Livestock In Areas Research Articles

Influence of land use on the abundance of wildlife and livestock in the Kalahari, Botswana

Human land use such as pastoralism may be a key determinant of wildlife populations. We studied the influence of land use on wildlife and livestock in south-western Kalahari, Botswana, during the wet and dry seasons. We included two types of livestock areas and two types of wildlife protection areas. Wild and domestic mammals >0.2 kg were sampled by distance technique. Small mammals <0.2 kg were trapped and a vegetation survey was performed. Livestock and some medium-sized wildlife species were most abundant in livestock areas, while large-sized wildlife species were mainly restricted to wildlife areas. Most red-listed species were confined to the national park. The influence of land use on abundances changed moderately between seasons. However, cattle moved into wildlife areas during the wet season. Differences in species richness and diversity were most pronounced during the dry season. The trapping frequency of small mammals was highest in the national park. Differences in vegetation structure included sparser field layer and higher cover of an invasive shrub in livestock areas. Our study shows the importance of protected areas for many wildlife species in the Kalahari. It also shows the value of a multi-species approach for investigating the effects of land use on wildlife communities.

SEROPREVALENCIA DE HIDATIDOSIS EN ESCOLARES DE HUANCASANCOS, AYACUCHO 2004

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of human hydatidosis in the school population from 6 to 15 years of age in the highland province of Huancasancos, Ayacucho. Material and methods. Cross-sectional study, conducted in May 2004 by serology test as double diffusion (DD5), ELISA and immunoblot. Results. 473 schools were assessed, 50.3% were women, 76.1% did not know the disease, 74.8% livestock breeding, 79.1% have dogs. Two cases were found positive by DD5 and 17 by ELISA, six were confirmed by immunoblot, giving a prevalence of hydatid disease was 1.27 (CI95%: 0.15-2.38), the cases were from the districts of Sacsamarca (3/129), Carapa (1/66), Sanco (2/186) and Lucanamarca (0/92). Five of the six cases had raised cattle and dogs, four were male and were between 9 to 15 years. Conclusions. It shows the presence of hydatidosis in rural livestock areas in Ayacucho, is needed to implement programs for the control of hydatidosis.

Impacts of nutrient management and decrease in paddy field area on groundwater nitrate concentration: a case study at the Nasunogahara alluvial fan, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan

AbstractIn order to help evaluate the trends in the NO3‐N concentration in groundwater with a view to preventing further degradation in water quality in the future, a distributed groundwater quality model was constructed for the Nasunogahara basin. The best fit for the groundwater table elevations by the flow component of the model was achieved with average mean absolute errors (MAEs) of 0·92 m for the calibration period and 0·83 m for the validation period. Moreover, the best fit for the NO3‐N concentration by the water quality component was achieved with average mean relative errors (MREs) of 29·8% for the calibration period and 30·3% for the validation period. After developing a robust model, various change scenarios were tested; specifically, the effects of effluent load control and a decrease in paddy field area on the NO3‐N concentration in groundwater were predicted. The most intensively farmed area contributed about 40% of the total effluent load because of livestock farming in the basin. When the effluent load from this area was decreased by 50%, the average NO3‐N concentrations at sites S1, S2 and S3 were reduced by about 15%; however, the average concentrations at S4 and S5 were reduced by only 1%. Furthermore, when the total effluent load from the concentrated livestock area was removed completely, the average groundwater NO3‐N concentrations at S1, S2 and S3 were reduced by about 30% as compared with the original calculated results. In contrast, decreasing the area of the paddy fields in the basin did not greatly influence the groundwater NO3‐N concentration. In the case of a 70% reduction in paddy field area, average NO3‐N concentrations increased by about 7% at S1, S2 and S3. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Traditional strategies used by pastoralists to cope with la nina induced drought in Kajiado, Kenya

