scholarly journals Attitudes of Rural Canadians toward Invasive Wild Pigs

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mackenzie Clarke ◽  
Ryan Brook
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Structural Damage ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Crop Damage ◽  
Atlantic Canada ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Wild Pigs

Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are now the most widely distributed wild large mammal in the world and they cause dramatic impacts on agriculture and the environment. Wild pigs were first introduced to the Canadian prairies in the 1980s and are now present in all Canadian provinces except those in the farthest east in Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador). A telephone survey was conducted with 3007 rural Canadians in all ten provinces in order to quantify the level of awareness and concern regarding invasive wild pig impacts in their province. Rural Canadians have overall low awareness of the presence of wild pigs in their region. As expected, awareness of wild pigs was lowest in provinces where they were absent or rare (<10% of respondents aware in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada), low in the two provinces where wild pigs are well established and relatively widespread in rural areas (22% of respondents aware in Alberta and Manitoba), and moderate awareness in the one province with by far the most expansive distribution of wild pigs (42% of respondents aware in Saskatchewan). In Atlantic Canada where there are no known wild pigs, 2% of respondents incorrectly indicated that they were aware of their presence. Concerns regarding impacts were overall moderate to low, with no province having a mean concern level ≥ 7 out of 10) for crop damage, livestock predation and harassment, structural damage, environmental impacts, threats to native wildlife, disease transmission to humans, or disease transmission to wildlife and livestock, and threats to human safety and well-being. Since rural Canadians experience the direct and indirect impacts from invasive wild pigs, our findings will inform management efforts and help to effectively engage rural Canadians in this rapidly emerging crisis. Communication and collaboration efforts through a range of conventional and social media are needed to help inform rural Canadians about the presence of wild pigs and the associated risks and impacts. Our findings help explain the overall very low effort in most of Canada to develop management strategies and implement control efforts.

scholarly journals Crop Protection and Its Effectiveness against Wildlife: A Case Study of Two Villages of Shivapuri National Park, Nepal

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudip Pandey ◽  
Siddhartha Bajra Bajracharya
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
National Park ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Crop Damage

A complex relationship between the residents and protected areas continue to be an obstacle to successful conservation of protected areas. Conflicts between park authority and people living around the park pose a threat to conservation. Moreover, crop depredation due to wildlife incurs a severe economic loss to communities living in the close vicinity of the park, affecting the livelihood and well-being of locals. Many studies have been carried out emphasizing the identification and quantification of crop damage, but studies highlighting the means used for the crop protection and their effectiveness are limited. This paper examines frequency of the crop damage by wildlife and efficacy of utilized management practices in Shivapuri National Park (SNP). Altogether 132 households were visited in two buffer zone villages namely, Sikre and Jhor Mahankhal of Shivapuri National Park, Nepal. The study suggested that crop depredation by wildlife was a function of several factors, namely, distance of the farmland from the park, size of the crop raiding animals, frequency of their attacks on the farmland, and the type of crops. Five different measures were identified by the communities which they regularly used to prevent crop damage. Both traditional as well as modern means were used by households to guard crops from invading wild animals. The means of crop protection from wildlife differed according to the type of animal and crop being protected. Biofencing and trenches were effective for the small animals. Watch tower “Machans” and throwing flaming sticks and making noises were the most effective and safest means of crop guarding from all kind of animals. Though crop guarding was intensive, no means were found to be able to prevent crop damage completely. Thus, site specific management strategies as well as technical and financial support from donor organizations would be most useful to minimize crop loss.Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 16, No.1 (2015) pp. 1-10

Acceptability and consensus for the management of game and non-game crop raiders

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasileios J. Kontsiotis ◽  
Georgios Vadikolios ◽  
Vasilios Liordos
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Crop Damage ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Game Species ◽  
Lethal Control ◽  
Wild Boars ◽  
European Badger ◽  
European Badgers

