Major National Parks Research Articles

A Charismatic Hyena: Insights for Human-Wildlife Interaction in Shared Urban Environments

As human-wildlife interactions become more common in an increasingly urbanized world, widespread encroachment on habitat can exacerbate conflicts between indigenous fauna and the populations of cities and towns. Conservation strategies seeking to create empathy and harmony between humans and their natural world upon occasion utilize charismatic species to engage the public. Understanding the nature of charisma in nonhuman animals is therefore important for urban bio-diversity preservation programs. By personalizing wildlife, people are able to develop affection and a commitment to the supporting ecosystems and natural assets. This case describes the life and death of a striped hyena that captured the imagination of the city of Modi'in in Israel for 5 years. Notwithstanding legal efforts by a small minority of local citizens to evict the hyena from the town’s municipal boundaries, the overwhelming affection and support for the animal, especially among young people, not only defused the hyena’s detractors but ultimately contributed to the creation of a major national park adjacent to the city. The surprisingly compelling, bottom-up crusade supporting a hyena’s right to remain in her habitat, even after it has become settled by humans, suggests that the personalized framing of fauna and extensive deployment of social media on behalf of an individual animal can contribute to effective conservation efforts. While anthropomorphizing wildlife is often discouraged by zoologists and rangers, the tactical justification emerges as one of many lessons from the experience. The individualizing of species that “gives them a face” can help communities overcome negative perceptions and fears about large, intimidating predator species.

Survey on the annual mortality of Evergreen Conifers (Abies koreana, Abies nephrolepis) in the Major National Park: A Case Study on Seoraksan, Deogyusan, Jirisan National Park

우리나라 구상나무 및 분비나무군락은 한라산을 제외하면 백두대간 마루금을 중심으로 국립공원 고지대에 대부분 분포하고 있으며, 구상나무는 지리산과 덕유산국립공원, 분비나무는 설악산국립공원에 비교적 넓은 면적이 분포한다. 따라서 두 수종에 대한 생육상태를 파악하고 모니터링하는 것은 국립공원 자연자원의 보전 측면에서 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 지리산, 덕유산, 설악산국립공원 내 서식 중인 구상나무와 분비나무군락에 대한 수년간의 고사실태를 파악하고자 하였으며, 이를 바탕으로 국립공원 아고산생태계의 과학적 보전 및 관리를 위한 토대를 마련하고자 하였다. 2009년부터 2020년까지 상록침엽수 고사현황을 조사한 결과, 지리산국립공원과 덕유산국립공원의 구상나무 고사 및 쇠퇴현상은 매년 나타나고 있으며, 2014년과 2015년에 상대적으로 높은 고사율을 나타냈다. 설악산국립공원의 분비나무 역시 편차는 있지만 구상나무와 마찬가지로 고사현상이 확인되고 있으며, 특히 관모능선과 설악폭포 지역의 고사현상이 지속되고 있다. 설악산 또한 2012년와 2014년에 상대적으로 사율이 높게 나타났지만 전반적으로 큰 차이는 없는 것으로 판단된다. 특정 연도에 고사율이 상대적으로 높게 나타난 요인으로는 태풍, 가뭄, 홍수, 강풍 등과 같은 기상이벤트에 의한 영향이 작용한 것으로 판단된다. 따라서 본 연구의 결과를 바탕으로 기상이벤트와의 관계성을 파악하는 후속연구가 필요한 것으로 판단되며, 이를 객관적으로 규명하기 위해서는 더욱 장기적인 모니터링 자료가 뒷받침되어야 한다.

