 33748462 PMCID: PMC7972970 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Roadkill is one of the highest causes of wildlife mortality and is of global conservation concern. Most roadkill studies have focused on wildlife in developed countries such as the United States of America and temperate biomes, but there are limited data for the impacts of roads on wildlife in the African tropics, where road infrastructure development is projected to grow rapidly in natural environments and conservation areas. The Tsavo Conservation Area is an important biodiversity hotspot in eastern Kenya and is bisected by a major highway and railways that connect the port of Mombasa to the interior. Along this infrastructure corridor, roadkill was recorded for 164 days over an 11-year period (2007–2018). In total, 1,436 roadkill were recorded from 13,008 km driven of a 164.42 km Nairobi-Mombasa road representing 0.11 collisions per kilometer. The majority of roadkill were small to medium sized mammals (<15kg) (53%; n = 756), whereas birds comprised 32% (n = 460), reptiles 10% (n = 143), with the remaining 5% (n = 77) being large mammals (>15kg). Of the 460 birds recorded, 264 were identifiable represented by 62 species. All large mammals comprising 10 species were identified, including the African elephant, Loxodonta africana and the endangered African wild dog, Lycaon pictus. Thirteen species of small mammal were also identified dominated by Kirk's dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii). Reptiles were represented by 11 species which were identified to the species level. Roadkill hotspots were identified using a kernel density method. The spatial distribution of roadkill was associated with adjacent shrub vegetation and proximity to permanent and seasonal rivers, and differences in seasonality and habitats were observed. Roadkill was lowest on road sections that traversed settled areas as opposed to roads adjacent to the protected areas. The results demonstrate that roadkill for two of the taxonomic groups - mammals and birds - appear high with numerous species detected in the Tsavo Conservation Area. These results can be used to focus efforts to reduce wildlife mortality by guiding future mitigation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrick Lala
- Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 40241 00100 Nairobi, Kenya.,University of Minnesota, St. Paul, 55108-6074 MN, USA
| | - Patrick I Chiyo
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 24481 00502 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Erustus Kanga
- Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, P. O. Box 41394 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Patrick Omondi
- Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 40241 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Shadrack Ngene
- Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 40241 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | | | - Joseph Bump
- University of Minnesota, St. Paul, 55108-6074 MN, USA
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6
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The implications of vehicle collisions for the Endangered endemic Zanzibar red colobus Piliocolobus kirkii. ORYX 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605320000605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractRoads affect wildlife in a variety of negative ways. Road ecology studies have mostly concentrated on areas in the northern hemisphere despite the potentially greater impact of roads on biodiversity in tropical habitats. Here, we examine 4 years (January 2016–December 2019) of opportunistic observations of mammalian roadkill along a road intersecting Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park, Unguja, Zanzibar. In particular, we assess the impact of collisions on the population of an endemic primate, the Endangered Zanzibar red colobus Piliocolobus kirkii. Primates accounted for the majority of roadkill in this dataset. Monthly rainfall was not associated with roadkill frequency for mammals generally, nor for the Zanzibar red colobus. No single age–sex class of colobus was found dead more often than expected given their occurrence in the local population. The overall effect of roadkill on colobus populations in habitats fragmented by roads is unknown given the lack of accurate, long-term life history data for this species. Our findings suggest that mortality from collisions with vehicles in some groups of colobus is within the range of mortality rates other primates experience under natural predation. Unlike natural predators, however, vehicles do not kill selectively, so their impact on populations may differ. Although a comparison with historical accounts suggests that the installation of speedbumps along the road near the Park's entrance has led to a significant decrease in colobus roadkill, further actions to mitigate the impact of the road could bring substantial conservation benefits.
