scholarly journals Lion (Panthera leo) ecology and survival in protected areas of Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gidey Yirga ◽  
Solomon Amare ◽  
Fikirte Gebresenbet ◽  
Hans H. De Iongh ◽  
Matthijs Vos ◽  
...  

AbstractEthiopia is renowned for its cultural and biological diversity and covers an important share of lion habitat in Africa, providing connectivity between East and Central Africa. The aim of this study was to investigate the status of lions and human–lion conflict in several protected areas of Ethiopia and to present an overview on lion distribution nationally. We used call-ups and semi-structured interviews with 809 randomly selected pastoralists to investigate human–lion conflict and pastoralist perceptions towards lions in five priority sites and collected further anecdotal information for all other known or possible lion range. We had chance encounters with six lions, but we observed no lion responses to the call-ups. We recorded 145 spotted hyaena and 23 jackal responses at, respectively, 25 and 13 of the 46 call-up stations. Overall, respondents viewed lions as dangerous carnivores, but nonetheless responded that lions should be present regionally, preferably in restricted areas. Most respondents disagreed that the killing of lions should be allowed, but we note that a small minority strongly agreed to killing. A large majority of respondents agreed that more people need to be given information about lions. Respondents mentioned spotted hyaena and leopard as the main predators on all livestock followed by jackal (shoats) and lion (mainly cattle). The impact of depredation on livestock mortality was nearly twice that of disease. Our results strongly suggest that lion densities are low and may have substantially decreased in Awash, Nechisar, Chebera-Churchura, and Mago National Parks and in Kaffa Biosphere Reserve due to conflict, habitat loss and especially ineffective protection. Anecdotal information suggests that lions are widespread but rare and that there is no stronghold in Ethiopia. Considering the unique evolutionary background of Ethiopia as the bridge between Central and East African lion populations, and the significant role of the lion in Ethiopian history and culture, we argue that more emphasis should be given to the protection of prioritized lion populations.

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Tino Herden

Purpose: Analytics research is increasingly divided by the domains Analytics is applied to. Literature offers little understanding whether aspects such as success factors, barriers and management of Analytics must be investigated domain-specific, while the execution of Analytics initiatives is similar across domains and similar issues occur. This article investigates characteristics of the execution of Analytics initiatives that are distinct in domains and can guide future research collaboration and focus. The research was conducted on the example of Logistics and Supply Chain Management and the respective domain-specific Analytics subfield of Supply Chain Analytics. The field of Logistics and Supply Chain Management has been recognized as early adopter of Analytics but has retracted to a midfield position comparing different domains.Design/methodology/approach: This research uses Grounded Theory based on 12 semi-structured Interviews creating a map of domain characteristics based of the paradigm scheme of Strauss and Corbin.Findings: A total of 34 characteristics of Analytics initiatives that distinguish domains in the execution of initiatives were identified, which are mapped and explained. As a blueprint for further research, the domain-specifics of Logistics and Supply Chain Management are presented and discussed.Originality/value: The results of this research stimulates cross domain research on Analytics issues and prompt research on the identified characteristics with broader understanding of the impact on Analytics initiatives. The also describe the status-quo of Analytics. Further, results help managers control the environment of initiatives and design more successful initiatives.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-458
Author(s):  
Martina Dell'Eva ◽  
Consuelo Rubina Nava ◽  
Linda Osti