Pastoralists traditionally relied on herd mobility to cope with drought. In the pastoral areas of Kajiado, Kenya this strategy is now threatened by increased individual land ownership as compared to communal access. Drought frequency as related to El-Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is predicated to increase with climate change. The aim of the study was investigate the use of herd mobility strategy in the ENSO related 1999/2000 la Nina induced drought under different land tenure types and varying household cattle wealth. The study found that despite changes in land tenure, herd mobility was used as a coping strategy. Households rich in livestock applied the herd mobility strategy more than the poorer ones by moving a larger proportion of their herds. Poorer households applied the strategy of keeping drought resistant animals more than richer ones by having a higher proportion of goats and sheep than cattle. Institutional land units of Kiboko Range Research Station and Chyulu National Reserve which had higher herbaceous biomass were the most favored refuge areas for livestock during the drought. In conclusion poorer families are likely to be impacted more from increased incidents of ENSO droughts due inability to use the herd mobility option. Key words: La-Nina, climate change, drought, pastoralist, herd mobility, land use type

Estudo do polimorfismo genético da α&lt;sub&gt;S1&lt;/sub&gt;-caseína em cabras, no Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil

The Pernambuco State, has been a livestock area, mainly for the caprine exploration. Among the proteins, called caseins, the α S1 -casein was the first proved protein with base in the genetic polymorphism. To genotype goats of the “sertao”, “agreste” and “zona da mata” regions of the Brazilian State of Pernambuco, through the PCR-RFLP technique, we studied the polymorphism of the α S1 -casein gene. Sixty animals were used, divided in three groups of twenty animals of the races Moxoto, American Alpine and UB (Undefined Breed). The DNA extraction was done by the phenol-chloroform protocol and the α S1 -casein gene was amplified through the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). Then, the restriction enzyme XmnI was used to obtain the allele frequency of the studied races. In the goats, we found the α S1 -casein alleles B and D that predominantly were in the native race Moxoto and Ub animals (100%), the alleles, C and D for the American Alpine race (100%), concluding that there are genetic variations for the α S1 -casein in the milk of the goat races studied in the region, although it was observed a genetic proximity between Moxoto and UB.

Dry season foraging preferences of cattle and sheep in a communal area of South Africa

We examined landscape and habitat (vegetation) scale foraging of cattle and sheep at two communal villages in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, to determine the key resources utilised during the dry season. At the landscape scale, cattle at both sites displayed overall preference for the arable lands at this time, although this diminished steadily as the dry season progressed. In contrast, sheep made considerably less use of these areas, showing only sporadic preference. At the vegetation scale, cattle demonstrated greatest preference for crop residues and uncultivated 'commonage' areas, although foraging in grassland increased considerably in the latter stages of the dry season. Sheep utilised a much smaller range of vegetation types, preferring crop residues and fields that had been recently fallow and avoiding all other vegetation categories. We suggest that given the spatial limitations in planned, communal villages, the arable lands function as key resource areas for livestock during the dry season. It is recommended that management of these areas emphasise greater integration of sheep and cattle grazing and focus on maintaining vegetation heterogeneity in order to facilitate opportunistic 'switching' in foraging patterns at different stages of the dry season.

‘Translation is not enough’: using the Global Person Generated Index (GPGI) to assess individual quality of life in Bangladesh, Thailand, and Ethiopia

