scholarly journals Land use influence on distribution and abundance of herbivores in Samburu-Laikipia, Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29
Author(s):  
Joseph Nderitu Kirathe ◽  
John Maina Githaiga ◽  
Robert Mutugi Chira ◽  
Daniel Rubenstein
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Rainfall Patterns ◽  
Community Grazing ◽  
Community Area

The distribution and abundance of different wildlife herbivores was studied in Samburu-Laikipia landscape. The study sites included; Mpala and Oljogi, both commercial ranches in Laikipia district; Oldonyiro and Kipsing community areas in Isiolo district; West Gate Conservancy, Ngaroni Community area, Kalama Community area and Sessia-Barsalinga Community area in Samburu district; and Buffalo Spring National Reserve and Samburu National Reserve both protected areas in the landscape. The objectives of the study were: 1) Determine the influence of different land use on seasonal abundances and distribution wildlife species and 2) Examine the influence of livestock, human settlements and water on wildlife species in Samburu-Laikipia landscape. Distance sampling was used to estimate wildlife, livestock and bomas densities. Distance to nearest water was projected from GPS coordinates for both wildlife and livestock sighting using ARCGIS. Our analysis showed non-uniform distributions of wildlife groups across the Samburu-Laikipia ecosystem largely driven by seasonal rainfall patterns and land use types. Like predicted, most wildlife groups occurred in higher abundances on protected areas, Laikipia commercial ranches and community conservancies unlike in community grazing areas in both dry and wet season. However, large grazers increased substantially in community grazing areas over the wet season when livestock grazing was heavy, stimulating growth of short annuals plants of high-quality nutrients. Human activities had negative influences on all wildlife groups. Our findings indicate that the type of land -use influenced herbivore distribution and abundance in Samburu-Laikipia landscape. This suggests that human activities, including pastoralism, in conjunction with season rainfall patterns and land-use shape herbivore distribution and abundance in the area. Conservation strategies for successfully increasing survival of wildlife therefore, requires maintenance of a mixture of land-use types with well controlled and sustainable development.

scholarly journals Identifying challenges to enforcement in protected areas: empirical insights from 15 Colombian parks

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Nolte
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Regulatory Enforcement ◽  
Empirical Field

AbstractProtected areas are intended to conserve biodiversity by restricting human activities within their boundaries. However, such restrictions are difficult to enforce fully in many tropical parks. Improving regulatory enforcement requires an understanding of prevailing challenges to detection and sanctioning activities. Drawing from empirical field research in 15 Colombian parks, I show that current enforcement efforts may be insufficient to deter most priority threats. For long-term infractions, such as agriculture, livestock grazing, and construction, sanctioning violators is challenging, whereas for furtive infractions, such as logging and hunting, it may be difficult to detect violators. Investment in staff, equipment and infrastructure may fail to increase enforcement capacity and yield positive conservation outcomes unless accompanied by resolution of land tenure, clarification of use rights, improved patrolling strategies and protection of park guards.

scholarly journals Assessment of soil erosion in the Dongting Lake Basin, China: Patterns, drivers, and implications

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261842
Author(s):  
Jianyong Xiao ◽  
Binggeng Xie ◽  
Kaichun Zhou ◽  
Shana Shi ◽  
Junhan Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Dongting Lake ◽  
Vegetation Coverage ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
Driving Mechanism ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Key Factor

Soil loss caused by erosion is a global problem. Therefore, the assessment of soil erosion and the its driving mechanism are of great significance to soil conservation. However, soil erosion is affected by both climate change and human activities, which have not been quantified, and few researchers studied the differences in the driving mechanisms of soil erosion depending on the land use type. Therefore, the spatiotemporal characteristics and changing trends of soil erosion in the Dongting Lake Basin were analyzed in this study. Geographic detectors were used to identify the dominant factors affecting soil erosion in different land use types. In this study, a sensitivity experiment was conducted to clarify the relative contributions of climate change and human activities to soil erosion changes. In addition, we studied the effects of different land use types and vegetation cover restoration on soil erosion. The results show that soil erosion in the Dongting Lake Basin decreased from 2000 to 2018. Human activities represented by land use types and vegetation coverage significantly contributed to the alleviation of soil erosion in the Dongting Lake Basin, whereas climate change represented by rainfall slightly aggravated soil erosion in the study area. The restoration of grassland vegetation and transfer of cultivated land to woodlands in the study area improved the soil erosion. The slope steepness is the key factor affecting the intensity of soil erosion in dry land, paddy fields, and unused land, whereas the vegetation coverage is the key factor affecting the intensity of soil erosion in woodland, garden land, and grassland. Detailed spatiotemporally mapping of soil erosion was used to determine the connections between soil erosion and potential drivers, which have important implications for vegetation restoration and the optimization of land use planning.

