Conservation Ecology Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Ethiopian shade coffee plantations are well documented to be bird-friendly and act as refuges for disappearing tree species. The extent to which these plantations support mammal conservation, as well as mammal sensitivity to coffee intensification, remain little studied. We studied the distribution and diversity of mammals under three coffee management systems of differing intensities (i.e., semi-forest, semi-plantation, and plantation) and in nearby natural forests in Belete-Gera Forest Priority Area, southwestern Ethiopia. We detected mammals using 30 infrared camera traps at 90 stations for a total of 4142 camera days. We used the Shannon-Wiener diversity index for diversity analysis, generalized linear mixed model for comparison of independent detection, and non-metric multidimensional scaling to show the mammalian community composition. We recorded 8815 digital videos and a total of 23 mammal species. The overall species richness, diversity, and detection of mammals did not differ between the two traditional shade coffee management systems and the natural forest but was lower in the plantation coffee system. The mammal community composition also shows variation in resilience to coffee management intensity, with primates appearing to be generally more tolerant to management intensification. We ultimately show that traditionally managed Ethiopian shade coffee farms shelter diverse mammal communities, comparable to those in nearby natural forests. Therefore, supporting traditional coffee management practices and certifying them as mammal-friendly should be implemented as strategies for the conservation of mammals, as natural forests continue to decline in Ethiopia.

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- Geography, Conservation Biology, Conservation Ecology, Biological Sciences

Because the Gompertz model has a long history of use as a population model, we analyzed its properties as a multistage stock-recruitment model. We found that if a lifecycle model is a sequence of linked Gompertz stock-recruitment models... more

- by Richard Hinrichsen
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- Conservation Biology, Conservation, Conservation Ecology, Population Dynamics

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in integrating the social sciences and conservation studies to inform a more realistic management approach. Indeed, an understanding of people's perception of fauna helps in the evaluation of possible conflicts with humans, and provides tools to solve these conflicts. However, perceptions may change along a species geographical distribution. Scavenger birds are not exempt from these conflicts as many farmers blame them for attacking and killing livestock. We evaluated the knowledge, perceptions and attitude of people regarding New World vultures along a migratory path in South America. We conducted 114 interviews with farmers in six different localities between Argentine Patagonia and central Bolivia. About half (48.2%) of the interviewees considered vultures harmful to livestock and a substantial number (24.5%) considered killing these birds as a solution for the conflict. The perception of the damage caused by these birds was worse in vultures wintering and breeding areas, than along the migration route. People with a higher level of education and greater numbers of livestock exhibited more negative perceptions. However, many people (53%) still believed that scavenger birds are important for the environment. Our results suggest that acknowledgment of services provided by scavengers makes killing of scavengers less likely. Educational strategies are needed to increase levels of appreciation toward the ecosystem services provided by vultures, over those of perceived damages.

- by Sergio Lambertucci
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- Conservation Biology, Conservation, Migration, Conservation Ecology

The American mink (Neovison vison) is a semi-aquatic, generalist carnivore released onto Tierra del Fuego (TDF) Island in the 1940s, subsequently spreading to adjacent islands in the archipelago with potential effects on native prey populations. Knowledge of this new predator’s trophic ecology is essential to identify threats, plan control strategies and conserve native fauna. We studied seasonal mink diet in TDF in different habitats. We identified undigested remains from 493 scats collected between May 2005 and March 2009 along marine coasts and freshwater shores (rivers and lakes). Small mammals and fish were the main mink prey in TDF (over 65% of diet items). Seasonal variations were not detected, but diet did vary significantly between marine and freshwater habitats, where more terrestrial items were consumed. Among mammals, mink consumed more small native rodents than exotic species. Native fish consumption was also important with greater representation of species from the families Nototheniidae and Galaxiidae in marine and freshwater habitats respectively. Birds were the third item in importance, but did not constitute a particularly large part of the mink’s diet on TDF. Overall, differences found in mink diet between habitats reflected their generalist/opportunistic feeding behaviour and did not differ greatly from observations in its native range or in other areas where it has been introduced. Our results establish the interactions between this novel predator and its prey and also illustrate the need to continue research on native prey populations to quantify mink impact on them and understand the ecological context of this biotic assemblage.

