Long‐distance African lion dispersal between two protected areas

This study aimed to compare the genetic diversity of populations of Solanum lycocarpum A.St.-Hil between natural and human disturbed environments, with the assumption that protected areas have greater genetic diversity than disturbed areas. For this study, two populations were sampled in Goiás State, Brazil. One was located in a conservation unit, Serra de Caldas Novas State Park, in the Caldas Novas municipality. The other was located in a pasture area in the municipality of Morrinhos. The two populations are 41 km apart. We sampled 60 individuals from each population, which were genotyped with five microsatellite loci (SSR). The highest number of alleles was recorded in the population of the conservation unit, where we found 11 exclusive and five rare alleles. In the disturbed area, we recorded only three exclusive alleles and one rare allele. Although we did not observe significant inbreeding in these populations, genetic divergence between them was high (G ST (Hedrick)=0.147 =0.147) for a species with long distance seed dispersal. The results corroborate the hypothesis that the population in the less disturbed area harbors greater allelic diversity. They also confirm the effectiveness of using protected areas to preserve the genetic diversity of the species.

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Long-distance transboundary dispersal of African wild dogs among protected areas in southern Africa

African Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2028.2012.01335.x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 500-506 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Harriet T. Davies-Mostert ◽

Jan F. Kamler ◽

Michael G. L. Mills ◽

Craig R. Jackson ◽

Gregory S. A. Rasmussen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Southern Africa ◽

Long Distance ◽

African Wild Dogs ◽

Wild Dogs

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Planktonic linkages among marine protected areas on the south Florida and southeast United States continental shelves

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f07-089 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 64 (9) ◽

pp. 1234-1247 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Jonathan A Hare ◽

Harvey J Walsh

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Fishery Management ◽

Florida Keys ◽

South Florida ◽

The South ◽

Long Distance ◽

Southeast United States ◽

Continental Shelves

One proposed benefit of marine protected areas (MPAs) is increased larval export, potentially increasing recruitment in unprotected areas. Because most marine species have planktonic larvae, information regarding planktonic transport is needed to evaluate the benefit of larval export. We used satellite-tracked drifters to define planktonic transport routes and rates from three MPAs along the south Florida and southeast United States (US) continental shelves. Drifter tracks indicated both long-distance transport and local retention. A probability model was developed based on drifter releases. The region was broken into zones; zone-specific residence times and movements between zones were defined from the drifter tracks. Transport out of the region in association with the Loop Current – Florida Current – Gulf Stream was the most frequently observed outcome, yet retention was high in the lower Florida Keys and on the Georgia shelf. From the model results, long-distance planktonic transport and local retention are the endpoints of a continuum rather than a dichotomy. Further, the outcome of planktonic transport is spatially heterogeneous with some regions exhibiting more retention and others exhibiting more export. The spatial aspects of planktonic transport described here should be considered in designing MPAs with fishery management objectives in the south Florida and southeast US shelf ecosystems.

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Surveys of lions Panthera leo in protected areas in Zimbabwe yield disturbing results: what is driving the population collapse?

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605312001457 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 48 (3) ◽

pp. 385-393 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Rosemary J. Groom ◽

Paul J. Funston ◽

Roseline Mandisodza

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Prey Availability ◽

Crocuta Crocuta ◽

Anthropogenic Factors ◽

Panthera Leo ◽

Prey Biomass ◽

African Lion ◽

In The Wild ◽

Biomass Availability ◽

Hunting Quotas

AbstractThe African lion Panthera leo is an iconic species but it has faced dramatic range reductions and possibly as few as 30,000 individuals remain in the wild. In the absence of detailed ground-based surveys, lion populations may be estimated using regression models based on prey biomass availability but these often overestimate lion densities as a result of a variety of compounding factors. Anthropogenic factors can be key drivers of lion population dynamics and in areas with high human impact lion numbers may be significantly lower than those predicted by prey biomass models. This was investigated in two protected areas in Zimbabwe, where lion population densities were found to be significantly lower than would have been predicted by prey-availability models. High hunting quotas either within or around the protected areas are the most likely cause of the low lion numbers, with quotas in some areas being as high as seven lions per 1,000 km2 in some years. Other factors, including persecution, poisoning and problem animal control, as well as disease and competition with spotted hyaenas Crocuta crocuta, are also discussed.

