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Reyes de Merkle J, Creel S, Becker MS, Goodheart B, Mweetwa T, Mwape H, Dröge E, Simpamba T. Long-term data reveal fitness costs of anthropogenic prey depletion for a subordinate competitor, the African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11402. [PMID: 38932965 PMCID: PMC11199200 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Within carnivore guilds, dominant competitors (e.g., lions, Panthera leo) are limited primarily by the density of prey, while subordinate competitors (e.g., African wild dogs, Lycaon pictus) have been limited by the density of dominant competitors. Historically, the fitness and population density of subordinate competitors have not been tightly linked to prey density. However, populations of large herbivores have declined substantially across sub-Saharan Africa due to human impacts, and where prey depletion is severe, fitness costs for competitive subordinates may begin to outweigh the benefits of competitive release. Using long-term intensive monitoring of African wild dogs in Zambia's Luangwa Valley Ecosystem (LVE), we tested the effects of prey depletion on survival and reproduction. We hypothesized that African wild dog fitness would be lower in prey-depleted areas, despite lower lion densities. Our study area included four contiguous regions that varied in protection level, prey density, and lion density. We fit Bayesian Cormack-Jolly-Seber and closed-capture models to estimate effects on survival and population density, and generalized linear models to estimate effects on reproductive success. We found that the LVE is a stronghold for African wild dogs, with an estimated median density of 4.0 individuals/100 km2. Despite this high density, survival and reproduction differed among regions, and both components of fitness were substantially reduced in the region with the lowest prey density. Anthropogenic prey depletion is becoming an important limiting factor for African wild dogs. If prey depletion (or any other form of habitat degradation) becomes severe enough that its fitness costs outweigh the benefits of competitive release, such changes can fundamentally alter the balance between limiting factors for competitively subordinate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnathan Reyes de Merkle
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
- Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - Scott Creel
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
- Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMontanaUSA
- Institutionen för Vilt, Fisk Och Miljö, Sveriges LantbruksuniversitetUmeåSweden
| | - Matthew S. Becker
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
- Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - Ben Goodheart
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
- Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMontanaUSA
| | | | - Henry Mwape
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
| | - Egil Dröge
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
- Wildlife Conservation Research UnitOxford UniversityOxfordUK
| | - Twakundine Simpamba
- Department of National Parks and Wildlife, South Luangwa Area Management UnitMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
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Vasiliev D, Hazlett R, Hutchinson KL, Bornmalm L. Light at the end of the tunnel: Innovative opportunities for saving tropical biodiversity. AMBIO 2024; 53:702-717. [PMID: 38353913 PMCID: PMC10992326 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01970-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The expansion of roads into wilderness areas and biodiversity hotspots in the Global South seems inevitable and is predicted to bring about significant biodiversity loss. Even so, existing widespread strategies aiming to mitigate the direct and indirect impacts of roads on the environment have been of limited effectiveness. These tactics, including construction of fencing, wildlife crossings on paved roads, and establishment of protected areas along the roads, are unlikely to be sufficient for protecting diverse species assemblages from roadkill, habitat fragmentation, and anthropogenic activity in tropics. This indicates the need for integration of more ambitious approaches into the conservation toolkit, such as the constructing tunnels, covered ways, and elevated roads. Although these tools could significantly support conservation efforts to save tropical biodiversity, to date, they are rarely considered. Here, we discuss factors which determine the need for application of these approaches in the Global South. We highlight the often-overlooked long-term benefits associated with the application of the proposed tools. We also discuss the potential challenges and risks, and the ways to minimise them. Hopefully this article will encourage practitioners to integrate these strategies into conservation toolkits and allow policy-makers and investors to make informed decisions on sustainable road infrastructure development in the Global South.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Vasiliev
- Turiba University, 68 Graudu Street, Riga, 1030, Latvia.
| | - Richard Hazlett
- Pomona College, 333 N College Way, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA
| | | | - Lennart Bornmalm
- University of Gothenburg, Universitetsplatsen 1, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
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Huang RM, Maré C, Guldemond RAR, Pimm SL, van Aarde RJ. Protecting and connecting landscapes stabilizes populations of the Endangered savannah elephant. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk2896. [PMID: 38181078 PMCID: PMC10776014 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk2896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
The influence of protected areas on the growth of African savannah elephant populations is inadequately known. Across southern Africa, elephant numbers grew at 0.16% annually for the past quarter century. Locally, much depends on metapopulation dynamics-the size and connections of individual populations. Population numbers in large, connected, and strictly protected areas typically increased, were less variable from year to year, and suffered less from poaching. Conversely, populations in buffer areas that are less protected but still connected have more variation in growth from year to year. Buffer areas also differed more in their growth rates, likely due to more threats and dispersal opportunities in the face of such dangers. Isolated populations showed consistently high growth due to a lack of emigration. This suggests that "fortress" conservation generally maintains high growth, while anthropogenic-driven source-sink dynamics within connected conservation clusters drive stability in core areas and variability in buffers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M. Huang
- Conservation Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Celesté Maré
- Conservation Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Robert A. R. Guldemond
- Conservation Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Stuart L. Pimm
- Conservation Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rudi J. van Aarde
- Conservation Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
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4
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Reece SJ, Tambling CJ, Leslie AJ, Radloff FGT. Patterns and predictors of ungulate space use across an isolated Miombo woodland reserve. J Zool (1987) 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S. J. Reece
- Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences Cape Peninsula University of Technology Cape Town South Africa
| | - C. J. Tambling
- Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Fort Hare Fort Hare South Africa
| | - A. J. Leslie
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology Stellenbosch University Matieland South Africa
| | - F. G. T. Radloff
- Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences Cape Peninsula University of Technology Cape Town South Africa
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5
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Ferrer Velasco R, Lippe M, Fischer R, Torres B, Tamayo F, Kalaba FK, Kaoma H, Bugayong L, Günter S. Reconciling policy instruments with drivers of deforestation and forest degradation: cross-scale analysis of stakeholder perceptions in tropical countries. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2180. [PMID: 36750712 PMCID: PMC9905477 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29417-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cross-scale studies combining information on policy instruments and on drivers of deforestation and forest degradation are key to design and implement effective forest protection measures. We investigated the scale and country dependency of stakeholder perceptions about future threats to tropical forests (e.g. agriculture, logging, woodfuel) and preferred policy instruments (e.g. reforestation, protected areas, combat illegal logging), by interviewing 224 representatives of forest-related institutions. We conducted analysis of variance and principal component analysis for eighteen variables across three countries (Zambia, Ecuador and the Philippines) and four spatial levels (from international to local). We found that the overall alertness about commercial drivers and the confidence in policy instruments are significantly lower at subnational levels and also in Zambia. Stakeholder expectations about the most important drivers and the most effective policies in the coming decade follow regional narratives, suggesting that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions in international forest policy. However, we found an unexpected consensus across scales, indicating potential for collaboration between institutions operating at different geographical levels. Overall, agriculture remains the driver with the highest expected influence (43%), while a strong favoritism for reforestation and forest restoration (38%) suggests a paradigm shift from protected areas to a stronger focus on integrative approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Ferrer Velasco
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85354, Freising, Germany. .,Institute of Forestry, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, 21031, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Melvin Lippe
- Institute of Forestry, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, 21031, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Richard Fischer
- Institute of Forestry, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, 21031, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bolier Torres
- Life Sciences Department, Universidad Estatal Amazónica (UEA), 160101, Puyo, Ecuador
| | - Fabián Tamayo
- Life Sciences Department, Universidad Estatal Amazónica (UEA), 160101, Puyo, Ecuador
| | | | - Humphrey Kaoma
- School of Natural Resources, Copperbelt University, 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Leonida Bugayong
- Forestry Development Center, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños, 4031, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Sven Günter
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85354, Freising, Germany.,Institute of Forestry, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, 21031, Hamburg, Germany
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6
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Sommerville M, Bessa T, Malasha P, Dooley M. Increasing women’s participation in wildlife governance in Zambia. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.1003095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Community-based natural resource management bodies, including Community Resource Boards (CRBs) and Community Scouts, are responsible for governance and wildlife law enforcement in Zambia’s Game Management Areas (GMA), community lands that buffer the National Parks. Despite commitments to inclusive governance and benefit sharing, men dominate the wildlife and natural resource sectors in Zambia; they make up the vast majority of wildlife scouts who patrol the GMAs and hold most positions on the CRBs who allocate benefits and decide on management priorities. Gender blind structures within community governance institutions during the recruitment and training process and social and gender norms that see leadership roles as men’s domain act as barriers to women’s participation in the sector. In response, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) invested in a comprehensive package of activities to increase women’s effective participation in wildlife governance and law enforcement, including gender-responsive CRB elections, empowerment training for newly elected women candidates, revised community scout training curriculum, and capacity building support for organizations that support scouts and CRBs. The intervention helped increase women’s representation in CRBs from four percent to 25 percent in pilot communities. It also supported the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) to recruit the first gender balanced cohort of community scout recruits and field an all-women patrol unit in Lower Zambezi National Park.
