scholarly journals The impact of human activities on Australian wildlife

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyce Taylor-Brown ◽  
Rosie Booth ◽  
Amber Gillett ◽  
Erica Mealy ◽  
Steven Ogbourne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIncreasing human population size and the concomitant expansion of urbanisation significantly impact natural ecosystems and native fauna globally. Successful conservation management relies on precise information on the factors associated with wildlife population decline, which are challenging to acquire from natural populations. Wildlife Rehabilitation Centres (WRC) provide a rich source of this information. However, few researchers have conducted large-scale longitudinal studies, with most focussing on narrow taxonomic ranges, suggesting that WRC-associated data remains an underutilised resource, and may provide a fuller understanding of the anthropogenic threats facing native fauna.We analysed admissions and outcomes data from a WRC in Queensland, Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, to determine the major factors driving admissions and morbidity of native animals in a region experiencing rapid and prolonged urban expansion.We studied 31,626 admissions of 83 different species of native birds, reptiles, amphibians, marsupials and eutherian mammals from 2006 to 2017. While marsupial admissions were highest (41.3%), admissions increased over time for all species and exhibited seasonal variation (highest in Spring to Summer), consistent with known breeding seasons.Causes for admission typically associated with human influenced activities were dominant and exhibited the highest mortality rates. Car strikes were the most common reason for admission (34.7%), with dog attacks (9.2%), entanglements (7.2%), and cat attacks (5.3% also high. Admissions of orphaned young and overt signs of disease were significant at 24.6% and 9.7%, respectively. Mortality rates were highest following dog attacks (72.7%) and car strikes (69.1%) and lowest in orphaned animals (22.1%).Our results show that WRC databases offer rich opportunities for wildlife monitoring and provide quantification of the negative impacts of human activities on ecosystem stability and wildlife health. The imminent need for urgent, proactive conservation management to ameliorate the negative impacts of human activities on wildlife is clearly evident from our results.

scholarly journals Population structure and historical demography of South American sea lions provide insights into the catastrophic decline of a marine mammal population

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 160291 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. I. Hoffman ◽  
G. J. Kowalski ◽  
A. Klimova ◽  
L. J. Eberhart-Phillips ◽  
I. J. Staniland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Hypervariable Region ◽  
Baseline Data ◽  
South American ◽  
The South ◽  
Demographic Bottleneck

Understanding the causes of population decline is crucial for conservation management. We therefore used genetic analysis both to provide baseline data on population structure and to evaluate hypotheses for the catastrophic decline of the South American sea lion ( Otaria flavescens ) at the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) in the South Atlantic. We genotyped 259 animals from 23 colonies across the Falklands at 281 bp of the mitochondrial hypervariable region and 22 microsatellites. A weak signature of population structure was detected, genetic diversity was moderately high in comparison with other pinniped species, and no evidence was found for the decline being associated with a strong demographic bottleneck. By combining our mitochondrial data with published sequences from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru, we also uncovered strong maternally directed population structure across the geographical range of the species. In particular, very few shared haplotypes were found between the Falklands and South America, and this was reflected in correspondingly low migration rate estimates. These findings do not support the prominent hypothesis that the decline was caused by migration to Argentina, where large-scale commercial harvesting operations claimed over half a million animals. Thus, our study not only provides baseline data for conservation management but also reveals the potential for genetic studies to shed light upon long-standing questions pertaining to the history and fate of natural populations.

Population genetic structure and dispersal of Pinus occidentalis in the Dominican Republic by chloroplastic SSR with implications for its conservation, management, and reforestation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis E. Rodríguez de Francisco ◽  
Rosanna Carreras-De León ◽  
Rafael M. Navarro Cerrillo ◽  
Liz A. Paulino-Gervacio ◽  
María-Dolores Rey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Population Genetic Structure ◽  
Population Genetic ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
High Genetic Diversity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pinus Occidentalis

<i>Pinus occidentalis</i> is the dominant species of forest ecosystems in the Dominican Republic, located between 200 and 3000 meters above sea level, with extensive and overexploited natural populations. However, over the years, various restoration plans have been performed, which could affect the genetic structure of <i>P. occidentalis</i>. Despite being the species with the highest occurrence in the Dominican forests, there is no existing information on genetic structure and molecular characterization among natural populations with limited information on both phenological and productive characterization. In this study, the genetic structure, diversity, and gene flow of the five <i>P. occidentalis</i> natural populations of the Dominican Republic were determined using microsatellite markers. A total of 145 individuals were genotyped with eight polymorphic chloroplastic microsatellites, producing an average of 41 haplotypes with high genetic diversity across populations (H<sub>E</sub> = 0.90). Significant population genetic structure was found between populations (F<sub>ST</sub> = 0.123). These results reflect the impact of reforestation programs on natural populations and diluting the natural genetic signature. Analysis of population genetic data is, therefore, crucial for the breeding and conservation programs of <i>P. occidentalis</i> in the country.

