scholarly journals The Conservation of European Goldfinch in North Algeria

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bara Mouslim
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Human Pressure ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Carduelis Carduelis ◽  
North Algeria ◽  
Threatened Status

This chapter presents the conservation status and threat of the European goldfinch Carduelis carduelis in Algeria. Many selective pressures run into this passerine, mainly human pressure due to keeping and hatching the birds in captivity. Illegal trading is actively carried out between countries of North Africa (mainly the pathway Morocco – Algeria – Tunisia). This situation is clearly expounding a threatened status of this songbird. A scientific survey was done in north center of Algeria to assess the captivity rate of goldfinch. Systematic sampling was done in several houses of Bouira district. Goldfinch breeder’s age varies between 20 and 40 years. No income and no fixed job are the main reasons for these breeders. Results exposed serious threat of this species in center of Algeria. Management plan and conservation directions have been proposed for this species.

Chasing the phantom: biogeography and conservation of Vipera latastei-monticola in the Maghreb (North Africa)

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inês Freitas ◽  
Soumia Fahd ◽  
Guillermo Velo-Antón ◽  
Fernando Martínez-Freiría
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Niche Modelling ◽  
Habitat Transformation ◽  
Mountain Ranges ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Suitable Space ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The Maghreb region (North Africa) constitutes a major component of the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot. During the last centuries, a consistent human population growth has led to an unprecedented rate of habitat transformation and loss in the region and thus, threatening its biodiversity. The Western Mediterranean viper Vipera latastei-monticola inhabits humid and subhumid areas in the main mountain ranges of the Maghreb, facing such threatening factors; however, its elusive character and rarity hindered data collection for distinct biological purposes. Here, we study the biogeographical patterns and conservation status of the Maghrebian V. latastei-monticola resulting from recent sampling campaigns in Morocco and Tunisia. We update species distribution, and integrate phylogeographic and ecological niche modelling analyses at both species and lineage level to identify suitable areas, and to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic transformation and level of protection of their suitable space. We identified four highly divergent mitochondrial lineages, including a new lineage endemic to the Western High Atlas, with allopatric distributions and restricted to mountain ranges, supporting the role of mountains as past climatic refugia. Despite the remoteness of suitable areas, we report widespread habitat degradation and identify the low effectiveness of the current protected areas system in preserving the species and lineages range. Our study shows the urgent need to apply management actions for the long-term conservation of this vulnerable species and suggests a revaluation of the specific status of V. monticola, as these populations likely represent an ecotype of V. latastei.

Telomere Length and Arsenic: Improving Animal Models of Toxicity by Choosing Mice With Shorter Telomeres

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-217
Author(s):  
Brayden Whitlock
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Telomere Length ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Arsenic Exposure ◽  
Tumor Formation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cancer Resistance ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Toxicity Monitoring ◽  
In Captivity

Arsenic is both a chemotherapeutic drug and an environmental toxicant that affects hundreds of millions of people each year. Arsenic exposure in drinking water has been called the worst poisoning in human history. How arsenic is handled in the body is frequently studied using rodent models to investigate how arsenic both causes and treats disease. These models, used in a variety of arsenic-related testing, from tumor formation to drug toxicity monitoring, have virtually always been developed from animals with telomeres that are unnaturally long, likely because of accidental artificial selective pressures. Mice that have been bred in captivity in laboratory conditions, often for over 100 years, are the standard in creating animal models for this research. Using these mice introduces challenges to any work that can be affected by the length of telomeres and the related capacities for tissue repair and cancer resistance. However, arsenic research is particularly susceptible to the misuse of such animal models due to the multiple and various interactions between arsenic and telomeres. Researchers in the field commonly find mouse models and humans behaving very differently upon exposure to acute and chronic arsenic, including drug therapies which seem safe in mice but are toxic in humans. Here, some complexities and apparent contradictions of the arsenic carcinogenicity and toxicity research are reconciled by an explanatory model that involves telomere length explained by the evolutionary pressures in laboratory mice. A low-risk hypothesis is proposed which has the power to determine whether researchers can easily develop more powerful and accurate mouse models by simply avoiding mouse lineages that are very old and have strangely long telomeres. Swapping in newer mouse lineages for the older, long-telomere mice may vastly improve our ability to research arsenic toxicity with virtually no increase in cost or difficulty of research.

