Managing reindeer and wildlife on Alaska's Seward Peninsula

When reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus tarandus ) were introduced to Alaska's Seward Peninsula between 1892 and 1902, other ungulates were not present and large predators were either absent or less abundant than after reindeer were established. During the next 100 years reindeer numbers and distribution increased and declined precipitously on the Seward Peninsula; wildlife species repopulated this region through natural processes or translocations by man; the non-Native human population of Alaska increased dramatically and wildlife management became an issue of national concern creating diverse public desires regarding resource use; and both range and wildlife became intensively managed through complex, politicized processes. This paper provides an historical overview of reindeer and wildlife abundance on the Seward Peninsula during the 20th century and describes the effects of wildlife on the reindeer industry. Cooperative public processes have been initiated to bring diverse public interests together; meld indigenous, scientific and local knowledge of resources; and supplement governmental wildlife management programmes. Even so, the Seward Peninsula reindeer industry has been severely impacted by wildlife, especially caribou ( R. t. granti ).     

Beliefs about Ecological Impacts Predict Deer Acceptance Capacity and Hunting Support

Ecological impacts of deer overbrowsing often lead resource managers to recommend deer control through hunting, which may be strongly opposed by local residents. Adaptive impact management argues that understanding wildlife impacts of concern to the public can improve wildlife management. However, research on public wildlife acceptance capacity for deer, and on support for hunting, has emphasized concerns about household impacts and deer well-being, general environmental beliefs and attitudes, and beliefs about consequences of hunting, but not public concerns about deer ecological impacts. Our survey of neighbors of urban wetlands shows that beliefs about deer ecological impacts are statistically significant predictors of deer acceptance capacity and of support for hunting, controlling for other factors. Including ecological-impact beliefs adds substantially to the explained variance in deer acceptance capacity, and slightly to the explained variance in support for hunting.     

Impacts of Wildlife on Agriculture: A Spatial-Based Analysis and Economic Assessment for Reducing Damage

Over the last few years, the impacts of wildlife on agriculture have constantly been growing, in particular in areas close to woodland and in hunting ban zones (“refuge effect”). Public administrations have difficulty in meeting the growing requests for crop damage compensation. The development of appropriate measures to control this trend—starting from the understanding of the dynamics concerned—is crucial. The aim of this study was, therefore, to analyze damage at regional scale and define common local actions. In particular, the study involved different steps that define a spatial-based classification of risk levels, integrating statistical methods (principal component analysis and receiver operating characteristic) with multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) in a geographic information system (GIS). It turns out that, in the study area, the very high-risk zones affect 8.83% of used agricultural areas; about 97% of them concentrated in the first 400 m from the most suitable habitats. A selected cluster of 11 test areas within these zones allowed us to assess the cost-effectiveness of integrated prevention and control actions (IPCA) with respect to the compensation of the damage. The analysis shows cost of IPCA to be nearly twice the actual cost incurred by the public administration to compensate partially the damage. The comparison with the estimated damage shows the overall economic convenience of the proposed investment with significant differences depending on the areas. Thus, we suggest reaching an “agro-ecological” balance starting from actions on specific areas; if they produce the desired effects, they could be progressively extended to other areas with gradual investments (adaptive management).

     

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND BAMBOO MANAGEMENT IN CHINA'S SOUTHEAST UPLANDS*

ABSTRACT. The subtropical forests, grasslands, and wetlands of Southeast China's Wuyi‐Daiyun Mountain Range provide essential habitats for diverse wildlife, including a dwindling population of tigers. Three primary protected areas, the Meihuashan, Wuyishan, and Longxishan Nature Reserves, contain varied wildlife habitats and also provide natural resources for 7,000 people in several dozen villages. A field‐based study of land use and habitat quality in these reserves shows that anthropogenic bamboo forests are among the least valuable habitats for wildlife but that, as the primary source of household income, bamboo monoculture is spreading rapidly and replacing habitats of greater ecological value. Although authorities in Meihuashan have demarcated the many broadleaf forest patches for strict protection, household income and bamboo‐management research in all three reserves suggests that successful habitat conservation may ultimately depend on more equitable systems of land tenure, improved cooperative cottage industries, and greater local economic diversification.     