A serological survey of brucellosis in wildlife in four major National Parks of Uganda

BackgroundBrucellosis is a contagious zoonotic disease of great public health and economic significance especially in developing countries. The disease affects humans and several species of livestock and wildlife. Studies on Brucellosis in wildlife in Uganda have been limited to single populations particularly in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This study aimed at estimating the percentage of positive samples of Brucella spp. in wildlife in four major national parks of Uganda. This was a retrospective survey which utilized archived samples collected from wildlife during the annual disease surveillance activities between 2013 and 2017.ResultsA total of 241 samples from seven species namely African buffalo (Syncerus caffer, n = 109), African elephant (Loxodonta africana, n = 22), giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi, n = 41), Uganda kob (Kobus kob thomasi, n = 36), lion (Panthera leo, n = 6), plain zebra (Equus quagga, n = 25), and bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus, n = 2), were tested for antibodies using the Rose Bengal Plate Test. The overall percentage of positive samples in the four national parks was 31.1% (75/241; 95% CI: 25.6–37.2). Kidepo Valley National Park had a significantly higher percentage of positive samples of 55.9% (19/34; 95% CI: 39.5–71.1) compared to other sampled national parks (p < 0.05). Lions had significantly higher percentage of positive samples at 66.7% (4/6) than African buffalo at 48.6% (53/109, p < 0.0001). There were no antibodies for Brucella spp. detected in African elephant and bushbuck.ConclusionThis study shows variations in percentage of positive samples with Brucella spp. between species and across national parks and notably a high percentage with Brucella spp. in wildlife in Uganda than that recorded elsewhere in sub-Saharan region of Africa. Potential for transmission to other wildlife and spill over to livestock is high especially in national parks with high livestock-wildlife interaction.

Gastrointestinal helminth and protozoan infections of wild mammals in four major national parks in Sri Lanka

A cross-sectional, coprological survey of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites of wild mammals in four major National Parks in Sri Lanka: Wilpattu, Udawalawe, Wasgamuwa, and Horton Plains was carried out during November 2016 to August 2017. Fresh fecal samples were collected and analyzed using sedimentation technique, iodine &amp; saline smears, and Sheather’s sucrose flotation for morphological identification parasite eggs, cysts, and larvae. A modified salt flotation was carried out for egg counts. Seventy samples from 10 mammal species: Asian Elephant, Spotted Deer, Water Buffalo, Sambar, Indian Hare, Asian Palm Civet, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Grey Langur, Leopard, and four unknown mammals (two carnivores, one herbivore and one omnivore) were analyzed. Most were infected (94.3%) with more than one GI parasites. The highest prevalence of infection was recorded in Horton Plains (100%), followed by Wasgamuwa (92.8%), Wilpattu (90.4%) and Udawalawe (75.0%) with a significant difference among four parks (Chi square test; χ2=35.435; df=3; p&lt;0.001). Nineteen species of GI parasites were recorded, of which Entamoeba, Isospora, Balantidium, Fasciola, Moniezia, Dipylidium, strongyles, Toxocara, Trichiurus and hookworms were the most common. Strongyles (62.1%) and Entamoeba (80.3%) were the most prevalent helminth and protozoan infections, respectively. Overall, there was no difference in the prevalence of protozoans (84.3%) and helminths (87.1%; χ2=1.0; df=1; p=0.317). In carnivores, Entamoeba, Balantidium, Moniezia, strongyles and Strongyloides were common and in herbivores, Entamoeba, strongyles, Strongyloides and Toxocara were common. The quantitative analysis showed strongyles (17.639 EPG) and Isospora (18,743 OPG) having the highest infection intensity among helminthes and protozoans, respectively. This study provides baseline information of GI parasites and their distribution in wild mammals in the four national parks. Although the prevalence of GI infections was high, their intensity shows that they could be incidental infections. When the prevalence of an infection is high but the intensity is low, it is unlikely to be a major health problem leading to the endangerment of a species. Parasitic diseases can not only affect conservation efforts, but they are also natural selection agents and drive biological diversification, through influencing host reproductive isolation and speciation.

