Small-scale dung survey reveals high forest elephant density and preference for mixed species forest in an intact protected area

Understanding the ecological factors influencing African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) abundance and distribution is crucial for their conservation management in Central Africa. Dung surveys have been conducted at the landscape scale and confirmed the overwhelming impact of anthropogenic activities on forest elephants. We present results from a small-scale survey in a pristine protected area without anthropogenic activities to elucidate the ecological factors influencing forest elephant density. We conducted a line transect dung survey in a small study area (110 km²) around Mbeli Bai, a natural forest clearing in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Republic of Congo, and compare results with a landscape survey conducted during the same period. We used habitat specific dung decay data collected on site to estimate elephant density using distance sampling. We fitted Generalized Additive Models to elephant dung encounter rate using explanatory variables collected during the transect survey and from geospatial data. The small-scale survey revealed a precise estimate of forest elephant density that was twice as high as the result from a landscape survey with higher density in mixed species forest for the small-scale survey. We could not find an impact of the proximity of forest clearings and proximity to rivers at the small scale. Fine-scale habitat features, e.g. degree of canopy and understorey closure, had little explanatory power for elephant dung encounter rate. Small-scale dung surveys are a useful method to reveal spatio-temporal variation in forest elephant density and distribution which can inform conservation practitioners in a timely manner. Combining monitoring methods at various spatial scales improves our knowledge and conservation efforts of forest elephants. Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park is a stronghold for forest elephants and of global importance for their conservation.

     

How much Dillenia indica seed predation occurs from Asian elephant dung?

Elephants are thought to be effective seed dispersers, but research on whether elephant dung effectively protects seeds from seed predation is lacking. Quantifying rates of seed predation from elephant dung will facilitate comparisons between elephants and alternative dispersers, helping us understand the functional role of megaherbivores in ecosystems. We conducted an experiment to quantify the predation of Dillenia indica seeds from elephant dung in Buxa Reserve, India from December 2012 to April 2013. Using dung boluses from the same dung pile, we compared the number of seeds in boluses that are a) opened immediately upon detection (control boluses), b) made available only to small seed predators (<3 mm wide) for 1–4 months, and c) made available to all seed predators and secondary dispersers for 1–4 months. Using a model built on this experiment, we estimated that seed predation by small seed predators (most likely ants and termites) destroys between 82.9% and 96.4% of seeds in elephant dung between the time of defecation and the median germination date for D. indica. Exposure to larger seed predators and secondary dispersers did not lead to a significant additional reduction in the number of seeds per dung bolus. Our findings suggest that post-dispersal seed predation by small insects (<3 mm) substantially reduces but does not eliminate the success of elephants as dispersers of D. indica in a tropical moist forest habitat.     

Dung beetle persistence in human-modified landscapes: Combining indicator species with anthropogenic land use and fragmentation-related effects

