Factors affecting crop field use by Blackbuck in Krishnasaar Conservation Area, Nepal.

Author(s):  
Rohit Raj Jha ◽  
Gopal Khanal ◽  
Kavita Isvaran

Abstract Reducing crop damage caused by wildlife in forest-agricultural land interface requires an understanding of the spatial pattern of crop field use and its drivers. We assessed factors influencing the spatial pattern of crop-field use by a generalist wild herbivore, blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), in the agriculture-dominated landscape of Krishnasaar Conservation Area (KrCA) in low land Nepal. We systematically selected 103 crop fields distributed over the entire KrCA (within both core area and community development zone) and surveyed them three times over three months, resulting in 309 sampling occasions. We found that crop use by blackbuck was highly localized inside core area (only 15% of the sampled crop fields were used) even though crop fields outside the core area were accessible and had limited mitigation measures applied. The linear mixed effect modeling showed that probability of crop field use by blackbuck increased with size of the crop field, implying the magnitude of foraging benefits affects blackbuck crop-use decisions. The presence of current mitigation measures (e.g., scare crow, vegetative fencing) did not have discernible influence on probability of crop field use, so did the types of the crops, and distance of crop fields from the center of the core area. Overall, our results suggest that generalist herbivore, blackbuck, employs low gain-low risk strategy when using crop fields in natural habitat-agricultural. Minimizing current level of crop damage by blackbuck will require working closely with farmers who owns lands close to the natural habitat (core area) to apply appropriate mitigation measures.

2011 ◽  
Vol 71-78 ◽  
pp. 1411-1420
Author(s):  
Cheng Zhang ◽  
Si Wei Wang

Nowadays, Underground space exploitation is one of the directions of the main focus in the construction of Hangzhou. This paper comprehensively introduces the schematic design of the underground space exploitation of Hangzhou east station, combined with the underground space development project of the core area in Hangzhou eastern new city zone. Firstly, the background of the surrounding area is discussed to illuminate the important status of the core area of eastern new city zone in Hangzhou’s future construction. Then, the holistic design concept and construction goal of the underground space exploitation of the core area are presented, and its functions and layout are clarified focusing on the railway construction and circumjacent exploitation project of Hangzhou east station. Lastly, the executive plan about the underground space exploitation of the core area of Hangzhou eastern new city zone is expatiated comprehensively.


Author(s):  
Adolfo Arrieta-Ruiz ◽  
Eric Meister ◽  
Stéphane Vidard

Structural integrity of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) is one of the main concerns regarding safety and lifetime of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) since this component is considered as not reasonably replaceable. Fast fracture risk is the main potential damage considered in the integrity assessment of RPV. In France, deterministic integrity assessment for RPV vis-à-vis the brittle fracture risk is based on the crack initiation stage. As regards the core area in particular, the stability of an under-clad postulated flaw is currently evaluated under a Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) through a dedicated fracture mechanics simplified method called “beta method”. However, flaw stability analyses are also carried-out in several other areas of the RPV. Thence-forward performing uniform simplified inservice analyses of flaw stability is a major concern for EDF. In this context, 3D finite element elastic-plastic calculations with flaw modelling in the nozzle have been carried out recently and the corresponding results have been compared to those provided by the beta method, codified in the French RSE-M code for under-clad defects in the core area, in the most severe events. The purpose of this work is to validate the employment of the core area fracture mechanics simplified method as a conservative approach for the under-clad postulated flaw stability assessment in the complex geometry of the nozzle. This paper presents both simplified and 3D modelling flaw stability evaluation methods and the corresponding results obtained by running a PTS event. It shows that the employment of the “beta method” provides conservative results in comparison to those produced by elastic-plastic calculations for the cases here studied.


2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joaquim de Araújo Silva ◽  
Sônia Aparecida Talamoni

Based on the finding of remains (tracks, scats, and hairs), an analysis was made of the core area and centre of activity of maned wolves, Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815), living in a private natural reserve in which ecotourism activities are developed and these animals are daily fed bovine meat. A total of 465 samples of remains were recorded. Using the fixed kernel method, the area encompassing all samples recorded was estimated at 25.7 km², yet 50% of all samples were found in an area of only 1.5 km², representing 5.8% of the total area covered. For estimating the core area of the animals, the frequency of occurrence of the samples was determined by superimposing a 50 x 50 m cell grid over a map of the area encompassing all recorded occurrences. Based on the cells containing more than six occurrences, the animals' core area was 0.99 km², which included the place where the animals are fed. The centre of activity was located only 0.50 km from this place. The high negative correlation (r = -0.93, p < 0.05) between the densities of the recorded occurrences and the distances from these to the sanctuary indicates that the core area and centre of activity are conditioned by artificial feeding.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd K. Shury ◽  
Doug Bergeson

Surveillance forMycobacterium bovisin free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from south-western Manitoba was carried out from 1997 to 2010 to describe the lesions, epidemiology, and geographic distribution of disease. Tissues were cultured from animals killed by hunters, culled for management, blood-tested, or found opportunistically. Period prevalence in elk was approximately six times higher than deer, suggesting a significant reservoir role for elk, but that infected deer may also be involved. Prevalence was consistently higher in elk compared to deer in a small core area and prevalence declines since 2003 are likely due to a combination of management factors instituted during that time. Older age classes and animals sampled from the core area were at significantly higher risk of being culture positive. Positive elk and deer were more likely to be found through blood testing, opportunistic surveillance, and culling compared to hunting. No non-lesioned, culture-positive elk were detected in this study compared to previous studies in red deer.


