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Basak SM, Hossain MS, O'Mahony DT, Okarma H, Widera E, Wierzbowska IA. Public perceptions and attitudes toward urban wildlife encounters - A decade of change. Sci Total Environ 2022; 834:155603. [PMID: 35523348 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Europe is currently undergoing dynamic land use changes causing the expansion of urban habitat, which is driving wildlife species to colonise conurbations, resulting in an increased likelihood of human-wildlife conflict (HWC). Understanding people's attitudes toward wildlife is essential to manage these conflicts. This study assessed people's attitudes toward urban wildlife, the types of conflicts that existed, preferences for managing conflict situations, and determined any changes in perceptions of urban wildlife over a decade. A questionnaire survey of residents of Krakow, the second-largest city in Poland, was conducted in 2010 (n = 721) and repeated in 2020 (n = 887). We found that encounters with certain urban wildlife such as wild boars, red squirrels, roe deer, brown hares, and red foxes had increased significantly in 2020 compared to 2010. Respondents reported that wild boar and beavers did not show fear when encountering humans. Stone martens were considered the most nuisance wildlife species in 2010, while in 2020 wild boar were the most conflictual wildlife species. There were additional reports of conflicts with roe deer and red foxes. The most frequent HWC responses were personal anxiety, intrusion into property and destruction of crops, which increased significantly over the decade, independent of respondents' gender. Respondents preferred nonlethal methods to mitigate conflicts. The study provides valuable information and knowledge on changes in people's attitudes toward urban wildlife that can help with wildlife management in urban areas. Incorporating perception and attitude data from the public, along with a multi-stakeholder approach that includes wildlife professionals, in the planning and design of future urban environments is critical to minimise HWC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayantani M Basak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Md Sarwar Hossain
- Environmental Science and Sustainability, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Glasgow, Dumfries, UK
| | - Declan T O'Mahony
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, 18a Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, UK
| | - Henryk Okarma
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Widera
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Izabela A Wierzbowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
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2
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Chaves ÓM, Júnior JCS, Buss G, Hirano ZMB, Jardim MMA, Amaral ELS, Godoy JC, Peruchi AR, Michel T, Bicca-Marques JC. Wildlife is imperiled in peri-urban landscapes: threats to arboreal mammals. Sci Total Environ 2022; 821:152883. [PMID: 35038525 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization and deforestation impose severe challenges to wildlife, particularly for forest-living vertebrates. Understanding how the peri-urban matrix impacts their survival is critical for designing strategies to promote their conservation. We investigated the threats faced by brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) in peri-urban regions of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and Santa Catarina (SC) states, southern Brazil, by compiling negative interaction events (hereafter NIE) reported over more than two decades. We assessed the major NIEs, their distribution among age-sex classes, and the predictors of NIE-related mortality. After 20+ years of monitoring, we compiled 540 NIEs (RS = 248 and SC = 292). Electrocution by power lines was the most frequent cause of death or injury (37%), followed by dog attack (34%), vehicle collision (17%), and human mistreatment (12%). The occurrence of lethal injuries ranged from 5% to 69% depending on the type of NIE and on which state it occurred in. The overall post-NIE mortality was 56%. Adults of both sexes were the most affected individuals in both study regions. The minimal adequate GLM model explained 83% of the variation in NIE-related mortality. State, NIE type, and age-sex class were the main predictors of mortality. Overall, mortality was lower in SC and higher among adult females than in the other classes. We found that the survival of brown howler monkeys in the forest-urban interface is constrained by both the urban infrastructure and the growing interactions with humans and domestic and stray dogs (Canis familiaris). We propose the placement of aerial bridges, road signs and speed bumps in areas of frequent animal crossing, the sterilization of stray dogs, and the sensitization of local inhabitants on the importance of respecting and protecting wildlife to reduce their NIEs with humans and domestic animals in the forest-urban interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ó M Chaves
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, 2060 San José, Costa Rica; Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
