Easterlin paradox - happiness-income

Selected Abstracts — PNAS: "The striking thing about the happiness–income paradox is that over the long-term —usually a period of 10 y or more—happiness does not increase as a country's income rises. Heretofore the evidence for this was limited to developed countries. This article presents evidence that the long term nil relationship between happiness and income holds also for a number of developing countries, the eastern European countries transitioning from socialism to capitalism, and an even wider sample of developed countries than previously studied."

Unique Partnership Changing The Rural Health Landscape At Coast

coastweek.com: "Unique Partnership Changing The
Rural Health Landscape At Coast"

Rhino Ark Plan To Fence Mount Kenya And Mau Mount Eburru

coastweek.com: "Two new projects – to comprehensively fence Mt Kenya and Mau Mount Eburru – one of the Mau’s 22 forest blocks-will become Rhino Ark’s prime forward conservation thrusts in 2011. These projects will be the recipients of Kenya ’s home grown astonishing fund raise initiative and world unique annual event -The Rhino Charge."

Horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2011

ScienceDirect - Trends in Ecology & Evolution : Horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2011

This review describes outcomes of a 2010 horizon-scanning exercise building upon the first exercise conducted in 2009. The aim of both horizon scans was to identify emerging issues that could have substantial impacts on the conservation of biological diversity, and to do so sufficiently early to encourage policy-relevant, practical research on those issues.

New book spells out how investment in livestock production can enhance development in poor countries » ILRI News

New book spells out how investment in livestock production can enhance development in poor countries » ILRI News: "A new book co-published by the University of the Free State South Africa, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) calls for more investment in livestock production to fight poverty and promote human health in developing countries.

The role of livestock in developing communities: Enhancing multifunctionality was launched on 9 November 2010 at the University of the Free State, in Bloemfontein, South Africa."

Science, agriculture to be boosted - ministers

University World News - AFRICA: Science, agriculture to be boosted - ministers: "African ministers have recommended reforms of higher education across the continent including the creation of more conducive environments for female students and partnerships between governments and universities to provide policy support and build capacity in the areas of agriculture and science, which should be better resourced.

Reform recommendations were made at a Ministerial Conference on Higher Education in Agriculture in Africa. The event was held in the Ugandan capital Kampala from 15-19 November, hosted by the Ugandan government and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building and attended by ministers of higher education, agriculture and science."

Why region rich in natural resources could still be in trouble

Daily Nation: - Provincial |Why region rich in natural resources could still be in trouble: "“The KWS boss has agreed to meet us on January 15, 2011, over the issue and we believe an amicable solution will be found,” Taita Taveta Rights Forum chairman Richard Mwangeka says.

The human-animal conflict has been a burning issue for a long time. The locals feel they are not benefiting from proceeds earned from Tsavo East and Tsavo West parks."

‘The New Harvest’ in Africa: Untapped potential or looming catastrophe? » ILRI News

‘The New Harvest’ in Africa: Untapped potential or looming catastrophe? » ILRI News: "Bunting says: 'Rising food prices and terrible future scenarios of the impact of climate change on food production, are focusing minds on what is perceived as Africa's huge untapped potential for agriculture. This week yet another report from the International Food Policy Research Institute warns that climate change could push prices up by 130%, and calls for unprecedented human ingenuity to meet the challenge of feeding a burgeoning population. . ."

‘The limits of human–and natural systems–adaptations are likely to be exceeded’

‘The limits of human–and natural systems–adaptations are likely to be exceeded’–Climate change researcher Rachel Warren » ILRI News: "Projections of global warming relative to pre-industrial for the A1FI emissions scenario—the one we’re currently on. Dark shading shows the mean ±1 standard deviation for the tunings to 19 AR4 GCMs [IPCC Fourth Assessment General Circulation Models] and the light shading shows the change in the uncertainty range when . . . climate-carbon-cycle feedbacks . . . are included. Published in a Royal Society special issue on climate change, 29 November 2010 (graphic credit: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Series A, Special Issue, 29 November 2010)."

INVASION OF THE NGOs: Nature, Territory, and Anarchy in Tanzania – Wesleying

INVASION OF THE NGOs: Nature, Territory, and Anarchy in Tanzania – Wesleying: "The role of NGOs in development is often assumed as a positive. But what is lost after these “developments” arrive? The rise of national parks and NGOs in Tanzania as protection for wildlife has led to the displacement and exploitation of the Maasai. Come listen and voice your thoughts about the cost of conservation and development."

Uganda Ends Sport Hunting as Wildlife Numbers Decline - NatGeo News Watch

Uganda Ends Sport Hunting as Wildlife Numbers Decline - NatGeo News Watch: "According to The New Vision: 'This follows a resolution from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to cancel hunting concessions offered years ago to the wildlife reserves.'We are concerned about the dwindling numbers of wild animals in the wildlife reserves. Hunting is prohibited,' said Mark Kamanzi, the acting director of UWA.'

Kamanzi was reported as saying that the share of benefits of sport hunting were lopsided and unlikely to deter poaching or improve UWA¹s capacity to manage the wildlife reserves."

EDGE Blog

EDGE Blog

The new EDGE mammals list has arrived! Latest research reveals a staggering 49 new species on the EDGE of Existence.

The double challenge of adapting to climate change while accelerating development in sub-Saharan Africa

Cambridge Journals Online - Abstract - The double challenge of adapting to climate change while accelerating development in sub-Saharan Africa: "Accelerating economic growth and social development is necessary to reduce the vulnerability and enhance the adaptive capacity of sub-Saharan Africa to cope with the consequences of predicted unfavorable future climate. This requires major investments and policy reforms to induce a needed radical transformation of the way development is currently pursued to a more climate-sensitive path of low carbon growth. Key gaps in the current knowledge base that call for major investments and urgent attention include the ability to forecast more robust local future climate and to account for the uncertainties associated with climate risks for ecosystems' functions and probable nonconvexities in future impacts to project more plausible scenarios for future development in sub-Saharan Africa"

Functional conservation areas and the future of Africa’s wildlife

Functional conservation areas and the future of Africa’s wildlife - Fynn - 2010 - African Journal of Ecology - Wiley Online Library: "Ungulate populations in African conservation areas (CAs) are in widespread decline, which can largely be attributed to a lack of functionality of the area encompassed by the CAs themselves. We present evidence from a wide range of African CAs showing that they do not encompass both the functional wet- and dry-season resources that ungulates traditionally migrated between."

Some Guiding Concepts for Conservation Biology

Some Guiding Concepts for Conservation Biology - LINDENMAYER - 2010 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library: "The search for generalities in ecology has often been thwarted by contingency and ecological complexity that limit the development of predictive rules. We present a set of concepts that we believe succinctly expresses some of the fundamental ideas in conservation biology. (1) Successful conservation management requires explicit goals and objectives. (2) The overall goal of biodiversity management will usually be to maintain or restore biodiversity, not to maximize species richness. (3) A holistic approach is needed to solve conservation problems. (4) Diverse approaches to management can provide diverse environmental conditions and mitigate risk. (5) Using nature's template is important for guiding conservation management, but it is not a panacea. (6) Focusing on causes not symptoms enhances efficacy and efficiency of conservation actions. (7) Every species and ecosystem is unique, to some degree. (8) Threshold responses are important but not ubiquitous. (9) Multiple stressors often exert critical effects on species and ecosystems. (10) Human values are variable and dynamic and significantly shape conservation efforts."

What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory

What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory - GOWDY - 2010 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library: "The last century has seen the ascendance of a core economic model, which we will refer to as Walrasian economics. This model is driven by the psychological assumptions that humans act only in a self-referential and narrowly rational way and that production can be described as a self-contained circular flow between firms and households. These assumptions have critical implications for the way economics is used to inform conservation biology. Yet the Walrasian model is inconsistent with a large body of empirical evidence about actual human behavior, and it violates a number of basic physical laws. Research in behavioral science and neuroscience shows that humans are uniquely social animals and not self-centered rational economic beings."

Modeling as persuasion: the impact of group model building on attitudes and behavior - Rouwette

Modeling as persuasion: the impact of group model building on attitudes and behavior - Rouwette - 2010 - System Dynamics Review - Wiley Online Library: "Client involvement in modeling is expected to change mental models and thereby foster implementation of conclusions. Leading authors have pointed out that a lack of knowledge on the crucial elements of modeling interventions hinders accumulation of research results. There is no clear evidence for the effectiveness of group model building, and a conceptual model linking elements of the modeling process to goals is missing. We propose an integrative conceptual model, drawing on theories of persuasion (mental model change) and the influence of beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control on actions. Our study builds on standard operationalizations and a body of research in social psychology."

Environment and Development Economics (EDE)

Cambridge Journals Online - Abstract - Introduction: "Environment and Development Economics (EDE) was established 15 years ago to provide a publication outlet for theoretical and applied scientific papers dealing with issues at the intersection of environmental, resource and development economics, as well as to actively support capacity building in the developing world. In the years since its inception, EDE has published a large number of articles on topics ranging from sustainable development, the environmental Kuznets curve, and green accounting, to trade and environment, poverty and natural resource use, and the economics of ecosystems."

Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change | IsumaTV

Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change | IsumaTV: "Nunavut-based director Zacharias Kunuk (Atanarjuat The Fast Runner) and researcher and filmmaker Dr. Ian Mauro (Seeds of Change) have teamed up with Inuit communities to document their knowledge and experience regarding climate change. This new documentary, the world’s first Inuktitut language film on the topic, takes the viewer “on the land” with elders and hunters to explore the social and ecological impacts of a warming Arctic. This unforgettable film helps us to appreciate Inuit culture and expertise regarding environmental change and indigenous ways of adapting to it."

Response of native ungulates to drought in semi-arid Kenyan rangeland - Augustine - 2010 - African Journal of Ecology - Wiley Online Library

Response of native ungulates to drought in semi-arid Kenyan rangeland - Augustine - 2010 - African Journal of Ecology - Wiley Online Library: "The distribution and abundance of native ungulates were measured on commercially managed, semi-arid rangeland in central Kenya over a 3-year period that encompassed severe drought and above-average rainfall. Native ungulate biomass density averaged 5282 kg km−2 over the study and was dominated by elephant (Loxodonta africana), impala (Aepyceros melampus) and dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii). Biomass density of domestic cattle (Bos taurus) averaged 2280 kg km−2 during the study. Responses of native ungulates to severe drought were variable. Impala densities were similar to or greater than densities for similar habitat in protected areas, and varied from 12 to 16 km−2 during and following the drought to 24–29 km−2 following above-average rainfall. Dik-dik densities were also greater than densities reported for protected areas and were surprisingly stable throughout the study despite the wide annual fluctuations in rainfall."

BioOne Online Journals - Untangling the Environmentalist's Paradox: Why is Human Well-Being Increasing as Ecosystem Services Degrade?

BioOne Online Journals - Untangling the Environmentalist's Paradox: Why is Human Well-Being Increasing as Ecosystem Services Degrade?: "Environmentalists have argued that ecological degradation will lead to declines in the well-being of people dependent on ecosystem services. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment paradoxically found that human well-being has increased despite large global declines in most ecosystem services. We assess four explanations of these divergent trends: (1) We have measured well-being incorrectly; (2) well-being is dependent on food services, which are increasing, and not on other services that are declining; (3) technology has decoupled well-being from nature; (4) time lags may lead to future declines in well-being. Our findings discount the first hypothesis, but elements of the remaining three appear plausible. Although ecologists have convincingly documented ecological decline, science does not adequately understand the implications of this decline for human well-being."

Animals Heading Back Early To Serengeti National Park Mystery as great wildebeest migration cut short in Maasai Mara Game Reserve - eTurboNews.com

Animals Heading Back Early To Serengeti National Park Mystery as great wildebeest migration cut short in Maasai Mara Game Reserve - eTurboNews.com: "(eTN) - A rare episode is happening in a great Serengeti–Mara ecosystem. The nature's most spectacular event of wildebeest migration is making a surprise revolution of its traditional movement.

From time immemorial, the wildebeest used to roam in Maasai Mara for at least three months, surprising this year they have spent less than the usual period.

This fascinating episode in recent history caught the ecologists in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya offguard.

Right now, ecologists are tightly watching this unusual early return of this year’s great wildebeest migration from the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania."

Livelihood Diversification in Tropical Coastal Communities: A Network-Based Approach to Analyzing ‘Livelihood Landscapes’

PLoS ONE: Livelihood Diversification in Tropical Coastal Communities: A Network-Based Approach to Analyzing ‘Livelihood Landscapes’: "Diverse livelihood portfolios are frequently viewed as a critical component of household economies in developing countries. Within the context of natural resources governance in particular, the capacity of individual households to engage in multiple occupations has been shown to influence important issues such as whether fishers would exit a declining fishery, how people react to policy, the types of resource management systems that may be applicable, and other decisions about natural resource use."

Rethinking Ecosystem Resilience in the Face of Climate Change

PLoS Biology: Rethinking Ecosystem Resilience in the Face of Climate Change: "Resilience is usually defined as the capacity of an ecosystem to absorb disturbance without shifting to an alternative state and losing function and services [1]–[3]. The concept therefore encompasses two separate processes: resistance—the magnitude of disturbance that causes a change in structure—and recovery—the speed of return to the original structure [4],[5]—which are fundamentally different but rarely distinguished. Yet, resilience has become a central concept in the management of natural ecosystems [6],[7]."

European Science Foundation

Confdetail339 : European Science Foundation: "

Dynamic Interlinkages between Social and Ecosystem Changes: Towards a Europe Africa Partnership 8-12 November 2010

The challenge of sustainable development is to grasp this opportunity and transform social-ecological systems to provide food, water, energy, health and human security in a manner that is economically, ecologically and socially viable for people in all parts of the world in the current timeframe, and for many generations in the future."

Maintaining Complex Relations with Large Cats: Maasai and Lions in Kenya and Tanzania - Human Dimensions of Wildlife: An International Journal

Maintaining Complex Relations with Large Cats: Maasai and Lions in Kenya and Tanzania - Human Dimensions of Wildlife: An International Journal: "Research and conservation efforts often occur in areas outside of national parks where people live, often side-by-side and sometimes in conflict with large carnivores. In Tanzania and Kenya much of this work employs a human-wildlife conflict perspective and is based in Maasai areas, where many of the few remaining lions exist. We argue that while Maasai do come into conflict with lions, their relationship with the large cats is far more complex and includes positive dimensions."

Africa needs a culture of science - SciDev.Net

Africa needs a culture of science - SciDev.Net: "For science and technology to contribute to development goals, countries must embrace a 'science culture' — a scientifically enlightened society where research findings can be better and more efficiently used to produce goods and services.

A science culture reflects the practice of applying science to daily life and developing a strong commitment among the public to engage with science. It is achieved, for example, when people adopt better hygiene and sanitation to improve their health, go to hospitals for treatment when they are sick, and grow improved crop species to increase food security in their community."

Capital FM Kenya: Court revokes Kibaki order on Amboseli

Capital FM Kenya: Court revokes Kibaki order on Amboseli: "NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 11 - The High Court has reversed an order issued by President Mwai Kibaki five years ago to downgrade the Amboseli National Park to a game reserve, saying the move was illegal and could not pass the test of the new Constitution."

ScienceDirect - Ecological Complexity : Long-term socio-ecological research (LTSER) for biodiversity protection – A complex systems approach for the study of dynamic human–nature interactions

 

Recently, the long-term ecological research (LTER) program in the US was evaluated. In its 20-year review report, the National Science Foundation recognizes the achievements of the past and specifies guidance for future development. Among other aspects, research activities of the next decade should concentrate on a new core area: biological diversity, and, to inform environmental policy on the interrelationships and reciprocal impacts of ecological and human systems, LTER is requested “to partner with social scientists” at all existing or newly selected research sites (http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/02/pr0265.htm). In Europe, LTER activities head in the same direction. To create durable integration of European biodiversity research capacity and to address biodiversity policy needs, long-term socio-ecological research (LTSER) sites should serve as real-world laboratories for interdisciplinary and policy relevant research (http://www.lter-europe.ceh.ac.uk and www.alter-net.info). In this paper, we explore how LTER could meet the challenges of the future: the increase of knowledge on issues of biological diversity and of partnership approaches among the natural and social sciences in common research facilities – the LTSER sites.

ScienceDirect - Ecological Complexity : Long-term socio-ecological research (LTSER) for biodiversity protection – A complex systems approach for the study of dynamic human–nature interactions

The conceptual evolution and practice of community-based natural resource management in southern Africa: past, present and future

Cambridge Journals Online - Abstract - The conceptual evolution and practice of community-based natural resource management in southern Africa: past, present and future: "This paper reviews the concept and practice of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) as it has evolved in southern Africa, with a particular focus on Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and, to a lesser extent, Zambia. It recognizes that, like democracy, CBNRM is both an imperfect process and a conceptual goal. The governance of economic processes, property rights and local political organization lie at the heart of CBNRM. The first challenge is to replace fiscal centralization, fees and bureaucracy (and the subsidization of alternative land uses) that have historically undervalued wild resources, so that CBNRM's comparative economic advantage is reflected in landholder and community incentives."

Disturbance and landscape dynamics in a changing world1

ESA Online Journals - Disturbance and landscape dynamics in a changing world¹: "Disturbance regimes are changing rapidly, and the consequences of such changes for ecosystems and linked social-ecological systems will be profound. This paper synthesizes current understanding of disturbance with an emphasis on fundamental contributions to contemporary landscape and ecosystem ecology, then identifies future research priorities. Studies of disturbance led to insights about heterogeneity, scale, and thresholds in space and time and catalyzed new paradigms in ecology. Because they create vegetation patterns, disturbances also establish spatial patterns of many ecosystem processes on the landscape."

