Wild Water Research Articles

Bovine ephemeral fever: From underestimated illness to emerging threat - A review of pathogenesis, economic impact, and future control strategies.

Impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wild plants, soil and water in two Austrian national parks.

Abstract The interaction between livestock and wildlife causes challenges for wildlife conservation and public health. Mapping interface areas is essential for prioritizing disease surveillance, implementing mitigation measures, and developing targeted control programs to protect threatened wildlife. We used spatial overlays of habitat suitability to predict interface areas with high risk of pathogen transmission for three Thai wild bovids (gaur [Bos gaurus], banteng [Bos javanicus] and wild water buffalo [Bubalus arnee]) and domestic cattle. We assumed that domestic cattle are the reservoir of important bovine infectious diseases and that high cattle density is a proxy for a higher transmission risk. We calculated the interface inside and outside Thai protected areas and classified these by land use types. Then, we counted the number of bovine infectious disease occurrences reported in high‐risk areas. Our study indicated that the highest risk areas for these species are at the forest edges where high habitat suitability and cattle densities overlap. Suitable habitats for wild water buffalo had the largest proportion of high‐risk areas (9%), while gaur and banteng had similar risk areas (4%). Kuiburi National Park had the largest risk area (274 km2) for gaur and banteng, whereas the largest risk area for wild water buffalo overlapped with Huai Thabthan‐Had Samran by 126 km2. Cropland and unclassified forests had the highest percentage of interface areas, indicating a higher risk of pathogen transmission. Our results highlight how habitat suitability analyses could help infectious disease prevention and control strategies and may also support wild bovid conservation initiatives.

Intense rainfalls and floods reshape malaria transmission in Niger.

Comparative analysis of the microbiota in wild mud crab (Scylla serrata) intestine, sediment, and water in Koggala Lagoon, Sri Lanka

Wildlife tourism has emerged as a sizeable contributor to sustainable financial improvement, biodiversity conservation, and cultural protection (Goodwin, 2016; Weaver, 2014). Manas and Kaziranga National Parks in Assam, each UNESCO World Heritage Sites, are renowned for their rich biodiversity and precise geological features, making them best destinations for ecotourism (Ghosh, 2019; Meena, 2020). This paper explores techniques to sell flora and fauna tourism inside the geotourism panorama of those country wide parks, emphasizing the stability between conservation and economic advantages (Buckley, 2010; Tisdell & Wilson, 2012). Manas National Park, situated in the Himalayan foothills, is known for its particular ecosystem comprising grasslands, tropical forests, and riverine habitats. It is home to endangered species together with the Bengal tiger, one-horned rhinoceros, and pygmy hog (National Tiger Conservation Authority, 2021; Bhatnagar, Mathur, & McCarthy, 2017). Similarly, Kaziranga National Park, positioned along the Brahmaputra floodplains, hosts the world’s biggest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, along elephants, swamp deer, and wild water buffaloes (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 2020; Wildlife Institute of India, 2018). The rich geological range of those areas, shaped via tectonic actions and river dynamics, gives a completely unique setting for ecotourism (Wearing & Neil, 2009; Kruger, 2005). Promoting natural world tourism in Manas and Kaziranga requires a multi-faceted technique that integrates conservation, community engagement, and sustainable tourism practices (Das & Chatterjee, 2015; World Bank, 2019). Key techniques encompass ecotourism initiatives, accountable natural world safaris, guided geological excursions, and academic applications that spotlight the parks’ ecological and geological importance (United Nations World Tourism Organization, 2022). The development of green infrastructure, including sustainable lodges, waste management systems, and renewable energy resources, can minimize the environmental footprint at the same time as enhancing tourist reports (Weaver, 2014; Goodwin, 2016).

Impact of manure and artificial fertilizer application on metal and metalloid distributions in agricultural soils and crops.