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Strampelli P, Henschel P, Searle CE, Macdonald DW, Dickman AJ. Habitat use of and threats to African large carnivores in a mixed-use landscape. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13943. [PMID: 35603489 PMCID: PMC10087927 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Large carnivores increasingly inhabit human-affected landscapes, which exhibit heterogeneity in biotic resources, anthropogenic pressures, and management strategies. Understanding large carnivore habitat use in these systems is critical for their conservation, as is the evaluation of competing management approaches and the impacts of significant land-use changes. We used occupancy modeling to investigate habitat use of an intact eastern African large carnivore guild across the 45,000 km2 Ruaha-Rungwa landscape in south-central Tanzania. We determined the relative impact on five large carnivore species of biotic, anthropogenic, and management factors at the scales of home range selection and short-term use within home ranges. We also specifically tested the effect of abandonment of trophy hunting areas on large carnivore occurrence. Patterns of habitat use differed among species. Lions (Panthera leo) appeared affected by top-down limitation, as their occurrence was significantly negatively associated with illegal human activity (β = -0.63 [SE 0.28]). African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), instead, were limited by biotic features; the species was negatively associated with riverine areas of high sympatric predator density (β = -1.00 [SE 0.43]) and used less-productive habitats. Spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) and leopard (Panthera pardus) persisted in more disturbed areas and across habitat types. Large carnivore occurrence was not affected by whether an area was used for photographic or trophy hunting tourism; regular law enforcement was instead a better predictor of occurrence. All species fared better in actively managed hunting areas than those that had been abandoned by operators. Overall, our findings highlight the divergent habitat requirements within large carnivore guilds and the importance of adopting an integrated approach to large carnivore conservation planning in modern systems. We also identified a novel threat to African conservation areas in the form of decreased management investments associated with the abandonment of trophy hunting areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Strampelli
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Oxford, UK
- Lion Landscapes, Iringa, Tanzania
| | | | - Charlotte E Searle
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Oxford, UK
- Panthera, New York City, New York, USA
- Lion Landscapes, Iringa, Tanzania
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Amy J Dickman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Oxford, UK
- Lion Landscapes, Iringa, Tanzania
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8
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Using camera trap bycatch data to assess habitat use and the influence of human activity on African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Kasungu National Park, Malawi. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00330-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAfrican elephants (Loxodonta africana) are increasingly exposed to high levels of human disturbance and are threatened by poaching and human–elephant conflict. As anthropogenic pressures continue to increase, both inside and outside protected areas, understanding elephant behavioural responses to human activity is required for future conservation management. Here, we use bycatch data from camera trap surveys to provide inferences on elephant habitat use and temporal activity in Kasungu National Park (KNP), Malawi. The KNP elephant population has declined by ~ 95% since the late 1970s, primarily because of intensive poaching, and information on elephant ecology and behaviour can assist in the species’ recovery. Using occupancy modelling, we show that proximity to water is the primary driver of elephant habitat use in KNP, with sites closer to water having a positive effect on elephant site use. Our occupancy results suggest that elephants do not avoid sites of higher human activity, while results from temporal activity models show that elephants avoid peak times of human activity and exhibit primarily nocturnal behaviour when using the KNP road network. As key park infrastructure is located near permanent water sources, elephant spatiotemporal behaviour may represent a trade-off between resource utilisation and anthropogenic-risk factors, with temporal partitioning used to reduce encounter rates. Increased law enforcement activity around permanent water sources could help to protect the KNP elephant population during the dry season. Our findings highlight that camera trap bycatch data can be a useful tool for the conservation management of threatened species beyond the initial scope of research.
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9
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Degbelo FG, Djagoun CAMS, Toyi SSM, Padonou EA, Kouton M, Gichohi N, Muruthi P, Sinsin B. What shapes the mammal species poaching in protected areas: biophysical or anthropogenic factors? A case study in Pendjari Biosphere Reserve. NATURE CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.48.68243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Understanding what shapes the mammal species poaching in protected areas is critical to developing targeted management strategies for reducing poaching. We collected the data for poaching incidents on the GPS coordinates from 2011 to 2017 to map poaching incidents in the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve. Poaching incidents were then related to environmental and anthropogenic variables using regression analyses. The study shows that poaching is more concentrated along the main river in the Pendjari National Park. Only nearest distance to the main river significantly predicted the location of high poaching incidents. These results could be used as the starting point by the park managers when planning the anti-poaching activities.
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10
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Giliba RA, Fust P, Kiffner C, Loos J. Multiple anthropogenic pressures challenge the effectiveness of protected areas in western Tanzania. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Richard A. Giliba
- Institute of Ecology Leuphana University Lüneburg Lüneburg Germany
- School of Life Sciences and Bio‐Engineering The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Arusha Tanzania
| | - Pascal Fust
- Institute of Ecology Leuphana University Lüneburg Lüneburg Germany
| | - Christian Kiffner
- Center for Wildlife Management Studies The School for Field Studies Karatu Tanzania
- Junior Research Group Human‐Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence; Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) Research Area Land use and Governance Müncheberg Germany
| | - Jacqueline Loos
- Institute of Ecology Leuphana University Lüneburg Lüneburg Germany
- Social‐Ecological Systems Institute Leuphana University Lüneburg Lüneburg Germany
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11
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Mavah G, Child B, Swisher ME. Empty laws and empty forests: Reconsidering rights and governance for sustainable wildlife management in the Republic of the Congo. Afr J Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Germain Mavah
- Wildlife Conservation Society Sustainable Wildlife Management Program, Congo Brazzaville Congo
| | - Brian Child
- Center for African Studies Department of Geography University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Marilyn E. Swisher
- Family, Youth, and Community Sciences University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
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McGowan NE, Marks NJ, Maule AG, Schmidt-Küntzel A, Marker LL, Scantlebury DM. Categorising cheetah behaviour using tri-axial accelerometer data loggers: a comparison of model resolution and data logger performance. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:7. [PMID: 35123592 PMCID: PMC8818224 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00305-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extinction is one of the greatest threats to the living world, endangering organisms globally, advancing conservation to the forefront of species research. To maximise the efficacy of conservation efforts, understanding the ecological, physiological, and behavioural requirements of vulnerable species is vital. Technological advances, particularly in remote sensing, enable researchers to continuously monitor movement and behaviours of multiple individuals simultaneously with minimal human intervention. Cheetahs, Acinonyx jubatus, constitute a "vulnerable" species for which only coarse behaviours have been elucidated. The aims of this study were to use animal-attached accelerometers to (1) determine fine-scale behaviours in cheetahs, (2) compare the performances of different devices in behaviour categorisation, and (3) provide a behavioural categorisation framework. METHODS Two different accelerometer devices (CEFAS, frequency: 30 Hz, maximum capacity: ~ 2 g; GCDC, frequency: 50 Hz, maximum capacity: ~ 8 g) were mounted onto collars, fitted to five individual captive cheetahs. The cheetahs chased a lure around a track, during which time their behaviours were videoed. Accelerometer data were temporally aligned with corresponding video footage and labelled with one of 17 behaviours. Six separate random forest models were run (three per device type) to determine the categorisation accuracy for behaviours at a fine, medium, and coarse resolution. RESULTS Fine- and medium-scale models had an overall categorisation accuracy of 83-86% and 84-88% respectively. Non-locomotory behaviours were best categorised on both loggers with GCDC outperforming CEFAS devices overall. On a coarse scale, both devices performed well when categorising activity (86.9% (CEFAS) vs. 89.3% (GCDC) accuracy) and inactivity (95.5% (CEFAS) vs. 95.0% (GCDC) accuracy). This study defined cheetah behaviour beyond three categories and accurately determined stalking behaviours by remote sensing. We also show that device specification and configuration may affect categorisation accuracy, so we recommend deploying several different loggers simultaneously on the same individual. CONCLUSION The results of this study will be useful in determining wild cheetah behaviour. The methods used here allowed broad-scale (active/inactive) as well as fine-scale (e.g. stalking) behaviours to be categorised remotely. These findings and methodological approaches will be useful in monitoring the behaviour of wild cheetahs and other species of conservation interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha E McGowan
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Nikki J Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Aaron G Maule
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | | | - Laurie L Marker
- Cheetah Conservation Fund, PO Box 1755, Otjiwarongo, Namibia
| | - David M Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK.