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7
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Caro T, Berger J. Can behavioural ecologists help establish protected areas? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180062. [PMID: 31352878 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Protecting wild places is conservation's most pressing task given rapid contemporary declines in biodiversity and massive land use changes. We suggest that behavioural ecology has a valuable, albeit limited, role to play in this agenda. Behaviourally based empiricism and modelling, especially of animal movements and habitat preferences have enjoyed wide applicability in delineating reserve boundaries. In protected areas that sanction exploitation, it may also be important to understand individuals' behavioural and life-history responses to management decisions. We also argue, however, that the in-depth studies of behavioural ecologists may have an important role in conservation by elevating species' status from mundane to charismatic and often sparking public empathy, and their mere presence in field generates local (or broader) intrigue. More generally behavioural ecologists will only be listened to, and their contributions considered of conservation importance, if they become more involved in decision-making processes as witnessed by several prominent examples that have supported the establishment of protected areas. This article is part of the theme issue 'Linking behaviour to dynamics of populations and communities: application of novel approaches in behavioural ecology to conservation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Caro
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Joel Berger
- Department of FWC Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.,Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
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The Effects of Road Access on Income Generation. Evidence from An Integrated Conservation and Development Project in Cameroon. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11123368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Many integrated conservation and development projects use road construction to induce a shift in income activities, since road access can reduce both poverty and environmental degradation. There is, however, little empirical evidence on the effects of road access on income patterns. We contribute to existing literature by analyzing the effects of road access on income activity choice in Korup National Park, Cameroon using a difference-in-difference approach. Road access led to a rise in total household income by 38% due to higher household participation in self-employment and wage labor. We neither found an effect on income from crop farming nor on participation in hunting activities. The effects of road access can be diverse and unforeseeable. Road construction in protected areas should thus be carefully considered and planned and only be implemented when other options are not feasible.
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Browning TN, Sawyer DE, Brooks GR, Larson RA, Ramos-Scharrón CE, Canals-Silander M. Widespread Deposition in a Coastal Bay Following Three Major 2017 Hurricanes (Irma, Jose, and Maria). Sci Rep 2019; 9:7101. [PMID: 31068609 PMCID: PMC6506513 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43062-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2017, three major hurricanes (Irma, Jose, and Maria) impacted the Northeastern Caribbean within a 2-week span. Hurricane waves can cause physical damage to coastal ecosystems, re-suspend and transport antecedent seafloor sediment, while the associated intense rainfall can yield large influxes of land-derived sediment to the coast (e.g. burial of ecosystems). To understand sedimentation provenance (terrestrial or marine) and changes induced by the hurricanes, we collected bathymetry surveys and sediment samples of Coral Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands in August 2017, (pre-storms) and repeated it in November 2017 (post-storms). Comparison reveals morphologic seafloor changes and widespread aggradation with an average of ~25 cm of sediment deposited over a 1.28 km2 benthic zone. Despite an annual amount of precipitation between surveys, sediment yield modeling suggests watersheds contributed <0.2% of the total depositional volume. Considering locally established accumulation rates, this multi-hurricane event equates to ~1–3 centuries of deposition. Critical benthic communities (corals, seagrasses) can be partially or fully buried by deposits of this thickness and previous studies demonstrate that prolonged burial of similar organisms often leads to mortality. This study illuminates how storm events can result in major sediment deposition, which can significantly impact seafloor morphology and composition and benthic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor N Browning
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, 125 S. Oval Mall, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, USA.