Scale dependent effects in resource selection by crop-raiding Japanese macaques in Niigata Prefecture,Japan

A resource selection function is one that yields values proportional to the probability of use of a resource unit. This quantity is influenced by the heterogeneity of landscape structures, which occurs over multiple spatial scales. To provide input into wildlife management strategies, we investigated the scale dependency and functional responses of Japanese macaques using multiple scale analysis. The multiple buffers with radii of 100, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 m were defined as the spatial scale. Crop damage was predicted at the within-home range scale, using the Random Forests algorithm with environmental variables linked to resource selection of Japanese macaques. Sixteen environmental variables were defined, covering aspects of landscape configuration, human disturbance, topography, and adopted countermeasures. Crop damage was most accurately predicted within a buffer zone of 1000 m, although radii exceeding 1000 m were also highly accurate. Although the importance of variables differed among spatial extents, the functional responses for each environmental variable were independent of spatial extent. These results suggest that the limiting factors of crop damage depend on spatial extent, while functional responses in resource selection remain constant across spatial extents. We also compared a multi-scale gradient map with a typical binary map to demonstrate the uncertainty in damage predictions at different spatial scales. Our results may aid wildlife management planning, for which differences in resource selection across different spatial scales are critically important.     

围栏引起的有蹄类动物死亡及其对未来祁连山国家公园管理的启示

围栏是牧区畜牧业的重要组成部分。但是,这些围栏也给野生动物带来了很多负面影响,会制约它们的活动范围,妨碍其种群扩散甚至会直接导致死亡。甘肃盐池湾国家级自然保护区未来将成为祁连山国家公园的重要组成部分,本文对该区内围栏的现状及其所产生的影响进行了评估。我们通过70份调查问卷,了解了当地牧民对围栏的看法、围栏对野生有蹄类动物的威胁以及观察到的被围栏缠绕的野生动物的数量。我们发现,如果当地居民发现用于管理牲畜的围栏会伤害到野生动物,他们更可能意识到围栏带来的负面影响,那些认为围栏对野生动物有害的人更有可能支持拆除围栏。然而,对于需要雇用他人来照看家畜的牧民,支持围栏拆除的可能性较小。最佳模型只解释了部分数据差异,这表明虽然对围栏威胁的认识很重要,但其他因素可能也会影响牧民对围栏拆除的支持度。因此,为了能在新的国家公园内成功开展围栏拆除工作,有必要强化社区服务和社区合作,以减少围栏拆除对牲畜管理的影响。调查发现,当地牧民在围栏上发现过死亡的藏野驴、盘羊和藏原羚,其中发现藏野驴的次数明显多于其他两个物种。这一结果表明,前述三个物种可能更容易被围栏缠绕,未来需要加强相关研究,这将有助于推动围栏拆除计划的实施。     

Economic commodity or environmental crisis? An interdisciplinary approach to analysing the bushmeat trade in central and west Africa

Bushmeat is a large but largely invisible contributor to the economies of west and central African countries. Yet the trade is currently unsustainable. Hunting is reducing wildlife populations, driving more vulnerable species to local and regional extinction, and threatening biodiversity. This paper uses a commodity chain approach to explore the bushmeat trade and to demonstrate why an interdisciplinary approach is required if the trade is to be sustainable in the future.     

Intensity of competition for forage between livestock and wild herbivores based on grassland carrying capacity北大核心CSCD

放牧家畜与食草野生动物争草(畜兽冲突)是人兽冲突在草原放牧业中的具体体现,其涉及面广,对牧民生计影响明显。畜兽冲突强度研究对完善野生动物损害补偿制度、促进人与自然和谐共生具有重要意义。论文通过地面调查与模型模拟,考虑草地牧草产量、家畜存栏量和食草野生动物种群数量,提出了放牧家畜与食草野生动物争草冲突强度量化方法,评价了三江源国家公园玛多县牧草地畜兽争草强度。结果表明：(1)据2022年样线调查和随机森林模型估计,玛多县藏野驴(Equus kiang)、藏原羚(Procapra picticaudata)种群密度分别为0.2157头/km2、0.1655只/km2,种群数量分别为5307头、4073只,折合23264羊单位(SU),2018年末各类家畜存栏量34.2万SU,畜兽争草相对强度为1/14.7。(2)玛多县高寒草甸、高寒草原的可食牧草产量分别为118.7 g/m2、88.3 g/m2,可承载密度分别为0.2710 SU/hm2、0.1532 SU/hm2,理论承载力52.85万SU。家畜承载率、食草野生动物承载率、家畜+食草野生动物承载率分别为64.7%、4.4%和69.1%。(3)国家公园内的乡镇,草地承载力盈余,家畜承载率低、野生动物承载率高,但畜兽争草相对强度较大,建议完善移民搬迁、野生动物损害补偿制度,强化国家公园体制建设;国家公园外的乡镇,草地超载严重,家畜承载率高,畜兽争草强度不高,建议减畜增效、绿色发展。     