Spatial distribution of oil spills in the north eastern Ecuadorian Amazon: A comprehensive review of possible threats

Petroleum is a keystone in modern life, but its production can have potentially devastating impacts in the environment. Petroleum as a complex mix of elements, beside linear hydrocarbons, can contain aromatic hydrocarbons (potential carcinogens) and heavy metals that can bio-accumulate through the trophic chain. In this paper, we conducted a comprehensive review of the potential threats of oil production in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We used GIS to analyze the spatial distribution of oil spills from 1972 to 2015 and determine areas with the highest frequency of occurrence. Moreover, we analyzed the relationship of these areas with biodiversity and remnant forests, protected areas, indigenous ancestral land and hydric systems. Furthermore, we analyzed the potential exposure to contaminants by remote human settlements and uncontacted indigenous tribes that use river water for their daily needs. We found that the highest frequency of oil spills occurred near the Coca and Lago Agrio cities in the Shushufindi, Sacha and Lago Agrio oil fields. These fields are located near the Aguarico and Napo river basins, that connect directly to two major national parks: Cuyabeno and Yasuni, which are also the home of Cofán, Waorani and Ai'cofan indigenous nationalities. These parks are also the biggest protected areas in the Ecuadorian Amazon and in the case of Yasuni is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Moreover, these river basins are the water source of most of the eastern-most parishes in Ecuador, where almost 100% of the population use water directly from the rivers for their daily needs.

Macrofungal diversity of urbanized areas in southern part of Korea

Most macrofungi are cosmopolitan, occurring in both tropical and temperate regions. Studies on diversity and distribution of the mushroom flora in Korea are mainly conducted in major national parks and forest, but there are few studies on species distributed in urbanized areas. As part of the Korea National Arboretum project, we investigated the diversity of mushrooms through examining the distribution of mushrooms in Gyeongsang Province from May to September in 2017. In this province, we surveyed urbanized areas comprising three cultural heritage protection zones (Salix chaenomeloides forest, Tongdo Temple, Placenta Chamber of King Sejong's Princes), two urban parks (Duryu and Amnam parks), and 20 legally protected trees (such as Ginko biloba, Pinus densiflora, Quercus acutissima, Salix hallaisanensis, Zelkova serrata and so on). Consequently, 37 species on legally protected trees, 48 species in urban parks, and 84 species in cultural heritage protection zones were confirmed. A total of 37 families, 90 genera, and 139 species were identified. Of those, three species were confirmed for the first time in Korea. This study provides the basic data for the preparation of protection management protocols for macrofungal flora on legally protected trees and in cultural property protection areas.

Completeness of digital accessible knowledge of the birds of western Africa: Priorities for survey

AbstractOpen-source primary biodiversity data, or digital accessible knowledge (DAK), are widely used in biodiversity informatics to understand the status of global biodiversity, model species’ ecological niches and geographic distributions, and inform biodiversity conservation decisions. However, these datasets are often unavailable, incomplete, or unevenly distributed across regions. We examined DAK for the birds of western Africa, obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and eBird, to identify gaps in the current knowledge of birds of western Africa, which can be used to guide future avian surveys across the region. We cleaned and standardized the data, resulting in &gt;430,000 records, with 91% from eBird. From these we calculated inventory completeness indices for all grid cells at 0.5°, 0.3°, and 0.1° spatial resolutions across the region. We defined well-surveyed grid cells as those with completeness indices &gt;80% and with &gt;200 associated DAK records. We found marked spatial, seasonal, environmental, and temporal (historical) biases and information gaps in coverage. We identified 59 well-surveyed cells at 0.1°, 55 at 0.3°, and 50 at 0.5° resolution, with well-surveyed sites clustered around points of access such as major cities and national reserves or parks. Our results identified remarkably distinct areas in environmental space with diverse climatic conditions to be given priority for future avian surveys and conservation. The distinctiveness in the climatic conditions of these areas compared to well-surveyed sites is an indication that these areas when sampled could provide new insights into western African bird diversity. Lastly, we show the underrepresentation of traditional biodiversity data (e.g., museums, herbaria collections) compared to citizen science–enabled data (e.g., eBird), which demonstrates the potential of citizen science in documenting and monitoring biodiversity in western Africa, and by extension other poorly known regions of the world.

