Identification of Chinese alligators (Alligator sinensis) meat by diagnostic PCR of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene

With the commercial farming and exploitation of Chinese alligators (Alligator sinensis), illegal and inappropriately labeled Chinese alligator meat has appeared in markets. To prevent the illegal hunting and commerce for Chinese alligators, it will be important to develop an expedient and practical method for the identification of Chinese alligator meat. In this study, a pair of the species-specific PCR primers (Alli-M and Alli-R) was designed using sequence variations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b gene between Chinese alligators and other crocodilians. By the multiplex PCR of using the species-specific primers and 12S rRNA universal primers L1091 and H1478, 31 samples (27 meat samples, 4 skin samples) were identified. The result of amplification displayed that only the fresh and the cooked meat samples from the Chinese alligator could be amplified with two bands. We also present a case of identification of a crocodilian body part found in a local market using the newly developed primers. The specific primers designed in this study could be widely used for the rapid and accurate identification of not only alligator meat but also other commercial products from Chinese alligator.     

Wild Populations of the Chinese alligator approach extinction

The Chinese alligator, Alligator sinensis, is on the verge of becoming extinct in the wild as a result of loss of natural wetlands in the lower Changjiang valley. Chinese alligators are only known from a small region in southeastern Anhui province, a fraction of its former distribution. Within this area, a 433 km² reserve has been declared that contains 13 designated habitat sites totaling 41 ha. The sites consist of small ponds located within or adjacent to villages, are completely surrounded by rice fields, or are biologically marginal oligotrophic ponds set in low hills. Alligators are only present at 10 of the 13 designated sites, with the largest groups containing a maximum of 10-11 animals and one adult female. In recent years nesting is known from only four areas, but the eggs are routinely collected and hatchlings retained in the Anhui alligator breeding center. The total population of wild Chinese alligators is probably <130 and is declining at an annual rate of 4-6%. If present trends continue, the Chinese alligator will be the first species of crocodilian to become extinct in the wild in historical times. Conservation efforts need to focus on protection of remaining wetlands and wetland restoration, and the inclusion of Chinese alligators in the active management of protected wetlands sites throughout the species' historic distribution.     

Design and management of continental wildlife reserves: Lessons from the everglades

Evidence from the attempt to preserve wading birds in Everglades National Park suggests that application of biogeographic theory to design and management of continental wildlife reserves requires considerations additional to those previously proposed. Shape and areal extent alone are inadequate criteria for reserve design. Unlike islands, continental reserves are not necessarily self-contained ecosystems driven by endogenous processes. The isolation of a continental reserve may lead to a phenomenon of ecosystem degeneration, the extent and rapidity of which depends on the ecological condition of adjacent habitat. Management strategies to preserve maximum species richness are seldom totally acceptable and often inherently unattainable. Conflicts between species management and ecosystem management illustrate the need for instituting an array of management strategies on a regional basis for preservation of both endangered species and ecosystems.     

Cost-efficient conservation for the white-banded tanager (Neothraupis fasciata) in the Cerrado, central Brazil

Population viability analyses are widely used to support decisions for the management of single species, but there are few studies that explicitly take into account realistic economic costs. In this study we determine the most cost-efficient conservation management options for the white-banded tanager (Neothraupis fasciata) in the protected areas of the Cerrado in central Brazil. We use the PVA model VORTEX to simulate the ability of different management options to improve population persistence and then assess the effectiveness of each option given a fixed budget. We discover that the best strategy for improving the viability of white-banded tanager populations is to use fire management and nest protection to increase fecundity. In small reserves and a low budget then fire management alone is the best strategy, but if the budget is larger fire management with nest protection as a mixed strategy is better. In large reserves the best strategy is to do nest protection and with large budgets there is a negligible difference between spending all the money on nest protection versus a mixed strategy. If we had not included financial considerations in our analysis of management options then we would have discarded fire management as an option, even though it can be the best strategy.     