Abstract ContextWild boars (Sus scrofa) and European badgers (Meles meles) have been increasingly implicated in crop damage in Greece. The species’ increasing presence on agricultural land has also raised concern about disease transmission to livestock and humans. Greece does not have any plans for the management of these situations, because they have only recently emerged. Understanding public preferences for management strategies is necessary for the successful implementation of management plans. AimsTo survey residents of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, north-eastern Greece, to understand variation between stakeholder groups in preferences for the management of wild boars and European badgers in different scenarios. MethodsData were collected from on-site face-to-face surveys (n=585), between September and November 2017. Respondents, assigned to one of general public, farmers, hunters and farmer-hunter groups, were asked to rate their acceptability of wild boar and European badger management strategies under four conflict scenarios: wild boars and European badgers raid crops and transfer disease. Key resultsStakeholders preferred less invasive strategies for the management of crop raiders, although they accepted lethal control in the more severe disease-transmission scenarios. Potential for conflict was higher for non-lethal control in the crop-raiding scenarios and for lethal control in the disease-transmission scenarios. Farmers and farmer-hunters were the groups more strongly supporting management strategies in all scenarios. Hunters were more reluctant to accept the reduction in numbers of a game species (i.e. the wild boar) than of a non-game species (i.e. the European badger). ConclusionsVariation in the acceptability of and consensus for wild boar and European badger management strategies was considerable, both among and within groups. ImplicationsFindings are a critical guide for the design of a conflict-management process aimed at reaching consensus for proper management strategies. This would allow for the successful management of human conflicts over wildlife.

scholarly journals The Predictive Ability of Wildlife Value Orientations for Mammal Management Varies with Species Conservation Status and Provenance

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11335
Author(s):  
Vasileios J. Kontsiotis ◽  
Archimidis Triantafyllidis ◽  
Stylianos Telidis ◽  
Ioanna Eleftheriadou ◽  
Vasilios Liordos
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Value Orientations ◽  
Crop Damage ◽  
Myocastor Coypus ◽  
Wildlife Value Orientations

Wildlife value orientations (WVOs) can predict consensus or controversy over wildlife-related issues and are therefore important for their successful management. We carried out on-site face-to-face interviews with Greek people (n = 2392) to study two basic WVOs, i.e., domination (prioritize human well-being over wildlife) and mutualism (wildlife has rights just as humans). Our sample was more mutualism-oriented than domination-oriented; however, domination was a better predictor of management acceptability than mutualism. WVOs were better predictors of the acceptability of lethal strategies (shooting, destruction at breeding sites, 11–36% of variance explained) relative to taking no action (9–18%) and non-lethal strategies (e.g., compensation, fencing, trapping, and relocating, 0–13%). In addition, the predictive ability of WVOs, mostly for accepting lethal strategies, increased with the increasing severity of the conflict (crop damage, attacking domestic animals, 11–29%; disease transmission, 17–36%) and depending on species conservation status and provenance (endangered native brown bear (Ursus arctos), 11–20%; common native red fox (Vulpes vulpes), 12–31%; common exotic coypu (Myocastor coypus), 17–36%). Managers should consider these findings for developing education and outreach programs, especially when they intend to raise support for lethal strategies. In doing so, they would be able to subsequently implement effective wildlife management plans.

Human potential in the system of social and economic development: problems and prospects of Vinnytsia region

2020 ◽  
pp. 71-80
Author(s):  
Olesya Tomchuk
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Potential ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Social And Economic Development

The article highlights the problems and prospects of human development, which is the basis for the long-term strategies of social and economic growth of different countries and regions at the present stage. Submitting strategies of this type provides an opportunity to focus on individual empowerment and to build a favorable environment for effective management decisions in the field of forming, maintaining, and restoring human potential. The analysis of the Vinnytsia region human potential dynamics in the regional system of social and economic development factors was carried out. Application of generalized assessment of the regional human development index components allowed the identification of the main trends that characterize the formation of human potential of the territory, including the reproduction of the population, social environment, comfort and quality of life, well-being, decent work, and education. The article emphasizes that despite some positive changes in the social and economic situation of the region and in assessing the parameters of its human development level relative to other regions of Ukraine, Vinnytsia region is now losing its human potential due to negative demographic situation and migration to other regions and countries. The main reason for such dynamics is proven to be related to the outdated structure of the region's economy, the predominance of the agricultural sector, the lack of progressive transformations in the development of high-tech fields of the economy. An important factor is the low level of urbanization of the region, which leads to the spread of less attractive working conditions and less comfortable living conditions. The key factors that cause the growth of urbanization in the region have been identified, including the significant positive impact of the transport and social infrastructure expansion, the lack of which in rural areas leads to a decrease in the level and comfort of life. Without progressive structural changes in the economy and the resettlement system, the loss of human potential will continue.