Complexities of conflict: the importance of considering social factors for effectively resolving human–wildlife conflict - Dickman - 2010 - Animal Conservation - Wiley Online Library

Complexities of conflict: the importance of considering social factors for effectively resolving human–wildlife conflict - Dickman - 2010 - Animal Conservation - Wiley Online Library: "Despite evidence that social factors can be more important in driving conflict than wildlife damage incurred, they are often ignored in conflict studies. Developing a broader awareness of conflict drivers will advance understanding of the patterns and underlying processes behind this critical conservation issue. In this paper, I review a wide variety of case studies to show how social factors strongly influence perceptions of human–wildlife conflict, and highlight how mitigation approaches should become increasingly innovative and interdisciplinary in order to enable people to move from conflict towards coexistence."

Virtuous Circles: Values, Systems and Sustainability

Publications | International Institute for Environment and Development: "This book paints a vivid picture of an alternative future: sustainable and fair systems for the provision of food, energy, fibre and textiles, housing and water that are environmentally benign and involve positive interventions in natural cycles. While their environmental impacts are negligible, non-existent or positive, their socio-economic benefits are multiple and significant. The book is an output of a project known as Designing Resilience, and documents the initial findings from the first phase of Designing Resilience within the Latin America and Caribbean region."

Development AND Gorillas? Assessing fifteen years of integrated conservation and development in south-western Uganda

Publications | International Institute for Environment and Development: "Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are two afromontane forests considered as extremely important biodiversity areas, with global significance, due to their population of highly endangered Mountain Gorilla. Threats to the two parks include uncontrolled exploitation of forest resources as well as fire damage and the indirect pressures of demand for land. Gazettement of the parks in 1991 caused high levels of conflict and resistance from the surrounding communities, seriously threatening the ability of the protected area authority to manage the parks. In response to these conflicts and threats, a range of “integrated conservation and development” (ICD) strategie"

The survey of living conditions in the Arctic (SLiCA): A comparative sustainable livelihoods assessment

Scopus preview - Scopus - Document details: "The Arctic is a region of the world experiencing extremely rapid climatic and social change. Indigenous communities have faced similar challenges for millennia and have historically demonstrated remarkable resilience to socioecological perturbations. In contemporary contexts, however, it appears that the pace and extent of change is overwhelming the adaptive capacities of many indigenous communities. Scholars recently completed a survey of living conditions spanning the circumpolar Arctic to quantitatively document the impacts of social and ecological stress across regions. The database they created is called the Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic or SLiCA."

ScienceDirect - Ecological Modelling : A linked model of animal ecology and human behavior for the management of wildlife tourism

ScienceDirect - Ecological Modelling : A linked model of animal ecology and human behavior for the management of wildlife tourism

Wildlife tourism attractions are characterized as having intricately coupled human–wildlife interactions. Accordingly, the ability to mitigate negative impacts of tourism on wildlife necessitates research into the ecology of the system and of the human dimensions, since plans aimed at optimizing wildlife fitness must also be acceptable to tourists.

PLoS ONE: Size, Rarity and Charisma: Valuing African Wildlife Trophies

PLoS ONE: Size, Rarity and Charisma: Valuing African Wildlife Trophies: "We explore variation in the prices paid by recreational hunters of trophy animals in Africa and its possible causes, including perceived rarity. Previous work has raised the possibility that extinction can result if demand rises fast enough as a species becomes rarer. We attempt to disentangle this from other inter-correlated influences affecting price."

Home - EcoHealth Alliance - Formerly Known as Wildlife Trust

EcoHealth Alliance - Formerly Known as Wildlife Trust: "EcoHealth Alliance combines the best people, programs, and partnerships in science around the world to solve some of the most pressing conservation and health issues today."

Using learning networks to understand complex systems: a case study of biological, geophysical and social research in the Amazon - Barlow - 2010 - Biological Reviews - Wiley Online Library

Using learning networks to understand complex systems: a case study of biological, geophysical and social research in the Amazon - Barlow - 2010 - Biological Reviews - Wiley Online Library: "Developing high-quality scientific research will be most effective if research communities with diverse skills and interests are able to share information and knowledge, are aware of the major challenges across disciplines, and can exploit economies of scale to provide robust answers and better inform policy. We evaluate opportunities and challenges facing the development of a more interactive research environment by developing an interdisciplinary synthesis of research on a single geographic region. We focus on the Amazon as it is of enormous regional and global environmental importance and faces a highly uncertain future."

Daily Nation:- Poverty and hunger still stalk the land

Poverty and hunger still stalk the land: "The latest review of Kenya’s progress towards eliminating hunger and poverty in line with the global development goals makes depressing reading. This is because about four million Kenyans continue living in conditions of extreme poverty and hunger. This population also lacks access to clean water, healthcare and quality education. The Millennium Development Goals, agreed upon by world governments in 2000, are eight in number and represent the most comprehensive and broad interventions to improve lives."

Essay: What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory - GOWDY - 2010 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library

Essay: What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory - GOWDY - 2010 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library: " The last century has seen the ascendance of a core economic model, which we will refer to as Walrasian economics. This model is driven by the psychological assumptions that humans act only in a self-referential and narrowly rational way and that production can be described as a self-contained circular flow between firms and households. These assumptions have critical implications for the way economics is used to inform conservation biology. Yet the Walrasian model is inconsistent with a large body of empirical evidence about actual human behavior, and it violates a number of basic physical laws. Research in behavioral science and neuroscience shows that humans are uniquely social animals and not self-centered rational economic beings."

What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory - GOWDY - 2010 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library

Essay: What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory - GOWDY - 2010 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library: "The last century has seen the ascendance of a core economic model, which we will refer to as Walrasian economics. This model is driven by the psychological assumptions that humans act only in a self-referential and narrowly rational way and that production can be described as a self-contained circular flow between firms and households. These assumptions have critical implications for the way economics is used to inform conservation biology. Yet the Walrasian model is inconsistent with a large body of empirical evidence about actual human behavior, and it violates a number of basic physical laws. Research in behavioral science and neuroscience shows that humans are uniquely social animals and not self-centered rational economic beings"

ScienceDirect - Ecological Modelling : A linked model of animal ecology and human behavior for the management of wildlife tourism

ScienceDirect - Ecological Modelling : A linked model of animal ecology and human behavior for the management of wildlife tourism

Wildlife tourism attractions are characterized as having intricately coupled human–wildlife interactions. Accordingly, the ability to mitigate negative impacts of tourism on wildlife necessitates research into the ecology of the system and of the human dimensions, since plans aimed at optimizing wildlife fitness must also be acceptable to tourists. We developed an integrated systems dynamics model for the management of tourist–stingray interactions at ‘Stingray City Sandbar’ (SCS), Cayman Islands. The model predicts the state of the tourism attraction over time in relation to stingray population size, stingray life expectancy, and tourist visitation under various management scenarios. Stingray population data in the model comprised growth rates and survival estimates (from mark-and-recapture data) and mortality estimates. Inputted changes in their respective rates under different management scenarios were informed by previous research. Original research on the demand of heterogeneous tourist segments for management regulations via a stated choice model was used to calculate changes in the tourist population growth rate from data supplied by the Caymanian government. The management attributes to which tourists were responsive also have anticipated effects on stingray ecology (migration and mortality), and vice versa, thus linking the two components.

ScienceDirect - Trends in Ecology & Evolution : Ecosystem stewardship: sustainability strategies for a rapidly changing planet

ScienceDirect - Trends in Ecology & Evolution : Ecosystem stewardship: sustainability strategies for a rapidly changing planet

Ecosystem stewardship is an action-oriented framework intended to foster the social–ecological sustainability of a rapidly changing planet. Recent developments identify three strategies that make optimal use of current understanding in an environment of inevitable uncertainty and abrupt change: reducing the magnitude of, and exposure and sensitivity to, known stresses; focusing on proactive policies that shape change; and avoiding or escaping unsustainable social–ecological traps. As we discuss here, all social–ecological systems are vulnerable to recent and projected changes but have sources of adaptive capacity and resilience that can sustain ecosystem services and human well-being through active ecosystem stewardship.

The Maasai Pastoralism versus tourism in Tanzania - eTurboNews.com

The Maasai Pastoralism versus tourism in Tanzania - eTurboNews.com: "TANZANIA, Africa (eTN) - Grazing their cattle in the barren land of the wildlife-rich Ngorongoro district in northern Tanzania, the Maasai pastoralists are still living a desperate life after a prolonged drought spell that has hit most parts of northern Tanzania with more than 65,000 cattle in the district dead."

Game conservation in Africa: Horns, claws and the bottom line | The Economist

Game conservation in Africa: Horns, claws and the bottom line | The Economist: "Some environmental economists contend that the failure of conservationists to take local cost-benefit analysis seriously has accelerated the loss of biodiversity. They feel strongly that the private sector should step in. “Private management structures are a lot more effective in capturing the economic value of biodiversity,” says Wolf Krug, a German environmental economist. He also criticises some animal-rights groups for campaigning against hunting; that tactic, he says, devalues the animals they are trying to save. When pressed, and in private, a surprising number of conservationists say they would like to see limited hunting to provide an income stream for local communities."

