Agricultural Encroachment Research Articles

Camera Trap Records of Sumatran Striped Rabbits (Nesolagus netscheri) in Batutegi Protection Forest, Lampung, Indonesia.

The Sumatran striped rabbit (Nesolagus netscheri) is a little-known lagomorph endemic to southwest Sumatra. Despite its taxonomic significance, limited sightings and a paucity of ecological data have hindered population assessments and conservation efforts. This study presents findings from camera trap surveys conducted in Batutegi Protection Forest (BPF), Lampung Province, Indonesia. The BPF, covering approximately 58,000 hectares, hosts diverse flora and fauna but faces threats from habitat loss and due to agricultural encroachment. The study was carried out in Way Sekampung and Rindingan Forests within BPF. Camera trapping between 2017 and 2023 yielded 42 independent photographs of solitary individuals. The majority of sightings were at elevations above 600m, but two occurred at 366 and 454 m. The rabbits exhibited nocturnal behavior, with peak activity observed between 19:00 and 21:00 and 02:00 and 03:00. Our sightings from BPF, which is situated at some distance from the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, provide new records of small but isolated populations of Sumatran striped rabbits in fragmented pockets of remnant forest. Conservation efforts by the Forest Management Unit (KPH) are underway in BPF, but further measures are necessary to preserve the forests rich biodveristy. This study emphasizes the need for continued monitoring and conservation efforts to protect the Sumatran striped rabbit and its habitat. Further research is warranted to assess population densities and ecological requirements, underscoring the importance of implementing effective and collaborative conservation measures in the region.

Conservation with hard borders: Ethiopian wolves are threatened by fragmentation and isolation

Unlike most canids, versatile and capable of navigating vast landscapes, endangered Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis) are endemic to an archipelago of Afroalpine islands. As a habitat specialist, the Ethiopian wolf is ill‐equipped to move across a highly transformed and densely populated agriculture matrix. Hard borders imposed by expanding subsistence agriculture lock Ethiopian wolves into further isolation, with few opportunities for dispersal and recolonisation. We report and evaluate empirical information from long‐term monitoring across the species' range to understand processes of habitat loss, recolonisation and extinction in recent and historical times, and to assess what conservation measures and strategies would ensure their persistence. Ethiopian wolves occurred in six isolated populations, totalling 454 wolves (population sizes ranged between 281 and 24) occupying 2700 km2 of Afroalpine habitat. We describe three population extinctions and three local extinctions within fragmented populations, and present evidence of factors accelerating the extinction process, such as disease (rabies and canine distemper virus), persecution, road kills and poisoning. Of all the suitable habitat available to wolves, 86% was included within nine protected areas, including three new Community Conservation Areas and two national park extensions in the past 10 years. As all Ethiopian wolf populations are small and vulnerable to stochastic events and environmental perturbation, conservation efforts to ensure the long‐term survival of the species need to integrate: 1) support for protected areas to halt agriculture encroachment and to regulate sustainable uses of natural resources; 2) efforts to minimise all causes of mortality, including but not limited to disease; and 3) conservation translocations to overcome fundamental barriers to dispersal in the highlands of Ethiopia.

Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard) has been replacing Anas rubripes (American Black Duck) in human-altered landscapes in Ontario, 1996 to 2019

Abstract Anas rubripes (American Black Duck) has received much attention over the years as a popular game bird species that experienced historical declines on its wintering grounds. Declines may be due to changes in the quality and quantity of breeding habitat, competition with A. platyrhynchos (Mallard), or both. Although the A. rubripes population has stabilized, spatial variation in regional population trends of A. rubripes on their breeding grounds can provide insight into the relative importance of these alternative hypotheses at provincial and local scales. We analyzed indicated breeding pairs count data collected in Ontario between 1996 and 2019 through the Eastern Waterfowl Survey to evaluate the correlation in breeding densities and trends of the 5 most abundant waterfowl species. We also tested whether habitat and anthropogenic disturbance variables could explain the distribution of those species. Overall, A. platyrhynchos breeding pair densities increased across the survey area, whereas A. rubripes breeding pair densities decreased in the southern and northern part of the survey area but remained stable in the central part. Densities of breeding pairs of A. rubripes and A. platyrhynchos were negatively correlated across survey plots but the trends in breeding densities were not correlated. Densities of A. platyrhynchos breeding pairs increased in human altered landscapes, whereas the density of A. rubripes breeding pairs was negatively correlated with agriculture. Our results suggest that A. platyrhynchos did not competitively exclude A. rubripes on the breeding grounds, but instead, A. rubripes were replaced by A. platyrhynchos following encroachment of agriculture into A. rubripes breeding habitat. Habitat management plans focused on breeding A. rubripes should emphasize reduction in the expansion of anthropogenic perturbations and increases in habitat conservation efforts in the central area of the breeding range in Ontario.

