The rapid growth of urbanization leads to the cumulative effect of all the negative impacts in the form of pollution, production of waste heat from human activity, multiple diseases, water stress, and so on so forth. With the development or expansion of cities and towns significant vegetation is lost along with urban surfaces are paved or covered with buildings resulting into less shade and moisture to keep urban areas cool. It reveals the fact that Built-up areas evaporate less water resulting into elevated surface and air temperatures of the cities. The amount of urban heat island effect is experienced based on properties of urban materials which consist of solar reflectance, thermal emissivity and heat capacity along with ability to reflect, emit and absorb the suns energy. These conceptual issues lead to warming of urban areas as compared to their rural surroundings, a phenomenon known as the “heat island effect.” An effort has been made in the present paper by the authors to describe the effect of heat island effect on urban environment and its planning. An effort has also been made to suggest mitigating measures to combat heat island effects in urban areas.

Estimations of species abundance are a common goal of wildlife monitoring surveys, but debate remains as to which methods are theoretically and practically most useful. Abundance-induced heterogeneity (AIH) models developed in the early 2000s allowed estimation of point abundance from repeated presence-absence data (e.g. occupancy models), and advanced estimation of point abundances of unmarked species. AIH models, however, do not provide an estimate of the effective detection area sampled. Therefore the absolute number of individuals in a survey area cannot be estimated directly. Recently, methods have become available to determine the effective detection area sampled by camera traps. Our objective was to present a novel method to estimate the absolute number of individuals of a species in an area from point abundance data using effective detection areas from camera traps. This would make AIH models available for population estimates. We applied this newly developed Species Area Abundance (SAA) model to a 3-month camera trapping data set of Bawean warty pigs (Sus blouchi) from Indonesia, and compared the result to an independent Random Encounter Model (REM) estimate from the same data. Population sizes and uncertainties estimated by the SAA and the REM model were comparable. Differences in density estimations between the REM and SAA model were not significant when mean group size was included in the REM. The less restrictive assumptions regarding camera trap placement of the SAA model compared to the REM might make it more practical to study cryptic and unmarked animal populations. Further studies are needed to determine the accuracy and practicality of the SAA model using a range of differrent sampling designs and focus species.

The West African manatee Trichechus senegalensis (LINK, 1795) is the least studied Sirenian species, with both old and fragmentary literature on the population in the Congo River estuary.In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, T. senegalensis occurs up to 60 km upstream around Boma town, a zone under partial protection of the Marine Mangrove Park.In order to develop efficient conservation actions, there is an urgent need to revise the state of knowledge on the species in the Congolese part of its distribution range.This paper reviews the current status and distribution of T. senegalensis populations in the Congo River estuary based on geolocated observations (N=33), and provides a summary of local communities' knowledge, attitude and practices of the manatees 'ecosystem services (e.g.: river dredging, touristic potential).The reported potential threats-poaching, habitat loss, risk of genetic drift-show that the T. senegalensis population of the Congo River estuary is in danger and that its survival requires specific conservation measures.

An investigation on abundance, distribution and population structure of endemic and endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) was carried out in Hanto controlled hunting area between 2015 and 2016 for both wet and dry seasons. The objective of investigation was to compile baseline data on abundance, distribution and population structure of mountain nyala in the controlled hunting area. To achieve the objective, five major habitat types (Erica vegetation, Woodland, Bamboo forest, Reverine forest and Grassland habitat) were identified and 21% of each habitat was surveyed. Sample counts of mountain nyala was carried out using random line transect sampling method in an area of 39.9 km2 from the total area of 190 km2 to estimate the population size and to identify their distribution. The estimated populations of mountain nyala were 531.9 ± 49.3 individuals. Male mountain nyala comprised 37.5%, females were 50.9% and young’s of both sexes were 11.6% of the total population. The male to female sex ratio was 1:1.36. Age structure was dominated by adults, which constituted 61.2% of the total population. The animals were distributed in all the five habitat types. Hence, the study revealed that, the controlled hunting area harbors significant populations of endemic mountain nyala. As a result, it can serves not only as hunting concession but also as an important core protected area for the country's wildlife conservation and tourist attraction area in the future.

Leaf and pollen samples of Rhizophora individuals and the associated soil and water physico-chemical parameters were conducted to generate taxonomic relationships. Samples were collected across Niger Delta region between 2013-2016. Although, application of multiple nuclear genes to the molecular phylogeny, population genetics and hybrid identification has been used. However, there are no sufficient molecular markers to address these topics. Three hundred and sixty four (364) Rhizophora samples were obtained in all. Leaf length, leaf width, stipule length, petiole length, number of lateral nerves, space between lateral nerves, distance between internodes, distance of mid rib away from symmetry and number of foliages per twig was used to obtain morphological relationships. Standard laboratory methods were adopted. Morphologically, the result established five statistically significant differences in Rhizophora Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) with leaf length, stipule length, number of lateral nerves and distance between lateral nerves as characters that delimited one Rhizophora unit from the other. The study also proved specific character that separated each OTU and locations occupied by each. The result of the pollen analysis was used as complimentary evidence to morphology. The apertural morphoforms was tricolporate, while differences exist in exine patterns and pollen shapes. The application of ANOVA and Principal Component Analysis showed OTUs 1 and 2 as significantly different. Although, OTUs 3, 4 and 5 showed statistical difference among themselves, cluster analysis revealed close affinities. The influence of soil and water physico chemical parameters further confirmed the taxonomic distinctness of OTUs 1 and 2 and similarities among OTUS 3, 4 and 5. The finding is in contrast to the widely held notion that only three putative Rhizophora species exist in Nigeria. Genetic research into these five OTUs is recommended.

