The saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis in Vietnam – new information on distribution and habitat preferences, and conservation needs

In 1995 a new population of the recently described, endangered bovid, the saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis, was found in the forests of Bu Huong, Nghe An Province in Vietnam. The new records were to the north of the main known populations, and represent an important range extension for the species. The new population may number only 30 individuals and appears to be confined to river valleys in primary forest. Investigations at this site and a compilation of published and unpublished data suggest that the range of the species in Vietnam and Laos includes over 5000 sq km of mountainous terrain, four protected areas (Vu Quang and Pu Mat, Nature Reserves [Vietnam], Nakai Nam Theun and Hin Namnu National Biodiversity Conservation Areas [Laos]), and three proposed protected areas (Bu Hong [Vietnam], Nam Chuan and Nakai Nam Theun Northern Extension National Boidiversity Conservation Areas [Laos]). All known locations for the species are mountainous with steep river valleys, covered by evergreen or semideciduous forests between 300 and 1800 m, with low human disturbance. The main threats to its survival are hunting by local villagers and clearance of forests to provide farmland. Both need to be tackled if the saola and other forest-endemic species of this area are to persist.

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Habitat preference and potential distribution of Magnolia officinalis subsp. officinalis and M. o. subsp. biloba in China

Nature Conservation ◽

10.3897/natureconservation.36.36171 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 ◽

pp. 93-111

Author(s):

Chuangye Song ◽

Huiming Liu ◽

Jixi Gao

Keyword(s):

Human Disturbance ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Potential Distribution ◽

Habitat Preferences ◽

Extreme Temperatures ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Suitable Habitats ◽

Magnolia Officinalis ◽

The Relationship ◽

Selection Of

Magnolia officinalis subsp. officinalis and M. officinalis subsp. biloba are important medicinal plants in China. The bark of these two subspecies is commonly used in the production of a widely-used Chinese traditional medicine named ‘Houpu’. In recent years, M. o. subsp. officinalis and M. o. subsp. biloba have become increasingly threatened owing to the over-harvesting of their bark and the fragmentation of their habitats. In this study, we aimed to support the conservation and cultivation of these two subspecies in China by: (1) assessing the relationship between numerous environmental variables and the geographical distributions of the subspecies; (2) analysing the environmental characteristics of suitable habitats for both subspecies and predicting the spatial distribution of these habitats in China; and (3) identifying conservation areas of both subspecies in China via overlay analysis. We also assessed the degree of human disturbance within suitable habitats. We found that temperature was a major determinant for the distribution of M. o. subsp. officinalis. Conversely, the distribution of M. o. subsp. biloba was primarily dependent on precipitation rather than temperature. Distinct habitat preferences were observed between M. o. subsp. officinalis and M. o. subsp. biloba. Suitable habitats of M. o. subsp. officinalis were primarily distributed in the northern subtropical areas of China, with greater fluctuations in ambient temperature, lower extreme temperatures, less precipitation and greater fluctuations in precipitation. Habitats suitable for M. o. subsp. biloba were highly fragmented and were distributed in the central subtropical areas of China. We found that a large proportion of suitable habitats were not in the protected areas and that they were significantly disturbed by human activity. This analysis could provide useful information for the conservation of both M. o. subsp. officinalis and M. o. subsp. biloba and could aid in the selection of cultivation sites.

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Soft-bottom fishes and spatial protection: findings from a temperate marine protected area

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.4653 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e4653 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Inês Sousa ◽

Jorge M.S. Gonçalves ◽

Joachim Claudet ◽

Rui Coelho ◽

Emanuel J. Gonçalves ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Habitat Preferences ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Fish Communities ◽

Management Plan ◽

Multiple Use ◽

Soft Bottom ◽

The North

Numerous studies over the last decades have focused on marine protected areas (MPAs) and their effects on fish communities. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding how species that live associated with soft-substrates (e.g., sand, mud) respond to spatial protection. We analyzed abundance, biomass and total lengths of the soft-bottom fishes in a multiple-use MPA in the north-eastern Atlantic, the Luiz Saldanha Marine Park (Portugal), during and after the implementation of its management plan. Data were collected by experimental fishing in areas with three different levels of protection, during the implementation period and for three years after full implementation of the MPA. Univariate analysis detected significant biomass increases between the two periods. Fish assemblages were mainly structured by depth and substrate, followed by protection level. Community composition analyses revealed significant differences between protection levels and between the two periods. Species exhibited a broad variation in their response to protection, and we hypothesize that factors such as species habitat preferences, body size and late maturity might be underlying determinants. Overall, this study provides some evidence of protection effectiveness in soft-bottom fish communities, supported by the significant increase in biomass in the protected areas and the positive trends of some species.

