Peri-urban Environments Research Articles

Identification of pole-like structures from mobile lidar data of complex road environment

ABSTRACTPole-like structures (PLSs) located in road environment are important roadway assets. They play a vital role in road safety inspection and road planning. The use of light detection and ranging (lidar) based mobile mapping technology for mapping of PLSs is an important area of research as it holds the potential for automation. Point cloud data of rural, peri-urban, and urban road environment are used in this study, which pose special challenge in view of the complexity of terrain, unlike well-planned roads, which have been the subject of interest in existing literature for identification of PLSs. A new five-step method is proposed in this article. The first two steps, i.e. ground filtering and voxelization of filtered non-ground points, are used for data size reduction. Next three steps are used to extract PLSs from reduced data. The proposed method was tested on point cloud data of three test sites having different levels of complexities. PLSs including partially occluded pole, tilted pole, pole situated very close to other objects, and vertical pole attached to tilted pole were accurately identified. Average correctness and completeness, respectively of 92.6% and 94.9%, were achieved in three different complex test sites, i.e. urban, peri-urban, and rural sites, respectively. Computation complexity shows that our proposed method delivers fast and computationally efficient solution for identifying the PLSs from volumetric mobile lidar point cloud. Impact of PLSs on road safety and road planning is also addressed for these selected test sites.

Specific Development Theories: A Case for Rural-Urban Disparities

In most literature it is particularly argued that the dichotomous basis of urban and rural definitions has many features that state rural areas as existing along a continuum within which individuals, households, communities and institutions distribute themselves. One important character of peri-urban environments is the dynamic nature in which social forms and arrangements are created, modified and discarded (Smit 1989, p.77). Mostly important, there are areas of social compression where the density of social forms, types and meanings increases, fomenting conflict and social evolution. Nevertheless, rural, peri-urban and urban forms a linkage system which is uneven multi-dimensional continuum. It can be highly contested that peri-urban environments are places of social compression and dynamic social change because migration and urbanization peri-urban environments play a mediating role between rural and urban settlements (Smit 1989, p.77).It is suggested that urbanization in developed nations has been attributed to such as urban welfare, regionalization processes and increasing urban population coupled with rural population decline. On the other hand, urbanization in developing nations relate to issues such as rural- urban migration, natural population increase, and rural urbanization (Adell 1999, p.3).

LOAC: a small aerosol optical counter/sizer for ground-based and balloon measurements of the size distribution and nature of atmospheric particles – Part 2: First results from balloon and unmanned aerial vehicle flights

Abstract. In the companion (Part I) paper, we have described and evaluated a new versatile optical particle counter/sizer named LOAC (Light Optical Aerosol Counter), based on scattering measurements at angles of 12 and 60°. That allows for some typology identification of particles (droplets, carbonaceous, salts, and mineral dust) in addition to size-segregated counting in a large diameter range from 0.2 µm up to possibly more than 100 µm depending on sampling conditions (Renard et al., 2016). Its capabilities overpass those of preceding optical particle counters (OPCs) allowing the characterization of all kind of aerosols from submicronic-sized absorbing carbonaceous particles in polluted air to very coarse particles (> 10–20 µm in diameter) in desert dust plumes or fog and clouds. LOAC's light and compact design allows measurements under all kinds of balloons, on-board unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and at ground level. We illustrate here the first LOAC airborne results obtained from a UAV and a variety of scientific balloons. The UAV was deployed in a peri-urban environment near Bordeaux in France. Balloon operations include (i) tethered balloons deployed in urban environments in Vienna (Austria) and Paris (France), (ii) pressurized balloons drifting in the lower troposphere over the western Mediterranean (during the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment – ChArMEx campaigns), (iii) meteorological sounding balloons launched in the western Mediterranean region (ChArMEx) and from Aire-sur-l'Adour in south-western France (VOLTAIRE-LOAC campaign). More focus is put on measurements performed in the Mediterranean during (ChArMEx) and especially during African dust transport events to illustrate the original capability of balloon-borne LOAC to monitor in situ coarse mineral dust particles. In particular, LOAC has detected unexpected large particles in desert sand plumes.

Heterogeneous Associations of Ecological Attributes with Tick-Borne Rickettsial Pathogens in a Periurban Landscape.

