scholarly journals Density responses of lesser-studied carnivores to habitat and management strategies in southern Tanzania’s Ruaha-Rungwa landscape

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0242293
Author(s):  
Marie Hardouin ◽  
Charlotte E. Searle ◽  
Paolo Strampelli ◽  
Josephine Smit ◽  
Amy Dickman ◽  
...  

Compared to emblematic large carnivores, most species of the order Carnivora receive little conservation attention despite increasing anthropogenic pressure and poor understanding of their status across much of their range. We employed systematic camera trapping and spatially explicit capture-recapture modelling to estimate variation in population density of serval, striped hyaena and aardwolf across the mixed-use Ruaha-Rungwa landscape in southern Tanzania. We selected three sites representative of different habitat types, management strategies, and levels of anthropogenic pressure: Ruaha National Park’s core tourist area, dominated by Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets; the Park’s miombo woodland; and the neighbouring community-run MBOMIPA Wildlife Management Area, also covered in Acacia-Commiphora. The Park’s miombo woodlands supported a higher serval density (5.56 [Standard Error = ±2.45] individuals per 100 km2) than either the core tourist area (3.45 [±1.04] individuals per 100 km2) or the Wildlife Management Area (2.08 [±0.74] individuals per 100 km2). Taken together, precipitation, the abundance of apex predators, and the level of anthropogenic pressure likely drive such variation. Striped hyaena were detected only in the Wildlife Management Area and at low density (1.36 [±0.50] individuals per 100 km2), potentially due to the location of the surveyed sites at the edge of the species’ global range, high densities of sympatric competitors, and anthropogenic edge effects. Finally, aardwolf were captured in both the Park’s core tourist area and the Wildlife Management Area, with a higher density in the Wildlife Management Area (13.25 [±2.48] versus 9.19 [±1.66] individuals per 100 km2), possibly as a result of lower intraguild predation and late fire outbreaks in the area surveyed. By shedding light on three understudied African carnivore species, this study highlights the importance of miombo woodland conservation and community-managed conservation, as well as the value of by-catch camera trap data to improve ecological knowledge of lesser-studied carnivores.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Hardouin ◽  
Charlotte E. Searle ◽  
Paolo Strampelli ◽  
Josephine Smit ◽  
Amy Dickman ◽  
...  

AbstractCompared to emblematic large carnivores, less charismatic or smaller carnivore species often receive little conservation attention, despite facing increasing anthropogenic pressure, and their status being poorly understood across much of their range. We employed systematic camera trapping and spatially explicit capture-recapture modelling to estimate variation in population density of serval, striped hyaena and aardwolf across the mixed-use Ruaha-Rungwa landscape in southern Tanzania. Three sites were selected as representative of different habitat types, management strategies, and levels of anthropogenic pressure: Ruaha National Park’s core tourist area, dominated by Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets; the Park’s miombo woodland; and the neighbouring community-run MBOMIPA Wildlife Management Area, also covered in Acacia-Commiphora.Our results show that the Park’s miombo woodlands supported a higher serval density than the core tourist area and Wildlife Management Area, with 5.56 [Standard Error = ±2.45], 3.45 [±1.04] and 2.08 [±0.74] individuals per 100 km2, respectively. This variation is likely driven by precipitation, the abundance of apex predators, and the level of anthropogenic pressure.Striped hyaena were detected only in the Wildlife Management Area and at low density (1.36 [±0.5] individuals per 100 km2), potentially due to the location of the surveyed sites at the edge of the species’ global range, high densities of sympatric competitors and anthropogenic edge effects.Finally, aardwolf were captured in both the Park’s core tourist area and the Wildlife Management Area, with a higher density in the Wildlife Management Area (13.25 [±2.48] versus 9.19 [±1.66] individuals per 100 km2), possibly as a result of lower intraguild predation and late fire outbreaks in the area surveyed.By shedding light on three understudied African carnivore species, this study highlights the importance of miombo woodland conservation and community-managed conservation, as well as the value of camera trap data to improve ecological knowledge of lesser-studied carnivores.


