scholarly journals Bells, bomas and beefsteak: complex patterns of human-predator conflict at the wildlife-agropastoral interface in Zimbabwe

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e2898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Loveridge ◽  
Timothy Kuiper ◽  
Roger H. Parry ◽  
Lovemore Sibanda ◽  
Jane Hunt Hunt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crocuta Crocuta ◽  
Foraging Success ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
Domestic Species ◽  
Management Policies ◽  
Disproportionate Number ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
The One ◽  
Large Predators

Reports of livestock depredation by large predators were systematically collected at three study sites in northwestern Zimbabwe from 2008–2013. We recorded 1,527 incidents (2,039 animals killed and 306 injured). Lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) were mostly responsible, and cattle and donkeys most frequently attacked. Patterns of predation were variable among study sites. Nevertheless, some overall patterns were apparent. Predators selected livestock close to the size of their preferred wild prey, suggesting behaviours evolved to optimise foraging success may determine the domestic species primarily preyed upon. Most attacks occurred when livestock were roaming outside and away from their ‘home’ protective enclosures at night. Hyaena attacks were largely nocturnal; lions and leopards (Panthera pardus) were more flexible, with attacks occurring by day and at night. Livestock fitted with bells suffered a disproportionate number of attacks; the sound of bells appears to have conditioned predators to associate the sound with foraging opportunities. Lion and hyaena attacks on cattle were more frequent in the wet season suggesting that seasonal herding practices may result in cattle vulnerability. Only a small proportion of conflict incidents were reported to wildlife management officials with a bias towards lion predation events, potentially prejudicing conflict management policies. Predation on domestic stock involves an intricate interplay between predator behaviour and ecology on the one hand and human behaviour and husbandry practices on the other. Our data suggest that improved livestock husbandry (supervision of grazing animals, protection at night in strong enclosures) would greatly reduce livestock depredation.

scholarly journals Structure of the ichthyofauna of adventitious streams in the South Pantanal

2018 ◽  
Vol 108 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia S. Uieda ◽  
César Y. Fujihara
Keyword(s):  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
New Record ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Fish Diversity ◽  
The South ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Paraguay River ◽  
The One ◽  
Large Predators

ABSTRACT: The ichthyofauna of the Taquari River, one of the main tributaries of the South Pantanal, has been studied since the 1970s; however, there is a gap on the studies about the ichthyofauna present on the small adventitious streams of this highly dendritic system. These streams are small tributaries that flow directly into large rivers (mainstem), at least three orders greater in magnitude. The aim of this study was to analyze the structure of the ichthyofauna of five adventitious streams of the Upper Taquari River, South Pantanal, evaluating its temporal variation (dry and wet season) and the relation to the habitat characteristics and the conservation of the streams. Thirty-seven species were collected, from which 14 are exclusive to the Paraguay River basin, one species [Apteronotus albifrons (Linnaeus, 1766)] could represent a new record for this basin, and six species need taxonomic confirmation. The analysis indicated only the existence of spatial variation in the ichthyofauna structure of the streams sampled, with the similarity patterns related to the distance between the streams and to their conditions of conservation. The stream with greater size and preserved riparian forest was the one with the highest values of fish diversity and evenness. On the other hand, the stream with the smallest percentage of riparian forest and highest proximity to urban area presented the lowest diversity. The small size of these adventitious systems should serve as protection against large predators, which have their access to those areas hampered by their own size. Otherwise, the mainstem may also act as source of dispersal of small-bodied schooling fishes to the adventitious streams, where the greater heterogeneity of habitats and the presence of riparian vegetation should offer shelter and food supply for small species.

Food base of the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) in Ethiopia

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gidey Yirga ◽  
Hans H. De Iongh ◽  
Herwig Leirs ◽  
Kindeya Gebrehiwot ◽  
Jozef Deckers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Crocuta Crocuta ◽  
Spotted Hyena ◽  
Financial Loss ◽  
Scat Analysis ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
Waste Dumps ◽  
Spotted Hyenas ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Study Sites

Context Livestock depredation and scavenging of waste by the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) occurs widely across Ethiopia. Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the food base of the spotted hyena and livestock depredation across Ethiopia. Methods The diet of spotted hyenas was assessed in 17 randomly selected study sites across the country, including two national parks, by scat analysis. We conducted an extensive survey of livestock depredation and economic impact in 10 randomly selected subdistricts using semistructured interviews with 3080 randomly selected households. Key results We found that even spotted hyenas from national parks feed predominantly on anthropogenic waste. Households reported losses of 2230 domestic animals, 3.9% of their stock or an average annual financial loss of US$10.3 per household over the past five years. The diet of spotted hyenas showed only prey items of domestic origin except in Chebera Churchura National Park, where a few items of prey of wild species were found. Frequencies of prey remains of cattle, sheep, donkey and goat were highest in decreasing order. Key conclusions Survival of hyenas in Ethiopia is thus largely and widely dependent on management of livestock conflict and waste. Some hairs in scats originated from depredation, but most food intake is from waste dumps and slaughterhouses. Implications Waste management, spotted hyena persistence and environmental sanitation area are linked.