scholarly journals Jays and Oaks: an Eco-Ethological Study of a Symbiosis

Behaviour ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 70 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Bossema
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Pedunculate Oak ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Evolutionary Consequences

AbstractThe European jay (Garrulus g. glandarius) strongly depends on acorns for food. Many acorns are hoarded enabling the jay to feed upon them at times of the year in which they would otherwise be unavailable. Many of the hoarded acorns germinate and become seedlings so that jays play an important role in the dispersal of acorns and the reproduction of oaks (in this study: Quercus robur, the pedunculate oak). These mutual relationships were analysed both with wild jays in the field (province of Drente, The Netherlands) and with tame birds in confinement. Variation in the composition of the food throughout the year is described quantitatively. Acorns were the stock diet of adults in most months of the year. Leaf-eating caterpillars predominantly occurring on oak were the main food items of nestlings. Acorns formed the bulk of the food of fledglings in June. A high rate of acorn consumption in winter, spring and early summer becomes possible because individual jays hoard several thousands of acorns, mainly in October. In experiments, acorns of pedunculate oak were not preferred over equal sized acorns of sessile oak (which was not found in the study area). Acorns of pedunculate oak were strongly preferred over those of American oak and nuts of hazel and beech. Among acorns of pedunculate oak, ripe, sound, long-slim and big ones were preferred. Jays collect one or more (up to six) acorns per hoarding trip. In the latter case, the first ones are swallowed and the last one is usually carried in the bill. For swallowing the dimensions of the beak imposed a limit on size preference; for bill transport usually the biggest acorn was selected. The greater the number of acorns per trip, the longer was the transportation distance during hoarding. From trip to trip jays dispersed their acorns widely and when several acorns were transported during one trip, these were generally buried at different sites. Burial took place by pushing acorns in the soil and by subsequent hammering and covering. Jays often selected rather open sites, transitions in the vegetation and vertical structures such as saplings and tree trunks, for burial of acorns. In captivity jays also hoarded surplus food. Here, spacing out of burials was also observed; previously used sites usually being avoided. In addition, hiding along substrate edges and near conspicuous objects was observed. Jays tended to hide near sticks presented in a horizontal position rather than near identical ones in vertical position, especially when the colour of the sticks contrasted with the colour of the substrate. Also, rough surfaced substrate was strongly preferred over similar but smooth surfaced substrate. Successful retrieval of and feeding on hoarded acorns were observed in winter even when snow-cover had considerably altered the scenery. No evidence was obtained that acorns could be traced back by smell. Many indications were obtained that visual information from near and far beacons, memorized during hiding, was used in finding acorns. The use of beacons by captive jays was also studied. Experiments led to the conclusion that vertical beacons are more important to retrieving birds than identical horizontal ones. The discrepancy with the jay's preference for horizontal structures during hiding is discussed. Most seedlings emerge in May and June. The distribution pattern of seedlings and bill prints on the shells of their acorns indicated that many seedlings emerged from acorns hidden by jays in the previous autumn. The cotyledons of these plants remain underground and are in excellent condition in spring and early summer. Jays exploited acorns by pulling at the stem of seedlings and then removing the cotyledons. This did not usually damage the plants severely. Jays can find acorns in this situation partly because they remember where they buried acorns. In addition, it was shown that jays select seedlings of oak rather than ones of other species, and that they preferentially inspected those seedlings that were most profitable in terms of cotyledon yield and quality. Experiments uncovered some of the visual cues used in this discrimination. The effects of hoarding on the preservation of acorns were examined in the field and the laboratory. Being buried reduced the chance that acorns were robbed by conspecifics and other acorn feeders. Scatter hoarding did not lead to better protection of buried acorns than larder hoarding, but the spread of risk was better in the former than the latter. It was concluded that the way in which jays hoard acorns increases the chance that they can exploit them later. In addition, the condition of acorns is better preserved by being buried. An analysis was made of the consequences of the jay's behaviour for oaks. The oak does incur certain costs: some of its acorns are eaten by jays during the dispersal and storage phase, and some seedlings are damaged as a consequence of cotyledon removal. However, these costs are outweighed by the benefits the oak receives. Many of its most viable acorns are widely dispersed and buried at sites where the prospects for further development into mature oak are highly favourable. The adaptiveness of the characters involved in preferential feeding on and hoarding of acorns by jays is discussed in relation to several environmental pressures: competition with allied species; food fluctuations in the jay's niche; and food competitors better equipped to break up hard "dry" fruits. Reversely, jays exert several selective pressures which are likely to have evolutionary consequences for oaks, such as the selection of long-slim and large acorns with tight shells. In addition, oak seedlings with a long tap root and tough stem are selected for. Although other factors than mutual selective pressures between the two may have affected the present day fit between jays and oaks it is concluded that several characters of jays and oaks can be considered as co-adapted features of a symbiotic relationship.