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the role of animals in creating a satisfactory experience at a natural park by investigating the impact on visitors of the exposure to, or absence of, fauna, towards the visitors’ overall experience. Design/methodology/approach The work is based on a quantitative data collection of tourists visiting a nature park. Altogether, 532 valid questionnaires were collected and used for the analysis. A series of factor analyses was conducted on pull and push factors for animal encounters. The resulting factor domains (FDs) were used as independent variables in ordinal logistic regression models to describe customer satisfaction. Findings The results of this study show that important FDs characterize the main visitor characteristics. Although human–animal encounters are an important factor for some visitors, the encounters should be encouraged in the most natural manner possible and not in captivity. This brings us to the concept of “Interpretation”, where guides and guided tours can help with the encounters. Information given prior to and during the visit can ensure visitors are aware that animal encounters are subject to nature and cannot be guaranteed. Originality/value The presence of areas where a number of animals are in captivity and can be viewed by visitors is an important decision for national parks and protected areas, as animals represent a potential attraction for visitors. Nevertheless, this decision creates an ethical dilemma in relation to the exploitation of animals, exacerbated by recent and increasing pressure on sustainable management. This study provides valuable results for guiding park managers in making reasoned decisions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Malchrowicz-Mośko ◽  
Zuzana Botiková ◽  
Joanna Poczta

The practice of active and qualified tourism in national parks in Poland and Slovakia has longstanding traditions. Primarily, these parks have been a place of individual recreational activity, as well as a place to educate and convene with nature. Recently, sport tourism, which is characterized by the participation of tourists in mass organized sporting events mainly of a competitive nature, has been gaining more popularity. Even though this activity takes place in protected areas, sports are the main priority, rather than educational goals. Natural values have the primary function of enriching emotional experiences, and exploring wildlife is not an end in itself. Running events are now at the head of the list as the most popular sporting events in Poland and in Slovakia. The authors of the article focused on protected areas in Poland and Slovakia, largely because these countries were considering organizing one of the world’s biggest sports events together: The Winter Olympic Games (2022). The purpose of the study was to recognize the attitude of Polish and Slovak national park authorities toward the organization of mass sports events in protected areas. A diagnostic survey was conducted using the method of interviews with the directors of Polish and Slovak national parks. The research results shed light on the current state of development of sports event tourism in protected areas in the two countries. The article examines the response of Polish and Slovak park authorities to the changes of the current era of shifting societal needs regarding physical development, in particular with regard to the sustainability of protected areas. Currently, there is a lack of a strategic approach toward the development of sports tourism in national parks in Poland and Slovakia. The answers given in the interviews create an image that indicates a differentiated approach to the issue of permitting the organization of sports events in the areas of national parks. It turns out that the practice in these areas is different in individual parks. The diagnosis presented in the article indicates that it is necessary to undertake interdisciplinary and international research among environmentalists, economists, sociologists, anthropologists, and physical culture specialists in order to develop methods for measuring the impact of sporting events organized in natural areas in this part of Europe.


Author(s):  

A significant part of the Sochi resort region is included into the unique natural protected areas, such as the Caucasus biosphere reserve and Sochi National Park. Development of the regional economy is largely dependent on the natural geo/bio/cenoses management effectiveness on the protected territories. Monitoring of the water resources status and their management is of the particular importance, since the biodiversity of the aquatic environment and the terrestrial flora and fauna of the area dependent on these factors, as well as ensuring the citizen’s requirements and rights. However, presently no one of the existing water environment state assessment methods is able to account various and complex natural communities’ responses to different stress factors and their combined impact.The article presents the world experience on concept of the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) application and development of the some aspect of the comprehensive natural resources regulation methodology. The authors believe that some elements of environmental management practiced in national parks and reserves of the republic of South Africa can be applicable in development of a system that provides consistent monitoring of environmental quality, the mastering of a sufficient and user-friendly database, based on a set of measures for the conservation and restoration of natural resources One of the most significant watercourses of the protected nature territories of the South of Russia, the Mzymta River has been used as a study case