Land Cover Dynamics and Environmental Implications in Türkiye’s Riparian Zones: A Comprehensive Seven-Year Study

This study examines the Riparian Buffer Zones (RBZs) in Türkiye, analyzing land cover changes from 2017 to 2023 to assess their effectiveness in ecological conservation and water resource management. The research employs Esri-Sentinel land cover data, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation models, and RiverATLAS data to identify and delineate RBZs, classify land cover types, and evaluate trends and changes over seven years. The findings indicate that 44.8% of RBZs are covered by ‘Rangelands’, 32.2% by ‘Crops’, and 16.1% by ‘Trees’ classes. The study notes a considerable increase in built areas and agricultural fields, which may indicate ongoing urban expansion and its potential impact on the effectiveness of RBZs. Despite regulatory efforts, the substantial presence of agriculture within RBZs indicates a need for more robust environmental protection policies. The results indicate a pressing need for a policy reassessment to enhance forest cover within RBZs and reduce agricultural encroachment. This would improve water quality and facilitate the achievement of sustainability goals numbered 2, 3, 6, 11, 14 and 15. The findings thus call for a strategic enhancement of RBZ management to better protect water resources against the adverse effects of agricultural and urban activities.

Aerial, Surface, and Subsurface Multimodal Mapping in Coastal Peru

ABSTRACTThis article describes a series of steps to integrate multiple modes of archaeological mapping in arid and agricultural settings. We use the coastal region of Peru as a case study and share our recent field experience at Cerro San Isidro, a multicomponent hill site located in the agriculture-intensive and mid-elevation (about 500 m asl) Moro region of the Nepeña Valley. In June and July 2022, we spent eight weeks deploying a combination of drone aerial imagery, pedestrian GPS reconnaissance, and GPR survey to map the surface and subsurface features at the site and in the adjacent agricultural fields. Our efforts suggest that the ancient settlement extended over an area of at least 50 ha, well beyond the visible surface architecture. Using a multimodal approach to confirming the partial destruction of archaeological vestiges by modern agricultural encroachment is both time-effective and noninvasive. The article offers insights from our experience, including the sequence of field operations, technical troubleshooting, and the collection and integration of datasets. We discuss the methodological potential and implications of this combination of multimodal mapping and its deployment in coastal Peru, a region that, like many others in the world, is increasingly subject to rapid agricultural expansion and other anthropogenic developments.

Effect of agricultural activity on diet in an assemblage of lizards from Monte, Argentina

AbstractEven though the encroachment of agriculture is the main cause for biodiversity loss, studies have focused in tropical and temperate environment, mainly in birds, mammals and beneficial and/or pests' invertebrates. However, little is known about the impact in poor environment or lizards communities. Our aim was to compare food use and availability in trophic resources in two assemblages of seven lizard (Liolaemus darwinii, L. riojanus, L. cuyanus, L. wiegmannii, Aurivela longicauda, Homonota underwoodi and Teius teyou) at a cultivated and a non‐cultivated site in a desert area of San Juan, Argentina. We analysed lizard food preferences, taxonomic and functional diversity, dissimilarity and the relationship between morphological variables and prey item frequency. We found that the diet of six species, at both sites, was focused on Hymenoptera (< 80%), whereas secondary and accessory items varied widely between species and sites, with 40% dissimilarity. Prey at the cultivated site were more abundant, rich and diverse than in the non‐cultivated site, with 20% dissimilarity in species composition. Functional diversity showed redundancy when comparing morphological and dietary traits. Results suggest that the greater variation in the diet of species at the cultivated site is likely due to a higher diversity of prey available. We determined that diet could be a limiting factor for L. cuyanus, because there are no native plants at the cultivated site, whereas the remaining species opted for increasing their intake of Hymenoptera.