ScienceDirect - Environmental Modelling & Software : Challenging beliefs through multi-level participatory modelling in Indonesia

ScienceDirect - Environmental Modelling & Software : Challenging beliefs through multi-level participatory modelling in Indonesia

A critical challenge for science in times of increasingly depleted natural resources is how policy and management can be improved to attain a pathway to sustainability. This paper argues that facilitating a learning experience for decision makers by employing participatory modelling and explicitly considering multiple tiers of governance can effectively contribute to achieve sustainable outcomes. Decision makers operate on different scales and respond to decisions made on other scales. However, shared beliefs can vary and policy interventions from different levels can be incompatible due to a lack of cross-sectoral and cross-scale coordination. Sustainability is determined by conditions defined by this process of interactive decision-making, and across various tiers of governance.

ScienceDirect - Ecological Complexity : Long-term socio-ecological research (LTSER) for biodiversity protection – A complex systems approach for the study of dynamic human–nature interactions

ScienceDirect - Ecological Complexity : Long-term socio-ecological research (LTSER) for biodiversity protection – A complex systems approach for the study of dynamic human–nature interactions

Regarding biological diversity we explore, in particular, the advantages for improving: (1) ecological-economic modelling, a powerful technique for analysing complex human–nature interaction, (2) the design of choice experiments, a rather new evaluation method for assessing the benefits of conservation and (3) the understanding of biodiversity as complex social dilemma. Regarding the issue of research collaboration, we focus on the geographical scale of LTSER sites and, on a more general level, on the demands of research management in terms of project design, common knowledge and organisation of research teams.

ScienceDirect - Journal for Nature Conservation : Post-normal science and the art of nature conservation

ScienceDirect - Journal for Nature Conservation : Post-normal science and the art of nature conservation

Nature conservation may be considered a post-normal science in that the loss of biodiversity and increasing environmental degradation require urgent action but are characterised by uncertainty at every level. An ‘extended peer community’ with varying skills, perceptions and values are involved in decision-making and implementation of conservation, and the uncertainty involved limits the effectiveness of practice. In this paper we briefly review the key ecological, philosophical and methodological uncertainties associated with conservation, and then highlight the uncertainties and gaps present within the structure and interactions of the conservation community, and which exist mainly between researchers and practitioners, in the context of nature conservation in the UK.

ScienceDirect - Ecological Economics : Bridging ecological and social systems coevolution: A review and proposal

ScienceDirect - Ecological Economics : Bridging ecological and social systems coevolution: A review and proposal

"Social and Natural sciences have, for the most part, ignored the existence of interlinked/interdependent evolutionary processes between cultural and biotic systems, both embedded in an overall dynamic biophysical environment. In this paper, we explore the potential of filling this gap by further developing a common coevolutionary framework based on earlier work in ecological economics. Our main concern is to contribute to the understanding of socioecological coevolution in two ways: (1) to find a general framework that accommodates advances in the explanation of sociocultural evolution in social sciences and, (2) to identify the specific mechanisms that could link this knowledge to what is known in the biological sciences."

BioOne Online Journals - Landscapes Shaped by People and Place Institutions Require a New Conservation Agenda

BioOne Online Journals - Landscapes Shaped by People and Place Institutions Require a New Conservation Agenda: "Landscape patterns provide a multiscalar “theater” in which humanecological interactions play out. The regional landscape context in which a new conservation agenda might be developed recognizes the fragmented matrix as a variety of patterns of not just ecosystems but human communities with various private lands or resource tenures, including agricultural and other working landscape elements. Each element of the mosaic influences other elements. Scientists from diverse disciplines are now recognizing that human history and policy are critically entwined with ecosystems and should be examined as social-ecological systems."

Game conservation in Africa: Horns, claws and the bottom line | The Economist

Game conservation in Africa: Horns, claws and the bottom line | The Economist: "The value of rhino horn in China, ounce for ounce, is higher than gold. It is likely to keep rising with an ageing population; in Chinese medicine the horn is ground into a powder to alleviate fevers and pain, particularly for terminally ill patients. With more Chinese contractors working in Africa, the risk of poaching seems to have increased. Market forces are insistent. Even at Ol Pejeta, which is protected by electric fences and armed guards, the horns of the four northern whites have had to be filed down to limit the risk of poaching. An inside job at one private ranch in Kenya last Christmas saw a rhino killed and its horns hacked off. The Kenya Wildlife Service later tracked down the culprits and recovered the horns, along with $8,500 in cash the poachers had been paid, with the balance payable on delivery. Sold in 10g increments in Guangzhou, the seven kilos of horn would be worth $250,000."

CDC - PHIN Communities of Practice - Resource Kit - Home

CDC - PHIN Communities of Practice - Resource Kit - Home: "Communities of Practice (CoPs) are working to strengthen the exchange of electronic information as members collaborate, share, and focus on issues prioritized by the public health community. The Communities provide a participatory environment for members to learn, share expertise, and develop solutions to improve public health’s capacity to use and exchange information electronically.

The Communities of Practice Program (CoPP), in its role of supporting the public health community, developed this Resource Kit to provide members and interested parties with information about CoPs and their function within the public health. The Resource Kit offers a program overview, templates, and guides that can be used to develop a new community or enhance an existing community. Within this kit, you will find guidance for all stages of CoP development—from planning to evaluation!"

ScienceDirect - Ecological Economics : Applying methodological pluralism to wildlife and the economy

ScienceDirect - Ecological Economics : Applying methodological pluralism to wildlife and the economy

Methodological pluralism is important when we study complex systems. We aim to show that methodological pluralism yields additional insight by applying it to a specific question: how are the economy and wildlife related in developed and developing countries? We identify three possible ingredients of methodological pluralism: (1) using both qualitative and quantitative information; (2) tapping the potential of history to illuminate slow-moving variables; and (3) explicitly synthesizing either individually or in groups, by thinking about the corresponding system. We illustrate with examples.

ScienceDirect - Encyclopedia of Ecology : Socioecological Systems

 

Few ecosystems are free of extensive human influence. Landscapes change constantly from natural and anthropogenic drivers, and land use and land cover changes by humans have been identified as a primary effect of humans on natural systems. These changes underlie fragmentation and habitat loss, which are the greatest threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services. The complex interactions between development decisions and ecosystems, and how the consequences of these decisions may then influence human values and subsequent decisions is an important area of study.

ScienceDirect - Encyclopedia of Ecology : Socioecological Systems

CJO - Abstract - Ten years of adaptive community-governed conservation: evaluating biodiversity protection and poverty alleviation in a West African hippopotamus reserve

CJO - Abstract - Ten years of adaptive community-governed conservation: evaluating biodiversity protection and poverty alleviation in a West African hippopotamus reserve: "SUMMARYCommunity-based natural resource management has been accused of failing on social, economic or ecological grounds. Balanced assessments are rare, however, particularly in West Africa. This paper examines the first 10 years of Ghana's Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary using an evaluation framework that considers socioeconomic and ecological outcomes, as well as resilience mechanisms. Building upon traditional taboos against the killing of hippopotami, this initiative has attempted to conserve an imperilled large mammal, protect biodiversity and alleviate abject poverty amidst a bush meat crisis and complex ethnic diversity. Findings show that the Sanctuary has improved local livelihoods by spurring economic diversification and infrastructure development rates 2-8 times higher than in surrounding communities. Simultaneously, threats to biodiversity have subsided, hippopotamus numbers have remained stable and the Sanctuary's riparian habitats now harbour more bird species than comparable areas nearby. Improved social capital, true empowerment, an equitable distribution of benefits, ecological awareness among children and support for the Sanctuary, even amongst community members who were disadvantaged by its creation, speak to good long-term prospects."

Scopus preview - Scopus - Document details

Scopus preview - Scopus - Document details: Stationarity is dead"- Long live transformation: Five principles for climate change adaptation law "While there is no question that successful mitigation strategies remain critical in the quest to avoid worst-case climate change scenarios, we have passed the point where mitigation efforts alone can deal with the problems that climate change is creating. Because of 'committed' warming climate change that will occur regardless of mitigation measures, a result of the already-accumulated greenhouse gases in the atmosphere - what happens to coupled socio-ecological systems over the next decades, and most likely over the next few centuries, will largely be beyond human control. The time to start preparing for these changes is now, by making adaptation part of a national climate change policy. American environmental law and policy are not keeping up with the need for adaptation. For example, environmental and natural resources law are currently based on assumptions of ecological stationarity and pursue goals of preservation and restoration. Neither those assumptions nor those goals fit a world of continual, unpredictable, and nonlinear transformations of complex ecosystems - but that is the world that climate change is creating."

