Seeding small numbers of cultured black-lip abalone (Haliotis rubra Leach) to match natural densities of wild populations

2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 747 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Goodsell ◽  
A. J. Underwood ◽  
M. G. Chapman ◽  
M. P. Heasman
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Total Recovery ◽  
Density Dependent ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Haliotis Rubra

Haliotis rubra Leach, the black-lip abalone, is a valuable, commercially harvested species, but populations have declined since the onset of commercial fishing. Seeding juvenile cultured abalone into natural habitats can enhance and/or re-establish populations. This is often done in numbers well above natural densities of both unfished and fished populations, but is usually unsuccessful (probably because of increased mortality from predation or other density-dependent factors) and is potentially problematic for the ecology of the habitat. A major aim was, therefore, to assess survival of H. rubra when seeded in small numbers. The current study is one of a few experimental investigations to improve understanding of the potential of re-seeding. We test: (1) the importance of the spatial and temporal configuration of seed; (2) the usefulness of the urchins, Centroste phanus rodgersii, to act as a potential shelter from predators; and (3) differences in survival when using the deployment devices versus urchins. After a few days, total recovery among treatments ranged between 3 and 31%. The configuration of abalone or their proximity to urchins did not affect long-term survival. Survival in devices may be greater than with urchins, but these results were spatially variable. Recovery dropped to 0.2–3% from 1–2 months, and 0.05–2% after 6 months. Nevertheless, these results show that seeding fewer abalone (rather than previous attempts at mass out-planting) can sustain populations close to average natural densities of adults previously observed in Australia (1–3 abalone per m2). It may be more productive and ecologically conservative to release fewer and therefore larger abalone, which are known to survive better in the wild.

A preliminary study of regeneration in wild populations of threatened endemic Hawaiian palms (Pritchardia; Arecaceae)

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melany H. Chapin ◽  
Mike Maunder ◽  
Katherine E. Horak
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Ecological Change ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Human Colonization ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Term Management

Island floras have been subject to catastrophic changes since human colonization; the Hawaiian Islands exemplify this pattern of species decline and ecological change. Archaeological and historic findings support the former existence of coastal, lowland and interior Pritchardia dominated forests. Wild Pritchardia populations are highly fragmented and exhibit poor or absent regeneration in the wild. This study records seed predation, goat grazing, pig damage, and human harvesting on six wild populations of three species and outlines requirements for the long-term management of wild populations. Only one population of the six studied was found to contain seedlings. Recommended conservation management strategies are outlined.

scholarly journals The Critically Endangered Myanmar snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus strykeri found in the Salween River Basin, China

Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin Yang ◽  
Ying-Ping Tian ◽  
Chen-Xiang He ◽  
Zhipang Huang ◽  
Shao-Hua Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Infrared Camera ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Transect Sampling ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Disturbed Forest ◽  
Endangered Status ◽  
Salween River

AbstractThe Myanmar snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus strykeri was discovered in 2010 on the western slopes of the Gaoligong Mountains in the Irrawaddy River basin in Myanmar and subsequently in the same river basin in China, in 2011. Based on 2 years of surveying the remote and little disturbed forest of the Gaoligong Mountains National Nature Reserve in China, with outline transect sampling and infrared camera monitoring, a breeding group comprising > 70 individuals was found on the eastern slopes of the Gaoligong Mountains in the Salween River Basin. Given the Critically Endangered status of this primate (a total of < 950 individuals are estimated to remain in the wild), efforts to protect the relatively undisturbed habitat of this newly discovered population and to prevent hunting are essential for the long-term survival of this species.

No long-term effect of intracoelomic acoustic transmitter implantation on survival, growth, and body condition of a long-lived stenotherm in the wild

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin A. G. Hubbard ◽  
Brendan E. Hickie ◽  
Jeff Bowman ◽  
Lee E. Hrenchuk ◽  
Paul J. Blanchfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Acoustic Transmitter ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Surgical Implantation ◽  
Fish Survival