Land use/cover change and transormations in Upper Runde Sub-catchment area in Zimbabwe

The study assessed land use/cover changes in the Upper Runnde sub-catchment in Zimbabwe between 2000 and 2020 using GIS and remote sensing techniques with the support of interviews and field observations. Faster land use/cover changes were experienced within the 2000–2010 decade when compared to the 2010–2020 decade; for instance, bare land increased by 92.1% between 2000–2010 compared to 16.5% between 2010–2020. Major land cover transformations included change from forest land to bare land, grassland and shrub land, and change from grassland to bare and shrub land to grassland. The results confirmed conversion of forests to agricultural lands and settlements following the fast-track land reform program in 2000, and livestock increase induced overgrazing as major human activities driving land cover changes. There is a need for serious attention from resource management stakeholders before depletion of critical resources like water and woodlands. Therefore, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, and Rural Resettlement and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority may consider strict auditing of land uses and water resource use in catchment areas to guard against encroachment of agriculture and other land uses in protected lands and fragile ecosystems like water bodies and wetlands.

The impact of policies on land cover and ecosystem services dynamics in the Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone, China

Understanding how land cover and ecosystem services respond to diverse policies is essential for economic development and ecological conservation. However, few efforts have been made to analyze the policies in conjunction with land cover and ecosystem services in the Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone (PYLEEZ), limiting the sustainable improvement of the region. Therefore, this study quantified changes in land cover and four ecosystem services, evaluated the relationships between them, and analyzed how various policies affected land cover and ecosystem services in the PYLEEZ from 2000 to 2020. The results showed that artificial surfaces expanded at the expense of cultivated land. Agricultural encroachment resulted in the loss of most woodland and wetland. Under ecological policies, 2062.19 km2 of cultivated land have been returned to natural land, leading to a net wetland area increase of 760.8 km2. In terms of ecosystem services, crop production increased significantly (+151 %) and carbon storage reduced slightly (-2.7 %) under the influence of agricultural policies and rapid urbanization. Furthermore, habitat quality and water yield increased by 252.75 km2 and 61.3 × 108 m3, respectively. Carbon storage presented a clear trade-off relationship with crop production, while habitat quality was synergistic with water yield and crop production. Given the current policies in the PYLEEZ, it is worthwhile to focus on water ecological safety and minimize the loss of natural land and ecosystem services driven by economic policies. This study is expected to help achieve the balanced development of the social economy and ecological conservation in the PYLEEZ.

Receptor model-based source tracing and risk assessment of elements in sediment of a transboundary Himalayan River

This study utilized surface sediments from a potentially less polluted transboundary Himalayan River (Brahmaputra: China-India-Bangladesh) to investigate the abundance of 15 geochemically and ecologically significant elements and to predict their sources and ecological consequences. INAA was applied to determine the elemental concentrations. The average abundances (μg.g−1) of Rb (94.20), Cs (4.49), Th (20.31), & U (2.73) were 1.12–2.26 folds elevated than shale. Environmental indices disclosed a pollution status ranging from “uncontaminated to moderately contaminated,” with minimal Rb, U, and Th enrichment in the downstream zone. Consensus-based sediment quality guideline (SQG) threshold values suggested that only Cr (60% samples > TEL) may impose rare biological effects. Ecological risk indices suggested “minor to no” possible eco-toxicological risks for the accounted elements (Cr, Co, Mn, Zn, Sb, & As). The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model predicated the predominance of geogenic or crustal contributions (∼72.69%) for Al, K, Na, Ti, Co, Zn, Ba, Cs, As, Rb, Th, & U derived from elemental fractionations, mineral weathering, and bio-geo-chemical mobilization. The relative contributions of anthropogenic sources (∼27.31%; such as the construction of roads, settlement expansion, litter disposal, municipal waste discharge, mining activities, agricultural encroachment, etc.) on elemental distribution were significantly lower. The abundance of Cr and Mn was mainly influenced by anthropogenic sources. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of utilizing geo-environmental guidelines and receptor models in discriminating the natural & anthropogenic origins of metals in the complex riverine sediments of a less anthropogenically affected river.

