Habitat niche relationships within an assemblage of ungulates in Bardia National Park,Nepal

Species co-exist in their individual niches by partitioning resources. The main prey of the big predators – wild boar, chital, and sambar are sympatric in tropical south-Asia. In order to obtain a better understanding of their habitat use and habitat niche relationships, we used an indirect sign (faecal pellets and rooting by wild boar) survey along line transects in Bardia National Park. Ground cover, in particular grass cover for wild boar and chital, and shrub cover for chital and sambar positively affected the occurrence of ungulate signs. We found a niche differentiation between wild boar, which preferred hill sal forest and grassland, and chital and sambar, which avoided hill sal forest and grassland. Habitat niche overlap between chital and sambar in open habitat was clearly evident during the dry season. It is suggested that the fine grained habitat mosaics in space are the underlying causes of the coexistence of the ungulates studied. Therefore, focus on maintaining the habitat mosaic throughout the regions of the species’ distribution may prove successful for effective conservation management.     

Diet and prey selection of clouded leopards and tigers in Laos

In Southeast Asia, conservation of ‘Vulnerable’ clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa) and ‘Endangered’ tigers (Panthera tigris) might depend on the management of their preferred prey because large felid populations are limited by the availability of suitable prey. However, the diet of clouded leopards has never been determined, so the preferred prey of this felid remains unknown. The diet of tigers in the region has been studied only from one protected‐area complex in western Thailand, but prey preferences were not determined. To better understand the primary and preferred prey of threatened felids, we used DNA‐confirmed scats and prey surveys to determine the diet and prey selection of clouded leopards and tigers in a hilly evergreen forest in northern Laos. For clouded leopards, the primary prey was wild pig (Sus scrofa; 33% biomass consumed), followed by greater hog badger (Arctonyx collaris; 28%), small rodents (15%), and mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis; 13%; hereafter, serow). For tigers, the primary prey was wild pig (44%), followed by serow (18%), sambar (Rusa unicolor; 12%), and Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus; 10%). Compared to availability, serow was positively selected by both clouded leopards (D = 0.69) and tigers (0.61), whereas all other ungulate species were consumed in proportion to the availability or avoided. Our results indicate that clouded leopards are generalist predators with a wide prey spectrum. Nonetheless, mid‐sized ungulates (50–150 kg) comprised nearly half of their diet, and were the preferred prey, supporting a previous hypothesis that the enlarged gape and elongated canines of clouded leopards are adaptations for killing large prey. Because serow was the only ungulate preferred by both felids, we recommend that serow populations be monitored and managed to help conservation efforts for clouded leopards and tigers, at least in hilly evergreen forests of Southeast Asia.     

青藏高原有蹄类动物多样性和特有性: 演化与保护

青藏高原是地球上一个独特的自然地理单元, 具有丰富的生境类型和生物种类, 是生物多样性与全球环境变化领域的热点研究区域。青藏高原发育着独特的动物区系, 尤其是有蹄类动物, 如藏羚(Pantholops hodgsonii)、野牦牛(Bos mutus)、藏原羚(Procapra picticaudata)、普氏原羚(P. przewalskii)、白唇鹿(Przewalskium albirostris)等青藏高原特有动物。在本文中, 我们探讨了如下问题: 青藏高原有多少种有蹄类动物?有多少种特有有蹄类动物?其分布格局如何?生存状况如何?保护现状如何?我们首先确定了青藏高原动物地理区的地理边界。发现青藏高原有28种有蹄类, 其中10种是青藏高原特有种。青藏高原有蹄类种数占中国有蹄类的42%, 单位面积上的有蹄类物种密度比中国现生有蹄类物种平均密度高62%。特有种比例高达36%。然而, 青藏高原有蹄类物种分布不均匀, 其丰富度呈东部高西部低格局, 而高原特有有蹄类则分布于高原腹地。青藏高原有蹄类动物生存受威胁比例高, 其中71%为受威胁物种, 54%被列入濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约(CITES)附录I或附录II。野外调查发现大额牛(Bos frontalis)已经野外灭绝, 目前仅在高黎贡山有人工养殖的群体。青藏高原有蹄类物种红色名录指数从1998-2015年呈现持续下降趋势, 全球气候变化将加剧这一趋势。青藏高原有蹄类受威胁局面仍在继续, 物种生存状况持续恶化。虽然经过40年的自然保护区建设, 但一些青藏高原有蹄类的重要种群与栖息地并没有被自然保护区和新建的三江源国家公园所覆盖。因此, 在开发青藏高原、实现人类社会经济发展目标的同时, 应尽量保存高原野生动物种群与生境, 实现青藏高原草地生态系统的可持续利用与生物多样性保护的双赢目标。     

