bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Can nature tourism help finance protected areas in the Congo Basin?
Authors: Wilkie David S. , Carpenter Julia F. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractIn the debt-ridden, high-population-growth, resource-mining states of the Congo Basin, conservation of biodiversity is seldom the primary concern of national policy makers or of local resource users. Moreover, the recurring costs of managing protected areas and the opportunity costs of forgoing logging and farming to maintain protected areas are a substantial net drain on national and local economies. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly important that protected areas generate, from user fees or donor contributions, sufficient funds to offset the costs of maintaining them. Government and donor investment currently meet less than 30 per cent of the estimated recurring costs required to manage the protected-area network within central African countries effectively, and cover none of the growing opportunity costs. Nature tourism, the fastest growing sector of the $US3 trillion (3 million million) a year global tourism industry, may offer a source of revenue to help fill this gap in funds. Congo Basin national parks and reserves harbour many charismatic animals (okapi, lowland gorilla, mandrills, bongo, forest elephant) that are likely to attract tourists, and as a result many protected- area managers are sinking capital into the development of tourist infrastructure. This paper reviews the evidence for ecotourism's capacity to generate revenue for protected-area management and appraises the financial viability of nature tourism in the Congo Basin.
Status and conservation of primates in Odzala National Park, Republic of the Congo
Authors: Bermejo Magdalena 
Published: March 2003

AbstractA survey of diurnal primate populations was carried out in Odzala National Park, Republic of the Congo, over 3 months in 1994 and 2 months in 1995. The park contains a high diversity and species-specific abundance of primates, and has the highest number of diurnal primates (10 species) in the forest block of Central Africa. Eight species of monkey: greater whitenosed monkeyCercopithecus nictitans, moustached monkeyCercopithecus cephus, crowned guenonCercopithecus pogonias, De Brazza's monkeyCercopithecus neglectus, talapoinMiopithecus talapoin, white-cheeked mangabeyCercocebus albigena, agile mangabeyCercocebus galeritusand guerezaColobus guereza, as well as gorillaGorilla g.gorillaand chimpanzeePan t.troglodyteswere sighted in the survey. Monkey species richness was highest in dense inundated forest and thicket, with all eight species occurring in these habitats, whereas only four species were found interra firmaforest (consisting of the park's two main habitats, open-canopy Marantaceae forest and closed-canopy primary forest). Three of the four species (C. nictitans, C. cephusandC. albigena) present interra firmaforest were most abundant in closed-canopy primary forest (1.4,1.0 and 0.6 groups per km, respectively) while the fourth (C. pogonias) was most abundant in open-canopy Marantaceae forest. Gorilla nests were most abundant in open-canopy Marantaceae forest (12.1 nests per km), while chimpanzee nests were mostly found in closed-canopy primary forest and Marantaceae forest (14 and 12 nests per km, respectively). Odzala has the highest recorded densities of western lowland gorilla (mean = 5.4 individuals per sq km) and chimpanzee (mean = 2.2 individuals per sq km) in Central Africa. The high densities of gorillas and chimpanzees may be a result of the high productivity of the forest and low poaching pressure. Conservation measures to ensure the maintenance of conditions in the area, such as educational programmes, are suggested.
Preliminary observations on the distribution and status of dwarf blue sheep Pseudois schaeferi
Authors: Wang Xiao-ming , Peng Ji-tai , Zhou Hua-ming 
Published: March 2003

AbstractDwarf blue sheep Pseudois schaeferi are known to survive only in Batang County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. According to the results of a survey between 19 November and 21 December 1997, the species has declined steeply in both range and numbers since the 1950s and 1960s because of excessive hunting. The survey found that dwarf blue sheep were concentrated on steep cliffs between 2700 and 3200 m. In the area near Batang, the species's range was estimated to cover 295 sq km and the population to number c. 200 individuals. The average group size was 6.2 individuals, with a male: female ratio of 67.7:100. The authors recommend that the species be included in Class I of the National List of Protected Animals in China.