Discriminating between village and commercial hunting of apes

Hunting is the major driver of large mammal decline in Central African forests. In slowly reproducing species even low hunting pressure leaves spatial gradients with wildlife density increasing with distance from transport routes and human settlements. Park management can use this pattern formation to identify sources of threats, but also to discriminate between different threat scenarios, such as the impact of subsistence vs. commercial hunting. We conducted an ape survey in the mountainous Moukalaba Doudou National Park, Gabon, to evaluate whether potential population gradients would emanate from the three human population centers in the region or the villages surrounding the park. Using generalized linear modeling we found hill slope as a good predictor of ape nest occurrence probability and the distance to human population centers a better predictor of ape nest density and ape nest group size than distance to villages. In fact ape nest density was three times lower at the park borders close to the human population centers than in the park’s interior. The results indicate that Moukalaba’s ape population is more impacted by commercial than subsistence hunting and suggest that park management should focus conservation efforts on the human population centers. We conclude that in particular for slowly reproducing species geographic information on wildlife population gradients are of additional value for guiding protected area management. The hunting impact on those species might be easily underestimated, if derived only from market surveys or transport route controls, where they are only rarely found.     

Recent development of national parks in Nicaragua

Nicaragua, a Central American country, has established two national parks recently and more reserves are in the planning stage. Saslaya National Park, 11,800 ha of virgin tropical rain forest and cloud forest, was established in 1971. Management of the park is as yet minimal, and few data have been collected. Masaya Volcano National Park, 4400 ha, contains an active volcano, a crater lagoon, and lava flows supporting successional stages to the dry deciduous forest. A Master Plan prepared for the area will soon be implemented. An inventory of other potential wildlands is being conducted, from which other reserves will be established. Obstacles to the management of a wildlands system include lack of a responsible government agency, principally, and also lack of trained manpower and funds.     

Effectiveness of protected areas in north-eastern New South Wales: recent trends in six measures

We applied six measures of effectiveness to recent decisions about additional conservation areas in north-eastern New South Wales. Three have been widely used previously: (1) number of conservation areas; (2) total extent of conservation areas; and (3) representativeness (the proportion of natural features such as forest types or animal species represented in conservation areas to some targeted level). The other measures were: (4) efficiency or representation bias (the extent to which some features are protected above target levels at the expense of others that remain poorly protected); (5) relative protection of vulnerable areas within public land (percentage protection of flat, fertile areas relative to that of steep and/or infertile areas); and (6) relative protection of vulnerable areas across all tenures (the correlation between the amount of protection given to features and their vulnerabilities to clearing). We applied the measures in two chronological comparisons: the reserve system in 1994, 1996 and 1997; and before and after the Interim Assessment Process of 1996 which involved negotiations over new reserves and extensive unreserved areas that were temporarily deferred from logging. Over the study period, despite expansion of formal conservation and progress towards quantitative conservation targets, gazetted reserves remained strongly biased to the steep and/or infertile parts of public lands. Both gazetted reserves and areas deferred from logging increased the bias in protection away from forest types most vulnerable to clearing and for which regional conservation targets had already been most compromised. Two major challenges for future conservation decisions in the region are common to conservation planning generally: (1) to focus protection within public tenure on habitats and species most vulnerable to threatening processes such as logging; and (2) to provide more effective conservation management on private lands where loss of native vegetation continues.     

Factors associated with human-killing tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Human-killing is the ultimate expression of human-tiger conflict. It is a complex issue that needs to be addressed to maintain support for tiger (Panthera tigris) conservation in areas where human-killing is prevalent. This research was undertaken to investigate the ecological and sociological aspects of human-killing in the central lowlands of Nepal. We used 28 years of data from human-killing events in Chitwan National Park and the surrounding area to: (1) document the geographic distribution of human-killing incidents, (2) examine ecological variables associated with sites where humans were killed, (3) characterize human-killing tigers, and (4) identify human activities that make people vulnerable to attack. Finally, we use this information to recommend strategies to reduce human-tiger conflicts. Data on human-killing incidents and removal of human-killing tigers were obtained from veterinarian and Kathmandu Zoo records and by visiting the location of each kill with a victim’s family member or friend. Thirty-six tigers killed 88 people from 1979 to 2006. Most (66%) kills were made within 1 km of forest edge but equally in degraded and intact forests. An equal number of male and female tigers killed humans and 56% of tigers that were examined had physical deformities. The trend of human deaths increased significantly from an average of 1.2 (±1.2) persons per year prior to 1998 to 7.2 (±6.9) per year from 1998 to 2006. This difference is due primarily to a ten fold increase in killing in the buffer zone since 1998 because of forest restoration. Nearly half the people killed were grass/fodder collectors. Local participation in tiger management and conservation is essential to mitigate human-tiger conflicts. We recommend that villagers be recruited to help radio collar and monitor potentially dangerous tigers, participate in long term tiger monitoring, and attend a tiger conservation awareness program focused on tiger behavior and avoidance of conflict.     