Scopus preview - Scopus - Document details

Scopus preview - Scopus - Document details: "Social and Natural sciences have, for the most part, ignored the existence of interlinked/interdependent evolutionary processes between cultural and biotic systems, both embedded in an overall dynamic biophysical environment. In this paper, we explore the potential of filling this gap by further developing a common coevolutionary framework based on earlier work in ecological economics. Our main concern is to contribute to the understanding of socioecological coevolution in two ways: (1) to find a general framework that accommodates advances in the explanation of sociocultural evolution in social sciences and, (2) to identify the specific mechanisms that could link this knowledge to what is known in the biological sciences"

Sustainable co-evolution - International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology

Sustainable co-evolution - International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology: "Abstract
Humankind is dependent upon Earth's ecological life support system, whose well-being, in turn, depends upon the practices of human society. The health of both systems requires harmonious, mutualistic interactions between them. Because of its population size and demographic distribution (increasingly urbanized), humankind is also dependent upon its technological life support system, which, as currently managed, threatens the ecological life support system. A fundamental difference exists between the two systems—humankind is capable of using intelligence and reason to regulate its activities but the 30 million other life forms that comprise the ecological life support system cannot. As a consequence, empathy for the other system is the responsibility of human society. Sustainable co-evolution requires that human society has a high level of ecological literacy and acts in a nurturing, compassionate way toward the other system"

Collective Action and Adaptive Socioecological Cycles in Premodern States — Cross-Cultural Research

Collective Action and Adaptive Socioecological Cycles in Premodern States — Cross-Cultural Research: "Resiliency theorists propose that ecological transformations result when ecosystems collapse and then are reorganized through a process they call adaptive cycles. This article investigates the degree to which the dynamic properties of adaptive cycles reflect, in part, the influence of political factors associated with collective action in state formation."

SpringerLink -

SpringerLink -: "The effects of socioecological transformations such as climate change, the collapse of the Soviet empire, and civil war are examined for 14 villages in the valleys of the Pamir Mountains in the historical Badakhshan region, now divided between Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Preliminary findings indicate concern for food sovereignty, evidence of biocultural impacts of climate change, an increasing burden on women, debilitating opium addiction, the ecological importance of sacred sites, and other priorities related to sustainable livelihoods, such as energy needs (for fuel and lighting) and physical and social infrastructure in the form of roads and schools"

Ecological Habitus:Toward a Better Understanding of Socioecological Relations — Organization Environment

Ecological Habitus:Toward a Better Understanding of Socioecological Relations — Organization Environment: "There is a clear need to better understand the interdependent relationships between people and the biophysical world. Social science research is essential for such efforts but is not yet widely viewed as relevant to ecological research. Impeding its advancement in this direction are the characteristics of a modern Western worldview exhibited by, and problematic for, much of social scientific research, especially emphases on mechanism, dualism, and prediction."

allAfrica.com: East Africa: Why Our National Parks Have Become Dinosaurs

allAfrica.com: East Africa: Why Our National Parks Have Become Dinosaurs: "A study published in the Journal of Zoology in 2008, revealed that the numbers of six major ungulates in the Maasai Mara National Reserve declined markedly and persistently between 1989 and 2003."

Some Guiding Concepts for Conservation Biology - LINDENMAYER - 2010 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library

Some Guiding Concepts for Conservation Biology - LINDENMAYER - 2010 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library: "Abstract: The search for generalities in ecology has often been thwarted by contingency and ecological complexity that limit the development of predictive rules. We present a set of concepts that we believe succinctly expresses some of the fundamental ideas in conservation biology. (1) Successful conservation management requires explicit goals and objectives. (2) The overall goal of biodiversity management will usually be to maintain or restore biodiversity, not to maximize species richness. (3) A holistic approach is needed to solve conservation problems. (4) Diverse approaches to management can provide diverse environmental conditions and mitigate risk. (5) Using nature's template is important for guiding conservation management, but it is not a panacea. (6) Focusing on causes not symptoms enhances efficacy and efficiency of conservation actions. (7) Every species and ecosystem is unique, to some degree. (8) Threshold responses are important but not ubiquitous. (9) Multiple stressors often exert critical effects on species and ecosystems. (10) Human values are variable and dynamic and significantly shape conservation efforts. We believe most conservation biologists will broadly agree these concepts are important."

Costs of Integrating Economics and Conservation Planning - ARPONEN - 2010 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library

Costs of Integrating Economics and Conservation Planning - ARPONEN - 2010 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library: "Abstract: Recent literature on systematic conservation planning has focused strongly on economics. It is a necessary component of efficient conservation planning because the question is about effective resource allocation. Nevertheless, there is an increasing tendency toward economic factors overriding biological considerations. Focusing too narrowly on economic cost may lead us back toward solutions resembling those obtained by opportunistic choice of areas, the avoidance of which was the motivation for development of systematic approaches. Moreover, there are many overlooked difficulties in incorporating economic considerations reliably into conservation planning because available economic data and the free market are complex"

Growing Civil Society / Indiana University Press

Growing Civil Society / Indiana University Press: "Growing Civil Society investigates the role of voluntary action and nonprofit organization in contemporary America. Key to the book is the concept of 'third space,' which provides an important tool for the construction of civil society. The third space is not independent from society's major institutions, but exists in dynamic interdependence with them, linking individuals in their home bases of family and community to the larger governmental and economic structures within which all citizens, workers, and consumers learn to find their way in modern society."

'Hunting for Conservation' Backfires - ScienceNOW

'Hunting for Conservation' Backfires - ScienceNOW: "Now the lion population has dwindled to less than a tenth of that. In the 1980s and 1990s, African nations started to think an old practice might hold the solution to saving the lion: trophy hunting. They hoped that by allowing rich game-chasers to shoot a few animals, landowners would have an incentive to conserve lion habitats and keep the species alive while boosting their local economies. In the meantime, it became conventional wisdom to blame the decline on factors such as conversion of lion habitat for agriculture, disease, and killings by locals upset over lion attacks on people or livestock. But the newest research, to be published in an upcoming issue of Conservation Biology, shows that at least in Tanzania—home to more lions than any other country—that isn’t the case."

Wageningen UR - Wageningen University - Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group

Wageningen UR - Wageningen University - Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group: "Living with biodiversity: people, knowledge, politics International symposium, Leiden, The Netherlands
Naturalis, The Dutch Natural History Museum
Wednesday 22 –Thursday 23 September 2010"

eBooks.com - Games, Groups, and the Global Good eBook

eBooks.com - Games, Groups, and the Global Good eBook: "How do groups form, how do institutions come into being, and when do moral norms and practices emerge? This volume explores how game-theoretic approaches can be extended to consider broader questions that cross scales of organization, from individuals to cooperatives to societies. Game theory' strategic formulation of central problems in the analysis of social interactions is used to develop multi-level theories that examine the interplay between individuals and the collectives they form. The concept of cooperation is examined at a higher level than that usually addressed by game theory, especially focusing on the formation of groups and the role of social norms in maintaining their integrity, with positive and negative implications. The authors suggest that conventional analyses need to be broadened to explain how heuristics, like concepts of fairness, arise and become formalized into the ethical principles embraced by a society."

BioMed Analysis: Supporting community healthcare - SciDev.Net

BioMed Analysis: Supporting community healthcare - SciDev.Net: "Developing countries must recognise the value of community healthcare and provide clearer ethical guidelines for practice, says Priya Shetty.

Translating ivory-tower academic research into workable practices on the ground in developing countries is tricky. Health workers on the frontlines of medical care and disease prevention often face huge problems, such as drug shortages, outdated medical equipment, and unreliable transport for traversing remote or hostile terrain."

BBC News - Kenya makes massive seizure of ivory and rhino horns

BBC News - Kenya makes massive seizure of ivory and rhino horns: "Some two tonnes of ivory and five rhino horns have been seized in Kenya's main airport inside boxes labelled as avocados to be exported to Malaysia.

The haul at Nairobi's international airport is believed to be the biggest of its kind in Kenya for several years."

New Public Road to Split the Serengeti?

New Public Road to Split the Serengeti?: "The Tanzanian government is moving forward with plans to build a public road through Serengeti National Park, despite conservationists' concerns that commercial traffic will disrupt the annual wildebeest migration and allow poachers better access into the park.

During the migration, more than a million wildebeest follow a circular path through the Serengeti and up into Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, chasing grass and water as the seasons change. (Watch video previews of Great Migrations, a new series airing soon on the National Geographic Channel.)

'Creating a commercial road through such a natural environment—where millions of wildebeest migrate annually—will be an intrusion in the natural habitat, so much so that the level of stress [among the animals] will be tremendous,' said Steven Kiruswa, the Maasai Steppe Heartland Director at the African Wildlife Foundation."