Habitat preferences of the forest birds on the island of Príncipe, Gulf of Guinea

The forests of southwest Príncipe are recognized as important for biodiversity conservation. Here, we study the distribution and density of fifteen of the island's endemic bird species (including three Globally Threatened and one Near-Threatened) within the National Park. The endemic subspecies of the Near-Threatened Gulf of Guinea thrush occurred at a density of 0.08 birds ha⁻¹, which is far lower than its sister subspecies on the neighbouring island of São Tomé. We also present evidence that the effects of access routes around the protected area exert an influence on bird species within the National Park. The grey parrot, which still suffers from illegal hunting, was more likely to be encountered further away from roads, with 25% of variation in its occurrence explained by distance to the nearest road. In addition, the occurrence of all four threatened species was more likely further from access routes. Careful consideration must therefore be given to the potential impacts within the National Park of developments outside the currently protected area.     

Conservation of Red Colobus and Their Habitats

A review of the conservation status of red colobus indicates that ≥38.9% of the taxa are threatened with extinction in the near future. Although no taxon of red colobus appears to have gone extinct, many of their populations have. The major threats are hunting and habitat loss and degradation, but in some cases intrinsic biotic factors, such as predator-prey imbalance, are leading to serious declines in populations. I propose a general framework for evaluating conservation problems and possible solutions, with an emphasis on distinguishing between proximate and ultimate variables and the time scales involved. In general, most viable populations of red colobus occur in well-protected forests; usually national parks. I proffer recommendations to improve the conservation status of the parks, which will benefit red colobus and most other tropical forest species.     

Status of globally threatened birds of Sapo National Park,Liberia

Sapo National Park was the first established and is the largest national park in Liberia and contains the secondlargest area of primary tropical rainforest in West Africa. However, little is known about the distribution, population density, and ecology of threatened birds occurring in the park. In this study, we assessed the population status and distribution of birds of global conservation concern occurring in the park. Between April and June 2014, we surveyed 17 line transects of 2 km each in and around Sapo National Park, using Distance Sampling. We recorded eight of the 13 globally threatened birds in Liberia, including Gola Malimbe Malimbus ballmanni (Endangered), Timneh Parrot Psittacus timneh (Endangered) and Yellow-bearded Greenbul Criniger olivaceus (Vulnerable). The results of this study provide the first baseline information on the status of these species in the park and also show the importance of Sapo National Park in the conservation of not only birds but also biodiversity in general in Liberia and West Africa.     

Plain tales from the grasslands: extraction, value and utilization of biomass in Royal BardiaNational Park, Nepal

Royal Bardia National Park in Southern Nepal contains a number of internationally endangered wildlife species, and a mix of habitats, including areas of grassland known as phantas. The conservation and current use of these areas is briefly described, including the extraction of grass from inside the National Park by local people living in adjacent villages. The products collected fulfil a range of human needs, both practical and ceremonial. The study attempts to quantify the annual offtake in both material and monetary terms, and comments on the sustainability of the practice. Alternative sources of roofing materials are apparently outside the scope of poorer households. The use of these materials has particular significance given the initiation of a Parks and People Project to implement a Buffer Zone around the National Park and effectively to link conservation and development needs.     

