Wildlife Conservation Activities Research Articles

Overcoming Episodic Political Uncertainties and Tensions: Borderland Conservation Communities of Practice and the Bridging and Linking of Social Capital

Episodes of political tension and extreme rhetoric make the economic and socio-political conditions of borderland regions uncertain and oftentimes contentious. Yet, there is a paucity of research on how much tension and rhetoric affect the formation and function of borderland conservation communities of practice (BCCsP). Accordingly, the current study provides a deeper understanding of the effects of political uncertainties and tensions on the conditions and dynamics that influence transborder wildlife conservation activities and initiatives. Using qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 wildlife professionals working in the Arizona, United States-Sonora, Mexico borderland region, a social capital bridging and linking model is developed with the aim of increasing the collective efficacy and resiliency of transborder conservation collaborations and initiatives. Theoretical constructs spanning communities of practice, human agency, political ecology, and social capital framed the study. Recommendations for research and practices are provided.

Segmenting Wildlife Value Orientations to Mitigate Human–Wildlife Conflict for Ecotourism Development in Protected Areas

ABSTRACT Ecotourism is increasingly being adopted to improve the livelihoods of local communities and fulfill conservation goals. Many critical actors, including but not limited to governments and conservation organizations, believe that for ecotourism to be successful, local communities must appreciate and support wildlife conservation activities. Without evidence that communities’ value systems are oriented in a manner that aligns with the authorities’ sustainable development and wildlife conservation ideologies, strategies for how to achieve the most benefits for the most people will be based on anecdotes and assumptions. This study investigated residents’ value orientation towards wildlife in the context of Bardia National Park (BNP), Nepal. We surveyed residents from eight buffer zone communities surrounding BNP with a human–wildlife conflict (n = 871). Our findings revealed four distinct clusters of resident WVOs, creating challenges for BNP ecotourism development. Socio-demographic and resource management factors also play critical roles in shaping the sustainable development of BNP ecotourism.

Spatial aggregation and specificity of incidents with wildlife make tea plantations in southern India potential buffers with protected areas

Abstract: Many wildlife species survive in human-modified landscapes and understanding the opinions of those who share space with wildlife will aid conservation efforts. Using a questionnaire, we assessed the presence of 12 mammal species in 78 tea plantations in the Nilgiris, southern India. We obtained data on (i) plantation size, location, and elevation, (ii) species presence over a year, (iii) type and number of wildlife incidents caused, (iv) financial cost of wildlife damage, and (v) support for wildlife conservation. We used a generalized linear model to assess whether the distance to protected areas, elevation, and plantation size influenced species presence and the effect of these variables and wildlife incidents on support for conservation. Among all species reported, Bonnet Macaque, Wild Boar, and Porcupine were the most widespread, and the former two and the Gaur reportedly caused >50% of damages. Crop damage was the most frequent (74%, n = 244), whereas livestock predation, attacks on people, and infrastructure damage constituted <10% of incidents reported. The cost of wildlife damage was negligible for 72 estates and significant for six. The number of species increased with proximity to protected areas, with increasing elevation and plantation area. Plantation management (62%) supported wildlife conservation, and support increased with decreasing plantation size, increasing distance to protected areas, and with a higher number of species reported, but decreased with increasing incidents of wildlife damage. Mitigating impacts of a few widely distributed species that cause disproportionate damage and compensating those that incur disproportionately high costs could increase support for conservation. Education and awareness programs for the plantation community can further help increase support and participation in wildlife conservation activities. Plantations can thus serve as supplementary habitats for wildlife in regions where hard boundaries between protected areas and human settlements prevail.