PLoS ONE: Livelihood Diversification in Tropical Coastal Communities: A Network-Based Approach to Analyzing ‘Livelihood Landscapes’

PLoS ONE: Livelihood Diversification in Tropical Coastal Communities: A Network-Based Approach to Analyzing ‘Livelihood Landscapes’: "Diverse livelihood portfolios are frequently viewed as a critical component of household economies in developing countries. Within the context of natural resources governance in particular, the capacity of individual households to engage in multiple occupations has been shown to influence important issues such as whether fishers would exit a declining fishery, how people react to policy, the types of resource management systems that may be applicable, and other decisions about natural resource use."

The East African: �- News�|Serengeti highway to go ahead — Kikwete

The East African: �- News�|Serengeti highway to go ahead — Kikwete: "The international green activists’ campaign against construction of a highway in the Serengeti National Park has suffered a major blow — the head of state says the project will go on.

President Jakaya Kikwete, for the first time, said Tanzania would not stop the construction of a commercial highway linking Arusha and Musoma town through Serengeti National Park."

Complexities of conflict: the importance of considering social factors for effectively resolving human–wildlife conflict - Dickman - 2010 - Animal Conservation - Wiley Online Library

Complexities of conflict: the importance of considering social factors for effectively resolving human–wildlife conflict - Dickman - 2010 - Animal Conservation - Wiley Online Library: "Human–wildlife conflict is one of the most critical threats facing many wildlife species today, and the topic is receiving increasing attention from conservation biologists. Direct wildlife damage is commonly cited as the main driver of conflict, and many tools exist for reducing such damage. However, significant conflict often remains even after damage has been reduced, suggesting that conflict requires novel, comprehensive approaches for long-term resolution. Although most mitigation studies investigate only the technical aspects of conflict reduction, peoples' attitudes towards wildlife are complex, with social factors as diverse as religious affiliation, ethnicity and cultural beliefs all shaping conflict intensity. Moreover, human–wildlife conflicts are often manifestations of underlying human–human conflicts, such as between authorities and local people, or between people of different cultural backgrounds."

The Standard | Online Edition :: Time up for land grabbers and encroachers

The Standard | Online Edition :: Time up for land grabbers and encroachers: "The government intends to evacuate 17 wetlands, hilltops and water catchment areas encroached by human settlement and private developers.

But no time frame was given when the government issued the decree On Wednesday in parliament.

The last mass evacuation of illegal settlers from the Mau water catchment sparked an outcry from a section of Kalenjin MPs who accused the government of victimising their people but an assistant minister now says the new constitution enhances the government's hand to reclaim forests, wetlands, swamps and other water catchment areas in public interest."

A Canada-Africa Research and Learning Alliance

A Canada-Africa Research and Learning Alliance: "�Protected Areas and Poverty Reduction: A Canada-Africa Research and Learning Alliance website!�� This partnership brings together universities, non-governmental agencies, government agencies, and communities across Canada, Ghana and Tanzania.� It aims to address challenges of reducing rural poverty and ensuring environmental sustainability by focusing on protected areas and their adjacent communities in the three countries.�"

African researchers connect with local community

African researchers connect with local community: "The Canada-Africa Research and Learning Alliance hosted a group of international researchers this past weekend in Tofino as part of a cultural exchange focused on eco-tourism and community sustainability.

'It's about the cultural experience,' said Canadian Community Coordinator Jennifer Schofield. 'Exposing them to protected areas in Canada, seeing how things are set up, especially the tourism because they have these amazing parks in Ghana that are fairly inaccessible both financially and physically.'

The research project involved three countries; Canada, Tanzania and Ghana."

News - Tanzania’s Serengeti Highway plan could destroy major carbon sink - The Ecologist

News - Tanzania’s Serengeti Highway plan could destroy major carbon sink - The Ecologist: "The 480-kilometre road will link the Lake Victoria area with eastern Tanzania and, according to the Tanzanian government, bring essential economic development to the region - linking remote communities to the major road network, allowing transport of people and goods and connecting farmers with markets.

However the project has attracted criticism from environmental groups which fear the effects on the ecosystem could be devastating and may even result in huge releases of carbon into the atmosphere."

Aga Khan: “Islam does not deal in dichotomies but in all encompassing unity” � Ismailimail

Aga Khan: “Islam does not deal in dichotomies but in all encompassing unity” � Ismailimail: "Islam does not deal in dichotomies but in all encompassing unity. Spirit and body are one, man and nature are one."

Ecometrics: The traits that bind the past and present together - ERONEN - 2010 - Integrative Zoology - Wiley Online Library

Ecometrics: The traits that bind the past and present together - ERONEN - 2010 - Integrative Zoology - Wiley Online Library: "We outline here an approach for understanding the biology of climate change, one that integrates data at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Taxon-free trait analysis, or “ecometrics,” is based on the idea that the distribution in a community of ecomorphological traits such as tooth structure, limb proportions, body mass, leaf shape, incubation temperature, claw shape, any aspect of anatomy or physiology can be measured across some subset of the organisms in a community. Regardless of temporal or spatial scale, traits are the means by which organisms interact with their environment, biotic and abiotic."

Termite-induced heterogeneity in African savanna vegetation: mechanisms and patterns - Sileshi - 2010 - Journal of Vegetation Science - Wiley Online Library

Termite-induced heterogeneity in African savanna vegetation: mechanisms and patterns - Sileshi - 2010 - Journal of Vegetation Science - Wiley Online Library: "The review provided evidence for termite-induced heterogeneity in floristic composition and vegetation patterning in savannas across Africa. Termites induced vegetation heterogeneity directly or indirectly through their nest-building and foraging activities, associated nutrient cycling and their interaction with mammalian herbivores and fire. The literature reviewed indicated that termite mounds essentially act as islands of fertility, which are responsible for ecosystem-level spatial heterogeneity in savannas. This was supported by the meta-analysis, which demonstrated that mounds of Ancistrotermes, Macrotermes, Odontotermes (family Macrotermitinae), Cubitermes (family Termitinae) and Trinervitermes (Nasutitermitinae) are significantly enriched in clay (75%), carbon (16%), total nitrogen (42%), calcium (232%), potassium (306%) and magnesium (154%) compared to the surrounding savanna soil."

Predator–prey size relationships in an African large-mammal food web - Owen-Smith - 2007 - Journal of Animal Ecology - Wiley Online Library

Predator–prey size relationships in an African large-mammal food web - Owen-Smith - 2007 - Journal of Animal Ecology - Wiley Online Library: "Size relationships are central in structuring trophic linkages within food webs, leading to suggestions that the dietary niche of smaller carnivores is nested within that of larger species. However, past analyses have not taken into account the differing selection shown by carnivores for specific size ranges of prey, nor the extent to which the greater carcass mass of larger prey outweighs the greater numerical representation of smaller prey species in the predator diet. Furthermore, the top-down impact that predation has on prey abundance cannot be assessed simply in terms of the number of predator species involved."

Comparative changes in adult vs. juvenile survival affecting population trends of African ungulates - OWEN-SMITH - 2005 - Journal of Animal Ecology - Wiley Online Library

Comparative changes in adult vs. juvenile survival affecting population trends of African ungulates - OWEN-SMITH - 2005 - Journal of Animal Ecology - Wiley Online Library: "Among large mammalian herbivores, juvenile survival tends to vary widely and may thus have a greater influence on population dynamics than the relatively constant survival rates typical of adults. However, previous studies yielding stage-specific survival rates have been mostly on temperate zone ungulates and in environments lacking large predators. Annual censuses coupled with assessments of population structure enabled annual survival rates to be estimated for the juvenile, yearling and adult segments of nine ungulate species in South Africa's Kruger National Park. Four of these populations persisted at high abundance after initial increases (zebra, wildebeest, impala and giraffe), while five showed progressive declines during the latter part of the study period (kudu, waterbuck, warthog, sable antelope and tsessebe)."

Bottom-up and top-down processes in African ungulate communities: resources and predation acting on the relative abundance of zebra and grazing bovids - Grange - 2006 - Ecography - Wiley Online Library

Bottom-up and top-down processes in African ungulate communities: resources and predation acting on the relative abundance of zebra and grazing bovids - Grange - 2006 - Ecography - Wiley Online Library: "African ungulate populations appear to be limited principally by their food resources. Within ungulate communities, plains zebras coexist with grazing bovids of similar body size, but rarely are the dominant species. Given the highly effective nutritional strategy of the equids and the resistance of zebras to drought, this is unexpected and suggests that zebra populations may commonly be limited by other mechanisms. Long-term research in the Serengeti ecosystem and in the Kruger National Park suggests that zebra could be less sensitive to food shortage, and more sensitive to predation, than grazing bovids: if this is a general principle, then, at a larger scale, resource availability should have a weaker effect on the abundance of zebra than on grazing ruminants of similar body size (wildebeest and buffalo), and zebras should be relatively more abundant in ecosystems where predators are rare or absent."