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Using satellite telemetry and environmental niche modelling to inform conservation targets for a long-distance migratory raptor in its wintering grounds

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605313001075 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 49 (2) ◽

pp. 329-337 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Ruben Limiñana ◽

Beatriz Arroyo ◽

Julien Terraube ◽

Michael McGrady ◽

François Mougeot

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Ecological Niche ◽

Satellite Telemetry ◽

Natural Vegetation ◽

Ecological Niche Model ◽

Eastern Africa ◽

Long Distance ◽

Niche Model ◽

Natural Grasslands ◽

Wintering Areas

AbstractUnderstanding the ecology of migratory birds during the non-breeding season is necessary for ensuring their conservation. Using satellite telemetry data we describe winter ranging behaviour and movements of pallid harriersCircus macrourusthat bred in Kazakhstan. We developed an ecological niche model for the species in Africa, to identify the most suitable wintering areas for pallid harriers and the importance of habitat in determining the location of those areas. We also assessed how well represented suitable areas are in the network of protected areas. Individual harriers showed relatively high fidelity to wintering areas but with potential for interannual changes. The ecological niche model highlighted the importance of open habitats with natural vegetation. Most suitable areas for the species were located in eastern Africa. Suitable areas had a patchy distribution but were relatively well included in the network of protected areas. The preferential use of habitats with natural vegetation by wintering pallid harriers and the patchiness of the most suitable areas highlight the harrier's vulnerability to land-use changes and the associated loss of natural vegetation in Africa. Conservation of harriers could be enhanced by preserving natural grasslands within protected areas and improving habitat management in the human-influenced portions of the species’ core wintering areas.

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Effectiveness of the system of protected areas of Lombardy (Northern Italy) in preserving breeding birds

Bird Conservation International ◽

10.1017/s095927091700017x ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 475-492 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

BEATRICE SICURELLA ◽

VALERIO ORIOLI ◽

GUIDO PINOLI ◽

ROBERTO AMBROSINI ◽

LUCIANO BANI

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Human Activities ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Temporal Trends ◽

Bird Species ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Sustainable Land Use ◽

Long Distance ◽

Ecological Processes ◽

Continental Scale

SummaryNetworks of protected areas (PAs) where human activities are allowed at different degrees are fundamental to ensure the long-term conservation of biological diversity and ecological processes. However, studies aimed at assessing their effectiveness, focusing on several species simultaneously are scarce. We assessed the effectiveness of the system of protected areas (PAs) of Lombardy, Northern Italy, in conserving bird populations by comparing the changes from 1992 to 2013 in the occurrence of 54 breeding bird species censused in areas classified in different protection categories, namely Nature Reserves (NRs), areas designed predominantly for the protection of nature; Regional Parks (RPs), naturally valuable areas where human activities, including intensive agriculture, are allowed; and non-protected areas (NPAs). Overall, occurrence of common birds increased in Lombardy in the last 20 years and farmland and long-distance migrants (LDMs), which suffered sharp declines at a continental scale, showed stable and increasing trends, respectively. These trends were, however, the balance between those of species whose occurrence markedly increased, and those of species that dramatically declined. Species occurred more often in PAs than in NPAs, while temporal trends in occurrence were significantly more positive in RPs than in both NRs and NPAs. Hence, PAs seemed effective in preserving common bird communities. Occurrence of woodland and short-distance migrant species was higher in PAs than in NPAs, while occurrence of farmland species and LDMs was similar in all protection categories. PAs of Lombardy appear therefore effective only in protecting some categories of birds. Farmland and LDM birds would benefit more from ecologically sustainable land-use policies aiming at improving agro-ecosystem biodiversity than from protected areas.

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Beyond ritual and economics: Maasai lion hunting and conservation politics

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605312000907 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 47 (4) ◽

pp. 490-500 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Mara J. Goldman ◽

Joana Roque de Pinho ◽

Jennifer Perry

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Explanatory Model ◽

Panthera Leo ◽

Social Emotional ◽

African Lion ◽

Species Survival ◽

Conservation Politics

AbstractPopulations of the African lion Panthera leo are declining dramatically, with the species’ survival in some areas closely linked to levels of tolerance by rural communities. In Tanzania and Kenya several of the remaining lion populations outside protected areas reside adjacent to rural communities, where they are hunted. As many of these communities are Maasai, research and conservation efforts have focused on understanding and curbing Maasai lion hunting practices. Much of this work has been informed by a dichotomous explanatory model of Maasai lion hunting as either a ‘cultural’ ritual or a ‘retaliatory’ behaviour against predation on livestock. We present qualitative data from interviews (n = 246) in both countries to illustrate that lion hunting by Maasai is related to overlapping motivations that are simultaneously social, emotional and political (in response to conservation initiatives). Additional case study material from Tanzania highlights how politics associated with conservation activities and age-set dynamics affect lion hunting in complex and overlapping ways. Our findings contribute an ethnographic perspective on Maasai lion hunting, people–predator relations, and how these relations are linked to conservation politics.