DNA barcode approaches to reveal interspecies genetic variation of Indian ungulates

In the past two decades, identification of species from noninvasive sampling has turned out to be an important tool for wildlife conservation. In this study a total 93 specimens representing 22 species of ungulates were analyzed from partial sequences of mtDNA COI and Cytb genes. All the species showed unique clades, and sequences divergence within species was between 0.01–3.9% in COI and 0.01–13.7 in Cytb, whereas divergence between species ranged from 2.2 to 29.5% in COI and 2.3 to 28.8% in Cytb. Highest intraspecific divergence was observed within the Ovis aries in COI and Porcula salvania in Cytb. Bayesian (BA) phylogeny analysis of both genes combined distinguishes all the studied species as monophyletic criteria. The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) exhibited closer relation to horse (Equus caballus). No barcode gap was observed between species in COI. This study demonstrates that even short fragments of COI and Cytb generated from fecal pellets can efficiently identify the Indian ungulates, thus demonstrating its high potential for use in wildlife conservation activities.

ЦІННОСТІ ДИКОЇ ПРИРОДИ В ПОЛІТИЦІ ЄС ТА УКРАЇНИ

The aim of the article is to study the implementation of wildlife values into the environmental policy of European Union and Ukraine. The research methodology is based on a comparative analysis of the activities of the EU and Ukraine in the protection of wildlife. The study has introduced the essence of the terms "wildlife" and "value of wildlife." The material and nonmaterial value of wildlife, which is currently the most demanded in EU, has identified. The activities of European Union and EU member states in the development of legislative and strategic framework for the protection of wildlife has analyzed. The peculiarity of the European model of wildlife conservation is revealed; it is the formation of strategic directions that are being developed by member-states in accordance with the national specifics. The main shortcomings of the wildlife conservation activities in Ukraine, in particular the lack of a generally accepted and legally enforced definition of “wildlife” has been disclosed. Ukraine’s first steps on this path has been analyzed. Among them – the adoption in 2017 of the law “On Amendments to Some Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Protection of Forests under the Framework Convention for the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians”and the inclusion of 63 plots of ancient forests from ten European countries and Ukraine into the Ukrainian-Slovak-German UNESCO World Heritage Site “Virgin Beech Forests of the Carpathians”. It has concluded that the European integration course of Ukraine requires not only the adaptation of domestic environmental legislation to the EU legal norms, but also the development of a separate environmental policy direction – the protection of wildlife. A number of recommendations have been developed for the main activities that should be carried out within its framework, in particular: the development of an appropriate concepts concerning wildlife and its introduction into domestic legislation, the creation of wildlife sites and the adoption of principles for managing them, the creation of a permanent expert group involving government institutions and civil society, the development of public initiatives, the promotion in the Ukrainian society the values of the wildlife.

The Big Tuskers of Tsavo: highlighting the importance of the Big Tusker Project in Kenya's Tsavo Conservation Area

Tsavo Trust is an action‐orientated, field‐based, not‐for‐profit conservation organization headquartered in Tsavo, Kenya. In association with Kenya Wildlife Service and other partners, Tsavo Trust utilizes a unique strategy to work on direct wildlife‐conservation projects. Tsavo Trust also engages with specific local communities in the stewardship of conservancies, in order to encourage participation in conservation activities that benefit the marginalized people who live on the border of the formal Protected Area. Tsavo Trust recognizes the importance of a holistic approach to biodiversity conservation, using a combination of professional wildlife conservation activities, grass‐roots community engagement, valued partnerships and committed supporters to create a virtuous circle for the protection of Tsavo. The mission is to conserve the vast wilderness of the Tsavo Conservation Area, which encompasses Kenya's biggest Protected Area, and is home to Kenya's largest elephant population, including several iconic ‘Tuskers’, and numerous high‐value species. Tsavo Conservation Area is one of the few truly wild places with significant wildlife left in Africa. This national heritage is under threat and faces multiple challenges, including wildlife crime, climate change and habitat loss. At the time of writing, the Tsavo elephant population contains eight bull ‘Tuskers’ and five iconic cow ‘Tuskers’, as well as c. 26 younger bulls that may emerge as ‘Tuskers’ in the next 5 years. Tsavo Trust's work focuses on four core programmes: ‘Wildlife Conservation Program: Big Tusker Project’, ‘Community Conservancy Program’, ‘Animal Welfare Program’ and ‘Conservation Partnerships’. Through the Big Tusker Project, Tsavo Trust, in partnership with Kenya Wildlife Service, provides extra protection for the last ‘Super Tuskers’ of Tsavo using aerial surveillance and mobile ground‐based units.