The Nexus Between Seniors' Tourism Expenditure and Well-Being in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-174
Author(s):  
Renuka Mahadevan ◽  
Vanessa Sha Fan
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Empirical Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Tourism Demand ◽  
Leisure Travel ◽  
Policy Strategy ◽  
Tourism Expenditure

An examination of the two-way relationship between tourism expenditure and life satisfaction for seniors is undertaken in this article. This examination uses panel data on China's seniors and tracks the same seniors over 3 years. Results show that there is bidirectional causality between tourism expenditure and life satisfaction, casting doubt on previous studies that do not consider this two-way relationship. This empirical relationship highlights the importance of a two-pronged policy strategy— a government policy committed to social tourism programs for seniors who may not be able to afford travel and those who reside in rural areas. Another government strategy is to address aged concerns related to mobility and health to improve well-being and the provision of appropriate facilities for leisure travel. Senior tourism demand was found to be income inelastic and this result means that senior tourism can buffer Chinese economic growth in times of economic crisis and uncertainty, making the twin policy strategy a worthwhile consideration.

scholarly journals Dispersal and Land Cover Contribute to Pseudorabies Virus Exposure in Invasive Wild Pigs

EcoHealth ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe A. Hernández ◽  
Amanda N. Carr ◽  
Michael P. Milleson ◽  
Hunter R. Merrill ◽  
Michael L. Avery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Pseudorabies Virus ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Information Criterion ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Wild Pigs ◽  
Bacterial Agent ◽  
Open Canopy

AbstractWe investigated the landscape epidemiology of a globally distributed mammal, the wild pig (Sus scrofa), in Florida (U.S.), where it is considered an invasive species and reservoir to pathogens that impact the health of people, domestic animals, and wildlife. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that two commonly cited factors in disease transmission, connectivity among populations and abundant resources, would increase the likelihood of exposure to both pseudorabies virus (PrV) and Brucella spp. (bacterial agent of brucellosis) in wild pigs across the Kissimmee Valley of Florida. Using DNA from 348 wild pigs and sera from 320 individuals at 24 sites, we employed population genetic techniques to infer individual dispersal, and an Akaike information criterion framework to compare candidate logistic regression models that incorporated both dispersal and land cover composition. Our findings suggested that recent dispersal conferred higher odds of exposure to PrV, but not Brucella spp., among wild pigs throughout the Kissimmee Valley region. Odds of exposure also increased in association with agriculture and open canopy pine, prairie, and scrub habitats, likely because of highly localized resources within those land cover types. Because the effect of open canopy on PrV exposure reversed when agricultural cover was available, we suggest that small-scale resource distribution may be more important than overall resource abundance. Our results underscore the importance of studying and managing disease dynamics through multiple processes and spatial scales, particularly for non-native pathogens that threaten wildlife conservation, economy, and public health.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Impacts of Smallholder Farmer’s Participation in Modern Agricultural Value Chain Tactics for Facilitating Poverty Alleviation—A Case Study of Kiwifruit Industry in Shaanxi, China

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 462
Author(s):  
Hongyu Wang ◽  
Xiaolei Wang ◽  
Apurbo Sarkar ◽  
Lu Qian
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Multidimensional Poverty ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reduction Degree ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Storage Technology