Primary Biodiversity Data Gaps Assessment and Data Use for Decision-making: A West African Experience

Primary biodiversity data, data documenting presences of particular species at particular sites at a point in time, available in standard digital formats, provide the basis for many quantitative studies that can inform effective and reliable national, regional, and global biodiversity conservation decisions. However, these datasets are often unavailable, incomplete, or unevenly distributed across regions and landscapes. We assessed the survey completeness and gaps in current knowledge of birds of West Africa, using digital, accessible primary biodiversity data, obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and eBird. Additionally, using ecological niche modeling approaches, we modeled the current and potential future geographic distributions of a diverse suite of range-restricted and ecologically important bird species, and used the resulting models to identify priority areas for conservation and future surveys (Fig. 1). The survey completeness and gap analyses revealed marked spatial, seasonal, and temporal (historical) gaps and biases in the coverage of bird records across the region (Fig. 1). Well-surveyed sites were clustered around points of access such as major cities, roads, and national reserves or parks, mainly in Ghana, The Gambia, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon (Fig. 1). For our distributional analysis, we found broad present-day potential distributions with respect to climate. Future potential distributions, taking into account climate change processes, tended to be still-broader and more inclusive than present-day distributions, so climate-change-driven range losses and gains were minimal. Our models identified Liberia, southeastern Sierra Leone, southwestern Côte d’Ivoire, and southwestern Ghana to have high climate suitability in the present and in the future for most species. These results illustrate the spatial and temporal biases and gaps in West African bird data, and emphasize the need to promote high-quality biodiversity data mobilization and publication in West Africa and by extension the developing world. To address these biases at the regional level, research institutions and individuals need to engage in more systematic planning and biodiversity research, taking into account the potential for spatial, temporal, and seasonal biases.

Role of a geodatabase to assess the distribution of plants of conservation interest in a large protected area: A case study for a major national park in Italy

We use a geodatabase to investigate the distribution patterns of an important subset of floristic reports recorded for the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona, Campigna in the northern Apennines, Italy. This database was analysed using spatial statistical techniques and a digital elevation model. Significant relationships between species presence, sampling effort and species richness were then analysed in relation to topographical variables and to an existing vegetation map. Report-based rarefaction techniques were used to compare areas having different numbers of species recorded. Overall, the analysis shows that some areas of the park are richer in species of conservation interest than others, and that these have been more intensely investigated. Meanwhile, for other areas, botanical knowledge is scarce or even absent. This has led to clustering and redundancy of floristic data in some areas. The study confirms that the existence of a complete and up-to-date geodatabase creates a valuable resource which enables information gaps to be bridged. Such gaps often exist in biological databases for rare and narrowly distributed species. The wider application of these analyses should also give useful indications of how the incidences of these species of conservation interest are associated with particular environmental variables.

Small terrestrial mammals on Doongan Station, in the Northern Kimberley bioregion, Western Australia

There are significant gaps in knowledge of the small terrestrial mammals (&lt;2 kg) in the Northern Kimberley bioregion (NOK). There have been no known extinctions of small mammals in the NOK, despite broad-scale declines being observed across much of northern Australia. The few studies in the NOK have focussed largely on three major national parks and NOK islands and thus may not be fully representative of the region. Mammal surveys were undertaken on Doongan Station, a pastoral property adjacent to these national parks to determine the presence/absence of small mammals. Five species were found to be common (Pseudomys nanus, P. delicatulus, Rattus tunneyi, Zyzomys argurus and Sminthopsis virginiae), two species were detected less frequently (Leggadina lakedownensis and Isoodon macrourus), and four species were scarcely detected (Melomys burtoni, Hydromys chrysogaster, Planigale maculata and Dasyurus hallucatus). Two species were detected only opportunistically outside of the survey effort (Petropseudes dahli and Petaurus breviceps). The trap success was consistently low, with levels in most years being below those regarded as critically low elsewhere in northern Australia.

Acceptance of the 2014 Henry Baldwin Ward Medal: Arriving dead center of a target I didn't know I was aiming for.

