Protecting the Florida panther and panther habitat on private lands: conflicts and management options

Presented at the 8th international congress for wildlife and livelihoods on private and communal lands: livestock, tourism, and spirit, that was held on September 7-12, 2014 in Estes Park, Colorado.Presenter: Elizabeth Pienaar.Although it is protected by the Endangered Species Act, both management and recovery of the Florida panther is contingent on habitat conservation on private lands as well as landowner support for panther conservation efforts. Conflict over cattle depredation by the Florida panther and mitigation for incidental take of the panther has contributed to the formation of the Florida Panther Recovery Implementation Team by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This Team consists of representatives of the USFWS, the National Park Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), environmental NGOs and private landowners, with a mandate to facilitate the recovery of the Florida panther, in part by addressing the human dimensions of panther recovery. One of the key challenges that agencies face is how to engage stakeholders (in particular landowners) in panther management, which is particularly difficult when there is a history of distrust between agencies and stakeholders. To assist in these efforts, I conducted interviews and focus group meetings with a variety of stakeholders to assess their opinions about human-panther conflict, options for managing the Florida panther on private lands, habitat conservation incentives, and the role of agencies in mitigating human-panther conflicts. I will present a synthesis of these discussions and I will highlight the key areas of contention and conflict between various stakeholder groups that must be addressed in order to attain panther recovery

Understanding people's willingness to implement measures to manage human-bear conflict in Florida

Moderator: Stewart Breck.Presented at the 8th international congress for wildlife and livelihoods on private and communal lands: livestock, tourism, and spirit, that was held on September 7-12, 2014 in Estes Park, Colorado.Video presenter: Elizabeth Pienaar.In 2009 the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) began surveying individuals who reported human-bear conflicts. The purpose of this survey is to assess whether individuals take actions recommended by the FWC to reduce or eliminate conflicts. Using this data set, we determined which factors influence the likelihood that surveyed individuals will follow the advice provided by the FWC for managing human-bear conflicts. We find outreach efforts by the FWC increase the probability that people who report conflicts to the agency adopt recommended measures to reduce these conflicts. Our results suggest that outreach efforts by wildlife agencies increase the likelihood that people will alter their behavior to reduce human-bear conflicts

Information needs of health researchers in developing countries : A survey of development country participants in Cochrane collaboration.

Master of Public Health - MPHOne hundred and fifty two (152) countries in the world can be classified as developing or low-resourced countries (LR Cs) according to the World Bank. 1 In the majority of these countries the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is below $1000. Given these limited resources it stands to reason that there is less money available to spend on healthcare and health researc

An analysis of evidence-based medicine in context of medical negligence litigation

A medical negligence case presented to the court is based on averments of neglected duty of care of the defending doctor, a duty owed in accordance with the law of delict, and alternatively and/or accumulatively averments that the contractual agreement between the complainant and the defending doctor was not honoured. In order to prove failure of duty of care and/or breach of agreement, the complainant bears the onus of proof to present to the court reliable medical evidence that would enable the court to reach a decision. The courts have ruled for and against many plaintiffs throughout the years, setting the standards and yardsticks for the requirements of medical negligence. The value or lack thereof of the medical evidence presented came under the magnifying glass in the case of Michael vs Linksfield Park Clinic (Pty) Ltd 2001 (3) SA 1188 SCA and the court indicated the necessity for a "collective mind" from the medical profession. Brilliant legal writers published on this topic and the search and need created this dissertation. The study sets as goal to scrutinize the quality of medical evidence in general, and more specific the Michael-case. From a wide perspective medical evidence was researched, and the term evidence-based medicine led the study to an existing "collective mind" of the medical profession. The study investigated the history and development of evidence-based medicine in order to evaluate whether it can be seen as the "collective mind" of the medical profession. Satisfied that the "collective mind" was found the study tested the available medical evidence, randomly searched, against specific medical issues in the Michael-case and the study compiled substantial medical evidence to work with. An independent expert was consulted and the medical evidence was scrutinized with commentary, explanation and the basis formulated for negligence. The Michael-case was deconstructed and subsequently reconstructed, and the outcome predictably different, based on sound medical evidence. The study explained and warned against exploitation of the statistical data and incorrect interpretation of results. The study concluded that the court as the ultimate trier of the facts should determine whether the medical evidence presented to the court forms part of the "collective mind", and whether it complied with logical principles and reasoning prior to reaching a decision. General notes: 1. Wikipedia and e-medicine was used as first search and easy reference and not for court purposes or proper reference; 2. Note that the dissertation has a legal component and medical component and the references in the Bibliography is split under legal and medical references; 3. Note all the chapter regarding the Michael-case reference to: epinephrine=adrenaline; nor-epinephrine=nor-adrenaline; propranolol=propanolol (American spelling versus the English spelling, both accepted in South Africa); 4. The spelling of nomenclature like anaesthetist versus anesthetist, gynaecologist versus gynecologist; paediatrist versus pediatrist etc are used inconsistently as it is once again the American spelling versus the British spelling, which are accepted in South Africa. Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2011.Public Lawunrestricte

