The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africa’s major land uses

Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species’ population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate ‘intactness scores’: the remaining proportion of an ‘intact’ reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region’s major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/ taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems

Helogale parvula, Common Dwarf Mongoose

Justification: This species is listed as Least Concern because this species has a wide distribution, is common (sometimes attaining high densities) across its range, and is present in several protected areas with no major threats

Le blaireau (Meles meles L.) dans le Jura suisse: succ\ue8s de capture, param\ue8tres d\ue9mographiques et ectoparasites

Volume: 110Start Page: 565End Page: 58

Egyptian Mongoose: Herpestes ichneumon

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A conservation assessment of Genetta genetta

The Small-spotted Genet is listed as Least Concern as this species has a wide distribution within the assessment region, is locally common, and has a very broad habitat tolerance that includes being commensal with human settlements in urban and rural landscapes. Small-spotted Genets are also present in many protected areas across the region

Conservation status, distribution and species richness of small carnivores in Africa

We assessed the global conservation status of small carnivores in Africa based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. African small carnivores represent about 34% of extant small carnivores worldwide. Familial diversity is intermediate, with four of the world’s nine families represented (Herpestidae: 47% of African species; Mustelidae: 20%; Nandiniidae: 2%; and Viverridae: 31%). Greatest species richness is recorded in equatorial Africa, although most sub-Saharan countries host at least 15 species (with a maximum of 26 in any one country). Of the 55 small carnivore species found in Africa, 51 (93%) are predominantly distributed in Africa and 48 (87%) are endemic. In terms of IUCN Red List conservation status, 43 species are Least Concern (LC), three are Near Threatened (NT), four are Vulnerable (VU) and five are Data Deficient (DD). No African small carnivore species is currently listed as Endangered (EN), Critically Endangered (CR), Extinct in the Wild (EW) or Extinct (EX). For data-sufficient small carnivore species (i.e. non-DD), 8% were considered threatened (all VU), primarily a result of population declines and small distribution ranges (encompassing only 2–6 countries). The exact percentage of threatened species is unknown, but is between 7% (if no DD species is threatened) and 16% (if all are). Population trends are adjudged unknown for 46% of the species, while 27% are thought stable and 27% are believed decreasing. Compared with mammals worldwide, the overall conservation status of small carnivores in Africa appears relatively favourable. However, declining populations of many species and existing (habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation; exploitation for meat) and new threats (rapid economic development expanding the wild meat market, possibly to Asia) hint that additional small carnivore species may become threatened unless effective conservation strategies are implemented. This is of prime importance considering that over a quarter of the world’s small carnivore species are endemic to Africa. Actions to remove or mitigate factors threatening Vulnerable and Near Threatened species constitute the short-term priority for small carnivore conservation in Africa.University of Fort Hare, University of Pretori

Using genetic methods to investigate dispersal in two badger (Meles meles) populations with different ecological characteristics

Understanding the dispersal behaviour of a species is important for understanding its ecology and evolution. Dispersal in the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) is believed to be very limited, with social groups forming primarily through the retention of offspring. However, most of our knowledge of dispersal in this species comes from studies of high-density populations in the United Kingdom, where badgers are atypical in their behaviour, physiology, ecology and prey specialization. In this study we use genetic methods to compare dispersal patterns in a British and a Swiss population that differ in their ecology and demography. We present well-supported evidence that badgers disperse much further in the low-density continental population, where dispersal may also be female biased. Limited dispersal thus seems not to be an intrinsic behavioural characteristic of the species. Rather, dispersal patterns seem to vary depending on population demography and, ultimately, habitat quality and characteristics. This could have important management consequences, as dispersal can affect the impact of local extinction, and host dispersal has a particularly important role in disease transmission. Even though concentrated studies of a species in a single location may not provide representative data for the species, there are few mammalian studies that compare demography and dispersal patterns across contrasting habitats. Our results provide an example of phenotypic plasticity and suggest that dispersal is determined by the interaction of individual, social and environmental factors that may differ between populations. Heredity (2010) 104, 493-501; doi:10.1038/hdy.2009.136; published online 7 October 200

Population Estimation and Trappability of the European Badger (Meles meles): Implications for Tuberculosis Management.

peer-reviewedEstimates of population size and trappability inform vaccine efficacy modelling and are required for adaptive management during prolonged wildlife vaccination campaigns. We present an analysis of mark-recapture data from a badger vaccine (Bacille Calmette–Gue´ rin) study in Ireland. This study is the largest scale (755 km2) mark-recapture study ever undertaken with this species. The study area was divided into three approximately equal–sized zones, each with similar survey and capture effort. A mean badger population size of 671 (SD: 76) was estimated using a closed-subpopulation model (CSpM) based on data from capturing sessions of the entire area and was consistent with a separate multiplicative model. Minimum number alive estimates calculated from the same data were on average 49–51% smaller than the CSpM estimates, but these are considered severely negatively biased when trappability is low. Population densities derived from the CSpM estimates were 0.82–1.06 badgers km22, and broadly consistent with previous reports for an adjacent area. Mean trappability was estimated to be 34–35% per session across the population. By the fifth capture session, 79% of the adult badgers caught had been marked previously. Multivariable modelling suggested significant differences in badger trappability depending on zone, season and age-class. There were more putatively trap-wary badgers identified in the population than trap-happy badgers, but wariness was not related to individual’s sex, zone or season of capture. Live-trapping efficacy can vary significantly amongst sites, seasons, age, or personality, hence monitoring of trappability is recommended as part of an adaptive management regime during large–scale wildlife vaccination programs to counter biases and to improve efficiencies.Department of Agriculture, Food and the MarineTeagasc Walsh Fellowship Programm