Identifying and making use of ecological indicators becomes an essential task in the conservation of tropical systems, mainly in fragmented landscapes where land use intensification and habitat loss are confounding factors in the detection of species’ responses to human-caused disturbance. We aimed to analyze the importance of anthropogenic land use and fragmentation-related effects on dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) persistence according to the interior–exterior non-linear gradient (forest + matrix) in a fragmented Atlantic Forest landscape used to sugar cane production and cattle ranching/farming. We offer scores for a comprehensive set of community-level attributes, from beetle abundance to taxonomic and ecological composition (i.e. species body size), including a list of indicator species of different forest habitats and adjacent matrix. Dung beetles were surveyed by traps across forest interiors (i.e. core forest areas) and edges of a primary forest, small fragments, sugar cane fields and pastures in a total of 60 sites. Indicator analyses were conducted across the landscape, using two well-established methods (IndVal and SIMPER). Our results suggest that (1) cross-habitat taxonomic distinctness is associated with the presence of indicator species, (2) some species benefit or are dependent of open habitats created by human-disturbances, such as forest edges (e.g. Canthon nigripennis) and matrices (e.g. Canthon aff. piluliformis, Dichotomius nisus and Trichilum externepunctatum), (3) although landscape habitats exhibit reduced beta diversity, dung beetle assemblages are spatially organized in response to the presence of both forest habitats and matrix and fragment area, (4) forest interior supports beetle assemblages biased toward large-bodied species, (5) accordingly forest interior, forest edges and matrix support taxonomically distinct assemblages, both contributing to the bulk of species richness at landscape level, (6) the response of dung beetles to the interior–exterior non-linear gradient (i.e. forest edge + matrix) reveals a similar pattern regardless of the nature of the matrix, and (7) there is no within-habitat variation in beetle abundance and species richness associated with distance from forest edge. Given that there is a high number of forest-dependent or forest-interior specialist species (e.g. Aphengium aff. sordidum, Ateuchus aff. alipioi, Dichotomius mormon, Ontherus aff. erosus and Onthophagus aff. clypeatus) dung beetle persistence in human-modified landscape is highly dependent on the presence of core areas, although edge-affected and matrix habitats may be complementary. This information is essential to permit a better prospect for dung beetle persistence in human-modified landscapes as they continue to move toward edge-dominated landscapes with intensively managed matrices.     

What do dung beetles eat?

Abstract.  1. Most adult coprophagous beetles feed on fresh dung of mammalian herbivores, confining ingestion to small particles with measured maximum diameters from 2–5 to 130 μm, according to body size and kind of beetle. This study explores benefits and costs of selective feeding in a 'typical' dung beetle with a maximum diameter of ingested particles (MDIP) of 20 μm.
2. Examined dung types (from Danish domestic sheep, cattle and horse, and African wild buffalo, white rhino and elephant) contained 76–89% water. Costs of a 20 μm MDIP were often low, since 69–87% of the total nitrogen in bulk dung other than that of elephant and rhino (40–58%) was available to selective feeders.
3. Nitrogen concentrations were high – and C/N ratios low – in most types of bulk dung compared with the average food of terrestrial detritivores or herbivores. Exceptions were elephant and rhino dung with low nitrogen concentrations and high C/N ratios.
4. Estimated C/N ratios of 13–39 in bulk dung (sheep–elephant) were decreased by selective feeding to 7.3–12.6 in the ingested material. In assimilated food, ratios are probably only 5–7, as most assimilable nitrogen and carbon may be of microbial origin. If so, the assimilable food contains a surplus of nitrogen relative to carbon.
5. The primary advantage of selective feeding, particularly in dung with a high C/N ratio, may be to concentrate assimilable carbon in the ingested food. Effects of changing the MDIP within 20–106 μm are modest, especially in dung with a low C/N ratio.     

Deposit- and suspension-feeding sea cucumbers (Echinodermata) ingest plastic fragments

Weathering of plastic bottles, bags, fishing line, and other products discarded in the ocean causes tiny fragments to break off. These plastic fragments may accumulate biofilms, sink, and become mixed with sediment, where benthic invertebrates may encounter and ingest them. Here we show that four species of deposit-feeding and suspension-feeding sea cucumbers (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) not only ingest small (0.25 mm < maximum dimension < 15 mm) nylon and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fragments along with sediment, but also ingest significantly more plastic fragments than predicted given the ratio of plastic to sand grains in the sediment. During four-hour feeding trials, holothurians ingested between 2- and 20-fold more plastic per individual than expected for PVC fragments, and between 2- and 138-fold more for nylon line. In addition, two species ingested 4 mm diameter PVC pellets. The ecological relevance of plastic ingestion was assessed in the laboratory by counting and characterizing small plastic particles discovered in sediment samples from the same field sites where our holothurians were collected. Substantial numbers of plastic fragments (105 to 214 fragments per liter of sediment) were found in samples from three different locations along the east coast of the U.S.A. In addition, plastic collected from the sediment from two of our field sites was analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Plastic from one site tested positive for Aroclor 1254 at a concentration of 0.0106 μg g^-1. While the negative effects of macroscopic marine plastic debris on a host of organisms are well documented, ingestion of small plastic debris by a wide range of benthic organisms, including both primary and secondary consumers, has received little attention. Given that plastics readily adsorb PCBs and other organic pollutants in marine environments, ingestion of plastic from sediment may provide a heretofore-undescribed pathway of exposure for benthic marine invertebrates.     

