Status of crocodiles in the U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve, southern Vietnam

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan L. Stuart ◽  
Benjamin Hayes ◽  
Bui Huu Manh ◽  
Steven G. Platt

Both species of native crocodile, Siamese Crocodile Crocodylus siamensis and Estuarine Crocodile C. porosus, are seriously threatened in the wild in Vietnam. The swamp forest of the U Minh region in southern Vietnam was recently suggested to harbor the last remaining wild Estuarine Crocodiles in the country. We investigated the status of crocodiles in the U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve by conducting field surveys and interviewing local people. Field surveys found no signs of living wild crocodiles, and interview results strongly suggested that wild crocodiles have not occurred at U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve for perhaps as long as 30 years.

Oryx ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Noel McGough ◽  
David Kikodze ◽  
Richard Wilford ◽  
Lucy Garrett ◽  
Grigol Deisadze ◽  
...  

AbstractA process for the review of significant trade in species listed in CITES Appendix II was established to address problems with the application of CITES Article IV. Article IV states that international trade in Appendix II species requires a Scientific Authority of the state of export to determine that such trade will not be detrimental to the species’ survival in the wild. Such a review process was initiated for the plant species Galanthus woronowii Losinsk. as a result of continuing uncertainty over the sustainability of international exports of the plant from wild populations in Georgia, and the Georgian Management Authority was tasked with determining and reporting whether export levels conformed to Article IV. Here we report on the project that was established to address that task. Nationwide field surveys conducted in 2009 led to the recommendation of a conservative annual export quota of 15 million plants for the sites surveyed. Cultivated populations held significant stocks of harvestable plants but with varied cultivation histories, especially in relation to the extent and nature of supplementary planting. Future work should continue to monitor harvesting from wild populations and identify solutions for local communities wishing to cultivate the plant for international trade.


2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew W. Tordoff ◽  
Tim Appleton ◽  
Jonathan C. Eames ◽  
Karin Eberhardt ◽  
Htin Hla ◽  
...  

AbstractPink-headed Duck Rhodonessa caryophyllacea is a Critically Endangered species that has not been confirmed in the wild since 1948–1949. Historical records of the species are concentrated in India, although there are also a few from Myanmar. Between 2003 and 2005, BirdLife International and the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA) conducted a series of field surveys of wetland habitats in the lowlands of Kachin state, an area with a cluster of historical records of the species. These were the first targeted efforts to assess the status of the species in Myanmar. These surveys were complemented by reviews of museum specimens and literature relating to the species in Myanmar. Two specimen records represent very strong evidence that the species occurred in Myanmar historically, although they shed little light on its seasonal status in the country. The surveys conducted by BirdLife International and BANCA were unable to confirm the continued occurrence of Pink-headed Duck in Myanmar. However, they did generate a limited amount of equivocal direct evidence, most notably two possible but unconfirmed sightings. There are several reasons for believing that the species may still persist in the lowlands of Kachin state and, perhaps, elsewhere in Myanmar. Shyness, combined with rarity, possible nocturnal habits and the impenetrability of its habitats, means that the species tended to be under-recorded historically, and may continue to be so currently. Further surveys are required to confirm this.


2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 440-463
Author(s):  
Raffaella Sarti

What did early-modern and nineteenth-century Italians mean when they used the expressions tener casa aperta or aver casa aperta, literally to keep open house and to have an open house? In this article I will try to answer this question, which is far less trivial than one might imagine. Before tackling the topic, a premise is necessary. In some previous works, I used an etic category of ‘open houses’, i.e. a category I elaborated to interpret the implications of the presence, in many households, of domestic staff from different classes, places, races than their masters/employers. Such a presence made those houses open. The border between different peoples and cultures was inside the houses themselves that were places of exchanges, confrontations and clashes. In this article, I will develop a different approach: I will map the emic uses of the ‘open-house’ category, i.e. I will analyse how early-modern and nineteenth-century Italians used the expressions tener casa aperta or aver casa aperta. While some uses had to do with hospitality and sociability, others had legal meanings, referring to citizenship rights and privileges, the status of aristocrats, the differences between foreigners and local people and taxpaying. I will pay particular attention to the latter, also suggesting possible geographical differences and changes over time. This will present an opportunity to delve into the cultural and legal world of early-modern and nineteenth-century Italians, and to unveil the importance of houses for one's status.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 15547-15556
Author(s):  
Hongying Li ◽  
Shusheng Zhang ◽  
Ji Zhang ◽  
Zupei Lei ◽  
Fangdong Zheng ◽  
...  

