Spatial-Temporal Movements of Free Ranging Pigs at the Wildlife-Livestock Interface of Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda: Potential of Disease Control at a Local Scale

In many Ugandan rural communities, pigs are generally kept under traditional smallholder systems without basic biosecurity measures in place. In some instances, these systems are at the livestock-wildlife interface, as it is the case in Nwoya district, which is bordered by Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP). This pig system has potential for the maintenance and transmission of pathogens like African swine fever (ASF) between different herds, and also with wild pigs (warthogs and bushpigs). In this paper, we describe the spatial and temporal pattern of the movements of free ranging domestic pigs in a rural setting in Northern Uganda where ASF is endemic. We also determine their use of habitat to highlight the potential interaction hotspots between domestic pigs and between domestic and wild pig populations. We fitted 10 free-ranging domestic pigs owned by different homesteads with GPS harnesses during rainy and dry seasons. The pig home range, daily distance, activity pattern and habitat use were calculated. Our results show that the maximum area covered (MCP 100%) by the pigs varied between 35,965 and 475,077 m2. The core area varied from 1,317 to 50,769 m2. The pigs' home ranges were significantly bigger during the dry season than during the rainy season (Wilcoxon test, W = 22, p = 0.04). The mean full day (24 h) distance was longer in the dry season than in the rainy season (Student test, t = 2.7, p = 0.03). The pigs were mostly located within their own homestead, but they also used other homesteads, grass and crop fields. This study highlights that free-ranging domestic pigs may cover a wide area, especially during the dry season. Interestingly, the home range of pigs from different herds may overlap with areas used by wild pigs which share crops and other resources in this area. This study provides insights into a better understanding of the potential for spread of diseases such as ASF at small-scale and can be used to raise awareness of such risks and to better target implementation of preventive measures.

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Home range and habitat use of free-ranging Przewalski horses at Hustai National Park, Mongolia

Applied Animal Behaviour Science ◽

10.1016/s0168-1591(02)00087-4 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 78 (2-4) ◽

pp. 103-113 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

S.R.B King

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

National Park ◽

Free Ranging

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Daily patterns in aerial activity by spinner dolphins in Fernando de Noronha

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315417000327 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 98 (5) ◽

pp. 1151-1157 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R.C. De Carli ◽

F.J.L. Silva ◽

J.M. Silva

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Variations ◽

Rainy Season ◽

Relative Frequency ◽

National Park ◽

Dry Season ◽

Body Parts ◽

Fernando De Noronha ◽

Spinner Dolphins ◽

Daily Patterns

Activities displayed by animals are usually cyclic, and fluctuations in behavioural repertoires can be observed on a daily or seasonal timescale. The present study describes daily and seasonal variations in the aerial events – such as leaps, spins and slaps with body parts – by spinner dolphins in Baía dos Golfinhos, Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park, in Brazil. To measure aerial events by dolphins, we compiled and analysed data collected from January 2006 to December 2010. A total of 113,027 aerial events were recorded during 1431 days of land-based daytime observations. Our results show that the frequency of aerial events was positively correlated with the number of dolphins in the bay. The relative frequency of aerial events was higher in the rainy season, when compared with the dry season. Aerial activities also varied throughout the day, with dolphins being more active in the morning, specifically from 8:00 a.m. to 8:59 a.m., regardless of the season.

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Dry and rainy season estimations of giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, home range in the Yasuní National Park, Ecuador

Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals ◽

10.5597/lajam00085 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

V. Utreras B. ◽

E. R. Suárez R. ◽

G. R. Zapata-Ríos ◽

G. Lasso ◽

L. Pinos

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Rainy Season ◽

National Park ◽

Yasuni National Park ◽

Pteronura Brasiliensis

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Utilisation of GIS and remote sensing for forest fire risk zone mapping at Tram Chim National Park

Science and Technology Development Journal ◽

10.32508/stdj.v18i4.952 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 221-235

Author(s):