Diversity, natural history and conservation of mammals from San Vito de Coto Brus, Costa Rica

Although Costa Rica has been biologically well studied, few areas have complete mammal inventories, which are essential for ecological studies and conservation. The San Vito region is considered among the most important for scientific research in the country because of the presence of the Wilson Botanical Garden and Las Cruces. However, the knowledge of its mammalian fauna is incomplete. We extensively studied the mammals of San Vito, compiled a checklist, and evaluated its composition, relative abundance, habitat distribution, and conservation status. We recorded 105 species, representing 85 genera, 29 families, and 10 orders. Non-volant mammals represented 62 species, 59 genera, 23 families, and 9 orders. Bats belonged to 6 families, 26 genera and 43 species. The extensive deforestation and hunting have caused the extinction of seven species, but the region still supports, surprisingly, a relatively high number of species, most of which are rare. Few species are common and abundant. Species richness was higher in forest, and forest fragments; fewer species were found in coffee plantations, induced grasslands, and secondary vegetation. Around 21% (13 species) are included in the IUCN red book. Three species are considered endangered (Saimiri oerstedii, Tapirus bairdii, and Sylvilagus dicei), and two threatened (Myrmecophaga trydactila and Caluromys derbianus), of which two (T. bairdii and M. trydactila) are locally extinct. The other species in IUCN are either of low risk (i.e. Chironectes minimus) or data deficient (Lontra longicaudis). Additionally, 24 species (39%) are included in CITES.     

石门国家森林公园典型杉木林植被结构分析

以石门国家森林公园典型南亚热带杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)林为对象,对林分内乔木层、灌木层、层间层、草本层的组成及多样性进行调查分析。结果表明,调查区内杉木林乔木层主要树种为杉木、木荷(Schima superba)、马尾松(Pinus massoniana)、罗浮柿(Diospyros morrisiana)、华润楠(Machilus chinensis)、鸭脚木(Schefflera octophylla)等,杉木占比39.7%～68.7%,其他阔叶树占比31.3%～60.3%;林下植物灌木有50种,层间层有21种,草本有19种,具有较高的植物多样性,林下植物总体Shannon-Wiener多样性指数为2.73。该研究为南亚热带杉木林尤其是石门国家森林公园杉木林保育及促进森林植被向更高级阶段演替提供重要依据。     

Perception of local people towards conservation of forest resources in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve,north-western Himalaya,India

This article examines the perception of the Bhotiya tribal community on the use and conservation of natural resources in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR), north-western Himalaya in India with an objective of identifying the bottlenecks in the sustainable management of forest resources of NDBR through people’s participation. Despite, 85% of the respondents supporting the concept of conservation of forest resources, management decisions such as ban on mountaineering activities by creation of the Nanda Devi National Park (NDNP) in 1982 and NDBR in 1988, developed negative attitude among local people towards NDBR management, mainly because of restricted access to the forest resources for their livelihood. Promotion of some alternative income generating activities to reduce the dependence on natural resources was responded positively by the local people.     

Amphibian Diversity and Threatened Species in a Severely Transformed Neotropical Region in Mexico

Many regions around the world concentrate a large number of highly endangered species that have very restricted distributions. The mountainous region of central Veracruz, Mexico, is considered a priority area for amphibian conservation because of its high level of endemism and the number of threatened species. The original tropical montane cloud forest in the region has been dramatically reduced and fragmented and is now mainly confined to ravines and hillsides. We evaluated the current situation of amphibian diversity in the cloud forest fragments of this region by analyzing species richness and abundance, comparing assemblage structure and species composition, examining the distribution and abundance of threatened species, and identifying the local and landscape variables associated with the observed amphibian diversity. From June to October 2012 we sampled ten forest fragments, investing 944 person-hours of sampling effort. A total of 895 amphibians belonging to 16 species were recorded. Notable differences in species richness, abundance, and assemblage structure between forest fragments were observed. Species composition between pairs of fragments differed by an average of 53%, with the majority (58%) resulting from species replacement and the rest (42%) explained by differences in species richness. Half of the species detected are under threat of extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and although their distribution and abundance varied markedly, there were also ubiquitous and abundant species, along with rare species of restricted distribution. The evident heterogeneity of the ten study sites indicates that to conserve amphibians in a mountainous region such as this one it is necessary to protect groups of fragments which represent the variability of the system. Both individually and together cloud forest fragments are very important to conservation because each remnant is inhabited by several threatened species, some of them at imminent risk of extinction.     