Illegal hunting and trading of the Chinese Pangolin Manis pentadactyla has pushed this Critically Endangered species close to extinction.  While local reports have suggested its continued presence in mainland China, this has not been confirmed by a research group except for a survey of presumed pangolin burrows in 2004.  We conducted a six-month field study using infrared camera surveillance and community questionnaire survey in Zhejiang Wuyanling National Nature Reserve in China, to determine the status of Chinese Pangolins and understand local attitudes towards the conservation of this species.  Our study details the first verifiable documentation of two visual records of a Chinese Pangolin in the wild, demonstrating the suitability of pangolin habitat in Wuyanling region, and suggests an increasing awareness and strong willingness in local communities to conserve the Chinese Pangolin.  


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Lee ◽  
Timothy C.G. Rich

Hieracium breconicola P.D. Sell, Beacons Hawkweed, is a Welsh endemic plant confined to the Brecon Beacons. Field surveys 2009-2020 indicate only one plant survives in one of its three sites. The IUCN threat status is ‘Critically Endangered’; unless conservation action is undertaken soon, this species will soon be extinct in the wild.


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4403 (2) ◽  
pp. 307 ◽  
Author(s):  
OLIVIER S. G. PAUWELS ◽  
ROMAN A. NAZAROV ◽  
VLADIMIR V. BOBROV ◽  
NIKOLAY A. POYARKOV

Based on genetic, morphological and chromatical comparisons we evaluate the taxonomic status of two southern Vietnamese forest-dwelling populations of the Cyrtodactylus irregularis species complex. We confirm the allocation of the population from Binh Chau—Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve (Ba Ria—Vung Tau Province) to C. cattienensis and we describe the population of Nui Chua National Park (Ninh Thuan Province) as Cyrtodactylus sangi sp. nov. This brings to 18 the number of species within the C. irregularis complex and to 41 the number of described Cyrtodactylus species recorded from Vietnam. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 969 (3) ◽  
pp. 19-27
Author(s):  
M.Yu. Grischchenko ◽  
V.V. Khlyustova ◽  
E.A. Izyumnikova ◽  
I.V. Kalimova

The paper deals with compilation of a large-scale soil map for the site of “Kurilsky” nature reserve, located in the southern part of Kunashir island, the Greater Kuril ridge. The islands make a remote and poorly studied area, and the soil is one of the least examined components of the local geosystems. The zonal soils here are cambisoil, but the variety of soil-forming processes characteristic of the island provides a comparative diversity of the cover. Modern volcanism affects the formation process significantly, although its role is sometimes overestimated. The study is based on field surveys performed in the considered area in 2014–2019, during which descriptions of soils were compiled according to standard methods. The map was compiled using a multispectral image of high spatial resolution from the Pleiades-1B satellite and topographic maps. Thus, the abundance of soils from different levels and divisions does not make a significant effect on the general heterogeneity of the territory soil cover due to the small area of intrazonal soils.


