Feral Animals, Rastrojo , and Dispossession: Images of the Afterlives of War in Bajo Atrato, Colombia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Ruiz‐Serna
Keyword(s):  
Feral Animals

The use of chemical and molecular microbial indicators for faecal source identification

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 39-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Gilpin ◽  
T. James ◽  
F. Nourozi ◽  
D. Saunders ◽  
P. Scholes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Direct Pcr ◽  
Animal Group ◽  
Faecal Pollution ◽  
Molecular Assays ◽  
Chemical Indicators ◽  
Fluorescent Whitening Agents ◽  
Feral Animals ◽  
Oxidation Ponds ◽  
Specific Species ◽  
Faecal Sterols

Identifying the source of faecal pollution is important to enable appropriate management of faecal pollution of water. We are developing and evaluating a combination of these microbial and chemical indicators better able to identify the source of faecal pollution. These assays make use of a combination of direct PCR, culturing, and colony hybridisation to identify source specific species of Bifidobacterium, Rhodococcus and Bacteroides. In conjunction with assays for (a) fluorescent whitening agents and (b) faecal sterols and stanols, these indicators were able to identify human derived faecal pollution in river water containing inputs from septic tanks, municipal oxidation ponds, farmed animals and feral animals. Differentiating amongst the animal sources was more difficult and will require development of molecular assays for organisms specific to each animal group.

Challenging the concept of Aboriginal mosaic fire practices in the Lake Eyre Basin

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 623 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Kimber ◽  
M. H. Friedel
Keyword(s):  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Desert Region ◽  
Fuel Loads ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Natural Landscapes ◽  
Large Fires ◽  
Feral Animals ◽  
Simpson Desert

Mosaic burning is the deliberate creation of a mosaic of patches representing different fire histories. It is often recommended for management of Australia’s natural landscapes, on the assumption that it enhances biodiversity and reduces fire hazard through increased spatial and temporal diversity of fuel loads and species composition. It is also suggested that such fire practices were used throughout Australia by traditionally living Aboriginal people. Although the creation of a patchwork of different fire histories may be an effective management tool in modern land management, the evidence for universal mosaic burning before European settlement deserves scrutiny. The records of explorers, early settlers and anthropologists relating to a large portion of the Lake Eyre Basin, particularly the Channel country and the Simpson Desert region, were examined. It is concluded that extensive gaps in the records of smokes and large fires are important and meaningful, and do not represent a failure to record fires. The case for universal mosaic burning in the region is not supported by the evidence although mosaic burning did occur in specific circumstances. Fire practices were shaped by complex and interacting factors including the vegetation and terrain type, for example the occurrence of spinifex-dominated sandhills or stony deserts; seasonal conditions and the presence or not of adequate fuel loads; how readily Aboriginal people could access country and their reasons for using or not using fire; the stocking of the pastoral country and spread of feral animals; and government policies about fire.

The genetic diversity and distinctiveness of the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby Petrogale xanthopus (Gray, 1854) in New South Wales

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa C. Pope ◽  
Andy Sharp ◽  
Craig Moritz
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Threatened Species ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Habitat Disturbance ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Feral Animals ◽  
Species Being

Yellow-footed Rock-wallabies (YFRW) Petrogale xanthopus have declined in numbers since European settlement from past hunting for skins, habitat disturbance and predation and competition with feral animals (Gordon et al. 1978, 1993; Copley 1983; Henzell 1990). This has led to the species being classed as potentially vulnerable to extinction in Australia (Kennedy 1992), and endangered in New South Wales (Schedule 1, Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995).

Neither human nor natural: ethics and feral animals

1997 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Singer
Keyword(s):  
Fertility Control ◽  
The Other ◽  
Specific Method ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Nonhuman Animals ◽  
Ethical Approaches ◽  
Feral Animals ◽  
Sentient Beings ◽  
The Given ◽  
Ethical Basis

There are three major ethical approaches to issues affecting nonhuman animals and the natural environment: an anthropocentric ethic, an ethic of concern for all sentient beings, and a biocentric approach. The ethic of concern for all sentient beings is the most defensible basis for resolving conflicts between the interests of humans and wild animals. There is no ethical basis for discounting the suffering of an animal simply because that being is a member of a different species. On the other hand, it is certainly true that human and nonhuman animals differ in their capacities, and this does make a difference to the ethics of what we may do to them, including rendering them infertile. Since ethics is not a matter of adhering to absolute rules, but rather of doing what will have best consequences, given the constraints under which we act, the ethics of using a specific method of fertility control for feral animals will depend on what other methods are being used, or will be used, if the given method is not available. It will also depend on the consequences of not using any method of controlling the population of the animals.

An Evaluation of Feral Goat Control Methods on Currawinya National Park, South-Western Queensland.