Asian Elephants in China: Estimating Population Size and Evaluating Habitat Suitability

We monitored the last remaining Asian elephant populations in China over the past decade. Using DNA tools and repeat genotyping, we estimated the population sizes from 654 dung samples collected from various areas. Combined with morphological individual identifications from over 6,300 elephant photographs taken in the wild, we estimated that the total Asian elephant population size in China is between 221 and 245. Population genetic structure and diversity were examined using a 556-bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA, and 24 unique haplotypes were detected from DNA analysis of 178 individuals. A phylogenetic analysis revealed two highly divergent clades of Asian elephants, α and β, present in Chinese populations. Four populations (Mengla, Shangyong, Mengyang, and Pu’Er) carried mtDNA from the α clade, and only one population (Nangunhe) carried mtDNA belonging to the β clade. Moreover, high genetic divergence was observed between the Nangunhe population and the other four populations; however, genetic diversity among the five populations was low, possibly due to limited gene flow because of habitat fragmentation. The expansion of rubber plantations, crop cultivation, and villages along rivers and roads had caused extensive degradation of natural forest in these areas. This had resulted in the loss and fragmentation of elephant habitats and had formed artificial barriers that inhibited elephant migration. Using Geographic Information System, Global Positioning System, and Remote Sensing technology, we found that the area occupied by rubber plantations, tea farms, and urban settlements had dramatically increased over the past 40 years, resulting in the loss and fragmentation of elephant habitats and forming artificial barriers that inhibit elephant migration. The restoration of ecological corridors to facilitate gene exchange among isolated elephant populations and the establishment of cross-boundary protected areas between China and Laos to secure their natural habitats are critical for the survival of Asian elephants in this region.     

El Niño impacts on human-modified tropical forests: Consequences for dung beetle diversity and associated ecological processes

Our knowledge of how tropical forest biodiversity and functioning respond to anthropogenic and climate-associated stressors is limited. Research exploring El Niño impacts are scarce or based on single post-disturbance assessments, and few studies assess forests previously affected by anthropogenic disturbance. Focusing on dung beetles and associated ecological functions, we assessed (a) the ecological effects of a strong El Niño, (b) if post-El Niño beetle responses were influenced by previous forest disturbance, and (c) how these responses compare between forests impacted only by drought and those affected by both drought and fires. We sampled 30 Amazonian forest plots distributed across a gradient of human disturbance in 2010, 2016, and 2017—approximately 5 years before, and 3–6 and 15–18 months after the 2015–16 El Niño. We found 14,451 beetles from 98 species and quantified the beetle-mediated dispersal of >8,600 seed mimics and the removal of c. 30 kg of dung. All dung beetle responses (species richness, abundance, biomass, compositional similarity to pre-El Niño condition, and rates of dung removal and seed dispersal) declined after the 2015–16 El Niño, but the greatest immediate losses (i.e., in 2016) were observed within fire-affected forests. Previous forest disturbance also influenced post-El Niño dung beetle species richness, abundance, and species composition. We demonstrate that dung beetles and their ecological functions are negatively affected by climate-associated disturbances in human-modified Amazonian forests and suggest that the interaction between local anthropogenic and climate-related stressors merits further investigation.     