2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
SHANKAR ASWANI ◽  
RICHARD J. HAMILTON

Indigenous ecological knowledge and customary sea tenure may be integrated with marine and social science to conserve the bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) in the Roviana Lagoon, Western Solomon Islands. Three aspects of indigenous ecological knowledge in Roviana were identified as most relevant for the management and conservation of bumphead parrotfish, and studied through a combination of marine science and anthropological methods. These were (1) local claims that fishing pressure has had a significant impact on bumphead parrotfish populations in the Roviana Lagoon; (2) the claim that only small bumphead parrotfish were ever seen or captured in the inner lagoon and that very small fish were restricted to specific shallow inner-lagoon nursery regions; and (3) assertions made by local divers that bumphead parrotfish predominantly aggregated at night around the new moon period and that catches were highest at that time. The research supported claims (1) and (2), but did not support proposition (3). Although the people of the Roviana Lagoon had similar conceptions about their entitlement rights to sea space, there were marked differences among regional villages in their opinions regarding governance and actual operational rules of management in the Lagoon. Contemporary differences in management strategies resulted from people's historical and spatial patterns of settlement across the landscape and adjoining seascapes, and the attendant impact of these patterns on property relations. This was crucial in distinguishing between those villages that held secure tenure over their contiguous sea estates from those that did not. Indigenous ecological knowledge served to (1) verify that the bumphead parrotfish was a species in urgent need of protection; (2) explain how different habitats structured the size distribution of bumphead parrotfish; (3) identify sensitive locations and habitats in need of protection; and (4) explain the effect of lunar periodicity on bumphead parrotfish behaviour and catch rates. Secure customary sea tenure identified locations best suited to bumphead parrotfish management programmes, with a greater likelihood for local participation and programme success. The information was used to establish two marine protected areas in the region for bumphead parrotfish conservation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (8) ◽  
pp. 1414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Charles Bass ◽  
Johann Mourier ◽  
Nathan A. Knott ◽  
Joanna Day ◽  
Tristan Guttridge ◽  
...  

Knowledge of the broad-scale movement patterns of sharks is essential to developing effective management strategies. Currently there is a large bias in studies focusing on species that are either large apex predators or found in tropical to subtropical regions. There is limited knowledge of the movements and migrations of benthic and temperate shark species. The present study used passive acoustic telemetry to investigate the movement patterns of a benthic shark species, the Port Jackson shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni). Individuals were tagged with acoustic transmitters between 2012 and 2014 and their movements were monitored within Jervis Bay and along the east Australian coastline for up to 4 years. Male and female Port Jackson sharks demonstrated high levels of philopatry to both Jervis Bay and their tagging location across multiple years. Although males and females did not differ in their arrival times, females departed from Jervis Bay later than males. Approximately half the tagged individuals migrated in a southward direction, with individuals being detected at Narooma, Bass Strait and Cape Barron Island. This study provides conclusive evidence of bisexual philopatry in a benthic temperate shark species, confirming previous hypotheses, and presents the most detailed migration route for Port Jackson sharks to date.


2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 146
Author(s):  
Nadia Elizabeth Tapp

PRESERVING Wildlife: An International Perspective is an anthology of twenty papers exploring the issues related to the preservation of wildlife, with an emphasis on related management approaches. This topic is introduced philosophically with a discussion of moral values associated with human activities. Sport hunting, the medical aid of injured wild animals and the manipulation of wildlife during ecological field studies are discussed within this context. The focus then shifts to a selection of wildlife management strategies including habitat protection, captive breeding, culling of non-native species, eco-tourism and marketing of wildlife products.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hernán Cáceres-Escobar ◽  
Katrina J Davis ◽  
Scott C Atkinson ◽  
Hugh P Possingham ◽  
Salit Kark

There is a lot of uncertainty about how we pick the best invasive species management strategies to improve the environment, local economy, and human well-being, as invasive species management involves complex and multidimensional challenges. Invasive species management on inhabited islands is especially challenging, often due to perceived socio-political risks and unexpected technical difficulties. Failing to incorporate local knowledge and local perspectives in the early stages of planning can compromise the ability of decision-makers to achieve long-lasting conservation outcomes. Hence, including local knowledge and accounting for subjective stakeholder perceptions is essential for invasive species management, yet this often remains unaddressed. To address this gap, we present an application of invasive species management based on structured decision-making, and the resource allocation tool INFFER, on Minjerribah-North Stradbroke Island (Australia). We assessed the cost-effectiveness of six management scenarios, co-developed with local land managers and community groups, aimed at preserving the environmental and cultural significance of the island by eradicating European red foxes and feral cats. We further conducted a survey eliciting local stakeholders’ perspectives regarding the significance of the Island, their perception of the benefits of the proposed management scenarios, funding requirements, technical feasibility of implementation, and socio-political risk. We found that the best decisions when the budget is low are less cost-effective than when the budget is high. The best strategy focusses on control of European red fox on Minjerribah. However, our results also highlight the need for more research on feral cat management. This work demonstrates how to use a structured decision support tool, like INFFER, to assess contesting management strategies, this is particularly important when stakeholders’ perceptions regarding management outcomes are heterogeneous and uncertain.


Ethnozoology ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 497-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie van Vliet ◽  
Laurane L’haridon ◽  
Juanita Gomez ◽  
Liliana Vanegas ◽  
François Sandrin ◽  
...  

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