WILDERNESS В ЕКОЛОГІЧНІЙ ПОЛІТИЦІ ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКОГО СОЮЗУ

The article explores the reasons, directions and stages of the wildlife conservation activities which is an important direction of European environmental policy. Author examines the essence of the concept “wilderness” which is used in the official documents of the European Union and EU member states. It has concluded that wilderness is understood as a territory regulated by natural processes, consisting of natural habitats and species, sufficient for the effective ecological functioning of natural processes; it is unchanged or slightly modified and does not undergo changes from the side people, settlements, and infrastructure; its landscape has not undergone any visual changes. The policy of the EU member states concerning the formation of the relevant legislation and practical steps for the creation of protected areas of wildlife are analyzed. It was found that unlike the USA, where in the late nineteenth century the protection of wildlife has stimulated the development of environmental policy, in European Union activities in this area began to develop in the last third of the twentieth century. It was seen as one of the directions of biodiversity conservation within the framework of the regional environmental protection policy. The author concluded that the peculiarity of the European wildlife protection model is the formation of strategic guidelines and development them by the member states in accordance with their national specifics. This leads to a variety of approaches to activities in this the protection of the wildlife. The main disadvantages of the Ukrainian legislation on wildlife conservation as well as problems for its development are revealed. The article state that at the moment, Ukraine has done the first step in the wildlife protection – in 2017, the Law on the protection of virgin forests was adopted. It is concluded that Ukraine’s move to European integration requires not only the adaptation of the national environmental legislation to EU legal norms but also the development of wildlife conservation activities as an important direction of environmental policy.

A SNP resource for studying North American moose

Background: Moose ( Alces alces) colonized the North American continent from Asia less than 15,000 years ago, and spread across the boreal forest regions of Canada and the northern United States (US). Contemporary populations have low genetic diversity, due either to low number of individuals in the original migration (founder effect), and/or subsequent population bottlenecks in North America. Genetic tests based on informative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers are helpful in forensic and wildlife conservation activities, but have been difficult to develop for moose, due to the lack of a reference genome assembly and whole genome sequence (WGS) data. Methods: WGS data were generated for four individual moose from the US states of Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, and Vermont with minimum and average genome coverage depths of 14- and 19-fold, respectively. Cattle and sheep reference genomes were used for aligning sequence reads and identifying moose SNPs. Results: Approximately 11% and 9% of moose WGS reads aligned to cattle and sheep genomes, respectively. The reads clustered at genomic segments, where sequence identity between these species was greater than 95%. In these segments, average mapped read depth was approximately 19-fold. Sets of 46,005 and 36,934 high-confidence SNPs were identified from cattle and sheep comparisons, respectively, with 773 and 552 of those having minor allele frequency of 0.5 and conserved flanking sequences in all three species. Among the four moose, heterozygosity and allele sharing of SNP genotypes were consistent with decreasing levels of moose genetic diversity from west to east. A minimum set of 317 SNPs, informative across all four moose, was selected as a resource for future SNP assay design. Conclusions: All SNPs and associated information are available, without restriction, to support development of SNP-based tests for animal identification, parentage determination, and estimating relatedness in North American moose.

A SNP resource for studying North American moose.

Background: Moose ( Alces alces) colonized the North American continent from Asia less than 15,000 years ago, and spread across the boreal forest regions of Canada and the northern United States (US). Contemporary populations have low genetic diversity, due either to low number of individuals in the original migration (founder effect), and/or subsequent population bottlenecks in North America. Genetic tests based on informative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers are helpful in forensic and wildlife conservation activities, but have been difficult to develop for moose, due to the lack of a reference genome assembly and whole genome sequence (WGS) data. Methods: WGS data were generated for four individual moose from the US states of Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, and Vermont with minimum and average genome coverage depths of 14- and 19-fold, respectively. Cattle and sheep reference genomes were used for aligning sequence reads and identifying moose SNPs. Results: Approximately 11% and 9% of moose WGS reads aligned to cattle and sheep genomes, respectively. The reads clustered at genomic segments, where sequence identity between these species was greater than 95%. In these segments, average mapped read depth was approximately 19-fold. Sets of 46,005 and 36,934 high-confidence SNPs were identified from cattle and sheep comparisons, respectively, with 773 and 552 of those having minor allele frequency of 0.5 and conserved flanking sequences in all three species. Among the four moose, heterozygosity and allele sharing of SNP genotypes were consistent with decreasing levels of moose genetic diversity from west to east. A minimum set of 317 SNPs, informative across all four moose, was selected as a resource for future SNP assay design. Conclusions: All SNPs and associated information are available, without restriction, to support development of SNP-based tests for animal identification, parentage determination, and estimating relatedness in North American moose.

