Cuajilote (Parmentiera aculeata (Kunth) Seem.): A Potential Fruit for Ruminant Feed

Objective: to review previous researches about the use of the fruits of the cuajilote tree (Parmentiera aculeata) as ovine feed. Design/Methodology/Approach: this research was conducted, using all the available sources: science articles, conference reports, and books. Results: P. aculeata (cuajilote) is generally used to provide shade, and as live fence, wood or firewood. However, it can also be used as forage. Both the foliage and the fruit have excellent nutritional qualities; additionally, the fruits are available during the dry season and free grazing cattle avidly eat them. Nevertheless, the nutritional value and the ruminal availability of this fruit’s dry matter—during various ripeness stages— are unknown; it is also said to have medicinal properties. Study Limitations and Implications: the cuajilote fruit was used in in vitro tests to remove protozoa from the ruminal fluid of bovines (defanuation); therefore, there are few in vitro researches about the use of cuajilote in a wholemeal diet as animal feed and about its maximum inclusion tolerance in ruminants. Findings/Conclusions: as a result of its nutritional and medicinal benefits, the cuajilote fruit shows great potential as livestock feed. Additionally, it is available all year round, particularly during the dry season, when production expenses increase as a result of the lack of other food sources.

Tabebuia rosea (pink poui).

T. rosea is a medium to large tree attaining a height of 28-37 m with a d.b.h. of 50-100 cm. It is widespread from Mexico to Peru, Venezuela and Ecuador. T. rosea is a very important species in these regions, its timber is valuable and of good quality, it is excellent to work and has an attractive finish. It shows good performance in forestry plantations and enrichment planting trials, and also has high potential to be used in afforestation projects. This species is also used in agroforestry (e.g. alley cropping), as a live fence, as a shade tree and as an ornamental. It is the national tree of El Salvador.

FOOD SELECTION AND USE OF SPACE BY DIDELPHIS PERNIGRA (DIDELPHIDAE: MAMMALIA) IN AN ANDEAN SUBURBAN ENVIRONMENT

Cities have grown throughout the Andes and we know little about the ecology of those species that tolerate them, limiting our options to do conservation. We applied optimal foraging theory to examine the behavior of the Andean White-eared Opossum (Didelphis pernigra), in a suburban area in Bogotá, Colombia. We used the giving-up density technique, which uses the amount of food left in a feeding patch, to evaluate whether the opossum’s foraging costs were affected by the height of food from the ground, and the quality and quantity of food. We also evaluated whether the spatial heterogeneity of the study site affected the opossum’s foraging. We used an artificial feeding patch to test these ideas. When food was either concentrated and, in less amount, (concentrated food) or diluted and more amount (diluted food), the opossums preferred to forage at 2 m than at 0.5 m, but concentrated food at 0.5 m was not significantly different from diluted food at 2 m. The opossums’ habitat use was affected by the spatial heterogeneity at the study site and animals preferred foraging along metal fences than on live fences made of trees. When a cable allowed connection between the metallic and live fences, the value of food patches at the live fence appeared to increase. Thus, although the opossums need resources associated with natural environments, our results suggest that there are human modifications that can benefit them, such as those that reduce the risk of predation and favor their mobility in suburban environments.

Range extension to Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province and revised distribution of Platyrrhinus chocoensis (Phyllostomidae: Chiroptera) in western Ecuador

We report the first record of the Choco broad-nosed bat (Plathyrrhinus chocoensis Alberico & Velazco, 1991) in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province in northwestern Ecuador. This voucher specimen represents the southernmost record of the species and expands its distribution ca. 120 km south. The animal was caught at a farm, specifically in a live fence consisting of several tree species. Preservation of bat species occurring in agricultural landscapes requires local policies and environmental education.

Assessment of Useful Plants in the Catchment Area of the Proposed Ntabelanga Dam in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Background. The developmental projects, particularly construction of dams, result in permanent changes of terrestrial ecosystems through inundation. Objective. The present study was undertaken aiming at documenting useful plant species in Ntabelanga dam catchment area that will be impacted by the construction of the proposed dam. Methods. A total of 55 randomly selected quadrats were used to assess plant species diversity and composition. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods were used to identify useful plant species growing in the catchment area through interviews with 108 randomly selected participants. Results. A total of 197 plant species were recorded with 95 species (48.2%) utilized for various purposes. Use categories included ethnoveterinary and herbal medicines (46 species), food plants (37 species), construction timber and thatching (14 species), firewood (five species), browse, live fence, and ornamental (four species each), and brooms and crafts (two species). Conclusion. This study showed that plant species play an important role in the daily life and culture of local people. The construction of Ntabelanga dam is, therefore, associated with several positive and negative impacts on plant resources which are not fully integrated into current decision-making, largely because of lack of multistakeholder dialogue on the socioeconomic issues of such an important project.

Trials of electric fencing for restricting movements of common brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr

The responses of common brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, to a mesh fence with electrified outrigger wires were examined in a series of trials in an outside enclosure. Possums initially had no hesitation in approaching the fence. Their first contact was usually with the lower hot wire(s). Possums responded to shocks by jumping back, rolling, running away, grooming and head-shaking. Responses depended upon the part of the body contacting the fence. No possums climbed over the electrified fence during a total of 50 trials. Over three or four repeated exposures, eight possums successively took longer to approach the fence and longer to receive the first shock, spent less time in the vicinity of the fence, and received fewer shocks during the first 2 h of the trial. However, over the whole night there was no significant drop in shock frequencies. The addition of a second lower hot wire and an increase in the pulse rate did not prevent possums that had successfully been contained by the fence from breaching the fence when chased towards it repeatedly; 7 of 12 possums were forced over the fence. Possums that had learned to avoid the live fence crossed the fence within 1-7 h after the fence was turned off. Speed and duration of avoidance learning in possums are compared with those in other species. These trials suggest that a combination fence of electrified 'hot wire' and mesh could be useful in reducing contact between possums and farm animals for the control of tuberculosis, reducing possum migration into areas that are free of tuberculosis or of high conservation value, and protecting crops.