The effect of some ecological factors on the intestinal parasite loads of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in southern India

Some ecological factors that might potentially influence intestinal parasite loads in the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus Linn.) were investigated in the Nilgiris, southern India. Fresh dung samples from identified animals were analysed, and the number of eggs/g of dung used as an index of parasite load. Comparisons across seasons and habitats revealed that parasite loads were significantly higher during the dry season than the wet season, but were not different between the dry-deciduous and dry-thorn forests in either season. After accounting for the effect of age on body condition, there was no correlation between body condition, assessed visually using morphological criteria, and parasite load in either season. Individuals of different elephant herds were not characterized by distinct parasite communities in either season. When intra-individual variation was examined, samples collected from the same individual within a day differed significantly in egg densities, while the temporal variation over several weeks or months (within a season) was much less. Egg densities within dung piles were uniform, enabling a simpler collection method henceforth.     

Chronic coral consumption by butterflyfishes

Interactions between predators and prey organisms are of fundamental importance to ecological communities. While the ecological impact that grazing predators can have in terrestrial and temperate marine systems are well established, the importance of coral grazers on tropical reefs has rarely been considered. In this study, we estimate the biomass of coral tissue consumed by four prominent species of corallivorous butterflyfishes. Sub-adult butterflyfishes (60–70 mm, 6–11 g) remove between 0.6 and 0.9 g of live coral tissue per day, while larger adults (>110 mm, ~40–50 g) remove between 1.5 and 3 g of coral tissue each day. These individual consumption rates correspond to the population of coral-feeding butterflyfishes at three exposed reef crest habitats at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, consuming between 14.6 g (±2.0) and 19.6 g (±3.9) .200 m⁻² day⁻¹ of coral tissue. When standardised to the biomass of butterflyfishes present, a combined reefwide removal rate of 4.2 g (±1.2) of coral tissue is consumed per 200 m⁻² kg⁻¹ of coral-feeding butterflyfishes. The quantity of coral tissue removed by these predators is considerably larger than previously expected and indicates that coral grazers are likely to play an important role in the transfer of energy fixed by corals to higher consumers. Chronic coral consumption by butterflyfishes is expected to exact a large energetic cost upon prey corals and contribute to an increased rate of coral loss on reefs already threatened by anthropogenic pressure and ongoing climate change.     

Studies on the breeding habitats of the vector mosquito Anopheles baimai and its relationship to malaria incidence in Northeastern region of India

Entomological survey was conducted to know the breeding habitat preference of the forest breeder malaria vector Anopheles baimaii, known earlier as An. dirus species D in the northeastern region of India. Breeding potential of the vector in forest areas was found to be high in water stored in jungle pool (69.84%) followed by elephant footprints with clear water (39.13%) and with turbid water (26.19%), whereas in forest fringe areas, the vector breeding was more prominent in elephant footprints: 65.11% in clear water and 62.5% in turbid water. Although other habitats had shown only low breeding of the vector, all types of habitats were positively correlated with malaria occurrence. Cattle hoof marks (r = 0.998) and elephant footprint (turbid; r = 0.999) explained nearly the same amount of variance. It was observed that deforestation as well as elephant habitat-type destruction had engendered man–elephant conflicts intensively in fringe areas. Seasonal abundance pattern of this vector was found to vary in forest and forest fringe areas in relation to different habitats. Seasonal abundance of An. baimaii was significantly different in different habitats. The Tukey post hoc comparisons indicated that the abundance of An. baimaii in different habitats was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in monsoon season than that of premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons. No significant difference was observed between premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons. The findings therefore will eventually help to predict transmission of malaria in targeted area and in formulating an improved malaria control program in the northeastern region of India.     