scholarly journals Attribution Analysis of Hydrological Drought Risk Under Climate Change and Human Activities: A Case Study on Kuye River Basin in China

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhang ◽  
Wang ◽  
Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Drought Severity ◽  
Drought Risk ◽  
Drought Duration ◽  
Recurrence Period ◽  
The Impact

This study conducted quantitative diagnosis on the impact of climate change and human activities on drought risk. Taking the Kuye river basin (KRB) in China as the research area, we used variation point diagnosis, simulation of precipitation and runoff, drought risk assessment, and attribution quantification. The results show that: (1) the annual runoff sequence of KRB changed significantly after 1979, which was consistent with the introduction of large-scale coal mining; (2) under the same drought recurrence period, the drought duration and severity in the human activity stage were significantly worse than in the natural and simulation stages, indicating that human activities changed the drought risk in this area; and (3) human activities had little impact on drought severity in the short duration and low recurrence period, but had a greater impact in the long duration and high recurrence period. These results provide scientific guidance for the management, prevention, and resistance of drought; and guarantee sustainable economic and social development in the KRB.

scholarly journals Study on the Variation of Annual Runoff and Influencing Factors in Kuye River during the Past 60 Years

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
Zhihua MA ◽  
Qiaoling GUO ◽  
Ning SU
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Runoff Variation ◽  
Runoff Reduction ◽  
Filter Methods ◽  
Runoff Series ◽  
Concentration Degree ◽  
The Impact

In this study, observed runoff series from a hydro-station respectively named Wenjiachuan station in the Kuye river was manipulated for monthly annual variation analysis assisted by using nonuniformity coefficient and concentration degree(period).the cumulative filter methods was employed to detect the trend of inner-annual runoff. Based on meteorological and hydrological data of the Wenjiachuan hydrologic station from 1955 to 2015, the paper studied the variation tendency, the abrupt and periodic changes of annual runoff using the Mann-Kendall non-parametric test and accumulation anomaly curve. Double mass curve was used to estimate the impact of human activities and climate change on the runoff variation. The curve of seasonal runoff distribution for Wenjiachuan station appeared two peak patterns. The annual runoff declined markedly, the effect of climate on runoff decreased, the influence of human activities on runoff gradually increased the human activities are the primary factors leading to the reduction of annual runoff. In human activities, large-scale water and soil conservation measures and high-strength coal mining have produced significant effects on the annual runoff reduction in Kuye River.

scholarly journals Urban expansion in the Atlantic Forest: applying the Nature Futures Framework to develop a conceptual model and future scenarios

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (suppl 1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Cavalcanti Lembi ◽  
Cecilia Cronemberger ◽  
Caroline Picharillo ◽  
Sheina Koffler ◽  
Pedro H. Albuquerque Sena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Impact

Abstract: The Atlantic Forest is an important hotspot of biodiversity and ecosystem services that contributes to the well-being of its 125 million human inhabitants, about three quarters of the Brazilian population. In the coming decades, forecasts show that urban areas in the Atlantic Forest will grow at the expense of natural ecosystems, leading to increasing pressure on biodiversity and ecosystem services. We used the Nature Futures Framework (NFF) for envisioning positive scenarios for cities in the Atlantic Forest. First, we developed a conceptual model based on the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) approach to describe consequences of urban growth for the three NFF perspectives: Nature for Society, Nature for Nature and Nature as Culture. Second, we proposed scenario storylines that encompass multiple social-ecological values of nature and could be used by policy makers to plan desirable futures for the Atlantic Forest. Then, we discussed the impact of distinct policies on these values, identifying the different ways in which the management of urban green and blue spaces, natural ecosystems, and urban densities can lead to different social-ecological outcomes. We further detail the complexity, trade-offs, and synergies regarding city development, nature conservation, and human well-being in this tropical hotspot. Applying NFF can contribute to the ongoing debate regarding urban sustainability, by providing an interdisciplinary and integrative approach that explicitly incorporates multiple values of nature and the visualization of positive futures.

scholarly journals The Influence of Decentralized Wind Power on the Characteristics of Distribution Network

2021 ◽  
Vol 261 ◽  
pp. 01037
Author(s):  
Ruomeng Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Wind Power ◽  
Power Flow ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Power Grid ◽  
Distribution Network ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Voltage Level ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Planning And Operation

This paper expounds the influence of decentralized wind power on the characteristics of distribution network. Through analysis, it can be concluded that after installing an appropriate amount of decentralized wind power, the voltage level of load bus can be improved. The power flow distribution will be changed, and the network loss of the power grid will be reduced. The decentralized wind power has also brought about negative impacts, such as voltage flicker and harmonics, the impact on the scope and direction of protection of relay protection, and greater uncertainty in the planning and operation of regional power grid. The analysis above provides some theoretical guidance for the large-scale development of decentralized wind power in the future.

