High Human Density Research Articles

Realities, perceptions, and strategies for implementation of an ethical population management program for dogs and cats on university campuses.

Stray dogs and cats pose significant challenges for public health and animal welfare due to their potential involvement in zoonotic disease transmission, accidents, and aggressions. Large urban centers exacerbated challenges due to the presence of these animals in public areas with high human density. Ethical Population Management Programs (EPMP), rooted in the One Health approach, are crucial for addressing this issue comprehensively. This study aimed to demonstrate the approach on cats and dogs EPMP and evaluate the perceptions of academic community regarding EPMP implementation on a campus situated in urban territory. The study was conducted at the Pampulha campus of UFMG in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. In response to issues of animal abandonment and conflicts, the Permanent Commission for Animal Policies (CPPA-UFMG) was established in 2019 to manage the campus's dog, cat, and wildlife populations. The commission implemented the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) method, along with health assessments and vaccinations for animals. Interviews were conducted with campus staff to gauge their perception of animal management strategies. Retrospective and prospective analyses of the commission's actions were carried out to assess implementation processes and challenges. The animal population survey conducted on campus between July 2018 and September 2021 revealed a total of 266 animals recorded. Among these animals, 195 were cats (73.3%) and 71 were dogs (26.7%), with the majority being adults. Subsequent surveys in 2019 and 2021 showed a slight increase in the animal population, with measures such as sterilization contributing to population control. Perception analysis among campus users indicated strategies such as TNR were widely endorsed for population control. The employees perception questionnaire was applied to 115 individuals, representing 42 units/departments and five gates. Associations were found between these beliefs and support for institutional actions. The majority favored sterilization (92.17%) and agreed that TNR is an appropriate approach to population control. Overall, the study reflects a community concerned about animal welfare and supportive of measures to address population management and cruelty prevention. The continuous efforts of the university's CPPA have led to stability in the resident animal population, indicating success in achieving population control objectives.

Mosquito abundance and diversity in central Ohio, USA vary among stormwater wetlands, retention ponds, and detention ponds and their associated environmental parameters.

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are one of the most impactful pests to human society, both as a nuisance and a potential vector of human and animal pathogens. Mosquito larvae develop in still aquatic environments. Eliminating these habitats near high human density or managing them to reduce the suitability for mosquitoes will reduce mosquito populations in these human environments and decrease the overall negative impact of mosquitoes on humans. One common source of standing water in urban and suburban environments is the water that pools in stormwater control measures. Previous studies have shown that some stormwater control measures generate large numbers of mosquitoes while others harbor none, and the reason for this difference remains unclear. Our study focuses on elucidating the factors that cause a stormwater control measure to be more or less suitable for mosquitoes. During the summers of 2021 and 2022, we collected and identified mosquito larvae from thirty stormwater control measures across central Ohio to assess variation in mosquito abundance and diversity among sites. Our goal was to determine if specific types of stormwater control measures (retention ponds, detention ponds, or constructed wetlands) harbored different abundances of mosquitoes or different community structures. We also assessed environmental parameters of these sites to elucidate their effects on mosquito abundance and diversity. Overall, we recorded the highest number of mosquito larvae and species in constructed wetlands. However, these sites were dominated by the innocuous species, Culex territans. Conversely, detention ponds held fewer mosquitoes but a higher proportion of known vector species, including Culex pipiens and Aedes vexans. The total number of mosquitoes across all sites was correlated with higher vegetation, more shade, lower water temperatures, and lower pH, suggesting stormwater control measures with these features may also be hotspots for mosquito proliferation.