Agroforestry-based community forestry as a large-scale strategy to reforest agricultural encroachment areas in Myanmar: ambition vs. local reality

Key messageThe Forest Department strongly influences agroforestry design, tree species selection, and the participation and motivation of farmers to plant trees. Farmers perceive trees as harmful to crops and have avoided planting them near crops. We recommend considering farmers’ preferences, establishing farmers’ field schools, and increasing their awareness about the benefits of trees to improve adoption rates of agroforestry systems.ContextThe high rate of deforestation in Myanmar is mainly due to agricultural expansion. One task of the Forest Department is to increase tree cover in the agricultural encroachment areas by establishing large-scale agroforestry-based community forests (ACFs).AimThe objectives of this study were to analyze the adoption and performance of the ACFs in the agricultural encroachment areas in the Bago-Yoma Region, Myanmar; and to provide recommendations to enhance the adoption of ACFs by farmers.MethodsWe inventoried 42 sample plots and surveyed 291 farmers. Survey responses were analyzed by binary logistic regression, one-way ANOVA, and non-parametric correlation tests to evaluate factors influencing the adoption of ACFs. Stand characteristics were calculated from the inventory data to evaluate the performance of ACFs.ResultsOur results show that farmer participation in ACFs was lower than stated in the registry of the Forest Department. Farmers practiced four different agroforestry designs in ACFs with different outcomes. The Forest Department strongly determined tree species and planting designs, farmers’ perception and participation in ACFs. Farmland size, unclear, and insufficient information on ACFs, and a negative perception of raising trees in crop fields were the major factors limiting the adoption rates of ACFs.ConclusionWe recommend capacity building for farmers and Forest Department staff and raising awareness about the benefits of planting designs and trees on farmland. A stronger consideration of farmers’ preferences for design and species selection could increase their motivation to adopt ACFs and improve the long-term sustainability of ACFs.

Current Scenario of Wild Edible Plants (WEPs), their Importance, Possible Threats, and Conservation: A Mini Review

The knowledge of Wild Edible Plants (WEPs) is as old as human civilization and still, they are playing a supplementary role in global food security. WEPs are an integral part of their traditional food systems and have nutritional and cultural values in their routine livelihood. WEPs are increasingly considered a potential source of a naturally healthy diet. But in many cases, the available WEPs resources are under threat of various kinds like overexploitation, overgrazing, forest fires, agricultural encroachment, etc.; the changing climate also negatively impacts on WEPs. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the conservation of the diversity of WEPs and their sustainable management. The present mini-review is an attempt to present the current scenario of WEPs, their importance, and a potential source of nutrients for future food security, ethnic knowledge associated with them, threats encountered by WEPs, and their possible sustainable management scheme.

Ictiofauna do Parque Nacional Nascentes do Rio Parnaíba: um divisor de bacias hidrográficas na principal área de expansão agrícola do Cerrado Brasileiro

Abstract The Nascentes do Rio Parnaíba National Park (NPNP), located in Brazilian Cerrado, protects portions of three river basins: headwaters of Parnaíba, a small portion in upper Tocantins-Araguaia, and tributaries of the middle section of the São Francisco. This protected area is in the boundaries of the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia, also known as MATOPIBA, a region that has established rapid agricultural expansion associated to land conflicts between corporate agriculture, family agriculture, protected areas, indigenous territories, and quilombola communities. The knowledge of the ichthyofauna in this region is scarce while the impacts on the aquatic environments are increasing. We made a survey of fishes in the NPNP and its surroundings areas, estimating richness, endemics, introduced and shared species between river basins. During 2014, 54 sampling sites were visited, 19 in the NPNP and 35 in the surrounding area. Ninety-five species, 51 genera, 22 families, and six orders were recorded, of which 38 (40%) are in the NPNP. One introduced species were recorded in the Parnaíba River basin and no endangered species were registered. Our data corroborate the importance of the network of protected areas for the preservation of Cerrado fishes, including some possibly undescribed and restricted-range species that may be threatened due to intense agricultural encroachment in the MATOPIBA region.

