Reproductive Den Habitat Characterization of American Badgers (\u3cem\u3eTaxidea taxus\u3c/em\u3e) in Central California

The American badger (Taxidea taxus) is a species of special concern in California, and, as such, conservation measures are necessary. The goal of this study was to identify potential reproductive den habitat characteristics in order to more accurately predict critical reproductive habitat in central California grasslands. A paired study design was used to examine differences between reproductive and non-reproductive sites, and logistical regression was used to analyze the variables and produce two predictive models, one with biotic factors and one with abiotic factors. Badgers in central Californian grasslands appear to rely on both biotic and abiotic factors when selecting locations for reproductive den sites. Predictive biotic variables included amount of ground vegetation, presence of predators, presence of prey, and nearest shrub width. Predictive abiotic variables included distance to a drainage point and slopes at 10, 30, and 40 m from the den entrance. Integrating information from these models into conservation efforts will identify critical reproductive habitat and help form viable conservation strategies for the species

Painted Ferocity: The Social Behaviors of African Wild Dogs, Threats to Survival, and Resulting Conservation Initiatives

African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) are an endangered species of canid from Sub-Saharan Africa. They are very social communal hunters, and are capable of chasing down prey for long stretches of time. Wild dogs benefit a savannah ecosystem by regulating the populations of their prey so that it does not become unhealthy and overgrown. Like many organisms, wild dogs are also in competition with other predators for resources, namely lions and hyenas, who are capable of stealing their kills and occasionally injuring and killing them. Due to the depletion of their wild prey, wild dogs may also prey upon farmers’ livestock, which puts the dogs at risk of being shot or poisoned by humans. Domestic dogs can also transmit deadly diseases to wild dogs, hindering their chances of survival. Conservation efforts are focused on educating local populations on the ecological importance of wild dogs as well as cooperating with local communities to implement traditional methods of livestock husbandry to reduce rates of livestock predation by wild dogs. Conservationists have also been attempting to vaccinate packs who are at risk of contracting diseases like rabies, as well as reintroducing groups of dogs to areas they once resided in the hopes of re-establishing small populations. It is crucial that these animals are protected so that future generations can learn about their behaviors and so be motivated to conserve them

Contrasting human perceptions of and attitudes towards two threatened small carnivores, Lycalopex fulvipes and Leopardus guigna, in rural communities adjacent to protected areas in Chile

Indexación: Scopus.The interaction between humans and small carnivores is a phenomenon especially frequent in rural fringes, as is the case of communities surrounding natural areas. In Chile, two species of threatened carnivores, the Darwin's Fox and the Guigna, have increased their contact with humans due to human-induced changes in their habitat. The objective of this study was to characterize the interactions of these species with humans by assessing human perceptions and attitudes toward them, and to assess livestock and poultry ownership and management practices in local communities to evaluate their possible roles in the phenomenon. We conducted semi-structured interviews in rural communities adjacent to natural protected areas of two different regions in southern Chile. We found that people have a more positive perception of Darwin's Foxes than Guignas, but both species are considered damaging due to poultry attacks. Livestock and poultry management was generally deficient. Improvements in animal management and education programs could lead to a significant decrease in negative interactions. © Sacristan et al. 2018.https://www.threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/4030/442

Carnívoros invasores en Patagonia: Definiendo prioridades para su manejo usando el visón americano (Neovison vison) como caso de estudio

El visón Americano es una especie introducida con una amplia distribución en Patagonia y por su comportamiento de forrajeo es el carnívoro invasor con el mayor potencial para afectar a la biodiversidad en la región. La información disponible acerca de la presencia/ ausencia del visón en la región y de estimaciones poblacionales es muy escasa aun cuando esto es vital para la planificación de acciones de manejo. En este trabajo integramos la información disponible acerca de la presencia del visón hasta la fecha y evaluamos su presencia en sitios donde hay vacíos de información, basándonos en la ubicación de los puntos de liberación de individuos, distribución confirmada y estimaciones de la capacidad de dispersión. Proponemos una Herramienta de Priorización de Áreas (HPA) para definir sitios prioritarios para el manejo, superponiendo mapas de distribución de la especie, de hábitat adecuado y de áreas de importancia para la conservación de la biodiversidad. Entre las áreas prioritarias, seleccionamos tres y sugerimos un Protocolo de Tareas de Erradicación (PTE) como estrategia de manejo del visón americano, basado en experiencias de erradicación Europeas exitosas. Finalmente, estimamos costos relativos asociados a la implementación de tal PTE en cada una de las áreas seleccionadas. Presentamos este trabajo como una herramienta aplicada, enfocada en mostrar una forma simplificada para afrontar el problema de las especies invasoras en Patagonia y su manejo.The American mink is a widespread invasive carnivore in Patagonia, and due to its foraging behavior that allows it to exploit a wide variety of prey, it is the exotic carnivore with the highest potential impact on the region's biodiversity. Available regional information on mink presence/absence, as well as abundance estimations, is scarce even though it is vital to plan management actions. Here, we integrate the confirmed distribution of mink in Patagonia with its potential presence for areas where information is lacking, based on the location of animal releases and estimated dispersal rates. We propose an Area Prioritization Tool (APT) for invasive species management by overlapping habitat suitability, current known range, colonization fronts and areas deemed important for biodiversity conservation. Among the prioritized areas, we selected three and suggested a Protocol for Eradication Tasks (PET), based on successful mink eradication experiences in Europe. Finally, we estimated the relative costs associated with the PET's implementation in each area. We present this work as a systematic, applied tool to show a feasible way to face the invasive species problems in Patagonia and their management.Fil: Fasola, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Valenzuela, Alejandro Eduardo Jorge. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional Patagonia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