钱江源国家公园森林物种组成和群落结构

全面了解以国家公园为主体的自然保护地体系木本植物物种组成,特别是珍稀濒危物种,分析其区系特征及不同植被类型群落结构现状,对国家公园物种保护和不同植被类型恢复具有重要指导意义。基于对钱江源国家公园全域的木本植物调查,详细分析了不同胸径大小级森林植被类型的物种组成、区系特征、种-个体曲线分析和结构特征。调查涵盖313个木本物种,温带分布的科多于热带分布的科(22/35),热带分布的属略少于温带分布的属(28/31);中国特有属7个,特有种101个,中国珍稀保护物种10个,世界自然保护联盟(IUCN)红色名录的近危、易危和濒危物种17个。在同等取样水平下,物种多样性在常绿阔叶林最高,天然针叶林次之,杉木林最低;全域所有个体及各林型的径级分布总体呈现明显的倒"J"形,群落总体上更新良好。研究发现钱江源国家公园物种丰富,但由于包含较多次生林等植被类型,整体温带多于热带区系成分,亟待采取措施恢复至典型中亚热带常绿阔叶林植被;研究对钱江源国家公园木本植物物种的多样性及其更新情况等科学和保护实践急需解决的基本问题做出了回答,也为未来钱江源国家公园生物多样性保护和恢复提供了科学依据。     

COVID‐19 lockdown frees wildlife to roam but increases poaching threats in Nepal

To contain transmission of COVID‐19, lockdowns or strict restrictions of people''s mobility outside their residences were instituted in a majority of countries worldwide, including Nepal, where the first phase of nationwide lockdown was observed from 24 March to 21 July 2020. This sudden halt in human outdoor activities brought positive and negative impacts on forests and wildlife. We undertook a study to learn the impact of the COVID‐19 lockdown on wildlife and forests in the protected areas (PAs) of Nepal. Between July and September 2020, data on illegal activities recorded by the staff of PAs and also those reported by media were collected and analyzed. Key informant interviews (KII) were done with the park officers and security personnel by virtual communication (telephone, messenger app, and video call) to collect detailed information and for corroboration. The collected data were categorized into four groups: (a) wildlife killed, (b) wildlife injured, (c) arrest incidents related to forest crime, and (d) arrest incidents related to wildlife crime. Data from the fiscal year 2019–2020 were analyzed, comparing before lockdown and after. Among 20 PAs investigated during the lockdown, the study found substantial increases in wildlife death in two PAs, Banke National Park, and Bardia National Park. Similarly, Chitwan National Park (CNP) and Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park (SNNP) witnessed a rise in wildlife poaching. CNP and SNNP are located close to densely populated cities and also have human settlements in their peripheries. Wildlife was sighted freely roaming inside PAs during the lockdown, presumably because the absence of visitors and human activities during the lockdown decreased disturbance. Thus, the wildlife was enjoying the freedom of movement on the one hand, and on the other hand was threatened by poachers, many of whom were laid off from other activities and were taking advantage of the lapse in security.     