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Formal and Informal Institutional Synergy in a Case Study of Wildlife Governance in Ghana

Abstract

There has been the call to forge a synergistic relationship between local ecological knowledge and formal institutions in the governance of natural resources. How do informal institutions complement the efforts of formal state regulation of natural resources? How does this complementation foster a regularized human–wildlife interaction? Adopting an ethnographic design, this study assesses the role of institutional complementation in natural resource governance using the case of Boabeng–Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) in Ghana, West Africa. We purposively selected 33 informants relevant to the BFMS governance process. The study observes that the synergy between formal and informal institutions strengthens wildlife protection in BFMS and the surrounding villages. The usefulness of informal rules is enhanced if appropriately complemented with a formal institutional arrangement. Over time, it becomes necessary for informal rules to grow in dynamism to depict the principles of collaboration, inclusivity, and benefit arrangements.     

Influence of land use on the abundance of wildlife and livestock in the Kalahari,Botswana

Human land use such as pastoralism may be a key determinant of wildlife populations. We studied the influence of land use on wildlife and livestock in south-western Kalahari, Botswana, during the wet and dry seasons. We included two types of livestock areas and two types of wildlife protection areas. Wild and domestic mammals >0.2 kg were sampled by distance technique. Small mammals <0.2 kg were trapped and a vegetation survey was performed. Livestock and some medium-sized wildlife species were most abundant in livestock areas, while large-sized wildlife species were mainly restricted to wildlife areas. Most red-listed species were confined to the national park. The influence of land use on abundances changed moderately between seasons. However, cattle moved into wildlife areas during the wet season. Differences in species richness and diversity were most pronounced during the dry season. The trapping frequency of small mammals was highest in the national park. Differences in vegetation structure included sparser field layer and higher cover of an invasive shrub in livestock areas. Our study shows the importance of protected areas for many wildlife species in the Kalahari. It also shows the value of a multi-species approach for investigating the effects of land use on wildlife communities.     

3S技术在野生动物生境研究中的应用

3S技术可快速、准确、实时地获取、处理空间信息,具有广泛的应用性。该文从野生动物生境格局、生境破碎化、生境因子特性、生境分析模型建立、生境评价和生境恢复建设等方面,综合评述野生动物生境研究中3S的应用问题,并提出野生动物生境研究将朝着3S技术集成、GIS与数学模型结合、数据可视化模拟、网络化和智能化的方向发展。     

尼泊尔Koshi Tappu野生动物保护区中村落人类与野生动物冲突（英文）

人类与野生动物的冲突一直是尼泊尔许多地区（包括尼泊尔东部）面临的最棘手的问题之一。本研究评估了尼泊尔Sunsari区Koshi Tappu野生动物保护区Paschim Kusaha村的人类与野生动物冲突状况。通过问卷调查和正式/非正式访谈,从不同家庭的47名受访者中收集数据。结果显示,破坏力最大的野生动物为野象、野猪和野水牛,袭击最多的农作物为水稻（63.83%）、玉米（19.15%）和马铃薯（17.02%）。人类与野生动物之间的大部分相遇发生在夜间（黄昏后和黎明前）,有记录显示夜间相遇占总相遇次数的78.72%。当地居民受到的主要负面影响包括财产损失、动物骚扰以及野生动物对农田的破坏等。尽管保护区和周边地区的人类死亡率记录令人不安（在过去5年中有22人死亡）,但仍有70%的受访者对野生动物保护持积极态度。建议提高对野生动物行为的认识以及保护,设立容易获得补偿的计划和项目,以尽量减少该地区的人类与野生动物的冲突。     