The historical ecological background of West Nile virus in Portugal indicates One Health opportunities

West Nile (WNV) is a zoonotic arbovirus with an expanding geographical range and epidemic activity in Europe. Not having yet experienced a human-associated epidemic, Portugal remains an outlier in the Mediterranean basin. In this study, we apply ecological niche modelling informed by WNV historical evidence and a multitude of environmental variables from across Portugal. We identify that ecological backgrounds compatible with WNV historical circulation are mostly restricted to the south, characterized by a warmer and drier climate, high avian diversity, specific avian species and land types. We estimate WNV ecological suitability across the country, identifying overlaps with the distributions of the three relevant hosts (humans, birds, equines) for public and animal health. From this, we propose a category-based spatial framework providing first of a kind valuable insights for WNV surveillance in Portugal under the One Health nexus. We forecast that near future climate trends alone will contribute to pushing adequate WNV ecological suitability northwards, towards regions with higher human density. This unique perspective on the past, present and future ecology of WNV addresses existing national knowledge gaps, enhances our understanding of the evolving emergence of WNV, and offers opportunities to prepare and respond to the first human-associated epidemic in Portugal.

Spatial and temporal clustering of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Illinois household cats, 2021-2023.

This study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence and spatial and temporal clustering of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in household cats within 63 counties in Illinois from October 2021 to May 2023. The analysis followed a stepwise approach. First, in a choropleth point map, we illustrated the distribution of county-level seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Next, spatial interpolation was used to predict the seroprevalence in counties without recorded data. Global and local clustering methods were used to identify the extent of clustering and the counties with high or low seroprevalence, respectively. Next, temporal, spatial, and space-time scan statistic was used to identify periods and counties with higher-than-expected seroprevalence. In the last step, to identify more distinct areas in counties with high seroprevalence, city-level analysis was conducted to identify temporal and space-time clusters. Among 1,715 samples tested by serological assays, 244 samples (14%) tested positive. Young cats had higher seropositivity than older cats, and the third quarter of the year had the highest odds of seropositivity. Three county-level space-time clusters with higher-than-expected seroprevalence were identified in the northeastern, central-east, and southwest regions of Illinois, occurring between June and October 2022. In the city-level analysis, 2 space-time clusters were identified in Chicago's downtown and the southwestern suburbs of Chicago between June and September 2022. Our results suggest that the high density of humans and cats in large cities such as Chicago, might play a role in the transmission and clustering of SARS-CoV-2. Our study provides an in-depth analysis of SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology in Illinois household cats, which will aid in COVID-19 control and prevention.

CamTrapAsia: A dataset of tropical forest vertebrate communities from 239 camera trapping studies.

Information on tropical Asian vertebrates has traditionally been sparse, particularly when it comes to cryptic species inhabiting the dense forests of the region. Vertebrate populations are declining globally due to land-use change and hunting, the latter frequently referred as "defaunation." This is especially true in tropical Asia where there is extensive land-use change and high human densities. Robust monitoring requires that large volumes of vertebrate population data be made available for use by the scientific and applied communities. Camera traps have emerged as an effective, non-invasive, widespread, and common approach to surveying vertebrates in their natural habitats. However, camera-derived datasets remain scattered across a wide array of sources, including published scientific literature, gray literature, and unpublished works, making it challenging for researchers to harness the full potential of cameras for ecology, conservation, and management. In response, we collated and standardized observations from 239 camera trap studies conducted in tropical Asia. There were 278,260 independent records of 371 distinct species, comprising 232 mammals, 132 birds, and seven reptiles. The total trapping effort accumulated in this data paper consisted of 876,606 trap nights, distributed among Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Bhutan, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal, and far eastern India. The relatively standardized deployment methods in the region provide a consistent, reliable, and rich count data set relative to other large-scale pressence-only data sets, such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) or citizen science repositories (e.g., iNaturalist), and is thus most similar to eBird. To facilitate the use of these data, we also provide mammalian species trait information and 13 environmental covariates calculated at three spatial scales around the camera survey centroids (within 10-, 20-, and 30-km buffers). We will update the dataset to include broader coverage of temperate Asia and add newer surveys and covariates as they become available. This dataset unlocks immense opportunities for single-species ecological or conservation studies as well as applied ecology, community ecology, and macroecology investigations. The data are fully available to the public for utilization and research. Please cite this data paper when utilizing the data.