Linking livelihood and biodiversity conservation in protected areas: Community based tourism development perspective from developing country

Balancing biodiversity conservation and community livelihoods is a major challenge for sustainable management of protected areas (PAs) in developing countries. Researchers and practitioners are looking at ways to resolve this challenge by connecting the livelihoods of people living near protected areas with conservation efforts. This study aims to assess community-based tourism development as a tool to link local livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in protected areas in developing county context. The study employs a mixed research approach with a descriptive research design. Structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews are used to collect data from local communities residing inside and adjacent areas of Nech Sar National Park in Ethiopia. The results reveal that the local communities around the national park are exposed to various shocks and vulnerability contexts such as poverty, food insecurity, and resource use conflict. Consumptive resource usage, recurring fire catastrophes, agricultural encroachment, and illegal fishing are all threatening the park’s biodiversity conservation efforts. Despite the impact of tourism on their livelihoods is marginal, local grassroots have a positive attitude towards the development of community-based tourism. Community-based tourism development which provides alternative livelihood options to local grassroots around protected areas can play significant role in the conservation of biodiversity and alleviating poverty.

Off-Season Agriculture Encroachment in the Uplands of Northern Pakistan: Need for Sustainable Land Management

Agriculture encroachment over alpine pastoral land is posing serious threats to the sustainable use of natural resources and agro-pastoral systems in the upland environment. This study aimed to understand the scenario of agriculture encroachment within a sustainable land management context in Northern Pakistan’s uplands (Buhrawai). Both quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches were used for the primary data collection on the pattern of cropland expansion, cropland productivity, agrochemical inputs, and perceived socio-ecological system. The results showed that off-season agriculture has emerged as a cash-earning livelihood activity, largely adopted by decade-old and influential tenant communities in the study areas. During the last few decades, this off-season agriculture regularly expanded from lower- to higher-elevation (2980–3800 m) areas, and extensively encroached on accessible pastoral areas in the bottomlands. Cultivation of the two major vegetable crops, i.e., peas and potatoes, occurred on a total of 417.4 ha of pastoral land, where pea cultivation predominantly occurred on 367.2 ha and potato cultivation on 50.2 ha of pastoral land. We found that repeated cultivation of the same crops, without crop rotation and land management practices, significantly reduced land productivity with time; the crop productivity was recorded to be the highest in the virgin cultivated land (pea: 1.8 tons/ha and potato: 14.8 tons/ha) and the lowest in the old-cultivated land (pea: 0.6 tons/ha and potato: 8.2 tons/ha). As a result of this trend, farmers are abandoning unproductive agricultural land and subsequently starting cultivation in other marginal areas, even cultivating crops on steeper slopes beyond the permissible level (16°). These findings revealed that farmers have extensively used key pastoral areas for cultivation, and they have deprived landless pastoralists of their traditional grazing land in the uplands. Furthermore, this agriculture encroachment imposed serious pressure on the pastoralists’ livelihoods and the upland ecosystem on which they rely. Therefore, policies and regulations that promote sustainable land management are much needed to ensure socio-economic equity and ecological integrity in the uplands of Northern Pakistan.

No evidence for trade‐offs between bird diversity, yield and water table depth on oil palm smallholdings: Implications for tropical peatland landscape restoration