I remember it like it was yesterday: I am sitting in the back seat of a sedan, Tim is driving, Bob Dylan’s harmonica is screeching seemingly endlessly through the speakers right next to my head. I am a first year Master’s student who just moved from Germany to the United States a few weeks back, driving to Atlanta to attend my first ASP meeting in 1993. Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that one day I might stand in front of you, this illustrious crowd of friends and colleagues, to accept this award. Tim, thank you very much for the introduction. My sincerest thank you also to the individuals that nominated me, and those that supported my nomination. Thank you also to the H. B. Ward Medal Committee. I am up here flooded by a complete dichotomy of emotions: pure panic and apprehension, and sincerest gratitude and elation. In preparation for this moment one involuntarily submits to a certain degree of introspection and retrospection. My recollections of the series of circumstances and events that had an impact on my becoming a parasitologist are not unique, since, like for many of you in the audience, they involve a certain degree of serendipity. Unusual might be that my path originated not in North America, but in Germany. I wracked my brain about the source of my interest in the natural world or the early influences that lead me to choose biology as an academic focus in high school and university—without resolve. My mother argues that my interest in the natural sciences is genetic. ‘‘We have many doctors in the family’’ she reasons. I might argue it was more of a subconscious choice, a culmination of experiences and passive exposures. But really, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe growing up in the maritime region of Germany had something to do with it. Most of my early childhood, and that of my 2 younger siblings, Katharina and Christian, was spent in northern Germany, Lower Saxony to be specific, located approximately 50 miles inland from the North Sea. My mother, Gerda Jensen, was a nurse; my father, Helmut Jensen, an officer in the German Air Force. My father was more of the left-brain type, while my mother was the nurturing soul of the family. I spent my summer holidays at my grandmother’s who lived a mere 10 km from the North Sea, puttering around the house or in the garden. She spoiled me with my favorite foods. A particular favorite was eel that she would buy fresh at the local farmers market, put in a bucket with salt, let wiggle to death, cut up into 2 inch-long pieces, and fry in butter. In 1977, my father was transferred to Fort Bliss, an Army base in El Paso, Texas. The German Air Force Command had operated an Air Defense school at Fort Bliss since 1956; it closed in 2013. I was 6 yr old then, Katharina 2, and Christian 6 wk. We would stay in El Paso for a period of 31⁄2 yr. It was always sunny, warm, if not hot, and we would go shopping or for Mexican food in Ciudad Juarez. I attended the German School on Base, which had grades 1–4. My most vivid memories are of our family’s numerous 4–6-wk-long road trips in a Ford LTD station wagon pulling a small trailer. Destinations included all the major national parks and Mexico. We drove as far south as Acapulco in the west and Chetumal in the east. In retrospect, this was a true testament to my parents’ sense of adventure. After El Paso, we moved back to the northern part of Germany, near Bremen, a town called Delmenhorst. My middle school and early high school years were pretty uneventful. My parents both worked; we kids went to school. I attended the Max Planck Gymnasium from grade 7 through 13, among a graduating class of approximately 100 students. After school and on the weekends I was an avid team handball player and referee. To earn some pocket money, over the years, I had various jobs, including working in a local bakery selling cream pies, picking strawberries, and working as a cashier at IKEA. In 11th grade, we had to choose 2 Leistungskurse, that is, subjects with more lessons each week and that have a proportionally greater impact on the final Abitur (high school exit exam) score. I chose Biology and Mathematics. I mention this here because the choice of the latter DOI: 10.1645/14-634.1

Route networking of World heritage sites and major national parks based on directions and accessibility in Ethiopia

Route networking of World heritage sites and major national parks based on directions and accessibility in Ethiopia

Declining National Park Visitation

Visitation to the major nature-based national parks has been declining. This paper specifies an econometric model that estimates the relative impact of consumer incomes, travel costs, entry fees and other factors on per capita attendance from 1993 to 2010. Results suggest that entrance fees have had a statistically significant but small impact on per capita attendance. Increasing fuel prices (travel costs) relative to income has had a more significant effect suggesting that park policies reducing the cost of attendance may be desirable.

Projected range shifting by montane mammals under climate change: implications for Cascadia's National Parks

We examined potential impacts of climate change over the next century on eight mammal species of conservation concern in western Washington State, under four warming scenarios. Using two species distribution models, including a logistic regression‐based model and the “maximum entropy” (MaxEnt) model, we predicted the location and extent of the potential current and future range of each species based on a suite of environmental and geographical variables. Both models projected significant losses in range size within the focal area over the next century across all warming scenarios. Projections suggest that future ranges of high elevation species are likely to shrink inward and upward rather than shifting into new areas, and the average range elevation of most species is projected to increase significantly over time. Future projections for higher elevation species largely agreed across species distribution models, global climate model data, and carbon emission scenarios, although projections for lower elevation species were less consistent. The high elevation of the major national parks in this region is likely to aid in their ability to continue to support these species, and they are predicted to continue to act as important protected refuges, even while species' ranges may shrink dramatically elsewhere.