Stocks and losses of soil organic carbon from Chinese vegetated coastal habitats

Global vegetated coastal habitats (VCHs) represent a large sink for organic carbon (OC) stored within their soils. The regional patterns and causes of spatial variation, however, remain uncertain. The sparsity and regional bias of studies on soil OC stocks from Chinese VCHs have limited the reliable estimation of their capacity as regional and global OC sinks. Here, we use field and published data from 262 sampled soil cores and 181 surface soils to report estimates of soil OC stocks, burial rates and losses of VCHs in China. We find that Chinese mangrove, salt marsh and seagrass habitats have relatively low OC stocks, storing 6.3 ± 0.6, 7.5 ± 0.6, and 1.6 ± 0.6 Tg C (±95% confidence interval) in the top meter of the soil profile with burial rates of 44 ± 17, 159 ± 57, and 6 ± 45 Gg C/year, respectively. The variability in the soil OC stocks is linked to biogeographic factors but is mostly impacted by sedimentary processes and anthropic activities. All habitats have experienced significant losses, resulting in estimated emissions of 94.2–395.4 Tg CO₂e (carbon dioxide equivalent) over the past 70 years. Reversing this trend through conservation and restoration measures has, therefore, great potential in contributing to the mitigation of climate change while providing additional benefits. This assessment, on a national scale from highly sedimentary environments under intensive anthropogenic pressures, provides important insights into blue carbon sink mechanism and sequestration capacities, thus contributing to the synchronous progression of global blue carbon management.     

Tree species diversity driven by environmental and anthropogenic factors in tropical dry forest fragments of central Veracruz, Mexico

We examined vegetation structure and woody species diversity in relation to 14 environmental and anthropogenic factors in ten tropical dry forest (TDF) fragments in central Veracruz, Mexico. The basal area of the canopy (30.2 ± 2.11 m²/ha) and understory (1.96 ± 0.12 m²/ha) trees was similar, but density (1,014 ± 104 and 2,532 ± 227 individuals/ha, respectively) differed among sites. We recorded 98 canopy, 77 understory, and 60 seedling species. Richness was 24–45 species per site, Fisher’s alpha and Shannon’s indices increased with site altitude. Chao Jaccard indices revealed high species turnover, and a consistently higher similarity within the sites at the lowest and within the highest elevation sites. Ordination identified altitude, aspect, slope, water proximity, cattle and trails as significant explanatory variables of species patterns, and showed that sites at lower elevations were clearly separated from the other sites. Environmental heterogeneity alone did not control species diversity distribution, but species were affected by environmental filters at different stages in their life cycle, e.g., water proximity was significant for saplings and seedlings but not for adults. Anthropogenic disturbances act synergistically, e.g., trails played a key role in determining structure and tree diversity patterns. An important finding is that human disturbance diminishes species diversity in this TDF, but sites at lower elevations were more disturbed and less diverse, therefore we need to study how environmental factors would act if there were no anthropogenic disturbance.     

Acoustic estimation of wildlife abundance: methodology for vocal mammals in forested habitats

Habitat loss and hunting pressure threaten mammal populations worldwide, generating critical time constraints on trend assessment. This study introduces a new survey method that samples continuously and non‐invasively over long time periods, obtaining estimates of abundance from vocalization rates. We present feasibility assessment methods for acoustic surveys and develop equations for estimating population size. As an illustration, we demonstrate the feasibility of acoustic surveys for African forest elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis). Visual surveys and vocalizations from a forest clearing in the Central African Republic were used to establish that low‐frequency elephant calling rate is a useful index of elephant numbers (linear regression P < 0.001, r_adj.² = 0.58). The effective sampling area was 3.22 km² per acoustic sensor, a dramatic increase in coverage over dung survey transects. These results support the use of acoustic surveys for estimating elephant abundance over large remote areas and in diverse habitats, using a distributed network of acoustic sensors. The abundance estimation methods presented can be applied in surveys of any species for which an acoustic abundance index and detection function have been established. This acoustic survey technique provides an opportunity to improve management and conservation of many acoustically‐active taxa whose populations are currently under‐monitored.     