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Conservation issues and priorities in the Mikea Forest of south-west Madagascar

Oryx ◽

10.1046/j.1365-3008.2000.00134.x ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 287-304 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Nathalie Seddon ◽

Joe Tobias ◽

James W. Yount ◽

Julien Rémi Ramanampamonjy ◽

Stuart Butchart ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Forest Cover ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Bird Species ◽

Primary Forest ◽

Charcoal Production ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

The North ◽

Research And Education ◽

Large Protected Area ◽

Southern Fringe

AbstractThe dry forests constitute one of the most distinct, yet least protected, ecosystems in Madagascar, an island renowned for high levels of endemism. They have generally been considered one of the most intact of Madagascar's climax vegetation types and accordingly have received little conservation effort. In particular, the Mikea Forest, a unique area between the Mangoky and Fiherenana rivers, currently receives negligible formal protection. It contains remarkably diverse plant and reptile assemblages, including several taxa that are found nowhere else, plus the only populations of two threatened bird species: the subdesert mesite Monias benschi and long-tailed ground-roller Uratelornis chimaera. From satellite imagery we estimate that primary forest cover declined by 15.6 per cent from 1962 to 1999, and that the rate of deforestation has increased from 0.35 per cent per annum in 1962–94 to 0.93 per cent per annum over the past 5 years. The most important factors underlying this process are slash-and-burn maize cultivation in the northern Mikea Forest and charcoal production at its southern fringe. Given these alarming circumstances, we suggest that combinations of conservation measures are required to safeguard the biological diversity of the area. Specifically, we recommend the establishment of a large protected area to the north of Manombo, a co-ordinated network of community-based conservation areas throughout the Mikea Forest, development projects to improve agriculture, and a regional research and education centre.

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Infracommunities of bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in three conservation units in the State of Amapá, Brazil

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0715 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Gabriela Hrycyna ◽

Ana Carolina Moreira Martins ◽

Gustavo Graciolli

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

New Records ◽

The State ◽

Conservation Units ◽

Priority Areas ◽

Bat Flies ◽

The North ◽

New Occurrences

Abstract: Diptera belonging to the families Nycteribiidae and Streblidae are hematophagous ectoparasites, exclusively of bats. The Amapá State is located in the North Region of Brazil. The Amapá represents one of with the lowest rates of deforestation in the country, with approximately 80% of the territory preserved. Within the State, there are conservation units, Floresta Nacional do Amapá (FNA), Parque Nacional Montanhas do Tumucumaque (PNMT) and Reserva de desenvolvimento Sustentável do Rio Iratapurú (RDSI). These areas represent priority areas for the Conservation of Amazonian Biodiversity. Recently in Amapá studied on the diversity and distribution of bats, however, there are no records of associated arthropod ectoparasites. Therefore, the objective was to describe the pattern of association of Nycteribiidae and Streblidae species on bats in three protected areas of Amapá. Bats were collected through mist nets, where each host had its body visually revised and the Diptera collected were identified through a specific bibliography. One thousand and eighty- six individuals of bats flies were identified, distributed in 52 species (Streblidae = 49 and Nycteribiidae = three). Among the three infracommunities, the PNMT infracommunities was the largest found with abundance and richness of bats flies. All species found, represent new occurrences for the Amapá, being these, 18 new records for the North Region and seven new records for Brazil.

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Why Has There Been No People’s Power Rebellion in North Korea?

European Journal of Korean Studies ◽

10.33526/ejks.2018181.1 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 1-34

Author(s):