Introduction and importance: Conflicts between wildlife and humans are reported in the literature. Deforestation, urbanization, industrialization, migration, and human intrusion into the wild cause damage to the natural habitat of wildlife, leading to an increase in human–wildlife conflicts. The severity of injuries ranges from small abrasions to grievous injuries and even death. Injuries are usually caused by horns or jaws, and attacks often target the abdominal cavity, thoracic cavity, and perineum. Case presentation: We are reporting a rare and serious injury caused by a goring incident involving a wild water buffalo. The injury was sustained by a farmer while grazing his buffalo near a pond in eastern Nepal located very near to a wildlife reserve area. The farmer was resuscitated and treated with exploratory laparotomy and thoracotomy. Clinical Discussion: There is a lack of well-defined guidelines for handling unusual wild animal attacks and complex injuries, which can be challenging for surgeons practicing in resource-limited settings. Conclusion: Treatment requires the administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics and anti-rabies treatment alongside addressing any organ injury.

The roadkill incidence of Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) has become a nationwide concern in recent years because of its contribution to biodiversity loss. Various environmental risk factors for the occurrence of roadkill events were found. However, there is a gap in observational studies focusing on the effects of deforestation and predator species richness on the roadkill, despite their plausible mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the associations between water deer roadkill events and environmental risk factors in South Korea. We analyzed 1,986 roadkill events of water deer recorded on highway routes managed by the Korean National Transport Center from 2019 to 2021 as an outcome variable, and the values of environmental factors collated as explanatory variables. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate these associations. This study highlighted two main explanatory variables: predator species richness and deforestation, and the results indicate that higher deforestation level was associated with higher odds of the roadkill incidence, with an odds ratio of 1.15 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07-1.25] from the ordinary model and 1.11 (95% credible interval = 1.03-1.21) from the spatial regression model. Conversely, predator species richness is negatively associated with the roadkill events, with an odds ratio of 0.75 (95% confidence interval = 0.69 to 0.80) from the ordinary regression model and 0.76 (95% credible interval = 0.66-0.86) from the spatial regression model. These findings suggest that conservational effort, such as preventing wildlife diversity and mitigating deforestation could reduce the incidence of water deer roadkill events.

Detecting spatial variation in wild blueberry water stress using UAV-borne thermal imagery: distinct temporal and reference temperature effects

Avian influenza (AI) is a global concern, affecting wild and domestic bird populations worldwide. Environmental conditions facilitating the presence of wild birds and a consistent domestic bird population contribute to the introduction and spread of AI within a territory. This study focuses on the identification of major risk areas for AI in the Lazio and Toscana Regions of central Italy using Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (SMCDA). Through the integration of eleven risk factors regarding domestic bird farms and facilities, wild birds density, water bodies, and roads network, a suitability map for AI introduction and spread was generated. The findings reveal that approximately 30% of Lazio and 20% of Toscana are at high risk for AI introduction and spread. Notably, the implementation of rigorous biosecurity measures in intensive poultry industries has significantly prevented the occurrence of AI outbreaks, even in areas considered at risk. The study emphasizes the importance of informed decision-making in AI risk management, highlighting the potential applications of the SMCDA in prioritizing surveillance efforts and planning control programs. Furthermore, it underscores the need for continuous data updating and comprehensive preventive strategies to address the complex dynamics of AI transmission and safeguard both poultry and human health.