Abstract Tropical peat swamp forests retain large carbon stocks and support unique biodiversity, but clearance and drainage for agriculture have resulted in fires, carbon emissions and biodiversity losses. Initiatives to re‐wet cultivated peatlands may benefit biodiversity if this protects remaining forests from fire and agricultural encroachment, but there are concerns that re‐wetting could reduce yields and damage livelihoods, as relationships between drainage, on‐farm biodiversity, and crop yields have not been studied. We examined oil palm fruit yields and bird diversity on 41 smallholder farms in Jambi (Sumatra, Indonesia), which varied in drainage intensity (12‐month mean water table per plot from August 2018 to August 2019: −52 to −3 cm below‐ground). We also compared farm bird diversity with a neighbouring area of protected peat swamp forest (11,000 ha, 21 plots; mean water table per plot −3 to +15 cm). Bird species richness (3–18 species per plot), species composition and oil palm yields (4.5–19.2 t fresh fruit bunch ha−1 year−1) varied among farms, but were not detectably affected by water table depth, although ground‐level vegetation was more complex on wetter farms. Bird richness in oil palm (mean = 10.3 species per plot) was <50% of that in forest (26 species per plot), and only 3 of 35 conservation‐priority species found in forest were recorded in oil palm. Synthesis and applications. Tropical peatlands in Indonesia have been drained to allow farmer access and improve farm yields, but we found no trade‐offs between drainage depth, yields and bird diversity on smallholder oil palm farms in our study landscape within the studied range of drainage depths. Current restoration initiatives to re‐wet peat may benefit farmers by reducing fire risk, without affecting yields. Wetter farms had increased understorey vegetation complexity, but this did not affect bird diversity, so we find no evidence that re‐wetting improves on‐farm biodiversity. However, on‐farm fire reduction efforts in cultivated peatlands, including re‐wetting, will be vital for reducing the risk of fires escaping into nearby forests, which contain unique and diverse bird species assemblages. Protection of remaining peatland forests from fire and clearance is key for biodiversity conservation, and for providing a source of seed dispersers and genetic material for future forest and landscape restoration efforts. Restoration of more biodiversity‐friendly land covers will improve landscape permeability and help conserve species and the ecosystem services they deliver.

Changes in agricultural and grazing land, and insights for mitigating farmer-herder conflict in West Africa

Increasing conflict between nomadic pastoralists and settled farmers are occurring across West Africa, due to issues of land availability and access. This study is the first detailed investigation of changes in land availability for nomadic pastoralists in Nigeria, where most conflicts occur. The study maps land use changes between cultivated and grazing land in three study areas surrounding Kano, the largest city in savanna Africa. Results indicate that grazing land availability decreased by 150 % and fallow land by almost 300 % in areas close to the city between 1980 and 2014, but at a much lower rate in distant areas despite massive growth in rural population. The lower loss of grazing land is attributed to the presence of grazing reserves in the most distant study area, as well as distance from the city. Spatial metrics analysis showed decreased connectedness between patches of grazing land due to farmland encroachment across traditional migration routes near to the city. Increased connectedness in the distant study area is attributed to the presence of grazing reserves acting as foci, connecting grazing with access to water. Government land policies should focus on creation of new, accessible grazing reserves and routeways away from large urban centres, accompanied by measures for soil and pasture improvement and digital tagging of livestock. Accompanying efforts to intensify agricultural production across Nigeria would deter further agricultural encroachment on grazing land. Since Nigeria’s GDP is the highest in Africa, but among the lowest in agricultural intensity, this should be possible.

Rediscovery of two critically endangered species of freshwater crabs, Afrithelphusa afzelii (Colosi, 1924) and A. leonensis (Cumberlidge, 1987) (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Deckeniidae) from the rainforests of Sierra Leone: implications for conservation

ABSTRACT The current status of two Sierra Leone Afrithelphusa freshwater crabs is unknown. Only two specimens of Afrithelphusa afzelii were collected ca. 1796 and given to Adam Afzelius from a single unknown Sierra Leone locality and the species is considered to possibly be extinct. The second species, A. leonensis, was described from three specimens: one from Sherboro Island and two presented to the Natural History Museum, London ca. 1955 from Sugar Loaf Mountain. This species, too, has not been reported since. Between January and February 2021, a survey of the rivers, streams, wetlands and nearby lowland humid rainforests of Sierra Leone collected fresh material from both these species. They were collected terrestrially in humid lowland forests, photographed live, details of their habitats are provided for the first time, and their conservation status is discussed. Immediate threats to these rare and critically endangered freshwater crabs and to the rainforest ecosystem upon which they depend include deforestation, agricultural encroachment, pollution, human predation and firewood gathering.

