scholarly journals Long-term monitoring of the endemic Rana latastei: suggestions for after-LIFE management

Oryx ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 709-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Canova ◽  
Alessandro Balestrieri
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Habitat Restoration ◽  
Egg Mass ◽  
Community Interest ◽  
The Status ◽  
Yearly Change ◽  
A Site ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
Rana Latastei

AbstractWe monitored egg clutch numbers of a population of the endemic Italian agile frog Rana latastei in a Site of Community Interest in northern Italy (SCI IT 209000) during 1997–2017 with the aim of assessing the long-term variation in its abundance. We walked along the banks of canals and small ponds (n = 22) 1–3 times per week between early February and mid-April each year to detect egg clutches. The relationships between the start of the breeding season, yearly egg mass counts, rate of yearly change in the number of recorded egg masses and 15 climatic and environmental variables were assessed by multiple regression. The first deposition of eggs occurred progressively later in the year throughout the study period and mean air temperature during the breeding season decreased over this period. Agile frogs showed high deposition site-fidelity. Despite large variations in the number of egg clutches detected from year to year, the population size remained stable in the long term. Peaks in the number of egg clutches occurred 2 years after the dredging of canals, carried out every 4–6 years to improve water availability, starting in 2004 as part of a LIFE Nature Project. This was the only predictor of the number of egg clutches deposited, suggesting that periodical management is needed to support the agile frog population. Our results reinforce the need for multi-year monitoring to determine both the long-term success of habitat restoration projects and the status of residual populations.

Temporal changes in an alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) population

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell B. East ◽  
J. Daren Riedle ◽  
Day B. Ligon
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Unknown Origin ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Macrochelys Temminckii ◽  
The Status ◽  
Management Recommendations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
Term Data

Context Monitoring populations of long-lived species requires continuous long-term efforts. This is especially applicable for species that have experienced declines range-wide. Aims Our study assessed the current status of a population of wild Macrochelys temminckii and compared the present results to those from a survey conducted nearly a decade ago. Methods Trapping in 2010–2011 was conducted on two creeks within the refuge, during the months of May–July. Capture data were compared with data collected by similar methods in 1997–2001. Key results The population structure of M. temminckii was dominated by juveniles, with few large adults or small juveniles detected and a missing size class was evident. Retrospective analysis of 1997–2001 data revealed that the population was likely to be in decline even then, despite high capture rates. Conclusions The M. temminckii population showed significant declines that indicated that the population had experienced stressors of unknown origin. The status of M. temminckii at the refuge is concerning, given the protection afforded this remnant population. Implications Short-term data from 1997–2001 indicated a healthy M. temminckii population, whereas longer-term data showed that the population has declined, resulting in significant demographic changes. Continued monitoring will be necessary to develop management recommendations and track the impact of implemented management practices. Longer-term monitoring of long-lived vertebrates is required to identify population trends.

The use of marine reserves in evaluating the dive fishery for the warty sea cucumber (Parastichopus parvimensis) in California, U.S.A.

2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 1773-1781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen C Schroeter ◽  
Daniel C Reed ◽  
David J Kushner ◽  
James A Estes ◽  
David S Ono
Keyword(s):  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Marine Reserves ◽  
Dependent Data ◽  
Fishing Mortality ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Status ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Term Monitoring

Management of sustainable fisheries depends upon reliable estimates of stock assessment. Assessment of many stocks is based entirely on fishery-dependent data (e.g., catch per unit effort), which can be problematic. Here we use fishery-independent data on stock size, collected within and outside of no-take reserves before and after the onset of fishing, to evaluate the status of the dive fishery for warty sea cucumbers, Parastichopus parvimensis, in southern California. Long-term monitoring data showed that abundance decreased throughout the Channel Islands within 3–6 years after the onset of fishing. No significant changes in the abundance of P. parvimensis were observed at the two non-fished reserve sites, although densities tended to increase following onset of the fishery. Before–after, control–impact (BACI) analyses of seven fished and two non-fished sites implicated fishing mortality as the cause of 33–83% stock declines. In sharp contrast, stock assessment based on CPUE data showed no declines and a significant increase at one island. To date, most discussion on marine reserves has focused on the protection and enhancement of exploited populations. Our study demonstrates the critically important, but often overlooked, role that marine reserves can play in providing reliable information on stock assessment.

scholarly journals Reassessment of an introduced cheetah Acinonyx jubatus population in Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther van der Meer ◽  
Lara L. Sousa ◽  
Andrew J. Loveridge
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
Carnivore Species ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of ◽  
Human Wildlife Conflict ◽  
Term Monitoring