Investigating Public Support for Biosecurity Measures to Mitigate Pathogen Transmission Through the Herpetological Trade

The expanding global trade in herpetofauna has contributed to new infectious disease dynamics and pathways that allow for the rapid spread of pathogens geographically. Improved biosecurity is needed to mitigate adverse biodiversity, economic and human health impacts associated with pathogen transmission through the herpetological trade. However, general lack of knowledge of the pathogen transmission risks associated with the global trade in herpetofauna and public opposition to biosecurity measures are critical obstacles to successfully preventing pathogen transmission. In 2019 we administered a survey to 2,007 members of the public in the United States of America to ascertain their support for interventions to prevent the spread of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), ranaviruses, and Salmonella through the herpetological trade. We presented survey respondents with different potential hazards associated with pathogen transmission through this trade, namely ecological, economic, and human health impacts. We used structural equation models to determine how these different hazards and respondents\u27 characteristics influenced respondents\u27 support for quarantine and veterinary observation of herpetofauna imported into the United States, mandatory tests for diseases of concern, and best practices to reduce stress and improve the care of live herpetofauna during transport to the United States. Respondents\u27 values and their perceived susceptibility and sensitivity to different hazards associated with pathogen transmission were key determinants of their support for biosecurity. Respondents with strong biospheric and altruistic values demonstrated sensitivity to ecological and human health impacts associated with pathogen transmission, whereas respondents with strong egoistic values demonstrated sensitivity to economic impacts. Respondents had limited knowledge of Bd, Bsal or ranaviruses, the size of the herpetological trade, or how this trade may contribute to pathogen transmission. Improved outreach and education on pathogen transmission through the herpetological trade is required, but it is important that messages are tailored to people with different values to elicit their support for biosecurity

Using the balanced scorecard to facilitate strategic management at an academic information service

This article reports on the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard model for facilitating strategic management at the Academic Information Service (academic library) of the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Robert Kaplan and David Norton developed the concept of the Balanced Scorecard in the early 1990s for motivating and measuring business performance. This management methodology is seen as an excellent vehicle for implementing organisational transformation measures in the Academic Information Service. The article starts by giving a short theoretical introduction to the concept of the Balanced Scorecard, followed by an outline of the implementation of the Scorecard on both the strategic and operational levels. It concludes by examining the ways in which the Balanced Scorecard is currently being used to facilitate the strategic management process at the Academic Information Service.http://www.reference-global.com/loi/libram201

Continued obstacles to wood-based biomass production in the southeastern United States

International demand for wood-based biomass for bioenergy production is growing, and private forestlands in the southeastern United States have the potential to supply that demand. The southeastern United States (Southeast) is the world's largest exporter of wood pellets for bioenergy, primarily to the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). However, wood-based biomass production accounts for only a small share of total wood removals from private forestlands in the Southeast. There is sufficient wood-based biomass in the Southeast to support greater production of wood pellets for domestic and international markets without redirecting timber from sawtimber and pulpwood production. In 2018–19, we conducted 39 semi-structured interviews with private forest landowners, foresters, loggers, and biomass production facility managers in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia to obtain their views on wood-based biomass production in the Southeast. Although landowners were interested in supplying wood for biomass as a byproduct of timber harvesting, they seldom participated in wood-based biomass production because of limited and unreliable access to biomass markets. Loggers and production facility managers had not invested in biomass production because they remain skeptical about the financial viability of wood-based biomass. Continued obstacles to biomass production include: price competition with fossil fuels and conventional wood products; inconsistent domestic government support for biomass production; concerns about meeting the sustainability requirements to export wood-based biomass to the UK and EU; and the high costs associated with harvesting low-grade wood for biomass. The barriers to biomass expansion in the southeastern United States remain primarily economic and political rather than biophysical.National Institute of Food and Agriculture,http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/gcbbam2022Mammal Research Institut