| | - J C Souza Júnior
- Centro de Pesquisas Biológicas de Indaial, Indaial, Santa Catarina, Brazil; Fundação Universidade Regional de Blumenau-FURB, Blumenau, Brazil
| | - G Buss
- Centro de Pesquisa e Conservação de Primatas Brasileiros (CPB), Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio), João Pessoa, Brazil; Programa Macacos Urbanos (PMU), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil
| | - Z M B Hirano
- Centro de Pesquisas Biológicas de Indaial, Indaial, Santa Catarina, Brazil; Fundação Universidade Regional de Blumenau-FURB, Blumenau, Brazil
| | - M M A Jardim
- Programa Macacos Urbanos (PMU), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil; Museu de Ciências Naturais, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Secretaria do Meio Ambiente e Infraestrutura (MCN/SEMA-RS), Brazil
| | - E L S Amaral
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - J C Godoy
- Programa Macacos Urbanos (PMU), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil
| | - A R Peruchi
- Fundação Universidade Regional de Blumenau-FURB, Blumenau, Brazil
| | - T Michel
- Museu de Ciências Naturais, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Secretaria do Meio Ambiente e Infraestrutura (MCN/SEMA-RS), Brazil
| | - J C Bicca-Marques
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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3
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Pinkham R, Eckery D, Mauldin R, Gomm M, Hill F, Vial F, Massei G. Longevity of an immunocontraceptive vaccine effect on fecundity in rats. Vaccine X 2022; 10:100138. [PMID: 35024602 PMCID: PMC8732792 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2021.100138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Increases in human-wildlife conflicts alongside cultural shifts against lethal control methods are driving the need for alternative wildlife management tools such as fertility control. Contraceptive formulations suitable for oral delivery would permit broader remote application in wildlife species. This study evaluated the contraceptive effect and immune response to two novel injectable immunocontraceptive formulations targeting the Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH): MAF-IMX294 and MAF-IMX294P conjugates, both identified as having potential as oral contraceptives. The study also explored whether in multiparous species immunocontraceptives may either totally prevent reproduction or also affect litter size. Female rats, chosen as a model species, were given three doses of either MAF-IMX294 or MAF-IMX294P to compare anti-GnRH immune response and reproductive output up to 310 days post-treatment. Both formulations induced anti-GnRH antibody titres in 100% of rats and significantly impaired fertility compared to control animals. Following treatment with MAF-IMX294 and MAF-IMX294P 0 of 9 and 1 of 10 females respectively produced litters following the first mating challenge 45 days post-treatment, compared to 9 of 9 control animals. Across the whole 310 day study period 7 of 9 females from the MAF-IMX294 group and 10 of 10 females in the MAF-IMX294P group became fertile, producing at least one litter throughout six mating challenges. No significant differences were found between the two formulations in antibody titre response or duration of contraceptive effect, with an average time to first pregnancy of 166 days for MAF-IMX294 and 177 days for MAF-IMX294P for all females that became fertile. Following treatment with MAF-IMX294 and MAF-IMX294P the first litter produced post-infertility in treated females was significantly smaller than in control animals. This indicates treatment with immunocontraceptives may induce an overall suppression of fecundity extending past an initial infertility effect. This increases the potential long-term impact of these immunocontraceptives in multiparous species such as commensal rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Pinkham
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, York YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - D Eckery
- USDA APHIS National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521 USA
| | - R Mauldin
- USDA APHIS National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521 USA
| | - M Gomm
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, York YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - F Hill
- Osivax, 99 rue de Gerland, Lyon, 69007 France
| | - F Vial
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, York YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - G Massei
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, York YO41 1LZ, UK