Soil invertebrate distribution in Araucaria forest, grassland and edge habitats was studied in both disturbed and undisturbed areas in southern Brazil. Mean-density and taxa compositions were verified. Invertebrate densities differed between grassland and the other two habitats in the undisturbed area but not across the disturbed one. At the disturbed area taxa differed between the grassland and the other two habitats. The undisturbed area, on the other hand, presented taxa differences only between the grassland and the forest habitats. Acari, Arachnida and Collembola were the most sensitive taxa for detecting differences across habitats in both areas. At the disturbed area, these taxa presented densities lowering from the forest to the grassland. At the undisturbed area the same taxa increased from the forest to the grassland. Coleoptera and Formicidae (Insecta) presented no difference between habitats at the studied taxonomic level.

- by André Frainer
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- Conservation Ecology, Ecology

Mulawarman 183 TINGKAT KEBERHASILAN PENETASAN TELUR PENYU HIJAU (Chelonia mydas L.) BERDASARKAN KARAKTERISTIK PANTAI DI KEPULAUAN DERAWAN KABUPATEN BERAU KALIMANTAN TIMUR Mupit Datusahlan, Sudrajat dan Dijan Sunar Rukmi Program Studi Biologi FMIPA Universitas Mulawarman Jl. Barong Tongkok No. 4 Samarinda ABSTRAK. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tingkat keberhasilan penetasan telur penyu hijau (Chelonia mydas L.) pada berbagai karakteristik pantai di kawasan Kepulauan Derawan, Kabupaten Berau. Kawasan yang diteliti terdiri atas Pulau Sangalaki, Pulau Semama dan Pulau Derawan Kabupaten Berau Kalimantan Timur. Data diperoleh dengan menggunakan teknik survei deskriptif. Hasil penelitian menunjukan tingkat keberhasilan penetasan telur penyu hijau (C.mydas L.) erat hubungannya dengan karakteristik pantai. Pulau Sangalaki dengan karakteristik pantai berkontur lebar dan landai, memiliki tekstur pasir sedang menunjukkan tingkat keberhasilan penetasan rata-rata 79,77%. Pulau Semama dengan karakteristik pantai bervegetasi didominansi oleh tumbuhan mangrove, berlumpur, memiliki tekstur pasir kasar dan pecahan karang, menunjukkan tingkat keberhasilan persentase penetasan telur penyu hijau rata-rata 93,19%. Pulau Derawan dengan kondisi pantai bersih, sedikit ditumbuhi vegetasi pantai, banyak pemukiman masyarakat dan tempat aktivitas para wisatawan, menunjukkan tingkat keberhasilan penetasan telur rata-rata 59,12%. Karakteristik fisik pantai meliputi lebar pantai, kelandaian pantai, tekstur pasir pantai, kedalaman sarang mempengaruhi tingkat keberhasilan penetasan telur penyu hijau. Selain faktor fisik pantai, faktor vegetasi dan spesies lain serta aktivitas manusia di daerah pesisir tersebut mempengaruhi keberhasilan penetasan telur penyu.

A variety of chemicals including foaming agents are used to aid in the protection of forest resources from the wild land fires. The fire-fighting foams (FFFs) are formulations composed principally of surfactants. As a part of Japanese national project, environmentally inert FFFs have been developed. There is an emerging need for testing the impacts of these FFFs on the living organisms composing the typical landscapes or ecosystems in Japan. In the present report, we aimed to describe our latest attempt for assessing both the short-tem and long-term impacts of FFFs in aquatic (fresh water) and semi-aquatic (wetland) ecosystems , by employing the laboratory-sized model assays (preliminary studies) and the biotope-based observation, respectively. In the biotope assays which was based on the observation in compact biotopes mimicking the fresh water environments and wetland, both the acute and long-term eco-toxic impacts of two FFFs (soap-based and synthetic detergent-based) were assessed. Spraying of synthetic detergent-based foam formula was shown to be more toxic compared to soap-based formula and mock water treatment.