Correlates of survival rates for 10 African ungulate populations: density, rainfall and predation - OWEN-SMITH - 2005 - Journal of Animal Ecology - Wiley Online Library

Correlates of survival rates for 10 African ungulate populations: density, rainfall and predation - OWEN-SMITH - 2005 - Journal of Animal Ecology - Wiley Online Library: "Through reconciling census totals with population structure, annual survival rates were estimated for the juvenile, yearling and adult stages of 10 ungulate species over 14�years or longer in South Africa's Kruger National Park. During this period four species maintained high abundance levels, while six species declined progressively in abundance.
Multiple regression models fitted to these estimates indicated that juvenile survival was sensitive to annual variability in rainfall for most of these species, especially in the dry season component, but with no density feedback apparent. Rainfall components affected adult survival in several of the declining species, while negative density dependence in adult survival was evident for three of the four species that maintained high abundance. A negative effect of past prey availability, indexing putative changes in predator abundance, on adult survival was more strongly supported statistically among the declining species than the lagged effect of prior rainfall, potentially affecting herbaceous vegetation cover and composition."

Patterns of social grouping in ungulates of Tsavo National Park, Kenya - Leuthold - 2009 - Journal of Zoology - Wiley Online Library

Patterns of social grouping in ungulates of Tsavo National Park, Kenya - Leuthold - 2009 - Journal of Zoology - Wiley Online Library: "The paper presents data on group size frequencies and mean group sizes in 11 species of ungulates and, for seven of them, more detailed information on the composition of groups in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya. In several species, mean group size was higher in a part of the study area with more open vegetation"

Rainfall influences on ungulate population abundance in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem - Ogutu - 2008 - Journal of Animal Ecology - Wiley Online Library

Rainfall influences on ungulate population abundance in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem - Ogutu - 2008 - Journal of Animal Ecology - Wiley Online Library: "We report relationships between rainfall and changes in age- and sex-structured abundances of seven ungulate species monitored monthly for 15 years using vehicle ground counts in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Abundance showed strong and curvilinear relationships with current and cumulative rainfall, with older topi, Damaliscus korrigum (Ogilby); warthog, Phacochoerus aethiopicus (Pallas); waterbuck, Kobus ellipsyprimnus (Ogilby); and impala, Aepyceros melampus (Lichtenstein) responding to longer lags than younger animals, portraying carryover effects of prior habitat conditions."

Response of native ungulates to drought in semi-arid Kenyan rangeland - Augustine - 2010 - African Journal of Ecology - Wiley Online Library

Response of native ungulates to drought in semi-arid Kenyan rangeland - Augustine - 2010 - African Journal of Ecology - Wiley Online Library: "The distribution and abundance of native ungulates were measured on commercially managed, semi-arid rangeland in central Kenya over a 3-year period that encompassed severe drought and above-average rainfall. Native ungulate biomass density averaged 5282�kg�km−2 over the study and was dominated by elephant (Loxodonta africana), impala (Aepyceros melampus) and dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii). Biomass density of domestic cattle (Bos taurus) averaged 2280�kg�km−2 during the study. Responses of native ungulates to severe drought were variable. Impala densities were similar to or greater than densities for similar habitat in protected areas, and varied from 12 to 16�km−2 during and following the drought to 24–29�km−2 following above-average rainfall. Dik-dik densities were also greater than densities reported for protected areas and were surprisingly stable throughout the study despite the wide annual fluctuations in rainfall. Elephant migrated out of the region during drought but were present at high densities (2.9–5.2�km−2) during wet seasons,"

Evidence for top predator control of a grazing ecosystem - Frank - 2008 - Oikos - Wiley Online Library

Evidence for top predator control of a grazing ecosystem - Frank - 2008 - Oikos - Wiley Online Library: "The importance of top predators in controlling ecological processes in large, intact ecosystems is unclear. In grasslands that support abundant ungulates, top–down control by predators may be particularly important, because of the tight biogeochemical linkages of ungulate prey with plants and soil microbes."

Regulation of shrub dynamics by native browsing ungulates on East African rangeland - Augustine - 2004 - Journal of Applied Ecology - Wiley Online Library

Regulation of shrub dynamics by native browsing ungulates on East African rangeland - Augustine - 2004 - Journal of Applied Ecology - Wiley Online Library: "Herbivores, edaphic features and fire are primary factors regulating the balance between woody and herbaceous vegetation in savannas. Many observational studies have evaluated the potential effects of browsing herbivores on woody plant dynamics in African savannas"

The need for integrative approaches to understand and conserve migratory ungulates - Bolger - 2007 - Ecology Letters - Wiley Online Library

The need for integrative approaches to understand and conserve migratory ungulates - Bolger - 2007 - Ecology Letters - Wiley Online Library: "We review the literature on ungulate migration disruptions and find that for many species the disruption of migratory routes causes a rapid population collapse. Previous research has focused on the proximal ecological factors that might favour migration, particularly spatiotemporal variation in resources and predation. However, this does not provide an adequate basis for understanding and mitigating anthropogenic effects on migratory populations. Migration is a complex behaviour and we advocate an integrative approach that incorporates population dynamics, evolution, genetics, behaviour and physiology, and that borrows insights and approaches from research on other taxa."

Social Capital in Biodiversity Conservation and Management - PRETTY - 2004 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library

Social Capital in Biodiversity Conservation and Management - PRETTY - 2004 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library: "The knowledge and values of local communities are now being acknowledged as valuable for biodiversity conservation. Relationships of trust, reciprocity and exchange, common rules, norms and sanctions, and connectedness in groups are what make up social capital, which is a necessary resource for shaping individual action to achieve positive biodiversity outcomes."

Rethinking Community-Based Conservation - BERKES - 2004 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library

Rethinking Community-Based Conservation - BERKES - 2004 - Conservation Biology - Wiley Online Library: "Community-based conservation (CBC) is based on the idea that if conservation and development could be simultaneously achieved, then the interests of both could be served. It has been controversial because community development objectives are not necessarily consistent with conservation objectives in a given case."

AFP: World's 103 wild mountain antelopes face extinction: Kenya

AFP: World's 103 wild mountain antelopes face extinction: Kenya: "NAIROBI — Wildlife officials in Kenya warned Thursday that an antelope species, whose entire global wild population of 103 exists only in the east African country, was on the verge of extinction.
Habitat loss, genetic factors, predation and disease were threatening to wipe out the mountain bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said in a statement.
The elusive mountain bongo is the largest mountain antelope and weighs up to 300 kilogrammes (660 pounds). It has white stripes against a chestnut brown hide and both males and females have twisted horns."

allAfrica.com: Tanzania: Barclays Dishes Out 1.5 Billion for Charcoal Project

allAfrica.com: Tanzania: Barclays Dishes Out 1.5 Billion for Charcoal Project: "BARCLAYS Bank Tanzania Limited has dished out nearly 1.5bn/- projects for environmental charcoal production in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Kisarawe and Rufiji districts."

Scientists Show Waves of Deforestation Across East Africa

Scientists Show Waves of Deforestation Across East Africa: "A new study co-authored by a World Wildlife Fund scientist documents waves of forest degradation advancing like ripples in a pond 75 miles across East Africa in just 14 years."

BBC News - Is Africa's wildlife being eaten to extinction?

BBC News - Is Africa's wildlife being eaten to extinction?: "According to the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force, the hunting of and trade in bushmeat represents 'the most significant immediate threat to the future of wildlife in Africa'."

Participatory wildlife surveys in communal lands: a case study from Simanjiro, Tanzania. Fortunata U. Msoffe. 2009; African Journal of Ecology - Wiley InterScience

Participatory wildlife surveys in communal lands: a case study from Simanjiro, Tanzania. Fortunata U. Msoffe. 2009; African Journal of Ecology - Wiley InterScience: "we assess the population density of migratory species in the Tarangire–Simanjiro Ecosystem by conducting a ground census using DISTANCE sampling."

Density dependence and population dynamics of black rhinos (Diceros bicornis michaeli) in Kenya's rhino sanctuaries. Benson Okita-Ouma. 2009; African Journal of Ecology - Wiley InterScience

Density dependence and population dynamics of black rhinos (Diceros bicornis michaeli) in Kenya's rhino sanctuaries. Benson Okita-Ouma. 2009; African Journal of Ecology - Wiley InterScience: "Density-dependent feedback mechanisms provide insights into the population dynamics and interactions of large herbivores with their ecosystem. Sex ratio also has particularly important implications for growth rates of many large mammal populations through its influence on reproductive potential. Therefore, the interrelationships between density-dependent factors, comprising density, sex ratio and underlying growth rates (r) were examined for the Eastern black rhino (Diceros bicornis michaeli) living in three rhino sanctuaries in Kenya using four population models."

IRIN Africa | KENYA: Land issues that just won’t go away | East Africa | Kenya | Governance Human Rights Aid Policy | Analysis

IRIN Africa | KENYA: Land issues that just won’t go away | East Africa | Kenya | Governance Human Rights Aid Policy | Analysis: "SABOTI, 30 July 2010 (IRIN) - With only days to the constitutional referendum in Kenya, the issue of land - ownership, quantity and usage - remains the most controversial, with proponents and opponents suggesting different interpretations of land rights detailed in the draft."

allAfrica.com: Zambia: Region to Resubmit Ivory Trade Bid

allAfrica.com: Zambia: Region to Resubmit Ivory Trade Bid: "TOURISM, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Catherine Namugala has said Zambia will resubmit its proposal to the parties to the Convention in International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to enable Zambia trade in ivory."