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Dai Y. The overlap of suitable tea plant habitat with Asian elephant (Elephus maximus) distribution in southwestern China and its potential impact on species conservation and local economy. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:5960-5970. [PMID: 34432214 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16014-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The expansion of land being used for cash crop cultivation has threatened wildlife in recent decades. Tea has become the dominant cash crop in southwestern China. Unfortunately, tea plantations may threaten Asian elephant (Elephus maximus) populations via habitat loss and fragmentation. Identifying areas of suitable habitat for tea plant cultivation, and where this habitat overlaps with Asian elephant distribution, is vital for planning land use, managing nature reserves, shaping policy, and maintaining local economies. Here, we assess the potential impact of tea plantations on Asian elephants in southwestern Yunnan province, China. We used MaxEnt modeling with bioclimatic and environmental variables to identify suitable habitat for tea plant cultivation under the current climate scenario, and then overlapped this habitat with 9 known Asian elephant distribution areas (G1-G9) to determine "threatened areas." Our results showed that (1) annual precipitation (48.1% contribution), temperature constancy (29 % contribution), and slope (8.7 % contribution) were key in determining suitable habitat for tea plants; (2) the cumulative area of suitable habitat for tea plants was 13,784.88 km2, mainly distributed in Menghai (3934.53 km2), Lancang (3198.67 km2), and Jinghong (2657.74 km2); (3) the distribution area of elephants was 943.75 km2, and these areas overlapped with suitable tea plant habitat primarily located in G4 (379.40 km2), G3 (251.18), and G7 (168.03 km2); and (4) threatened areas in G1 and G7 were predominately located along the periphery of current nature reserves. Win-win solutions that work for elephant conservation and economic development include rescoping nature reserve boundaries, strengthening management on the periphery of nature reserves, establishing ecological corridors and new nature reserves within regions where elephants are currently distributed, planting alternative cash crops, and financial subsidies to farmers. This study improves understanding of human-elephant coexistence, and will assist in guiding land use policy for the future conservation outcomes seeking to promote responsible and profitable cash crop farming and elephant conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunchuan Dai
- Institute for Ecology and Environmental Resources, Chongqing Academy of Social Sciences, Chongqing, 400020, China.
- Research Center for Ecological Security and Green Development, Chongqing Academy of Social Sciences, Chongqing, 400020, China.
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Alexander JS, Agvaantseren B, Gongor E, Mijiddorj TN, Piaopiao T, Redpath S, Young J, Mishra C. Assessing the Effectiveness of a Community-based Livestock Insurance Program. Environ Manage 2021; 68:87-99. [PMID: 33844062 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-021-01469-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Financial mechanisms to mitigate the costs of negative human-carnivore interactions are frequently promoted to support human coexistence with carnivores. Yet, evidence to support their performance in different settings is scarce. We evaluated a community-based livestock insurance program implemented as part of a broader snow leopard conservation effort in the Tost Tosonbumba Nature Reserve, South Gobi, Mongolia. We assessed program efficiency and effectiveness for snow leopard conservation using a results-based evaluation approach. Data sources included program records from 2009 to 2018, as well as surveys conducted in 2016 and 2017, which allowed us to compare key indicators across communities that participated in the insurance program and control communities. Program coverage and number of livestock insured rapidly increased over the years to reach 65% of households and close to 11,000 livestock. Participants expressed satisfaction with the program and their contributions increased over time, with an increasing proportion (reaching 64% in 2018) originating from participant premiums, suggesting strong community ownership of the program. Participants were less likely to report the intention to kill a snow leopard and reported fewer livestock losses than respondents from control communities, suggesting increased engagement in conservation efforts. These results together suggest that the insurance program achieved its expected objectives, although it is challenging to disentangle the contributions of each individual conservation intervention implemented in intervention communities. However, in the first three years of the program, snow leopard mortalities continued to be reported suggesting that additional interventions were needed to reach impact in terms of reducing retaliatory killings of large carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bayarjargal Agvaantseren
- Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation, Khan-Uul Sukhbaatar District, 3rd 4th Khoroo, Street Sharav, Chingis Ave53-9, Ulan Baatar, 17042, Mongolia
| | - Enkhtuvshin Gongor
- Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation, Khan-Uul Sukhbaatar District, 3rd 4th Khoroo, Street Sharav, Chingis Ave53-9, Ulan Baatar, 17042, Mongolia
| | - Tserennadmid Nadia Mijiddorj
- Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation, Khan-Uul Sukhbaatar District, 3rd 4th Khoroo, Street Sharav, Chingis Ave53-9, Ulan Baatar, 17042, Mongolia
| | - Tang Piaopiao