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Robson A, Trimble M, Bauer D, Loveridge A, Thomson P, Western G, Lindsey P. Over 80% of Africa's savannah conservation land is failing or deteriorating according to lions as an indicator species. Conserv Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Robson
- Department of Biological Science, Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | | | | | | | | | - Guy Western
- South Rift Association of Land Owners Nairobi Kenya
| | - Peter Lindsey
- Wildlife Conservation Network San Francisco
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Mammal Research Institute University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
- Environmental Futures Research Institute Griffith University Nathan Australia
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14
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Wood BM, Millar RS, Wright N, Baumgartner J, Holmquist H, Kiffner C. Hunter-Gatherers in context: Mammal community composition in a northern Tanzania landscape used by Hadza foragers and Datoga pastoralists. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251076. [PMID: 33989291 PMCID: PMC8121365 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In many regions of sub Saharan Africa large mammals occur in human-dominated areas, yet their community composition and abundance have rarely been described in areas occupied by traditional hunter-gatherers and pastoralists. Surveys of mammal populations in such areas provide important measures of biodiversity and provide ecological context for understanding hunting practices. Using a sampling grid centered on a Hadza hunter-gatherer camp and covering 36 km2 of semi-arid savannah in northern Tanzania, we assessed mammals using camera traps (n = 19 stations) for c. 5 months (2,182 trap nights). In the study area (Tli’ika in the Hadza language), we recorded 36 wild mammal species. Rarefaction curves suggest that sampling effort was sufficient to capture mammal species richness, yet some species known to occur at low densities in the wider area (e.g. African lions, wildebeest) were not detected. Relative abundance indices of wildlife species varied by c. three orders of magnitude, from a mean of 0.04 (African wild dog) to 20.34 capture events per 100 trap-nights (Kirk’s dik dik). To contextualize the relative abundance of wildlife in the study area, we compared our study’s data to comparable camera trap data collected in a fully protected area of northern Tanzania with similar rainfall (Lake Manyara National Park). Raw data and negative binomial regression analyses show that wild herbivores and wild carnivores were generally detected in the national park at higher rates than in the Hadza-occupied region. Livestock were notably absent from the national park, but were detected at high levels in Tli’ika, and cattle was the second most frequently detected species in the Hadza-used area. We discuss how these data inform current conservation efforts, studies of Hadza hunting, and models of hunter-gatherer foraging ecology and diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M. Wood
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BMW); (CK)
| | | | | | | | | | - Christian Kiffner
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Center For Wildlife Management Studies, The School For Field Studies, Karatu, Tanzania
- * E-mail: (BMW); (CK)
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15
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Rduch V, Jentke T. Alarming decline of bovids in Kasanka National Park, Zambia: A case study of the puku antelope (
Kobus vardonii
). Afr J Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vera Rduch
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Leibniz‐Institut für Biodiversität der Tiere Bonn Germany
| | - Thalia Jentke
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Leibniz‐Institut für Biodiversität der Tiere Bonn Germany
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16
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Gross EM, Lahkar BP, Subedi N, Nyirenda VR, Klebelsberg E, Jakoby O. Elephants in the village: Causes and consequences of property damage in Asia and Africa. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. Gross
- Faculty of Biological Sciences Goethe University Frankfurt Frankfurt Germany
- Awely, Wildlife and People Orléans France
| | - Bibhuti P. Lahkar
- Awely, Wildlife and People Orléans France
- Aaranyak Guwahati Assam India
| | - Naresh Subedi
- National Trust for Nature Conservation Lalitpur Nepal
| | - Vincent R. Nyirenda
- Department of Zoology and Aquatic Sciences School of Natural Resources, Copperbelt University Kitwe Zambia
- Department of National Parks and Wildlife Ministry of Tourism and Arts Chilanga Zambia
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Wade CM, Austin KG, Cajka J, Lapidus D, Everett KH, Galperin D, Maynard R, Sobel A. What is Threatening Forests in Protected Areas? A Global Assessment of Deforestation in Protected Areas, 2001-2018. FORESTS 2020; 11:539. [PMID: 33123319 PMCID: PMC7592705 DOI: 10.3390/f11050539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The protection of forests is crucial to providing important ecosystem services, such as supplying clean air and water, safeguarding critical habitats for biodiversity, and reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this importance, global forest loss has steadily increased in recent decades. Protected Areas (PAs) currently account for almost 15% of Earth’s terrestrial surface and protect 5% of global tree cover and were developed as a principal approach to limit the impact of anthropogenic activities on natural, intact ecosystems and habitats. We assess global trends in forest loss inside and outside of PAs, and land cover following this forest loss, using a global map of tree cover loss and global maps of land cover. While forests in PAs experience loss at lower rates than non-protected forests, we find that the temporal trend of forest loss in PAs is markedly similar to that of all forest loss globally. We find that forest loss in PAs is most commonly—and increasingly—followed by shrubland, a broad category that could represent re-growing forest, agricultural fallows, or pasture lands in some regional contexts. Anthropogenic forest loss for agriculture is common in some regions, particularly in the global tropics, while wildfires, pests, and storm blowdown are a significant and consistent cause of forest loss in more northern latitudes, such as the United States, Canada, and Russia. Our study describes a process for screening tree cover loss and agriculture expansion taking place within PAs, and identification of priority targets for further site-specific assessments of threats to PAs. We illustrate an approach for more detailed assessment of forest loss in four case study PAs in Brazil, Indonesia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M. Wade
- RTI International, 3040 E Cornwallis Rd, Durham, NC 27709, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-919-316-3718
| | - Kemen G. Austin
- RTI International, 3040 E Cornwallis Rd, Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | - James Cajka
- RTI International, 3040 E Cornwallis Rd, Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | - Daniel Lapidus
- RTI International, 3040 E Cornwallis Rd, Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | | | - Diana Galperin
- US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20460, USA
| | - Rachel Maynard
- Former ORISE Fellow for US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20460, USA
| | - Aaron Sobel
- US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20460, USA
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18
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Nelson F, Muyamwa‐Mupeta P, Muyengwa S, Sulle E, Kaelo D. Progress or regression? Institutional evolutions of community‐based conservation in eastern and southern Africa. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shylock Muyengwa
- Center for Impact Evaluation and Research Design Harare Zimbabwe
| | - Emmanuel Sulle
- Institute for Poverty Land and Agrarian Studies, University of the Western Cape South Africa
| | - Dickson Kaelo
- Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association Nairobi Kenya
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19
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Kansky R, Kidd M, Fischer J. Does money “buy” tolerance toward damage‐causing wildlife? CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Kansky
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology Stellenbosch University Matieland South Africa
| | - Martin Kidd
- Centre for Statistical Consultation, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences Stellenbosch University Matieland South Africa
| | - Joern Fischer
- Department of Sustainability Science Leuphana University, LueneburgUniversitaetsallee Lueneburg Germany
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20
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Lindsey P, Allan J, Brehony P, Dickman A, Robson A, Begg C, Bhammar H, Blanken L, Breuer T, Fitzgerald K, Flyman M, Gandiwa P, Giva N, Kaelo D, Nampindo S, Nyambe N, Steiner K, Parker A, Roe D, Thomson P, Trimble M, Caron A, Tyrrell P. Conserving Africa’s wildlife and wildlands through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1300-1310. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1275-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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21
