The Socially Constructive Aspects of Outside Agents in Community Decision-Making in a Rural Area

The outside-change agent is dangerous, something to be feared (based on past experiences, long since blurred by boredom and powerlessness) and not taken into the community. The outsider offers few, if any, tangible immediately useable resources -- only promises and fancy talk. Limited experience has taught the Appalachian that promises fade into misery and fancy talk to poverty. The self-fulfilling prophesy of inhospitality and disbelief in oneself, turn the Appalachian against the change agent and challenge the agent to leave the area out of self-felt persistent futility

Social Networks in Wild Asses: Comparing Patterns and Processes among Populations

Asiatic wild asses inhabit some of the most arid environments in the world. All live in fissionfusion societies, but demography varies and the deserts in which they live often differ in subtle ways. Characterizing details of social structure of wild ass populations has been a challenge and has made it difficult to determine causes and consequences of any differences that might exist. We use network theory to compare the social structures of two populations of Asiatic asses/ onagers inhabiting the Negev desert, Israel and khur of the Little Rann of Kuch, India and show that populations differ in important structural ways that represent adaptive responses to variations in ecological demographic and phenotypic circumstances. Our analyses show that onagers inhabiting more variable environments then khur also live in larger, more cohesive groups than khur. Presumably networks with this structure facilitate the spread of information and foster cooperation. We also show that demography matters since social fragmentation increases as populations grow. Increases in the number of components in populations, reductions in the number of associates and diminished cliquishness within components, appear to be adaptive responses to integrating increasing numbers of individuals into social networks. We also find some support for the idea that social connectedness varies with phenotype. In our larger populations, non-lactating females who are most challenged in finding sparse feeding sites, are more selective than lactating females in their choice of strong associates. Presumably networks with this structure enhance foraging success by increasing information flow among like-minded individuals. As our study demonstrates, network analysis facilitates testing predictions about the cause of social structure and its impact on transmission processes

Juvenile social relationships reflect adult patterns of behavior in wild geladas

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113724/1/ajp22443.pd

Social Networks in Wild Asses: Comparing Patterns and Processes among Populations

Asiatic wild asses inhabit some of the most arid environments in the world. All live in fissionfusion societies, but demography varies and the deserts in which they live often differ in subtle ways. Characterizing details of social structure of wild ass populations has been a challenge and has made it difficult to determine causes and consequences of any differences that might exist. We use network theory to compare the social structures of two populations of Asiatic asses/ onagers inhabiting the Negev desert, Israel and khur of the Little Rann of Kuch, India and show that populations differ in important structural ways that represent adaptive responses to variations in ecological demographic and phenotypic circumstances. Our analyses show that onagers inhabiting more variable environments then khur also live in larger, more cohesive groups than khur. Presumably networks with this structure facilitate the spread of information and foster cooperation. We also show that demography matters since social fragmentation increases as populations grow. Increases in the number of components in populations, reductions in the number of associates and diminished cliquishness within components, appear to be adaptive responses to integrating increasing numbers of individuals into social networks. We also find some support for the idea that social connectedness varies with phenotype. In our larger populations, non-lactating females who are most challenged in finding sparse feeding sites, are more selective than lactating females in their choice of strong associates. Presumably networks with this structure enhance foraging success by increasing information flow among like-minded individuals. As our study demonstrates, network analysis facilitates testing predictions about the cause of social structure and its impact on transmission processes

Wildbook: Crowdsourcing, computer vision, and data science for conservation

Photographs, taken by field scientists, tourists, automated cameras, and incidental photographers, are the most abundant source of data on wildlife today. Wildbook is an autonomous computational system that starts from massive collections of images and, by detecting various species of animals and identifying individuals, combined with sophisticated data management, turns them into high resolution information database, enabling scientific inquiry, conservation, and citizen science. We have built Wildbooks for whales (flukebook.org), sharks (whaleshark.org), two species of zebras (Grevy's and plains), and several others. In January 2016, Wildbook enabled the first ever full species (the endangered Grevy's zebra) census using photographs taken by ordinary citizens in Kenya. The resulting numbers are now the official species census used by IUCN Red List: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/7950/0. In 2016, Wildbook partnered up with WWF to build Wildbook for Sea Turtles, Internet of Turtles (IoT), as well as systems for seals and lynx. Most recently, we have demonstrated that we can now use publicly available social media images to count and track wild animals. In this paper we present and discuss both the impact and challenges that the use of crowdsourced images can have on wildlife conservation.Comment: Presented at the Data For Good Exchange 201

Zebras of all stripes repel biting flies at close range

The best-supported hypothesis for why zebras have stripes is that stripes repel biting flies. While this effect is well-established, the mechanism behind it remains elusive. Myriad hypotheses have been suggested, but few experiments have helped narrow the field of possible explanations. In addition, the complex visual features of real zebra pelage and the natural range of stripe widths have been largely left out of experimental designs. In paired-choice field experiments in a Kenyan savannah, we found that hungry Stomoxys flies released in an enclosure strongly preferred to land on uniform tan impala pelts over striped zebra pelts but exhibited no preference between the pelts of the zebra species with the widest stripes and the narrowest stripes. Our findings confirm that zebra stripes repel biting flies under naturalistic conditions and do so at close range (suggesting that several of the mechanisms hypothesized to operate at a distance are unnecessary for the fly-repulsion effect) but indicate that interspecific variation in stripe width is associated with selection pressures other than biting flies

