Ecotourism, conservation biology, and volunteer tourism: A mutually beneficial triumvirate

Funding for basic conservation research is chronically lacking. The potential for ecotourism to fund conservation research exists, but has been little explored. One branch of ecotourism with funding potential is volunteer tourism, where conservation scientists and recruiting agencies develop research projects and volunteers provide funding and labor. We examine the costs and benefits of a three-way partnership among a conservation research project (The Tambopata Macaw Project), an ecotourism operator (Rainforest Expeditions), and a volunteer-recruiting NGO (the Earthwatch Institute). From November 1999 to December 2006, Macaw Project researchers invested about 1700 h in giving research presentations and interacting with ecotourists and received from Rainforest Expeditions ∼$278,000 worth of salaries, transportation, food, and lodging (total cost to Rainforest Expeditions ∼$98,000). Since 2001, researchers invested 2300 h in training and supervising volunteers and related activities and received from Earthwatch 328 volunteers, ∼13 000 h of volunteer labor and $115,000 in research funding. Rainforest Expeditions received $175,000 in fees from Earthwatch for food and lodging for volunteers. In this association, all parties benefited financially: the research received >$400,000 in cash, goods and services, Earthwatch retained $387,000 in volunteer fees, and Rainforest Expeditions received nearly $300,000 in gross income. Additional benefits to Rainforest Expeditions included services for their guests and free marketing through research related publications and word of mouth. We discuss ways to structure projects to maximize the benefits and the potential of this model for funding other long-term conservation research projects.     

Disseminated Leishmania infantum infection in two sibling foxhounds due to possible vertical transmission

Two sibling foxhounds born to a Leishmania seropositive bitch were presented after testing seropositive for Leishmania. Leishmania infantum infection was detected via histopathology, culture, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR). This is the first report of natural infection with Leishmania infantum with the possibility for vertical transmission in North America.     

Canine anxieties and phobias: an update on separation anxiety and noise aversions

Companion dogs commonly experience states of anxiety, fears, and phobias. Separation anxiety and noise aversions, as discussed in this article, are especially prevalent. Veterinarians are encouraged to recognize and treat such conditions on first presentation to address welfare issues and optimize successful management. New data suggest new treatment modalities, including behavioral management, pharmacotherapy, and species-specific pheromone use. Failure to treat can result in disruption of the human-animal bond and subsequent abandonment, relinquishment, or even euthanasia of the affected dog.     

Plant and Bird Community Dynamics in Mixed-Grass Prairie Grazed by Native and Domestic Herbivores

Native colonial and large ungulate herbivores infrequently coexist on contemporary landscapes but frequently would have in the past, and understanding these interactions is important for conservation in working landscapes—those lands managed for biological and economic objectives. Although many factors contribute to grassland bird declines, consistent and long-term removal of native herbivores from western grasslands promotes homogenous landscapes that are now uniformly grazed by cattle (Bos taurus). This shift in grassland disturbance patterns limits habitat availability for specialized grassland species. We investigated vegetation and bird community dynamics in pastures grazed by domestic cattle and a native colonial herbivore, the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus). The study occurred in the northern mixed-grass prairie of the United States on four experimental pastures stratified by the proportion of prairie dog occupancy to create an ecological gradient. Vegetation and bird surveys were conducted from 2012 to 2015 on and off prairie dog colonies. Vegetation and bird communities were not different along the experimental pasture gradient but did differ relative to location on versus off town. Prairie dogs induced changes in the plant community with midstatured grasses like side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) and green needlegrass (Nassella viridula) being associated with off-colony sites while on-colony sites were associated with disturbance-tolerant species such as fetid marigold (Dyssodia papposa). The bird community responded to changes in vegetation structure resulting from prairie dogs with grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) being more abundant off colonies in areas with greater vegetation structure, while bird species with more complex life histories, such as the upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), were associated with both on ? and off ? prairie dog colonies. Our findings demonstrate the importance of maintaining spatial heterogeneity in working landscapes and show that native colonial herbivores can help achieve this in the presence of herbivory by domestic cattle.     

Organic additives used in beef cattle feedlot: Effects on metabolic parameters and animal performance

Organic additives are recently being used in animal diets owing to their ability to control metabolic issues and result in better animal performance. Specifically, the organic additive Fator P^® presents an additional advantage that is to cause a lesser greenhouse gas emission. This study evaluated whether Fator P^® intake changes ruminal parameters or animal performance of beef cattle. Evaluations were carried out in a feedlot experiment divided into growing (46 days; two diets [control mix—CM and standard mix—SM] and finishing (lasted 83 days; four diets: CM, SM, Fator P^® + virginiamycin, and Fator P^® alone [FP]) trials. Animal performance study involved 48 animals allocated to 12 collective pens in completely randomized experimental design. Ruminal parameters were evaluated in separate metabolism study developed carried out using individual pen with four steers. During growing trial, FP diet resulted in higher (p < 0.05) dry matter intake (DMI) and ruminating time. In the finishing trial, diets containing Fator P^® resulted in higher DMI than obtained with CM. Most of the ruminal parameters did not differ (p > 0.05) among dietary treatments. Therefore, Fator P^® represents a viable and safe strategy for supplementation to beef cattle finished using high‐concentrate diet in feedlot systems.