Author(s):  
M. Toker ◽  
E. Çolak ◽  
F. Sunar

Abstract. Protected areas are important with land or water body ecosystems that have biodiversity, flora and fauna species. In Turkey, National Parks are one of the protected areas managed according to the National Parks Law No. 2873. Among them, the İğneada Floodplain Forests National Park, located in İğneada town in the province of Kırklareli, Turkey has been declared as a national park in 2007, and has an importance being a rare ecosystem, which consists of wetland, swamp, lakes and coastal sand dunes. Planning of Protected Areas can be done in a variety of ways, taking into account the balance of protection/use and should follow policies and guidelines. Today, for the sustainability and effective management of forest ecosystems, remote sensing technology provides an effective tool for assessing and monitoring ecosystem health at different temporal and spatial scales. In this study, potential temporal changes in the National Park were analyzed with Landsat satellite time series images using two different methods. First method, the Landtrendr algorithm (Landsat-based Detection of Trends in Disturbance and Recovery) developed for multitemporal satellite data, uses pixel values as input data and analysis them by using regression models to capture, label and map the changes. In this context, Landsat satellite time series images were taken quinquennial between 1987 and 2007 and biennially until 2017 for Landtrendr analysis (i.e. before and after its declaration as a National Park, respectively). As a second approach, the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud-based platform, which facilitates access to high-performance computing resources to process large long-term data sets, was used to analyze the impact of land cover changes. The results showed that the area was subjected to various pressures (i.e. due to illegal felling, pollution, etc.) until it was declared as a National park. Although there was general improvement and recovery after the region declared as a Park, it was seen that the sensitive dynamics of the region require continuous monitoring and protection using geo-information technologies.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0251383
Author(s):  
Lyudmila Maksanova ◽  
Taisiya Bardakhanova ◽  
Natalia Lubsanova ◽  
Darima Budaeva ◽  
Arnold Tulokhonov

The impact of protected areas on local communities is the subject of intense discussions as part of the implementation of the global ecosystem protection agenda. Conflicts between the interests of environmental protection and the needs of socio-economic development become particularly acute when large areas of land are taken out of economic circulation as a result of organizing protected areas. In this case, there is an urgent need for detailed and reliable information about the social impacts of such land withdrawal on the well-being of the local population. An analysis of the methodological approaches widely presented in the literature, used to assess the social impact of protected areas, testifies to the insufficiency of completed and practically applicable methodological guidelines for the areas with significant restrictions for people who form part of the protected landscape. In this study, we understand the cost estimate of the social impact of national parks on the local population as a quantitative calculation of the losses due to restrictions on their ownership rights to land and property assets. The methodological approach consists in considering the category of losses as a sum total of the actual damage and lost profits. The assessment algorithm includes three stages: systematization of social impacts on citizens, development of indicators and data collection, and calculation of actual damage to the population and lost profits. The assessment is performed using the example of the Tunkinsky National Park located in the Tunkinsky municipal district of the Republic of Buryatia, a region of the Russian Federation, where there are 14 rural settlements with a population of more than 20,000 people. The results of the calculations show that the losses of the rural population due to legal restrictions on the registration of land dealings amount to 170.4 million USD. Taking into account the potential amount of administrative fines and the value of property subject to demolition, the losses amount to 239.2 million USD. It is more than an order of magnitude greater than the amount of own revenues of the Tunkinsky municipal district in 2011–2019. The results obtained demonstrate the real picture of the impact of restrictions on the rights of local people to land within the boundaries of national parks and are useful for developing measures to account for their interests and include protected areas in the socio-economic development of regions. The methodological approach developed by the authors can be used in other national parks, where it is necessary to optimize the policy of improving land use for local residents.


1970 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-47
Author(s):  
T A Binoy