The variations in prevalence levels of two tick-borne rickettsial pathogens, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia Ewingii, in a periurban environment were evaluated along with their ecological determinants. Tick life stage and sex, month of tick collection, landscape fragmentation, and ecological covariates specific to pasture and woodland sites were considered as explanatory covariates. Questing lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) were collected by flagging for an hour once every week during mid-April through mid-August in years 2013 and 2014. A total of 4357 adult and nymphal ticks (woodland = 2720 and pasture = 1637) were collected and assessed for pathogen prevalence by molecular methods. Female A. americanum ticks were more infected with E. chaffeensis than males or nymphs in woodland areas [♂ = 6.05%; ♀ = 12.0%; nymphs = 2.09%] and pastures [♂ = 8.05%; ♀ = 12.03%; nymphs = 3.33%], and the prevalence was influenced by edge density in the landscape. Higher E. ewingii infection was noted among female A. americanum ticks within woodland areas [♂ = 1.89%; ♀ = 2.14%; nymphs = 1.57%], but no such difference was evident in pastures [♂ = 1.03%; ♀ = 1.33%; nymphs = 1.12%]. Prevalence of E. ewingii was influenced by edge contrast index, and the percentage of pasture perimeter that was less than 20 meters from woodland areas. This study elucidates the complexity of tick-borne pathogen ecology and points to the need for further studies on the role of reservoir hosts, particularly that played by small vertebrates, which is not fully understood in the region.

Growth patterns among indigenous Qom children of the Argentine Gran Chaco

This study describes and compares the growth strategies of rural (Western) and peri-urban (Eastern) Qom indigenous children from Argentina. Height and weight were cross-sectionally assessed in Western (n = 263) and Eastern Qom (n = 512) individuals aged 0-18.9 years. Height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), and BMI-for-age (BMIZ) z-scores were calculated with an LMS software. Results were organized into four age categories: infancy, childhood, juvenility, and adolescence. Between-group comparisons of HAZ, WAZ, and BMIZ were carried out by age and sex categories and compared with Student's t or Mann Whitney tests. Nutritional status was classified based on BMIZ following WHO recommendations and was compared with x2 tests. In both groups, height and weight followed the typical human growth curve. Mean HAZ scores in both groups were within two standard deviations from the international reference, and increased from infancy to juvenility. WAZ and BMIZ scores were high during infancy and showed a general declining trend with age. Overall, Western Qom had higher HAZ scores. WAZ and BMIZ score comparisons showed only a handful of statistically significant differences, which, along with the analysis of BMI categories, indicated an association between peri-urban environments and a higher prevalence of overweight and obese individuals (P < 0.01). Among the Qom, low HAZ and high WAZ scores during the early years of development allow for the attainment of a relatively high adult stature. Their adaptive life-history strategy seems to be to divert energy toward body mass during early development, and catch-up with linear growth at a later stage of development. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:895-904, 2016. © 2016Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Street lighting: sex-independent impacts on moth movement.

Artificial lights have become an integral and welcome part of our urban and peri-urban environments. However, recent research has highlighted the potentially negative ecological consequences of ubiquitous artificial light. In particular, insects, especially moths, are expected to be negatively impacted by the presence of artificial lights. Previous research with light traps has shown a male-biased attraction to light in moths. In this study, we sought to determine whether street lights could limit moth dispersal and whether there was any sex bias in attraction to light. More specifically, we aimed to determine sex-specific attraction radii for moths to street lights. We tested these hypotheses by collecting moths for 2years at an experimental set-up. To estimate the attraction radii, we developed a Markov model and related it to the acquired data. Utilizing multinomial statistics, we found that attraction rates to lights in the middle of the matrix were substantially lower than predicted by the null hypothesis of equal attraction level (0·44 times). With the Markov model, we estimated that a corner light was 2·77 times more attractive than a wing light with an equivalentre attraction radius of c. 23m around each light. We found neither sexual differences in the attraction rate nor in the attraction radius of males and females. Since we captured three times more males than females, we conclude that sex ratios are representative of operational sex ratios or of different flight activities. These results provide evidence for street lights to limit moth dispersal, and that they seem to act equally on male and female moths. Consequently, public lighting might divide a suitable landscape into many small habitats. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume (i) that public lighting near hedges and bushes or field margins reduces the quality of these important habitat structures and (ii) that public lighting may affect moth movement between patches.