- by Tomonori Kawano
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- Environmental Engineering, Landscape Ecology, Marine Biology, Microbiology

The Isalo National Park is the fourth largest and one of the earliest protected areas in Madagascar. It was created in 1962, and covers an area of about 82 000 ha. The whole park (especially its southern section) is intensively managed by the local community and frequented by tourists. This may create many conflicts between the objectives of nature protection and human activities such as tourism, cattle grazing and gathering of useful plants. Although scientists frequently visit the area (comp. Andrew and Hawkins 1999; Nicoll and Langrand 1989), the fauna and flora of Isalo are still insufficiently described. There are no ecological papers related exclusively to the Isalo Massif (Andrew and Hawkins 1999), and thus all information should be useful for future study. That is why I have decided to present a short characteristic of the vegetation of this area, which summarises my observations carried out in January 2002.

- by Krzysztof Świerkosz
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- Botany, Landscape Ecology, Conservation Biology, Conservation Ecology
- by Carlos Garcia de Leaniz
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- Conservation Ecology, Salmonids

The occurrence pattern of white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet 1858), in Ireland is today sharply different from elsewhere in its current range, but more like that in England 50 years ago. Populations of Irish crayfish are widespread particularly in the lime-rich lowlands, north and south, and since first records in the 1700s, most populations in both jurisdictions are stable or slowly declining, for reasons not fully established. Some lake stocks have been extinguished. A single plague outbreak was recorded in the 1980s. Today there is increasing threat from non-indigenous crayfish, which are readily available through the internet trade from within and outside the EU. Legislation to prohibit their import to Ireland is in preparation. The legislation and current conservation approach in Northern Ireland is different to current British approaches, and different from that in the Irish Republic, although equally tied into EC Habitats Directive requirements. Education of customs officials and the public is a priority.

To save the apes we must save their habitat - the tropical rainforests and woodlands of Africa and South-east Asia, two of the planet's 'green lungs'. Apes are keystone species in their ecosystems, which in turn are key to global efforts to prevent dangerous climate change. As carbon markets develop, this will bring new financial resources and job opportunities in the management of ape habitat for the benefit of local communities, biodiversity conservation and the planet.

- by Ian M Redmond
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- Climate Change, Conservation, Wildlife Biology, Tropical Ecology

Alternative energy fetishes such as solar cells and wind turbines have become spectacles that do nothing to offset coal use. Instead, these technologies serve mostly as symbols that distract Americans and prevent them from considering... more

This work describes the workings of modern zoos and considers the core ethical challenges which face those who choose to hold and display animals in zoos, aquariums or sanctuaries. Using a number of normative ethical frameworks this thesis explores impacts of modern zoos. The impact of zoos include the costs to animals in terms of animal welfare, the loss of liberty and even impact on the value of animal life. On the positive side of the argument are the welfare and health outcomes for many of the animals held in zoos, increased attention and protection for their species in the wild and the enjoyment and education for the people who visit zoos. This paper concludes that zoos and aquariums are ethically defensible when they align conservation outcomes with the interests of individual animals and the interests of zoo operations. The impending extinction crisis requires large scale interventions which address human values and facilitate consideration of wildlife in decision making. Considering the long term relationship zoos have with animals, their extensive reach within communities and their reliance on animals to deliver positive experiences for people, it is appropriate that zoos pay back some of humanity's debt to wildlife by making a meaningful contribution to wildlife conservation.

- by Aboh James Ajang
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- Conservation Biology, Conservation, Wildlife Biology, Conservation Ecology

Since time immemorial, Native Americans have resided in Western Oregon. Today, many of these tribes, including the Kalapuya, Molalla, Umpqua, Rogue River, Clackamas, Tillamook, some Shasta, and many other people from regional tribes are part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. The West Eugene Wetlands are within the traditional homelands of the Kalapuya and a part of the vast expanse of lands regional tribes ceded to the U.S. Government in treaties between 1853 to 1855. After the treaties were signed, the tribes were relocated by the U.S. Government to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation located 30 miles west of Salem, Oregon at the foothills of the coast range. Traditionally, the tribes utilized hundreds of plants for food, medicine, structures, weaving materials and more. The tending, harvest, and use of plants had (and continues to have) important roles in ceremonies, celebrations, and household use. For thousands of years the Willamette Valley has provided a vast array of plant foods for the Native American people that live here. Many traditional foods can be found in the West Eugene Wetlands, a varied landscape of upland oak savannah, upland prairie, wetland prairie and riparian zones that host a great diversity of plants and animals. For example, tarweed (Madia sp.), grows on dry prairies, camas grows on wet prairies, hazel grows on dry semi-open or brushy areas, and the oaks grow in dryer zones. The Kalapuya used a variety of management techniques to improve food production systems. The maintenance of the traditional foods through tilling, digging and other activities helped maintain the varied landscape. Controlled fires were regularly set which had many benefits including keeping out unwanted competitor species and insects, and returning nutrients to soil.