A fundamental assumption of biotelemetry studies is that there are no adverse consequences from the surgical implantation or presence of the acoustic transmitter. In fisheries, most studies have evaluated this assumption over only short time periods (<2 y) in a laboratory setting. Here we compared the survival, growth, and body condition of populations of Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in three lakes containing tagged and untagged individuals over a 12-year period (2002-2013). We found no significant negative effects of acoustic telemetry tagging on the long-term survival of fish (estimates of combined annual survival ranged from 67% to 91%), and no negative effect of surgical implantation on growth or body condition for fish of either sex. Additionally, we found no significant effect of transmitter:fish mass ratio on fish survival, growth (with the exception of smaller-bodied fish in one lake), or condition. All implanted fish received tags weighing <1.25% of their mass (in water), indicating that this criterion is desirable for larger-bodied adult Lake Trout. Our findings support the assumption that long-lived fish species tagged with acoustic transmitters via intracoelomic surgery survive, grow, and maintain body condition similar to un-tagged conspecifics over the long-term in the wild.

scholarly journals Older mothers produce more successful daughters

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 4809-4814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svenja B. Kroeger ◽  
Daniel T. Blumstein ◽  
Kenneth B. Armitage ◽  
Jane M. Reid ◽  
Julien G. A. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Lifetime Reproductive Success ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Substantial Variation ◽  
Older Mothers ◽  
Lower Elevation ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Term Data

Annual reproductive success and senescence patterns vary substantially among individuals in the wild. However, it is still seldom considered that senescence may not only affect an individual but also affect age-specific reproductive success in its offspring, generating transgenerational reproductive senescence. We used long-term data from wild yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) living in two different elevational environments to quantify age-specific reproductive success of daughters born to mothers differing in age. Contrary to prediction, daughters born to older mothers had greater annual reproductive success on average than daughters born to younger mothers, and this translated into greater lifetime reproductive success. However, in the favorable lower elevation environment, daughters born to older mothers also had greater age-specific decreases in annual reproductive success. In the harsher higher elevation environment on the other hand, daughters born to older mothers tended to die before reaching ages at which such senescent decreases could be observed. Our study highlights the importance of incorporating environment-specific transgenerational parent age effects on adult offspring age-specific life-history traits to fully understand the substantial variation observed in senescence patterns in wild populations.

scholarly journals Play in Elephants: Wellbeing, Welfare or Distraction?

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 305 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Elizabeth Webber ◽  
Phyllis C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Play ◽  
Feeding Time ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Active Time ◽  
Object Play ◽  
Welfare Indicator ◽  
Potential Indicator ◽  
In The Wild

We explore elephant play behaviour since (a) play has been proposed to represent a potential welfare indicator; and (b) play has been associated with long-term survival in the wild. We categorised play into four types, and investigate both social (gentle, escalated-contact) and non-social (lone-locomotor, exploratory-object) play from observations made on wild (Asian N = 101; African N = 130) and captive (Asian N = 8; African N = 7) elephant calves ranging in age from birth to five years. Social play was the most frequent type of play among immature elephants, accounting for an average of 3%–9% of active time. Non-social play accounted for an additional 1%–11% of time. The most time spent in play was seen in captive Asian calves, particularly at the ages of 1–6 months, while wild African calves spent the least time in play overall, even though they had the greatest number and most diverse range of play partners available. We assessed calf energetics using time spent suckling, resting, moving and independent feeding. Time spent playing was unrelated to time spent suckling but negatively associated with time spent independently feeding. There were no associations with time spent moving or resting. Maternal energy via lactation was unrelated to play early in life, but energy acquired independently may constrain or enable play. Play, while a potential indicator of compromised welfare for many species when absent, can act as a highly stimulating activity for captive elephants in the absence of other forms of arousal.

scholarly journals Sex ratio and morphological characteristics of rufous gnateaters, Conopophaga lineata (Aves, Passeriformes) in Atlantic forest fragments

2009 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisele P. M. Dantas ◽  
Fabrício R. Santos ◽  
Miguel Ângelo Marini
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Atlantic Rain Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Term Survival

Unequal sex ratios lead to the loss of genetic variability, decreasing the viability of populations in the long term. Anthropogenic activities often disturb the natural habitats and can cause alterations in sex ratio and morphological characteristics of several species. Forest fragmentation is a major conservation concern, so that understanding its effects in natural populations is essential. In this study, we evaluated the sex ratio and the morphological characteristics of Rufous Gnateaters (Conopophaga lineata (Wied, 1831)) in small and large forest fragments in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Birds (n = 89) were sexed by plumage characteristics and molecular markers. The molecular analysis showed that plumage is not a totally reliable method for sexing Rufous Gnateaters. We observed that sex ratio did not differ between large and small forest fragments, but birds in small fragments had larger wings and tarsus. Wing and tarsus changes may affect the movement ability of individuals within and among forest fragments. In conclusion, Rufous Gnateaters have been able to survive in both small and large Atlantic rain forest fragments without altering their sex ratio, but morphological changes can be prejudicial to their long term survival.