The current situation with H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) is causing a worldwide concern due to multiple outbreaks in wild birds, poultry, and mammals. Moreover, multiple zoonotic infections in humans have been reported. Importantly, HPAI H5N1 viruses with genetic markers of adaptation to mammals have been detected. Together with HPAI H5N1, avian influenza viruses H7N9 (high and low pathogenic) stand out due to their high mortality rates in humans. This raises the question of how prepared we are serologically and whether seasonal vaccines are capable of inducing protective immunity against these influenza subtypes. An observational study was conducted in which sera from people born between years 1925-1967, 1968-1977, and 1978-1997 were collected before or after 28 days or 6 months post-vaccination with an inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine. Then, hemagglutination inhibition, viral neutralization, and immunoassays were performed to assess the basal protective immunity of the population as well as the ability of seasonal influenza vaccines to induce protective responses. Our results indicate that subtype-specific serological protection against H5N1 and H7N9 in the representative Spanish population evaluated was limited or nonexistent. However, seasonal vaccination was able to increase the antibody titers to protective levels in a moderate percentage of people, probably due to cross-reactive responses. These findings demonstrate the importance of vaccination and suggest that seasonal influenza vaccines could be used as a first line of defense against an eventual pandemic caused by avian influenza viruses, to be followed immediately by the use of more specific pandemic vaccines.IMPORTANCEInfluenza A viruses (IAV) can infect and replicate in multiple mammalian and avian species. Avian influenza virus (AIV) is a highly contagious viral disease that occurs primarily in poultry and wild water birds. Due to the lack of population immunity in humans and ongoing evolution of AIV, there is a continuing risk that new IAV could emerge and rapidly spread worldwide, causing a pandemic, if the ability to transmit efficiently among humans was gained. The aim of this study is to analyze the basal protection and presence of antibodies against IAV H5N1 and H7N9 subtypes in the population from different ages. Moreover, we have evaluated the humoral response after immunization with a seasonal influenza vaccine. This study is strategically important to evaluate the level of population immunity that is a major factor when assessing the impact that an emerging IAV strain would have, and the role of seasonal vaccines to mitigate the effects of a pandemic.

To identify the genetic determinants of domestication and productivity of Asian water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), 470 genomes of domesticated river and swamp buffaloes along with their putative ancestors, the wild water buffaloes (Bubalus arnee) are sequenced and integrated. The swamp buffaloes inherit the morphology of the wild buffaloes. In contrast, most river buffaloes are unique in their morphology, but their genomes cluster with the wild buffaloes. The levels of genomic diversity in Italian river and Indonesian swamp buffaloes decrease at opposite extremes of their distribution range. Purifying selection prevented the accumulation of harmful loss-of-function variants in the Indonesian buffaloes. Genes that evolved rapidly (e.g., GKAP1) following differential selections in the river and swamp buffaloes are involved in their reproduction. Genes related to milk production (e.g., CSN2) and coat color (e.g., MC1R) underwent strong selections in the dairy river buffaloes via soft and hard selective sweeps, respectively. The selective sweeps and single-cell RNA-seq data revealed the luminal cells as the key cell type in response to artificial selection for milk production of the dairy buffaloes. These findings show how artificial selection has been driving the evolutionary divergence and genetic differentiation in morphology and productivity of Asian water buffaloes.

Weed infestation greatly decreases the productivity of wheat fields, commonly controlled by the application of synthetic herbicides. Nonetheless, the ecological impacts of these chemicals have caused interest in studying alternate methods, such as using plant extracts with allelopathic activity. This experiment was conducted at two locations (Location I - Erbil Directorate of Agricultural Research / Ainkawa and Location II - farmer land in Gwer sub-strict) to evaluate the effectiveness of utilizing wild barley aqueous extracts in mixing with lower dosages of synthetic herbicides to control weeds in wheat fields (Triticum aestivum L.) and examine their impact on wheat growth parameters. The study randomly completed the block design (RCBD) with three replications in a field experiment. The treatments contained various combinations of herbicide dosage and wild barley extracts. The treatments comprised a complete application of TARZEC 320 WG herbicide (Halauxifen-methyl 70 g/kg and Pyroxsulam 250 g/kg) at a rate of 90 g/ha, aqueous extracts of wild barley at a concentration of 200 g/L, and mixtures of TARZEC at 75%, 50%, and 25% of the recommended dosage combined with 25%, 50%, and 75% wild barley extracts, respectively, and both of weedy and weed-free plots were used as controls. A significant reduction in weed growth was observed by combining wild barley extracts with lower doses of herbicides. Significant decreases in weed density were noted at the full herbicide dosage in both sites, while the control plots showed the greatest dry weed biomass at each location. The parameters of wheat growth, including plant height, biological yield, weight of 1000 grains, grain yield, harvest index, and weed index, demonstrated significant variations throughout the various treatments. At location II, the weedy control plots showed the highest plant height (111.7 cm). At the same time, the weed-free plots at the same location produced the highest biological yield, reaching a record 19.52 tons per hectare. The plots tested with TARZEC and wild barley water extracts yielded the highest values for thousand-grain weight, grain yield, harvest index, and weed index. Combining allelopathic water extracts from wild barley with herbicide applications may result in a reduction exceeding 50%, thereby enhancing weed management and increasing wheat yield parameters.