scholarly journals Challenges and opportunities for monitoring wild Nile crocodiles with scute mark-recapture photography

Koedoe ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard W.T. Coetzee ◽  
Sam M. Ferreira ◽  
Kristine Maciejewski
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Field Conditions ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Mark Recapture ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Open Population ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild

The global conservation status of Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) was last assessed in 1996. The species presents particular difficulty in monitoring because it can be cryptic, require expertise to handle, and caudal tail tags and transmitters are often lost. Some studies advocate mark-recapture techniques based on photograph identification of the unique scute markings of crocodile tails as a non-invasive means of monitoring their populations. Researchers developed this method with crocodiles in captivity. In this study, we test the technique under field conditions by monitoring crocodiles from 2015 to 2017 in the Sunset Dam in the Kruger National Park. Using a Cormack-Jolly-Seber open population model, we found that the dam may host 15–30 individuals, but that there is a high turnover of individuals and much uncertainty in model outputs. The dam’s population thus has high rates of immigration and emigration. The method proved challenging under field conditions, as there was bias in identifying scute markings consistently. The efficient use of the method requires an exceptional quality of photographic equipment. Animal crypsis, however, remains an issue. In this study, we discuss how to improve the mark-recapture photography methodology, especially to adapt the technique for citizen science initiatives.Conservation implications: Using scute mark-recapture photography presents challenges under field conditions. These challenges require innovative, practical and analytical solutions to successfully use the technique before monitoring programmes, aimed at ensuring the persistence of crocodiles in the wild, can be implemented.

Loma dimorpha. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Minter
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Host Cytoplasm ◽  
The Family ◽  
Host Nucleus

Abstract A description is provided for Loma dimorpha, which infects fish of the family Blenniidae and Gobiidae in seas off Europe and, possibly, north Africa; infections developing in the host cytoplasm (but not in nerve tissues), without diplokarya, and resulting in tumours (also known as 'xenomas') in which the host nucleus is centrally located. Some information on its dispersal and transmission, habitats and conservation status is given, along with details of its geographical distribution (Europe (France, Spain)).

scholarly journals Red List assessments of East African chameleons: a case study of why we need experts

Oryx ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 652-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelique Hjarding ◽  
Krystal A. Tolley ◽  
Neil D. Burgess
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
East African ◽  
Global Biodiversity Information Facility ◽  
Extra Step ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Threatened Status ◽  
Expert Data

AbstractThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species uses geographical distribution as a key criterion in assessing the conservation status of species. Accurate knowledge of a species’ distribution is therefore essential to ensure the correct categorization is applied. Here we compare the geographical distribution of 35 species of chameleons endemic to East Africa, using data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and data compiled by a taxonomic expert. Data screening showed 99.9% of GBIF records used outdated taxonomy and 20% had no locality coordinates. Conversely the expert dataset used 100% up-to-date taxonomy and only seven records (3%) had no coordinates. Both datasets were used to generate range maps for each species, which were then used in preliminary Red List categorization. There was disparity in the categories of 10 species, with eight being assigned a lower threat category based on GBIF data compared with expert data, and the other two assigned a higher category. Our results suggest that before conducting desktop assessments of the threatened status of species, aggregated museum locality data should be vetted against current taxonomy and localities should be verified. We conclude that available online databases are not an adequate substitute for taxonomic experts in assessing the threatened status of species and that Red List assessments may be compromised unless this extra step of verification is carried out.