- by Eric T Jones
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- Wetlands, Sustainable agriculture, Environmental Anthropology, Restoration Ecology

Tree species diversity, biovolume and forest stand structure were investigated in natural forest ecosystem located around some selected communities in the bitumenproducing area of Ondo state, Nigeria. Two forest reserves and four free areas distributed in 4 Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state were selected for data collection, out of the total 6 LGAs in the bitumen belt of the state. The two forest reserves are Oluwa FR at Legge in Odigbo LGA and Eba Island FR in Ese-Odo LGA while the four free areas are located close to each of Omotoso community (Odigbo LGA), Ode-Aye community (Okitipupa), Igbo-Egunrin community (Ilaje) and Igbotako community (Okitipupa). Eight plots of equal size (20 9 20 m) were located in each of the selected location, using systematic line transect sampling design. In each plot, all living trees with dbh C 10 cm were identified with their botanical names and their dbhs were also measured. The results of the study reveal that there were ninety nine (99) tropical hardwood timber species (range: 21 to 48 species per selected forest). These species were distributed among twenty nine (29) families. While Funtumia elastica has the highest population distribution across the selected communities' forest, Euphorbiaceae was the dominant family in the entire area. Although there was a moderate variation in the biodiversity indices among the selected communities' forest, the Shannon-Weiner diversity index of H 1 = 4.02 and species evenness of E = 0.88 were obtained for the entire study area. Tree density summing up to 2,740 trees/6 ha varied moderately, with a range of 361-609 tree/ha, among the communities. Though most of the trees encountered belonged to the lowest diameter size class, the mean basal area and biovolume were 26.69 m 2 /ha and 262.36 m 3 /ha respectively. Recommendations guiding the decision on the allocation of the communities' forest to the bitumen exploratory industries are made and the need for good forest management of the prospective area of bitumen exploration of Ondo state is emphasized. This is to prevent the imminent loss of biological diversity that would eventually accompany the exploration.

- by Adewole Olagoke
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- Conservation Ecology, Forest Ecology And Management, Biodiversity
- by ERNST R WENDLAND
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- African Studies, Conservation Biology, Conservation, Africa

"The sport of golf has grown tremendously in the past three decades. It is now the leading sport in the world in terms of total economic expenditure, yet surprising little on golf has
appeared in the academic sports studies literature. In particular, the impact of golf on the environment has been virtually absent from discussion. Golf takes place in the outdoors, yet golf course development and maintenance has involved many aspects that are deleterious to the environment. This article charts the impact of golf on the environment from an international perspective, particularly noting emerging differences in first and developing world countries."

- by John Nauright
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- Business, Business Ethics, Sociology of Sport, Tourism Studies
- by Carlos Garcia de Leaniz
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- Conservation Ecology, Salmonids

El contenido del presente libro tiene como objetivo general informar y sensibilizar a la población a cerca de la Conservación y Manejo del Patrimonio Natural, pero específicamente contribuir con
información científica, constitucional y legal para la planificación del territorio sobre todo en áreas de recarga hídrica. El presente libro pretende sentar bases que muestren nuevas visiones y miradas científicas e integrales de Tarija, y que aporten para ser incluidas en políticas, planes y proyectos de planificación departamental, acordes a la Constitución Política del Estado y la Ley 300.
Se presenta conceptos básicos para comprender la distribución de ecosistemas y ecoregiones del departamento, Áreas Protegidas; Nacionales, Departamentales y Reservas Privadas, que han sido
creadas para conservar los procesos y funciones de los ecosistemas: generación de agua, protección de suelos y cuencas, conservación de la flora y fauna, incluso con la finalidad de integrar las actividades humanas con las bondades que nos brindan estos paisajes, que representan la
biodiversidad de Tarija.