Herders and herdsmen: The remaking of pastoral livelihoods in Laikipia, Kenya

Pastoralists have long overlapped with wildlife in rangelands of sub-Saharan Africa. With growing recognition of the importance of wildlife outside of protected areas, conservation efforts are increasingly managed through hybrid governance activities worldwide, activities which often involve pastoralists. These efforts are especially prevalent in East African rangelands where pastoralists, livestock, and wildlife commonly overlap outside of formal protected areas. Laikipia County, Kenya, is one region renowned for abundant and diverse wildlife species sustained outside protected areas through a collective of conservation activities among private landowners and pastoral group ranches. Little research has considered pastoralists’ roles in the region’s conservation efforts or the ways that those efforts shape local livelihoods. Based on data from interviews, surveys, and participant observation, this article uses a case study approach to demonstrate how some of Laikipia’s pastoralists are increasingly drawn into professional herding jobs with powerful landowners involved in joint commercial ranching and wildlife conservation activities. This has caused many pastoralists to shift from traditional livestock ownership in favour of livestock caretaking for other owners, with substantial implications for livelihoods. This study offers empirical evidence for the importance of considering how diversifying pastoral livelihoods entwine with hybrid conservation processes outside protected areas.

Explaining Cattle Rancher Participation in Wildlife Conservation Technical Assistance Programs in the Southeastern United States

US natural resources and wildlife agencies have been increasing their efforts to involve cattle ranchers in wildlife conservation through technical assistance programs that provide for wildlife conservation activities. Understanding why ranchers choose to be involved in these programs is fundamental to increasing participation and ensuring their success. Using the theory of planned behavior as a theoretical model, we surveyed 1 093 ranchers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi to explain and predict intention to participate in technical assistance programs, specifically, wildlife workshops and field days. All three theory components—attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control—were important to intent to participate and explained 41% of the variance, with perceived behavioral control and subjective norm having the greatest standardized effects (β = 0.329 and β = 0.316, respectively). Investigation of the construct components yielded insight into how agencies could increase participation. Ranchers generally held positive attitudes toward wildlife workshops, perceiving them to be a good way to learn about wildlife management and perceiving that most ranches were suitable for wildlife, an instance of perceived behavioral control. However, ranchers did not perceive that workshops and field days were widely advertised or promoted, limiting the amount of perceived control they had over their participation. Additionally, ranchers identified normative groups whose opinions were important to them, namely their families, friends and neighbors, fellow ranchers, and agency staff. However, these same groups were not seen to actively encourage ranchers to participate in technical field days and workshops. Using key members of these normative groups to advertise and promote workshops and field days among their peers should increase rancher behavioral control and attitudes associated with technical workshops and field days. Employing strategies from this research to increase attendance at technical workshops and field days should improve wildlife conservation technical assistance program effects.

The role of hunting in North American wildlife conservation

Regulated hunting is the foundation of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. This conservation paradigm arose out of a movement, lead by prominent hunters, to stop over-exploitation of wildlife by market hunters and the desire to have wildlife accessible to all people. Since then, hunters have contributed billions of dollars to wildlife management that benefit countless wildlife species. These funds support wildlife management agencies which manage all wildlife species, not just those that are hunted. This unique and successful conservation paradigm is responsible for supporting a wide variety of conservation activities, including law enforcement, research, information and education, habitat management and acquisition, as well as wildlife population restoration and management. Although wildlife conservation activities embrace far more than the hunted species, hunters continue to be the primary agents of financial support, management assistance and organized advocacy.