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Parker K, De Vos A, Clements HS, Biggs D, Biggs R. Impacts of a trophy hunting ban on private land conservation in South African biodiversity hotspots. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Parker
- Department of Environmental ScienceRhodes University Makhanda South Africa
| | - Alta De Vos
- Department of Environmental ScienceRhodes University Makhanda South Africa
| | - Hayley S. Clements
- Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST), Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
- Department of Geosciences and GeographyUniversity of Helsinki FI‐00014 Helsinki Finland
| | - Duan Biggs
- Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST), Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
- Department of Conservation Ecology and EntomologyStellenbosch University Matieland South Africa
| | - Reinette Biggs
- Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST), Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University Sweden
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22
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Global opportunities and challenges for transboundary conservation. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:694-701. [PMID: 32203481 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1160-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Rapid biodiversity loss has prompted global action to prevent further declines, yet coordinated conservation action among nations remains elusive. As a result, species with ranges that span international borders-which include 53.8% of terrestrial birds, mammals and amphibians-are in increasing peril through uncoordinated management and artificial barriers to human movement, such as border fences. Transboundary conservation initiatives represent a unique opportunity to better protect species through coordinated management across national borders. Using metrics of governance, collaboration and human pressure, we provide an index of transboundary conservation feasibility to assess global opportunities and challenges for different nations. While the transboundary conservation potential of securing multinational threatened species varied substantially, there are distinct opportunities in South-East Asia, Northern Europe, North America and South America. But to successfully avert the loss of transboundary species, the global community must be prepared to invest in some regions facing greater implementation challenges, including the nations of Central Africa, where efforts may necessitate establishing rapid conservation interventions postconflict that align with local socio-cultural opportunities and constraints. Sanctioned and coordinated approaches towards managing transboundary species are now essential to prevent further declines of many endangered species, and global policy efforts must do more to produce and enact legitimate mechanisms for collaborative action in conservation.
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Phiri D, Morgenroth J, Xu C. Long-term land cover change in Zambia: An assessment of driving factors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 697:134206. [PMID: 32380630 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Land cover change (LCC) has significant effects on the global ecosystem diversity and function. This topic has received increasing attention due, in part, to its relationship with climate change, and the availability of remotely-sensed imagery that is used to monitor LCC. However, studies analysing the factors that drive LCC at large spatial scales and over long temporal scales are uncommon. This study aimed to identify the factors driving long-term (44 years, 1972-2016) national level LCC in Zambia. Two analyses were conducted, with the first considering factors that led to any LCC. The second scenario identified factors associated with changes from forests to other land covers, and the reversion to forests from non-forested covers. Candidate factors considered in both analyses include accessibility, proximity, topography, climate, conservation and socioeconomics. A classification tree (CT) approach was used to relate the explanatory candidate factors to LCC. The results showed that the CT models predicted LCC with accuracies ranging from 71 to 85%. The first analysis showed that the major factors determining LCC were percentage of area under agriculture, distance to water bodies, change in crop yield, mean temperature and elevation. Meanwhile, the second analysis showed that primary, secondary and plantation forest cover losses were mainly influenced by human population density, crop yield per hectare and mean crop yield, respectively. Protection status was the most important factor for forest reversion and recovery, while a variety of factors including distance to the railway, elevation and total precipitation also influenced forest reversion and recovery. The findings from this study provide insights into the factors that influence LCC and are important for developing effective policies to reduce the negative impacts of LCC and to promote forest reversion and recovery through effective management of protected areas. While this study focused on factors associated with historical LCC, the findings will also help to predict and understand future LCC scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darius Phiri
- New Zealand School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
| | - Justin Morgenroth
- New Zealand School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Cong Xu
- New Zealand School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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24
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Tyrrell P, Toit JT, Macdonald DW. Conservation beyond protected areas: Using vertebrate species ranges and biodiversity importance scores to inform policy for an east African country in transition. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Tyrrell
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of ZoologyUniversity of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre, Tubney House Abingdon UK
- South Rift Association of Landowners Nairobi Kenya
- Department of Geography and Environmental StudiesUniversity of Nairobi Nairobi Kenya
| | - Johan T. Toit
- Department of Wildland ResourcesUtah State University Logan Utah
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of ZoologyUniversity of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre, Tubney House Abingdon UK
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Rosenblatt E, Creel S, Schuette P, Becker MS, Christianson D, Dröge E, Mweetwa T, Mwape H, Merkle J, M’soka J, Masonde J, Simpamba T. Do protection gradients explain patterns in herbivore densities? An example with ungulates in Zambia's Luangwa Valley. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224438. [PMID: 31665161 PMCID: PMC6821096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ungulate populations face declines across the globe, and populations are commonly conserved by using protected areas. However, assessing the effectiveness of protected areas in conserving ungulate populations has remained difficult. Using herd size data from four years of line transect surveys and distance sampling models, we modeled population densities of four important herbivore species across a gradient of protection on the edge of Zambia's South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) while accounting for the role of various ecological and anthropogenic variables. Our goal was to test whether protection was responsible for density dynamics in this protection gradient, and whether a hunting moratorium impacted herbivore densities during the studies. For all four species, we estimated lower densities in partially protected buffer areas adjacent to SLNP (ranging from 4.5-fold to 13.2-fold lower) compared to protected parklands. Density trends through the study period were species-specific, with some species increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable in all or some regions of the protection gradient. Surprisingly, when controlling for other covariates, we found that these observed differences were not always detectably related to the level of protection or year. Our findings highlight the importance of accounting for variables beyond strata of interest in evaluating the effectiveness of a protected area. This study highlights the importance of comprehensively modeling ungulate population density across protection gradients, identifies lands within an important protection gradient for targeted conservation and monitoring, documents prey depletion and expands our understanding on the drivers in a critical buffer area in Zambia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Rosenblatt
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Scott Creel
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Paul Schuette
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
- Alaska Center for Conservation Science, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Matthew S. Becker
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - David Christianson
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Egil Dröge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, Tubney, United Kingdom
| | | | - Henry Mwape