| | - Derek E Sawyer
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, 125 S. Oval Mall, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, USA
| | - Gregg R Brooks
- Department of Marine Science, Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, Florida, 33711, USA
| | - Rebekka A Larson
- Department of Marine Science, Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, Florida, 33711, USA
| | - Carlos E Ramos-Scharrón
- Department of Geography & the Environment, University of Texas at Austin, 305 E. 23rd Street, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Miguel Canals-Silander
- UPRM Center for Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Department of Engineering Sciences and Materials, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, PR-108, Mayaguez, 00682, Puerto Rico
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Dornas RAP, Teixeira FZ, Gonsioroski G, Nóbrega RAA. Strain by the train: Patterns of toad fatalities on a Brazilian Amazonian railroad. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 660:493-500. [PMID: 30640116 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Transportation infrastructures are directly responsible for killing billions of animals worldwide. Although the understanding about road impacts have recently increased, the impact of railroads on wildlife has received less attention. The current knowledge concerning the impacts of railroads focuses mainly on large mammals although amphibians might be affected. Our study aims to unravel temporal and spatial patterns of Rhinella toad fatalities on a Brazilian Amazonian railroad, to comprehend how toads are killed and to estimate the magnitude of toad fatalities. Data collection was carried out on foot on an 871-km stretch of the Estrada de Ferro Carajás from 2013 to 2017. We identified different potential causes for fatalities: being run over, desiccated or with barotrauma signs. We estimated a surprisingly high carcass persistence probability of about 38 days. After correcting for the bias from carcass detection and removal, we estimated that approximately 10,000 toads are killed per year (≈ 11 fatalities/km/year). A GLM model showed that toads were more likely to be killed in the dry to wet transition. We identified critical zones of fatalities and prioritized them according to their intensity. The highly critical segments encompass >10% of all fatalities although they cover only 1.5% of the railroad. Our study is the first one to address carcass detection and persistence on railroads and to unravel patterns of fatalities of an amphibian species in a tropical climate. A better understanding of the patterns of animal fatality on railroads is of fundamental importance to manage and mitigate this impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubem A P Dornas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Análise e Modelagem de Sistemas Ambientais, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais CEP 31270-901, Brazil; Transportation Research and Environmental Modeling Lab (TREM Lab), Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais CEP 31270-901, Brazil; Núcleo de Ecologia de Rodovias e Ferrovias (NERF), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul CEP 91501-970, Brazil.
| | - Fernanda Z Teixeira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Análise e Modelagem de Sistemas Ambientais, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais CEP 31270-901, Brazil; Transportation Research and Environmental Modeling Lab (TREM Lab), Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais CEP 31270-901, Brazil; Núcleo de Ecologia de Rodovias e Ferrovias (NERF), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul CEP 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Gonsioroski
- Amplo Engenharia e Gestão de Projetos Ltda, Rua das Palmeiras, 19, Quadra 65, São Luís, Maranhão CEP 65075-300, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo A A Nóbrega
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Análise e Modelagem de Sistemas Ambientais, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais CEP 31270-901, Brazil; Transportation Research and Environmental Modeling Lab (TREM Lab), Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais CEP 31270-901, Brazil
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11
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Walelign SZ, Nielsen MR, Jacobsen JB. Roads and livelihood activity choices in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213089. [PMID: 30849100 PMCID: PMC6407761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Road development is occurring at an unprecedented rate in important conservation areas in tropical countries with limited understanding of how local people will adjust their livelihood activities in response. We use a discrete choice experiment to explore the effect of road development on respondents ex-ante preferences for changes in livelihood activities-crop and livestock production, hunting and trading bushmeat, and business and wage employment-under different incentives-provision of loans, livestock and crop extension services-in scenarios with reduced travel time to nearest district town in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem in Tanzania. We test four hypotheses about the effects of roads with opposing implication for conservation. Hypothesis 1 predicts that increased market access will lead to intensification of crop and livestock production activities (achieved through extension services and loans), and Hypothesis 2 that market access will facilitate the development of non-farm Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) providing new livelihood opportunities (e.g. business income and wage employment)-both reducing environmental pressure. Hypotheis 3 on the other hand predicts that improved market access will lead to extensification and expansion of crop and livestock production activities, while Hypotheis 4 suggests that it will encourage exploitation of environmental goods (here in the form of hunting and trading bushmeat and illegal grazing inside protected areas)-both increasing environmental pressure. We find increasing preferences for more cropland and more cattle as travel time to market is reduced but no preference for increased allocation of household members to hunting and trading bushmeat supporting hypothesis 3 while contradicting hypothesis 4. However, second-order effects might support hypothesis 4 as we find aversion towards decreasing effort invested in hunting and trading bushmeat. Preferences for increased cropland and livestock may furthermore interact to increase land use change and illegal grazing inside protected areas. Crop extension services had a negative modifying effect