Exotic pet owners’ preferences for different ectothermic taxa are based on species traits and purchase prices in the United States

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL : Explanation note: TABLE S1. Choice sets for each of the survey versions based on the D optimal design. TABLE S2. Effects coding for the attribute l evels. TABLE S3. Demographic characteristics of survey respondents (n = 1,055). TABLE S4. Respondent’s pet ownership, and how they acquired their current exotic pets (n = 1,055). TABLE S5. Respondents’ choice of which exotic pet they would purchase next, and the number of respondents who already owned this type of pet (n = 1,055). TABLE S6. Respondent’s stated preferences for the appearance, size, longevity, and behavior of pet snakes, and the price they paid for their previous pet snake (n = 184). TABLE S7. Respondent’s stated preferences for the appearance, size, longevity, and behavior of pet lizards/chameleons, and the price they paid for their previous pet lizard/chameleon (n = 202). TABLE S8. Respondent’s stated preferences for the appearance, size, longevity, and behavior of pet turtles, and the price they paid for their previous pet turtle (n = 130). TABLE S9. Respondent’s stated preferences for the appearance, size, longevity, and behavior of pet tortoises, and the price they paid for their previous pet tortoise (n = 114). TABLE S10. Respondent’s stated preferences for the appearance, size, longevity, and behavior of pet frogs/toads, and the price they paid for their previous pet frog/toad (n = 98). TABLE S11. Respondent’s stated preferences for the appearance, size, longevity, and behavior of pet salamanders, and the price they paid for their previous pet salamander (n = 75). TABLE S12. Respondent’s stated preferences for the appearance, size, longevity, and behavior of pet insects/arachnids, and the price they paid for their previous pet insect/arachnid (n = 89). TABLE S13. Respondent’s stated preferences for the appearance, size, longevity, and behavior of pet fish, and the price they paid for their previous pet fish (n = 163). TABLE S14. Responses to the question: ‘Please indicate how the following traits would influence your decision to acquire [an exotic] pet.’ TABLE S15. Information that respondents obtained prior to acquiring an exotic pet (n = 1,055). TABLE S16. Responses to the question: 'Since acquiring your [exotic] pet(s), have you looked up any additional information on the species or how to care for the animal?' (n = 1,055). This dataset is made available under the Open Database License (http://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1.0/). The Open Database License (ODbL) is a license agreement intended to allow users to freely share, modify, and use this Dataset while maintaining this same freedom for others, provided that the original source and author(s) are credited.The exotic pet trade has resulted in substantial invasion and disease risks, owing to the release of pets into new environments. Scientists have conjectured that pet owners acquire and release species with undesirable traits because they are imperfectly informed about the traits of these animals. However, few studies have used social science methods to elicit pet owners’ preferences for exotic pets. In 2019 we administered a best-worst choice survey to 1,055 exotic pet owners in the United States (who own pet reptiles, amphibians, fish, or invertebrates) to examine how human preferences and incomplete information may contribute to the risks of the exotic pet trade. Respondents preferred colorful and patterned species. On average, respondents preferred medium-sized amphibians and reptiles, small fish, and large invertebrates, although they demonstrated heterogeneity in preferences with respect to the adult size of pets. Respondents also preferred amphibians and reptiles with medium life expectancies and fish and invertebrates with long life expectancies, although they again demonstrated heterogeneity in preferences with respect to pets’ life span. Respondents preferred docile animals, and were more likely to purchase lower-cost pets. We found some evidence that respondents’ decision to purchase exotic pets depended on whether these animals were native, rare, had unusual morphological features, and breed easily. Respondents’ decision to purchase specific taxa as exotic pets also depended on their age, education, and housing. Most respondents stated that they searched for information on pets’ diet, behavior, adult size, life span, costs of care such as equipment or veterinary costs, and whether the animal was captive bred before purchasing these animals. Excepting pets’ diets, fewer than half of respondents had been offered information on pets’ traits by sellers. On average, respondents rated the information they had been offered as average. Respondents typically obtained additional information about pets from online searches. Our results suggest that certification systems that provide critical information on exotic pets’ behaviors, adult size, longevity, fecundity, and husbandry needs should be implemented to prevent pet owners acquiring animals that they may subsequently abandon.https://neobiota.pensoft.nethj2024Mammal Research InstituteNon