2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
Shigenori KOBAYASHI
Keyword(s):  

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joko Ridho Witono ◽  
DIDI USMADI ◽  
WIHERMANTO ◽  
DANANG WAHYU PURNOMO ◽  
DINA SAFARINANUGRAHA ◽  
...  

Abstract. Witono JR, Usmadi D, Wihermanto, Purnomo DW, Safarinanugraha D, Pakiding Y, Netoseso N. 2020. Autecology of Drosera burmanni in the Wolobobo Botanic Gardens, Ngada District, Flores Island, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 2137-2145. Drosera burmanni Vahl is a native carnivorous plant from tropical and subtropical Asia to the West Pacific, including Flores Island. During the botanical survey, a small population of the species was found in a limited area in the Wolobobo Botanic Gardens, Flores Island. Conservation of the species is necessary, since the habitat might be developed for the botanic gardens infrastructure. This research aims to study the autecology of D. burmanni, including environmental preferences and its associated species. Thirty plots with 2 x 2 m each were made to recognize its associated species and the pattern of its population distribution and its soil requirements. In the Wolobobo Botanic Gardens, D. burmanni flourishes with an average annual rainfall of 1835 mm; a temperature of 12.50-26.2° C; 48-99% humidity; at an altitude of 1489-1491 m asl.; a soil pH of 6.66, which contains very high C-organic, a high C/N ratio, moderate N total, K2O, P2O5, low CEC, and very low K, Na, Ca, Mg, and BS. Drosera burmanni displays a density of 8.5 individuals per m2 and is associated with 20 species, which belong to 19 genera and 9 families. The species has a clustering pattern and a positive association with Erigeron sumatrensis, Spinifex littoreus, and Imperata cylindrica. To conserve D. burmanni in the Wolobobo Botanic Gardens, it is necessary to designate its natural habitat as an in situ conservation area.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (04) ◽  
Author(s):  
Riju P. Nair ◽  
E. A. Jayson

The damage to coconut and rubber plantations by the Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) in the Nilambur Forest Division, Malappuram District was reported for the first time. The objectives of this study were to document the mode of attack and estimate the extent of damage by Indian crested porcupine in the plantation crops of the forest fringes. The study was carried out from June 2013 to May 2016 as part of the documentation of human-wildlife conflict in Malappuram District. Stratified random sampling, along with quadrat (10 m x 10 m) method was used to assess the crop damage. Estimation of the economic loss to farmers was carried out by using the market price of the coconuts during the period, collected from the website of Farm Information Bureau, Govt. of Kerala. The mean economic loss of crops damaged by Indian crested porcupine was Rs.1322.35/- per ha/annum. The debarking behavior of Indian crested porcupine on coconut palms (n=31), rubber trees (n=27) and consumption of newly formed bamboo culms (n=42) were also reported. No one has implemented proper mitigation measures against the Indian crested porcupine in the District.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunqi Cheng ◽  
Zhiqiang Liao ◽  
Yu Zhu

Urban green spaces (UGSs) improve the quality of life of urban inhabitants. With the acceleration of urbanization and changes in traffic networks, it remains unclear whether changes in the distribution of UGSs can satisfy the needs of all inhabitants and offer equal services to inhabitants from different socioeconomic backgrounds. This study addresses this issue by analyzing dynamic changes in UGS accessibility in 2012, 2016, and 2020 for inhabitants of the central urban area of Fuzhou in China at the community level. The study introduces multiple transportation modes for an accessibility estimation based on a framework using the two-step floating catchment area method and examines the dynamic changes in community deprivation of UGS accessibility using Kernel regularized least squares, a machine learning algorithm. The results demonstrate that spatial disparities of UGS accessibility exist among the multi-transport modes and vary with time. Communities with high accessibility to UGSs by walking are scattered around the urban area; for accessibility by cycling, the high accessibility regions expand and surround the regions with low accessibility in the core urban areas, forming a semi-enclosed spatial pattern. However, the core urban spatial orientation of UGS accessibility by public transit demonstrates a reverse trend to the above two modes. The spatial pattern of UGS accessibility also varies over time, and the growth rate of accessibility slightly declined during the study period. Furthermore, the increase in UGS accessibility tended to slow from 2016–2020 compared with 2012–2016, and the trend toward equality was also erratic. The degree of deprivation for communities first weakened and was then aggravated, corresponding to the slowdown in the growth rate of accessibility, leading to the persistence existence of social inequality. Moreover, significant deprivation mainly exists among less educated people or those using the cycling and integrated travel modes. Although public transport is developing, deprived communities, such as communities with large proportion of older people, have experienced a decline in access to UGSs by public transport. Based on these findings, the study proposes a policy framework for the balanced distribution of UGSs as part of urbanization.


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