on preferences for more cropland (supporting hypothesis 1) while livestock extension services had a positive modifying effect on preferences for more cattle (contradicting hypothesis 1). Providing loans had a negative modifying effect on preferences for increasing cropland and number of cattle. Marginal rates of substitution suggest that 950,000 TSH borrowed at a 10% interest rate will reduce preferences for more cropland and cattle by 11.8 and 38.4% respectively. Crop extension services reduce preferences for more cropland by 27% whereas livestock extension services increase preferences for more cattle by 104%. Contradicting Hypothesis 2, we found no preference for increasing the number of households members engaged in business and wage employment in response to reduced travel time. Targeted efforts to increase the educational level as well as entrepreneurship skills in the GSE could promote engagement in the labour market and development of business enterprises diverting focus from traditional activities such as farming and livestock production and hence reducing pressure on the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solomon Zena Walelign
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
- School of Economics, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | | | - Jette Bredahl Jacobsen
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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12
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Collinson WJ, Marneweck C, Davies-Mostert HT. Protecting the protected: reducing wildlife roadkill in protected areas. Anim Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - C. Marneweck
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences; University of Mpumalanga; Mbombela South Africa
| | - H. T. Davies-Mostert
- Endangered Wildlife Trust; Johannesburg South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute; University of Pretoria; Pretoria South Africa
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13
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Alamgir M, Campbell MJ, Sloan S, Goosem M, Clements GR, Mahmoud MI, Laurance WF. Economic, Socio-Political and Environmental Risks of Road Development in the Tropics. Curr Biol 2018; 27:R1130-R1140. [PMID: 29065299 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
It is projected that 25 million km of new paved roads will be developed globally by 2050 - enough to encircle the planet more than 600 times. Roughly 90% of new roads will be built in developing nations, frequently in tropical and subtropical regions with high biodiversity and environmental values. Many developing nations are borrowing from international lenders or negotiating access to their natural resources in order to expand their transportation infrastructure. Given the unprecedented pace and extent of these initiatives, it is vital to thoroughly assess the potential consequences of large-scale road and highway projects. In appropriate contexts and locales, new roads can promote sizeable economic and social benefits. If poorly planned or implemented, however, new roads can provoke serious cost overruns, corruption and environmental impacts, while generating sparse economic benefits and intense social and political conflict. Using examples from developing nations, we identify risks that can hinder road projects in wet and dry tropical environments. Such risks, we assert, are often inadequately considered by project proponents, evaluators and the general public, creating a systematic tendency to overestimate project benefits while understating project risks. A more precautionary approach is needed to reduce risks while maximizing benefits of new road projects in the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Alamgir
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, 4878, Australia
| | - Mason J Campbell
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, 4878, Australia
| | - Sean Sloan
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, 4878, Australia
| | - Miriam Goosem
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, 4878, Australia
| | - Gopalasamy Reuben Clements
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, 4878, Australia
| | - Mahmoud I Mahmoud
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, 4878, Australia
| | - William F Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, 4878, Australia.
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14
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Sulieman HM. Exploring Drivers of Forest Degradation and Fragmentation in Sudan: The Case of Erawashda Forest and its Surrounding Community. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 621:895-904. [PMID: 29220827 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Revised: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Sudan is a hot spot for forest degradation. Efforts to maintain what remains of its forests should be of the highest priority. However, precise information on its forests' current state is very limited. Therefore, in order to effectively intervene in support of existing resources, it is important to have a better understanding of processes taking place in the country and impacting those resources. The objectives of this study are to quantify the consequences of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on forest degradation and fragmentation and to analyze the anthropogenic factors causing it, taking Erawashda Forest, eastern Sudan, as an example. The study utilized a series of Landsat imageries, field surveys and interviews with informants to analyze the decrease in forest cover. The years between 1973 and 2015 saw a 16.9% and 5.4% increase in bare land and large-scale mechanized agriculture respectively. During the same period there was a 37% decrease in dense forest cover and a 20% increase in light forest cover. The trajectory analysis showed that all LULC categories are subjected to very rapid changes from one class to another throughout the period of the study and the most dynamic class is light forest cover. Computed fragmentation indices showed that large core is the dominant category. Key informants identified the main factors of degradation and fragmentation as the expansion of mechanized rain-fed agriculture, felling of trees and wood cutting, bad grazing activities, and construction of infrastructure. Information garnered from this study can provide a good basis for forest rehabilitation programs and can also be used for developing proper management plans that take into account the needs of the communities utilizing the forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein M Sulieman
- Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Gadarif, P.O. Box 449, 32211 Gadarif, Sudan.