scholarly journals The Impact of Late Holocene Flood Management on the Central Po Plain (Northern Italy)

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippo Brandolini ◽  
Mauro Cremaschi
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Flood Management ◽  
Po Plain ◽  
The Impact

Fluvial environments have always played a crucial role in human history. The necessity of fertile land and fresh water for agriculture has led populations to settle in floodplains more frequently than in other environments. Floodplains are complex human–water systems in which the mutual interaction between anthropogenic activities and environment affected the landscape development. In this paper, we analyzed the evolution of the Central Po Plain (Italy) during the Medieval period through a multi-proxy record of geomorphological, archaeological and historical data. The collapse of the Western Roman Empire (5th century AD) coincided with a progressive waterlogging of large floodplain areas. The results obtained by this research shed new light on the consequences that Post-Roman land and water management activities had on landscape evolution. In particular, the exploitation of fluvial sediments through flood management practices had the effect of reclaiming the swamps, but also altered the natural geomorphological development of the area. Even so, the Medieval human activities were more in equilibrium with the natural system than with the later Renaissance large-scale land reclamation works that profoundly modified the landscape turning the wetland environment into the arable land visible today. The analysis of fluvial palaeoenvironments and their relation with past human activities can provide valuable indications for planning more sustainable urbanized alluvial landscapes in future.

scholarly journals ROADS AND DAMS: INFRASTRUCTURE-DRIVEN TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
EMILIO F. MORAN
Keyword(s):  
Energy Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
National Development ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Hydroelectric Dam ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Belo Monte ◽  
Social And Environmental Impacts

Abstract From the construction of the Trans-Amazon Highway in the 1970's to the current construction of the third largest hydroelectric dam in the world at Belo Monte, the Brazilian Amazon has experienced the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects. When announced, all these projects purported to be the means to achieve progress, national integration, and economic development. The outcomes after several decades are less clear: national indebtedness, significant social and environmental impacts, and regional development taking second place to other goals such as energy production and national GDP. Solutions are suggested to reduce the negative impacts and achieve the goal of improved livelihoods and sustainable development without giving up on national development goals.

A Study on Social Awareness about Deforestation in India

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
S. Nivithra ◽  
K.S. Shoba Jasmin
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
General Public ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
Social Awareness ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Impact

Forests keep our climate stable, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, and they regulate our water supply and improve its quality. Forests are vulnerable to anthropogenic activities which affect the biodiversity with adverse socio-economic and environmental impacts. Large-scale destruction of the forests began with the British who wished to utilise the timber and the natural resources for the expansion and continuation of the empire. Over recent decades, human activity has also severely impacted the habitats and natural resources that wildlife and humanity depend on such as oceans, forests, coral reefs, wetlands and mangroves. This study attempted to analyse the level of awareness among the general public about deforestation in India. The impact of deforestation is poorly understood and the rate of deforestation is alarming the environmentalists wishing to protect the wildlife and forest resources. The causes and impacts of deforestation are associated with human activities but the linkage is not clearly understood by the public and the level of awareness is poor.

scholarly journals The evaluation of large-scale collaborations between primary care general practices

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp19X703085
Author(s):  
Amelia Harshfield ◽  
Natasha Elmore ◽  
Jon Sussex
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Oecd Country ◽  
External Support ◽  
Quality Health Care ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundGeneral practice is under mounting pressure to ensure its future sustainability. Collaborations between GP practices are perceived as one way to respond to these pressures and they have been mandated by The NHS Long Term Plan.AimThe aim of this study was to investigate the facilitators, barriers, impacts, and costs associated with collaboration.MethodA rapid evidence assessment was carried out between September and November 2018. Publications over the last 20 years were eligible for inclusion if they were in English and covered any high-income OECD country. Publications between 1998 and 2012 inclusive, were limited to reviews only. No methodological restrictions were applied to publications between 2013 and 2018. A total of 52 publications were included for final data extraction (36 academic and 16 grey literature).ResultsFacilitators of GP collaboration include strong leadership, external support, trusting relationships, clear roles and objectives, and mutual shared history/vision. Barriers to collaboration were tied to an absence of key elements such as lack of clarity, core skills, time, human resources, trust, financial support, face-to-face interactions, and leadership. Positive impacts of collaboration included the delivery of high-quality health care, better clinical health outcomes, and improve employee satisfaction while negative impacts included challenging GP autonomy, feeling overwhelmed by workload, and a reduction of continuity of care for patients.ConclusionThere are numerous facilitators to GP collaboration. Barriers are often present as an absence of facilitators. Further research is needed to evidence the impact(s) and cost-effectiveness of GP practice collaboration.

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