Diversity and conservation status of palms (Arecaceae) in two hotspots of biodiversity in Colombia and Ecuador

Societal Impact StatementPalms provide vital plant resources and ecosystem services to people across the tropics. To improve conservation guidance, a “health check” of palms in two highly threatened biodiversity hotspots in Colombia and Ecuador was undertaken. Palms are very diverse in these regions, but over one third are threatened with extinction now, especially among endemic species. Widespread and useful palms are also under intense human pressure and need to be prioritized in terms of sustainable management practices. Given the importance of palms for humans, inclusive conservation actions should be continued in both countries in order to safeguard this resource.Summary Palms provide central plant resources to societies in the tropics, especially in the Global South. The western Pacific and Andean regions of Colombia and Ecuador host two hotspots of biodiversity. To prioritize conservation policies towards palms, we undertook a conservation assessment of species in the region. We compiled a taxonomically verified database of specimens collected in both hotspots. We inferred preliminary conservation assessments using International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Criteria B. In addition, we evaluated the level of exposure of palms to human use and population density using the anthrome concept. We documented 144 native palm species in 33 genera occurring in both hotspots of Colombia and Ecuador. Of these, 55 are endemic to this region. We recorded 133 species for Colombia, 43 endemic, and 71 species for Ecuador, 9 endemic. A third of all palm species in the region are potentially threatened with extinction (50/144) and 12 as preliminary Critically Endangered. Aiphanes and Geonoma have the highest number of threatened species. In total, 60% of palm specimens were collected in the “low human impact” anthrome type. In contrast, 41% of specimens occur in high human density areas. The two hotspots of biodiversity in Colombia and Ecuador are very diverse in palms. However, we show that this diversity is under threat and is predominantly found in areas impacted by human activities. Extinction risk is highest in endemic species in both countries. Widespread and useful palm species also face threats linked to overexploitation or habitat loss. Inclusive conservation measures should be designed to conserve, together with communities, this plant resource.

Leishmania Infection in Wild Lagomorphs and Domestic Dogs in North-East Spain.

Leishmania infantum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite distributed worldwide that is transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies. Dogs are the main reservoir for human infections. However, in recent years, the capacity of lagomorphs to contribute to Leishmania transmission has been confirmed. The present study aimed to assess Leishmania spp. exposure and infection in lagomorphs and sympatric domestic dogs in NE Spain. Sera from European hares, European rabbits, and rural dogs were tested for antibodies against L. infantum using an in-house indirect ELISA. PCR analysis targeting Leishmania spp. was performed in spleens from L. europaeus. Antibodies against Leishmania spp. were detected in all the species analyzed. Total sample prevalence was significantly higher in O. cuniculus (27.9%) than in L. europaeus (2.0%). Results of the PCR were all negative. The present study expands knowledge about Leishmania infections in free-ranging lagomorphs in the Iberian Peninsula, suggesting a more important role of O. cuniculus in the study area. Given the strong correlation between lagomorph densities and human leishmaniasis outbreaks in Spain, the high rabbit and human densities in NE Spain, and the high Leishmania spp. seroprevalence in rabbits, it becomes imperative to establish surveillance programs for lagomorphs in this region.

Relatedness-based mate choice and female philopatry: inbreeding trends of wolf packs in a human-dominated landscape