Chemical restraint of endangered mammals for conservation purposes: a practical primer
Authors: Osofsky Steven A. , Hirsch Karen J. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractWild mammals sometimes need to be restrained for conservation purposes. Game rangers, wildlife managers, field biologists and wildlife veterinarians need to be fully conversant with a wide array of environmental and biological variables when using chemical restraint on wild mammals. In order to minimize risks to subject animals, they also need to be able to react appropriately using the correct equipment with sufficient skill to deal with anything that can go wrong. The importance of thorough background research and planning before going into the field cannot be overemphasized. The physiological results of immobilization drugs delivered by dart depend on dosages, the success of dart placement and drug delivery in good muscle, as well as the physiological state of the animals prior to and during anaesthetic induction. This paper describes the essential components of a planning and monitoring protocol for chemically restraining terrestrial mammals under field conditions.
Preliminary assessment of the impacts of human activities on gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla and other wildlife at Dzanga-Sangha Reserve, Central African Republic
Authors: Remis Melissa J. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe aim of this study was to make preliminary assessments of the effects of human activities on the gorillas and other wildlife in the Dzanga-Ndoki Park and broader Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Reserve (RDS), Central African Republic. During a month-long survey in 1997, observation and sign of humans and large mammals, including ape nest-sites, were recorded on 81.2 km of line transects in three sectors of the park and reserve. Human activities, including intensities of logging and hunting, appeared to decrease with distance from the population centres and were lower in the park than in the reserve sectors. Encounter rates with sign of duikers Cephalophus spp., monkeys Cercopithecus spp. and Cercocebus albigena, elephants Loxodonta africana, and gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla were generally lower in regions of high human activity in the reserve than in the park sectors. Nevertheless, gorilla nest-site densities did not vary significantly between sectors or with human activity levels. A high frequency of zero (bare ground) nests at RDS suggests that gorilla surveys that rely on line transect methods and use nest decomposition rates from other studies may sometimes underestimate gorilla densities. This study suggests that current levels of exploitation in managed hunting zones of national forest reserves may be negatively affecting targeted wildlife populations in these zones. Assessments should be a regular part of efforts to monitor the health of wildlife populations in managed protected zones. Participation by Central Africans in research will continue to benefit conservation and development efforts.
The local extinction of the proboscis monkey Nasalis larvatus in Pulau Kaget Nature Reserve, Indonesia
Authors: Meijaard Erik , Nijman Vincent 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe population of the threatened proboscis monkey Nasalis larvatus, a Bornean endemic, in the Pulau Kaget Nature Reserve, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, is extinct. Until 1997, this small, isolated population, estimated at c. 300 individuals, had been pushed towards the fringes of the reserve by illegal agricultural expansion. As food sources became depleted, the population apparently exceeded the decreasing carrying capacity of the reserve and was reported to be starving to death. As a solution, 84 animals were translocated to nearby, unprotected sites, resulting in 13 fatalities. An additional 61 animals were taken to a zoo, where 60 per cent died within 4 months of their capture. There was neither a proper pre-translocation assessment of the suitability of the release sites, nor a proper post-translocation monitoring programme for the released animals. We conclude that the Pulau Kaget reserve and its proboscis monkeys have been poorly managed. We provide some suggestions to improve the effectiveness of conservation efforts in Indonesia.