1997 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 166 ◽  
Author(s):  
GP Edwards ◽  
TF Clancy ◽  
J Lee ◽  
J Mcdonnell
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Aerial Survey ◽  
Accurate Estimate ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Feral Animals ◽  
Initial Survey ◽  
Feral Goat

This study was designed to develop monitoring techniques based on aerial survey and to evaluate the effectiveness of control methods for large feral herbivores (especially goats) in the mulga woodlands. It was conducted on a study site in south-western Queensland encompassing Currawinya National Park. Two control programs were undertaken on the park: a ground-based shooting program and a two-stage live-muster and aerial culling program. Population estimates of feral goats based on 100 m strip counts from a fixed-wing aircraft were 4.6/km2 for the survey block for the initial survey with a decline to less than 2/km2 by the end of the project. It was concluded that fixed-wing aerial surveys provide an accurate estimate of the density of large feral herbivores, such as goats. The first control program, based on ground-based shooting, was of only limited success. The second control program, based on contract mustering with the aid of fixed-wing aircraft followed by aerial culling using a helicopter, was very successful in reducing the number of feral goats and other feral animals. This approach represents best practice management of feral goats in the mulga woodlands. The effect of the reduction in goat numbers on goat impact within the park is yet to be evaluated.

Scientific approaches to Australian temperate terrestrial orchid conservation

2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark C. Brundrett
Keyword(s):  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Mycorrhizal Associations ◽  
Terrestrial Orchids ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Orchid Seed ◽  
Declining Populations ◽  
Feral Animals ◽  
Sexually Deceptive Orchids

This review summarises scientific knowledge concerning the mycorrhizal associations, pollination, demographics, genetics and evolution of Australian terrestrial orchids relevant to conservation. The orchid family is highly diverse in Western Australia (WA), with over 400 recognised taxa of which 76 are Declared Rare or Priority Flora. Major threats to rare orchids in WA include habitat loss, salinity, feral animals and drought. These threats require science-based recovery actions resulting from collaborations between universities, government agencies and community groups. Fungal identification by DNA-based methods in combination with compatibility testing by germination assays has revealed a complex picture of orchid–fungus diversity and specificity. The majority of rare and common WA orchids studied have highly specific mycorrhizal associations with fungi in the Rhizoctonia alliance, but some associate with a wider diversity of fungi. These fungi may be a key factor influencing the distribution of orchids and their presence can be tested by orchid seed bait bioassays. These bioassays show that mycorrhizal fungi are concentrated in coarse organic matter that may be depleted in some habitats (e.g. by frequent fire). Mycorrhizal fungi also allow efficient propagation of terrestrial orchids for reintroduction into natural habitats and for bioassays to test habitat quality. Four categories of WA orchids are defined by the following pollination strategies: (i) nectar-producing flowers with diverse pollinators, (ii) non-rewarding flowers that mimic other plants, (iii) winter-flowering orchids that attract fungus-feeding insects and (iv) sexually deceptive orchids with relatively specific pollinators. An exceptionally high proportion of WA orchids have specific insect pollinators. Bioassays testing orchid-pollinator specificity can define habitats and separate closely related species. Other research has revealed the chemical basis for insect attraction to orchids and the ecological consequences of deceptive pollination. Genetic studies have revealed that the structure of orchid populations is influenced by pollination, seed dispersal, reproductive isolation and hybridisation. Long-term demographic studies determine the viability of orchid populations, estimate rates of transition between seedling, flowering, non-flowering and dormant states and reveal factors, such as grazing and competition, that result in declining populations. It is difficult to define potential new habitats for rare orchids because of their specific relationships with fungi and insects. An understanding of all three dimensions of orchid habitat requirements can be provided by bioassays with seed baits for fungi, flowers for insects and transplanted seedlings for orchid demography. The majority of both rare and common WA orchids have highly specific associations with pollinating insects and mycorrhizal fungi, suggesting that evolution has favoured increasing specificity in these relationships in the ancient landscapes of WA.

scholarly journals Poor horse traders: large mammals trade survival for reproduction during the process of feralization

2009 ◽  
Vol 276 (1663) ◽  
pp. 1911-1919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Grange ◽  
Patrick Duncan ◽  
Jean-Michel Gaillard
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
High Density ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Demographic Parameters ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
High Fecundity ◽  
Population Growth Rates ◽  
Feral Animals ◽  
Feral Ungulates

We investigated density dependence on the demographic parameters of a population of Camargue horses ( Equus caballus ), individually monitored and unmanaged for eight years. We also analysed the contributions of individual demographic parameters to changes in the population growth rates. The decrease in resources caused a loss of body condition. Adult male survival was not affected, but the survival of foals and adult females decreased with increasing density. Prime-aged females maintained high reproductive performance at high density, and their survival decreased. The higher survival of adult males compared with females at high density presumably results from higher investment in reproduction by mares. The high fecundity in prime-aged females, even when at high density, may result from artificial selection for high reproductive performance, which is known to have occurred in all the major domestic ungulates. Other studies suggest that feral ungulates including cattle and sheep, as these horses, respond differently from wild ungulates to increases in density, by trading adult survival for reproduction. As a consequence, populations of feral animals should oscillate more strongly than their wild counterparts, since they should be both more invasive (as they breed faster), and more sensitive to harsh environmental conditions (as the population growth rate of long-lived species is consistently more sensitive to a given proportional change in adult survival than to the same change in any other vital rate). If this principle proves to be general, it has important implications for management of populations of feral ungulates.