- by Donovan Osorio Suárez
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- Conservation Biology, Water resources, Conservation Ecology, Bolivia

The notification of Mudumalai Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu as a tiger reserve in 2007 has resulted in a contested politics between activists, non-governmental organisations and conservationists with regard to the future of protected area management. This paper presents an account of how these actors positioned themselves around not only the creation of the tiger reserve, but also the proposed elephant corridor and the Forest Rights Act of 2006. It suggests that due process of law has not been followed adequately and that sufficient scientific evidence has not been presented in the public domain as required. The Forest Rights Act is seen to offer an opportunity to democratise the management of natural resources with all its social and ecological complexities and provide the necessary checks and balances to bring about conservation based strongly on scientific evidence.

- by Daniel Taghioff
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- Media Studies, New Media, Indian studies, Conservation Ecology

The decline of the southern bluefin tuna (SBT) stock since the onset of industrialised fishing has been considerable with estimates of current stock levels being between 5 and 12% of the pre exploitation biomass. If the fishing fleet continues to harvest at its current levels there is a real possibility that the stocks may collapse. Quotas have been enforced dictating the amount of fish each of the participating nations can harvest in an effort to halt the decline and promote the recovery of SBT but there is little evidence that this is having an effect. This aim of this investigation was to examine whether the implementation of marine protected area (MPA) networks would be a more effective method of conserving SBT. The implementation and management of both terrestrial and marine protected areas were studied to gain a better understanding of how these measures work. Lessons were learnt from looking at case studies on how and why MPAs have succeeded or failed and the biology and lifecycle of the southern bluefin tuna was researched to better understand how different conservation measures might be effective. It was found that MPAs in and of themselves would only be useful if they were unrealistically large and covered a large majority of the SBT habitat. Further study indicated that in conjunction with fishing quotas and effort limitations a network of MPAs positioned where the fish are most vulnerable to fishing pressure could be a more effective method of conservation. If this strategy was implemented and successful it is likely that it would also prove to be effective in the conservation of other migratory pelagic species like sharks, rays, sailfish and the rest of the tuna family.

- by Nick Welburn
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- Marine Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Conservation Biology, Marine Ecology
- by Magdy El-Alwany
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- Conservation Ecology, Biodiversity

Water is inevitably the most important resource on Earth. Nearly 70 % of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, yet there is only 0.3% of the total water is available as fresh water for various human requirements. The water bodies present in urban areas such as lakes, ponds, tanks, rivers etc. are under continuous pressure due to various anthropogenic activities. In the current study, 3 water bodies of Vadodara city were selected for assessment of water quality. The selection was made on the basis of their size, human activities at the periphery and land use in the surrounding area. The water bodies selected were Sursagar lake (lake in the centre of the city) and Sama pond & Harni pond (ponds at the periphery of the city). One time grab samples were collected from all the three reservoirs and they were analysed for pH, Conductivity, Total dissolve solids, Total suspended solids, Sodium, Potassium, Hardness, Alkalinity, Chloride, Sulphate, Nitrate-nitrogen, Nitrite-nitrogen, Phosphate, Ammonical-nitrogen, TKN, Sulphides, Oil and grease, DO, COD, BOD, Heavy metals. The result showed that the total dissolved concentration was found to be maximum in Sursagar lake which may be attributed to surface run off and use of surfactants in surrounding areas. It also showed elevated levels of Electrical Conductivity. The total hardness values were also maximum in Sursagar Lake in comparison to the rest of the two ponds. It was also identified during the study that the Nitrate was below detectable limit in case of Sama and Harni Ponds where as it was detected to be 0.115 ppm in Sursagar lake. This could have resulted in cultural eutrophication and ultimately increase in the BOD value. However, a continuous aeration system has raised the DO of water to as high as 8.46 ppm which maintains the healthy life in the lake ecosystem. The result showed that the concentration of contaminants in Sursagar Lake was maximum which can be attributed to excessive pressure from anthropogenic activities. The overall outcomes of the study were as follows:
• Generation of baseline information for further investigation of Limnological parameters.
• Qualitative assessment of anthropogenic impacts on water quality.
• Comparison of water quality among different water bodies having different peripheral land use pattern.