Ecotourism is a purposeful travel to understand the nature and culture of a particular area taking care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem, while producing economic opportunities that make conservation of natural resources beneficial to the local people. Protected Areas such as national Parks, Biosphere Reserves and Wild Life Sanctuaries have figured prominently in biodiversity conservation and well-designed and managed Protected Areas can form the pinnacle of nation's efforts to protect biological diversity and also provide opportunities for recreation and tourism. Scientific studies show that planning ecotourism in Protected Areas as done in Thenmala ecotourism project, Kerala, first planned ecotourism project in India, which can be a model for other such destination development programmes. In Protected areas, developing forests as recreation spots can mitigate hardships of indigenous communities. This will provide monetary returns to thepublic exchequer, while protecting bio diverse patches with the support of the local community. For better planning and implementation of different components of ecotourism, zonalisation, site-specific action plan, reliable estimates of carrying. capacity and Environment Impact Assessment may be done in all the Protected Areas so as to avoid the ill effects of tourism. This research paper analyses and evaluates the methodology and typology of ecotourism practices at Thenmala, Kerala and proposing Thenmala as a model for the development of similar program in India


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulelah Al-Tokhais ◽  
Brijesh Thapa

There is a genuine need to examine stakeholders’ perception of biodiversity conservation and tourism development due to overlapping roles and conflicting priorities among key governmental agencies in Saudi Arabia. The need to understand the role of each stakeholder group will assist to support policy formulation and implementation, along with effective practices. Within this context, the purpose of this study was to examine stakeholder perspectives towards National Parks and Protected Areas in Saudi Arabia. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews from 11 stakeholders’ representative of public, private, and non-governmental organizations from the tourism and conservation community. Findings revealed four main themes—tourism development, management issues, development challenges, and policy concerns. In addition, multiple sub-themes within each were further categorized. Overall, findings highlight the need to form a foundation for sustainable tourism development that aims to conserve biodiversity and provide opportunities for local communities to ensure economic growth. Implications for development in National Parks and Protected Areas in Saudi Arabia are also noted.


Author(s):  
Onanong Cheablam ◽  
Utai Dachyosdee ◽  
Sonthaya Purintarapiban

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment, including coral reefs, seagrasses, terrestrial/aquatic animals, waste/sewage, and the economy of 27 marine national parks and four marine national park operations centers. Structured interviews were employed in this study. The results from national park officers indicated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, natural resources, such as coral, seagrass, and terrestrial/aquatic animals, had recovered and become more productive since animals in the area were observed. In addition, the amount of waste in the area has decreased; however, some national parks still have problems with marine debris. In contrast, the economic findings indicated that the number of tourists, both Thai and foreign, has decreased, reducing the total national park revenue by THB 1,507,681,302 (USD 50,256,043). Our research shows that there is an important association between the reduction of tourists and environmental quality. In addition, a reduction in revenue may impact the environment through illegal logging and fishing. Therefore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, technology should be used for surveys in the national parks, regularly informing budget support from the government, and tourism management.


2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 460
Author(s):  
Ha Quy Quynh ◽  
Dang Huy Phuong ◽  
Nguyen Tien Phuong

Resource management in National parks (NP), Nature reserve (NR) aim to hold the status of biological resources of the area [4]. Up to now, Vietnam has established 31 NP and about 100 NR. Most of NR, NP was completed build biological database [4]. The traditional information sharing method has showed the limitations, causing many difficulties for the users, particularly when exploring the map information. WebGIS technology developed quickly with the functions included: internet access, query spatial data in the Internet, which has promoted the possibility aid, consult spatial data, link between tables and map [1, 5, 7]. Biodiversity Database of Xuan Lien NR was built based on tables and maps. The table database is designed as relational data, including the information and records. With animals is Class - Order - Family – Species and plants is Plant - Phylum - Family - Species. The code of the species included 4 parts. One part of character and 3 parts of numbers. The database are the records of 1142 plant species, 55 mammal species, 190 birds, 38 reptiles and 35 amphibians species. The map database include base map, zonation map, infrastructure maps, vegetation and distribution map of species in protected areas. Display Biodiversity data of NR by MapServer, showing base map, zonation map, infrastructure maps, vegetation and habitat map. Using the combined technologies of Remote Sensing, GIS and WebGIS to manage, display, sharing biodiversity data of NR promotion optimization capabilities in data analyses and combined tables with map. This technology may apply for management biodiversity database of all protected areas in Vietnam.


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