scholarly journals Percepción y conocimiento popular sobre el cocodrilo Crocodylus acutus (Reptilia:Crocodylidae) en zonas aledañas al río Tempisque, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-202
Author(s):  
Valerie Valdelomar ◽  
Marco A. Ramírez-Vargas ◽  
Sergio Gabriel Quesada-Acuña ◽  
Cristina Arrieta ◽  
Ismael Carranza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Illegal Hunting ◽  
Crocodylus Acutus ◽  
American Crocodile ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Del Rio ◽  
Near Future

 El cocodrilo americano (Crocodylus acutus) es una especie amenazada por la pérdida de hábitat y la caza ilegal. En el río Tempisque, Costa Rica, sus poblaciones se han recuperado considerablemente pero siguen siendo vulnerables porque su nicho y hábitat se traslapan con las actividades humanas, lo que genera un conflicto humano-cocodrilo (CHC) que se agrava por conocimientos populares erróneos. Este trabajo evalúa la percepción y el conocimiento popular sobre los cocodrilos mediante 336 encuestas en 11 pueblos de los cantones Carrillo, Santa Cruz y Cañas de Guanacaste. Además se analizó la relación entre la percepción de peligrosidad de los cocodrilos según el pueblo de residencia, la edad, el sexo, el grado académico y la ocupación de los encuestados. La población considera que en sus pueblos existen demasiados cocodrilos, que son peligrosos y agresivos. En general conocen poco sobre la biología de C. acutus, pero bastante sobre su comportamiento, estado de conservación y protección estatal. Las personas encuestadas creen necesario regular las poblaciones de cocodrilos, sugieren la eliminacióno el traslado selectivo (las cuales tienen diversas implicaciones) y parecen dispuestos a cooperar en planes de manejo. Se insta a seleccionar pueblos clave para reforzar los programas de educación ambiental con contenidos sobre la biología de la especie, seguridad y prevención de CHC. A futuro, parece necesario establecer un plan de manejo pararegular las poblaciones de cocodrilos en algunos sitios específicos de la cuenca del río Tempisque.ABSTRACTPerception and popular culture about the crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) near Tempisque River, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is an endangered species due to habitat loss and illegal hunting. Its population has recovered significantly in the Tempisque River, Costa Rica; nevertheless, they are still vulnerable because their niche and habitat overlap human activities, which causes a human-crocodile conflict worsened by mistaken popular beliefs. We evaluated popular perception and knowledge with 336 surveys in 11 towns of Carrillo, Santa Cruz and Cañas, in Guanacaste. We also tested the relationships among residence, occupation, sex, age and educational grade and perception of danger. The inhabitants believe there is an excess of crocodiles near their towns, and the reptiles are considered dangerous and aggressive. Overall, they know little about the biology of C. acutus,but much about its behavior, conservation status and state protection. To regulate the crocodile population, they consider elimination or relocation necessary (both have different implications). They seem, however, willing to cooperate in management plans. It is important to choose key towns to strengthen existent environmental education programs with contents about the biology of the species, security, and conflict avoidance. In the near future, we recommend the establishment of a management plan to regulate crocodile population in some specific spots within the Tempisque River’s Basin.

scholarly journals Annotated Checklist and Conservation Status of Mammal Species in Sarpang District, Bhutan

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-270
Author(s):  
Jigme Tenzin ◽  
Phub Dhendup ◽  
Dago Dorji ◽  
Sangay Nidup ◽  
Phuntsho Thinley
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Periodic Monitoring ◽  
Total Geographical Area ◽  
Forest Division