The importance of grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea preissii) as habitat for mardo (Antechinus flavipes leucogaster) during post-fire recovery

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marnie L. Swinburn ◽  
Patricia A. Fleming ◽  
Michael D. Craig ◽  
Andrew H. Grigg ◽  
Mark J. Garkaklis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fire Management ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Important Resource ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Single Feature ◽  
Management Policies ◽  
Nesting Resources ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The One

Grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea) are an important structural component of many Australian ecosystems and also an important resource for many fauna species. Grasstrees have distinctive morphologies, with a crown of long thin leaves and skirts, the latter of which are accumulated dead leaves; both are incinerated by fire. This study determined the morphological features of Xanthorrhoea preissii, which change in response to fire from 6 months to 21 years post-burn. In addition, using radio-telemetry and spool-tracking, we determined that grasstrees are utilised as foraging and nesting resources for mardos (Antechinus flavipes leucogaster (Gray, 1841), Marsupialia: Dasyuridae). Recently burnt grasstrees (6 months post-burn) appeared not to be used by mardos at all. We found few mardos in these recently burnt sites, and the one individual we managed to track for 126 m utilised only a single grasstree: a 2-m-tall multiple-crowned grasstree that had escaped the fire was used as a nest site. For sites 5 years post-burn, mardos selectively utilised grasstrees with larger crown areas and those with a greater number of crowns compared with a random sample of available trees. At the 14-year post-burn sites, mardos still demonstrated some selection for grasstrees, although no specific single feature could be determined as most significant. We recorded humidity and temperature buffering effects in association with post-burn accumulation of grasstree skirt material and found that even dead grasstree ‘logs’ were an important resource for nests. We conclude that mardos utilise both live and dead grasstrees for foraging and nest sites, possibly owing to the availability of dense cover, a buffered microclimate, and potentially also food resources. Fire-management policies that promote habitat heterogeneity and retain several intact-skirted grasstrees within the landscape are likely to benefit mardos.

scholarly journals Rainfall as a significant contributing factor to butterfly seasonality along a climatic gradient in the neotropics

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
María F. Checa ◽  
Elisa Levy ◽  
Jaqueline Rodriguez ◽  
Keith Willmott
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Climatic Gradient ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Precipitation Regimes ◽  
Butterfly Communities ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Seasonal Forests

AbstractWe analyzed the dynamics of multi-species butterfly communities along a climatic gradient with varying precipitation regimes for three consecutive years, and determine how climatic variables associate with observed butterfly seasonality. To provide a baseline for future studies of how climate change might affect these butterfly populations, we additionally explored the role of butterfly seasonality as a potential contributing factor for their susceptibility to climate variation. As far as we know, this represents the first study that simultaneously sampled and described seasonality patterns of tropical butterfly communities across ecosystems with varying climatic seasonality. A 3-year survey was carried out at three sites (i.e., wet, transition and dry forests) across a climatic gradient in western Ecuador. Butterflies were sampled using traps baited with rotting banana and prawn every two months from Nov 2010 to Sep 2013. Traps were set up at two heights, in the understory and canopy. In total, 7046 individuals of 212 species were sampled over 180 sampling days.Butterfly communities exhibited conspicuous intra and inter-annual variation in temporal dynamics with certain elements (e.g., maximum abundance recorded) of seasonality patterns likely synchronized in seasonal forests (i.e., transition and dry forest) across years but not in aseasonal forests (i.e., wet forest). In addition, the highest numbers of species and individuals occurred during the wet season across all study sites and years; indeed, rainfall was significantly positively associated with temporal abundance. Likewise, butterfly species displaying stronger seasonality were significantly associated with higher rainfall periods in seasonal forests. Variation in precipitation regimes might significantly affect more seasonal species.

scholarly journals The Morphological Measurement Variations of Periophthalmus chrysospilos along the Coastline in the Mekong Delta

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Le Trung Hieu ◽  
Dinh Minh Quang ◽  
Hua Van U ◽  
Nguyen Huu Duc Ton
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Mekong Delta ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Morphological Variations ◽  
Total Length ◽  
Fish Samples ◽  
Eye Diameter ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Study Sites