Inbreeding can reduce offspring fitness and has substantial implications for the genetic diversity and long-term viability of populations. In social cooperative canids, inbreeding is conditioned by the geographic proximity between opposite-sex kin outside natal groups and the presence of related individuals in neighbouring groups. Consequently, challenges in moving into other regions where the species is present can also affect inbreeding rates. These can be particularly problematic in areas of high human density, where movement can be restricted, even for highly vagile species. In this study, we investigate the socio-ecological dynamics of Iberian wolf packs in the human-dominated landscape of Alto Minho, in northwest Portugal, where wolves exhibit a high prevalence of short-distance dispersal and limited gene flow with neighbouring regions. We hypothesise that mating occurs regardless of relatedness, resulting in recurrent inbreeding due to high kin encounter rates. Using data from a 10-year non-invasive genetic monitoring programme and a combination of relatedness estimates and genealogical reconstructions, we describe genetic diversity, mate choice, and dispersal strategies among Alto Minho packs. In contrast with expectations, our findings reveal relatedness-based mate choice, low kin encounter rates, and a reduced number of inbreeding events. We observed a high prevalence of philopatry, particularly among female breeders, with the most common breeding strategy involving the pairing of a philopatric female with an unrelated immigrant male. Overall, wolves were not inbred, and temporal changes in genetic diversity were not significant. Our findings are discussed, considering the demographic trend of wolves in Alto Minho and its human-dominated landscape.

Marine protected areas promote stability of reef fish communities under climate warming

Protection from direct human impacts can safeguard marine life, yet ocean warming crosses marine protected area boundaries. Here, we test whether protection offers resilience to marine heatwaves from local to network scales. We examine 71,269 timeseries of population abundances for 2269 reef fish species surveyed in 357 protected versus 747 open sites worldwide. We quantify the stability of reef fish abundance from populations to metacommunities, considering responses of species and functional diversity including thermal affinity of different trophic groups. Overall, protection mitigates adverse effects of marine heatwaves on fish abundance, community stability, asynchronous fluctuations and functional richness. We find that local stability is positively related to distance from centers of high human density only in protected areas. We provide evidence that networks of protected areas have persistent reef fish communities in warming oceans by maintaining large populations and promoting stability at different levels of biological organization.

Livestock activity shifts large herbivore temporal distributions to their crepuscular edges

Abstract Wildlife species are transitioning to greater crepuscular and nocturnal activity in response to high human densities. This plasticity in temporal niches may partially mitigate the impacts of human activity but may also result in underestimating human effects on species foraging, predator–prey relationships and community‐level interactions. We deployed remote cameras to characterize shifts in herbivore diel activity in protected habitat versus pastoralist landscapes. We then compared species traits including body mass, dietary preferences and behavioural characteristics as potential predictors of species sensitivity to livestock. Our data capture a significant temporal shift away from core cattle activity for nearly every herbivore species in our study, leading to more crepuscular activity patterns. As livestock were primarily diurnal and predators primarily nocturnal in pastoralist habitat, species that decreased their overlap with livestock were more likely to increase their overlap with potential predators. Other than species' typical daytime activity levels, we found no evidence that any particular trait significantly predicted temporal shifts in response to livestock. Instead, species generally trended towards greater activity levels at dawn, suggesting that cattle have a homogenizing effect on community‐wide activity patterns. Our findings highlight how cohabitation with livestock can profoundly alter the temporal niches of wild herbivores. Shifts in diel activity patterns may reduce herbivore foraging time or efficiency and potentially have cascading shifts on predator–prey dynamics. Given that species traits could not predict responses to livestock, our analysis suggests that conservation strategies should consider each species separately when designing interventions for wildlife management.

Reframing the crowding perception scale: Acquaintanceship and perceived risk as new dimensions

This study proposes a new scale for measuring crowding perceptions in a consumer environment. We used a qualitative study via the word evocation method and two more quantitative studies in which we applied exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Our research provides new insight and fills the gaps observed in previous research: i) lag in the conceptualization approach, ii) adaptation to distinct sociocultural realities, iii) divergences of conceptualization, and iv) isolated application of only one construct. We identified acquaintanceship and perceived risk as new constructs and presented sentences of neutral content, allowing us to capture negative or positive perceptions. Our scale can be applied to service and retail contexts. The final model was formed based on the construct's acquaintanceship, high human density, perceived human risk, high spatial density, and perceived spatial risk.