Currently few subjective measures of Quality of Life (QoL) are available for use in developing countries, which limits their theoretical, methodological, and practical contribution (for example, exploring the relationship between economic development and QoL, and ensuring effective and equitable service provision). One reason for this is the difficulty of ensuring that translated measures preserve conceptual, item, semantic, operational, measurement; and functional equivalence (Herdman, M., Fox-Rushby, J., & Badia, X. (1998). Quality of Life Research, 7, 331), which is illustrated by an account of the translation, pre-piloting, and administration of a new individualised QoL measure, the Global Person Generated Index or 'GPGI'. The GPGI is based on the widely used Patient Generated Index (Ruta, Camfield, & Martin, (2004) Quality of Life Research, 13, 1545.) and offers many of the advantages of the participatory approaches commonly used in developing countries, with added methodological rigour, and quantitative outcomes. It was successfully validated in Bangladesh, Thailand, and Ethiopia, using quantitative and qualitative methods--open-ended, semi-structured interviews (SSIs), conducted immediately post-administration. Both the measure and method of 'qualitative validation' described later in the paper offer an exciting alternative for future researchers and practitioners in this field. The quantitative results suggest the GPGI shows cultural sensitivity, and is able to capture both the areas that are important to respondents, and aspects of life one would expect to impact on QoL in developing countries. There were strong correlation between scores from the GPGI and SSIs for the area of health, and moderate correlations for 'material wellbeing' (MWB)('Material wellbeing' refers to respondents' perceptions of their achievement in the areas of farming, debt reduction, assets, crops, livestock, job, land, property, and agriculture) and children. Weak to moderate correlations were observed between the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the GPGI; however, the highest coefficient was between the GPGI and the most conceptually similar item. Statistically significant differences were seen in GPGI scores between rich and poor, urban and rural respondents, and different countries. Health and material wellbeing scores, derived from the SSIs, also showed a linear relationship with GPGI scores, with a suggestion of curvilinearity at the higher levels, as predicted by a general QoL causal model. In conclusion, the GPGI has great potential for use in this area, especially when supported by extensive interviewer training, and supplemented with a cognitive appraisal schedule.

Patterns of resource use by livestock during and after drought on the commons of Namaqualand, South Africa

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of drought on grazing patterns of livestock in a communal rangeland in Namaqualand. Water points were the foci of almost all grazing routes even after the drought, and the areas away from the water points were less heavily utilized. The mountains could be regarded as key resource areas for livestock since the grazing intensity was higher in the elevated areas of the rangeland than on the surrounding low lying areas during and immediately after drought. Spatial patterns of resource use by livestock on the commons did not differ during the drought and post-drought period. The lengths of the daily grazing routes were similar for both periods. This may be a consequence of the weakness of animals during the drought when forage was scarce which prevented them from walking further. The size of home ranges of the herds did not change during the two monitoring periods. We attribute this to social reasons because herders try to avoid the mixing of herds. In the commons of Namaqualand, herders are also spatially constrained and this restricts their options to adapt to drought, and hence many animals died.

European Pharmacopoeia foot-and-mouth disease vaccine potency testing in cattle: Between test variability and its consequences

In the event of a foot-and-mouth (FMD) outbreak in a densely populated livestock area within the European Community, emergency vaccination will most likely be employed. The objective of the present study was to support the European FMD control policy by evaluating the between test variability of the European accepted method for assessing the potency, a major determinant in vaccine choice, of an FMD vaccine batch. The test system suffers from low in vivo repeatability and reproducibility (67.6 and 58.8%, respectively). Consequently, the results of 10 identical, individual vaccine potency tests using an FMD virus O 1 Manisa vaccine batch indicate that the obtained potency of a vaccine with an overall 50% protective dose (PD 50) value of 9.99 may vary from 4.59 to 24.25 PD 50.

Salmonella spp., Vibrio spp., Clostridium perfringens, and Plesiomonas shigelloides in Marine and Freshwater Invertebrates from Coastal California Ecosystems

The coastal ecosystems of California are highly utilized by humans and animals, but the ecology of fecal bacteria at the land-sea interface is not well understood. This study evaluated the distribution of potentially pathogenic bacteria in invertebrates from linked marine, estuarine, and freshwater ecosystems in central California. A variety of filter-feeding clams, mussels, worms, and crab tissues were selectively cultured for Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli-O157, Clostridium perfringens, Plesiomonas shigelloides, and Vibrio spp. A longitudinal study assessed environmental risk factors for detecting these bacterial species in sentinel mussel batches. Putative risk factors included mussel collection near higher risk areas for livestock or human sewage exposure, adjacent human population density, season, recent precipitation, water temperature, water type, bivalve type, and freshwater outflow exposure. Bacteria detected in invertebrates included Salmonella spp., C. perfringens, P. shigelloides, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio alginolyticus. Overall, 80% of mussel batches were culture positive for at least one of the bacterial species, although the pathogens Campylobacter, E. coli-O157, and Salmonella were not detected. Many of the same bacterial species were also cultured from upstream estuarine and riverine invertebrates. Exposure to human sewage sources, recent precipitation, and water temperature were significant risk factors for bacterial detection in sentinel mussel batches. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that filter-feeding invertebrates along the coast concentrate fecal bacteria flowing from land to sea and show that the relationships between anthropogenic effects on coastal ecosystems and the environmental niches of fecal bacteria are complex and dynamic.