Google Earth for Educators

Google Earth for Educators

Saving Africa's last wild lions by fencing them out - NatGeo News Watch

Saving Africa's last wild lions by fencing them out - NatGeo News Watch: "This is the first in a regular series of blog posts about what's being done to help the world's last big cats survive in the wild.�It focuses on the work of National Geographic grantee Anne Kent Taylor, the construction of predator-proof livestock enclosures in prime big cat habitats in Kenya's Masai Mara region."

Kenya Broadcasting Corporation:

Kenya Broadcasting Corporation:: "President Mwai Kibaki on Saturday officially launched the Kenya Agricultural Sector Development Strategy and witnessed the signing of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).

Following the signing of CAADP by minister for finance Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta on behalf of the government, Kenya can now access major funding from the World Bank for agricultural development in the country.

President Kibaki said the government has developed Agricultural Sector Development Strategy 2012 to guide the growth of the country's agricultural sector in line with CAADP.

'The strategy's overall objective is to achieve an agricultural growth of 7 per cent per year over the next 5 years. It aims at positioning the agricultural sector strategically as a key driver for sustained economic growth,'"

coastweek.com

coastweek.com: "Coastweek-- Over 50 wildlife research scientists last week converged at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) headquarters where they presented various reports on large carnivores in the country.

The Annual Carnivore Researchers’ Meeting held annually saw top scientists share their research and findings as they sought to address various challenges facing carnivores that include cheetahs, lions, leopards, hyenas and the African wild dog."

allAfrica.com: Kenya: Officers Sent to Violence Hotspots

allAfrica.com: Kenya: Officers Sent to Violence Hotspots: "Nairobi — The government is rolling out a massive security operation to ensure peace before and after the referendum on August 4.

In the Rift Valley where some residents have started moving back to camps for internally displaced persons, 15,000 officers will be deployed"

Report Finds Kenyan Wildlife Reserve Lost Half its Big Game Animals | East Africa | English

Report Finds Kenyan Wildlife Reserve Lost Half its Big Game Animals | East Africa | English: "A new study conducted by the United Nations Environmental Program has found that Kenya's Masai Mara wildlife reserve has lost more than 50 percent of its large animals.� Conservationist says serious investment in the parks must be made to protect the park's animals from further decline. �

Populations of big game animals such as lions, zebra, and buffalo have fallen by an average of 59 percent since 1970, according to a recent joint survey of Africa's wildlife reserves."

The East African: �- News�|Kenya unveils $10bn modern farming blueprint

The East African: �- News�|Kenya unveils $10bn modern farming blueprint: "An ambitious agricultural reform package for Kenya is to be launched this Tuesday, signalling a new private-sector driven approach to the development of the Ksh727 billion ($9.32 billion) sector.

The new agricultural strategy is designed to drive Vision 2030 — the policy blueprint unveiled by the coalition government to ramp up economic growth to 10 per cent and turn Kenya into a middle-industrialised economy in 20 years."

ILRI workshop trains staff in social media for research communication � ILRI News

ILRI workshop trains staff in social media for research communication � ILRI News: "A workshop on ‘Africa Learning and Exchange on Local Content, Social Media and Agricultural/Rural Knowledge Sharing’ opened on the Nairobi campus of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) last week."

allAfrica.com: Kenya: KWS Launches Plan to Restock Depleted National Parks

allAfrica.com: Kenya: KWS Launches Plan to Restock Depleted National Parks: "Nairobi — Kenya Wildlife Service has launched a conservation programme to restock the national parks.

Conservation researchers expressed concern at what they called alarming rate at which wild cats across the regional migratory corridors are dwindling."

Manyara Ranch Conservancy - About

Manyara Ranch Conservancy - About: "Originally established as a cattle ranch during Tanzania's colonial period, Manyara Ranch remains an operating ranch with a relatively small herd of beef cattle and black-headed sheep. It is located in the middle of the crucial Kwakuchinja wildlife corridor connecting Lake Natron, Ngorongoro and Manyara wildlife areas to the Tarangire ecosystem and the Maasailands to the South. In 2000, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) obtained management and conservation rights to the ranch to protect these wildlife corridors. In so doing, they established a working relationship with the Maasai, developing their community conservation projects and rehabilitating the ranch itself. The ranch is held in Trust by the Tanzania Land Conservation Trust (TLCT) for the benefit of the local communities and Tanzania"

Ethical Traveler: News

Ethical Traveler: News: "Ecotourism is frequently cited as a model of responsible development, yet a recent report found it is often a sour deal for poor communities in Kenya. According to a series of articles on Investigate West, the nonprofit Kenya Community Based Tourism Organization looked into six ecotourism ranches across the country and reported that local groups that had handed over part of their commonly held land to investors were not reaping their fair share of the profits."

The Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit in Kenya - May�2010

The Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit in Kenya - May�2010: "During the month of May, 2010, the Central Rift veterinary unit was greatly involved in laboratory analysis of wildlife serum and tissue samples meant for bovine tuberculosis disease surveillance and research on wildlife species of Maasai Mara. The samples were submitted to Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro, Tanzania and were analyzed in a biosafety tuberculosis laboratory. The tests included the gamma interferon test (Bovigam�) and tissue culture for Mycobacterium bovis infection in animals."

Wildebeest spectacle starts

Daily Nation: - News |Wildebeest spectacle starts: "Hotels are full, the wildebeest have been sighted and the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and Serengeti National Park are all set for the biggest wildlife spectacle in the world.

In trail of new seventh wonder of the world
The early ones have already begun their movement — a breathtaking migration of two million wildebeest, zebras and antelopes northwards from Serengeti in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in Kenya."

Farming extensively: A ‘third way’ for agriculture? � ILRI News

Farming extensively: A ‘third way’ for agriculture? � ILRI News: "'To do that, don't look at the agro-business model for the future. It's really old and its tired. It's high on capital, chemistry and machines. And it's never produced anything really good to eat. Look to farms that restore instead of deplete. Farms that farm extensively instead of just intensively. Farmers that are not just producers but are experts in relationships.'"

With all eyes on Africa, Canada looks the other way - The Globe and Mail

With all eyes on Africa, Canada looks the other way - The Globe and Mail: "Governments in India, China and Russia are among those rushing to knock on the continent's door, seeking an edge in future business. Canada isn't following suit, leaving experts wondering: Will it hurt Canada's interests?"

The East African: |Outcry in West over plan to build road through Serengeti

Outcry in West over plan to build road through Serengeti:
"The Tanzanian government’s plan to build a road linking Arusha and Musoma is being opposed by wildlife advocates in the United States and other developed countries who warn that the route will disrupt the wildebeest migration and thus badly damage Tanzania’s tourism-dependent economy."

Wildebeest graze in Serengeti National Park, far from the prying eyes of the Maasai Mara tourists. Environmentalist have protested plans to construct a road through the park. File Photo

Traditional Food Crops Provide Community Resilience in Face of Climate Change | Worldwatch Institute

Traditional Food Crops Provide Community Resilience in Face of Climate Change | Worldwatch Institute

"A recent study by researchers from Cornell and Rhodes universities and the Sebakwe Black Rhino Conservation Trust found that traditional food crops, such as mubovora (pumpkin) and ipwa (sweet reed), are an important source of community resilience in Zimbabwe-including resilience to climate change and economic turbulence."

Why Are Well-Managed African Parks Losing Wildlife?

Why Are Well-Managed African Parks Losing Wildlife?

Asian ivory trade poses danger to African elephant | Science News

Asian ivory trade poses danger to African elephant | Science News: "A surge in demand for ivory in Asia is fuelling an illicit trade in elephant tusks, especially from Africa. Over the past eight years, the price of ivory has gone up from about $100 per kilogram ($100 per 2.2 pounds) to $1,800, creating a lucrative black market."

Building the role of local government authorities towards the achievement of the human right to water in rural Tanzania. Alejandro Jim�nez. 2010; Natural Resources Forum - Wiley InterScience

Building the role of local government authorities towards the achievement of the human right to water in rural Tanzania. Alejandro Jim�nez. 2010; Natural Resources Forum - Wiley InterScience: "In recent decades, many changes have occurred in the approach to financing and operating water services in developing countries. The demand-responsive approach is now adopted in many countries in a context of donor-supported decentralization processes, which gives more responsibility to end users. However, the government's responsibility at different levels is enforced by the international recognition of the human right to water. This paper examines specific actions that build the role of local government authorities in this scenario. A collaboration between an international NGO and a rural district in Tanzania from 2006 to 2009 is used as an action research case study that is representative of local capacity-building needs in decentralized contexts and rural areas"