Total Iron,Heme Iron,Zinc, and Copper Content in Rabbit Meat and Viscera

The aim of this study is to determine the content of total iron (TFe), heme iron (HeFe), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) in different cuts of meat and viscera from rabbit. Five young New Zealand rabbits were used in the study. Samples in triplicate were obtained from three meat cuts (foreleg, hind leg, and loin) and from main viscera. TFe, Zn, and Cu concentrations from samples were determined by wet acid digestion followed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), while HeFe was determined by acid extraction followed by AAS. Mean TFe, HeFe, Zn, and Cu in meat was 0.83 ± 0.09, 0.56 ± 0.11, 0.95 ± 0.35, and 0.08 ± 0.01 mg/100 g, respectively. TFe content was less than 1 mg/100 g in all meat cuts. Sixty-seven percent of iron content was HeFe. The cut of meat with highest Zn concentrations was the foreleg with 1.33 ± 0.12 mg/100 g. Cu content was low for all meat cuts. TFe, HeFe, Zn, and Cu content in viscera varied greatly. The spleen was the organ with the highest TFe and Zn concentrations (82.79 ± 9.22 mg/100 g and 3.49 ± 0.63 mg/100 g, respectively). Nevertheless, the lungs had the highest concentration of HeFe (5.79 ± 0.90 mg/100 g), accounting for 91% of the total iron. The liver had the highest Cu content (3.89 ± 0.89 mg/100 g). Rabbit meat has low TFe concentration, similar to that of poultry, and most of the iron is HeFe. The amount of minerals in viscera closely depends on their function.     

Pomegranate peels waste hydrolyzate optimization by Response Surface Methodology for Bioethanol production

Unwanted agricultural waste is largely comprised of lignocellulosic substrate which could be transformed into sugars. The production of bioethanol from garbage manifested an agreeable proposal towards waste management as well as energy causation. The goal of this work is to optimize parameters for generation of bioethanol through fermentation by different yeast strains while Saccharomyces cerevisiae used as standard strain. The low cost fermentable sugars from pomegranate peels waste (PPW) were obtained by hydrolysis with HNO₃ (1 to 5%). The optimum levels of hydrolysis time and temperature were elucidated via RSM (CCD) ranging from 30 to 60 min and 50 to 100 °C respectively. The result shows that optimum values (g/L) for reducing sugars was 61.45 ± 0.01 while for total carbohydrates was 236 ± 0.01. These values were found when PPW was hydrolyzed with 3% HNO₃, at 75 °C for one hour. The hydrolyzates obtained from the dilute HNO₃ pretreated PPW yielded a maximum of 0.43 ± 0.04, 0.41 ± 0.03 g ethanol per g of reducing sugars by both Metchnikowia sp. Y31 and M. cibodasensis Y34 at day 7 of ethanologenic experiment. The current study exhibited that by fermentation of dilute HNO₃ hydrolyzates of PPW could develop copious amount of ethanol by optimized conditions.     

Selenium in drinking water and cereal grains,and biomarkers of Se status in urine and fingernails of the Main Ethiopian Rift Valley population