Andrew Jackson

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

North Korea ◽

Large Scale ◽

Political Elite ◽

Information Control ◽

Al Jazeera ◽

The North ◽

New Information ◽

Effective System ◽

The Right

One scenario put forward by researchers, political commentators and journalists for the collapse of North Korea has been a People’s Power (or popular) rebellion. This paper analyses why no popular rebellion has occurred in the DPRK under Kim Jong Un. It challenges the assumption that popular rebellion would happen because of widespread anger caused by a greater awareness of superior economic conditions outside the DPRK. Using Jack Goldstone’s theoretical expla-nations for the outbreak of popular rebellion, and comparisons with the 1989 Romanian and 2010–11 Tunisian transitions, this paper argues that marketi-zation has led to a loosening of state ideological control and to an influx of infor-mation about conditions in the outside world. However, unlike the Tunisian transitions—in which a new information context shaped by social media, the Al-Jazeera network and an experience of protest helped create a sense of pan-Arab solidarity amongst Tunisians resisting their government—there has been no similar ideology unifying North Koreans against their regime. There is evidence of discontent in market unrest in the DPRK, although protests between 2011 and the present have mostly been in defense of the right of people to support themselves through private trade. North Koreans believe this right has been guaranteed, or at least tacitly condoned, by the Kim Jong Un government. There has not been any large-scale explosion of popular anger because the state has not attempted to crush market activities outright under Kim Jong Un. There are other reasons why no popular rebellion has occurred in the North. Unlike Tunisia, the DPRK lacks a dissident political elite capable of leading an opposition movement, and unlike Romania, the DPRK authorities have shown some flexibility in their anti-dissent strategies, taking a more tolerant approach to protests against economic issues. Reduced levels of violence during periods of unrest and an effective system of information control may have helped restrict the expansion of unrest beyond rural areas.

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Spider diversity in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore

Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore ◽

10.26492/gbs71(suppl.1).2019-08 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 71 ((suppl.1)) ◽

pp. 209-243

Author(s):

J.K.H. Koh ◽

D.J. Court

Keyword(s):

Nature Reserve ◽

New Records ◽

Secondary Forest ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Primary Forest ◽

Preliminary Results ◽

Vegetation Zones ◽

Comprehensive Survey ◽

Quantitative Analyses ◽

First Time

This paper discusses the preliminary results of the first comprehensive survey of the spiders of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) in Singapore. Two plots were established in each of the three zones of vegetation, viz., primary forest, old secondary forest, and maturing secondary forest. They were repeatedly sampled over an 18-month period. Sorting of the collection so far suggests that the three vegetation zones harbour rather different spider assemblages. Only ~9% of the total spider fauna recovered was shared by all three zones. The results have also yielded a preliminary picture of dominance, abundance and rarity. Although first intended to obtain a baseline for future quantitative analyses, the survey became a testing ground to modify and refine methodology so as to conduct future quantitative surveys with greater scientific rigour. Taxonomic work on the samples so far shows that the spiders in the BTNR span over 43 families, of which six families are listed for the first time in Singapore. The tally is summarised in an interim checklist of BTNR spiders. The checklist, with a total of 317 entries, shows that there are 158 described species of spiders in BTNR, of which 25 species are new records for Singapore. Another 159 morphospecies are provisionally recognised as distinct species, some of which may be new to science. Our observations during the survey have allowed us to provide a narrative of BTNR spider diversity against a backdrop of their microhabitat specialisation.

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Illegal rattan extraction trends in the Ankasa Conservation Area in Ghana

Journal of Energy and Natural Resource Management ◽

10.26796/jenrm.v2i3.49 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 84-92

Author(s):

R. Obour, D. Amankwaa, A. Asare

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Forest Products ◽

Simple Random Sampling ◽

Sampling Techniques ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Conservation Area ◽

Forest Reserve ◽

The North ◽

Non Timber Forest Products

Protected Areas (PAs) are created for the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, but many of Ghana’s PAs are subjectto severe pressures and threats, the main pressures being the illegal extraction of natural resources. Rattans are indisputablyone of the most important Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in Ghana’s Protected Areas that is without doubt one of thereasons for which it has drawn the attention of researchers. In this study the illegal rattan extraction patterns in the AnkasaConservation Area (ACA) in Ghana was inspected. Simple random sampling and Snowball sampling techniques were used. Datacollection employed the use of semi-structured questionnaires, interviews and field enumeration of rattans as well as an analysisof Effective Patrol Man-days (EPMDS) from 2004 to 2012. The results showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.75, p<0.05, r2 = 0.557) between patrol effort and rattan extraction encounters. In addition, there was a general reduction in illegalrattan extraction encounters from 2004 to 2012 at a rate of 4.3 per year. The highest illegal rattan extraction incidences wererecorded in 2006 (76 encounters), 2005 (35 encounters), 2008 (22 encounters), 2004 (18 encounters) and the least incidencewere recorded in both 2010 (3 encounters) and 2011 (3 encounters).The research also revealed that Eremospatha macrocarpawas the most extracted rattan species followed by Laccosperma secundiflorum. The major rattan extraction and trade routesoriginate in the northern parts and in the area east of the reserve and also south of Draw River Forest Reserve. Generally, rattanpoaching in Ankasa Conservation Area has declined, but there are still human incursions in the northern part of the reserve. Thestudy recommended an intensification of patrols in the north of the reserve. Also, enrichment planting and Agroforestry practicesof inter-cropping rattans with seasonal crops should be pursued vigorously for the local communities.