Dispersal of Invasive Forest Insects via Recreational Firewood: A Quantitative Analysis

Recreational travel is a recognized vector for the spread of invasive species in North America. However, there has been little quantitative analysis of the risks posed by such travel and the associated transport of firewood. In this study, we analyzed the risk of forest insect spread with firewood and estimated related dispersal parameters for application in geographically explicit invasion models. Our primary data source was the U.S. National Recreation Reservation Service database, which records camper reservations at > 2,500 locations nationwide. For > 7 million individual reservations made between 2004 and 2009 (including visits from Canada), we calculated the distance between visitor home address and campground location. We constructed an empirical dispersal kernel (i.e., the probability distribution of the travel distances) from these "origin-destination" data, and then fitted the data with various theoretical distributions. We found the data to be strongly leptokurtic (fat-tailed) and fairly well fit by the unbounded Johnson and lognormal distributions. Most campers ( approximately 53%) traveled <100 km, but approximately 10% traveled > 500 km (and as far as 5,500 km). Additionally, we examined the impact of geographic region, specific destinations (major national parks), and specific origin locations (major cities) on the shape of the dispersal kernel, and found that mixture distributions (i.e., theoretical distribution functions composed of multiple univariate distributions) may fit better in some circumstances. Although only a limited amount of all transported firewood is likely to be infested by forest insects, this still represents a considerable increase in dispersal potential beyond the insects' natural spread capabilities.

The role of African buffalos (syncerus caffer) in the maintenance of foot-and-mouth disease in Uganda

BackgroundTo study the role of African buffalos (Syncerus caffer) in the maintenance of foot-and-mouth disease in Uganda, serum samples were collected from 207 African buffalos, 21 impalas (Aepyceros melampus), 1 giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), 1 common eland (Taurotragus oryx), 7 hartebeests (Alcelaphus buselaphus) and 5 waterbucks (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) from four major National Parks in Uganda between 2005 and 2008. Serum samples were screened to detect antibodies against foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) non-structural proteins (NSP) using the Ceditest® FMDV NS ELISA. Solid Phase Blocking ELISAs (SPBE) were used to determine the serotype-specificity of antibodies against the seven serotypes of FMDV among the positive samples. Virus isolation and sequencing were undertaken to identify circulating viruses and determine relatedness between them.ResultsAmong the buffalo samples tested, 85% (95% CI = 80-90%) were positive for antibodies against FMDV non-structural proteins while one hartebeest sample out of seven (14.3%; 95% CI = -11.6-40.2%) was the only positive from 35 other wildlife samples from a variety of different species. In the buffalo, high serotype-specific antibody titres (≥ 80) were found against serotypes O (7/27 samples), SAT 1 (23/29 samples), SAT 2 (18/32 samples) and SAT 3 (16/30 samples). Among the samples titrated for antibodies against the four serotypes O, SAT 1, SAT 2 and SAT 3, 17/22 (77%; CI = 59.4-94.6%) had high titres against at least two serotypes.FMDV isolates of serotypes SAT 1 (1 sample) and SAT 2 (2 samples) were obtained from buffalo probang samples collected in Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) in 2007. Sequence analysis and comparison of VP1 coding sequences showed that the SAT 1 isolate belonged to topotype IV while the SAT 2 isolates belonged to different lineages within the East African topotype X.ConclusionsConsistent detection of high antibody titres in buffalos supports the view that African buffalos play an important role in the maintenance of FMDV infection within National Parks in Uganda. Both SAT 1 and SAT 2 viruses were isolated, and serological data indicate that it is also likely that FMDV serotypes O and SAT 3 may be present in the buffalo population. Detailed studies should be undertaken to define further the role of wildlife in the epidemiology of FMDV in East Africa.