Market-based initiatives like agriculture value chain (AVC) are becoming progressively pervasive to support smallholder rural farmers and assist them in entering larger market interventions and providing a pathway of enhancing their socioeconomic well-being. Moreover, it may also foster staggering effects towards the post-era poverty alleviation in rural areas and possessed a significant theoretical and practical influence for modern agricultural development. The prime objective of the study is to explore the effects of smallholder farmers’ participation in the agricultural value chain for availing rural development and poverty alleviation. Specifically, we have crafted the assessment employing pre-production (improved fertilizers usage), in-production (modern preservation technology), and post-production (supply chain) participation and interventions of smallholder farmers. The empirical data has been collected from a micro survey dataset of 623 kiwifruit farmers from July to September in Shaanxi, China. We have employed propensity score matching (PSM), probit, and OLS models to explore the multidimensional poverty reduction impact and heterogeneity of farmers’ participation in the agricultural value chain. The results show that the total number of poor farmers who have experienced one-dimensional and two-dimensional poverty is relatively high (66.3%). We also find that farmers’ participation in agricultural value chain activities has a significant poverty reduction effect. The multidimensional poverty level of farmers using improved fertilizer, organizational acquisition, and using storage technology (compared with non-participating farmers) decreased by 30.1%, 46.5%, and 25.0%, respectively. The multidimensional poverty reduction degree of male farmers using improved fertilizer and participating in the organizational acquisition is greater than that of women. The multidimensional poverty reduction degree of female farmers using storage and fresh-keeping technology has a greater impact than the males using storage and improved storage technology. Government should widely promote the value chain in the form of pre-harvest, production, and post-harvest technology. The public–private partnership should also be strengthened for availing innovative technologies and infrastructure development.

scholarly journals Digital Technologies To Enhance Social Connectedness in Long-Term Care Facilities During COVID-19: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 942-943
Author(s):  
Shannon Freeman ◽  
Aderonke Abgoji ◽  
Alanna Koopmans ◽  
Christopher Ross
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Care Facility ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Care Facilities

Abstract A consequence of the strict visitor restrictions implemented by many Long-term Care Facilities (LTCFs), during the COVID-19 pandemic, was the exacerbation of loneliness and social isolation felt by older adult residents. While there had been a shift by some persons to utilize digital solutions to mitigate the effects of the imposed social isolation, many facilities did not have sufficient information regarding available solutions to implement institutional strategies to support social connectedness through digital solutions. To support our partners in evidence-based policy-making we conducted a scoping review to identify existing virtual technology solutions, apps, and platforms feasible to promote social connectedness among persons residing in a long-term care facility context during times of lockdown such as experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial identification of relevant literature involved a combination of keywords and subject headings searches within 5 databases (PubMed, CINAHL EBSCO, PsychINFO EBSCO, Embase OVIDSP, and Web of Science ISI). DistillerSR was used to screen, chart and summarize the data. There is growth in the availability of technologies focused on promoting health and well-being in later life for persons in long-term care facilities however a gap remains in widespread uptake. We will describe the breadth of technologies identified in this review and discuss how they vary in utility in smaller scale facilities common in rural areas. Of the technologies that can be used to mitigate the impacts of social isolation felt by long-term care residents, many “solutions” depend on stable highspeed internet, which remains a challenge in rural and northern areas.

scholarly journals Rural Healthcare IoT Architecture Based on Low-Energy LoRa

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7660
Author(s):  
Ace Dimitrievski ◽  
Sonja Filiposka ◽  
Francisco José Melero ◽  
Eftim Zdravevski ◽  
Petre Lameski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Power ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Battery Life ◽  
Ultra Low Power ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Doctor Patient Communication ◽  
Connected Health ◽  
Iot Devices

Connected health is expected to introduce an improvement in providing healthcare and doctor-patient communication while at the same time reducing cost. Connected health would introduce an even more significant gap between healthcare quality for urban areas with physical proximity and better communication to providers and the portion of rural areas with numerous connectivity issues. We identify these challenges using user scenarios and propose LoRa based architecture for addressing these challenges. We focus on the energy management of battery-powered, affordable IoT devices for long-term operation, providing important information about the care receivers’ well-being. Using an external ultra-low-power timer, we extended the battery life in the order of tens of times, compared to relying on low power modes of the microcontroller.

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