Protective Status,Ecology and Strategies for Improving Conservation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cercocebus sanjei</Emphasis> in the Udzungwa Mountains,Tanzania

Sanje mangabeys (Cercocebus sanjei), first described in 1981, are among the most endangered primates in the world. They are endemic to the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania, in a biogeographic region designated one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. Conservation research since 1997 has documented the presence of the mangabey in only 3 of the relict montane forest blocks of the Udzungwas. The total population, possibly < 1,500 animals, is fragmented and not adequately protected. A substantial proportion (perhaps 40%) live in forest reserves outside the protective confines of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, and they are affected by habitat loss and hunting. Efforts to improve their conservation status include assessment of distribution, relative abundance, and habitat quality, and initiation of observational research with habituated individuals to acquire critically important data on their habitat requirements, diet, movement patterns, socioecology, and community ecology. These interrelated research activities should contribute to effective management for conservation, provide baseline information to support current efforts to expand the boundaries of the national park, and guide potential future establishment of corridors between the major forests known to support mangabey groups.     

Common Property and Conservation: The Potential for Effective Communal Forest Management Within a National Park in Mexico

Common property regimes may contribute to environmental conservationand offer a complementary institutional model to state-run protected areas. The potential conservation value of common property management is of particular significance in Mexico, where a large majority of forests are held communally. Systems of common property management often exist in a context of close institutional overlap with state institutions. This project assessed the function of a common property regime nested within Lagunas de Montebello National Park (PNLM) in Chiapas, Mexico. We documented forest status and analyzed common property forest management institutions following severe fires that threatened forest conservation. Forests managed by the common property regime are less intact than federal forests, yet still moderately conserved, and many attributes necessary for common property management are functional, despite the recent fire crisis. Yet external authorities contest common property management by local institutions, resulting in limited joint management by the national park and the community. Formalization and expansion of de facto cooperation between the federal and community institutions may enhance forest conservation within PNLM.     

Inferring wildlife poaching in southeast Asia with multispecies dynamic occupancy models

Determining the ‘space race’ between co-occurring species is crucial to understand the effects of interspecific interactions on the extinction risk of species threatened by poachers and predators. Dynamic two-species occupancy models provide a flexible framework to decompose complex species interaction patterns, while accounting for imperfect detection. These models can describe poachers–wildlife interactions, as they allow estimating occupancy, extinction and colonisation probabilities of wildlife conditional on the occurrence of poachers and vice versa. We applied our model to a case study on wildlife poaching in the eastern plains of Cambodia. We used co-occurrence data extracted from the database of the SMART partnership to study the distribution dynamics between poachers and six ungulate species pooled together into the tiger prey guild. We used four years of survey data reporting the locations of snares and of presence signs of the ungulates recorded by rangers during their monthly multi-patrolling sessions. Our results showed that a substantial proportion of the sites occupied by ungulate species went extinct over the years of the study while the proportion of sites colonised by poachers increased. We also showed, for the first time, that spatio-temporal heterogeneity in the patrolling effort explains a great deal of the variation in the detection of poachers and ungulates. Our approach provides practitioners with a flexible and robust tool to assess conservation status of species and extinction risk of wildlife populations. It can assist managers in better evaluating, learning and adapting the patrolling strategies of rangers.     

Standardizing the double-observer survey method for estimating mountain ungulate prey of the endangered snow leopard

Mountain ungulates around the world have been threatened by illegal hunting, habitat modification, increased livestock grazing, disease and development. Mountain ungulates play an important functional role in grasslands as primary consumers and as prey for wild carnivores, and monitoring of their populations is important for conservation purposes. However, most of the several currently available methods of estimating wild ungulate abundance are either difficult to implement or too expensive for mountainous terrain. A rigorous method of sampling ungulate abundance in mountainous areas that can allow for some measure of sampling error is therefore much needed. To this end, we used a combination of field data and computer simulations to test the critical assumptions associated with double-observer technique based on capture-recapture theory. The technique was modified and adapted to estimate the populations of bharal (Pseudois nayaur) and ibex (Capra sibirica) at five different sites. Conducting the two double-observer surveys simultaneously led to underestimation of the population by 15%. We therefore recommend separating the surveys in space or time. The overall detection probability for the two observers was 0.74 and 0.79. Our surveys estimated mountain ungulate populations (± 95% confidence interval) of 735 (± 44), 580 (± 46), 509 (± 53), 184 (± 40) and 30 (± 14) individuals at the five sites, respectively. A detection probability of 0.75 was found to be sufficient to detect a change of 20% in populations of >420 individuals. Based on these results, we believe that this method is sufficiently precise for scientific and conservation purposes and therefore recommend the use of the double-observer approach (with the two surveys separated in time or space) for the estimation and monitoring of mountain ungulate populations.     

