Beautiful and ugly animals in Kenya Maasailand: why beauty matters for biodiversity conservation in Africa

Consideration for how humans aesthetically value biodiversity is mostly absent in conservation discourse and practice in the Global South. This contrasts with industrialized countries where this non-economic dimension of human- environmental relationships has been integrated in conservation policies. Conservation practice in sub-Saharan Africa has been dominated by notions of conflict and strategies coupling conservation with economic development. Here, I compare the role of aesthetic appreciation of biodiversity in conservation in the North and the South and scrutinize why research on aesthetic valuation of wildlife by members of African rural communities is rare. Then, based on the case of the aesthetic dimension in the relationship between Maasai and wildlife, I discuss implications for conservation in sub-Saharan Africa related to aesthetic valuation of biodiversity. Deeper engagements of anthropology with conservation science are needed to uncover how positive non-economic dimensions of human-wildlife relationships can be harnessed into the design of conservation strategies that more fully reflect and respect the perceptions and experiences of people who live with wildlife

La evolución de la legislación sobre menores de edad delincuentes en la dictadura militar brasileña

La dictadura brasileña (1964-1985) desarrolló diversos mecanismos para el cuidado de la infancia y adolescencia marginal, como era denominada por el discurso oficial. Dentro de ese grupo de «menores» sinónimo de niños pobres- este artículo se propone aproximarse a los conocidos como menores delincuentes, y analizar cómo la normativa, el tratamiento y la ideología proyectados sobre esos muchachos y muchachas evolucionaron a lo largo de los años dictatoriales, como parte de las estrategias de consolidación y supervivencia del Régimen autoritario.-1. Introducción. -2. Los inicios del Derecho de Menores en Brasil. -3. Dictadura militar, Fundación de Bienestar del Menor y marginalidad social. -4. La normativa menorista y el progresivo endurecimiento del sistema dictatorial. -5. La década de 1970 y el aumento de la violencia contra los niños y niñas marginales. -6.El Código de Menores de 1979. El paradigma de la situación irregular. -7. De la Dictadura a la Democracia: ¿cambios en la consideración de la infancia delincuente? 8. Conclusiones. -Bibliografía

"People should also look after the people": relational values of wildlife and collectively titled land in Ilkisongo Maasai group ranches in Southern Kenya

International audienc

The Osilalei, Emeshenani and Imbirikani study sites within the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem.

<p>Dots are the settlements where the interviews took place.</p

Summary of independent variables used in the statistical analysis: aesthetic judgment of species and informant attributes (personal and household) (n = 191).

<p>Summary of independent variables used in the statistical analysis: aesthetic judgment of species and informant attributes (personal and household) (n = 191).</p

Species listed as beautiful and ugly by informants.

<p>Dark gray bars represent percentages of informants who listed each beautiful species (n = 190; multiple species allowed). Light gray bars represent percentages of informants who listed each ugly species (n = 189; multiple species allowed). The “other” category includes species listed less than 1% of the time.</p

Relative importance of variables in most supported models explaining support for rescuing and removing species.

<p>(+) and (−) signs indicate a positive and negative relationship with the response variable in the most supported models (respectively, support for rescuing species and support for removing species); (*): 0.05 significance level.</p

Pastoralists under COVID-19 lockdown. Collaborative research on impacts and responses in Kenyan and Mongolian drylands

African and Asian dryland pastoral areas did not report COVID-19 cases in the early stages of the pandemic. Nevertheless, harsh contagion-control measures (‘lockdowns’) were enforced by governments, which affected two key dimensions of pastoral livelihoods: mobility and social life. Through four case studies narrated in the first person, this chapter qualitatively examines how Kenyan and Mongolian (agro)pastoralists experienced lockdown measures and responded to them. As travel restrictions prevented in-person fieldwork, we adopted a remote and participatory approach and engaged dryland (agro)pastoralist friends as collaborative researchers and co-authors, who documented their communities’ lockdown experiences and digitally shared their perspectives. While the lockdowns in three Kenyan pastoral areas and three provinces of Mongolia challenged livelihoods in multiple ways, they also had unexpected and paradoxical outcomes. In particular, limitations on mobility spurred different types of mobilities that supported the local economies; restrictions on movement and social life fostered collective action; and social distancing rules encouraged a re-centring of life on the home, pastoral knowledge transmission, and a renewed appreciation for pastoral livelihoods, institutions, and culture. However, socioeconomic impacts were unevenly distributed, and the ability to deploy certain responses varied with gender and with access to land, livestock, natural resources, and non-livestock assets. Still, aspects of more exclusively pastoral systems emerged as key strengths that sustained livelihood security in our study communities under lockdown

Multidimensional food security nexus in drylands under the slow onset effects of climate change

Hyperarid, arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas cover approximately 41% of the global land area. The human population in drylands, currently estimated at 2.7 billion, faces limited access to sufficient, affordable, and nutritious food. We discuss the interlinkages among water security, environmental security, energy security, economic security, health security, and food security governance, and how they affect food security in drylands. Reliable and adequate water supply, and the prevention of water contamination, increase the potential for ample food, fodder, and fiber production. Protecting woodlands and rangelands increases food security by buffering the slow onset effects of climate change, including biodiversity loss, desertification, salinization, and land degradation. The protection of natural lands is expected to decrease environmental contamination, and simultaneously, reduce the transfer of diseases from wildlife to humans. Biofuel production and hydroelectric power plants increase energy security but generate land-use conflicts, deforestation, and ecosystem degradation. Economic security generally positively correlates with food security. However, economic growth often degrades the environment, changes tenure rights over natural resources, and stimulates migration to urban areas, resulting in lower food and health security. Moreover, civil unrest, political instability, and armed conflicts disrupt local economies in drylands. Maintaining food security is crucial for health securityconversely, malnourished populations and unresponsive health systems decrease economic security, and adversely affect environmental, energy, and food security. Climate change is expected to deteriorate health security by spreading vector-borne diseases. Effective governance and timely interventions can substantially shorten periods of food insecurity, lower their intensities, and accelerate recovery from inevitable crises, and are therefore crucial in preventing humanitarian crises. Since global drylands population will nearly double by 2050, and since drylands are among the most susceptible areas to climate change, integrated multi-hazard approaches to food security are needed

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans—anteaters, sloths, and armadillos—have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data