Air-Surface Exchange of Mercury with Soils Amended with Ash Materials

Air-surface exchange of mercury (Hg) was measured from soil low in Hg (0.013 mg/kg) amended with four different ash materials: a wood ash containing ∼10% coal ash (0.070 mg/kg Hg), a mixture of two subbituminous coal fly ashes (0.075 mg/kg Hg), a subbituminous coal ash containing ∼10% petroleum coke ash (1.2 mg/kg Hg), and an ash from incinerated municipal sewage sludge (4.3 mg/kg Hg) using a dynamic flux chamber. Ash was added to soil to simulate agricultural supplements, soil stabilization, and pad layers used in livestock areas. For the agricultural amendment, ∼0.4% ash was well mixed into the soil. To make the stabilized soil that could be used for construction purposes, ∼20% ash was mixed into soil with water. The pad layer consisted of a wetted 1-cm layer of ash material on the soil surface. Diel trends of Hg flux were observed for all of the substrates with significantly higher Hg emissions during the day and negligible flux or deposition of Hg during the night. Hg fluxes, which were measured in the summer months, were best correlated with solar radiation, temperature, and air O3 concentrations. Mean Hg fluxes measured outdoors for unamended soils ranged from 19 to 140 ng/m2 day, whereas those for soil amended with ash to simulate an agricultural application ranged from 7.2 to 230 ng/m2 day. Fluxes for soil stabilized with ash ranged from 77 to 530 ng/m2 day and for soil with pads constructed of ash ranged from −50 to 90 ng/m2 day. Simple analytical tests (i.e., total Hg content, synthetic precipitation leaching procedure, heating, and indoor gas-exchange experiments) were performed to assess whether algorithms based on these tests could be used to predict Hg fluxes observed outdoors using the flux chamber. Based on this study, no consistent relationships could be developed. More work is needed to assess long-term and seasonal variations in Hg flux from (intact and disturbed) substrates before annual estimates of emissions can be developed.

Susceptibility and Infection Risk of Schistosomiasis Disease

The environment of schistosomiasis epidemic areas in China is complex with various forms of geomorphologies. The spatial distribution of schistosome (Schistosoma japonicum) and parasitic hosts is random. It is often difficult to eradicate snails(Oncomelania snails) and cercaria, and to avoid interactions with schistosomiasis-susceptible areas for livestock and humans. Rapid, efficient and timely determination of schistosomiasis-susceptible area holds significant importance. This paper first introduces the initial origin and various definitions of schistosomiasis-susceptible area. We present a new definition according to the key parameters that influence the epidemic and transmission of schistosomiasis. Secondly five study aspects of schistosomiasis-susceptible area are summarized in light of the factors that have influences on the formation of schistosomiasis- susceptible area. Problems, drawbacks and causes in different concepts and study methods of schistosomiasis-susceptible area are introduced. Perspectives of historical medical-geography study of schistosomiasis-susceptible area are reviewed. We present spatial simulation and modeling approaches that are based on remote sensing and geographic information systems(GIS) and data-driven models and knowledge-driven model. They represent an important area of new applications of remote sensing and GIS in health related problem solving. Finally, we suggest to import the concepts in hazard/risk analysis into the schistosmiasis epidemiology. This allowed us to put forward two new concepts: susceptibility level and infection risk, for which a primary calculation framework and internal relation is established. We hope to use them as the base for future studies of chistosomiasis-susceptible areas.

