scholarly journals Relative availability of natural prey versus livestock predicts landscape suitability for cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus in Botswana

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanlie EK Winterbach ◽  
Christiaan W Winterbach ◽  
Lorraine Boast ◽  
Rebecca Klein ◽  
Michael MJ Somers
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
Carnivore Species ◽  
High Conservation ◽  
Small Livestock ◽  
Agricultural Areas ◽  
Conflict Mitigation

Prey availability and human-carnivore conflict are strong determinants that govern the spatial distribution and abundance of large carnivore species and determine the suitability of areas for their conservation. For wide-ranging large carnivores such as cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) suitable conservation areas beyond protected area boundaries are crucial to effectively conserve them both inside and outside protected areas. Although cheetahs prefer preying on wild prey, they also cause conflict with people by predating on especially small livestock. We investigated whether the distribution of cheetahs’ preferred prey and small livestock biomass can be used to explore the current potential suitability of agricultural areas in Botswana for the long-term persistence of its cheetah population. We found it gave a good point of departure for identifying priority areas for land management, the threat to connectivity between cheetah populations and areas where the reduction and mitigation of human-cheetah conflict is critical. Our analysis showed the existence of a wide prey base for cheetahs across large parts of Botswana’s agricultural areas which provide additional large areas with high conservation potential. Twenty percent wild prey biomass proved to be possibly the critical point to distinguish between high and low predicted levels of human-cheetah conflict. We identified focal areas in the agricultural zones where restoring wild prey numbers in concurrence with effective human-cheetah conflict mitigation efforts are the most immediate conservation strategies needed to maintain Botswana’s still large and contiguous cheetah population.

scholarly journals Relative availability of natural prey versus livestock predicts landscape suitability for cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus in Botswana

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanlie EK Winterbach ◽  
Christiaan W Winterbach ◽  
Lorraine Boast ◽  
Rebecca Klein ◽  
Michael MJ Somers
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
Carnivore Species ◽  
High Conservation ◽  
Small Livestock ◽  
Agricultural Areas ◽  
Conflict Mitigation

Prey availability and human-carnivore conflict are strong determinants that govern the spatial distribution and abundance of large carnivore species and determine the suitability of areas for their conservation. For wide-ranging large carnivores such as cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) suitable conservation areas beyond protected area boundaries are crucial to effectively conserve them both inside and outside protected areas. Although cheetahs prefer preying on wild prey, they also cause conflict with people by predating on especially small livestock. We investigated whether the distribution of cheetahs’ preferred prey and small livestock biomass can be used to explore the current potential suitability of agricultural areas in Botswana for the long-term persistence of its cheetah population. We found it gave a good point of departure for identifying priority areas for land management, the threat to connectivity between cheetah populations and areas where the reduction and mitigation of human-cheetah conflict is critical. Our analysis showed the existence of a wide prey base for cheetahs across large parts of Botswana’s agricultural areas which provide additional large areas with high conservation potential. Twenty percent wild prey biomass proved to be possibly the critical point to distinguish between high and low predicted levels of human-cheetah conflict. We identified focal areas in the agricultural zones where restoring wild prey numbers in concurrence with effective human-cheetah conflict mitigation efforts are the most immediate conservation strategies needed to maintain Botswana’s still large and contiguous cheetah population.

scholarly journals More bark than bite? The role of livestock guarding dogs in predator control on Namibian farmlands

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 514-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail C. Potgieter ◽  
Graham I. H. Kerley ◽  
Laurie L. Marker
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Carnivore Conservation ◽  
Subsistence Farmers ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
Carnivore Species ◽  
Livestock Farmers ◽  
Conflict Mitigation ◽  
Environmentally Friendly Method

AbstractThe conflict between predators and livestock farmers is a threat to carnivore conservation. Livestock guarding dogs are promoted as a non-lethal, environmentally friendly method to mitigate this conflict. As part of a farmer–carnivore conflict mitigation programme, the Cheetah Conservation Fund breeds Anatolian shepherd (also known as Kangal) dogs to protect livestock from predators. During 2009–2010 we interviewed 53 commercial and 20 subsistence Namibian farmers that are using 83 such dogs. Fewer commercial and subsistence farmers reported livestock losses to predators during the most recent year of guarding-dog use compared to the year before dogs were introduced. All subsistence farmers, but not all commercial farmers, ceased killing predators during the most recent year of guarding-dog use. All farmers ceased killing cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and leopard Panthera pardus during this year, and one dog killed a single cheetah. Conversely, dogs and farmers killed more black-backed jackals Canis mesomelas between them in the survey year than the farmers reported killing in the year before acquiring dogs. Two of the dogs reportedly killed non-target carnivore species, and 15 killed prey species. Thus our results challenge the categorization of livestock guarding dogs as a non-lethal conflict mitigation method. We suggest that the conservation status and body size of wild carnivores relative to the size of the guarding dogs be considered before introducing dogs to protect livestock. Additionally, corrective training for dogs that chase or kill non-target species should be implemented, especially where farmers value these species or where non-target species are threatened.

