Analysis of land use change in Mangrove of the Barra San José, Chiapas, Mexico

Mangroves are the most productive ecosystems in the world, since they provide ecosystem services, are biological filters, stabilize the coastline and are the habitat of important fishing species and migratory birds nest. However, the inadequate implementation of agricultural, livestock and tourism development policies has implied the loss of biodiversity, habitat fragmentation and deforestation. The objective of this work is to evaluate the dynamics of changes in mangrove cover and land use in Barra San José, Chiapas, Mexico, in the period 1978-2017. The detection of the changes was carried out by means of a post-classificatory multitemporal study, through the superposition of digital cartographic bases of land use of the series III and VI of the INEGI. Maps of change processes, deforestation rates, and change matrices were obtained. The results indicate a loss of 574 ha of Mangroves in 39 years, with a deforestation rate of -0.41%, where human settlements and agriculture accounted for 90% of the changes. The conversion of Mangroves to grasslands was very marked, showing the fragmentation and loss of habitat to which the forests are exposed in the study area. The results of this analysis should be considered in the establishment of management and conservation policies for this ecological region.

Feeding ecology of Eigenmannia desantanai (Gymnotiformes: Sternopygidae) in southern Pantanal, Brazil

Aim This study investigated changes in the dietary composition and trophic niche breadth of Eigenmannia desantanai in the context of hydrological periods, rivers, and ontogeny. Methods Collections were performed monthly on the Paraguay and Amonguijá Rivers between February 2009 and January 2011. Results A total of 338 specimens of E. desantanai were collected, 224 of which came from the Amonguijá River and 114 from the Paraguay River. In all, 21 food items were identified. Fully remains of digested animals (RDA), Chironomidae, Cladocera, and Ostracoda showed greater importance in the diet of E. desantanai. Dietary composition was influenced by hydrological periods, followed by differences between sampled rivers, and ontogeny. In contrast, only hydrological periods explained variation in the E. desantanai trophic niche breadth. Conclusions The diet of E. desantanai is mainly composed of Chironomidae, Cladocera, and Ostracoda; however, individuals consumed other food items owing to changes in hydrological periods, followed by characteristics of the Amonguijá and Paraguay Rivers and ontogenetic variation. In this respect, the results of this study are germane to the food ecology of E. desantanai, providing guidelines for the management and conservation of the species.

Breeding and reproductive behaviour of the neo-tropical opossum, Didelphis marsupialis insularis, Allen 1902 under captive conditions

Developing a captive breeding system for the widely hunted Caribbean species of opossum Didelphis marsupialis insularis can greatly aide in the management and conservation of this species in the neo-tropics. Although this species possesses ideal traits for captive breeding in this region (tolerance to high heat and humidity, high reproductive rate, and resistance to disease), challenges due to its aggressive behaviour and limited information on its breeding behaviour have prevented a system from being developed for this species. The present study describes a breeding system, and the reproductive behaviour of this species under captive conditions. Six (1 male; 5 females) adult opossums were maintained and managed for breeding over a ten (10) month period. Pouch litter sizes averaged 5±2.5 with a range of 2 to 8. Gestation length was found to be 13.25±0.96 days and 4 litters (n=23) were successfully weaned at 11-13 weeks. It was found that the male D. m. insularis exhibits behaviours of interest that can serve as indicators for receptivity of the female, and overall, that this species can be successfully reared and bred under captive conditions in the neo-tropics.

Role of Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge

In recent decades, species extinction has increased sharply. Most species in the world are discovered in tropical forests – covering more than 10% of the planet. Sustainable management and conservation efforts must include local communities and their traditional knowledge. The traditional use of forest resources, especially non-timber products such as medicinal plants, not only has deep roots in indigenous populations, but is also practiced in a broad segment of culture. Using medicinal herbs is often a costly alternative to modern medicine that is economically inevitable. This traditional use's basic knowledge is carried from one generation to the next. Medical use in particular reflects an extremely vibrant, ever-evolving process in which fresh knowledge is constantly acquired and connected to traditional methods. An instance from West Bengal's West Midnapore district in India is used to illustrate the impacts of an integrated strategy to preserving biodiversity and culture.

Sustainable management of a marine protected area in Vietnam: An application of visitors’ willingness to pay for conservation in Cu Lao Cham

As an important area in terms of biodiversity and fish stocks in Vietnam, Cu Lao Cham or Cham Islands (CLC) marine protected area (MPA) is under increasing threat from human activities. Conservation efforts have recently been implemented but economic analysis of the CLC MPA’s natural values did not investigate what may affect policy decisions on CLC MPA’s sustainable development. Using a structured questionnaire and a payment card technique (based on the contingent valuation method), we estimate visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP) for conservation of marine resources in the CLC MPA. The log-normal regression results indicate that the visitors’ WTP for conservation is affected by their characteristics, perceptions of environmental protection and conservation, and their assessment of the current CLC MPA entrance fee. Visitors are WTP an additional amount of US$2.26 per person for conservation while visiting the CLC MPA. This indicates that with the introduction of the proposed entrance fee (the mean WTP added to the current entrance fee), the CLC MPA management would not only have sufficient funds for their management and conservation programmes, but also that the number of visitors may decline slightly, which would reduce some of the pressure on the environment, natural resources, and coral reefs.

Phytochemical and proximate content of Carapa procera bark and its antimicrobial potential against selected pathogens

Medicinal plants represent a great source of antimicrobial and phytochemical constituents which are increasingly used to treat microbial infections and other ailments such as tuberculosis, anemia, and trachoma. Despite the use of antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance continues to be a world issue, in as much as nutrition. This study investigated the presence of phytochemicals, proximate compositions, and antimicrobial activity of methanolic extract of Carapa procera bark. The bark of Carapa procera was collected, cleaned and air dried for 72 h. The powder obtained was treated with diethyl ether and soaked in methanol (99%) for 72 h to obtain crude extract. The extract was used to test for the presence of phytochemicals and antimicrobial activities. The raw bark was used for proximate analysis. The result showed presence of steroids, tannins and saponins, but no alkaloids present. The 100 mg/mL extract had the highest inhibition zone on all tested organisms from 24.00 ± 0.94 to 26.67 ± 1.18, and 50 mg/mL showed the least (16.67 ± 1.24) on Candida albicans. Staphylococcus aureus showed the lowest minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of 3.12 mg/mL, whereas the Gram-negative bacteria exhibited variations in their sensitivity with E. coli having the highest MIC of 25 mg/mL. The extract had high MIC (6.25 mg/mL) on Candida albicans than clotrimazole (50 mg/mL). The proximate compositions of Carapa procera were moisture (6.07 ± 0.07%), ash (12.46 ± 0.46%), crude protein (9.54 ± 0.12%), crude fat (1.42 ± 0.06%) and carbohydrate (70.50 ± 0.35%). The energy value was 1413.17 kj. Thus, Carapa procera possesses both antimicrobial and nutritional potentials worth exploring and domesticating for sustainable management and conservation.