Minh Thanh Vu ◽

Hien Thi Thu Le

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Forest Fire ◽

Rainy Season ◽

National Park ◽

Fire Risk ◽

Dry Season ◽

Risk Zone ◽

Gis And Remote Sensing ◽

Risk Zones ◽

Forest Fire Risk

Identification of areas of high fire risk is extremely important task in fire prevention and fire fighting. This study focuses on utilizing GIS and remote sensing to predict highest forest fire risk zones at Tram Chim National Park. Forest fire risk index was calculated based on forest-fire causing factors. The factors consist of landcover density and types, distance to water and settlements, surface temperature and leaf wetness index. And then, two forest fire risk maps were completed, one of them represented the fire risk in the rainy season in 2013, the other performed the fire risk in the dry season 2014. High fire risk zones locate mostly at the edge of the park where the bionass is rich and are near settlements. According to this fire risk computing, in the rainy season, area of high fire risk zone was 1,014.65 ha, about 14 % natural areas of Tram Chim National Park. In additional, in the dry season, high forest fire risk zones was 3,344.65 ha, and there is no safety zone. Results of the research contribute to the forest protecting at Tram Chim National Park and over the country.

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Dry-season use of space, habitats and shelters by the short-eared rock-wallaby (Petrogale brachyotis) in the monsoon tropics

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr05032 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 207 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Wendy R. Telfer ◽

Anthony D. Griffiths

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

National Park ◽

Northern Territory ◽

Dry Season ◽

Strong Preference ◽

Use Of Space ◽

Resting Sites ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Simultaneous Use ◽

Rocky Habitats

It is widely recognised that the use of fixed diurnal shelters by rock-wallabies greatly affects their ecology. However, the details of how shelters and surrounding habitats are used, and how similar these characteristics are across rock-wallaby species, remain scarcely understood. The dry season home range, and use of habitats and den sites, of the short-eared rock wallaby (Petrogale brachyotis) were examined at Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia. We radio-tracked 10 individuals on foot to locate diurnal shelters, and with fixed towers to determine their nocturnal positions. P. brachyotis used a range of rock piles and outcrops for dens, and showed a strong preference for rocky habitats and adjacent woodland. On average, animals used four dens within outcrops, as well as more exposed resting sites. Individual rock-wallabies sometimes shared dens, but there appeared to be male–male intolerance of simultaneous use of dens. Mean home range in the dry season was 18.3 ha, and there was no significant difference in home-range area between sexes. Use of space by P. brachyotis was very similar to that reported for another tropical rock-wallaby species, P. assimilis, and many behavioural traits were also similar to those found in other species of Petrogale.

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PENGARUH MUSIM TERHADAP KERAGAMAN DAN KELIMPAHAN KOPEPODA (KRUSTASEA) DI PERAIRAN MANGROVE ESTUARI T. N. UJUNG KULON, BANTEN

Journal of Biological Researches ◽

10.23869/bphjbr.15.2.201015 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 191-197

Author(s):

Mulyadi Mulyadi ◽

Conni M. Sidabalok

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Rainy Season ◽

National Park ◽

Dry Season ◽

Copepod Community ◽

Abundance And Distribution ◽

The Relationship ◽

Dry And Rainy Seasons

An observation on Copepoda diversity and abundance in three mangrove estuaries in Ujung Kulon National Park, Banten was carried out in June and November 2008. The objective of this observation was to investigate the relationship between diversity and abundance of copepods with some environmental factors which affected the distribution in dry and rainy seasons. A total of 28 species from 17 genera and 14 families of copepods were recorded. The highest density of the copepod community was recorded in June (dry season) while the lowest density was in November (rainy season). The diversity, abundance and distribution of copepods were found to be different in the three sites.

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Home range and movements of radio-tracked estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) within a non-tidal waterhole

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr06116 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 140 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Matthew L. Brien ◽