Bhutan has a total geographical area of 38,394 Km² located in between the Indo-Malayan and Palearctic region, out of which 51.44% (19750.75 km²) of its total geographical area has been designated as the protected area.  However, none of the districts have a structured baseline checklist of mammal species documented till date. Therefore, Sarpang Forest Division under the Department of Forests and Park Services had carried out five rigorous camera trap surveys including a nationwide tiger survey that covers representable areas of the district from 2014 till 2020. The survey shows that district has 36 mammal species that belong to 18 families under seven orders. Felidae and Cervidae families has the highest species abundance (n = 17%), while, Canidae, Herpestidae, Leporidae, Manidae, Melinae, Muridae, Mustelidae, Tupaiidae, Proboscidae, Pteromyidae, Suidae and Ursidae were the lowest (n = 3%). Above all, Sarpang homed 29.90% of total mammal species of Bhutan, out of which 3% of mammal species were categorized under Critically Endangered, 14% Endangered, 14% Vulnerable, 22% Near Threatened, and 47% Least Concern as per IUCN Red List. However, only 20 mammal species are listed under CITES and nine in Schedule I of Forest and Nature Conservation Act of Bhutan, 1995. Therefore, landscape-based planning such as the Division-based Conservation & Management plan; periodic monitoring of wildlife species using camera traps, and validation of Schedule I species are suggested for long-term conservation and management of globally threatened species inside the landscape of Sarpang district in Bhutan. 

A Northward Spread In The Breeding Distribution Of The New Zealand Sea Lion (Phocartos Hooeri)

2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
SD Mcconkey ◽  
H Mcconnell ◽  
C Lalas ◽  
S Heinrich ◽  
A Ludmerer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
First Record ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Current Conservation ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
Sea Lions ◽  
Campbell Island

The primary objective of the population management plan for New Zealand sea lions, Phocarctos hookeri, is to move the species from its current conservation status of ‘Threatened’ to ‘Non-threatened’. The mechanism by which this will occur is through the establishment of new breeding colonies away from the only existing colonies at Auckland Islands and Campbell Island. Otago, on the southeast coast of the South Island of New Zealand, is one of only three locations where breeding has been recorded away from these islands in modern times. We found only one female at the initiation of our surveys here in 1991, an individual that had been tagged as a pup at Auckland Islands. This female has remained resident at Otago and is now breeding. Her first live birth, in the 1993/94 breeding season, represented the first record of a P. hookeri pup on the New Zealand mainland since the elimination of the species here by humans c. 150 years ago. Up to and including the 2000/01 breeding season she had produced six pups. Her surviving pups have remained at Otago and her eldest two daughters have started breeding, producing a further three pups. From this total of nine live births, two pups have died. Although 6 - 8 other migrant females have been recorded, to our knowledge none have bred at Otago. We conclude that the initiation of breeding by P. hookeri at Otago has been a serendipitous event attributable to atypical behaviour by a single female.

scholarly journals STATUS DE CONHECIMENTO DO ACARI-ZEBRA Hypancistrus zebra Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1991 (SILURIFORMES, LORICARIIDAE)

2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Jessica Pantoja ◽  
Amanda Silva ◽  
Rafael Chagas
Keyword(s):  
Web Of Science ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Species List ◽  
Scientific Databases ◽  
Xingu River ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Ornamental Species

The present work aimed to review the literature on studies carried out on the “acari-zebra” (Hypancistrus zebra Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1991). The data search was performed in four scientific databases (Capes journals, Google Scholar, Scielo, ScienceDirect and Web of Science Core Collection), using the scientific and common name of the species as keywords. Articles were selected when they had any of the keywords used in the title or abstract, excluding works from gray literature. After selecting the articles in the scientific databases, a careful reading was carried out in order to characterize the taxonomy, biology, ecology, fisheries and conservation status of H. zebra. The “acari-zebra” is an ornamental species endemic to the Xingu River basin, which has a high economic value internationally. It was recently added to the endangered species list due to overfishing of the species. Literature on H. zebra proved to be very scarce, with only basic information on taxonomy, fisheries, reproductive aspects and studies aimed at cultivation. Among the studies to be carried out, we highlight the characterization of growth and reproductive dynamics. These studies will enable a better understanding of the biology of the species and will contribute to a definition of the technological package of reproduction in captivity.

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