Study on groundwater pollution and its human impact analysis using geospatial techniques in semi-urban of south India

Groundwater recharging and thus renewable groundwater supplies will experience considerable changes due to climate change. The present investigation focussed to evaluate the susceptibility of subsurface water in rapid developing textile industrial region of Southern India. To determine the aquifer's susceptibility, the DRASTIC-LU Remote sensing and GIS based vulnerability model was applied and the results were compared with human activity risk (HAR) analysis to ensure the water borne disease on human health. DRASTIC layers like Depth to Water, Recharge, Aquifer Media, Soil Media, Topography, Impact of Vadose Zone, and Conductivity of the Aquifer are overlay along with respective LULC layers (2010 & 2020) to generate the DRASTIC-LU models for 2010 and 2020. The results of the DRASTIC LU groundwater vulnerability pattern between the range of 25–201 and 55 to 212 in 2010 and 2020, and have been classified into five categories from very high to low susceptibility. The effects of various Drastic-LU parameters were 69%, 76%, 81%, 82%, 63%, 79%, and 84%, respectively, based on the output of the sensitivity analysis method. The areas of Northern, Central, Central East and Central Western portions were identified as maximum and very highly vulnerable on the DRASTIC-LU index map and rest of the locations were classed as low and medium in terms of vulnerability. The outcomes of a risk analysis of human activity revealed that areas with high human activity density, such as of Northern, Central, Central East and Central Western portions were shown to be a vulnerable between the years 2010 and 2020, according to the results of human activity risk analysis.

Detection and characterization of novel luchacoviruses, genus Alphacoronavirus, in saliva and feces of meso-carnivores in the northeastern United States.

Several coronaviruses (CoVs) have been detected in domesticated, farmed, and wild meso-carnivores, causing a wide range of diseases and infecting diverse species, highlighting their important but understudied role in the epidemiology of these viruses. Assessing the viral diversity hosted in wildlife species is essential to understand their significance in the cross-species transmission of CoVs. Our focus here was on CoV discovery in meso-carnivores in the Northeast United States as a potential "hotspot" area with high density of humans and urban wildlife. This study identifies novel alphacoronaviruses circulating in multiple free-ranging wild and domestic species in this area and explores their potential epidemiological importance based on regions of the Spike gene, which are relevant for virus-host interactions.

Human density impacts Nubian Flapshell turtle survival in Sub-Saharan Africa: Future conservation strategies

The Nubian Flapshell Turtle, Cyclanorbis elegans, is classified as one of the most threatened chelonian species globally (Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red List). The species is presumed extinct in most of its historical distribution range, but still survives along the White Nile between South Sudan and northern Uganda. In this paper, we utilised the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) to evaluate the habitat suitability of the species to explore its distribution decline by comparing historical and current presence data, as well as correlate the predicted past and present distribution with human population density. Our assumption is that overexploitation of the turtle occurs (and has occurred in the past) in sites with high human density. We show that: (1) a large number of historical sites where the turtle was present had high human population densities, whereas (2) the current distribution model showed low overlap between areas with high probability of turtle presence and high human population density. We suggest that Nubian flapshells are likely to have become extinct because of high human density (and therefore high overexploitation) and remnant populations have only survived along waterbodies with low numbers of people. However, the presence sites of this species in northern Uganda are under pressure by rapidly growing refugees'settlements. We also hypothesize that the range of the Nubian Flapshell may be shifting to the south (where the general environment is wetter and cooler) due to climate change affecting the distribution of this freshwater species. The conservation implications of these evidence are also presented.