Rediscovery of rodents (GenusNesoryzomys) considered extinct in the Galápagos Islands
Authors: Dowler Robert C. , Carroll Darin S. , Edwards Cody W. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe history of the endemic rodents of the Galápagos Islands began with the discovery of the first Galápagos rice rat species by Charles Darwin in 1835 and the last species was described as recently as 1980. Unfortunately, of the seven described species known to occur in the islands during the past 150 years, only two were known to be extant to 1995. Since then, two expeditions to the Galápagos Islands have been conducted to survey endemic rodent populations. The first confirmed the existence of a small endemic rice rat,Nesoryzomys fernandinae, on Fernandina, known previously only from owl pellet remains found in 1979. In 1997, an expedition to Santiago revealed a population of the larger rice ratN. swarthi, a species collected alive only once in 1906 and considered extinct in all recent literature on the Galápagos Islands. Survey efforts on Santa Cruz resulted only in the collection of introduced rodent species (Rattus rattus, R. norvegicus and Mus musculus). The extant species of native rodents in the Galápagos Islands now number four:N. narboroughiandN. fernandinaeon Fernandina;N. swarthion Santiago; andOryzomys baurion Santa Fe. Three species are found on islands where no introduced rodents or cats occur, whereas only one (N. swarthi) co-exists withR. rattusandM. musculus. Nesoryzomys darwiniandN. indefessuson Santa Cruz andO. galapagoensison San Cristóbal are still considered extinct. Strategies for conservation should include monitoring islands for introduced rodents and cats, development of emergency plans in the event of introductions, and captive management.
Great bustards Otis tarda in Morocco: status in spring 1999 and evidence of a decline in recent decades
Authors: Alonso Juan C. , Lane Simon J. , Dawson Robert , Idaghdour Youssef 
Published: March 2003

AbstractA spring (1999) census was conducted of great bustards Otis tarda in north-western Morocco, where a poorly known population of this species occurs. Sixty-four birds were seen in four distinct areas. Adult males were seen displaying at three of these areas, indicating that they are probably traditional lek sites. No adult males were observed in the fourth area and its status as a lek site is uncertain. Two further sites were visited but no birds were seen. Two lst-year males were seen with their mothers, demonstrating successful breeding in 1998. We argue that the small number of birds, a population sex ratio of 1:3.3 in favour of females, evidence for a range contraction, and probable isolation from other great bustard populations mean that this population is now extremely endangered and will decline to extinction unless conservation measures are implemented immediately.
Imminent extinction crisis among the endemic species of the forests of Yanbaru, Okinawa, Japan
Authors: Itô Yosiaki , Miyagi Kuniharu , Ota Hidetoshi 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe natural forest in Yanbaru, the northern part of the main island of Okinawa (Okinawa Hontô), is an important area for nature conservation, because it has a large number of endemic animals and plants. First, we explain the status of the most important endemic animals of Yanbaru, stressing that most of them are endangered and near extinction. Second, we show especially high species diversity of trees, insects and mites in the Yanbaru forest. However, the integrity of the Yanbaru forest is seriously threatened by clearcutting and complete removal of forest undergrowth. Although an area in Yanbaru occupied by the US Marine Corps has, to date, preserved good natural forest, a new plan to establish seven military helipads in this area is now being examined. Possible outcomes of such a development are evaluated. In addition, requests by Japanese biologists for the Defence Facilities Administration Agency, Japan to consider alternate sites for the helipads are described.
Community-based conservation and social change amongst South Indian honey-hunters: an anthropological perspective
Authors: Anderson Paul Nicholas 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThis article reconsiders the use of financial incentives for securing the participation of ‘local’ people on conservation programmes by raising several less discussed social consequences which such incentives may entail. To this end, it outlines the involvement of a South Indian honey-hunting ‘tribe’ with an ecodevelopment programme and the market economy, noting how commercializing ‘traditional’ livelihoods may increase the general ‘standard of living’ but undermine the social ‘fabric’ of the community and aid in the rationalization of custom. It concludes by suggesting that social development should precede economic development for communities in transition between subsistence and commodity-orientated economic practices.