- Center for Nature and Society, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Stephen Redpath
- Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Juliette Young
- NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Edinburgh, EH26 0QB, UK
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRAE, University Bourgogne, University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Charudutt Mishra
- Snow Leopard Trust, 4649 Sunnyside Avenue N., Seattle, 98103, WA, USA
- Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross Gokulam Park, Mysore, 570002, India
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Massei G, Cowan D, Eckery D, Mauldin R, Gomm M, Rochaix P, Hill F, Pinkham R, Miller LA. Effect of vaccination with a novel GnRH-based immunocontraceptive on immune responses and fertility in rats. Heliyon 2020; 6:e03781. [PMID: 32322739 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
1. As human-wildlife conflicts increase worldwide, novel methods are required for mitigating these conflicts. Fertility control, based on immunocontraceptives, has emerged as an alternative option to lethal methods for managing wildlife. 2. Immunocontraceptives are vaccines that generate an immune response to key components of an animal's reproductive system. Some of these vaccines target the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and have been used successfully as contraceptives for many wildlife species. However, the need to capture animals for treatment limits the field applications of injectable vaccines. The availability of orally delivered immunocontraceptives would increase the breadth of applications of fertility control for wildlife management. 3. This study explored a new approach to developing an oral immunocontraceptive, exploiting the bioadhesive and immunologically active properties of killed Mycobacterium avium cell wall fragments (MAF). The MAF was conjugated to a GnRH recombinant protein called IMX294, used as a GnRH-specific immunogen. 4. An initial trial using the MAF-IMX294 conjugate provided the first evidence that an orally delivered immunocontraceptive vaccine could generate anti-GnRH antibody titres in laboratory rats. 5. Increasing the dose and frequency of vaccine administered to rats, in a second trial, enhanced the immune response, eliciting titres that reduced the proportion of females giving birth. This provided the first evidence of the contraceptive effect of an oral anti-GnRH vaccine. 6. Future work is required to further increase the immunogenic effect of the oral vaccine and to establish a dosing schedule that is effective for practical field applications.
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Plaza PI, Martínez-López E, Lambertucci SA. The perfect threat: Pesticides and vultures. Sci Total Environ 2019; 687:1207-1218. [PMID: 31412456 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Probably the most important threat currently affecting vultures worldwide is exposure to pesticides, both accidentally and through deliberate abuse. This is of special concern since around 70% of vulture species are threatened by human activities. However, information about this threat is sparse and geographically biased. We compiled existing knowledge about pesticide exposure in vulture species globally, providing unifying criteria to mitigate this problem with a joint global effort. Most information available about accidental exposure to pesticides in vultures is related to organochlorine pesticides. Non-lethal exposure to these compounds occurs on every continent that vultures inhabit. While concentrations of organochlorine pesticides reported in different samples appear to be too low to produce health impacts, some studies show vultures with levels compatible with health impacts. In addition, there are some reports of vultures contaminated accidentally by anticoagulant rodenticides and external antiparasitic drugs used in veterinary practices. Deliberate abuse of pesticides to poison wildlife also occurs on every continent where vultures live, affecting most (78%) vulture species. However, little information is available for some regions of America, Asia and Europe. The exact number of vultures killed due to deliberate poisoning with pesticides is not well known, but the available figures are alarming (e.g. up to 500 individuals in a single event). The most widely used pesticides affecting vulture populations, and associated with deliberate poisoning, are carbamates and organophosphorus compounds. Of particular concern is the fact that massive poisoning events with these compounds occur, in some cases, within protected areas. This suggests that if this situation is not reversed, some vulture populations could disappear. A combination of measures such as banning pesticides, controlling their distribution-acquisition and environmental education could produce better results that banning pesticides alone. If poisoning with pesticides is not stopped, this threatened avian group could inadvertently go extinct very soon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo I Plaza
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue - CONICET), Quintral 1250 (R8400FRF), San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.