Bos and Bubalus are important Bovini resources worldwide and were widely exploited on the Central Plains of China during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. However, distinguishing between Bos and Bubalus remains were challenging due to their similar morphological traits, which leaves the interaction between them poorly understood. This study is the first to combine Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) with zooarchaeological methods to identify Bos and Bubalus in China at the Tuchengwang (5600–4300 cal. BP), and Pingliangtai (4200–3900 cal. BP) sites. This was accompanied by carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of bone collagen to discuss their diets on the Central Plains. Our findings indicate that these exploitation strategies are dynamic. Aurochs (Bos primigenius) and water buffaloes (Bubalus mepistopheles) were exploited before the introduction of cattle (Bos taurus), and this exploitation continued into the Bronze Age. The exploitation of local wild Bovini resources may have influenced the adoption of cattle during the End Neolithic. By this time, cattle predominated in Bovini remains at most sites, but the adoption of cattle was not a phenomenon of unison, and their exploitation strategies became more diverse, especially in ritual practices. Wild water buffaloes had evolved into privilege goods by the Bronze Age, especially during the late Shang. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of human-animal-environment relationships between Bovini and ancient people.

ImportanceUnderstanding the microbial diversity within the gastrointestinal tract of wild Korean water deer (KWD; Hydropotes inermis argyropus) is essential for gaining insights into their health and ecological interactions.ObjectiveThis study aims to isolate and identify aerobic and anaerobic bacterial species in the feces of wild KWD.MethodsFecal samples were collected from 55 wild KWD of varying age and sex. Aerobic bacteria were cultured at 37°C for 24–48 h under standard conditions, whereas anaerobic bacteria were cultured at 37°C for 48–72 h in an anaerobic environment. Bacterial identification was conducted using DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction amplification targeting the 16S rRNA gene.ResultsThe predominant aerobic bacteria identified belonged to the Firmicutes (58.18%) and Proteobacteria (41.82%) phyla, with Escherichia coli (31.82%) and Bacillus cereus (31.82%) being the most common species. Among anaerobic bacteria, most belonged to the Firmicutes (71.03%), Proteobacteria (27.10%), and Fusobacteriota (1.87%) phyla, with Paraclostridium bifermentans (28.97%) and E. coli (22.43%) being the most prevalent species. Other frequently identified anaerobic species were Fusobacterium varium, Lactococcus garvieae, Terrisporobacter glycolicus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Clostridium sporogenes.Conclusions and RelevanceOur findings indicate a diverse microbial community in the feces of water deer, offering valuable insights into their gut microbiota and its potential implications for health and ecology.

This paper tries to explore Musahars’ understanding and their behaviors about private property/possession, nature, and cosmology at large. Policymakers and change makers blamed that Musahars did not save private property, food, and money for their future. The establishment narrative in Madhes is, ‘Musahars are the destroyer of private property’. The community was essentialized as a metaphor for Banmanchhe (forest-human), an example of marginalization, and a sample of the illiterate community in Nepal. The main knowledge gap is, what is their understanding of private property, natural resources, and cosmology? How do they interpret themselves, other people, and nature? How do they interpret life, property, happiness, and death? To address such a series of questions, the researcher employed ethnographic observation, and key informant interviews during a fieldwork at Golbazar (Siraha, Nepal), in 2013-2017. Musahars have different understandings of life, private property, and cosmology. They believed that all natural resources were collective property including non-human by nature but powerful people exploited them by making rules of private property relations. Musahars’ cosmological and natural understanding is that they could communicate and understand natural entities (wild animals, soil, trees, water, and air) and cosmological phenomena (spirits, gods, souls) and vice-versa.