The effects of Public-Private partnerships on partnering private sector firms

Despite an increase in governments' demand for private participation in infrastructure, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have received low engagement from the private sector in the task of bridging infrastructure gaps in emerging markets. Previous literature in the field mainly focuses on the effects of PPPs from the governments' perspective and it is inconclusive in its examination of the advantages and disadvantages of the private sector's participation. This thesis addresses these issues by answering three main research questions: (i) Do PPPs benefit partnering private sector firms? (ii) Does higher reliance on the government in PPPs benefit partnering private sector firms? and (iii) Does the relationship between institutional quality and PPP projects benefit partnering private sector firms? Based on corporate finance and incomplete contract theories, PPPs, with their readily costless pledgeable government assets and their government guarantee, are hypothesized to reduce capital constraints faced by private sector firms compared to their non-PPP counterparts. My study analyzes firm market valuation, investment--cash flow sensitivity, bank lending and their determinants for partnering private sector firms. My main findings are as follows: (i) PPP announcements create positive abnormal returns for partnering private sector firms in China and India. In the long run, PPP involvement reduces investment--cash flow sensitivity in both countries' private sector firms. Especially, PPP private sector firms with political connections can achieve better bank financing in both economies, and this situation is even more robust under the effects of the election event in India; (ii) high reliance on government through government equity participation, political connections and contract mechanisms are more beneficial in China compared to those in India in terms of reducing capital constraints. This aligns with the evidence of increasing overinvestment problems in PPP politically connected firms in India; and (iii) the benefits of lower capital constraints and increased firm value through PPP investments are more pronounced in mature economies with high institutional quality. To my best knowledge, the study is the first comprehensive study on the effects of PPPs on partnering private sector firms using the corporate finance dimension. It contributes to the extant debatable literature on the role of PPPs, reliance on governments, contract mechanisms and institutional quality on private sector firms. It provides insights on the possible benefits of these unique contractual agreements and attempts to answer the question of whether the intended purpose of reducing underinvestment in the private sector can be fulfilled through PPP contracts. It also contributes to the extant literature on corporate investment decisions and investment efficiency. Moreover, it sheds light on the extant debate on social lending objectives, political corruption views and the role of political connection and institutions. My study provides important guidance on the direction and viability of PPPs in China and India and is extensively applicable to other economies, depending on their PPP market maturity and institutional quality

Divergent water requirements partition exposure risk to parasites in wild equids

For grazing herbivores, dung density in feeding areas is an important determinant of exposure risk to fecal- orally transmitted parasites. When host species share the same parasite species, a nonrandom distribution of their cumulative dung density and/or nonrandom ranging and feeding behavior may skew exposure risk and the relative selection pressure parasites impose on each host. The arid-adapted Grevy\u27s zebra ( Equus grevyi ) can range more widely than the water-dependent plains zebra ( Equus quagga ), with which it shares the same species of gastrointestinal nematodes. We studied how the spatial distribution of zebra dung relates to ranging and feeding behavior to assess parasite exposure risk in Grevy\u27s and plains zebras at a site inhabited by both zebra species. We found that zebra dung density declined with distance from water, Grevy\u27s zebra home ranges (excluding those of territorial males) were farther from water than those of plains zebras, and plains zebra grazing areas had higher dung density than random points while Grevy\u27s zebra grazing areas did not, suggest - ing a greater exposure risk in plains zebras associated with their water dependence. Fecal egg counts increased with home range proximity to water for both species, but the response was stronger in plains zebras, indicating that this host species may be particularly vulnerable to the elevated exposure risk close to water. We further ran experiments on microclimatic effects on dung infectivity and showed that fewer nematode eggs embryonated in dung in the sun than in the shade. However, only 5% of the zebra dung on the landscape was in shade, indicating that the microclimatic effects of shade on the density of infective larvae is not a major influence on exposure risk dynamics. Ranging constraints based on water requirements appear to be key mediators of nematode parasite exposure in free-ranging equids

Apparent Competition, Lion Predation, and Managed Livestock Grazing: Can Conservation Value Be Enhanced?

Predator restorations often result in apparent competition, where co-occurring prey populations experience asymmetric predation pressure driven by predator preferences. In many rangeland ecosystems, livestock share the landscape with wildlife, including ungulates and the large carnivores that consume them. We examined whether apparent competition reorganized prey communities following restoration of lions (Panthera leo) to a savanna ecosystem, and whether and how livestock management could alter this indirect interaction between lions and their prey. Three lines of evidence supported the hypothesis that Jackson's hartebeest (Alcelaphus bucelaphus lelwel; an ungulate of conservation concern) are suppressed via lion-mediated apparent competition. First, hartebeest exhibited an Allee effect where they were exposed to lions, but displayed negative density-dependent population growth where they were protected from lions. Second, spatial overlap between plains zebra (Equus burchelli; the primary prey of lions) and hartebeest further exacerbated lion predation on hartebeest. Finally, hartebeest were killed selectively by lions, whereas zebra were killed by lions in proportion to their abundance. We then tested whether glades [nutrient-rich hotspots created by abandoned cattle (Bos indicus) corrals] could be used to manipulate top-down control of hartebeest via their influence on the spatial distribution of zebra. Zebra aggregated at glades, and survival of hartebeest increased with increasing distance from glades, suggesting that corrals may be placed on the landscape away from hartebeest to create spatial refuges from lions. Our findings demonstrate how informed placement of livestock corrals can be used to manipulate the spatial distribution of primary prey (zebra), thereby reducing apparent competition suffered by hartebeest. Our work further provides an example of how integrating apparent competition theory with proactive livestock management can improve conservation efforts in multiple-use landscapes