Status of the Ganges river dolphin or shushuk Platanista gangetica in Kaptai Lake and the southern rivers of Bangladesh
Authors: Smith Brian D. , Ahmed Benazir , Ali Muhammad Edrise , Braulik Gill 
Published: March 2003

AbstractSurveys for shushuks Platanista gangetica were conducted during January to April 1999 in Kaptai Lake and the southern rivers of Bangladesh. A population of at least 125 dolphins was recorded in the Karnaphuli and Sangu rivers and connecting canal. The overall encounter rate was 0.76 dolphins per km. Density was highest in the lower reaches of the Sangu, where we recorded 1.36 dolphins per km. These rates are fairly high when compared with other areas of shushuk distribution. Dolphin movements in the Sikalbaha–Chandkhali Canal were consistent with it being used as a corridor for migration and dispersal between the Karnaphuli and Sangu. Shushuks were also sighted in marine waters of the Karnaphuli and Sangu river mouths, adding credibility to the hypothesis that dolphins move along the coast between the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna and Karnaphuli–Sangu systems, perhaps during the monsoon when freshwater plumes extend into the Bay of Bengal. No dolphins were nobserved in Kaptai Lake, a dam-created reservoir of the upper Karnaphuli, despite reports of occasional sightings by local fishermen. No shushuks were observed in the Bagkhali and Matamuhuri rivers, possibly because of seasonal-closure dams present near the mouths of both rivers. The main threats to dolphin survival in the Karnaphuli-Sangu system are probably accidental entanglement in monofilament gillnets, bioaccumulation of persistent contaminants and possibly collisions with motorized vessels and a decline in prey as a result of over fishing. The most significant conservation measure that could be taken would be to establish a protected area for dolphins in the Sangu River below the Dohazari Bridge.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda: gorilla census 1997
Authors: McNeilage Alastair , Plumptre Andrew J. , Brock-Doyle Andrew , Vedder Amy 
Published: March 2003

AbstractBwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-west Uganda supports a population of gorillas that has become the primary gorilla population for tourism following the genocide in Rwanda. Previous estimates made in the early 1990s indicated that the population numbered around 300 individuals. The census reported here was the first in Bwindi to use the method successfully developed in the Virungas, which utilizes a complete sweep across the park within a short period of time by a large number of teams working simultaneously. We estimated the population to be 292 individuals; to the best of our understanding – based on previous estimates – the population, therefore, appears to be stable. Most gorillas were found within the centre of the southern section of the park. It appears that there are some areas of unused habitat and, therefore, room for the population to grow. We found no clear relationship between gorilla distribution and human presence, but some forms of disturbance were more frequent and close to the edge of the park and may contribute to the gorillas' avoidance of these areas. The effects of human disturbance, including tourism, on the gorillas and other wildlife should be investigated in more detail and monitored over time. This is particularly important in multiple-use zones which have been established around the edges of the park for bee-keeping, collection of nontimber forest products, and tourism.
Home ranges of translocated lesser anteaters Tamandua tetradactyla in the cerrado of Brazil
Authors: Rodrigues Flávio H. G. , Marinho-Filho Jader , dos Santos Hamilton G. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractEight lesser anteaters Tamandua tetradactyla rescued from the rising waters of a dam at Serra da Mesa, Minaçu, Goiás, Brazil, were tranlocated to other areas and tracked using radio telemetry for periods of up to 10 months, from December 1996 through February 1998. With the exception of one, or perhaps two, female(s) that left the area while the radio collars were in place, the anteaters stayed within 2.17 km of their release sites and appeared to thrive. The results suggest that it is feasible to translocate small numbers of anteaters into new areas of suitable habitats without adverse effects on resident anteaters.
Ecological consequences of hunting in Atlantic forest patches, São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Cullen L. , Bodmer E. R. , Valladares-Padua C. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThis paper evaluates the ecological consequences of hunting by comparing mammalian densities, biomass, relative energy consumption and community structure between sites with different levels of hunting pressure. Hunting is carried out mainly by colonists who farm on the edge of Atlantic forest fragments in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Mammals were studied over a period of 18 months, along 2287 km of line transects. Transects were distributed among two protected sites, one slightly hunted site and two heavily hunted sites. Tapirs, the two peccary species, brocket deer, armadillos and agoutis are preferred by hunters in the region. Primates are not hunted in the region. Hunting has affected community structure, with ungulates dominating mammalian biomass at protected sites and primates dominating at hunted sites. This has caused an ecological inversion in the hunted areas of the Atlantic forests. In Amazonian regions of the Neotropics hunting is more evenly distributed among primates, large rodents, and ungulates and has resulted in an opposite inversion, with hunted sites having lower primate biomass. Atlantic forests are very susceptible to the possible ecological imbalances induced by hunting by humans, and this must be considered for management and conservation programmes.