| | - Emma Martínez-López
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain; Laboratory of Toxicology, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), University of Murcia, Spain
| | - Sergio A Lambertucci
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue - CONICET), Quintral 1250 (R8400FRF), San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
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de Araujo GM, Peres CA, Baccaro FB, Guerta RS. Urban waste disposal explains the distribution of Black Vultures ( Coragyps atratus) in an Amazonian metropolis: management implications for birdstrikes and urban planning. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5491. [PMID: 30233993 PMCID: PMC6140672 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Collision rates between aircraft and birds have been rising worldwide. The increases in both air traffic and population sizes of large-bodied birds in cities lacking urban planning result in human-wildlife conflicts, economic loss and even lethal casualties. Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) represent the most hazardous bird to Brazilian civil and military aviation on the basis of their flight behavior, body mass and consequently physical damage to aircraft following collisions. This study investigated how storage apparatus and type of organic residue discarded in public street markets modulate the spatial distribution and abundance of urban Black Vultures in the largest city in the Amazon (Manaus, Brazil). We estimated Black Vulture abundance in relation to the type of solid human waste (animal or plant), the type of waste storage containers and market sizes in terms of the number of vendor stalls at 20 public markets. We also visually quantified the abundance of Black Vultures in urban markets in relation to air traffic. Our results suggest that urban solid waste storage procedures currently used (or the lack thereof) are related to the occurrence and abundance of Black Vultures. Moreover, storage type and the proportion of animal protein (red meat and fish) within rubbish bins directly affects foraging aggregations in vultures. We recommend that policymakers should invest more efforts in building larger and more resistant closable waste containers to avoid organic solid waste exposure. We also identified five outdoor markets as urgent priorities to improve waste disposal. Finally, our waste management guidelines would not only reduce aviation collision risks but also benefit human health and well-being in most cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giase M de Araujo
- Wildlife Management Center, Eduardo Gomes International Airport of Manaus, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Peres
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom.,Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Para, Brazil
| | - Fabricio B Baccaro
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Rafael S Guerta
- Wildlife Management Center, Eduardo Gomes International Airport of Manaus, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.,Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
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Huveneers C, Whitmarsh S, Thiele M, Meyer L, Fox A, Bradshaw CJA. Effectiveness of five personal shark-bite deterrents for surfers. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5554. [PMID: 30186701 PMCID: PMC6120439 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of shark-human interactions and shark bites per capita has been increasing since the 1980s, leading to a rise in measures developed to mitigate the risk of shark bites. Yet many of the products commercially available for personal protection have not been scientifically tested, potentially providing an exaggerated sense of security to the people using them. We tested five personal shark deterrents developed for surfers (Shark Shield Pty Ltd [Ocean Guardian] Freedom+ Surf, Rpela, SharkBanz bracelet, SharkBanz surf leash, and Chillax Wax) by comparing the percentage of baits taken, distance to the bait, number of passes, and whether a shark reaction could be observed. We did a total of 297 successful trials at the Neptune Islands Group Marine Park in South Australia, during which 44 different white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) interacted with the bait, making a total of 1413 passes. The effectiveness of the deterrents was variable, with the Freedom+ Surf affecting shark behaviour the most and reducing the percentage of bait taken from 96% (relative to the control board) to 40%. The mean distance of sharks to the board increased from 1.6 ± 0.1 m (control board) to 2.6 ± 0.1 m when the Freedom Surf+ was active. The other deterrents had limited or no measureable effect on white shark behavour. Based on our power analyses, the smallest effect size that could be reliably detected was ∼15%, which for the first time provides information about the effect size that a deterrent study like ours can reliably detect. Our study shows that deterrents based on similar principles—overwhelming a shark’s electroreceptors (the ampullae of Lorenzini) with electrical pulses—differ in their efficacy, reinforcing the need to test each product independently. Our results will allow private and government agencies and the public to make informed decisions about the use and suitability of these five products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie Huveneers
- Southern Shark Ecology Group, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Sasha Whitmarsh
- Southern Shark Ecology Group, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Madeline Thiele
- Southern Shark Ecology Group, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Lauren Meyer