Rosa arabica is a threatened species of the family Rosaceae, endemic to Mount Catherine region in the South Sinai, Egypt. The aim of this study was to evaluate the status of the R. arabica populations after a conservation program that has been started eighteen years ago. Fencing of the target species was applied in three main locations in Saint Katherine protectorate; Kahf El-Ghola, Wadi El-Arbaen and Shaq Mussa. Soil analysis and seed bank content were assessed for the three localities. Evaluation of the obtained results showed that R. arabica has negatively reacted to the fencing in enclosures of Kahf El-Ghola and Shaq Mussa, while the enclosure in Wadi El-Arbaen showed a significant increase in plant growth and cover. The soil seed bank of Rosa arabica reflected a reluctant of seed germination and no emergence of Rosa seedlings were observed, however, other important species (including endemic sp.) which was not in the standing vegetation were recorded. Thymus decussatus, Capparis sinaica, Mentha longifolia, Peganum harmala, Pulicaria crispa, Teucrium polium, and Verbascum sinaiticum, are examples of the emerged species out of the soil seed bank.

Ethiopia had practiced Judaism before Christianity. This church is unique in the continent of Africa and glob in holding judo-Christian sect. In the church tradition forests are considered as shelter of the earth crust which provides enormous scenery to the world. Most of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church and monasteries are built on hills, mountains and high places which are covered with densely forests. This practice and tradition was comes from Eden, the place had all the best and choicest trees and plant, God a tender Father, provide not only for Adam’s needs, but also his pleasure. The church on the earth signifies the new heaven, the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, Adam. Therefore, gardening was the first kind of employment on record in which man was engaged. Though trees and plants produced the necessary flower and fruits by the will of God, dressing and keeping are necessary to maintain in their perfection. The greenery in Eden is the underlying principles on which Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church dwell to conserve nature. Existing literatures on the nature conservation role of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church is not the detail. Therefore, published articles and Holy Scriptures were reviewed and presented in a more coherent manner. The main objective of the paper is to explore past and present work on sacred grove role in general, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church in particular in mountain ecology management and biodiversity conservation. The result shows that unreplaceable role of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church in conserving forest and mountain biodiversity in Ethiopia by indicating large scale forests and ecosystem is currently under the custodianship of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido church and its role on carbon emission reduction in the changing world. Therefore, recognizing the indigenous knowledge in biodiversity and mountain conservation and customizing the best practice from it would help global efforts on remnant resource conservation. It is a win-win scenario for diversity management and mountain conservation policy formulation effort too.

Fish diversity in Oxbow lake is adversely impacted due to diverse anthropogenic activities like over-exploitation, indiscriminate use of fine meshed fishing gears, jute retting etc. To quantify the impact of such anthropogenic activities on fish diversity and aquatic health, a survey with seasonal analysis of diversity indices, relative frequencies and abundance status of native fish populations was conducted from April 2013 to March 2014 in a semi closed Oxbow lake in Nadia district in eastern India. The level of p<0.05 was accepted as statistical significance. Of the 33 native fish species recorded 33% belonging to 8 orders and 17 families fell under vulnerable or endangered categories. Native species like Amblypharyngodon mola, Chanda nama, Pethia ticto and Notopterus notopterus, Colisa fasciata, P. ticto, were the most dominant and frequent fishes. Shannon-Weiner diversity index was decreased by 41% by precipitating impact of monsoonal anthropogenic activities during post-monsoon. Low native fish diversity indices are pointers to poor ecosystem health status owing to intense adverse activities like jute retting, indiscriminate fishing aggravated by influx of turbid water from the river Ganga following episodic flood events during monsoon. Regulation and prevention of such anthropogenic activities are urgently warranted for sustainable conservation and management of the Oxbow lake.

Anthropogenic activities are putting increasing pressure on ecosystems and raising the need to assess environmental health quickly and accurately. Heterophile/lymphocyte index is accepted as a response to stress factors and the micronucleus test is used as a biomarker to estimate genotoxic damage. To evaluate a model of environmental quality, healthy Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) were sampled, and the heterophile/lymphocyte ratio was determined, as well as the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes and nuclear abnormalities, determined with the Wright-Giemsa and acridine orange technique. The sites with the greatest antropic disturbance recorded the highest frequencies of micronuclei and heterophile/lymphocyte index. The combination of both tests allows the detection of possible acute or chronic exposure to stressors and genotoxic contaminants, both in healthy or altered ecosystems.