The role of small reserves in plant conservation in a region of high diversity in eastern Spain

The Valencian region, in eastern Spain, is home to ≈3050 vascular plant species, 68 of which are listed under the critically endangered IUCN category. To afford protection to our endangered, rare and endemic flora, a network of small (2-20 ha) statutory reserves has been created by the Regional Wildlife Service. These are termed “micro-reserves” and encompass a large number of individual species and natural habitats. The objective is to monitor long term changes in the plant populations and to carry out active management of the protected plants. In the selection of plots, criteria of distinctiveness and endangerment of plants was followed. Eight years after the onset of this initiative, plant micro-reserves have become an essential tool for the effective protection of the diverse flora of this Mediterranean region.     

Benign neglect: A model of faunal collapse in the game reserves of East Africa

This paper employs a branch of island biogeography theory to analyse and predict the extinction of species of large mammals in 19 nature reserves in East Africa. The assumptions of the analysis include (1) the dynamics of faunal collapse in East Africa will not be significantly different from the dynamics of extinction of large mammals on the islands of the Sunda Shelf, and (2) the absence of either destructive or supportive human intervention (benign neglect). The results may serve as a baseline against which conservationists can discuss various management approaches. We conclude that the pace of extinctions is inversely related to the size of the reserve, but that even the largest reserves would lose most of their large species in a few centuries.     

Comparison of breeding bird and vegetation communities in primary and secondary forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We compared breeding bird communities and vegetation characteristics at paired point locations in primary (undisturbed) and mature secondary forest (70-100 years old) sites in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA to understand how sites logged prior to creation of the park compare to undisturbed sites following 70 years of protection from human disturbance. We found that bird and vegetation communities are currently similar, but retain some differences in species composition. Rank abundance curves for primary and secondary forest bird communities showed very similar patterns of species dominance. Species composition was also similar on the two sites which shared 24 of the 25 most frequently recorded species. Nonetheless, comparisons of density estimates derived from distance sampling showed three bird species were more abundant on primary forest sites and that one bird species was significantly more abundant on secondary forest sites. Notably, comparisons based on raw counts (unadjusted for potential differences in detectability) produced somewhat different results. Analyses of vegetation samples for the paired sites also showed relative similarity, but with some differences between primary and secondary forests. Primary forest sites had more large trees (trees greater than 50 cm diameter at breast height) and late successional species. Primary forest sites had a denser tall shrub layer while secondary forest sites had a denser canopy layer. Nonetheless, tree species richness, basal area of live trees and number of standing snags did not differ between primary and secondary forest sites. Results indicate that breeding bird communities on sites within the park that were logged commercially 70 years ago are currently quite similar to bird communities on sites with no history of human disturbance. Similarities between the bird communities on previously disturbed and undisturbed sites in Great Smoky Mountains National Park may exceed those on more fragmented landscapes because large patches of primary forest, adjacent to commercially logged sites, remained in the park when it was established in 1935. These patches of primary forest may have served as source areas for commercially logged sites.     

Comparing bird community responses to forest fragmentation in two lowland Central American reserves

Habitat loss and fragmentation reduce diversity of tropical bird communities, but the predictability of how communities in fragments disintegrate over time remains unclear. We compared bird community changes of two lowland forest reserves, La Selva Biological Station (LSBS), Costa Rica and Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama, both approximately the same size (1500 ha) and at similar latitude (9-10 N) in Central America. Both reserves are losing bird species despite LSBS’s connection to an existing large park (incomplete isolation) and BCI’s favorable location within a largely forested landscape. We examined characteristics of guilds and species lost from the sites to determine whether patterns were similar, and thus predictable. Some of the same guilds declined at both reserves, particularly insectivores and ground/understory nesters. At LSBS mixed-species flock participants, forest species, and burrow-nesters also declined or became extirpated disproportionately. At BCI edge species became extirpated. Body mass was a poor predictor of species and guild loss at both sites, except for carnivores at La Selva. Thus, fragmentation appears to influence some guilds more than others, but which species decline or disappear in tropical forest fragments is also influenced by site-specific factors, mostly yet to be determined. We need to understand such idiosyncratic effects of fragmentation better, rather than rely on one-size-fits-all management plans to conserve bird communities in tropical forest fragments.     