三江源国家公园兽类物种多样性及区系分析

为了解三江源国家公园野生兽类的分布现状,2015-2017年对园区进行了实地调查。根据调查结果并参考相关文献资料,三江源国家公园内野生兽类共62种,分别隶属8目19科44属。园区内兽类呈现出物种多样性高,珍稀濒危物种多,特有种多的特点：三江源国家公园内的兽类物种多样性G-F指数为0.77,表明该区域物种多样性处于很高水平。根据中国物种红色名录,20个物种受威胁（极危、濒危和易危）,比例为32.26%,远高于国家整体水平;中国或青藏高原特有种29种,占46.77%。三江源国家公园在动物地理区划上属于古北界青藏区,在地理分布型上,以古北界成分为主,东洋界成分为辅,以古北界高山型成分最多,有25种,且资源量大,表明三江源国家公园的兽类以适应高寒气候的特殊种类为主。3个园区的平均动物区系相似性比较结果表明,长江源园区与澜沧江源园区为共同关系,黄河源园区与长江源园区和澜沧江源园区为密切关系。近些年,三江源地区的兽类保护工作取得了很好的效果,并得到国内外认可,本研究结合园区生物多样性和区系特点,根据保护现状,提出了今后的监测保护建议。     

百山祖国家公园公益林碳储量及分配特征

探讨区域尺度的碳储量及其空间分布特征,评估优势树种(组)的固碳能力,可为生态系统保护措施的制定提供数据参考.百山祖国家公园保存了我国东南沿海最为典型完整的中亚热带森林生态系统,但百山祖公园碳密度和碳储量的特征还不清楚.本研究以百山祖国家公园公益林为对象,利用森林资源一类清查数据,基于浙江省各优势树种(组)的相容性生物量...     

How does a re-colonizing population of Asian elephants affect the forest habitat?

The Asian elephant Elephas maximus is currently re-colonizing the Bardia National Park in lowland Nepal. We studied their impact on woody vegetation in the nutrient-rich floodplain and in the relatively nutrient-poor sal forest. The types and extent of tree impact were recorded along fixed-width transects (335 km). Species composition, density and size classes ≥8 cm diameter breast height (dbh) were recorded in 15-m radius random plots ( n =95). Impact was higher in the floodplain complex than in the sal-dominated forest. Our hypothesis that elephants were more selective on species in the nutrient-poor sal forest was only partly supported; the niche breadth of impacted trees was slightly higher in the floodplain complex. Pushed-over trees accounted for the highest proportion of impact (55%), followed by killed trees (39%). Of the pushed trees, 10% were not used for food. Among food trees, elephants selectively impacted size class 12–16 cm dbh, whereas non-food trees were impacted independently of size. A large proportion of the freshly browsed trees had been felled previously, indicating that most felled trees survived, enabling elephants to feed on them again. This may reflect an evolutionary adaptation among long-lived species with high site fidelity. Owing to preferential use but low abundance, two species in sal forest, Grewia spp. and Desmodium oojeinense , were found to be particularly vulnerable to local extinction due to elephants. Although the elephants had impacted a large number of species (62, 73% of all), 56.4% of the impacted trees consisted of Mallotus phillippinensis . A recently observed increase in the density of M. phillippinensis and the concurrent reduction of the hardly utilized Shorea robusta indicates that the rapidly growing elephant population may modify the composition of the forest by increasing its preferred food species.