- by Alan Schoen
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- Herpetology, Computer Vision, Biomedical Engineering, Conservation Ecology

Le foto delle figure corrose del volto dell'imperatore Traiano, dall'omonima colonna coclide, hanno fatto in questi ultimi anni il giro del mondo, suscitando dovunque raccapriccio e preoccupazione e divenendo di fatto il simbolo dei danni... more

Review of data on all amphibian species from the territory of the former Soviet Union. The book is supplied with a CD with interactive maps of all localities for each species. Here the book is available for download. The CD may be... more

- by Sergius Kuzmin
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- Systematics (Taxonomy), Herpetology, Conservation Biology, Conservation Ecology

AFRICAN ECOLOGICAL SPIRITUALITY: PERSPECTIVES IN ANTHROPOSOPHY AND ENVIRONMENTALISM A HYBRID OF APPROACHES

- by Ikechukwu Anthony KANU
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- Tropical Ecology, Conservation Ecology, Vegetation Ecology, Social Ecology

In spite of the unrelenting advent of modernization involving industrializatio n and market-oriented land use policies, traditional ecological ethos still survive in many indigenous societies, albeit in much attenuated forms. Based on a series of our past investigations into the traditional resource use norms and associated cultural institution s prevailing in rural Bengal societies, we demonstrate here that a large number of elements of local biodiversity, regardless of their use value, are protected by the local cultural practices. Certain cultural elements (e.g., auguries) may not have any conservation consequences, yet may re ect, in symbolic terms, a collective appreciation of the intrinsic or existence value of life forms, and the basic love and respect for nature. The study suggests that traditional conservation ethics are still capable of protecting much of the country's decimating biodiversity, as long as the local communities have even a minor share in the management of natural resources.

- by Debal Deb
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- Conservation Ecology, Ethnobiology, Sacred Groves, Conservation ethic

La preservación de la diversidad biológica ha sido aceptada como una premisa a nivel global. Entre las muchas amenazas que atentan contra la biodiversidad, el fenómeno de las especies introducidas es usualmente referido como una de las más importantes. Escasa atención se ha dispensado en la región neoespartana al conocimiento de las especies exótica, refiriéndose sólo algunos casos aislados. Se contempló como objetivo de este trabajo evaluar el estado actual de las especies exóticas en el estado, como una contribución a la preservación de su diversidad biológica. Se obtuvo información a partir de dos fuentes básicas: documental (de artículos publicados en revistas científicas, presentaciones en congresos y tesis de grado) e instrumental (de encuestas aplicadas a personajes vinculadas al tema ambiental). Se preparó un inventario de las especies introducidas a Nueva Esparta, las cuales fueron caracterizadas de acuerdo a criterios operativos (condición y nivel de amenaza). Se registraron 149 especies no nativas, siendo 62 vegetales y 87 animales. Árboles-arbustos y peces fueron los componentes más abundantes (35 y 24 especies, respectivamente). La mayor proporción se encuentra sometida a cultivo (38%) o se mantienen en cautividad (24%), aunque una fracción significativa (11%) tiene características invasoras. Se propone un plan de gestión para las especies exóticas, con miras a preservar la diversidad biológica insular, el cual incluye formular nuevas zonas protectoras, impulsar campañas de concientización, desarrollar proyectos para el control de especies invasoras en específico y revisar la normativa legal al efecto.

- by Nicolas R Ehemann and +1
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- Conservation Ecology, Invasive species ecology

In this chapter, I discuss case-studies that have used animal-cognition principles in conservation. I expand on four conceptual essays about the interface of behavior and conservation, which were previously published in The Conservation Behaviorist (TCB), a biannual periodical of the Animal Behavior Society’s Conservation Committee: Animal Cognition and Its Role in Conservation Behavior, Behavioral Unknowns: an Emerging Challenge for Conservation, Contribution of Animal Behavior Research to Conservation Biology, and Behavior and Conservation in the Galapagos. My specific goal here is to draw attention to the value of animal-cognition-based studies that relate to conservation —conducted mostly by conservation biologists needing to apply cognition principles in their work— remark on the cognitive concepts intrinsic to each case, and encourage discussion and research in the interface of animal cognition and conservation behavior.