BackgroundSelenium (Se) plays an important role in human health, yet Se overexposure or deficiency can lead to deleterious health effects. This study aims to determine the concentration of Se in drinking water and staple cereal grain (maize, wheat, and teff) samples from the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley, and correspondingly, assesses Se biomarkers and their status as measured in the urine and fingernails of 230 individuals living in 25 MER communities.MethodThe concentration of Se in drinking water and cereal grain (maize, wheat, and teff) samples, and urine and fingernail samples were measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Demographic, anthropometric, and elemental concentrations were described by their quartiles and mean ± standard deviations. The 5th and 95th percentiles were used to describe the concentrations Se biomarkers ranges. The Se biomarker distributions in different study communities were further characterized according to Se levels found in drinking water, sex, and age using ANOVA, and multivariate regression. We conducted a correlation analysis (with Pearson correlation coefficient) and fitted a regression to evaluate the associations between these variables.ResultsThe mean concentration of Se in the drinking water samples was 0.66 (range: 0.015–2.64 µg/L; n = 25), and all samples were below the threshold value of 10 μg/L for Se in drinking water set by the World Health Organiation (WHO). In Ethiopia, most rural communities rely on locally produced cereal grains. We found mean Se concentrations (µg/kg) of 357 ± 190 (n = 14), 289 ± 123 (n = 14), and 145 ± 100 (n = 14) in wheat, teff, and maize, respectively. Furthermore, Se concentrations in drinking water showed no significant correlation with biomarker measures, indicating that the primary source of dietary Se is likely from local foods including staple grains. The mean±SD (5th–95th percentiles) of Se concentrations in fingernails and urine among study subjects were 1022 ± 320 (624–1551 µg/kg), and 38 ± 30 (1.9–100 µg/L), respectively.ConclusionA sizeable share of study participants (31%) fell below the lower limits of what is considered the currently accepted Se range of 20–90 µg/L in urine, though relatively few (only 4%) had similarly low fingernail levels. On the other hand, none of the samples reached Se toxicity levels, and the biomarker levels in this study are comparable to results from other studies that find adequate Se. Our results show that Se toxicity or deficiency is unlikely in the study population.     

Rapid Turnover and Edge Effects in Dung Beetle Assemblages (Scarabaeidae) at a Bolivian Neotropical Forest-Savanna Ecotone1

Habitat fragmentation and the widespread creation of habitat edges have recently stimulated interest in assessing the effects of ecotones on biodiversity. Ecotones, natural or anthropogenic, can greatly affect faunal movement, population dynamics, species interactions, and community structure. Few data exist, however, on insect community response to forest–savanna ecotones, a natural analog to anthropogenically cleared areas adjacent to forest. In this study, the abundance, total biomass, average individual biomass, and distribution of scarabaeine dung beetles were examined at a sharp tropical evergreen forest–savanna ecotone in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The abundance, total biomass, and average individual biomass of dung beetles varied significantly across the forest, edge, and savanna habitats. Species richness (S_obs) also varied significantly across the three habitats, but statistical estimations of true species richness (S_est) did not. Habitat specificity of the dung beetles in this study was extremely high. Of the 50 most common species collected during the study, only 2 species were collected in both the forest and savanna habitats, signaling nearly complete community turnover in just a few meters. Strong edge effects were evidenced by the decline in abundance, total biomass, and species richness at the forest‐savanna boundary.     

A landscape-level assessment of Asian elephant habitat,its population and elephant–human conflict in the Anamalai hill ranges of southern Western Ghats,India

Spatial information at the landscape scale is extremely important for conservation planning, especially in the case of long-ranging vertebrates. The biodiversity-rich Anamalai hill ranges in the Western Ghats of southern India hold a viable population for the long-term conservation of the Asian elephant. Through rapid but extensive field surveys we mapped elephant habitat, corridors, vegetation and land-use patterns, estimated the elephant population density and structure, and assessed elephant–human conflict across this landscape. GIS and remote sensing analyses indicate that elephants are distributed among three blocks over a total area of about 4600 km². Approximately 92% remains contiguous because of four corridors; however, under 4000 km² of this area may be effectively used by elephants. Nine landscape elements were identified, including five natural vegetation types, of which tropical moist deciduous forest is dominant. Population density assessed through the dung count method using line transects covering 275 km of walk across the effective elephant habitat of the landscape yielded a mean density of 1.1 (95% CI = 0.99–1.2) elephant/km². Population structure from direct sighting of elephants showed that adult male elephants constitute just 2.9% and adult females 42.3% of the population with the rest being sub-adults (27.4%), juveniles (16%) and calves (11.4%). Sex ratios show an increasing skew toward females from juvenile (1:1.8) to sub-adult (1:2.4) and adult (1:14.7) indicating higher mortality of sub-adult and adult males that is most likely due to historical poaching for ivory. A rapid questionnaire survey and secondary data on elephant–human conflict from forest department records reveals that villages in and around the forest divisions on the eastern side of landscape experience higher levels of elephant–human conflict than those on the western side; this seems to relate to a greater degree of habitat fragmentation and percentage farmers cultivating annual crops in the east. We provide several recommendations that could help maintain population viability and reduce elephant–human conflict of the Anamalai elephant landscape.     