PUBLIC AWARENESS ON EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH REGULATIONS AND ITS APPLICATION IN URBAN AND PERI-URBAN AREAS ADDIS ABABA ETHIOPIA

Limited public awareness of existing environmental health regulations, failure to implement them and support their execution when violated often result in a poor environmental situation. The purpose of this study was to assess the public knowledge of existing environmental health regulations and their applications in the urban and peri-urban environment of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. A descriptive study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practices of the study population regarding existing environmental health regulations: built environment, solid and liquid waste management, air and noise pollutions, and their implementation. A single-pop sample size and samples were selected from households in the two sub-cities of the Addis Ababa City Administration. A total of 845 households (98.9% response rate) were randomly selected and included in the study. The results revealed that of the selected regulations, 56% of the participants knew the standards on environmental protection and sanitation, and 40% reported knowing the regulations on solid waste management. Ownership of assets and education were strong determinants of public awareness of selected environmental health regulations. The public awareness on existing environmental health regulations in the study area was found to be low.

Economic Analysis and Feasibility of Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Urban and Peri-Urban Environments: A Review of the Global Situation with a Special Focus on Australia and Kenya

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) plays an important role in increasing water security for individuals and governments. The demand for tools to enable technical and economic analysis of RWH systems has led to a substantial body of research in the recent past. This paper focuses on the economic aspects of domestic RWH in urban and peri-urban environments. In this regard, key issues are identified and discussed including quality and quantity of harvested water, the water demand profile, the scale of installation, interest rates, the period of analysis, real estate value, and the water-energy-food nexus. Kenya and Australia are used as reference points having different economies and opposing RWH policies. It has been found that the previous studies on financial aspects of RWH systems often had conflicting results. Most of the economic analyses have ignored the full benefits that a RWH system can offer. In view of the varying and conflicting results, there is a need to standardize the methods of economic analysis of RWH systems.

Patterns and multi-scale drivers of phytoplankton species richness in temperate peri-urban lakes

Local species richness (SR) is a key characteristic affecting ecosystem functioning. Yet, the mechanisms regulating phytoplankton diversity in freshwater ecosystems are not fully understood, especially in peri-urban environments where anthropogenic pressures strongly impact the quality of aquatic ecosystems. To address this issue, we sampled the phytoplankton communities of 50 lakes in the Paris area (France) characterized by a large gradient of physico-chemical and catchment-scale characteristics. We used large phytoplankton datasets to describe phytoplankton diversity patterns and applied a machine-learning algorithm to test the degree to which species richness patterns are potentially controlled by environmental factors. Selected environmental factors were studied at two scales: the lake-scale (e.g. nutrients concentrations, water temperature, lake depth) and the catchment-scale (e.g. catchment, landscape and climate variables). Then, we used a variance partitioning approach to evaluate the interaction between lake-scale and catchment-scale variables in explaining local species richness. Finally, we analysed the residuals of predictive models to identify potential vectors of improvement of phytoplankton species richness predictive models.Lake-scale and catchment-scale drivers provided similar predictive accuracy of local species richness (R2=0.458 and 0.424, respectively). Both models suggested that seasonal temperature variations and nutrient supply strongly modulate local species richness. Integrating lake- and catchment-scale predictors in a single predictive model did not provide increased predictive accuracy; therefore suggesting that the catchment-scale model probably explains observed species richness variations through the impact of catchment-scale variables on in-lake water quality characteristics.Models based on catchment characteristics, which include simple and easy to obtain variables, provide a meaningful way of predicting phytoplankton species richness in temperate lakes. This approach may prove useful and cost-effective for the management and conservation of aquatic ecosystems.

Green lights in the Greenbelt? A qualitative analysis of farm investment decision-making in peri-urban Southern Ontario

The survival of farms requires innovative adaptation and investment to take advantage of the characteristics of the peri-urban environment. In Ontario, Canada, the Provincial Government passed in 2005 the Greenbelt Act that delimits Ontario’s Greenbelt—an area of 1.8 million acres where land is protected from development around the metropolitan region of the Greater Golden Horseshoe. This paper presents research on farm-level analysis of farmers’ investment decision-making aiming at understanding the impact of Ontario’s Greenbelt on farm investment. We interviewed 21 peri-urban farmers from Southern Ontario and 3 Greenbelt experts. Three sources of data are used to understand farm investment decision-making: farmers’ mental maps, the interview transcriptions, and the information provided by a complementary questionnaire. The results demonstrate that Ontario’s Greenbelt, designed to make agriculture the primary land use in the designated area through farmland preservation, is not sufficient. Protecting a sustainable and efficient agricultural sector requires the presence of the other actors in the whole food chain in order to supply farmers and help them access markets for their products, as well as provide information and technical services.