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15
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Riggio J, Caro T. Structural connectivity at a national scale: Wildlife corridors in Tanzania. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187407. [PMID: 29095901 PMCID: PMC5667852 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife corridors can help maintain landscape connectivity but novel methods must be developed to assess regional structural connectivity quickly and cheaply so as to determine where expensive and time-consuming surveys of functional connectivity should occur. We use least-cost methods, the most accurate and up-to-date land conversion dataset for East Africa, and interview data on wildlife corridors, to develop a single, consistent methodology to systematically assess wildlife corridors at a national scale using Tanzania as a case study. Our research aimed to answer the following questions; (i) which corridors may still remain open (i.e. structurally connected) at a national scale, (ii) which have been potentially severed by anthropogenic land conversion (e.g., agriculture and settlements), (iii) where are other remaining potential wildlife corridors located, and (iv) which protected areas with lower forms of protection (e.g., Forest Reserves and Wildlife Management Areas) may act as stepping-stones linking more than one National Park and/or Game Reserve. We identify a total of 52 structural connections between protected areas that are potentially open to wildlife movement, and in so doing add 23 to those initially identified by other methods in Tanzanian Government reports. We find that the vast majority of corridors noted in earlier reports as “likely to be severed” have actually not been cut structurally (21 of 24). Nonetheless, nearly a sixth of all the wildlife corridors identified in Tanzania in 2009 have potentially been separated by land conversion, and a third now pass across lands likely to be converted to human use in the near future. Our study uncovers two reserves with lower forms of protection (Uvinza Forest Reserve in the west and Wami-Mbiki Wildlife Management Area in the east) that act as apparently crucial stepping-stones between National Parks and/or Game Reserves and therefore require far more serious conservation support. Methods used in this study are readily applicable to other nations lacking detailed data on wildlife movements and plagued by inaccurate land cover datasets. Our results are the first step in identifying wildlife corridors at a regional scale and provide a springboard for ground-based follow-up conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Riggio
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Tim Caro
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
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16
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Laurance WF, Campbell MJ, Alamgir M, Mahmoud MI. Road Expansion and the Fate of Africa's Tropical Forests. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Hägerling HG, Ebersole JJ. Roads as travel corridors for mammals and ground birds in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Afr J Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heather G. Hägerling
- Department of Environmental Studies; University of Chicago; Chicago IL 60637 U.S.A
- Associated Colleges of the Midwest; 11 E. Adams Street Suite 800 Chicago IL 60603 U.S.A
| | - James J. Ebersole
- Associated Colleges of the Midwest; 11 E. Adams Street Suite 800 Chicago IL 60603 U.S.A
- Department of Organismal Biology & Ecology; Colorado College; Colorado Springs CO 80903 U.S.A
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Oliveira U, Paglia AP, Brescovit AD, Carvalho CJB, Silva DP, Rezende DT, Leite FSF, Batista JAN, Barbosa JPPP, Stehmann JR, Ascher JS, Vasconcelos MF, De Marco P, Löwenberg‐Neto P, Dias PG, Ferro VG, Santos AJ. The strong influence of collection bias on biodiversity knowledge shortfalls of
B
razilian terrestrial biodiversity. DIVERS DISTRIB 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ubirajara Oliveira
- Centro de Sensoriamento Remoto Instituto de Geociências Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais – UFMG Av. Antonio Carlos 6627 CEP 31270‐901 Belo Horizonte MG Brazil
- Departamento de Zoologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais – UFMG Av. Antonio Carlos 6627 CEP 31270‐901 Belo Horizonte MG Brazil
| | - Adriano Pereira Paglia
- Departamento de Biologia Geral Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais – UFMG Belo Horizonte MG Brazil
| | - Antonio D. Brescovit
- Laboratório Especial de Coleções Zoológicas Instituto Butantan São Paulo SP Brazil
| | | | - Daniel Paiva Silva
- Departamento de Biologia Instituto Federal Goiano – IFGoiano Urutaí Goiás Brazil
| | | | - Felipe Sá Fortes Leite