Between 2013 and 2018, the novel A/Anhui/1/2013 (AH/13)-lineage H7N9 virus caused at least five waves of outbreaks in humans, totaling 1,567 confirmed human cases in China. Surveillance data indicated a disproportionate distribution of poultry infected with this AH/13-lineage virus, and laboratory experiments demonstrated that this virus can efficiently spread among chickens but not among Pekin ducks. The underlying mechanism of this selective transmission remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated the absence of Neu5Gc expression in chickens across all respiratory and gastrointestinal tissues. However, Neu5Gc expression varied among different duck species and even within the tissues of the same species. The AH/13-lineage viruses exclusively bind to acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac), in contrast to wild waterbird H7 viruses that bind both Neu5Ac and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). The level of Neu5Gc expression influences H7 virus replication and facilitates adaptive mutations in these viruses. In summary, our findings highlight the critical role of Neu5Gc in affecting the host range and interspecies transmission dynamics of H7 viruses among avian species.IMPORTANCEMigratory waterfowl, gulls, and shorebirds are natural reservoirs for influenza A viruses (IAVs) that can occasionally spill over to domestic poultry, and ultimately humans. This study showed wild-type H7 IAVs from waterbirds initially bind to glycan receptors terminated with N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) or N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). However, after enzootic transmission in chickens, the viruses exclusively bind to Neu5Ac. The absence of Neu5Gc expression in gallinaceous poultry, particularly chickens, exerts selective pressure, shaping IAV populations, and promoting the acquisition of adaptive amino acid substitutions in the hemagglutinin protein. This results in the loss of Neu5Gc binding and an increase in virus transmissibility in gallinaceous poultry, particularly chickens. Consequently, the transmission capability of these poultry-adapted H7 IAVs in wild water birds decreases. Timely intervention, such as stamping out, may help reduce virus adaptation to domestic chicken populations and lower the risk of enzootic outbreaks, including those caused by IAVs exhibiting high pathogenicity.

Wild bovids provide important ecosystem functions as seed dispersers and vegetation modifiers. Five wild bovids remain in Thailand: gaur (Bos gaurus), banteng (Bos javanicus), wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis) and Chinese goral (Naemorhedus griseus). Their populations and habitats have declined substantially and become fragmented by land-use change. We use ecological niche models to quantify how much potential suitable habitat for these species remains within protected areas in Asia and then specifically Thailand. We combined species occurrence data from several sources (e.g. mainly camera traps and direct observation) with environmental variables and species-specific and single, large accessible areas in ensemble models to generate suitability maps, using out-of-sample predictions to validate model performance against new independent data. Gaur, banteng and buffalo models showed reasonable model accuracy throughout the entire distribution (greater than or equal to 62%) and in Thailand (greater than or equal to 80%), whereas serow and goral models performed poorly for the entire distribution and in Thailand, though 5 km movement buffers markedly improved the performance for serow. Large suitable areas were identified in Thailand and India for gaur, Cambodia and Thailand for banteng and India for buffalo. Over 50% of suitable habitat is located outside protected areas, highlighting the need for habitat management and conflict mitigation outside protected areas.

This study aimed to examine the current conservation status of the ‘Critically Endangered’ bird species Houbaropsis bengalensis (Gmelin, 1789), commonly known as the Bengal Florican or Bustard, in Manas National Park in Assam. The grasslands of this park, once home to the largest population of Bengal Floricans in India, are undergoing natural and anthropogenic changes. Field surveys conducted from February to April 2021 to assess florican populations recorded 50 males and 17 females, while a 2009 survey estimated 24 males in Manas NP (Brahma et al. 2009), indicating long-term population increase. Land use and land cover change maps of florican habitats were created using supervised classification. Grassland habitats face several threats, including uncontrolled natural succession coupled with livestock grazing, growth of invasive alien plants and collection of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) by local people. These disturbances reflect the condition of grasslands that are home to a wide variety of wildlife, including grassland specialists like Pygmy Hog Porcula salvania, Hispid Hare Caprolagus hispidus, Hog Deer Axis porcinus, and mega herbivores like Indian Rhino Rhinoceros unicornis, wild Water Buffalo Bubalus arnee, Eastern Swamp Deer Rucervus duvaucelii ranjitsinhi, Gaur Bos gaurus, and Asian Elephant Elephas maximus. These findings indicate an urgent need to protect and restore grasslands for conservation of the Bengal Florican and other grassland-dependent species.