Evaluation of the use of moss transplants (Pseudoscleropodium purum) for biomonitoring different forms of air pollutant nitrogen compounds

We investigated whether three different types of moss transplants (devitalized moss bags with and without cover and auto-irrigated moss transplants) are suitable for use as biomonitors of the deposition of oxidised and/or reduced forms of N. For this purpose, we determined whether the concentration of atmospheric NO2 was related to the % N, δ15N and the activity of the enzyme biomarkers phosphomonoesterase (PME) and nitrate reductase (NR) in the tissues of moss transplants. We exposed the transplants in 5 different environments of Galicia (NW Spain) and Cataluña (NE Spain): industrial environments, urban and periurban environments, the surroundings of a cattle farm and in a monitoring site included in the sampling network of the European Monitoring Programme. The results showed that the moss in the auto-irrigated transplants was able of incorporating the N in its tissues because it was metabolically active, whereas in devitalized moss bags transplants, moss simply intercepts physically the N compounds that reached it in particulate or gaseous form. In addition, this devitalization could limit the capacity of moss to capture gaseous compounds (i.e. reduced N) and to reduce the oxidised compounds that reach the specimens. These findings indicate that devitalized moss transplants cannot be used to monitor either oxidised or reduced N compounds, whereas transplants of metabolically active moss can be used for this purpose. Finally, the NR and PME biomarkers should be used with caution because of the high variability in their activities and the limits of quantification should be evaluated in each case.

The importance of evaluating metal exposure and predicting human health risks in urban–periurban environments influenced by emerging industry

The human population boom, urbanization and rapid industrialization have either directly or indirectly resulted in the serious environmental toxification of the soil-food web by metal exposure from anthropogenic sources in most of the developing industrialized world. The present study was conducted to analyze concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in soil and vegetables in the urban–periurban areas influenced by emerging industry. Vegetables and their corresponding soil samples were collected and analyzed for heavy metals contents from six random sites. According to the results, the potential health risks from metals to the local communities were assessed by following the methodology described by the US-EPA. In general, the total non-carcinogenic risks were shown to be less than the limits set by the US-EPA. However, the potential risk of developing carcinogenicity in humans over a lifetime of exposure could be increased through the dietary intake of Cd, Cr and Ni. In some cases, Pb was also marginally higher than the safe level. It was concluded that some effective remedial approaches should be adopted to mitigate the risks of Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb in the study area because these metal levels have exceeded the safe limits for human health. However, new studies on gastrointestinal bioaccessibility in human are required to heighten our understanding about metals exposure and health risk assessment.

Establishing turf grass increases soil greenhouse gas emissions in peri-urban environments

Urbanization is becoming increasingly important in terms of climate change and ecosystem functionality worldwide. We are only beginning to understand how the processes of urbanization influence ecosystem dynamics and how peri-urban environments contribute to climate change. Brisbane in South East Queensland (SEQ) currently has the most extensive urban sprawl of all Australian cities. This leads to substantial land use changes in urban and peri-urban environments and the subsequent gaseous emissions from soils are to date neglected for IPCC climate change estimations. This research examines how land use change effects methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from peri-urban soils and consequently influences the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of rural ecosystems in agricultural use undergoing urbanization. Therefore, manual and fully automated static chamber measurements determined soil gas fluxes over a full year and an intensive sampling campaign of 80 days after land use change. Turf grass, as the major peri-urban land cover, increased the GWP by 415 kg CO2-e ha−1 over the first 80 days after conversion from a well-established pasture. This results principally from increased daily average N2O emissions of 0.5 g N2O ha−1 d−1 from the pasture to 18.3 g N2O ha−1 d−1 from the turf grass due to fertilizer application during conversion. Compared to the native dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest, turf grass establishment increases the GWP by another 30 kg CO2-e ha−1. The results presented in this study clearly indicate the substantial impact of urbanization on soil-atmosphere gas exchange in form of non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions particularly after turf grass establishment.