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A century of decline: loss of genetic diversity in a southern African lion-conservation stronghold

10.1101/474940 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Simon G. Dures ◽

Chris Carbone ◽

Andrew J. Loveridge ◽

Glyn Maude ◽

Neil Midlane ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Large Scale ◽

Species Conservation ◽

Allelic Diversity ◽

Rapid Decline ◽

Conservation Area ◽

African Lion ◽

Loss Of Genetic Diversity ◽

Extant Population

AbstractAimThere is a dearth of evidence that determines the genetic diversity of populations contained within present-day protected areas compared with their historic state prior to large-scale species declines, making inferences about a species’ conservation genetic status difficult to assess. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the use of historic specimens to assess the change in genetic diversity over a defined spatial area.LocationLike other species, African lion populations (Panthera leo) are undergoing dramatic contractions in range and declines in numbers, motivating the identification of a number of lion conservation strongholds across East and southern Africa. We focus on one such stronghold, the Kavango-Zambezi transfrontier conservation area (KAZA) of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.MethodsWe compare genetic diversity between historical museum specimens, collected during the late 19th and early 20th century, with samples from the modern extant population. We use 16 microsatellite markers and sequence 337 base pairs of the hypervariable control region (HVR1) of the mitochondrial genome. We use bootstrap resampling to allow for comparisons between the historic and modern data.ResultsWe show that the genetic diversity of the modern population was reduced by 12% to 17%, with a reduction in allelic diversity of approximately 15%, compared to historic populations, in addition to having lost a number of mitochondrial haplotypes. We also identify reduced allelic diversity and a number of ‘ghost alleles’ in the historical samples no longer present in the extant population.Main ConclusionsWe argue a rapid decline in allelic richness after 1895 suggests the erosion of genetic diversity coincides with the rise of a European colonial presence and the outbreak of rinderpest in the region. Our results support the need to improved connectivity between protected areas in order to prevent further loss of genetic diversity in the region.

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Genetic connectivity of the metapopulation of the coral Pocillopora verrucosa (Scleractinia: Pocilloporidae) in multi-use marine protected areas of the Gulf of California, and management implications

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v69i4.45936 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 69 (4) ◽

pp. 1164-1178

Author(s):

Fernando Aranceta-Garza ◽

Pedro Cruz-Hernández ◽

Héctor Reyes-Bonilla ◽

Eduardo F. Balart

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Gulf Of California ◽

Dispersal Distance ◽

Assignment Test ◽

Genetic Connectivity ◽

Anthropogenic Factors ◽

Long Distance ◽

Connectivity Patterns ◽

Pocillopora Verrucosa

Introduction: Estimates of contemporary connectivity of the broadcast spawning coral Pocillopora verrucosa between multi-use marine protected areas (MUMPAs) are required to assess MUMPA effectiveness and their ability to enhance resilience against disturbances. Objective: To determine the genetic structure and connectivity patterns between P. verrucosa demes inside the Gulf of California and evaluate the role and effectiveness of established MUMPAS in their protection and resilience. Methods: We assessed P. verrucosa connectivity along its peninsular range (∼350 km), including five locations and three MUMPAs in the Gulf of California using six microsatellite genetic markers. Results: Population structure was significant (FST = 0.108***) when demes included clonal replicates; however, when these clones were removed from the analysis, the sexual individuals comprised a metapopulation panmixia (FST = 0.0007 NS). To further understand connectivity patterns, an assignment test was carried out which identified ten recent between-deme migrants with a mean dispersal distance of 116.6 km (± 80.5 SE). No long-distance dispersal was detected. These results highlight the ecological importance of the Bahía de La Paz region, including Archipiélago de Espíritu Santo MUMPA. This region, located at the center of the species peninsular range, exports larva to downstream sink demes such as the Loreto (northwardly) and Cabo Pulmo (southwardly) MUMPAs. Of importance, inter-MUMPA spacing was larger than the mean larval dispersal by ~56 km, suggesting thar the designation of intermediate ‘no-take’ zones would enhance short-distance connectivity. Conclusion: This study contributes as a baseline for policymakers and authorities to provide robust strategies for coral ecosystem protection and suggest that protection efforts must be increased towards peninsular intermediate reefs to promote metapopulation resilience from natural and anthropogenic factors.

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Understanding the dynamics of lion attacks on humans and livestock in southern Maasailand, Kenya

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605319000826 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Guy Western ◽

David W. Macdonald ◽

Andrew J. Loveridge ◽

Amy J. Dickman ◽

Peter Tyrrell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Prey Density ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Dry Season ◽

Lower Mortality ◽

Panthera Leo ◽

Sheep And Goats ◽

Livestock Predation ◽

African Lion ◽

Negative Interactions

Abstract Negative interactions with humans resulting from livestock predation is a major factor influencing the decline of African lion Panthera leo populations across Africa. Here we investigate lion depredation within two Maasai communities in southern Kenya where people and lions coexist in the absence of any formal protected areas. We explore the factors that increase the frequency and severity of lion attacks on pastoralists and their livestock and assess the effectiveness of livestock guarding to reduce damage. Finally, we examine in which circumstances lion depredation triggers retaliation by people. Over a period of 26 months, lions attacked livestock 29 times, resulting in 41 livestock deaths and 19 injuries. There were also two attacks on people. Lions preferred cattle over the more numerous sheep and goats. Attacks on livestock occurred mostly during the dry season and were not affected by changes in prey density or variation in pastoral settlement that brought livestock into closer proximity with lions. Livestock were guarded during 48.2% of lion attacks. Active guarding at pasture disrupted the majority of lion attacks, resulting in lower mortality rates. Passive guarding in corrals at night also disrupted attacks but did not lead to lower livestock mortality.

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