A Review of Two Decades of Conservation Efforts on Tigers, Co-Predators and Prey at the Junction of Three Global Biodiversity Hotspots in the Transboundary Far-Eastern Himalayan Landscape

Addressing the effects of human-caused habitat destruction on free-ranging threatened large carnivores requires actions that go ‘beyond borders’ in conserving and protecting their habitat and prey base. In this review, we compiled information from available literature on 20 years of conservation efforts aimed at tigers, co-predators, and their prey in the Far-Eastern Himalayan Landscape that is situated at the confluence of three global biodiversity hotspots covering parts of India, Myanmar, and China. The vast area of the proven biodiversity-rich forested landscape is highly suitable for long-term survival of carnivores, such as tigers. Habitat loss, ritual hunting, commercial exploitation, and poaching are the prevailing threats that have resulted in low tiger, co-predator, and prey population densities. Studies suggest that tiger presence is confined to a few areas, while other tiger populations have been extirpated across most parts of the landscape. Past research also suggests that the landscape holds low abundance of diverse prey species richness (n = 22), and urgent conservation measures are required to improve their habitat and numbers. This calls for greater regional and transboundary co-operation on research and knowledge sharing, conservation awareness programs for locals, and cross-border co-operation on wildlife monitoring. Strict policies are also required to enable PA managers to develop strategic plans to conserve large predators and protect their habitats and corridors.

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Hotspots of land-use change in global biodiversity hotspots

Resources Conservation and Recycling ◽

10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105770 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 174 ◽

pp. 105770

Author(s):

Xuesong Kong ◽

Zhengzi Zhou ◽

Limin Jiao

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Biodiversity Hotspots ◽

Global Biodiversity

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Foraging habits of the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) in the Himalaya, India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.3968.10.10.12418-12421 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 12418-12421 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Aishwarya Maheshwari

Keyword(s):

Vulpes Vulpes ◽

Red Fox ◽

Snow Leopard ◽

Night Time ◽

Intense Competition ◽

Diurnal Behavior ◽

Large Predators ◽

Free Ranging ◽

The Himalaya

This study attempts to investigate reason behind the diurnal behavior of nocturnal red fox and found availability of domestic fowls and young ones of the sheep/ goats during daytime. Free ranging fowls (n=230; an average 57.5 per year) and inattentive young ones of sheep/ goats (n=74; an average 18.5 per year) were the most vulnerable to for red fox predation. This study concludes that diurnal behavior could be due to reduce intense competition with large predators such as snow leopard and wolf, during night time and the freedom from human harassment in preying upon inattentive livestock.

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Effects of snake fungal disease on short‐term survival, behavior, and movement in free‐ranging snakes

Ecological Applications ◽

10.1002/eap.2251 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jennifer M. McKenzie ◽

Steven J. Price ◽

Grant M. Connette ◽

Simon J. Bonner ◽

Jeffrey M. Lorch

Keyword(s):

Fungal Disease ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Survival ◽

Snake Fungal Disease ◽

Free Ranging ◽

Short Term Survival

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Planning for Change

State and Local Government Review ◽

10.1177/0160323x18785695 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 110-118

Author(s):

David Mitchell ◽

Sarah E. Larson ◽

Claudia Colantonio ◽

Christina Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Success Rate ◽

Past Research ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Implementation Success ◽

Government Effectiveness ◽

Strategic Initiative ◽

Strategic Initiatives ◽

Strategic Plans ◽

The Relationship

Many governments have adopted strategic plans to improve outcomes, but these efforts often fail because they do not take implementation into consideration as they plan. Past research indicates that the situational context of a strategic initiative influences implementation success. This study explores how context influences the relationship between implementation best practices and success by examining 155 strategic initiatives from 36 U.S. municipalities through a series of multiple regression analyses. The evidence indicates that context does alter the success rate of implementation best practices and should be taken into consideration during strategic planning in order to improve government effectiveness.