The accelerating influence of humans on mammalian macroecological patterns over the late Quaternary

The transition of hominins to a largely meat-based diet ~1.8 million years ago led to the exploitation of other mammals for food and resources. As hominins, particularly archaic and modern humans, became increasingly abundant and dispersed across the globe, a temporally and spatially transgressive extinction of large-bodied mammals followed; the degree of selectivity was unprecedented in the Cenozoic fossil record. Today, most remaining large-bodied mammal species are confined to Africa, where they coevolved with hominins. Here, using a comprehensive global dataset of mammal distribution, life history and ecology, we examine the consequences of “body size downgrading” of mammals over the late Quaternary on fundamental macroecological patterns. Specifically, we examine changes in species diversity, global and continental body size distributions, allometric scaling of geographic range size with body mass, and the scaling of maximum body size with area. Moreover, we project these patterns toward a potential future scenario in which all mammals currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN\u27s Red List are extirpated. Our analysis demonstrates that anthropogenic impact on earth systems predates the terminal Pleistocene and has grown as populations increased and humans have become more widespread. Moreover, owing to the disproportionate influence on ecosystem structure and function of megafauna, past and present body size downgrading has reshaped Earth\u27s biosphere. Thus, macroecological studies based only on modern species yield distorted results, which are not representative of the patterns present for most of mammal evolution. Our review supports the concept of benchmarking the “Anthropocene” with the earliest activities of Homo sapiens

What next? Rewilding as a radical future for the British countryside

Rewilding is an optimistic environmental agenda to reverse the loss of biodiversity and reconnect society with nature. This chapter explores Britain’s ecological history, back to the Last Interglacial before the arrival of modern humans, when the climate was similar to today, to analyse how conservationists can learn from the past to rewild the ecosystems of the present and prepare for an uncertain future. Because there is no single point in history that should or could be recreated, rewilding focuses on re-establishing naturally dynamic ecological processes that, through an appropriate sequence of species reintroductions, attempts to move the ecosystem towards a more appropriately biodiverse and functional state. A state that is self-sustaining in the present climate, and that projected for the near future. Specifically, this chapter explores a rewilding solution to conservation challenges associated with over-grazing, limited germination niche availability, and river dynamics: the reintroduction of wolves, wild boar, and beaver respectively. This sequence of reintroductions is suggested to be complimentary, each altering ecosystem dynamics to facilitate the return of the next. Evidence indicates wolves will reduce deer abundance and re-distribute browsing intensity promoting tree regeneration, particularly in riparian areas, increasing woodland availability to the more habitat-dependent wild boar and beaver. An important message behind rewilding is that a rich biodiversity with all guilds well represented, including the ones that polarize public opinion, such as large predators, are important components of ecosystem service rich and self-sustaining ecosystems, particularly in core areas

Ecologists need robust survey designs, sampling and analytical methods

1. Research that yields conflicting results rightly causes controversy. Where methodological weaknesses are apparent, there is ready opportunity for discord within the scientific community, which may undermine the entire study. 2. We use the debate about the role of dingoes Canis dingo in conservation in Australia as a case study for a phenomenon that is relevant to all applied ecologists, where conflicting results have been published in high quality journals and yet the problems with the methods used in these studies have led to significant controversy. 3. To alleviate such controversies, scientists need to use robust methods to ensure that their results are repeatable and defendable. To date, this has not occurred in Australia’s dingo debate due to the use of unvalidated indices that rely on unsupported assumptions. 4. We highlight the problems that poor methods have caused in this debate. We also reiterate our recommendations for practitioners, statisticians and researchers to work together to develop long-term, multi-site experimental research programmes using robust methods to understand the impacts of dingoes on mesopredators. 5. Synthesis & applications. Incorporating robust methods and appropriate experimental designs are needed to ensure that conservation actions are appropriately focused and are supported with robust results. Such actions will go a long way towards resolving the debate about the role of dingoes in conservation in Australia, and other, ecological debates

Resilience of New Zealand indigenous forest fragments to impacts of livestock and pest mammals

A number of factors have combined to diminish ecosystem integrity in New Zealand indigenous lowland forest fragments surrounded by intensively grazed pasture. Livestock grazing, mammalian pests, adventive weeds and altered nutrient input regimes are important drivers compounding the changes in fragment structure and function due to historical deforestation and fragmentation. We used qualitative systems modelling and empirical data from Beilschmiedia tawa dominated lowland forest fragments in the Waikato Region to explore the relevance of two common resilience paradigms – engineering resilience and ecological resilience – for addressing the conservation management of forest fragments into the future. Grazing by livestock and foraging/predation by introduced mammalian pests both have direct detrimental impacts on key structural and functional attributes of forest fragments. Release from these perturbations through fencing and pest control leads to partial or full recovery of some key indicators (i.e. increased indigenous plant regeneration and cover, increased invertebrate populations and litter mass, decreased soil fertility and increased nesting success) relative to levels seen in larger forest systems over a range of timescales. These changes indicate that forest fragments do show resilience consistent with adopting an engineering resilience paradigm for conservation management, in the landscape context studied. The relevance of the ecological resilience paradigm in these ecosystems is obscured by limited data. We characterise forest fragment dynamics in terms of changes in indigenous species occupancy and functional dominance, and present a conceptual model for the management of forest fragment ecosystems