scholarly journals Reassessment of an introduced cheetah Acinonyx jubatus population in Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther van der Meer ◽  
Lara L. Sousa ◽  
Andrew J. Loveridge
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
Carnivore Species ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of ◽  
Human Wildlife Conflict ◽  
Term Monitoring

Abstract Translocations are used to mitigate human–wildlife conflict, secure population viability of isolated populations and introduce or reintroduce populations in former or new range. With wild species increasingly confined to small patches of habitat embedded in human-dominated landscapes, the use of translocations is likely to increase. The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus is a large carnivore species with a long history of translocations. As for other species, evaluation of the success of cheetah translocations is complicated by a scarcity of published results, especially of failed attempts. Yet, such information is crucial to improve future translocations. A relatively well documented case is the translocation of alleged problem cheetahs into Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe, in the early 1990s. In this study we used a combination of survey methods to reassess the status of Matusadona's cheetah population and model current occupancy in relation to densities of competing carnivores and altitude. Our findings indicate this cheetah population has effectively been extirpated, highlighting the importance of thorough planning and standardized long-term monitoring of translocated populations for the understanding of the factors that affect translocation success.

scholarly journals Importance of Small Forest Fragments in Agricultural Landscapes for Maintaining Orangutan Metapopulations

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Ancrenaz ◽  
Felicity Oram ◽  
Nardiyono Nardiyono ◽  
Muhammad Silmi ◽  
Marcie E. M. Jopony ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Palm ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Multiple Use ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Timber Plantations ◽  
Small Forest

Historically, orangutans (Pongo spp.) lived in large contiguous areas of intact rainforest. Today, they are also found in highly modified and fragmented landscapes dominated by oil palm or industrial timber plantations; a situation that calls for new conservation approaches. Here we report signs of orangutan presence in more than 120 small forest fragments of <500 ha in size and isolated in extensive oil palm plantations across Borneo. We confirmed the long-term presence of adult resident females with dependent young in 42% of the fragments assessed by ground survey (n = 50), and the regular sightings of males traveling across the landscape. We argue that orangutans using and living in small isolated forest patches play an essential part in the metapopulation by maintaining gene flow among larger sub-populations distributed across multiple-use landscapes. In some cases, translocations may be necessary when the animals are in imminent danger of being killed and have no other refuge. However, the impacts of removing animals from spatially dispersed metapopulations could inadvertently decrease critical metapopulation functionality necessary for long-term viability. It is clear that orangutans need natural forest to survive. However, our findings show that forest fragments within agricultural landscapes can also complement conservation areas if they are well-distributed, properly connected and managed, and if orangutan killing is prevented. Efforts to better understand the dynamics and the functionality of an orangutan metapopulation in forest-farmland landscape mosaics characteristic of the Anthropocene are urgently needed to design more efficient conservation strategies for the species across its range.

scholarly journals Habitat complexity and lifetime predation risk influence mesopredator survival in a multi-predator system

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura C. Gigliotti ◽  
Rob Slotow ◽  
Luke T. B. Hunter ◽  
Julien Fattebert ◽  
Craig Sholto-Douglas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Apex Predators ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Variability in habitat selection can lead to differences in fitness; however limited research exists on how habitat selection of mid-ranking predators can influence population-level processes in multi-predator systems. For mid-ranking, or mesopredators, differences in habitat use might have strong demographic effects because mesopredators need to simultaneously avoid apex predators and acquire prey. We studied spatially-explicit survival of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in the Mun-Ya-Wana Conservancy, South Africa, to test hypotheses related to spatial influences of predation risk, prey availability, and vegetation complexity, on mesopredator survival. For each monitored cheetah, we estimated lion encounter risk, prey density, and vegetation complexity within their home range, on short-term (seasonal) and long-term (lifetime) scales and estimated survival based on these covariates. Survival was lowest for adult cheetahs and cubs in areas with high vegetation complexity on both seasonal and lifetime scales. Additionally, cub survival was negatively related to the long-term risk of encountering a lion. We suggest that complex habitats are only beneficial to mesopredators when they are able to effectively find and hunt prey, and show that spatial drivers of survival for mesopredators can vary temporally. Collectively, our research illustrates that individual variation in mesopredator habitat use can scale-up and have population-level effects.

scholarly journals Translocation of problem predators: is it an effective way to mitigate conflict between farmers and cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus in Botswana?