Removal of Ozone by Urban and Peri-Urban Forests: Evidence from Laboratory, Field, and Modeling Approaches

A crucial issue in urban environments is the interaction between urban trees and atmospheric pollution, particularly ozone (O). Ozone represents one of the most harmful pollutants in urban and peri-urban environments, especially in warm climates. Besides the large interest in reducing anthropogenic and biogenic precursors of O emissions, there is growing scientific activity aimed at understanding O removal by vegetation, particularly trees. The intent of this paper is to provide the state of the art and suggestions to improve future studies of O fluxes and to discuss implications of O flux studies to maximize environmental services through the planning and management of urban forests. To evaluate and quantify the potential of O removal in urban and peri-urban forests, we describe experimental approaches to measure O fluxes, distinguishing laboratory experiments, field measurements, and model estimates, including recent case studies. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches and conclude that the combination of the three levels of investigation is essential for estimating O removal by urban trees. We also comment on the implications of these findings for planning and management of urban forests, suggesting some key issues that should be considered to maximize O removal by urban and peri-urban forests.

Tour Planning and Ride Matching for an Urban Social Carpooling Service

SocialCar is a research project aiming at integrating carpooling with existing transportation systems in urban and peri-urban environments. The system, that also takes benefit from social network interactions, is based on tour planning and ride matching algorithms to suggest the users the available alternatives for their trips. In this paper we overview some approaches to model general public transportation networks and carpooling services. A route planning algorithm, able to integrate different types of public transportation, bike rentals and carpooling services is finally presented.

Drivers of Land Cover Dynamics for Pugu and Kazimuzumbwi Forest Reserves in Kisarawe, Tanzania

Forests that are close to growing urban centres have been subject to constant deforestation and degradation from various factors. This study assesses the drivers of land cover dynamics in Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forest reserves in the context of urban and peri-urban expansion of Dar es Salaam for the past three decades. The study adopted review of relevant literature and household survey from three settlements surrounding the forest reserves. One hundred and fifty (150) households were collected from Buyuni, Chanika and Masaki in Ilala and Kisarawe and administered with semi-structured questionnaire to collect information on migration, use of forest products by communities and perception on climate change and variability. SPSS computer program was used to analyse the questionnaire data while tables and graphs were adopted for presentation of the results. Rural-urban and internal urban migration in Dar es Salaam was identified as one of the primary drivers of land cover dynamics in peri-urban areas and adjoining environments. The migration was intensified by push drivers which include urban growth, market of land and reliance on forest product among community members as source of their livelihoods. The increased rainfall variability accompanied with high temperature has contributed to frequent droughts which compromises rainfed agriculture. Thus, the successful conservation of the forest will require strengthened enforcement of protection measures supported with introduction of alternative livelihood strategies for majority of poor community members.

Foraging Strategies Determine the Effect of Traffic Noise on Bats

Anthropogenic noise is a concern in many ecological systems. One important source of noise pollution is traffic noise as it can dominate the soundscape in urban and peri-urban environments. Taxa that rely on acoustics for behavioural strategies are likely to be especially susceptible to noise, as noise can inhibit the perception of informational sounds. Bats use echolocation to hunt prey while foraging and are therefore prime candidates for adverse effects. Captive studies have shown that foraging efficiency can be significantly reduced in noisy environments for some bat species, and that these species actively avoid noisy areas. However, it remains unclear how this selective sensitivity manifests in urban environments. Given that mode of flying and use of echolocation is entwined with foraging strategies, we hypothesised that different foraging guilds (i.e. fast flyers versus slow flyers) may show different levels of sensitivity to noisy roads. We used transects running perpendicular to a major traffic r...