scholarly journals Why a landscape view is important: nearby urban and agricultural land affects bird abundances in protected areas

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e10719
Author(s):  
Gregory Duncan Duckworth ◽  
Res Altwegg
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Grid Cell ◽  
Land Use Type ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Land Use Types

Protected areas are one of the primary conservation tools used worldwide. However, they are often embedded in a landscape that is intensely used by people, such as for agriculture or urban development. The proximity of these land-use types to protected areas can potentially affect the ecological effectiveness (or conservation effectiveness) of protected areas. In this article, we examine to what degree adjacent agricultural and urban land uses affect the ecological effectiveness of protected areas over the greater Gauteng region of South Africa. We selected 198 common, resident bird species, and analysed detection/non-detection data for these species collected over regular grid cells (approximately 61 km2 in area). For each species, we estimated abundance per grid cell with the Royle-Nichols model in relation to the proportion of protected area as a covariate. Our study focused on how this relationship between proportion of protected area and abundance (which we term the ‘protection–abundance relationship’) changed as a function of other land-use types in the grid cell. Specifically, we examined the interaction effects between protected area and both urban and agricultural land-use type per grid cell on bird abundance. We assigned each species to one of seven guilds, namely: frugivores, gleaners, granivores, ground-feeders, hawkers, predators and vegivores, and examined how the protection–abundance relationship varied across guilds in relation to agriculture and urban area. As urban area within a grid cell increased, the protection–abundance relationship became more positive for 58% of all species. At the level of guilds, the protection–abundance relationship became more positive for two guilds (granivores and ground-feeders), more negative for frugivores, and remained unchanged for the other four guilds (gleaners, hawkers, predators and vegivores). As agricultural area within a grid cell increased, the protection–abundance relationship became more positive for 49% of all species. At the guild level, the protection–abundance relationship became more positive for six guilds (frugivores, gleaners, ground-feeders, hawkers, predators and vegivores) and remained unchanged for the granivores. Our results show land-use type near protected areas modified the effect protected areas had on bird abundances, and hence the ecological effectiveness of protected areas. Our results suggest that protected areas should be viewed as constituents within the landscape, rather than islands of protection.

scholarly journals Assessing the impact of watershed land use on Kebena river water quality in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalkidan Asnake ◽  
Hailu Worku ◽  
Mekuria Argaw
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
River Water ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Watershed Land Use ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The impact of watershed land-use on surface water quality is one of the under researched areas in mega cities of the developing countries like Addis Ababa. The study examined the impact of watershed land uses on the Kebena river water quality within its seasonal and spatial variation and assessed the relationship between river water pollution and dominant land-use types in the sub-watersheds. Method The main land use types in the sub-watersheds were digitized from aerial photograph of 2016, and quantified for water quality impact analysis. Water samples were collected from the main Kebena river and the three sub-watersheds source and outlet points. A total of 128 samples were collected during the dry and wet seasons of 2016 and 2017 and analyzed for various water quality parameters. The study employed ANOVA, independent t-tests and multiple regression analysis to examine variations in water quality and assess the influence of the different land uses on water quality. Results Forest, built-up area and cultivated lands are the three major land use types in the Kebena watershed accounting for 39.14, 32.51 and 27.25% of the total area, respectively. Kebena catchment is drained by three sub-watersheds namely, Denkaka (44.9% cultivated land), Little-Kebena (60.87% forested) and Ginfle (90.44% urban land). The concentration of pollutants in the Kebena river was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the dry season than in the wet season. However, when compared to surface water quality standards, both the dry and wet season water quality records are exceptionally high. The urban and forest dominated sub-watersheds contribute significantly high amount of (P < 0.001) pollutant loads to the river which is associated with high runoff from impervious surfaces and sewerage discharge to the river from nearby urban settlements. Conclusion Integrating watershed planning with land use planning is of paramount importance to address water quality problems in urban areas. Thus, in the urban dominated sub-catchment, land-use planning should aim to relocating river front communities, providing sufficient river buffer-zones and forwarding appropriate storm water management schemes. In the forested sub-catchment, planning should protect, retain and enhance the existing natural green spaces through open space planning, and management schemes while providing wide river-buffer with natural vegetation cover to minimize pollution load to urban rivers from agriculture dominated sub-watershed.

scholarly journals Understanding land-use response of bird communities in an arid ecosystem of India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Varun ◽  
Sutirtha Dutta
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
List Type ◽  
Thar Desert ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Bird Richness