Abstract Translocations are used to mitigate human–wildlife conflict, secure population viability of isolated populations and introduce or reintroduce populations in former or new range. With wild species increasingly confined to small patches of habitat embedded in human-dominated landscapes, the use of translocations is likely to increase. The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus is a large carnivore species with a long history of translocations. As for other species, evaluation of the success of cheetah translocations is complicated by a scarcity of published results, especially of failed attempts. Yet, such information is crucial to improve future translocations. A relatively well documented case is the translocation of alleged problem cheetahs into Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe, in the early 1990s. In this study we used a combination of survey methods to reassess the status of Matusadona's cheetah population and model current occupancy in relation to densities of competing carnivores and altitude. Our findings indicate this cheetah population has effectively been extirpated, highlighting the importance of thorough planning and standardized long-term monitoring of translocated populations for the understanding of the factors that affect translocation success.

scholarly journals Wolf Howling and Its Role in Territory Maintenance

Behaviour ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 68 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 207-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred H. Harrington ◽  
L. David Mech
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Scent Marking ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Low Profile ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
A Site

AbstractAn experimental study of the role of howling in wolf territory maintenance was conducted in the Superior National Forest, Minnesota. Vocal replies and behaviour of radio-collared wolves in response to human howls were analyzed for eight packs and 10 lone wolves during a 2-year period. Reply rate varied significantly throughout the year. A mid-winter increase was correlated with the breeding season, especially for groups containing breeding animals (alpha male or alpha female). A second, longer increase in reply rate started in midsummer, peaked about August, and declined to a low in early winter. The decline in autumn howling response occurred sooner in a pack whose pups developed faster. Through the year, the howling reply rate was significantly higher among all packs and lone wolves attending prey kills. The more food remaining at a kill, the higher the reply rate was. For wolves separated from their pack, the howling reply rate was dependent on their age and social role. Among adults, only alpha males ever replied alone, and their reply rate, and number of howls per session, exceeded those of other animals. Alpha males sometimes approached during howling sessions, whereas other adults usually retreated. Younger animals replied more often as pups than as yearlings, and then only during their first 7 months, after which they replied little more than most adults. Finally, larger packs replied more often than smaller packs. Specific behaviours noted during howling sessions, including movements away from the howler, indicated that howling was related to interpack agonism. In addition, three of the major factors influencing reply rate also significantly affect the level of agonism toward pack strangers : pack size, social role, and breeding season. The other two factors, kills and pups, are both important pack resources necessitating exclusive occupancy of a site. The high reply rates at sites containing kills or pups constitute strong circumstantial evidence that howling is important in territory maintenance. During howling sessions, wolves usually remained near their original site after replying, or retreated if they remained silent. This difference apparently was related to the problem of avoiding both accidental and deliberate encounters, and to cost/benefit considerations at the wolves' location. Howling was considered most effective in mediating avoidance in two situations : when two packs approached a common area of overlap, and when a pack returned to an area little used for weeks, in which scent posts would have lost effectiveness in deterring strangers. Both scent-marking and howling apparently are important in spacing. However, they differ in their roles and are complementary, with scent-marking being long-term and site-specific, and howling being immediate and long-range. Finally, lone wolves which do not possess territories, rarely replied, sharing the "low-profile" behaviour expected of surplus animals in a territorial population.

scholarly journals The rare deer of Cedros Island, Mexico

Oryx ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Povilitis ◽  
Enrique Ceballos
Keyword(s):  
Baja California ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
The Status ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
Cedros Island

The mule deer endemic to Cedros Island, off Baja California, was believed to be endangered until a survey in 1980 revealed that around 300 still remained. The authors carried out a follow-up survey in 1985 in order to discover whether the status of the deer had changed and to devise a method for the long-term monitoring of its population.

scholarly journals Developing a strategic plan for sustainable health inequality monitoring – the basic step towards tackling health inequalities in long run

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
T Lesnik
Keyword(s):  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Health Inequality ◽  
Strategic Plan ◽  
Basic Step ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Status ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Term Monitoring

Abstract Slovenia has had periodic reporting on health inequalities for almost a decade. The importance of reporting is well recognised and stated in the National strategy on health care 2015-2025. Yet, the assessment of the status of the national health inequality monitoring system (HIMS) conducted within the Joint Action Health Equity Europe project, made the unsystematic nature of current practices obvious. A need for developing a more systematic and sustainable HIMS and to have a long-term monitoring strategic plan in place was acknowledged. The set-up of systematic and sustainable long-term monitoring of health inequalities will provide reliable and comparable longitudinal data on the direction, magnitude and trend of health inequalities in Slovenia. This is in turn necessary to inform any future policies and/or programmes, thus stimulating action. Furthermore, identifying relevant stakeholders will facilitate formation of a network of partners who take part in tackling health inequalities, thus allowing for a more proactive (i.e. bridging) role in addressing health inequalities in Slovenia. The aim of this presentation is to demonstrate the process and the steps taken to prepare a document (strategic plan) detailing a systematic approach to long-term monitoring of health inequalities complete with goals, objectives, methodology, a pragmatic set of indicators and an evaluation plan that will inform and facilitate most reporting/monitoring activities

scholarly journals Long-term monitoring for adders: an evolving methodology

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 37-43
Author(s):  
R.J. Hodges ◽  
C. Seabrook
Keyword(s):  
Population Monitoring ◽  
Chalk Grassland ◽  
Active Season ◽  
Frequent Site ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Path Lengths ◽  
A Site ◽  
Current Monitoring ◽  
Term Monitoring