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
| | | | - Jassiel M’soka
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
| | - Jones Masonde
- Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Chilanga, Zambia
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26
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Curry CJ, White PA, Derr JN. Genetic analysis of African lions (Panthera leo) in Zambia support movement across anthropogenic and geographical barriers. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217179. [PMID: 31150429 PMCID: PMC6544237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Luangwa Valley in eastern Zambia is a transverse offshoot of the Great Rift Valley system. This region appears to have an isolating effect as evidenced by suspected endemic subspecies, such as the Cookson's wildebeest and Thornicroft's giraffe. Recent mitochondrial DNA studies demonstrated that African lions in Zambia consist of two highly diverse eastern and western sub-populations. Herein, we report nuclear and mitochondrial DNA results from 409 lions that support this population substructure across Zambia but proposes only partial isolation of the Luangwa Valley with more movement between the populations than previously thought. Population assignment analysis identifies two populations with little evidence of admixture assigning lions to either the eastern or western sub-populations. A high occurrence of private alleles and clear evidence for a Wahlund effect further justify the presence of a highly structured population. But, while mitochondrial DNA analysis still shows little to no matrilineal gene flow (FST = 0.53) between sub-populations, microsatellite analysis suggests there is gene flow (FST = 0.04) with low but significant isolation-by-distance and an average of 6 migrants per generation. Evidence of isolation-by-distance is also found in factorial correspondence analysis with the Lower Zambezi National Park and eastern corridor clusters overlapping isolated clusters of the Luangwa Valley and western sub-population. From this evidence, the Luangwa Valley appears separated from the western sub-population with some dispersal through the southern regions of the eastern sub-population. Both the eastern and western sub-populations have high heterozygosity (0.68 and 0.69, respectively) and genetic diversity (0.47 and 0.50, respectively) values, indicative of genetically healthy populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin J. Curry
- Interdisciplinary Program of Genetics, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Paula A. White
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - James N. Derr
- Interdisciplinary Program of Genetics, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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27
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Carpenter S. A cross-national comparison of the efficacy of community-based and national governance approaches on the protection of the African elephant. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 231:336-344. [PMID: 30366312 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study uses a longitudinal cross-national carcass database to analyze the relative effectiveness of community-based and national governance approaches at conserving elephant populations. Controlling for variables previously identified as impacting poaching levels, an increase in land area under either community or national governance is found to be correlated with an increased likelihood of illegal elephant deaths, with community-based governance being associated with an increase roughly twice that of national governance. This finding suggests that community-based governance may be less effective than national governance at protecting commercially valuable wildlife such as elephants, but neither approach has been able to demonstrate sustained success. Consequently, rather than declaring either conservation approach as clearly preferable, policymakers should instead focus on ensuring that selected conservation approaches are tailored to site-specific natural, institutional, and socio-economic characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Carpenter
- School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, United States.
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28
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Riggio J, Jacobson AP, Hijmans RJ, Caro T. How effective are the protected areas of East Africa? Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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29
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Hussain A, Mahmood T, Akrim F, Andleeb S, Fatima H, Hamid A, Waseem M. Depleting wild prey compels common leopard (Panthera pardus) to sustain on livestock. ANIM BIOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-17000161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The wide distribution of a predator can reflect its flexibility in adapting to various ecosystems. The common leopard (Panthera pardus) is “Critically Endangered” in Pakistan while the IUCN Red List categorizes it globally as “Vulnerable”. This study investigated the distribution of the common leopard and the contribution of livestock in its diet in District Sudhanoti of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. During the surveys, scats, pugmarks, prey remains, and dead bodies of the common leopard were recovered in a scanned area of approximately 262 km2. The scats were mostly found on tracks and trails in hilly terrain, and pugmarks in the riparian zone and nallas, while prey remains were found mostly in dense bushes and rocks. Dead common leopards were recovered within or around village areas. All signs of the species were found between 418 m and 2016 m elevation above sea level. Scat analysis revealed a total of ten prey species including seven domestic mammals and only three wild meso-mammals. Domestic animals were most frequently consumed while wild prey contributed significantly less. The consumption of domestic prey species was found not to differ between the summer and winter season. We conclude that the common leopard was sustaining mainly on livestock with a much smaller contribution from wild prey. This fact, along with the “Critically Endangered” status of the species in the country, demands effective conservation measures to be taken to save common leopards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Hussain
- Department of Wildlife Management, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan
| | - Tariq Mahmood
- Department of Wildlife Management, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan
| | - Faraz Akrim
- Department of Wildlife Management, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan
| | - Shaista Andleeb
- Department of Wildlife Management, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan
| | - Hira Fatima
- Department of Wildlife Management, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Hamid
- Department of Wildlife Management, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Waseem
- Department of Wildlife Management, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan
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30
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Lindsey PA, Miller JRB, Petracca LS, Coad L, Dickman AJ, Fitzgerald KH, Flyman MV, Funston PJ, Henschel P, Kasiki S, Knights K, Loveridge AJ, Macdonald DW, Mandisodza-Chikerema RL, Nazerali S, Plumptre AJ, Stevens R, Van Zyl HW, Hunter LTB. More than $1 billion needed annually to secure Africa's protected areas with lions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E10788-E10796. [PMID: 30348785 PMCID: PMC6233108 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1805048115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) play an important role in conserving biodiversity and providing ecosystem services, yet their effectiveness is undermined by funding shortfalls. Using lions (Panthera leo) as a proxy for PA health, we assessed available funding relative to budget requirements for PAs in Africa's savannahs. We compiled a dataset of 2015 funding for 282 state-owned PAs with lions. We applied three methods to estimate the minimum funding required for effective conservation of lions, and calculated deficits. We estimated minimum required funding as $978/km2 per year based on the cost of effectively managing lions in nine reserves by the African Parks Network; $1,271/km2 based on modeled costs of managing lions at ≥50% carrying capacity across diverse conditions in 115 PAs; and $2,030/km2 based on Packer et al.'s [Packer et al. (2013) Ecol Lett 16:635-641] cost of managing lions in 22 unfenced PAs. PAs with lions require a total of $1.2 to $2.4 billion annually, or ∼$1,000 to 2,000/km2, yet received only $381 million annually, or a median of $200/km2 Ninety-six percent of range countries had funding deficits in at least one PA, with 88 to 94% of PAs with lions funded insufficiently. In funding-deficit PAs, available funding satisfied just 10 to 20% of PA requirements on average, and deficits total $0.9 to $2.1 billion. African governments and the international community need to increase the funding available for management by three to six times if PAs are to effectively conserve lions and other species and provide vital ecological and economic benefits to neighboring communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Lindsey
- Panthera, New York, NY 10018;