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Meadows of the North-Eastern Altai

Vegetation of Russia ◽

10.31111/vegrus/2002.03.22 ◽

2002 ◽

pp. 22-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

T. V. Maltseva ◽

N. I. Makunina

Keyword(s):

Coniferous Forest ◽

Wet Meadows ◽

Abies Sibirica ◽

Dark Coniferous Forest ◽

Hay Meadows ◽

The North ◽

North Eastern ◽

Humid Area ◽

River Valleys

The North-Eastern Altai is an ultra-humid area with climax vegetation represented by tall-herb fir (Abies sibirica) dark-coniferous forest. Its meadows belong to the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. The typical association Aegopodio podagrariae—Dactyletum glomeratae originates in the watershed clearings after climax forests whereas ass. Hyperici perforati—Agrostietum giganteaereplaces the previous one under mowing and grazing. The Molinietalia wet meadows are widespread in the river valleys. The meadows of ass. Cirsio heterophylli—Calamagrostietum langsdorffii occur on wet soils in small depressions and along floodplain mire margins, and ass. Carici ovalis—Deschampsietum cespitosae comprises typical floodplain hay-meadows on moist, nutrient-rich soils.

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Restricting spatial lives? The gendered implications of conservation in Cambodia’s protected wetlands

Environment and Planning E Nature and Space ◽

10.1177/2514848619827736 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 73-88 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nicola Perry ◽

Josephine Gillespie

Keyword(s):

Political Ecology ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Environmental Conservation ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Feminist Political Ecology ◽

Geographic Thought ◽

Legal Geography ◽

Environmental Interactions ◽

Tonle Sap ◽

Gendered Roles

Environmental conservation through the creation of protected areas is recognised as a key tactic in the fight against degrading ecosystems worldwide. Understanding the implications of protected area regimes on both places and people is an important part of the protection agenda. In this context and in this paper, we build on the work of feminist legal geographers and feminist political ecologists to enhance our understanding of the constitution of localised socio-legal-environmental interactions in and around protected areas. Our approach looks to developments in feminist and legal geographic thought to examine the interactions between identities, law and the environment in a Ramsar protected wetland on the Tonle Sap, Cambodia. We bring together legal geography perspectives regarding the spatiality of law with insights from feminist political ecology examining gendered roles and exclusions. We found that conservation areas interact in complex ways with local pre-existing norms prescribing female weakness and vulnerability which, ultimately, restrict women’s spatial lives.

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Regionally extinct species rediscovered: the bush dog Speothos venaticus in Minas Gerais, south-eastern Brazil

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605314000118 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 60-63 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Guilherme Braga Ferreira ◽

Marcelo Juliano Rabelo Oliveira ◽

Rogério Cunha de Paula ◽

Flávio Henrique Guimarães Rodrigues ◽

Érica Daniele Cunha Carmo

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Minas Gerais ◽

The State ◽

South American ◽

North West ◽

South Eastern ◽

The North ◽

Eastern Brazil ◽

Bush Dog ◽

Speothos Venaticus

AbstractThe bush dog Speothos venaticus, a rare Near Threatened South American canid that lives in packs, was thought to be extinct in Minas Gerais state, south-eastern Brazil, until recently. Here, we report four recent records of the species in Minas Gerais, the first in the state since the description of the species in 1842. All records are from the Cerrado ecosystem in the north and north-west of the state; two are from animals found dead, one from footprints and another from a camera trap. Three of the records were inside or close (< 10 km) to strict protected areas, in a region recognized as the Protected Areas Mosaic Sertão Veredas–Peruaçu, where we expect any new records of the bush dog to be found. We discuss the low probability of detecting the bush dog and the main regional threats to the species, and emphasize the need to protect large and interconnected natural areas and keep them free of domestic dogs to avoid the extinction of the bush dog in Minas Gerais.

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