Multiproxy Approach to Reconstruct the Fire History of Araucaria araucana Forests in the Nahuelbuta Coastal Range, Chile

Multiproxy reconstructions of fire regimes in forest ecosystems can provide a clearer understanding of past fire activity and circumvent some limitations of single proxy reconstructions. While inferring fire history from scars in trees is the most precise method to reconstruct temporal fire patterns, this method is limited in Araucaria araucana forests by rot after fire injuries, successive fires that destroy the evidence and the prohibition of sample extraction from living Araucaria trees. In this context, dendrochemical studies in Araucaria trees and charcoal analysis from sediment cores can complement and extend the time perspective of the fire history in the relictual Araucaria-Nothofagus forests of the coastal range. We used dendrochemical, fire scar and charcoal records from the Nahuelbuta Coastal Range (37.8° S; 73° W) spanning the last 1000 years to reconstruct the fire history. The results indicate that periods with higher fire activity occurred between 1400 and 1650 AD. Long-term changes in the fire regime are related to increased climate variability over the last 1000 years, and especially with the arrival of settlers to the area after 1860 CE. The most severe fire events in the Nothofagus and Araucaria forests occurred when suitable fire-prone conditions were superimposed with high human densities.

The effect of anthropogenic features on the habitat selection of a large carnivore is conditional on sex and circadian period, suggesting a landscape of coexistence

Improving coexistence between humans and large predators is one of the foremost issues for the survival of large carnivores, especially in the Neotropics, where conflicts for retaliation are still frequent. This problem was increased due to the expansion of agricultural areas, settlements, roads, and the loss of natural habitats. Therefore, a key component in the long-term conservation of carnivores is to reduce animal-human conflicts. We aimed to assess multi-scale habitat selection models, exploring specificities in the selection for each sex and variation for the circadian period. We found that jaguars live in real landscapes of fear with high human and livestock density, where the perception of risk related to humans governed the selection of their resources. However, depending on the sex of individuals and the circadian period, jaguars positively selected some anthropic structures, such as areas of crops and human settlements. This selection suggested an aptitude to use various human-dominated structures and indicated jaguars could locally perceive risks in different ways, depending of sex and day period. Unexpectedly, jaguars presented attraction to roads, sexual or circadian related, regardless of the natural environments. Our results demonstrate that male and female jaguars could use some anthropic features differently in the distinct circadian periods. In addition, we conclude that the knowledge of the habitat selection for jaguars is a crucial component to the structure of the landscape of coexistence of this species and can give us efficient guidance to better comprehend the behavior through different scales of selection and through different periods of the day. Finally, our results show fundamental observations on the movement plasticity of this species for the construction of conservation plans focusing on the coexistence in different landscapes of the Neotropics dominated by humans.

Aarey conservation: A multifaceted opportunity for climate mitigation in an urban setting

Abstract Citizens of the world are bracing themselves to combat and mitigate cataclysmic climate crisis. Recurrent climate accidents are leaving behind millions of climate refugees, who flock to urban centers in search of safety and security. Overcrowded metropolitan cities are highly vulnerable due to their high human densities and absolute numbers of residents and migrants. A well-connected network of urban green zones (UGZs) provides multiple values that enable sustainable climate mitigation and adaptation. The metropolis of Mumbai, with over 24 million humans (Mumbaikars), is fortunate to also have a network of large UGZs and protected areas (PAs), viz. Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Aarey Milk Colony (AMC), Tungareshwar, Thane, Tansa, and Karnala Wildlife Sanctuaries, along with mangrove forests and public parks. However, most PAs restrict entry and climate mitigation actions. AMC, spread over 12.5 km2 provides a unique “mosaic” landscape, inhabited by indigenous communities (Warli and Mahadev Koli), locals, and migrants. The hills, farms, artificial meadows, and built-up complexes, with a good road network and proximity to Mumbai’s suburbs, provide numerous opportunities to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals set out by members of the United Nations Conference of the Parties. The path to achieve climate and resource stability, in the economic capital of the nation, is a precarious one and needs planning and engagement of all stakeholders. Long-term protection of AMC will provide socioeconomic equity as well as ecological and health security to current and future generations of Mumbaikars.