Molecular detection of vector-borne pathogens in wild and domestic carnivores and their ticks at the human–wildlife interface

Urbanization of natural areas is considered one of the causes of the current apparent emergence of infectious diseases. Carnivores are among the species that adapt well to urban and periurban environments, facilitating cross-species disease transmission with domestic dogs and cats, and potentially with their owners. The prevalence of vector-borne pathogens (VBP) of zoonotic and veterinary interest was studied in sympatric wild and domestic carnivores into Barcelona Metropolitan Area (NE Spain). Blood or spleen samples from 130 animals, including 34 common genets (Genetta genetta), 12 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 10 stone martens (Martes foina), three Eurasian badgers (Meles meles), 34 free-roaming domestic cats and 37 dogs with outdoor access, were collected either in protected or adjacent residential areas. A total of 309 ticks (chiefly Rhipicephalus turanicus) were collected on these animals. The samples were analyzed with a battery of PCR assays targeting the DNA of Rickettsia spp., Anaplasmataceae, Coxiella burnetii, Bartonella spp., and Piroplasmida, and the amplicons were sequenced. The fox showed the highest prevalence (58%) and diversity of VBP (four pathogens), whereas none of the dogs were infected. Bartonella spp. (including B. clarridgeiae, B. henselae, and B. rochalimae) was the most prevalent pathogen. Infection of wild carnivores with Ehrlichia canis, C. burnetii, Theileria annae and Babesia vogeli was also confirmed, with some cases of coinfection observed. The presence of DNA of T. annae and B. vogeli was also confirmed in tick pools from four species of wild carnivores, supporting their role in piroplasmid life-cycle. By the sequencing of several target genes, DNA of Rickettsia massiliae was confirmed in 17 pools of Rh. turanicus, Rh. sanguineous, and Rh. pusillus from five different species, and Rickettsia conorii in one pool of Rh. sanguineous from a dog. None of the hosts from which these ticks were collected was infected by Rickettsia. Although carnivores may not be reservoir hosts for zoonotic Rickettsia, they can have an important role as mechanical dispersers of infected ticks.

Antibodies to Leishmania spp. in domestic felines.

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by protozoa in the genus Leishmania, typical of rural and peri-urban environments. The causative agent of American visceral leishmaniasis is Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi and the main insect vector in Brazil is Lutzomyia longipalpis. Dogs (Canis familiaris) are important in the transmission of the disease, as a reservoir closely related to humans and an infection source for phlebotomine vectors. Since 1990, an increasing number of feline leishmaniasis cases have been reported, suggesting that domestic cats (Felis catus) might be involved in the epidemiology of the disease. The present study analyzed the prevalence of anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies in naturally infected domestic cats from various neighborhoods in the municipality of Belém, Pará, Brazil, using the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and the direct agglutination test (DAT). Among the 443 samples tested, 18 (4.06%) presented positive reactions in the IFA. The observed titers were 40 IU in 4.97% of the samples and 80 IU in 0.90%. In the DAT test, positive results were found in 25 (5.64%) of the samples. The observed titers were also 40 IU (4.97%) and 80 IU (0.68%). The agreement rate between the two tests was considered low (Kappa coefficient = 0.10).

Sexual dimorphism in baseline urinary corticosterone metabolites and their association with body-condition indices in a peri-urban population of the common Asian toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus)

Field endocrinology research through the quantification of glucocorticoids or stress hormones in free-living wildlife is crucial for assessing their physiological responses towards pervasive environmental changes. Urinary corticosterone metabolite (UCM) enzyme–immunoassay (EIA) has been validated for numerous amphibian species as a non-invasive measure of physiological stress. Body-condition indices (BCIs) have also been widely used in amphibians as an indirect measure of animal health. Field endocrinology research on amphibian species in Asia is limited. In this study, we validated a UCM EIA in a peri-urban sub-population of the common Asian toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) in Pune, Maharashtra, India. We determined the baseline levels of UCMs in male (n=39) and female (n=19) toads. Secondly, we used a standard capture handling protocol to quantify changes in UCMs during short-term captivity. We also determined BCIs in the male and female toads using Fulton's index (K) and residual condition index (RCI). The results showed that mean baseline levels of UCMs were significantly higher in male toads than in females. There was no significant change in mean levels of UCMs of males and females between capture and captivity (0–12h). This highlights plausible habituation of the species to the peri-urban environment. Associations between UCMs with BCIs (K and R) were positive in male toads but negative in females. In conclusion, our UCMs EIA can be applied with BCIs to assess health of the Asian toads. We also suggest that direct fitness parameters such as sperm and oocyte quality, reproductive ecology and immunocompetence measurements should be applied in combination with these conservation physiology tools to quantify the fitness consequences of pervasive environmental changes on native amphibians.