Two hundred years after a commercial marine turtle fishery: the current status of marine turtles nesting in the Cayman Islands
Authors: Aiken Jonathan J. , Godley Brendan J. , Broderick Annette C. , Austin Timothy , Ebanks-Petrie Gina , Hays Graeme C. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractLarge populations of marine turtles breeding in the Cayman Islands were drastically reduced in the early 1800s. However, marine turtle nesting still occurs in the islands. The present-day status of this nesting population provides insight into the conservation of marine turtles, a long-lived species. In 1998 and 1999, the first systematic survey of marine turtle nesting in the Cayman Islands found 38 nests on 22 beaches scattered through the three islands. Three species were found: the green Chelonia mydas, hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata and loggerhead Caretta caretta turtles. Comparison with other rookeries suggests that the small number of sexually mature adults surviving Cayman's huge perturbations may be impeding population recovery. This shows the need to implement conservation measures prior to massive reductions in population size.
Five years of conserving the ‘world's rarest snake’, the Antiguan racerAlsophis antiguae
Authors: Daltry Jenny C. , Bloxam Quentin , Cooper Gillian , Day Mark L. , Hartley John , Henry McRonnie , Lindsay Kevel , Smith Brian E. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractAbstract The Critically Endangered Antiguan racerAlsophis antiguaeis confined to Great Bird Island, a 9.9 ha (24.5-acre) islet off the north-east coast of Antigua in the Lesser Antilles. This island represents well under 0.1 per cent of the species's historical distribution range. During the past 5 years, the total number of racers aged 1 year or more has fluctuated between 51 and 114, and currently stands at approximately 80. Since 1995, the Antiguan Racer Conservation Project (ARCP) has en-deavoured to save this harmless snake from extinction by using a combination of education, conservation breeding, habitat restoration, local capacity building and applied research. The Antiguan racer's ecology and population dynamics have become well understood after 5 years of intensive study, and the species has evidently benefited from the project's rat eradication programme. The snakes are still seriously threatened by other intrinsic and extrinsic factors, however, including inbreeding depression, frequent hurricanes, invasive predators and deliberate killing by tourists, as well as the problem that Great Bird Island is too small to support more than about 100 individuals. This paper describes the activities and impact of this project to date, and outlines a series of conservation activities to safeguard the long-term future of the species, which include reintroduction of the Antiguan racer to restored islands within its former distribution range.
Assessing the risks of intervention: immobilization, radio-collaring and vaccination of African wild dogs
Authors: Woodroffe Rosie 
Published: March 2003

AbstractControversy has surrounded the role of intervention in studies of African wild dogs Lycaon pictus. Following the death or disappearance of all wild dogs under study in the Serengeti ecosystem, it was suggested that immobilization, radio-collaring or administration of rabies vaccines might have caused high mortality by compromising wild dogs′ immune response to rabies virus. Planning future management and research on wild dogs and other species demands an assessment of the risks associated with such intervention. This paper critically reviews the available evidence and concludes that it is extremely unlikely that intervention contributed to the extinction of wild dogs in the Serengeti ecosystem. A more likely scenario is that vaccination failed to protect wild dogs exposed to rabies virus. Radio-collaring is an important component of wild dog research; hence, the benefits of immobilization appear to outweigh the risks, as long as (i) research is orientated towards wild dog conservation, (ii) radiocollaring is followed up by efficient monitoring, (iii) the number of animals immobilized is kept to the minimum necessary to maintain scientific rigour, and (iv) full data on disease and genetics are collected from all immobilized animals. By contrast, rabies vaccination currently seems to confer few benefits, at least when a single dose of vaccine is given. Further research, on captive animals, is in progress to establish more effective protocols, and to assess the role that vaccination might play in future management of wild dog populations.