Spatiotemporal Distribution of Photographic Records of Brazilian Birds Available in the WikiAves Citizen Science Database

About four million photographic records of Brazilian birds are deposited in the WikiAves database. The objective of this study was to examine the spatiotemporal distribution of photographic records available in this database. Searches were performed in the database in 2022. Record numbers produced by citizens were obtained by selecting states and municipalities in different periods. The annual record production in Brazil has increased substantially since 2009, reaching about 400,000 records per year in 2020–2021. Most records were obtained in the Sudeste and Sul geopolitical regions. Seasonal variations in record production in the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest are comparable, with more records obtained in July–October. In Amazonia, a more substantial decrease in record production occurred between November and April. The monthly record production was more uniform in the Caatinga. When municipalities were compared, similar seasonal variation in record production was observed for four ecosystems (Amazonia, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Pampa). However, substantial differences were observed for municipalities in the Pantanal and the Caatinga. The results indicate that high human density, high individual income and the breeding season of birds are potential factors leading to high record production. On the other hand, heavy rainfall, flooding, remoteness and environmental harshness are pointed out as factors potentially leading to relatively fewer records. Further, this article discusses the implications of record availability for ornithological studies that use photographic records deposited in the WikiAves database.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF MORPHOLOGICAL DYNAMICS INDICATORS AND ECOLOGICAL CHANGE IN THE FISHERIES OF LAKE NOKOUÉ (SOUTH BENIN)

Lake Nokoué is experiencing serious environmental problems which threaten its existence and contribute to the reduction of goods and services for the beneficiary population. The objective of this study is to understand the dynamics of ecological factors and their impacts on the biocenosis. This study is based on bathymetric data collected in 11 stations on the lake following seasonal sampling from February 2017 to January 2018 and from March 2019 to February 2020. Documentary research, field surveys, interview guides, a camera digital and labeled sachets are the tools and materials used for data collection from 120 households. In addition, images from aerial and satellite photographs of the LANDSAT type (TM and ETM) were used to assess the dynamics of the acadjas of Lake Nokoué. The results were analyzed with the FPEIR model. The results show that from 2000 to 2020 Lake Nokoué experienced an increase in the number of acadja which went from 667 to 1417 or 47.07% followed by a decrease in its depth from West to East of the order of 0.5m. The factors favorable to the filling of Lake Nokoué are according to 70% of the population surveyed: the flood and its solid inputs, the proliferation of water hyacinth in the rainy season and its degeneration in the dry season, the erosion of the banks, the intrusion of marine water and stations with high human and economic densities (implantation and decomposition of acadja, agricultural activities, etc.). These internal and external factors contribute to the morphological dynamics of Lake Nokoué, thus hindering the socio-economic development of populations dependent on Lake Nokoué. Faced with this situation, measures have been proposed for better management of this ecosystem, which is essential to the survival of its population.

Are birds more afraid in urban parks or cemeteries? A Latin American study contrasts with results from Europe

The escape behaviour, measured as flight initiation distance (FID; the distance at which individuals take flight when approached by a potential predator, usually a human in the study systems), is a measure widely used to study fearfulness and risk-taking in animals. Previous studies have shown significant differences in the escape behaviour of birds inhabiting cemeteries and urban parks in European cities, where birds seem to be shyer in the latter. We collected a regional dataset of the FID of birds inhabiting cemeteries and parks across Latin America in peri-urban, suburban and urban parks and cemeteries. FIDs were recorded for eighty-one bird species. Mean species-specific FIDs ranged from 1.9 to 19.7 m for species with at least two observations (fifty-seven species). Using Bayesian regression modelling and controlling for the phylogenetic relatedness of the FID among bird species and city and country, we found that, in contrast to a recent publication from Europe, birds escape earlier in cemeteries than parks in the studied Latin American cities. FIDs were also significantly shorter in urban areas than in peri-urban areas and in areas with higher human density. Our results indicate that some idiosyncratic patterns in animal fearfulness towards humans may emerge among different geographic regions, highlighting difficulties with scaling up and application of regional findings to other ecosystems and world regions. Such differences could be associated with intrinsic differences between the pool of bird species from temperate European and mostly tropical Latin American cities, characterized by different evolutionary histories, but also with differences in the historical process of urbanization.