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Jennifer R B Miller
- Panthera, New York, NY 10018
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Lisanne S Petracca
- Panthera, New York, NY 10018
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210
| | - Lauren Coad
- Centre for International Forestry Research, Bogor 16115, Indonesia
| | - Amy J Dickman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kathryn Knights
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Andrew J Loveridge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sean Nazerali
- Independent analyst/researcher, Maputo 1100, Mozambique
| | - Andrew J Plumptre
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460
- Conservation Science Group, Zoology Department, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
| | | | - Hugo W Van Zyl
- Independent Economic Researchers, Cape Town 8001, South Africa
| | - Luke T B Hunter
- Panthera, New York, NY 10018
- School of Life Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa
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31
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Cromsigt JPGM, Te Beest M, Kerley GIH, Landman M, le Roux E, Smith FA. Trophic rewilding as a climate change mitigation strategy? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170440. [PMID: 30348867 PMCID: PMC6231077 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss of megafauna at the terminal Pleistocene has been linked to a wide range of Earth-system-level changes, such as altered greenhouse gas budgets, fire regimes and biome-level vegetation changes. Given these influences and feedbacks, might part of the solution for mitigating anthropogenic climate change lie in the restoration of extant megafauna to ecosystems? Here, we explore the potential role of trophic rewilding on Earth's climate system. We first provide a novel synthesis of the various ways that megafauna interact with the major drivers of anthropogenic climate change, including greenhouse gas storage and emission, aerosols and albedo. We then explore the role of rewilding as a mitigation tool at two scales: (i) current and near-future opportunities for national or regional climate change mitigation portfolios, and (ii) more radical opportunities at the global scale. Finally, we identify major knowledge gaps that complicate the complete characterization of rewilding as a climate change mitigation strategy. Our perspective is urgent since we are losing the Earth's last remaining megafauna, and with it a potential option to address climate change.This article is part of the theme issue 'Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå 901 83, Sweden
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
- Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, PO Box 80115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mariska Te Beest
- Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, PO Box 80115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
- SAEON Grasslands-Wetlands-Forests Node, South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa
| | - Graham I H Kerley
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
| | - Marietjie Landman
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
| | - Elizabeth le Roux
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
| | - Felisa A Smith
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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Standardising visual control devices for Tsetse: East and Central African Savannah species Glossina swynnertoni, Glossina morsitans centralis and Glossina pallidipes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006831. [PMID: 30252848 PMCID: PMC6173441 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study focused on the savannah tsetse species Glossina swynnertoni and G. morsitans centralis, both efficient vectors of human and animal trypanosomiasis in, respectively, East and Central Africa. The aim was to develop long-lasting, practical and cost-effective visually attractive devices that induce the strongest landing responses in these two species for use as insecticide-impregnated tools in population suppression. Methods and findings Trials were conducted in different seasons and years in Tanzania (G. swynnertoni) and in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, G. m. centralis) to measure the performance of traps (pyramidal and epsilon) and targets of different sizes, shapes and colours, with and without chemical baits, at different population densities and under different environmental conditions. Adhesive film was used to catch flies landing on devices at the remote locations to compare tsetse-landing efficiencies. Landing rates by G. m. centralis in both Angola and the DRC were highest on blue-black 1 m2 oblong and 0.5 m2 square and oblong targets but were not significantly different from landings on the pyramidal trap. Landings by G. swynnertoni on 0.5 m2 blue-black oblong targets were likewise not significantly lower than on equivalent 1 m2 square targets. The length of target horizontal edge was closely correlated with landing rate. Blue-black 0.5 m2 targets performed better than equivalents in all-blue for both G. swynnertoni and G. m. centralis, although not consistently. Baiting with chemicals increased the proportion of G. m. centralis entering pyramidal traps. Conclusions This study confirms earlier findings on G. swynnertoni that smaller visual targets, down to 0.5 m2, would be as efficient as using 1 m2 targets for population management of this species. This is also the case for G. m. centralis. An insecticide-impregnated pyramidal trap would also constitute an effective control device for G. m. centralis. Glossina swynnertoni is restricted to open savannah in northwestern Tanzania and southwestern Kenya whereas G. morsitans centralis has a much wider distribution from western Tanzania/southern Uganda westwards through Zambia and southeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to Angola. Both are savannah tsetse and are efficient vectors of human and animal trypanosomiasis. In comparison to other tsetse species, relatively little work has been done to test the efficacy of traps and targets for controlling G. swynnertoni and G. m. centralis. To determine the most visually-attractive and practical objects we conducted field tests with devices of various shapes, sizes and colours in Tanzania, DRC and Angola in different years, seasons, environmental conditions and at different population densities. The strongest landing responses were on 0.5 m2 horizontal rectangular targets with respect to ground that had both black and phthalogen blue elements with fly landing rates not significantly lower than on equivalent 1 m2 targets used till now for both species. The pyramidal trap proved efficient as a landing stimulus as targets of either size for G. m. centralis. Insecticide-impregnated blue-black 0.5 m2 cloth targets show promise as cost-effective devices for management of G. swynnertoni and G. m. centralis populations.
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How Do Conservation and the Tourism Industry Affect Local Livelihoods? A Comparative Study of Two Nature Reserves in China. SUSTAINABILITY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/su10061925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Wolf C, Ripple WJ. Rewilding the world's large carnivores. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:172235. [PMID: 29657815 PMCID: PMC5882739 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Earth's terrestrial large carnivores form a highly endangered group of species with unique conservation challenges. The majority of these species have experienced major geographical range contractions, which puts many of them at high risk of extinction or of becoming ecologically ineffective. As a result of these range contractions and the associated loss of intact predator guilds, the ecological effects of these species are now far less widespread and common, with inevitable consequences for ecosystem function. Rewilding-which includes reintroducing species into portions of their former ranges-is an important carnivore conservation tool and means for restoring top-down ecological regulation. We conducted a global analysis of potential reintroduction areas. We first considered protected areas where one or more large carnivore species have been extirpated, identifying a total of 130 protected areas that may be most suitable for carnivore reintroduction. These protected areas include sites in every major world region, and are most commonly found in Mongolia (n = 13), Canada (n = 11), Thailand (n = 9), Namibia (n = 6), Indonesia (n = 6) and Australia (n = 6). We considered the sizes of protected areas, their levels of protection, the extent of human impacts within and around the protected areas, and the status of prey species in the protected areas. Finally, we used the 'last of the wild' approach to identify contiguous low human footprint regions within the former ranges of each species, identifying an additional 150 areas which could be the focus of conservation efforts to create conditions conducive to reintroductions. These low footprint regions were most commonly found in the USA (n = 14), Russia (n = 14), Canada (n = 10), China (n = 9) and Mauritania (n = 8). Together, our results show the global-scale potential for carnivore rewilding projects to both conserve these species and provide critical ecological and social benefits.
