Population Declines of Colobus in Western Uganda and Conservation Value of Forest Fragments

The American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus has a natural distribution in North America, but was spread by human activities in different regions around the world. It is listed as the most invasive amphibian species, affecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the community of native species. In addition, the American bullfrog is extensively associated with lethal pathogens, with high correlation of the presence of this species with population declines and extinctions. Here we test if this alien species has spread through the landscape, establishing populations at new locations. We used diverse methods including georeferencing of satellite images, ethnobiological interviews and field data to evaluate the dispersion and effects of L. catesbeianus introduction on amphibian composition, species number, and density of individuals in forest fragments in an Atlantic Forest landscape. We did not find any relationship between density of individuals, number of species or composition of the native anuran assemblages in forest fragments in relation to the presence or proximity of American bullfrog introduction points. Additionally, we found that the dispersion potential of this species in the studied landscape is zero, as it was only found in those fragments where it was specifically introduced 15 years ago. The species has not established new populations in the landscape. Although exotic, L. catesbeianus thrives in lentic habitats and has no apparent effect on the structural metrics of the native anuran assemblage. Despite this alien species exhibiting a capacity to adapt and survive at the point of introduction, its potential for propagation is limited probably by the fragmented terrestrial landscape and regional stream network.

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Protected Apes, Unprotected Forest: Composition, Structure and Diversity of Riverine Forest Fragments and Their Conservation Value in Uganda

Tropical Conservation Science ◽

10.1177/194008291200500108 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 79-103 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Matthew R. McLennan ◽

Andrew J. Plumptre

Keyword(s):

Forest Composition ◽

Conservation Value ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Riverine Forest ◽

Composition Structure

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Reasons for the Survival of Tropical Forest Fragments in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11020159 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 159 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jia-Qi Zhang ◽

Christos Mammides ◽

Richard T. Corlett

Keyword(s):

Southwest China ◽

Forest Products ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Conservation Value ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Land Area ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Cash Crops ◽

Over Time ◽

Small Forest

Research Highlights: The reasons for persistence of forest fragments in human-dominated landscapes have rarely been examined, despite their importance in biodiversity and ecosystem services. We determined these reasons for forest fragments on collective land in Xishuangbanna prefecture, southwest China. Background and Objectives: Reconciling economic development with biodiversity conservation has been a major challenge in China’s small tropical land area, where local realities have often been in conflict with national policies. In Xishuangbanna, much of China’s most biodiverse forest area has been replaced by cash crops in recent decades, but numerous small forest fragments remain on collective land. Our objective was to find out why these fragments have not been cleared. Methods: We used a combination of semi-structured interviews with 600 households in 69 villages representing nine ethnic groups and information from key informants. Results: Overall, 64% of individual households retained forest fragments on the land allocated to them, and 93% of villages retained larger areas managed as a collective forest. Most (71%) interviewees said that fragments on their own land were on sites of low agricultural value and were retained as fuelwood sources. They were also often (33%) underplanted with crops and supplied other forest products. All interviewees attributed the retention of collective forests to policy restrictions on clearance, with most (96%) mentioning cultural and religious uses and many recognizing environmental benefits. Most were also used as sources of wild edible plants (61%) and other forest products. Many said these collective forests had shrunk over time, particularly in areas suitable for profitable cultivation. Conclusions: China’s new ecological redline policy will protect most larger patches of forest in Xishuangbanna, but the smaller fragments on land allocated to individual households are also of conservation value, particularly in areas with no other forest. Some form of compensation scheme is needed to encourage their continued retention.

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The conservation value of forest fragments in the increasingly agrarian landscape of Sumatra

Environmental Conservation ◽

10.1017/s0376892919000195 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 340-346 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sarah R Weiskopf ◽

Jennifer L McCarthy ◽

Kyle P McCarthy ◽

Alexey N Shiklomanov ◽

Hariyo T Wibisono ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wildlife Habitat ◽

Conservation Value ◽

Panthera Tigris ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Critically Endangered Species ◽

Species Of Conservation Concern ◽

Manis Javanica ◽

Conservation Concern ◽

Remnant Forest

SummaryDestruction of tropical rainforests reduces many unprotected habitats to small fragments of remnant forests within agricultural matrices. To date, these remnant forest fragments have been largely disregarded as wildlife habitat, and little is known about mammalian use of these areas in Sumatra. Here, we conducted camera trap surveys (2285 trap-nights) within Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park and five surrounding remnant forest fragments during 2010–2013 and used species composition metrics to compare use. We found 28 mammal species in the protected forest and 21 in the fragments. The fragments harboured a subset of species found in the protected forest and several species not observed in the protected forest. Critically endangered species such as Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) and Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) were found in the forest fragments, along with species of conservation concern such as marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata) and Asiatic golden cat (Pardofelis temminckii). The biodiversity found within the fragments suggests that these small patches of remnant forest may have conservation value to certain mammal species and indicates the importance of further research into the role these habitats may play in landscape-level, multispecies conservation planning.

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Influence of terrestrial habitat isolation on the diversity and temporal distribution of anurans in an agricultural landscape

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467410000842 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 27 (03) ◽

pp. 327-331 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Fernando Rodrigues da Silva ◽

Denise de Cerqueira Rossa-Feres

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Temporal Distribution ◽

The State ◽

Habitat Isolation ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Population Declines ◽

Amphibian Species ◽

Semideciduous Forest ◽

Anuran Species

Discontinuity between suitable aquatic and terrestrial habitats forces many amphibian species with aquatic larvae to undertake risky breeding migrations through disturbed environments, potentially contributing to population declines by reducing survival of adults and juveniles (Beckeret al. 2007). The north-western region of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, is characterized by fragments of mesophytic semideciduous forest and savanna, surrounded by a matrix of pasture, plantations and urban areas with only 4% of the remaining original vegetation of the state (Ribeiroet al. 2009). Currently, 36 anuran species have been recorded in this region, corresponding to almost 15% of the state's species (Araújoet al. 2009). The anuran species of this region are associated with open environments or are widely distributed in the different Brazilian biomes (Duellman 1999). Silva & Rossa-Feres (2007) showed the importance of forest fragments in this region for 12 anuran species that breed in pools located in a pasture matrix.

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