Human dimensions of land use and land cover change related to civil unrest in the Imatong Mountains of South Sudan

Civil unrest disrupts not only the lives of people in the impacted area, but also the environment in ways not well understood. While armed conflict generally has a negative impact on the immediate environment, the absence of people due to war can be beneficial to local ecosystems and wildlife. Lack of access to a warzone during conflict, however, makes it difficult to gather primary data on the effects of conflict in real time. Satellite imagery has been used successfully to document changes on the landscape during and after war, but additional information is needed to explain the underlying drivers of these observed changes in land use and land cover. To understand how human decisions and actions during war and peace impact land use and subsistence practices, we combined results from key informant interviews with observations made from remotely-sensed satellite imagery and compared expected results with findings in seven major thematic areas. In the high biodiversity region of the Imatong Mountains in South Sudan, we discovered that while some people fled the area during the various conflicts, many others escaped to higher ground to live off the resources available from the forest. Earlier studies indicated that the impact on forest cover during and after the war were minimal in the Imatong Mountains, and extensive in the nearby Dongotana Hills. Discussions with local inhabitants confirmed these findings and provided further insights for how migration and land use patterns impacted forest cover and wildlife in this volatile region.     

Dynamics of hunting territories and prey distribution in Amazonian Indigenous Lands

Indigenous Lands in the Brazilian Amazon intend to guarantee indigenous rights and conserve forests, although many do not correspond to peoples' territorial needs and may not effectively preserve wildlife. Most indigenous people rely on game for subsistence, and the spatial distribution of hunts and prey determine hunting sustainability and wildlife conservation. I examined the Kaxinawa hunting territory dynamics through the participatory monitoring and mapping of 10 ILs. The Kaxinawa are central-place foragers whose ideal hunting territories have a circular shape with a radius of 5 km. The geopolitics of the Kaxinawa combined with spatial occupation distort hunting territories to maintain indigenous control while respecting the territories of nearby villages. The fission of large villages leads to reduced hunting territories but increases the overall hunted area, consequently affecting game populations. Kaxinawa hunting did not lead species to extinction. The Kaxinawa hunted 65% of prey within 2.5 km of the villages and the other 30% within 5 km. Although all of the species were hunted close to villages, the prey were smaller, and several sensitive species were rarely hunted. The replacement of such sensitivity for more resilient low-ranked species on hunting bags suggests that these species might be depleted near villages. These findings provide objective standards for titling Indigenous Lands and for improving wildlife management within these lands.     

西藏申扎县野生动物旅游社区参与模式研究

西藏申扎县野生动物旅游资源丰富,发展野生动物旅游可促进色林错国家级自然保护区的资源环境保护与申扎县社会经济可持续发展。分析申扎县野生动物旅游发展的基础与现状,提出野生动物旅游社区参与发展的理念和原则,从管理经营、资源环境保护、产品生态化开发、利益合理分配四方面构建申扎县野生动物旅游的社区参与模式,并探讨其保障机制。研究成果可为西藏申扎县野生动物旅游持续发展及其它地区野生动物旅游发展提供理论指导与案例借鉴。     

Human–Wildlife Interactions and Environmental Dynamics in the Okavango Delta,Botswana

The Okavango Delta in Botswana hosts abundant wildlife and a human population with diverse livelihoods. Representing a heterogeneous landscape nuanced by spatial and temporal variability, the region has recently seen an expansion of floodwaters with social impacts ranging from livelihood disruption to human displacement. This article reports on in-depth interviews conducted in 2012 regarding these transitions in Mababe, a community in the eastern Okavango Delta, to evaluate how dynamic environmental processes alter perceptions and livelihood responses. We focus on community members’ variable interactions with wildlife in spaces of human–wildlife overlap also experiencing change. While human–wildlife interactions can have negative effects, we find that perpetuating the common narrative of human–wildlife conflict overlooks how disruptions can usher in new relationships between people and animals. In order to move beyond the conflict narrative, we conclude that spatial and temporal context is essential to evaluate effects of dynamic, uneven, and sometimes unpredictable human–wildlife encounters.     