榆林市绿地生态系统土壤水文调控过程及土壤微生物群落特征

为了探究榆林市绿地系统生态水文效应以及绿地土壤微生物群落特征,调查研究了榆林市东沙生态公园绿地土壤理化性质和养分状况,分析了土壤水文调节功能以及土壤微生物群落丰富度、多样性和均匀度,检测分析了绿地不同区域枯枝落物的持水能力和持水过程。结果显示:（1） 东沙生态公园不同区域土壤理化性质与营养状况差别较大,土壤容重变化范围为0.41~1.34 g/cm³,总孔隙度变化范围为42%~71%,有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾变化范围分别是9.93~17.69 g/kg,0.97~2.37 g/kg,2.31~6.67 g/kg,23.6~58.12 g/kg;（2） 东沙生态公园不同区域绿地土壤微生物群落特征不一致,停车场区和公园干扰区绿地人流量大,显著影响该区域土壤微生物的丰富度和多样性,公园等人员较少干扰绿地土壤中微生物丰富度和多样性较高;（3） 单一因素差异性分析和PCA分析表明东沙生态公园绿地土壤微生物群落结构与是否晴/雨天无关。（4） 东沙生态公园不同区域绿地枯枝落物储量具有显著差异性,停车场区和公园干扰区绿地表层枯枝落物厚度最大,公园附近绿地枯枝落物厚度最小,并且枯落物储量也具有相似的规律。综上所述,城市绿地生态水文的优良,土壤和表层枯落物尤为重要,为了防治城市内涝,需要加强城市绿地土壤环境的保护,以及减少人为对绿地的干扰。     

松嫩-三江平原湿地自然保护区面临的问题及管理对策

松嫩-三江平原地区湿地是我国最大的湿地集中分布区,大面积农垦及其它人类生产和生活活动使天然湿地丧失和退化。该区域湿地自然保护区在全国占有重要地位,它目前面临的主要问题有:保护区内的生产生活活动干扰冲击天然湿地生态环境,保护区外的水利工程设施及工农业生产和生活活动对保护区湿地环境产生负面影响,保护区自身建设和管理基础薄弱等。针对松嫩-三江平原湿地自然保护区发展面临的问题,从保护区自身建设和保护区政策措施2方面探讨了区域湿地自然保护区的管理对策。     

Parasite infection rates of impala (Aepyceros melampus) in fenced game reserves in relation to reserve characteristics

Under certain conditions reserves can pose a threat to wildlife conservation by increasing the transmission of parasites and pathogens. In this study, I investigated associations between reserve characteristics including area, density and species richness and parasite infection rates in impala (Aepyceros melampus). Using coprological methods to measure gastrointestinal parasitism rates of impala inhabiting five fully or partially fenced game reserves in central Kenya, I found that bovid species richness was correlated with parasite taxa richness across reserves, and that prevalence rates of multi-host strongyle nematodes were higher in reserves with more species. In addition, reserve size was also implicated as a potential predictor of infection risk. Overall, these results suggest that wildlife inhabiting highly diverse and small reserves may suffer from higher than normal rates of infection. Given the potential debilitating effects increases in parasitism can have on wildlife, these results underscore the importance of considering parasite transmission dynamics in the management of small, fenced protected areas.     

陕北大、中型淤地坝现状调查与分析

对陕西省淤地坝安全大检查专项行动中陕北大、中型淤地坝的建坝密度、实测拦泥库容、单坝控制面积等指标进行了实地调查和数据整理。结果表明,陕北大、中型淤地坝控制面积为28 703.84 km2,拦沙总量达4.11×1015kg,反映了淤地坝具有显著的拦泥淤地作用。淤地坝的建坝密度、实测拦泥库容、单坝控制面积,两两成正相关关系。陕北榆林市已淤成的大、中型淤地坝地主要用于种植农作物。但种植作物太过单一,而延安市已淤成的大、中型淤地坝地只局限于拦截泥沙。陕北淤地坝主要的管护方式为集体管护。淤地坝各部件中最严重的安全隐患是坝体隐患。     