- by Magdy El-Alwany
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- Conservation Ecology, Biodiversity
- by Enrique Angulo Pratolongo
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- Conservation Ecology

Procedure:
1. Put on new gloves to handle scat sample (if no gloves: use leaves, pebbles or twigs). Do not touch or handle scat sample with bare hands. Scat sample or parts of scat sample must be selected based on downstream analysis requirements. For example, parts of scat sample containing bones or hair for diet analyses and fresh parts of scat (mostly the outermost layer possessing sloughed off large intestine epithelial layer cells) for predator identification through DNA analysis must be chosen only.
2. Place the selected parts of scat pile in the paper bag and then place paper bag inside a Ziploc® bag containing silica desiccant. Ensure minimal damage of scat morphology and transfer of other elements such as grass, sand, etc. To prevent cross contamination, place only one uniquely identified scat sample in each paper bag. If multiple scat piles exist, handle and collect separately.
3. Label both the paper and the Ziploc® collection bags using permanent ink with details of scat sample – e.g. suspected species, GPS location, date, collecting person's name, macro-and micro-habitat details, etc.
4. If the scat sample is very fresh and moist, add silica desiccant to the Ziploc® bag containing the paper bag in an approximate 4(silica):1(scat) w/w ratio. Reduce silica accordingly – no need to add silica if scat sample appears very dry and old. Scat samples exposed to moisture and sunlight can allow for microbial and UV light activity respectively – both leading to the degradation of DNA in the scat sample. Hence, ensure minimal exposure of scat sample to both elements (moisture and sunlight) after collection.
5. Store sample bags in a cool and dry place and transport to the laboratory for long-term storage at 4 degrees C and subsequent downstream analyses (DNA extraction, etc). Note: Collection must be done strictly based on requirement as removal of complete scat pile(s) from any location may affect or disturb animal behavior or movements.

- by Ashwin Naidu
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- Conservation Biology, Conservation Genetics, Wildlife Biology, Population Genetics

I circa cinquanta individui di orso bruno marsicano, bellissima sottospecie appenninica di orso bruno (Ursus arctos marsicanus - Altobello, 1921) rappresentano la popolazione più minacciata d'Europa tra i mammiferi.
Che fare per provare a salvarlo?
Tra le varie ipotesi la Società Italiana per la Storia della Fauna propone la creazione di una banca genetica per la riproduzione e la conservazione della specie ex situ (art 9 Convenzione per la Biodiversità), così come già accade in altre parti del mondo per altre specie. Si tratta di una misura che mira a mettere in sicurezza il patrimonio genetico di questa popolazione endemica italiana ridotta al lumicino

Bruno Latour and the anthropology of the moderns 1 Imagine the brainwashing in store for a provincial, bourgeois Catholic with an advanced degree in philosophy who finds himself transported into the cauldron of neo-colonial Africa, with a wife and child, no less! In the Abidjan of 1973-75, I discovered all at once the most predatory forms of capitalism, the methods of ethnography, and the puzzles of anthropology. And one puzzling question in particular that has never left me: why do we use the ideas of modernity, the modernizing frontier, the contrast between modern and premodern, before we even apply to those who call themselves civilizers the same methods of investigation that we apply to the 'others' -those whom we claim, if not to civilize entirely, then at least to modernize a little? …. 2

- by David Berliner and +1
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- Critical Theory, Religion, History, Cultural History
- by Magdy El-Alwany
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- Conservation Ecology, Fish Biology, Biodiversity

Ecocentrism is the broadest term for worldviews that recognize intrinsic value in all lifeforms and ecosystems themselves, including their abiotic components. Anthropocentrism, in contrast, values other lifeforms and ecosystems insofar as they are valuable for human well-being, preferences and interests. Herein, the authors examine the roots of ecocentrism and discuss its mixed history of international recognition. They argue that non-human nature has intrinsic value irrespective of human preferences or valuation, and they refute the claim that ecocentrism is misanthropic. They then summarize four key examples from the academic literature in which anthropocentrism fails to provide an ethic adequate for respecting and protecting planet Earth and its inhabitants. The authors conclude that ecocentrism is essential for solving our unprecedented environmental crisis, arguing its importance from four perspectives: ethical, evolutionary, spiritual and ecological. They contend that a social transformation towards ecocentrism is not only an ethical but a practical imperative, and they urge support for ecocentric understanding and practices.