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Changes in Human Population Density and Protected Areas in Terrestrial Global Biodiversity Hotspots, 1995–2015

Land ◽

10.3390/land7040136 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 136 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Caitlin Cunningham ◽

Karen Beazley

Keyword(s):

Population Density ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Protected Area ◽

Human Population ◽

Area Coverage ◽

Biodiversity Hotspots ◽

Population Densities ◽

Human Population Density ◽

Global Average ◽

Global Biodiversity

Biodiversity hotspots are rich in endemic species and threatened by anthropogenic influences and, thus, considered priorities for conservation. In this study, conservation achievements in 36 global biodiversity hotspots (25 identified in 1988, 10 added in 2011, and one in 2016) were evaluated in relation to changes in human population density and protected area coverage between 1995 and 2015. Population densities were compared against 1995 global averages, and percentages of protected area coverage were compared against area-based targets outlined in Aichi target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (17% by 2020) and calls for half Earth (50%). The two factors (average population density and percent protected area coverage) for each hotspot were then plotted to evaluate relative levels of threat to biodiversity conservation. Average population densities in biodiversity hotspots increased by 36% over the 20-year period, and were double the global average. The protected area target of 17% is achieved in 19 of the 36 hotspots; the 17 hotspots where this target has not been met are economically disadvantaged areas as defined by Gross Domestic Product. In 2015, there are seven fewer hotspots (22 in 1995; 15 in 2015) in the highest threat category (i.e., population density exceeding global average, and protected area coverage less than 17%). In the lowest threat category (i.e., population density below the global average, and a protected area coverage of 17% or more), there are two additional hotspots in 2015 as compared to 1995, attributable to gains in protected area. Only two hotspots achieve a target of 50% protection. Although conservation progress has been made in most global biodiversity hotspots, additional efforts are needed to slow and/or reduce population density and achieve protected area targets. Such conservation efforts are likely to require more coordinated and collaborative initiatives, attention to biodiversity objectives beyond protected areas, and support from the global community.

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Pollination and Restoration

Science ◽

10.1126/science.1176295 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 325 (5940) ◽

pp. 571-573 ◽

Cited By ~ 108

Author(s):

Kingsley W. Dixon

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Ecological Restoration ◽

Biodiversity Hotspots ◽

Pollination Services ◽

Global Biodiversity ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Pollination services underpin sustainability of restored ecosystems. Yet, outside of agri-environments, effective restoration of pollinator services in ecological restoration has received little attention. This deficiency in the knowledge needed to restore pollinator capability represents a major liability in restoration programs, particularly in regions where specialist invertebrate and vertebrate pollinators exist, such as global biodiversity hotspots. When compounded with the likely negative impacts of climate change on pollination services, the need to understand and manage pollinator services in restoration becomes paramount.

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Organizing for business digitalization and innovation : theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence on the role of top managers and inter-organizational networks

10.20378/irb-50023 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Fabian Reck

Keyword(s):

Organizational Innovation ◽

Organizational Transformation ◽

Innovation Management ◽

Organizational Factors ◽

Past Research ◽

Research Literature ◽

Top Management ◽

Term Survival ◽

Theoretical Perspectives ◽

Management And Leadership

Especially in times of digitalization and digital transformation, firms need to generate and commercialize innovations in order to reinvent their business model, to build and expand their competence base, and to secure their long-term survival. Questions of how firms should “organize for innovation” and which organizational factors determine firms’ innovation performance have for long been subject to academic discussion. Most prominently, past research has identified factors such as “top management and leadership”, “strategy”, “structures and processes”, “organizational culture”, “resources, skills, and expertise”, or “networks and external partners” as major determinants of organizational innovation. However, the pervasiveness of digital technologies and innovations entails two major challenges that will most likely dictate the rules of the “innovation game” in years to come: (1) business digitalization entails holistic organizational transformation; (2) distributed and combinatorial innovation are the major modes of digital innovation. In the light of those challenges, especially the factors “top management and leadership” and “networks and external partners” might be crucial differentiators between innovation leaders and laggards. Hence, my cumulative dissertation centers around those two focus areas. In this thesis, I first identify pressing research gaps with regard to the dominant theoretical perspectives on both topics (upper echelon/strategic leadership theory for “top management and leadership”; stra-tegic network perspective for “networks and external partners”). Then, I present five empiri-cal studies that each address a specific set of the identified limitations in theory and research literature. In all, my work advocates the use of either multi-level research models or typological/taxonomic frameworks as core elements for theoretical reasoning in innovation management research. Doing so, I aim to help overcome theoretical fragmentation in both focus areas and support the development of mid-range theories that adequately reflect the complex and interdependent nature of organizations and of the causal mechanisms at play.