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine K. Boast ◽  
Kyle Good ◽  
Rebecca Klein
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rate ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
Lethal Control ◽  
Homing Behaviour ◽  
Financial Costs ◽  
Mitigation Methods ◽  
Conflict Mitigation

AbstractThe translocation of predators believed to be preying on livestock is often perceived as a more humane and desirable method of removal than lethal control. However, the survival of translocated predators and the effectiveness of translocation in reducing conflict at the removal site are often not documented. We assessed farmers’ perceptions of the efficacy of translocation at reducing livestock and game-stock losses in Botswana, and determined the post-release survival of translocated cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus, the most threatened large felid in Africa. Eighteen percent of translocated cheetahs survived 1 year (n = 11). The low survival rate was thought to be related to homing behaviour and wide-ranging movements post release. The majority of farmers who had translocated a problem predator from their farm within the 12 months prior to the study perceived that the translocation was ineffective at reducing stock losses, both in the short (59.1%) and long term (63.6%, n = 22). At least one of the monitored cheetahs continued to predate livestock after release. In light of the low survival, significant financial costs and failure to reduce stock losses, we conclude that the translocation of problem cheetahs in Botswana should no longer be conducted, and that conflict mitigation methods should focus on techniques that promote coexistence of predators and humans.

scholarly journals Exceptionally long movements of the Asiatic cheetah Acinonyx jubatus venaticus across multiple arid reserves in central Iran

Oryx ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad S. Farhadinia ◽  
Hasan Akbari ◽  
Seyed-Jalal Mousavi ◽  
Morteza Eslami ◽  
Morteza Azizi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Central Iran ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Arid Areas ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
Status Information ◽  
Endangered Status

AbstractUnderstanding spatial ecology is essential for the development of effective and appropriate conservation strategies, especially for the Asiatic cheetah Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, which occurs at a low density across vast arid areas of Iran. Yet, despite its Critically Endangered status, information on the ranging and movement of this species was formerly lacking. Here we present data for exceptionally long movements of a few individuals across multiple reserves in central Iran, obtained using camera traps during 2009–2013. We identified an adult female who moved c. 150 km multiple times between two reserves in 3 years, covering an estimated 3,629 km2. After becoming independent her three sons formed a coalition and ranged across multiple reserves, covering an estimated 4,862 km2 in their first 3 years. An adult male was also found patrolling three reserves, moving up to 40 km across an estimated 807 km2. These data demonstrate that cheetahs in Iran cover vast ranges, and indicate a requirement for large, connected areas for the long-term conservation of this metapopulation.

Selective statistical estimates of multi-year monthly concentrations of biogenous pollution of small rivers of the Northwest zone of the Russian Federation

2020 ◽  
pp. 9-13
Author(s):  
Sergey Kovalenko
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Processing ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Small Rivers ◽  
Statistical Parameters ◽  
Monthly Data ◽  
Statistical Estimates ◽  
Scientific Task ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Agricultural Areas

The management of surface watercourses is an urgent scientific task. The article presents the results of statistical processing of long-term monthly data of field observations of hydrological and hydrochemical parameters along the Upper Yerga small river in the Vologda region. Sampling estimates of statistical parameters are obtained, autocorrelation and correlation analyzes are performed. The limiting periods from the point of view of pollution for water receivers receiving wastewater from drained agricultural areas are identified.

scholarly journals Special Issue on Climate Migration

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Anda David ◽  
Frédéric Docquier
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Economic Research ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Low Latitude ◽  
Weather Shocks ◽  
Temperature Trends ◽  
Agricultural Areas ◽  
Slow Onset

How do weather shocks influence human mobility and poverty, and how will long-term climate change affect future migration over the course of the 21st century? These questions have gained unprecedented attention in public debates as global warming is already having severe impacts around the world, and prospects for the coming decades get worse. Low-latitude countries in general, and their agricultural areas in particular, have contributed the least to climate change but are the most adversely affected. The effect on people's voluntary and forced displacements is of major concern for both developed and developing countries. On 18 October 2019, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) organized a workshop on Climate Migration with the aim of uncovering the mechanisms through which fast-onset variables (such as weather anomalies, storms, hurricanes, torrential rains, floods, landslides, etc.) and slow-onset variables (such as temperature trends, desertification, rising sea level, coastal erosion, etc.) influence both people's incentives to move and mobility constraints. This special issue gathers five papers prepared for this workshop, which shed light on (or predict) the effect of extreme weather shocks and long-term climate change on human mobility, and stress the implications for the development community.

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