scholarly journals Telomere dynamics rather than age predict life expectancy in the wild

2009 ◽  
Vol 276 (1662) ◽  
pp. 1679-1683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Bize ◽  
François Criscuolo ◽  
Neil B Metcalfe ◽  
Lubna Nasir ◽  
Pat Monaghan
Keyword(s):  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Telomere Length ◽  
Good Evidence ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Telomere Dynamics

Despite accumulating evidence from in vitro studies that cellular senescence is linked to telomere dynamics, how this relates to whole-organism senescence and longevity is poorly understood and controversial. Using data on telomere length in red blood cells and long-term survival from wild Alpine swifts of a range of ages, we report that the telomere length and the rate of telomere loss are predictive of life expectancy, and that slow erosion of relatively long telomeres is associated with the highest survival probabilities. Importantly, because telomere dynamics, rather than chronological age, predict life expectancy, our study provides good evidence for a mechanistic link between telomere erosion and reduced organism longevity under natural conditions, chronological age itself possibly not becoming a significant predictor until very old ages beyond those in our sample.

scholarly journals Diet ecology of tigers and leopards in Chhattisgarh, central India

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 15289-15300
Author(s):  
Krishnendu Basak ◽  
Moiz Ahmed ◽  
M. Suraj ◽  
B.V. Reddy ◽  
O.P. Yadav ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
Central India ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Wild Ungulates ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Long Term Survival ◽  
Large Predator ◽  
Large Predators

Wild prey base is a potential regulatory parameter that supports successful propagation and secured long term survival of large predators in their natural habitats. Therefore, low wild prey availability with higher available livestock in or around forest areas often catalyzes livestock depredation by predators that eventually leads to adverse situations to conservation initiatives. Thus understanding the diet ecology of large predators is significant for their conservation in the areas with low prey base. The present study reports the diet ecology of tiger and leopard in Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve and Bhoramdeo Wildlife Sanctuary, in central India to know the effect of wild prey availability on prey predator relationship. We walked line transects to estimate prey abundance in the study areas where we found langur and rhesus macaque to be the most abundant species. Scat analysis showed that despite the scarcity of large and medium ungulates, tiger used wild ungulates including chital and wild pig along with high livestock utilization (39%). Leopards highly used langur (43–50 %) as a prime prey species but were observed to exploit livestock as prey (7–9 %) in both the study areas. Scarcity of wild ungulates and continuous livestock predation by tiger and leopard eventually indicated that the study areas were unable to sustain healthy large predator populations. Developing some strong protection framework and careful implementation of the ungulate augmentation can bring a fruitful result to hold viable populations of tiger and leopard and secure their long term survival in the present study areas in central India, Chhattisgarh. 

scholarly journals Trade in Asian elephant ivory in Sri Lanka

Oryx ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Santiapillai ◽  
Ajith Silva ◽  
Champika Karyawasam ◽  
Shameema Esufali ◽  
Salila Jayaniththi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Turn Of The Century ◽  
Elephas Maximus ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Elephant Ivory

AbstractElephants Elephas maximus have declined in range and number in the wild in Sri Lanka, from c. 12,000 at the turn of the nineteenth century to c. 4000 today. While in the distant past the decline in elephant numbers was due largely to indiscriminate killing by sportsmen and trophy hunters, today elephants are being killed primarily because they interfere with agriculture. Human-elephant conflicts have increased substantially in the recent past and ivory poaching has become a byproduct of such conflicts. Elephant tusks have been used traditionally in the ivory-carving industry in Sri Lanka since the time of the ancient kings. Until the turn of the century, very little ivory was imported from Africa because there was a plentiful supply of tuskers locally available. Sri Lankan ivory carvers started to use African ivory in 1910. Today ivory and fake-ivory products are sold openly to tourists in some 86 shops in the island. Before the listing of the African elephant in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the value of raw ivory in Sri Lanka used to be $US228–285 per kg. After the listing, the price fell to $US72 per kg, reflecting a drastic drop in the demand for ivory from tourists. Many ivory carvers have switched to other jobs or are using substitutes (such as bone and horn) to produce fake-ivory carvings. Only about 7.5 per cent of bulls in Sri Lanka are tuskers and they are under poaching pressure outside protected areas. Given the rarity of tuskers in Sri Lanka, promotion of trade in ivory products, even locally, may pose a serious threat to their long-term survival in the wild.

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