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Counting complete? Finalising the plant inventory of a global biodiversity hotspot

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.2984 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e2984 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Martina Treurnicht ◽

Jonathan F. Colville ◽

Lucas N. Joppa ◽

Onno Huyser ◽

John Manning

Keyword(s):

Growth Form ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Cape Floristic Region ◽

Species Discovery ◽

Strategic Plans ◽

Steady Rate ◽

High Conservation ◽

Global Biodiversity ◽

Conservation Concern ◽

Species Descriptions

The Cape Floristic Region—the world’s smallest and third richest botanical hotspot—has benefited from sustained levels of taxonomic effort and exploration for almost three centuries, but how close is this to resulting in a near-complete plant species inventory? We analyse a core component of this flora over a 250-year period for trends in taxonomic effort and species discovery linked to ecological and conservation attributes. We show that >40% of the current total of species was described within the first 100 years of exploration, followed by a continued steady rate of description. We propose that <1% of the flora is still to be described. We document a relatively constant cohort of taxonomists, working over 250 years at what we interpret to be their ‘taxonomic maximum.’ Rates of description of new species were independent of plant growth-form but narrow-range taxa have constituted a significantly greater proportion of species discoveries since 1950. This suggests that the fraction of undiscovered species predominantly comprises localised endemics that are thus of high conservation concern. Our analysis provides important real-world insights for other hotspots in the context of global strategic plans for biodiversity in informing considerations of the likely effort required in attaining set targets of comprehensive plant inventories. In a time of unprecedented biodiversity loss, we argue for a focused research agenda across disciplines to increase the rate of species descriptions in global biodiversity hotspots.

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Energetics and evasion dynamics of large predators and prey: pumasvs.hounds

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.3701 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e3701 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Caleb M. Bryce ◽

Christopher C. Wilmers ◽

Terrie M. Williams

Keyword(s):

Puma Concolor ◽

Ecosystem Structure ◽

Canis Lupus Familiaris ◽

Predator Prey ◽

Gps Collars ◽

Physiological Constraints ◽

Energy Demands ◽

Group Hunting ◽

Large Predators ◽

Free Ranging

Quantification of fine-scale movement, performance, and energetics of hunting by large carnivores is critical for understanding the physiological underpinnings of trophic interactions. This is particularly challenging for wide-ranging terrestrial canid and felid predators, which can each affect ecosystem structure through distinct hunting modes. To compare free-ranging pursuit and escape performance from group-hunting and solitary predators in unprecedented detail, we calibrated and deployed accelerometer-GPS collars during predator-prey chase sequences using packs of hound dogs (Canis lupus familiaris, 26 kg,n = 4–5 per chase) pursuing simultaneously instrumented solitary pumas (Puma concolor, 60 kg,n = 2). We then reconstructed chase paths, speed and turning angle profiles, and energy demands for hounds and pumas to examine performance and physiological constraints associated with cursorial and cryptic hunting modes, respectively. Interaction dynamics revealed how pumas successfully utilized terrain (e.g., fleeing up steep, wooded hillsides) as well as evasive maneuvers (e.g., jumping into trees, running in figure-8 patterns) to increase their escape distance from the overall faster hounds (avg. 2.3× faster). These adaptive strategies were essential to evasion in light of the mean 1.6× higher mass-specific energetic costs of the chase for pumas compared to hounds (mean: 0.76vs.1.29 kJ kg−1 min−1, respectively). On an instantaneous basis, escapes were more costly for pumas, requiring exercise at ≥90% of predicted $\dot {\mathrm{V }}{\mathrm{O}}_{2\mathrm{MAX}}$ and consuming as much energy per minute as approximately 5 min of active hunting. Our results demonstrate the marked investment of energy for evasion by a large, solitary carnivore and the advantage of dynamic maneuvers to postpone being overtaken by group-hunting canids.

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