First Record Of Myosorex (Mammalia: Soricidae) From Malawi With Description As A New Species, Myosorex gnoskei

We describe a new species of Myosorex from Nyika National Park, northern Malawi. Myosorex gnoskei (the Nyika burrowing shrew) represents the first record of the genus from the country. Recently collected between pine plantations and adjacent to the headquarters of a major national park, this new species of shrew highlights the need for further comprehensive sampling of habitats, even those thought to be ‘well-known’ and adjacent to human disturbance. The specimen was taken at an elevation of 2285 m., suggesting a relict montane distribution. In cranial dimensions, this new species of shrew rivals Myosorex kihaulei, and ranks second only to Myosorex schalleri as the smallest described member of the genus. This new record also fills in a major gap in the distribution of the genus in the regions of the Albertine and Malawi Rifts. There are no published records in the region between 3°05′S (just north of Lake Tanganyika) and 14°30′S (south of Lake Malawi). This void includes the countries of Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo (SE), Tanzania (W), and Zimbabwe (N).

Local diversity and ecological distribution of arboreal Psocoptera (Insecta) in Sumatra, Indonesia, and implications for conservation

Collections of arboreal Psocoptera from the four major national parks of Sumatra and from a range of habitats outside the parks (including many of the predominant perennial crops) are appraised for diversity and species overlap between habitats. The most speciose family (Psocidae, 72 morphospecies) is investigated to determine possible surrogacy values in relation to the more taxonomically intractable ‘Other Psocoptera’ (17 families, 190 morphospecies), in its incidence in 16 different habitats and four main altitudinal zones. Considerable psocid richness persists in disturbed areas, and the values of protected areas and kebun gardening systems in their conservation are noted.

Public Reactions to Policy Recommendations from the Banff-Bow Valley Study: A Longitudinal Assessment

The Banff-Bow Valley Study (BBVS), a two-year, $2.4 million project designed to formulate guidelines for the future of a major National Parks region in the Canadian Rockies, provided a comprehensive set of over 500 policy recommendations for enhancing ecological integrity and managing sustainable tourism in this popular, environmentally sensitive destination (Page et al., 1996). For these recommendations to be implemented effectively, support from a broad range of stakeholders in the Canadian citizenry is essential. Surprisingly, the BBVS itself did not explore public attitudes towards its final recommendations. In an attempt to overcome this shortcoming, the present authors undertook to assess the degree of public support for the major recomm endations of the BBVS. The total assessment consisted of a two-phase longitudinal study. Phase 1 was conducted in 1996, following the release of the BBVS recommendations. Phase 2, which sought to verify the stability of the initial results, was conducted in 2000. W hile some shifts in public support were identified, the most significant findings of Phase 1 were verified. The total study identified those recommendations most likely to be accepted or rejected by Canadians.

Elephants and vegetation change in the Sahelo-Soudanian region of Cameroon

Elephant protection in Northern Cameroon has led to serious concern over their impact on vegetation. The basic problems are related to the change in vegetation and land-use patterns. In addition, a dam was built to store water for a rice irrigation project in 1979 in Northern Cameroon. This dam prevents the normal flooding of the dry season grazing land for wildlife within and around the two major National Parks of the region and has led to a change in vegetation composition and structure. The habitat of an increased elephant population was reduced, along with a change in their migration patterns and their home range. This resulted in an adaptation of their feeding habits and competition for space with humans. The largest elephant population of the African Sahelo-Soudanian region has profoundly affected the vegetation of the Northern Cameroon during the past 20 years. From the various works carried out in the region it appears that the amount of seriously browsed trees increased as well as the damage inflicted on the youngest trees. Although discussion on how to deal with elephant impact on vegetation and the risk of irreversible habitat change is being overshadowed in some areas by its impact on human population, the problem remains a key issue and must be faced if sustained environmental management at the turn of the millennium is to be addressed. Degradation may occur when productivity of these unstable communities has crossed a critical threshold that prevents its resiliency over a long term. Knowledge of the dynamics of this Sahelian vegetation does not permit to critically address the issue now in this fragile environment.