AbstractThe Indian Thar desert has lost much of its grasslands over the last few decades, mainly due to land-use change from pastoralism to agriculture. Expanding croplands and intensifying grazing pressures are popularly hypothesized to be major drivers of biodiversity loss in the region. Our study aims to investigate the effects of contemporary land-use change on bird communities of the Western Thar Desert.We surveyed 58 randomly laid line transects in a c2000 sq.km study area, to quantify parameters of bird community structure in three predominant land-use types viz. protected grasslands, rangelands, and non-irrigated croplands. Fieldwork for the study was conducted in the dry season (winter and summer) between December 2018 and April 2019.During winter, overall bird richness and abundance were highest in protected grasslands followed by non-irrigated croplands and rangelands. Protected grasslands also had a higher abundance of diet and habitat specialists. Compared to protected grasslands, density was lower in non-irrigated croplands and rangelands for 35% and 10% of species, respectively. A majority of the negatively affected species were insectivorous grassland specialists.Contrary to the pattern in winter, overall bird richness, abundance, community composition, and guild structure in summer were similar across three land-use types. Only one of the 17 analysed species had lower density in modified land-use types.Overall, protected grassland was the best habitat for birds and was specifically important for specialists, particularly during the winter. Rangelands and fallow croplands sustained most generalists at comparable densities but had severe negative impacts on specialists.Synthesis and application: Our results point out that low-intensity agro-pastoral land-uses can supplement, but not replace, protected areas in conservation of Thar desert’s avifaunal diversity. Our results are consistent with the idea of managing dryland habitats as agro-grassland mosaics with embedded protected areas, in order to reconcile human needs and biodiversity conservation at a landscape scale.

scholarly journals Contribution of Nitrogen Sources to Streams in Mixed-use Watershed Varies Seasonally in a Temperate Region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuhong Lin ◽  
Junchi Liu ◽  
Yong Xiao ◽  
Chaojie Yu ◽  
Jinlan Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Soil Nitrogen ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Nitrate Sources ◽  
Land Use Types

Abstract The Beiyun river flows through a hot spot region of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei in China that serves a majority of occupants. However, the region experiences severe nitrate pollution, posing a threat to human health due to inadequate self-purification capacity. In that context, there is an urgent need to assess nitrate levels in this region. Herein, we used δ15N-NO3, δ18O-NO3 isotopes analysis, and stable isotope analysis model to evaluate the nitrate source apportionment in the Beiyun river. A meta-analysis was then used to compare the potential similarity of nitrate sources among the Beiyun riverine watershed and other watersheds. Results of nitrate source apportionment revealed that nitrate originated from the manure & sewage (contribution rate: 89.6%), soil nitrogen (5.9%), and nitrogen fertilizer (3.9%) in the wet season. While in the dry season, nitrate mainly originated from manure & sewage (91.6%). Further, different land-use types exhibited distinct nitrate compositions. Nitrate in urban and suburban areas mostly was traced from manure & sewage (90.5% and 78.8%, respectively). Notably, the different nitrate contribution in the rural-urban fringe and plant-covered areas were manure & sewage (44.3% and 32.8%), soil nitrogen (26.9% and 35.7%), nitrogen fertilizer (23.5% and 29.4%), and atmospheric deposition (5.3% and 2.0%). Through a meta-analysis, we found nitrogen fertilizer, soil nitrogen, and manure & sewage as the main nitrate sources in the Beiyun riverine watershed or the other similar complex watersheds in the temperate. Thus, this study provides a scientific basis for nitrate source apportionment and nitrate preventive management in watersheds with complex land-use types in temperate regions.

Relative importance of urban and non-urban land-use types for potential denitrification derived N2O: insights from a regional study

2018 ◽  
Vol 109 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 453-460
Author(s):  
Hui-Juan XU ◽  
Manuel DELGADO-BAQUERIZO ◽  
Fu-Xia PAN ◽  
Xin-Li AN ◽  
Brajesh K. SINGH ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Urban Land ◽  
Urban Land Use ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Potential Denitrification ◽  
Land Use Types

ABSTRACTIdentifying the relative importance of urban and non-urban land-use types for potential denitrification derived N2O at a regional scale is critical for quantifying the impacts of human activities on nitrous oxide (N2O) emission under changing environments. In this study we used a regional dataset from China including 197 soil samples and six land-use types to evaluate the main predictors (land use, heavy metals, soil pH, soil moisture, substrate availability, functional and broad microbial abundances) of potential denitrification using multivariate and pathway analysis. Our results provide empirical evidence that soils on farms have the greatest potential denitrifying ability (PDA) (10.92±6.08ng N2O-N·g–1 dry soil·min–1) followed by urban soil (6.80±5.35ng N2O-N·g–1 dry soil·min–1). Our models indicate that land use (low vs. high human activity), followed by total nitrogen (TN) and heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd) was the most important driver of PDA. In addition, our path analysis suggests that at least part of the impacts of land use on potential denitrification were mediated via microbial abundance, soil pH and substrates including TN, dissolved organic carbon and nitrate. This study identifies the main predictors of denitrification at a regional scale which is needed to quantify the impact of human activities on ecosystem functionality under changing conditions.