- Southern Shark Ecology Group, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Andrew Fox
- Fox Shark Research Foundation, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Corey J A Bradshaw
- Global Ecology, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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di Virgilio A, Morales JM, Lambertucci SA, Shepard EL, Wilson RP. Multi-dimensional Precision Livestock Farming: a potential toolbox for sustainable rangeland management. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4867. [PMID: 29868276 PMCID: PMC5984589 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) is a promising approach to minimize the conflicts between socio-economic activities and landscape conservation. However, its application on extensive systems of livestock production can be challenging. The main difficulties arise because animals graze on large natural pastures where they are exposed to competition with wild herbivores for heterogeneous and scarce resources, predation risk, adverse weather, and complex topography. Considering that the 91% of the world's surface devoted to livestock production is composed of extensive systems (i.e., rangelands), our general aim was to develop a PLF methodology that quantifies: (i) detailed behavioural patterns, (ii) feeding rate, and (iii) costs associated with different behaviours and landscape traits. METHODS For this, we used Merino sheep in Patagonian rangelands as a case study. We combined data from an animal-attached multi-sensor tag (tri-axial acceleration, tri-axial magnetometry, temperature sensor and Global Positioning System) with landscape layers from a Geographical Information System to acquire data. Then, we used high accuracy decision trees, dead reckoning methods and spatial data processing techniques to show how this combination of tools could be used to assess energy balance, predation risk and competition experienced by livestock through time and space. RESULTS The combination of methods proposed here are a useful tool to assess livestock behaviour and the different factors that influence extensive livestock production, such as topography, environmental temperature, predation risk and competition for heterogeneous resources. We were able to quantify feeding rate continuously through time and space with high accuracy and show how it could be used to estimate animal production and the intensity of grazing on the landscape. We also assessed the effects of resource heterogeneity (inferred through search times), and the potential costs associated with predation risk, competition, thermoregulation and movement on complex topography. DISCUSSION The quantification of feeding rate and behavioural costs provided by our approach could be used to estimate energy balance and to predict individual growth, survival and reproduction. Finally, we discussed how the information provided by this combination of methods can be used to develop wildlife-friendly strategies that also maximize animal welfare, quality and environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina di Virgilio
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA, CONICET-UNCO, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, INIBIOMA, CONICET-UNCO, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Juan M. Morales
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA, CONICET-UNCO, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Sergio A. Lambertucci
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, INIBIOMA, CONICET-UNCO, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | | | - Rory P. Wilson
- Department of Biosciences, University of Wales, Swansea, United Kingdom
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Morehouse AT, Tigner J, Boyce MS. Coexistence with Large Carnivores Supported by a Predator-Compensation Program. Environ Manage 2018; 61:719-731. [PMID: 29318357 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-017-0994-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Compensation programs are used globally to increase tolerance for and help offset economic loss caused by large carnivores. Compensation program funding comes from a variety of sources, and in Wyoming and Idaho, USA and Alberta, Canada this includes revenue from hunting and fishing license sales. We review the patterns of livestock depredation and compensation costs of Alberta's predator-compensation program, and compare Alberta's program to compensation programs in neighboring Canadian and American jurisdictions. Current compensation costs in Alberta are well below historic levels, but have been rapidly increasing in recent years due to an increase in depredation events coupled with increased cattle prices. That increase has caused push back from Alberta's hunting and fishing community that finances the compensation program, although less than 3.6% of Alberta's license levy dollars are used for predator compensation. Hunting effort in Alberta is highest on the same privately owned lands with livestock depredation problems, suggesting that private lands support habitats for hunted ungulate species as well as carnivores. Although compensation programs do not prevent depredation events themselves, compensation programs effectively can support the maintenance of wildlife habitats on private lands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea T Morehouse
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW405, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.
| | | | - Mark S Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW405, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
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