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Kiffner C, Rheault H, Miller E, Scheetz T, Enriquez V, Swafford R, Kioko J, Prins HHT. Long-term population dynamics in a multi-species assemblage of large herbivores in East Africa. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Kiffner
- Center For Wildlife Management Studies; The School For Field Studies; PO Box 304 Karatu Tanzania
| | - Helena Rheault
- Westfield State University; 577 Western Avenue Westfield Massachusetts 01086 USA
| | | | - Tanner Scheetz
- Department of Biology; Miami University; 501 East High Street Oxford Ohio 45056 USA
| | - Vivien Enriquez
- Department of Anthropology; Beloit College; 700 College Street Beloit Wisconsin 53511 USA
| | - Rachelle Swafford
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Conservation; Delaware Valley University; 700 East Butler Avenue Doylestown Pennsylvania 18901 USA
| | - John Kioko
- Center For Wildlife Management Studies; The School For Field Studies; PO Box 304 Karatu Tanzania
| | - Herbert H. T. Prins
- Department of Environmental Sciences; Wageningen University; Wageningen The Netherlands
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Coulson T, Schindler S, Traill L, Kendall BE. Predicting the evolutionary consequences of trophy hunting on a quantitative trait. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Coulson
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks RoadOxfordOX1 3PSUnited Kingdom
| | - Susanne Schindler
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichWinterthurer Str. 190CH‐8057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Lochran Traill
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and PalaeoecologyJohn Moores UniversityJames Parsons Building, Byrom StreetLiverpoolL3 3AFUnited Kingdom
| | - Bruce E. Kendall
- Bren School of Environmental Science & ManagementUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCA93106‐5131USA
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Nyirenda VR, Namukonde N, Fushike P. Road kills of wild vertebrates in Kafue National Park, Zambia, between January 2008 and December 2012. Afr J Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent R. Nyirenda
- Department of Zoology and Aquatic Sciences; School of Natural Resources; The Copperbelt University; Jambo Drive, Riverside P. O. Box 21692 Kitwe Zambia
| | - Ngawo Namukonde
- Department of Zoology and Aquatic Sciences; School of Natural Resources; The Copperbelt University; Jambo Drive, Riverside P. O. Box 21692 Kitwe Zambia
| | - Peter Fushike
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences; School of Natural Resources; The Copperbelt University; Jambo Drive, Riverside P. O. Box 21692 Kitwe Zambia
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Lindsey PA, Chapron G, Petracca LS, Burnham D, Hayward MW, Henschel P, Hinks AE, Garnett ST, Macdonald DW, Macdonald EA, Ripple WJ, Zander K, Dickman A. Relative efforts of countries to conserve world’s megafauna. Glob Ecol Conserv 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Redpath SM, Linnell JDC, Festa-Bianchet M, Boitani L, Bunnefeld N, Dickman A, Gutiérrez RJ, Irvine RJ, Johansson M, Majić A, McMahon BJ, Pooley S, Sandström C, Sjölander-Lindqvist A, Skogen K, Swenson JE, Trouwborst A, Young J, Milner-Gulland EJ. Don't forget to look down - collaborative approaches to predator conservation. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 92:2157-2163. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steve M. Redpath
- Institute of Biological & Environmental Science; University of Aberdeen; Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue Aberdeen AB24 2TZ UK
- Department of Ecology; Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Grimso Wildlife Research Station; SE-730 91 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - John D. C. Linnell
- Norwegian institute for nature research; P.O. Box 5685 Sluppen NO-7485 Trondheim Norway
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- Département de biologie; Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke; 2500, boulevard de l'Université Sherbrooke J1K 2R1 Canada
| | - Luigi Boitani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies; University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’; Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5 00185 Roma Italy
| | - Nils Bunnefeld
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling FK9 4LA U.K
| | - Amy Dickman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Zoology Department; University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre; Abingdon OX13 5QL U.K
| | - R. J. Gutiérrez
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; University of Minnesota; St. Paul MN 87102 U.S.A
| | - R. J. Irvine
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler; Aberdeen AB15 8QH UK
| | - Maria Johansson
- Environmental Psychology, Department of Architecture and Built Environment; Lund University; PO Box 118 221 Lund Sweden
| | - Aleksandra Majić
- Biotechnical Faculty, Biology Department; SI-1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Barry J. McMahon
- UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science; University College Dublin Belfield; Dublin 4 Ireland
| | - Simon Pooley
- Department of Geography, Environment and Development Studies; Birkbeck, University of London; London WC1H 9EZ U.K
| | - Camilla Sandström
- Department of Political Science; Umeå University; SE-901 87 Umeå Sweden
| | | | - Ketil Skogen
- Norwegian institute for nature research; Gaustadalléen 21 NO-0349 Oslo Norway
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Norwegian institute for nature research; P.O. Box 5685 Sluppen NO-7485 Trondheim Norway
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; PO Box 5003 NO - 1432 Ås Norway
| | - Arie Trouwborst
- Department of European and International Public Law; Tilburg University; PO Box 90153 5000 LE Tilburg The Netherlands
| | - Juliette Young
- NERFC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate; Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0QB UK
| | - E. J. Milner-Gulland
- Department of Zoology and Merton College, Tasso Leventis Professor of Biodiversity; University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3PS U.K
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Wilson GR, Hayward MW, Wilson C. Market‐Based Incentives and Private Ownership of Wildlife to Remedy Shortfalls in Government Funding for Conservation. Conserv Lett 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- George R. Wilson
- Fenner School of Environment and SocietyAustralian National University Canberra 2600 ACT Australia
- Australian Wildlife Services Canberra 2600 ACT Australia
| | - Matt W. Hayward
- Centre for African Conservation EcologyNelson Mandela Metropolitan University Port Elizabeth 6031 South Africa
- Schools of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography & Biological SciencesBangor University Bangor Gwynedd LL572UW UK
| | - Charlie Wilson
- Australian Wildlife Services Canberra 2600 ACT Australia
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Ripple WJ, Abernethy K, Betts MG, Chapron G, Dirzo R, Galetti M, Levi T, Lindsey PA, Macdonald DW, Machovina B, Newsome TM, Peres CA, Wallach AD, Wolf C, Young H. Bushmeat hunting and extinction risk to the world's mammals. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160498. [PMID: 27853564 PMCID: PMC5098989 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Terrestrial mammals are experiencing a massive collapse in their population sizes and geographical ranges around the world, but many of the drivers, patterns and consequences of this decline remain poorly understood. Here we provide an analysis showing that bushmeat hunting for mostly food and medicinal products is driving a global crisis whereby 301 terrestrial mammal species are threatened with extinction. Nearly all of these threatened species occur in developing countries where major coexisting threats include deforestation, agricultural expansion, human encroachment and competition with livestock. The unrelenting decline of mammals suggests many vital ecological and socio-economic services that these species provide will be lost, potentially changing ecosystems irrevocably. We discuss options and current obstacles to achieving effective conservation, alongside consequences of failure to stem such anthropogenic mammalian extirpation. We propose a multi-pronged conservation strategy to help save threatened mammals from immediate extinction and avoid a collapse of food security for hundreds of millions of people.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J. Ripple
- GlobalTrophic Cascades Program, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Katharine Abernethy
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
- Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale, CENAREST, BP 842 Libreville, Gabon
| | - Matthew G. Betts
- GlobalTrophic Cascades Program, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Guillaume Chapron
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 73091 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Rodolfo Dirzo
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto Biociências, Departamento de Ecologia, 13506-900 Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Bioscience, Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Taal Levi
- GlobalTrophic Cascades Program, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Peter A. Lindsey
- Panthera, 8 West 40th Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10018, USA
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Abingdon OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Brian Machovina
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Thomas M. Newsome
- GlobalTrophic Cascades Program, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Burwood campus, Geelong, Victoria 3125, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Carlos A. Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Arian D. Wallach
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123 Broadway, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Christopher Wolf
- GlobalTrophic Cascades Program, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Hillary Young
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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Henschel P, Petracca LS, Hunter LTB, Kiki M, Sewadé C, Tehou A, Robinson HS. Determinants of Distribution Patterns and Management Needs in a Critically Endangered Lion Panthera leo Population. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Wolf C, Ripple WJ. Prey depletion as a threat to the world's large carnivores. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160252. [PMID: 27853599 PMCID: PMC5108949 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Large terrestrial carnivores are an ecologically important, charismatic and highly endangered group of species. Here, we assess the importance of prey depletion as a driver of large carnivore endangerment globally using lists of prey species for each large carnivore compiled from the literature. We consider spatial variation in prey endangerment, changes in endangerment over time and the causes of prey depletion, finding considerable evidence that loss of prey base is a major and wide-ranging threat among large carnivore species. In particular, the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), tiger (Panthera tigris), dhole (Cuon alpinus) and Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) all have at least 40% of their prey classified as threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and, along with the leopard (Panethra pardus), all of these species except the Ethiopian wolf have at least 50% of their prey classified as declining. Of the 494 prey species in our analysis, an average of just 6.9% of their ranges overlap protected areas. Together these results show the importance of a holistic approach to conservation that involves protecting both large carnivores directly and the prey upon which they depend.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Wolf