Trypanosomiasis in Venezuelan water buffaloes: association of packed-cell volumes with seroprevalence and current trypanosome infection

The seroprevalence of trypanosomiasis and the prevalence of current trypanosome infection in water buffaloes from the most important livestock areas of Venezuela were evaluated by IFAT and the microhaematocrit centrifugation technique, respectively. The usefulness of a PCR-based assay for identifying the trypanosome species in the buffaloes was also evaluated. Of the 644 animals investigated, 40 (6.2%) were found infected with trypanosomes by blood centrifugation, and 196 (30.4%) were found positive for anti-trypanosome antibodies, by IFAT. The results of the PCR-based assay indicated that 92.5% of the animals with current infections were infected with Trypanosoma vivax and the rest with T. theileri (the first molecular confirmation of T. theileri in Venezuelan water buffaloes). The national programme to treat and prevent trypanosome infections in the buffaloes does not appear to be meeting with great success, even though it is focused on T. vivax. Although the level of parasitaemia was categorized as low for 28 (70%) of the infections detected (and packed-cell volumes appeared to be unassociated with IFAT result, and uncorrelated, in the infected animals, with level of parasitaemia), the 40 infected buffaloes had a significantly lower mean packed-cell volume than the uninfected animals (P<0.05). Farmers should therefore be made aware of the probability of trypanosome-attributable losses in buffalo productivity.

토지이용패턴에 따른 하천수질과 식생분포

The land use pattern, water quality and vegetation were investigated in the six tributaries, including Hanggeumcheon and Satancheon of the Namhan hydrosphere, Iksancheon, Jeonjucheon and Gosancheon of the Mankyung hydrosphere as well as Jongeupcheon of the Dongjin hydrosphere. Forest and farmland area were extensive in Hanggeumcheon, Satancheon and Gosancheon. Farmland and livestock area were wide in Iksancheon. Jeonjucheon were occupied with broad urban. Industrial and urban area were extensive in Jongeupcheon. The loading amounts of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen (T-N), total phosphorus (T-P) of Iksancheon and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of Jeonjucheon were determined to be very high, respectively. The quality of water in Hanggeumcheon, Satancheon and Gosancheon were determined to be good quality. The species diversity was lower in the down stream than in the upper stream except for the Gosancheon. Life form of plane were mostly perennial plane in the upper stream and annual plants in the down stream of rivers. It was estimated that there is high level of disturbance in the down stream of rivers. The quality of water was significantly correlated with farmland and forest area. In conclusion, human impact, such as farmland and housing lot exerted an influence on the disturbance of down stream and the water quality of rivers.

Kenya, Mau Mau and terrorism

The Mau Mau uprising in Kenya was to some extent directed against the European settlement of the traditional African livestock and farming areas in what became known as the 'White Highlands'. The original population groups were displaced and the seasonal grazing ranges for their cattle greatly restricted. When these herders grazed their cattle alongside roads in settled areas, there was a strong response by the administration and many of the animals were impounded and sold. Reprisals for such seizures included the 'hamstringing' of settler cattle, which involved cutting the Achilles tendon of a hind limb. This effectively resulted in the animals being slaughtered on humane grounds.

Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA Variability and Genetic Structure in Populations of New World Screwworm Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) from Uruguay

The New Word screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel 1858) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), is one of the most important insect pests of livestock in the Neotropical region. In this work, polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was used to study the diversity and population structure of seven geographically distinct populations of C. hominivorax from most of the important livestock areas in Uruguay. The control region (A+T/12S) and subunits 1 and 2 of cytochrome oxidase (cox1/cox2) were amplified and digested with restriction endonucleases. Nine haplotypes were observed among the populations sampled. The mean nucleotide diversity and the haplotype diversity indicated high mtDNA variability in this species. The similarity index, average nucleotide divergence, and analysis of molecular variance results showed no evidence of subpopulation differentiation, indicating that the C. hominivorax populations of Uruguay form a single panmitic population. The distribution pattern of the genetic variation in natural populations of C. hominivorax and the implications of these results for establishing control program are discussed.

Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA Variability and Genetic Structure in Populations of New World Screwworm Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) from Uruguay

The New Word screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel 1858) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), is one of the most important insect pests of livestock in the Neotropical region. In this work, polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was used to study the diversity and population structure of seven geographically distinct populations of C. hominivorax from most of the important livestock areas in Uruguay. The control region (A+T/12S) and subunits 1 and 2 of cytochrome oxidase (cox1/cox2) were amplified and digested with restriction endonucleases. Nine haplotypes were observed among the populations sampled. The mean nucleotide diversity and the haplotype diversity indicated high mtDNA variability in this species. The similarity index, average nucleotide divergence, and analysis of molecular variance results showed no evidence of subpopulation differentiation, indicating that the C. hominivorax populations of Uruguay form a single panmitic population. The distribution pattern of the genetic variation in natural populations of C. hominivorax and the implications of these results for establishing control program are discussed.

Impact of riparian buffer zones on water quality and associated management considerations

Recent attention has focused on riparian forest buffer systems for filtering sediment, nutrients, and pesticides entering from upland agricultural fields. This paper summarizes the results of a field monitoring study done in Tokachikawa watershed in Hokkaido, Japan, Cisadane, Cianten and Citamyang sub-watersheds in Indonesia and Cauvery watershed, India to quantify the impact of riparian buffer zones on changes in stream water quality. A watershed approach was used to compare land use indicators – uplands, forests, riparian forest, livestock areas – to a wide range of surface water physical and chemical properties. Stream water physical property values increased from upstream to the confluence point, influenced by the upland and livestock land use activities. The greatest reduction in impairment of water quality was observed in buffer zones located along higher order streams where the gradient is very low, leading to slow groundwater movement. The lower stream water temperature in riparian buffer zones suggests that the shading effect is most pronounced in this area of the watershed. The results demonstrate the positive impact of forest buffer zones in reducing the influence of agricultural nutrients and chemicals on surface stream waters. Design and management considerations for establishing riparian zone land use are discussed.

Analyse de systèmes de production animale à l’échelle d’un canton : cas de Boboyo dans l’Extrême-Nord Cameroun

Les auteurs ont appliqué une méthode permettant la collecte de données fiables sur les effectifs animaux et sur les techniques de production pouvant servir comme indicateurs objectivement vérifiables au démarrage de projets de développement. Cette méthode a été basée sur l’utilisation de données spatiales combinées à une enquête transversale rétrospective. L’étude a également permis d’affiner les données sur les populations humaines et d’analyser la charge animale. Le canton comptait ainsi, sur une superficie de 150 km2, 8 300 habitants répartis dans 1 658 concessions dont 87 p. 100 d’entre elles possédaient des animaux. La charge totale en bétail était de 23,6 UBT/km2. Chaque concession disposait en moyenne de 2,47 UBT. Les paysans sédentaires possédaient 2 334 bovins, mais le cheptel des transhumants attirés annuellement par les pâturages du canton augmentait ce cheptel temporairement de façon importante. Les caprins, les volailles et les porcins étaient les autres espèces les plus représentées dans les concessions des éleveurs sédentaires. Le cheptel ne semblait pas avoir évolué ces dernières années. L’insuffisance de données fiables sur les systèmes de production animale dans cette région d’élevage du Cameroun pourrait être palliée par l’application de la méthode proposée sur des cantons représentatifs de la variété des systèmes.

Livestock production post CAP reform: Implications for the environment

We now live in a Decoupled world. The direct support measures paid to farmers as part of the CAP Pillar 1 agricultural support, which paid them according to the number of livestock held or areas of crops grown, have been replaced by a Single Farm Payment (SFP). In the UK as a whole, these direct subsidy payments represented 77% of Total Income from Farming (TIFF) in 2004 and a large proportion of farmers would derive negative net farm incomes in the absence of them. In particular, livestock farmers appear to depend crucially on direct subsidies such as Suckler Cow Premium, Sheep Annual Premium and Beef Special Premium. The latest average position for LFA grazing livestock producers is that 188% of NFI is derived from subsidies and for lowland livestock producers the situation is even worse, at 259%. This suggests that if these subsidies were removed, Net farm Income would be negative and the business would be unsustainable.