Protecting an icon: Javan rhinoceros frontline management and conservation

AbstractManagers of threatened species in remote protected areas play a pivotal role in shaping the outcomes of management and conservation programmes. The island of Java supports the last remaining population of the Javan rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus, a Critically Endangered megaherbivore with only 72 individuals persisting in the wild, in Ujung Kulon National Park. Substantial resources are being invested to manage the Javan rhinoceros and it is difficult to monitor it in the rainforest to assess whether management actions have been successful. Insights from frontline staff into the outcomes of past conservation actions and the future actions required may be key to enhancing the outcomes of conservation actions for threatened species. To study the perceptions of frontline staff towards the conservation of the Javan rhinoceros, management actions and their outcomes, we surveyed all 36-frontline staff in Ujung Kulon National Park. Although staff perceptions of conservation outcomes were generally positive, they noted key anthropogenic threats and challenges to rhinoceros protection inherent to the survival of the last Javan rhinoceros population. Staff identified increased threat of disease transfer from domestic stock to the rhinoceros, in spite of protective fencing, and the combined effects of illegal firewood collection and agricultural encroachment on rhinoceros habitat. Systematically recording and incorporating the perceptions of frontline staff in remote and often inaccessible protected areas can help identify important areas for future conservation and threat mitigation that can facilitate better protection for the Javan rhinoceros and other iconic species.

Agricultural land use affects the heterogeneity of Odonata communities in the Brazilian Pampa

Farming expansion has negative impacts on freshwater biodiversity. However, the effects of agricultural land use are not similar across taxa and depend on local context. For instance, the impacts of agricultural expansion are understudied in the Neotropics (one of the leading regions in cropland expansion). Knowledge of the effects of agricultural land use on aquatic insects from South American subtropical grasslands (Pampa) is even more incipient. We tested whether landscape modification related to increased agricultural land use was associated with taxonomic homogenization in odonate communities in waterbodies in the Brazilian Pampa. Odonates were collected in waterbodies differing in the main land-use class in their surroundings (cropland or grassland). Cropland and grassland sites differed with respect to their abiotic conditions (water chemistry) and species composition of Odonata. Additionally, we found higher variation in the composition of Odonata (and suborders Anisoptera and Zygoptera separately) in grassland than cropland sites. We found an interplay between agricultural and grassland land uses and the variation in the composition of odonate communities in the Brazilian Pampa. Specifically, landscape modification by agriculture modified the abiotic conditions in the waterbodies, which may have favored species able to establish as larvae under harsher environmental conditions. We suggest that the maintenance of mixed-grassland and cropland land uses in the fields adjacent to waterbodies can limit the negative effects of agricultural encroachment on Odonata communities with respect to biotic homogenization in the Brazilian Pampa.

Conversion of Natural Wetland to Farmland in the Tumen River Basin: Human and Environmental Factors

Wetlands play an important role in the terrestrial ecosystem. However, agricultural activities have resulted in a significant decrease in natural wetlands around the world. In the Tumen River Basin (TRB), a border area between China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Russia, natural wetlands have been reclaimed and converted into farmland, primarily due to the migration practices of Korean-Chinese. To understand the spatial and temporal patterns of this conversion from wetlands to farmland, Landsat remote sensing images from four time periods were analyzed. Almost 30 years of data were extracted using the object-oriented classification method combined with random forest classification. In addition, statistical analysis was conducted on the conversion from natural wetland to farmland and from farmland to wetland, as well as on the relationship between the driving factors. The results revealed that a loss of 49.2% (12,540.1 ha) of natural wetlands in the Chinese portion of the TRB was due to agricultural encroachment for grain production. At the sub-basin scale, the largest area of natural wetland converted into farmland in the past 30 years was in the Hunchun River Basin (HCH), which accounts for 22.0% (2761.2 ha) of the total. Meanwhile, 6571.4 ha of natural wetlands, mainly in the Gaya River Basin (GYH), have been restored from farmland. These changes are closely related to the migration of the agricultural populations.