Analysis of antibacterial and cytotoxic potential of medicinal plants from Cholistan desert,Pakistan

This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial and cytotoxic activity of 03 medicinal plants, Calligonum polygonides, Farsetia hamiltonii, and Pulcaria crispa, from Cholistan desert, Pakistan. The active constituents of plants species were extracted in 05 different solvents and the extracts were tested against various bacterial strains and brine shrimps. Although all Calligonum polygonides’s extracts except chloroform were active against Staphylococcus aureus the most active was the acetone extract (21 ± 0.00 mm at 200 μg/disc) and activity was better than Caricef (p-value 0.03). While its water extract was more potent (18 ± 1.45 mm at 200 μg/disc) than Augmentin and Caricef (p-value < 0.005). The methanol extract’s activity (15 ± 0.39 mm in 200 μg/disc) was comparable to Fucidin against Proteus vulgaris (p-value > 0.99) and activity of diethyl ether extract against Escherichia coli (10 ± 1.16 mm in 200 μg/disc) was same as of Urixin (p-value 0.91). Farsetia hamiltonii’s acetone extract against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10 ± 0.15 mm in 1 μg/disc) was more active than Augmentin Caricef and Cefotax (p-value < 0.02) and against Staphylococcus aureus (15 ± 1.15 mm in 200 μg/disc) activity was higher than Caricef (p-value 0.03). All Pulicaria crispa’s extracts except water extract were found active against Staphylococcus aureus. However, the diethyl ether extract was most effective (25 + 0.00 mm at 150 μg /disc) and activity was more than Augmentin, Oxy-tetracycline, Fucidin, Urixin, Ceftriaxone (p-value < 0.05). Although all extracts were exhibited cytotoxic activity, the Calligonum polygonides’s acetone extract (100%), Farsetia hamiltonii’s diethyl ether extract (90%) and Pulicaria crispa’s methanol extract (100%) were most active at 1000 μg/ml concentration. This study validated the medicinal significance of the studied plants and thus opens the way for their therapeutic applications.     

Low leopard populations in protected areas of Maputaland: a consequence of poaching,habitat condition,abundance of prey,and a top predator

Identifying the primary causes affecting population densities and distribution of flagship species are necessary in developing sustainable management strategies for large carnivore conservation. We modeled drivers of spatial density of the common leopard (Panthera pardus) using a spatially explicit capture–recapture—Bayesian approach to understand their population dynamics in the Maputaland Conservation Unit, South Africa. We camera‐trapped leopards in four protected areas (PAs) of varying sizes and disturbance levels covering 198 camera stations. Ours is the first study to explore the effects of poaching level, abundance of prey species (small, medium, and large), competitors (lion Panthera leo and spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta), and habitat on the spatial distribution of common leopard density. Twenty‐six male and 41 female leopards were individually identified and estimated leopard density ranged from 1.6 ± 0.62/100 km² (smallest PA—Ndumo) to 8.4 ± 1.03/100 km² (largest PA—western shores). Although dry forest thickets and plantation habitats largely represented the western shores, the plantation areas had extremely low leopard density compared to native forest. We found that leopard density increased in areas when low poaching levels/no poaching was recorded in dry forest thickets and with high abundance of medium‐sized prey, but decreased with increasing abundance of lion. Because local leopard populations are vulnerable to extinction, particularly in smaller PAs, the long‐term sustainability of leopard populations depend on developing appropriate management strategies that consider a combination of multiple factors to maintain their optimal habitats.