Mark A. Read ◽

Hamish I. McCallum ◽

Gordon C. Grigg

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

National Park ◽

Dry Season ◽

River Channel ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Adult Males ◽

Wet Season ◽

Crocodylus Porosus ◽

Range Overlap ◽

Large Adult

We radio-tracked five male and eight female estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) in a non-tidal waterhole in Lakefield National Park in northern Queensland during the late dry/mid-wet season (2003–04) and the following dry season (2004). Individual crocodiles occupied larger home ranges (River Channel Areas (RCA) during the late dry/mid-wet season (10.64 ± 2.86 ha) than in the dry season (3.20 ± 1.02 ha), and males occupied larger home ranges (23.89 ± 2.36 ha) than females (5.94 ± 1.34 ha) during the late dry/mid-wet season. There were no obvious differences in home range between sexes during the dry season. During the late dry/mid-wet season, adult males often travelled long distances along the waterhole while females moved less. During the dry season, movement patterns were quite variable, with no clear difference between sexes. All crocodiles were most active from late afternoon (1500–1800 hours) until midnight. Individual home ranges (RCA) overlapped considerably during the late dry/mid-wet season. The extent of home-range overlap between three adult males and the number of times they either passed each other or were located near each other was particularly striking. Previous research has come to conflicting conclusions about the extent of territoriality in wild estuarine crocodiles, although it has been widely believed that males are highly territorial. The findings imply that large adult male estuarine crocodiles are not highly territorial in non-tidal freshwater systems that are geographically confined.

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Sustainable Water Management under Variable Rainfall Conditions in River Communities of Champhone District, Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR

Journal of Sustainable Development ◽

10.5539/jsd.v11n3p108 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 108 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Outhevy Vongmany ◽

Kazuo N. Watanabe ◽

Takeshi Mizunoya ◽

Makoto Kawase ◽

Akira Kikuchi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Water Management ◽

Food Security ◽

Water Balance ◽

Rainy Season ◽

Lao Pdr ◽

Dry Season ◽

Small Scale ◽

Wet Season ◽

Weather System

A large majority of the rural population of Lao PDR remains dependent on agriculture for their livelihood and food security, for which access to and management of irrigated and rain-fed water sources is critical. Crop choices and planting calendars follow a monsoonal (dry season/wet season) weather system and are vulnerable to variations in the supply of rainfall, particularly deficits in the dry season and oversupply in the wet season. Climate change projections show that flood vulnerable areas like Champhone district, Savannakhet province might face worse problems in future, affecting food security and agricultural development.This study examines how households are being affected by flooding and drought in Xe Champhone district. Flood vulnerability was assessed by calculating the rainfall variation to determine the water balance during rainy season and dry season. This was combined with analysis of social data from household surveys, together with institutional capacity at different levels and coping strategies currently used by farmers. Constraints and opportunities are identified to strengthen adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change in the Xe Champhone River basin of Savannakhet province. Hydrology data show that the water balance was unstable during both the rainy and dry seasons. The minimum runoff is very low in dry season (Q = 2.4 m³/sec), while the maximum runoff is high in rainy season (Q = 274 m³/sec). Harvesting rainwater in the wet season for use in dry season could reduce the vulnerability of farmers. This study aims to support small-scale community water management initiatives in Lao PDR.

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Spatial overlap, proximity, and interaction between lobsters revealed using acoustic telemetry

Marine Ecology Progress Series ◽

10.3354/meps13376 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 645 ◽

pp. 109-124

Author(s):

KJ Lees ◽

AC Mill ◽

DJ Skerritt ◽

PA Robertson ◽

C Fitzsimmons

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Population Monitoring ◽

Small Scale ◽

Spatial Overlap ◽

Home Range Overlap ◽

Contact Rates ◽

Range Overlap ◽

Spatial Exclusion ◽

Free Ranging

The cryptic nature of Homarus lobsters has restricted past behavioural studies to aquaria, mesocosms, or shallow coves. As such, spatial overlap and interactions between free-ranging Homarus lobsters have received little attention. However, it is clear that dominance behaviours directly affect their probability of capture, negatively affecting catch and complicating population monitoring. This study describes lobster behaviour at a scale that could not be achieved in aquaria or mesocosms. Home-range overlap and contact rates among free-ranging, acoustically tagged H. gammarus (n = 44) were assessed at multiple spatial scales. Data were analysed as unique pairings of lobsters (dyads), which could be single- or mixed-sex pairings. If home-range overlap between tagged lobsters occurred, interactions between lobsters were classified as attraction or avoidance. The number of times a lobster overlapped with the home range of another lobster was related to the mean substrate hardness within the home range of the focal lobster. Fewer interactions occurred between female lobsters, compared to males and mixed-sex pairings. Interactions between lobsters that occurred at 10 m, and interactions between mixed-sex pairs at 5 m, were identified as attractions. Interactions between male lobsters at 5 m were largely identified as avoidance and may indicate small-scale spatial exclusion. Understanding the drivers of movement and behaviour in wild free-ranging lobster populations is relevant to stock assessments, disease management, protected areas designation, and the development of sustainable evidence-based fisheries.

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