scholarly journals Impact of Protected Areas and Land Use on Regeneration of Acacia Woodland’s in Eastern Burkina Faso

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salifou Traoré ◽  
Jeanne Millogo Rasolodimby ◽  
Lamourdia Thiombiano ◽  
Sita Guinko
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Regeneration Rate ◽  
Woodland Regeneration ◽  
Persistence Strategies

Regeneration success, persistence strategies (seedlings vs. coppicing), and population trend of Acacia spp. were tested under two land-use regimes in eastern Burkina Faso: (i) protected areas shielded to livestock grazing pressure, to logging, and using early annual fire as a management system; (ii) areas with high human impact (heavily and extensive livestock grazing, harvesting for wood and for medicinal plants). Generally, a good regeneration rate of Acacia species was observed in protected areas and a poor regeneration rate in areas with high human impact. Nevertheless, some species affiliated to the subgenus Aculeiferum as A. dudgeoni and A. polyacantha showed a good regeneration under both land use regimes. Juvenile plants less than 25 cm height of A. dudgeoni and A. gourmaensis increased by 116 to 50 % in areas with human impact as compared to their populations in protected areas. With SCD slopes varying from –0.40 to -0.70, the protected Acacia woodland displayed a stable population structure due to abundance of recruitment, and coppicing persistence (more common in the subgenus Aculeiferum) favoured by early annual fire. Consequently, the protected areas are favourable for Acacia woodland regeneration. Conversely, SCD slopes are positive or close to zero in areas of anthropogenic regime and showed a declining population, especially more marked with the subgenus Acacia due to permanent seed and seedling removal by livestock grazing. Nevertheless, the number of seedlings of some species was higher in areas under human pressure than in protected areas, especially for the subgenus Aculeiferum, improving the genetic variability and thus the long-term maintenance of the population

scholarly journals Survey of Ticks and Tick-Borne Rickettsial and Protozoan Pathogens in Eswatini

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1043
Author(s):  
Kimberly J. Ledger ◽  
Lorenza Beati ◽  
Samantha M. Wisely
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Tick Species ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Multiple Loci ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Haemaphysalis Elliptica ◽  
Phylogenetic Framework

Ticks are widespread parasites of vertebrates and major vectors of pathogens to humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. In southern Africa, numerous tick species transmit diseases of economic and health importance. This study aimed to describe the occurrence of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in multiple land-use types and the possible role of ticks in the transmission of pathogen species. Using molecular techniques, we screened 1716 ticks for infection by rickettsial bacteria and protozoans. To characterize pathogen identity, we sequenced multiple loci from positive samples and analyzed sequences within a phylogenetic framework. Across the seven tick species collected as nymphs or adults, we detected Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Babesia, Hepatozoon, and Theileira species. We found that some tick species and tick-borne pathogens differed according to land use. For example, we found a higher density of Haemaphysalis elliptica and higher prevalence of Rickettsia in H. elliptica collected from savanna grasses used for livestock grazing near human settlements than savanna grasses in conservation areas. These findings highlight the importance of comprehensive surveillance to achieve a full understanding of the diversity and ecology of the tick-borne pathogens that can infect humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.

scholarly journals Spatial-temporal distribution of the black rhino population in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 232
Author(s):  
Donatus Gadiye ◽  
George W. Eshiamwatta ◽  
Wilfred O. Odadi
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Crater Floor ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Buffer Zones ◽  
Temporal And Spatial Distribution ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Distribution Ranges

Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is vital especially for black rhino conservation because it is one of the only two ecosystems in Tanzania that host native black rhino populations. However, the spatial-temporal distribution of rhinos in this ecosystem have not been assessed. The purpose of this study was to assess the temporal and spatial distribution of rhinos and factors responsible for the uneven seasonal distribution. The study was conducted in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) which is located at 3°12′S, 35°27′E during the wet (May-June 2015) and dry (August-September 2015) sampling periods. Road drives were conducted daily for a period of one month during each season to map the spatial distribution of the black rhino, and assess the relative abundance of its forage resources and diet selection. During each drive, the roadsides were inspected for the presence of rhinos, with stops being made each time an individual or group of rhinos is located. Results shows that the distribution patterns of the black rhino differed markedly between wet and dry sampling periods. During the dry period, rhinos were mainly concentrated in the crater slopes dominated by shrubby vegetation, swamps and along riverine areas of the crater. During wet season in there were more herbage material mostly preferred by black rhino in crater floor as most rhinos were sighted in these sampling areas. Human activities such as tourism infrastructure (lodges, campsites and roads) should be kept minimal to minimize disruption to rhino movement and habitat selection patterns and buffer zones be established within crater-community interfaces where human activities such as livestock grazing are strictly prohibited to ensure natural distribution ranges are maintained.

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