This study provided data on morphological variation in Periophthalmus chrysospilos. The study was carried out in four provinces from Tra Vinh to Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau. Fish samples were collected by hand-catching over 12 months from April 2020 to March 2021. Analysed results of a collection of 1,031 individuals (508 females and 523 males) showed that the total length (TL) and weight (W) of the female Periophthalmus chrysospilos were higher than that of the male, higher in the wet season than in the dry season and gradually increased from Tra Vinh to Ca Mau. Besides, the total length and weight of fish were also influenced by the interaction of season ´ site and gender ´ site. In addition, the morphological variation of this species such as eye diameter (ED), eye distance (DE), body height (BD), head length (HL) and taxonomic ratios such as HL/TL, BD/TL, ED/HL, DE/HL was gender, seasonal fluctuations and study sites. These morphological variations and ratios were also influenced by interactions season ´ site interactions. The findings contributed further information to fish identification and the ecological adaptation understanding of this species.

scholarly journals Introduction: Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5)

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 4785-4797 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. T. Martin ◽  
P. Artaxo ◽  
L. A. T. Machado ◽  
A. O. Manzi ◽  
R. A. F. Souza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Range Transport ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
The One ◽  
Natural Laboratory

Abstract. The Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5) Experiment was carried out in the environs of Manaus, Brazil, in the central region of the Amazon basin for 2 years from 1 January 2014 through 31 December 2015. The experiment focused on the complex interactions among vegetation, atmospheric chemistry, and aerosol production on the one hand and their connections to aerosols, clouds, and precipitation on the other. The objective was to understand and quantify these linked processes, first under natural conditions to obtain a baseline and second when altered by the effects of human activities. To this end, the pollution plume from the Manaus metropolis, superimposed on the background conditions of the central Amazon basin, served as a natural laboratory. The present paper, as the introduction to the special issue of GoAmazon2014/5, presents the context and motivation of the GoAmazon2014/5 Experiment. The nine research sites, including the characteristics and instrumentation of each site, are presented. The sites range from time point zero (T0) upwind of the pollution, to T1 in the midst of the pollution, to T2 just downwind of the pollution, to T3 furthest downwind of the pollution (70 km). In addition to the ground sites, a low-altitude G-159 Gulfstream I (G-1) observed the atmospheric boundary layer and low clouds, and a high-altitude Gulfstream G550 (HALO) operated in the free troposphere. During the 2-year experiment, two Intensive Operating Periods (IOP1 and IOP2) also took place that included additional specialized research instrumentation at the ground sites as well as flights of the two aircraft. GoAmazon2014/5 IOP1 was carried out from 1 February to 31 March 2014 in the wet season. GoAmazon2014/5 IOP2 was conducted from 15 August to 15 October 2014 in the dry season. The G-1 aircraft flew during both IOP1 and IOP2, and the HALO aircraft flew during IOP2. In the context of the Amazon basin, the two IOPs also correspond to the clean and biomass burning seasons, respectively. The Manaus plume is present year-round, and it is transported by prevailing northeasterly and easterly winds in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. This introduction also organizes information relevant to many papers in the special issue. Information is provided on the vehicle fleet, power plants, and industrial activities of Manaus. The mesoscale and synoptic meteorologies relevant to the two IOPs are presented. Regional and long-range transport of emissions during the two IOPs is discussed based on satellite observations across South America and Africa. Fire locations throughout the airshed are detailed. In conjunction with the context and motivation of GoAmazon2014/5 as presented in this introduction, research articles including thematic overview articles are anticipated in this special issue to describe the detailed results and findings of the GoAmazon2014/5 Experiment.

scholarly journals Open Digital Shoreline Analysis System: ODSAS v1.0

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Alejandro Gómez-Pazo ◽  
Andres Payo ◽  
María Victoria Paz-Delgado ◽  
Miguel A. Delgadillo-Calzadilla
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Baseline Method ◽  
Free Open Source Software ◽  
Digital Shoreline Analysis System ◽  
Analysis System ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Single Baseline ◽  
The One ◽  
Free Open Source

In this study, we propose a new baseline and transect method, the open-source digital shoreline analysis system (ODSAS), which is specifically designed to deal with very irregular coastlines. We have compared the ODSAS results with those obtained using the digital shoreline analysis system (DSAS). Like DSAS, our proposed method uses a single baseline parallel to the shoreline and offers the user different smoothing and spacing options to generate the transects. Our method differs from DSAS in the way that the transects’ starting points and orientation are delineated by combining raster and vector objects. ODSAS uses SAGA GIS and R, which are both free open-source software programs. In this paper, we delineate the ODSAS workflow, apply it to ten study sites along the very irregular Galician coastline (NW Iberian Peninsula), and compare it with the one obtained using DSAS. We show how ODSAS produces similar values of coastline changes in terms of the most common indicators at the aggregated level (i.e., using all transects), but the values differ when compared at the transect-by-transect level. We argue herein that explicitly requesting the user to define a minimum resolution is important to reduce the subjectivity of the transect and baseline method.