- by Helen Kopnina and +1
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- Landscape Ecology, Sociology, Environmental Sociology, Environmental Science

Saat ini meskipun obat tradisional cukup banyak digunakan oleh masyarakat dalam usaha pengobatan sendiri (self-medication), profesi kesehatan/dokter umumnya masih enggan untuk meresepkan ataupun menggunakannya. Hal tersebut berbeda dengan di beberapa negara tetangga seperti Cina, Korea, dan India yang mengintegrasikan cara dan pengobatan tradisional di dalam sistem pelayanan kesehatan formal. Alasan utama keengganan profesi kesehatan untuk meresepkan atau menggunakan obat tradisional karena bukti ilmiah mengenai khasiat dan keamanan obat tradisional pada manusia masih kurang. 1 Obat tradisional Indonesia merupakan warisan budaya bangsa sehingga perlu digali, diteliti dan dikembangkan agar dapat digunakan lebih luas oleh masyarakat.

- by Westy Aqmarcellia Rizky
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- Biochemistry, Bioethics, Conservation Biology, Conservation

Ulloa, R. (Editor). 2013. Biocorredores: una estrategia para la conservación de la biodiversidad, el ordenamiento territorial y el desarrollo sustentable en la Zona de Planificación 1 (Carchi, Imbabura, Esmeraldas y Sucumbíos). Dirección Provincial del Ambiente de Imbabura–Coordinación Zonal 1. Mesa Técnica de Trabajo de Biocorredores. Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador. Conservación Internacional Ecuador y Fundación Altrópico. Ibarra, Ecuador.

Natural history collections serve to teach us about the extent and evolution of biodiversity; they also teach us about the evolution of the human understanding of, and relationships with, the natural world. Early avian specimens in the collection of the Randolph College biology department have direct ties to notable nineteenth-and early twentieth-century scientists and collectors, and derive from important private collections as well as the Smithsonian. By examining the provenance of these early specimens, we may begin to appreciate their significance, not simply as scientific reference material, but also important artifacts of our cultural heritage. They are relevant to understanding issues of imperialism, the westward expansion of the United States, the development of conservation law, and S m i t h | 4 Michel Foucault, "Natural history is nothing more than the nomination of the visible." Following this definition, taxonomy is understood as the relationship between "two irreducible elements: seeing and the naming of that which is seen." 12 As practical, effective systems of taxonomy developed, they enhanced the ability of scientists and amateurs alike to describe and classify what they saw in nature. In the eighteenth century, Linnaeus͛s Systema Naturae offered a logical, comparative method for the classification of plants, which was easily learned and thus helped to popularize the study of botany. 13

- by Emily Smith
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- Botany, Zoology, Cultural Studies, Ornithology

I am still on the first stretch of this nomadic exploration, but I think I can begin to answer the question that is guiding this exploration—'how can the Natural-Indigenous Worldview support our understandings of the potential for an anarchist society (i.e. for social order without hierarchical domination)?' The key of Natural-Indigenous Worldview that opens the lock of an anarchist society, of a society without hierarchical domination, comes in the Natural-Indigenous Worldview's spiritual ecology. When we develop the four R's (responsibility, reciprocity, respect, relationships [Young 2015]) through relating to the world in a manner that is facilitated by the spiritual ecology that rises from the Natural-Indigenous Worldview and thus ascribes spirit to all things without regard for the Colonial Modernist Worldview's distinction between 'animate' and 'inanimate', we come to see the world as a single, living, conscious being. The illusion of a discrete distinction between self and other breaks down and we come to see the self (and other selves) as strands in the unified, conscious web of creation. We come to care for all of creation as we would care for our children, for our partners, for our parents and for our self. Transcending the illusion of discrete individuality we develop a lovingly reciprocal, responsible, respectful and relational orientation to the world that begets virtuous thought, feeling, behavior and being without recourse to hierarchical authority (to punishment and fear of punishment). Engaging with the world through the spiritual ecology that rises from the Natural-Indigenous Worldview allows the sprouts of human nature to grow to fruition without recourse to hierarchical domination (i.e. without recourse to attempts to 'help sprouts grow' by pulling on them and the death of the sprouts of human nature portended by such hierarchical folly [Meng Zi 2016, 2A2]).

Timber harvesting data are very essential for sustainable management of forest resources. These data are very scarce in developing countries. Therefore, we collected and analyzed data on the rate of timber production of the free areas and the forest reserves in Ondo State, Nigeria. L. F. Ogundare Ondo State Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Forestry and Wildlife Services, Akure, Nigeria. Responsible editor: Hu Yanbo forest degradation were suggested.

- by Adewole Olagoke
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- Conservation Ecology, Sustainable forestry management