2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette M Hübschle

In light of the high incidence of rhino poaching in southern Africa, the African rhinoceros might become extinct in the wild in the near future. Scholars from a variety of disciplines have analysed drivers of illegal hunting and poaching behaviour in general terms. Existing scholarship on rhino poaching proffers a simplistic concurrence of interlinked drivers, including the entry of transnational organized crime into wildlife crime, opportunity structures and the endemic poverty facing people living close to protected areas. By engaging with the lived experiences and social worlds of poachers and rural communities, this article reflects on empirical evidence gathered during ethnographic fieldwork with poachers, prisoners and local people living near the Kruger National Park. It is argued that the socio-political and historical context and continued marginalization of local people are significant factors facilitating poaching decisions at the grassroots level. Green land grabs and the systematic exclusion of local people from protected areas, as well as the growing securitization of anti-poaching responses, are aiding the perception that the wild animal is valued more highly than black rural lives. As a consequence, conservationists and law enforcers are viewed with disdain and struggle to obtain cooperation. The article critiques the current fortress conservation paradigm, which assumes conflict-laden relationships between local people and wildlife.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (03) ◽  
pp. 400-412
Author(s):  
DANIEL C. LOPES ◽  
ROWAN O. MARTIN ◽  
MOHAMED HENRIQUES ◽  
HAMILTON MONTEIRO ◽  
PAULO CARDOSO ◽  
...  

SummaryTimneh Parrots Psittacus timneh are a threatened species endemic to the moist forests of West Africa. In 2016, they were categorised as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List, due to suspected rapid population declines driven by habitat loss and heavy trapping for the pet trade. Systematic assessments of the status of populations are lacking for much of their range and addressing this knowledge shortfall has been identified as a priority action. We combined multiple research approaches to investigate the distribution, trends and threats to Timneh Parrots in Guinea Bissau, where the species is restricted to the islands of the Bijagós archipelago and Pecixe. Direct observational surveys were conducted along line transects on 19 islands. A total of 69 groups were observed on eight of these islands, with the majority (78%) seen on just two islands. Forty-two interviews were conducted with local community members on 24 islands. Interviewees reported the species to occur on 20 islands and that populations are generally perceived to have declined in recent decades. Based on these findings and existing data we conclude that Timneh Parrots occur on 22 of the 32 islands considered and estimate the national population in Guinea-Bissau to be in the order of several hundred individuals, with perhaps half of the parrots occurring on the islands of João Vieira and Meio. Investigations into the factors linked to inter-island variation in parrot densities indicate that densities are highest on the islands which are most remote from permanent human settlements. These findings suggest that human activities including habitat modification and trapping have been important in driving population declines in Guinea-Bissau. We consider the implications of these findings for the conservation of Timneh Parrots.


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
A. B. C. Goode ◽  
S. A. Pasachnik ◽  
T. L. Maple

Abstract Context Organisms living in small, isolated populations with very restricted ranges are at high risk of extirpation due to various direct and indirect forces than mainland populations. Roatán spiny-tailed iguanas (Ctenosaura oedirhina) are endemic to the 146-km2 island of Roatán, Honduras. Harvesting for consumption, fragmentation of habitat and predation by domestic animals threaten the existence of this lizard. This species is federally protected in Honduras; however, enforcement is rare. These iguanas are also listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This species is geographically and genetically isolated into small subpopulations that are declining in density. Aims To estimate the population size of Roatán spiny-tailed iguanas (Ctenosaura oedirhina) on the island of Roatán, Honduras. Methods Distance sampling surveys have been used to monitor this species since 2012, and have been used to determine population density at five study sites. Estimates of density at those sites and across the island were used to calculate the population size of this species. Key results The present study elucidates that the high-density populations remaining are declining. The current population size is estimated to be 3759 (95% CI=1406–12616) individuals within the study sites, with 730 additional iguanas potentially outside of the study sites. Conclusions If the current level of decline continues, this species may become extirpated from some locations on Roatán, and go extinct in the wild. Although Honduras does have laws protecting this species and other wildlife, enforcement must be enhanced. Implications Lack of enforced protection for this species allows poaching for consumption to continue, which has been shown to alter its distribution and cause increased adult mortality. Local customs value the consumption of this species, creating a delicate management situation. Recommendations include strategies that mitigate the threat posed by consumption and increase enforcement of the current laws, while acknowledging cultural traditions.


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