Identificación de las inconsistencias en las regulaciones de las mascotas exóticas que perpetúan el mercado de especies riesgosas

Regulatory inconsistencies at different jurisdictional levels have contributed to the global expansion of the exotic pet trade, with resultant increases in the spread of invasive species and pathogens. Researchers have enumerated multiple limitations and environmental risks posed by international and national rules that govern the exotic pet trade, yet little attention has focused on the regulation of the exotic pet trade within national borders. We reviewed state-level regulations that apply to the trade of vertebrate animal taxa in the United States. Definitions and classifications for regulating different vertebrate taxa varied greatly across states, and the terms pet and companion animal were poorly defined and inconsistent across states. States implemented regulations that permit trade in exotic vertebrate pets that are banned from import into the United States owing to public health and conservation concerns. Once species have been imported into the United States, inconsistent internal regulations facilitate the movement of animals that pose substantial invasion and disease risks. Violations of state laws were typically listed as misdemeanors, and the median fine for violating state wildlife trade laws was $1000. Inconsistent and incomplete regulation of exotic vertebrate pets across state borders, in conjunction with limited penalties for violating regulations, has facilitated continued possession of exotic pets in states where these animals are banned. Based on our review of regulatory weaknesses, we conclude that a transition to a federally enforced list of vertebrate species that may be traded as pets is needed, with all other vertebrate species banned from the exotic pet trade unless their potential invasion and disease risks have been assessed and demonstrated to be low or nonexistent.Las inconsistencias regulatorias en diferentes niveles regulatorios han contribuido a la expansión mundial del mercado de mascotas exóticas, con un incremento resultante en la dispersión de especies invasoras y patógenos. Los investigadores han enumerado varias limitaciones y riesgos ambientales que representan las normas nacionales e internacionales que dictan el mercado de mascotas exóticas, pero se ha puesto poca atención en la regulación de este mercado dentro de las fronteras nacionales. Revisamos las regulaciones a nivel estatal que aplican al mercado de taxones de vertebrados en los Estados Unidos (EU). Entre los estados, las definiciones y clasificaciones para regular el mercado de los diferentes taxones de vertebrados variaron mucho y los términos mascota y animal de compañía contaban con definiciones deficientes e incoherentes. Los estados implementaron regulaciones que permiten el mercado de vertebrados como mascotas exóticas cuya importación está prohibida para los EU debido a cuestiones de salud pública y conservación. Una vez que las especies han sido importadas a los EU, las regulaciones internas incoherentes facilitan el traslado de animales que representan un riesgo importante de invasión y de enfermedad. Con frecuencia, las violaciones a las leyes estatales se denominaban delitos menores y la multa promedio por violar las leyes estatales de comercio de fauna era de$1,000. La regulación incompleta e incoherente del mercado de mascotas exóticas entre los límites estatales, en conjunto con las penalizaciones limitadas por violar las regulaciones, ha facilitado la posesión continua de mascotas exóticas en estados en donde estos animales están prohibidos. Con base en nuestra revisión de las debilidades regulatorias, concluimos que se necesita transitar a una lista con aplicación federal de especies de vertebrados que pueden ser comercializadas como mascotas, con todas las demás especies de vertebrados vetadas del mercado a menos de que se haya evaluado su riesgo potencial de invasión y de enfermedad y se haya demostrado que es bajo o inexistente.University of Georgia.https://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cobihj2024Mammal Research InstituteNon

Understanding stakeholders’ opinions and preferences for non-native pet trade management in Florida

There is growing recognition of the link between the non-native pet trade and the introduction and establishment of invasive species due to the release and escape of non-native pets. However, it is unclear whether participants in the pet trade recognize the magnitude of this invasion risk. Successful mitigation of the pet trade invasion risk requires stakeholder support for, and participation in, regulations. We conducted 29 interviews in Florida to investigate key stakeholders’ opinions about the pet trade invasion risk and the effectiveness of potential regulations to mitigate this risk. Respondents framed the effectiveness of regulations in terms of their feasibility. Respondents also identified lack of trust and the existence of an adversarial relationship among stakeholder groups as major barriers to managing the pet trade invasion risk. Compliance with regulations may be improved if policy makers and managers utilize participatory decision-making to engage stakeholders in management of this risk.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uhdw202020-04-25hj2018Mammal Research Institut