scholarly journals Protective Live Oral Brucellosis Vaccines Stimulate Th1 and Th17 Cell Responses

2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (10) ◽  
pp. 4165-4174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beata Clapp ◽  
Jerod A. Skyberg ◽  
Xinghong Yang ◽  
Theresa Thornburg ◽  
Nancy Walters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brucella Melitensis ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Oral Immunization ◽  
Oral Route ◽  
Interleukin 17 ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Unpasteurized Milk ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
Feral Animals ◽  
Immunocompetent Mice

ABSTRACTZoonotic transmission of brucellosis often results from exposure toBrucella-infected livestock, feral animals, or wildlife or frequently via consumption of unpasteurized milk products or raw meat. Since natural infection of humans often occurs by the oral route, mucosal vaccination may offer a means to confer protection for both mucosal and systemic tissues. Significant efforts have focused on developing a live brucellosis vaccine, and deletion of theznuAgene involved in zinc transport has been found to attenuateBrucella abortus. A similar mutation has been adapted forBrucella melitensisand tested to determine whether oral administration of ΔznuAB. melitensiscan confer protection against nasalB. melitensischallenge. A single oral vaccination with ΔznuAB. melitensisrapidly cleared from mice within 2 weeks and effectively protected mice upon nasal challenge with wild-typeB. melitensis16M. In 83% of the vaccinated mice, no detectable brucellae were found in their spleens, unlike with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-dosed mice, and vaccination also enhanced the clearance of brucellae from the lungs. Moreover, vaccinated gamma interferon-deficient (IFN-γ−/−) mice also showed protection in both spleens and lungs, albeit protection that was not as effective as in immunocompetent mice. Although IFN-γ, interleukin 17 (IL-17), and IL-22 were stimulated by these live vaccines, only RB51-mediated protection was codependent upon IL-17 in BALB/c mice. These data suggest that oral immunization with the live, attenuated ΔznuAB. melitensisvaccine provides an attractive strategy to protect against inhalational infection with virulentB. melitensis.

Abundance and management of Mariana Fruit Bats and feral ungulates on Anatahan, Mariana Islands

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 134 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Worthington ◽  
Ann P. Marshall ◽  
Gary J. Wiles ◽  
Curt C. Kessler
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Capra Hircus ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Fruit Bats ◽  
Mariana Islands ◽  
Illegal Hunting ◽  
Feral Animals ◽  
Pandanus Tectorius ◽  
Made In ◽  
Feral Ungulates

A survey of Mariana Fruit Bats Pteropus mariannus and feral ungulates was conducted on Anatahan, Mariana Islands, in July 1995. We estimated that a population of 1 902-2 136 bats persists on the island, based on a combination of direct colony counts, departure counts, and station counts of non-colonial animals. Our data suggest that bat numbers have declined since the last surveys were made in 1983 and 1984. We located seven colonies, which held approximately 85-92% of the total population. Most colonies and foraging animals were associated with native forest or isolated native trees in other habitats. Bats fed on five species of plants, with the fruit of Pandanus tectorius eaten most frequently. Anatahan supports a very large Feral Goat Capra hircus population estimated at roughly 5 000-6 000 animals. Feral Pigs Sus scrofa are less common. Both species cause severe damage to plant communities of the island. We recommend that a legal hunting programme for fruit bats be deferred until 1) population censuses on neighbouring islands are completed and it is determined that bat populations can sustain harvesting, 2) habitat degradation is reversed through the control of feral animals, and 3) illegal hunting is curtailed.

Distribution and status of the spectacled hare-wallaby, Lagorchestes conspicillatus

1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 501 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Ingleby
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Introduced Herbivores ◽  
The Status ◽  
Pastoral Lease ◽  
Feral Animals ◽  
Using Data

Past and present distributions of Lagorchestes conspicillatus were compared using data from museums, explorers' records and from recent field surveys. These data indicated that L. conspicillatus has declined in distribution and abundance during the last century. This species is now rare in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. It is moderately common between latitudes 16� and 18�S in central and eastern Northern Territory, and its range extends north to around 12�S in Arnhem Land. However, the southern limits of its range in the Northern Territory have contracted northward by over 200 km and it is rarely recorded below 21�S. L. conspicillatus remains widespread in Queensland although its numbers in several areas appear to have declined in the last 10-15 years. The status of L. conspicillatus should be regarded as vulnerable. Most of its preferred habitats are currently under pastoral lease and at risk of alteration by introduced herbivores or clearing. Unfavourable fire regimes and feral animals may also pose a threat to its survival in some areas. Habitats suitable for L. conspicillatus are very poorly represented in National Parks throughout northern Australia and this situation should be rectified.

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