- Laboratório Sagarana Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde Universidade Federal de Viçosa – UFV Campus Florestal Florestal MG Brazil
| | - João Aguiar Nogueira Batista
- Departamento de Botânica Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais – UFMG Belo Horizonte MG Brazil
| | | | - João Renato Stehmann
- Departamento de Botânica Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais – UFMG Belo Horizonte MG Brazil
| | - John S. Ascher
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore City Singapore
| | - Marcelo Ferreira Vasconcelos
- Coleção Ornitológica Museu de Ciências Naturais Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais Avenida Dom José Gaspar 290 CEP 30535‐901 Belo Horizonte MG Brazil
- Instituto Prístino Rua Santa Maria Goretti 86, Barreiro CEP 30642‐020 Belo Horizonte MG Brazil
| | - Paulo De Marco
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Goiás Goiânia Goiás Brazil
| | | | | | - Viviane Gianluppi Ferro
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Goiás Goiânia Goiás Brazil
| | - Adalberto J. Santos
- Departamento de Zoologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais – UFMG Av. Antonio Carlos 6627 CEP 31270‐901 Belo Horizonte MG Brazil
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Caro T, Davenport TRB. Wildlife and wildlife management in Tanzania. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2016; 30:716-723. [PMID: 26681228 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Tanzania, arguably mainland Africa's most important nation for conservation, is losing habitat and natural resources rapidly. Moving away from a charcoal energy base and developing sustainable finance mechanisms for natural forests are critical to slowing persistent deforestation. Addressing governance and capacity deficits, including law enforcement, technical skills, and funding, across parts of the wildlife sector are key to effective wildlife protection. These changes could occur in tandem with bringing new models of natural resource management into play that include capacity building, corporate payment for ecosystem services, empowering nongovernmental organizations in law enforcement, greater private-sector involvement, and novel community conservation strategies. The future of Tanzania's wildlife looks uncertain-as epitomized by the current elephant crisis-unless the country confronts issues of governance, embraces innovation, and fosters greater collaboration with the international community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Caro
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A..
| | - Tim R B Davenport
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Tanzania Program, P.O. Box 922, Zanzibar, East Africa
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Laurance WF, Sloan S, Weng L, Sayer JA. Estimating the Environmental Costs of Africa's Massive "Development Corridors". Curr Biol 2015; 25:3202-8. [PMID: 26628009 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.10.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In sub-Saharan Africa, dozens of major "development corridors" have been proposed or are being created to increase agricultural production [1-4], mineral exports [5-7], and economic integration. The corridors involve large-scale expansion of infrastructure such as roads, railroads, pipelines, and port facilities and will open up extensive areas of land to new environmental pressures [1, 4, 8]. We assessed the potential environmental impacts of 33 planned or existing corridors that, if completed, would total over 53,000 km in length and crisscross much of the African continent. We mapped each corridor and estimated human occupancy (using the distribution of persistent night-lights) and environmental values (endangered and endemic vertebrates, plant diversity, critical habitats, carbon storage, and climate-regulation services) inside a 50-km-wide band overlaid onto each corridor. We also assessed the potential for each corridor to facilitate increases in agricultural production. The corridors varied considerably in their environmental values, and many were only sparsely populated. Because of marginal soils or climates, some corridors appear to have only modest agricultural potential. Collectively, the corridors would bisect over 400 existing protected areas and could degrade a further ~1,800 by promoting habitat disruption near or inside the reserves. We conclude that many of the development corridors will promote serious and largely irreversible environmental changes and should proceed only if rigorous mitigation and protection measures can be employed. Some planned corridors with high environmental values and limited agricultural benefits should possibly be cancelled altogether. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- William F Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia.