Selecting terrestrial arthropods as indicators of small-scale disturbance: A first approach in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

The growing pressure placed by human development on natural resources creates a need for quick and precise answers about the state of conservation of different areas. Thus, identifying and making use of ecological indicators becomes an essential task in the conservation of tropical systems. Here we assess the effects of small-scale disturbance on terrestrial arthropods and select groups that could be used as ecological indicators in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Arthropods were sampled within a continuous forest in the Serra do Mar State Park, southeastern Brazil, both in disturbed and undisturbed areas of the reserve. The abundance of exotic species was higher in the disturbed site, and this pattern seems to be an adequate indicator of anthropogenic disturbance. Species richness of Araneae, Carabidae, Scarabaeidae, Staphylinidae, and epigaeic Coleoptera (pooled) was higher in the undisturbed site, while that of fruit-feeding butterflies was higher in the disturbed site. Species richness was not significantly correlated between any pair of taxa. In contrast, species composition was significantly correlated among most groups, and clearly discriminates the disturbed from the undisturbed site. Moreover, fruit-feeding butterflies and epigaeic Coleoptera composition discriminated disturbed and undisturbed sites even when species were grouped into higher taxonomic levels, which may be a way of overcoming the difficulty of identifying arthropod species from poorly studied, species-rich ecosystems. Potential applications for these indicators include the choice and evaluation of sites for the establishment of natural reserves, elaboration of management plans, and the assessment of ecological impacts due to human activities, either for the purposes of licensing or legal compensation.     

Major current and future gaps of Brazilian reserves to protect Neotropical savanna birds

We tested the prediction that climate-driven changes might alter bird species composition in reserves of the Cerrado region of Brazil. First, we modelled the current distributions and the potential future projections of 38 endemic or rare bird species. We used eight modelling techniques within the BIOMOD computational framework in an ensemble-forecasting approach to reach a consensus scenario. Then we compared current and future (2046-2060) distributions under different scenarios (reserve size and bird dispersal) with the current Brazilian reserve system to assess the adequacy of protection (representation) of each species and detect gaps in their protection. Finally, to identify areas with high probability of occurrence of several species, we calculated cumulative climatic suitability of all 38 species for both current and future scenarios. None of the 38 species is covered under any current or future scenarios, revealing that the current reserve system is highly inefficient in conserving the analyzed bird species. The implementation of new reserves to cover species in current and future climate scenarios is recommended in areas in the south-eastern part of the Cerrado region and in the mountains of east Brazil. Due to the already high land use of the southeast region of the Cerrado, the application of non-traditional conservation measures should be evaluated.     

Assessing the impacts of roads in peri-urban reserves: Road-based fatalities and road usage by wildlife in the Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia

For protected reserves set aside for conservation, the impact of roads and traffic on wildlife can be severe, particularly for those in the peri-urban environment. Often reserves possess many sealed roads that have regular traffic from tourists and local residents. As managerial bodies struggle to control the wide variety of threats to the fauna within these reserves, the loss of life on roads only compounds the precarious nature of wildlife survival in these disturbed environments. As a first step to addressing this concern in Australia, this study quantifies the fatalities of wildlife killed on roads within the Royal National Park in New South Wales, and estimates those wildlife species using roadside habitat in order to identify species susceptible to collisions. Modelling of fatality data indicated that mammals were most likely to be killed where forage was abundant on the roadside verge and where there was plenty of protective cover, while birds were most likely to be killed when the height of roadside vegetation was low. A number of collision hotspots were identified along the surveyed road that should be the target of mitigation efforts. The average speed of vehicles travelling within the park peaked at night. This is of particular concern as activity by Australian mammals tends to be greatest at night. The findings indicate that roads in peri-urban reserves have the potential to alter the movement of animals and impact on their populations through loss of life.     

Investigation and assessment of the botanical efficiency of conservation in selected nature reserves of Westphalia (Federal Republic of Germany)

The main purpose of most of our nature reserves is the protection and conservation of threatened species, communities or landscape. This article deals with a quantitative method to check periodically the efficiency of protection and presents the results of its application for 33 Westphalian nature reserves.