scholarly journals Pollution (Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metals) Evaluation in Soil of Selected Area of Kaduna Towns in Kaduna State

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Pollution Index ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Petroleum Resources ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Pahs Concentration ◽  
Study Sites

The Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some heavy metals were analysis in the soil samples from urban areas of Kaduna state for their concentration and distribution. Naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorine, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a) pyrene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)perylene, benzo(ghi) perylene and dibenzo(a,h) anthracene were analyzed in three urban soils of Kaduna North, Alegbi and Kaduna South, at 0-15 cm and 16-30 cm depth in wet and dry seasons. After extraction using ultrasonication with hexane and dichloromethane and clean-up, PAHs concentration was measured using gas chromatography. The concentration of all the PAHs obtained ranged between 178.00 mg/g and 787.0 0 mg/g for wet season and 105.10 mg/g and 437.70 mg/g for dry season. The concentrations of PAHs were higher in the subsoil (15-30 cm depth) in the wet season than in the dry season while higher concentrations of all the PAHs were observed in topsoil than subsoil during the dry season. The concentration of PAHs followed the order Kaduna North > Kaduna South > Algabi during the wet season and Kaduna South > Algabi > Kaduna Nort during the dry season. The concentration values of all determined PAHs were below the target value of 1000 mg/g stipulated by Department of Petroleum Resources. The Cd, Cr, Cu and Pb levels in the soil from the study sites were higher than the corresponding control values. The degree of pollution of various metals using the graded standard of Nemero pollution index varied. The concentrations of the metals were found to be above the recommended limits given by USEPA/WHO. This could pose risks and hazards to human and the ecosystem through direct ingestion of contaminated soil

scholarly journals Geometric and Operational Features of Horizontal Curves with Specific Regard to Skidding Proneness

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Intini ◽  
Nicola Berloco ◽  
Vittorio Ranieri ◽  
Pasquale Colonna
Keyword(s):  
Safety Management ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Horizontal Curves ◽  
Safety Research ◽  
Run Off ◽  
History Of ◽  
Disproportionate Number ◽  
The One ◽  
National Road

(1) Run-off-road (ROR) crashes are a crucial issue worldwide, resulting in a disproportionate number of traffic deaths. In safety research, macro-level analysis on large datasets is usually conducted by linking explanatory variables to ROR crash frequency/severity. Micro-analysis approaches, like the one used in this study, are instead less frequent. (2) A comprehensive Italian Fatal + Injury (FI) crash dataset was filtered to identify two-way two-lane rural road curves on the national road network on which more than one ROR FI crash (i.e., at least two crashes) in the observation period of four years had occurred. The typical features of the ROR FI crashes and the recurrent geometric (characteristics of tangents and curves) and operational features (inferred speeds, acceleration/decelerations) of the crash sites were reconstructed. (3) The main contributory factors in ROR FI crashes are: wet pavements, speeding, and distraction. Sites with a relevant history of ROR FI crashes present recurrent safety issues such as inadequate horizontal curve coordination, an insufficient tangent length for decelerating, and inferred operating speeds comparable/higher than the inferred design speeds. (4) Based on findings, some practical suggestions for road safety management and maintenance are proposed through specific indicators and countermeasures (speed, perception, and friction related).

Managing Intrapreneurial Employees in Internationalized Services

2016 ◽  
pp. 1721-1737
Author(s):  
Maria de Lurdes Calisto
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
The Other ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Strategic Human Resources ◽  
Autonomous Behavior ◽  
Strategic Human Resources Management ◽  
Management Policies ◽  
The One ◽  
Policies And Practices

One of the most relevant sources of innovation for services is related to bottom-up informal processes that might originate anywhere in the organization, resulting from the autonomous behavior of individuals – i.e. intrapreneurial behavior. On the one hand, intrapreneurial behavior is particularly relevant for service firms because of the strategic importance of employee-client interactions. On the other hand, there is growing recognition in the literature as to the potential role played by a multinational workforce in innovation and organizational learning. The author's goal with this chapter is to provide the reader with insights on how strategic human resources management policies and practices are essential to provide the necessary environment for intrapreneurial behavior to emerge in service firms, and how these policies and practices have to take into account the circumstances of a multinational workforce.

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