Currently, there is no recommended methodology for long-term population monitoring of European adders (Vipera berus). To open a debate on a preferred methodology, we describe an approach based on 10-years’ experience of monitoring in a chalk grassland reserve. The main elements are: 1) selection of a site with areas offering contrasting environmental conditions; 2) detection of adders along standard survey paths (transects) combined with paired artificial refuges of corrugated iron and roofing felt that are essential for detecting immature stages; 3) recognition of individual adders based on head-scale and neck patterns; 4) frequent site visits throughout the reptile active season; and 5) adoption of an Encounter Index (E.I.) that combines data from standard paths and refuges and normalises them for variations in survey effort and for shifts between years in the encounter rates along paths and at refuges. E.I. values correlate strongly with the numbers of known adders in the reserve but in some years E.I. values have been disproportionally high. Future objectives of the project are to explain variations in detectability and to estimate adder detectability associated with the current monitoring approach. Effective long-term monitoring is achievable by deploying “sufficient” refuges and, within practical limits, maximising path lengths and site visits. Future analysis of our own results will likely confirm our methodology as a “rule of thumb” for adder monitoring on, at least, chalk grassland.

scholarly journals Varietal Threat Index for Monitoring Crop Diversity on Farms in Five Agro-Ecological Regions in India

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 514
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ehsan Dulloo ◽  
Natalia Estrada Carmona ◽  
Jai C. Rana ◽  
Rashmi Yadav ◽  
Francesca Grazioli
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Genetic Erosion ◽  
Varietal Diversity ◽  
Crop Genetic Diversity ◽  
The Status ◽  
Threat Index ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
Conservation Interventions

Our knowledge about the status of agrobiodiversity on farms is still very limited. While several studies to assess the crop genetic diversity on farms have been undertaken, there are no systematic documentation and monitoring practices for varietal diversity in space and time. Achievement of the agrobiodiversity Aichi Target 13, established under the Biodiversity Strategy Plan 2011–2020, have failed due to the lack of existing data on varietal diversity at country, regional and global levels. Here, we propose a method for calculating the Varietal Threat Index using the four-cell analysis (FCA) participatory methodology at different geographical scales to monitor changes in the varietal diversity on farms and to compare between areas. We tested the method with datasets collected from the UN-Environment GEF project implemented in India, in which data on crop and varietal diversity were collected across seven states in India, covering five agroecological regions. Results showed that landraces are still commonly grown in the study sites, especially in the central and western regions, and that more than 50% of landraces are considered threatened, suggesting that conservation interventions are required to prevent large-scale genetic erosion. A long-term monitoring framework for varietal diversity in India is proposed.

scholarly journals Grassland habitat restoration: lessons learnt from long term monitoring of Swanworth Quarry, UK, 1997–2014

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Maria Smith ◽  
Anita Diaz ◽  
Linton Winder
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Restoration ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Calcareous Grassland ◽  
Seed Rate ◽  
Grassland Community ◽  
Community Assemblage ◽  
Strong Resemblance ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Term Monitoring

Habitat restoration projects are often conducted when prior use or extraction of natural resources results in land degradation. The success of restoration programmes, however, is variable, and studies that provide evidence of long term outcomes are valuable for evaluation purposes. This study focused on the restoration of vegetation within a limestone quarry in Dorset, UK between 1997 and 2014. Using a randomised block design, the effect of seed mix and seed rate on the development of community assemblage was investigated in comparison to a nearby target calcareous grassland site. We hypothesised that seed mix composition and sowing rate would influence both the trajectory of the grassland assemblage and final community composition. We found that species composition (in relation to both richness and community assemblage) was strongly influenced by time and to some extent by seed rate and seed mix. However, no treatments achieved strong resemblance to the calcareous grassland target vegetation; rather they resembled mesotrophic communities. We conclude that (as with previous studies) there is no “quick fix” for the establishment of a grassland community; long-term monitoring provides useful information on the trajectory of community development; sowing gets you something (in our case mesotrophic grassland), but, it may not be the target vegetation (e.g., calcicolous grassland) you want that is difficult to establish and regenerate; it is important to sow a diverse mix as subsequent recruitment opportunities are probably limited; post-establishment management should be explored further and carefully considered as part of a restoration project.

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