- Global Trophic Cascades Program, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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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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Rosenblatt E, Creel S, Becker MS, Merkle J, Mwape H, Schuette P, Simpamba T. Effects of a protection gradient on carnivore density and survival: an example with leopards in the Luangwa valley, Zambia. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:3772-3785. [PMID: 27231529 PMCID: PMC4864144 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Human activities on the periphery of protected areas can limit carnivore populations, but measurements of the strength of such effects are limited, largely due to difficulties of obtaining precise data on population density and survival. We measured how density and survival rates of a previously unstudied leopard population varied across a gradient of protection and evaluated which anthropogenic activities accounted for observed patterns. Insights into this generalist's response to human encroachment are likely to identify limiting factors for other sympatric carnivore species. Motion‐sensitive cameras were deployed systematically in adjacent, similarly sized, and ecologically similar study areas inside and outside Zambia's South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) from 2012 to 2014. The sites differed primarily in the degree of human impacts: SLNP is strictly protected, but the adjacent area was subject to human encroachment and bushmeat poaching throughout the study, and trophy hunting of leopards prior to 2012. We used photographic capture histories with robust design capture–recapture models to estimate population size and sex‐specific survival rates for the two areas. Leopard density within SLNP was 67% greater than in the adjacent area, but annual survival rates and sex ratios did not detectably differ between the sites. Prior research indicated that wire‐snare occurrence was 5.2 times greater in the areas adjacent to the park. These results suggest that the low density of leopards on the periphery of SLNP is better explained by prey depletion, rather than by direct anthropogenic mortality. Long‐term spatial data from concurrent lion studies suggested that interspecific competition did not produce the observed patterns. Large carnivore populations are often limited by human activities, but science‐based management policies depend on methods to rigorously and quantitatively assess threats to populations of concern. Using noninvasive robust design capture–recapture methods, we systematically assessed leopard density and survival across a protection gradient and identified bushmeat poaching as the likely limiting factor. This approach is of broad value to evaluate the impacts of anthropogenic activities on carnivore populations that are distributed across gradients of protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Rosenblatt
- Zambian Carnivore Programme PO Box 80 Mfuwe Eastern Province Zambia.,Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana 59717
| | - Scott Creel
- Zambian Carnivore Programme PO Box 80 Mfuwe Eastern Province Zambia.,Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana 59717
| | - Matthew S Becker
- Zambian Carnivore Programme PO Box 80 Mfuwe Eastern Province Zambia.,Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana 59717
| | - Johnathan Merkle
- Zambian Carnivore Programme PO Box 80 Mfuwe Eastern Province Zambia
| | - Henry Mwape
- Zambian Carnivore Programme PO Box 80 Mfuwe Eastern Province Zambia
| | - Paul Schuette
- Zambian Carnivore Programme PO Box 80 Mfuwe Eastern Province Zambia.,University of Alaska Anchorage Alaska Center for Conservation Science 3211 Providence Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508
| | - Twakundine Simpamba
- Department of National Parks and Wildlife Private Bag 1 Kafue Road Chilanga Zambia
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Williams ST, Williams KS, Joubert CJ, Hill RA. The impact of land reform on the status of large carnivores in Zimbabwe. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1537. [PMID: 26819838 PMCID: PMC4728035 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Large carnivores are decreasing in number due to growing pressure from an expanding human population. It is increasingly recognised that state-protected conservation areas are unlikely to be sufficient to protect viable populations of large carnivores, and that private land will be central to conservation efforts. In 2000, a fast-track land reform programme (FTLRP) was initiated in Zimbabwe, ostensibly to redress the racial imbalance in land ownership, but which also had the potential to break up large areas of carnivore habitat on private land. To date, research has focused on the impact of the FTLRP process on the different human communities, while impacts on wildlife have been overlooked. Here we provide the first systematic assessment of the impact of the FTLRP on the status of large carnivores. Spoor counts were conducted across private, resettled and communal land use types in order to estimate the abundance of large carnivores, and to determine how this had been affected by land reform. The density of carnivore spoor differed significantly between land use types, and was lower on resettlement land than on private land, suggesting that the resettlement process has resulted in a substantial decline in carnivore abundance. Habitat loss and high levels of poaching in and around resettlement areas are the most likely causes. The FTLRP resulted in the large-scale conversion of land that was used sustainably and productively for wildlife into unsustainable, unproductive agricultural land uses. We recommended that models of land reform should consider the type of land available, that existing expertise in land management should be retained where possible, and that resettlement programmes should be carefully planned in order to minimise the impacts on wildlife and on people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samual T Williams
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom; Primate and Predator Project, Lajuma Research Centre, Limpopo Province, South Africa; Dambari Wildlife Trust, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
| | - Kathryn S Williams
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom; Primate and Predator Project, Lajuma Research Centre, Limpopo Province, South Africa
| | | | - Russell A Hill
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom; Primate and Predator Project, Lajuma Research Centre, Limpopo Province, South Africa
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Lindsey PA, Balme GA, Funston PJ, Henschel PH, Hunter LT. Life after Cecil: channelling global outrage into funding for conservation in Africa. Conserv Lett 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Lindsey
- Panthera; 8 West 40 St, Fl 18, NY 10018 USA
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria South Africa
| | - Guy A. Balme
- Panthera; 8 West 40 St, Fl 18, NY 10018 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Cape Town; Cape Town South Africa
| | | | | | - Luke T.B. Hunter
- Panthera; 8 West 40 St, Fl 18, NY 10018 USA
- School of Life Sciences, Westville Campus; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Durban 4000 South Africa
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Meat from the Wild: Extractive Uses of Wildlife and Alternatives for Sustainability. CURRENT TRENDS IN WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-27912-1_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Grant C, Anderson N, Machila N. Stakeholder Narratives on Trypanosomiasis, Their Effect on Policy and the Scope for One Health. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0004241. [PMID: 26658646 PMCID: PMC4690599 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This paper explores the framings of trypanosomiasis, a widespread and potentially fatal zoonotic disease transmitted by tsetse flies (Glossina species) affecting both humans and livestock. This is a country case study focusing on the political economy of knowledge in Zambia. It is a pertinent time to examine this issue as human population growth and other factors have led to migration into tsetse-inhabited areas with little historical influence from livestock. Disease transmission in new human-wildlife interfaces such as these is a greater risk, and opinions on the best way to manage this are deeply divided. Methods A qualitative case study method was used to examine the narratives on trypanosomiasis in the Zambian policy context through a series of key informant interviews. Interviewees included key actors from international organisations, research organisations and local activists from a variety of perspectives acknowledging the need to explore the relationships between the human, animal and environmental sectors. Principal Findings Diverse framings are held by key actors looking from, variously, the perspectives of wildlife and environmental protection, agricultural development, poverty alleviation, and veterinary and public health. From these viewpoints, four narratives about trypanosomiasis policy were identified, focused around four different beliefs: that trypanosomiasis is protecting the environment, is causing poverty, is not a major problem, and finally, that it is a Zambian rather than international issue to contend with. Within these narratives there are also conflicting views on the best control methods to use and different reasoning behind the pathways of response. These are based on apparently incompatible priorities of people, land, animals, the economy and the environment. The extent to which a One Health approach has been embraced and the potential usefulness of this as a way of reconciling the aims of these framings and narratives is considered throughout the paper. Conclusions/Significance While there has historically been a lack of One Health working in this context, the complex, interacting factors that impact the disease show the need for cross-sector, interdisciplinary decision making to stop rival narratives leading to competing actions. Additional recommendations include implementing: surveillance to assess under-reporting of disease and consequential under-estimation of disease risk; evidence-based decision making; increased and structurally managed funding across countries; and focus on interactions between disease drivers, disease incidence at the community level, and poverty and equity impacts. This paper explores the differing opinions of various stakeholders in relation to trypanosomiasis, a widespread and potentially fatal disease spread by tsetse flies which affects both humans and animals. It is an important time to examine this issue as human population growth and other factors have led to migration into new areas which are populated by tsetse flies, and this may affect disease levels. This means that there is a greater risk to people and their livestock, and opinions on the best way to manage the disease are deeply divided. Cross sector working hasn’t been used historically, but breaking down the barriers between social scientists, natural scientists and the expertise of the community could lead to better disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Grant
- Institute of Development Studies, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Neil Anderson
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, United Kingdom
| | - Noreen Machila
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
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Cawthorn DM, Hoffman LC. The bushmeat and food security nexus: A global account of the contributions, conundrums and ethical collisions. Food Res Int 2015. [PMCID: PMC7126303 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2015.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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