| | - Sean Sloan
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
| | - Lingfei Weng
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
| | - Jeffrey A Sayer
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
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Crovo JA, Mendonça MT, Holt DE, Johnston CE. Stress and Auditory Responses of the Otophysan Fish, Cyprinella venusta, to Road Traffic Noise. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137290. [PMID: 26398211 PMCID: PMC4580447 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Noise pollution from anthropogenic sources is an increasingly problematic challenge faced by many taxa, including fishes. Recent studies demonstrate that road traffic noise propagates effectively from bridge crossings into surrounding freshwater ecosystems; yet, its effect on the stress response and auditory function of freshwater stream fishes is unexamined. The blacktail shiner (Cyprinella venusta) was used as a model to investigate the degree to which traffic noise impacts stress and hearing in exposed fishes. Fish were exposed to an underwater recording of traffic noise played at approximately 140 dB re 1 μPa. Waterborne cortisol samples were collected and quantified using enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Auditory thresholds were assessed in control and traffic exposed groups by measuring auditory evoked potentials (AEPs). After acute exposure to traffic noise, fish exhibited a significant elevation in cortisol levels. Individuals exposed to 2 hours of traffic noise playback had elevated hearing thresholds at 300 and 400 Hz, corresponding to the most sensitive bandwidth for this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna A. Crovo
- Fish Biodiversity Lab, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Mary T. Mendonça
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences and Mathematics, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Daniel E. Holt
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, College of Letters and Sciences, Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Carol E. Johnston
- Fish Biodiversity Lab, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
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Balancing Conservation with National Development: A Socio-Economic Case Study of the Alternatives to the Serengeti Road. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26200107 PMCID: PMC4511738 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing countries often have rich natural resources but poor infrastructure to capitalize on them, which leads to significant challenges in terms of balancing poverty alleviation with conservation. The underlying premise in development strategies is to increase the socio-economic welfare of the people while simultaneously ensuring environmental sustainability, however these objectives are often in direct conflict. National progress is dependent on developing infrastructure such as effective transportation networks, however roads can be ecologically catastrophic in terms of disrupting habitat connectivity and facilitating illegal activity. How can national development and conservation be balanced? The proposed Serengeti road epitomizes the conflict between poverty alleviation on one hand, and the conservation of a critical ecosystem on the other. We use the Serengeti as an exemplar case-study in which the relative economic and social benefits of a road can be assessed against the ecological impacts. Specifically, we compare three possible transportation routes and ask which route maximizes the socio-economic returns for the people while minimizing the ecological costs. The findings suggest that one route in particular that circumnavigates the Serengeti links the greatest number of small and medium sized entrepreneurial businesses to the largest labour force in the region. Furthermore, this route connects the most children to schools, provisions the greatest access to hospitals, and opens the most fertile crop and livestock production areas, and does not compromise the ecology and tourism revenue of the Serengeti. This route would improve Tanzania's food security and self-reliance and would facilitate future infrastructure development which would not be possible if the road were to pass through the Serengeti. This case study provides a compelling example of how a detailed spatial analysis can balance the national objectives of poverty alleviation while maintaining ecological integrity.
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Kioko J, Kiffner C, Jenkins N, Collinson WJ. Wildlife roadkill patterns on a major highway in northern Tanzania. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2015.1021161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Laurance WF, Peletier-Jellema A, Geenen B, Koster H, Verweij P, Van Dijck P, Lovejoy TE, Schleicher J, Van Kuijk M. Reducing the global environmental impacts of rapid infrastructure expansion. Curr Biol 2015; 25:R259-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.02.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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