Agricultural expansion within Kimana electric fences and implications for natural resource conservation around Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Fencing has become a key strategy in mitigating human–wildlife conflicts and promoting agricultural production in Kenya. However, it can have negative long-term consequences for wildlife conservation as well as human development, especially if the fence is poorly maintained. Such is the case of the Kimana and Namelok fences in the Kimana Group Ranch. This study assessed the influence of fences on agricultural expansion, environmental and wildlife conservation. In both fences, irrigated agriculture was a dominant land use and occurred along riverbanks, causing drying downstream. Most farmers in both fences were noticing a decline in water quantity and time of access to it, as well as increasing human–wildlife conflicts. Wildlife sightings within both fences provided evidence that the inadequate fence maintenance allows wildlife to freely access the fenced areas. Both wildlife and humans were blamed for fence deterioration in both fences. Irrigated agriculture inside both fences is expanding at an unmanageable rate. While the fences have spurred socio-economic activities in the area, they are not only ineffective in reducing human–wildlife conflicts but have given rise to other critical conflicts. Fencing appears to be a short-term remedy for human–wildlife conflicts and it is crucial to explore other mitigation strategies.     

Transboundary biodiversity conservation of the Pha Taem Protected Forest Complex: A bioregional approach

With the financial assistance from the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the Thailand's Royal Forest Department (RFD) has initiated a strategy for cooperation in transboundary biodiversity conservation with Cambodia and Laos. The Pha Taem Protected Forest Complex (PPFC) in northeastern region was chosen as a pilot project because of the increasing pressure on biodiversity from illegal trade in plants and wildlife across the tri-national borders. The PPFC covers five protected areas in Thailand and adjoins the Phouxeingthong National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NCBA) in Laos and the Cambodia's Protected Forest for Conservation of Genetic Resources of Plants and Wildlife. Two important outputs derived from the project phase I (2001–2004) were a long-term management plan in a framework of transboundary biodiversity conservation and initiative cooperation between the three countries. Cooperation is achieved at certain level and Laos is reluctant to nominate the Phouxeingthong NBCA for inclusion in the project's second phase. In addition, forest cover in buffer zone has been encroached for agricultural practices. The ecological management zones using bioregional approach was developed to provide a framework for transboundary biodiversity conservation in the adjoining protected forests and reducing the conflict of resource uses by local residents in the buffer zone.     

韩国农业和渔业遗产系统的保护与管理(英文)

农业和渔业社区,除食物生产这一基本功能之外,其生物多样性及历史、文化功能正在日益引起人们的兴趣。一直以来,农业遗产系统及韩国重要农业遗产系统的发展都是大韩国民国中央政府的关键目标。在农业遗产系统发展的大前提下,一旦遗产受到损坏,假定其恢复及技术转让变得不可能,则需要开展针对其保护管理的详细研究。作者分析了几个由地方政府上报的韩国重要农业遗产系统实践案例,主要目标是确认每个案例的独特性,同时考量遗产性质、遗产面临的威胁,以及当前保护措施。作者发现,最常见的威胁是,由于农业环境的变化,维护遗产的种群在减少。相应地,每处遗产地都把大力发展当地旅游活动作为解决措施,但当前围绕旅游业制定的管理计划可能导致遗产地受到进一步的损害。作者根据分析,提出未来规划三大重要方面:加深对遗产的理解和认识;要有足够的空间来维护遗产的特性;要有新的产业计划以维持生产活动。这些建议将确保遗产保护和自然环境保护,以及通过生物多样性来确保农业和渔业社区获得有益养护。     

中国非消费型野生动物旅游若干问题研究

野生动物旅游在旅游业市场所占比例较小,但是野生动物旅游不仅市场潜力大,对生态环境和野生动物的影响也大。该文讨论非消费型野生动物观光游、体验游的发展状况及存在的问题,指出提高游客体验和控制旅游的环境影响是野生动物旅游产品可持续性的关键,而缺乏对人与动物行为互动的科学理解是导致野生动物旅游问题的主要原因。总结非消费型野生动物旅游开发和管理的基本经验,呼吁加强对非消费型野生动物旅游资源、旅游产品开发和管理措施的研究,促进非消费型野生动物旅游的可持续发展。