Species identification of Tanzanian antelopes using DNA barcoding

Efficient tools for consistent species identification are important in wildlife conservation as it can provide information on the levels of species exploitation and assist in solving forensic-related problems. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcode in species identification of Tanzanian antelope species. A 470 base-pair region of the COI gene was examined in 95 specimens representing 20 species of antelopes, buffalo and domestic Bovidae. All the Tanzanian species showed unique clades, and sequence divergence within species was <1%, whereas divergence between species ranged from 6.3% to 22%. Lowest interspecific divergence was noted within the Tragelaphus genus. Neighbour-joining phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the examined COI region provided correct and highly supported species clustering using short fragments down to 100 base-pair lengths. This study demonstrates that even short COI fragments can efficiently identify antelope species, thus demonstrating its high potential for use in wildlife conservation activities.

Improving the Cost‐Effectiveness of Ecosystem Management: An Application to Waterfowl Production

Species conservation is an important global policy issue. The design of cost‐effective species conservation programs requires resource managers to choose from a suite of conservation activities and sites. This article determines cost‐effective conservation strategies for waterfowl using a bioeconomic modeling framework, which is developed using a biological simulation model for waterfowl and regression analysis. The model accounts for (a) a broad range of land‐use and direct wildlife conservation activities, (b) the effect of landscape heterogeneity, and (c) interactions between conservation activities. Results indicate that accounting for the three factors listed above can improve the cost‐effectiveness of waterfowl conservation on agricultural land.

Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Planning: Goals and Strategies of Local Governments.

Drawing from experiences gained from the development and implementation of four approved habitat conservation plans (HCPs), I describe the goals and strategies used by the nine local government members of the Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency (RCHCA) to reconcile conflicts among a rapidly growing population and the need to conserve the habitat of a number of declining wildlife species in western Riverside County, California. Several important goals have been pursued by RCHCA member governments in their sponsorship of multiple-species habitat conservation plans (MSHCPs), including (1) establishing certainty and control over future uses of land; (2) eliminating project-by-project negotiations with federal and state wildlife agencies; (3) coordinating mitigation obligations under the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, California Environmental Quality Act, and other federal and state laws; (4) reducing conflict and litigation resulting from land development activities; and (5) ensuring that wildlife conservation activities are conducted in a manner that permits local governments to perform those functions necessary to maintain public health, safety, and welfare. I also describe the emergence of strategies by local governments to achieve MSHCP goals, including (1) use of an inclusive planning process that seeks to build consensus among affected interests; (2) extensive involvement of federal and state wildlife agencies in the preparation of MSHCP documents; (3) management of public lands to support MSHCP conservation objectives; (4) encouragement of voluntary conservation by private property owners through incentive programs; and (5) active solicitation of federal and state funding for MSHCP implementation activities.

Participation in wildlifeConservationby birdwatchers

Abstract Decreasing revenues from traditional sources such as hunting license sales are causing wildlife management agencies to seek methods of raising revenue and generating support for wildlife conservation from nonconsumptive users. A mail survey was used to examine birdwatchers’ participation in wildlife conservation activities. Results show that birders made substantial contributions that increased with higher levels of birding experience. This study suggests that using volunteers, establishing cooperative agreements with private organizations, and recruiting birders in conserving private land for habitat may be acceptable contribution mechanisms for the birding constituency, and that it may be possible to design and market mechanisms for specific subgroups of birders.

Allwetter Zoo, Munster: Wildlife conservation activities in Vietnam

The ecological disaster which has overtaken Vietnam as the result of 17 years of war has been exacerbated by continuing deforestation and hunting for food and trade. The country's two zoos and seven national parks lack adequate resources. This paper reports on the work of the Munster Zoo as an intermediary between the wildlife authorities in Vietnam and European zoos. The resulting co‐operation has provided support for particular projects for threatened species and enabled the provision of equipment and finance, as well as training at home and overseas for national park personnel.