Search Results (185)

Land use conflicts (LUCs) have become a significant global issue. Accurately identifying potential LUCs is crucial for mediating these conflicts, optimizing land use structure, and enhancing land use function. The necessary conditions of LUCs are land use multi-suitability (LUMS), land resource scarcity (LRS), and diversity of demands (DD). However, few studies have approached LUC identification from these three dimensions simultaneously. In addition, when assessing the diversity of demand, only human needs are considered and wildlife needs are ignored. In order to address this gap in the research, this paper constructs a novel framework for LUC identification and proposes an induction-oriented governance path. LUMS was evaluated from three aspects: construction suitability, cultivation suitability, and ecological suitability. LRS is measured from three dimensions: construction land, cultivated land, and ecological land scarcity. The DD is expanded into human and wildlife demand diversity. By analyzing the combination of LUMS, LRS, and DD, LUCs are classified using the potential LUC identification Rubik’s cube model, and corresponding governance paths are suggested. In Shandong Province, potential LUCs are relatively high, with strong, medium, and weak conflicts accounting for 27.39%, 57.10%, and 13.06%, respectively. Potential strong conflicts are mainly distributed in the metropolitan suburbs and in the western plain of Shandong Province. Cultivated land is the main potential land use conflict space. The new framework of LUC identification proposed in this paper can effectively identify potential LUCs. Our research provides scientific reference for sustainable land use. Full article

Human–wildlife conflicts are becoming increasingly common worldwide and are a challenge to biodiversity management. Compared with compensatory management, which often focuses on solving emergency conflicts, mitigation management allows decision-makers to better understand where the damage is distributed, how the species are distributed and when the species conduct their activity. Here, we integrated data collected from 90 districts/counties’ damage surveys and 1271 camera traps to understand the damage status, abundance, density and activity rhythms of wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Zhejiang, Eastern China, from January 2019 to August 2023. We found that (1) wild boar–human conflicts were mainly distributed in the northwest and southwest mountainous regions of Zhejiang Province; (2) the total abundance of wild boar was 115,156 ± 24,072 individuals, indicating a growing trend over the past decade and a higher density in the western and southern regions; (3) wild boar exhibited different activity patterns across different damage regions, and the periods around 7:00, 11:00 and 16:00 represented activity peaks for wild boar in seriously damaged regions. The damage distribution, density, distribution and activity rhythms provide specific priority regions and activity intensity peaks for conflict mitigation. We believe that these findings based on the damage, distribution and activity could provide a scientific basis for mitigation management at the county level and enrich the framework of human–wildlife conflict mitigation. Full article

The documentation, preservation and rescue of biological diversity increasingly uses living biological samples. Persistent associations between species, biosamples, such as tissues and cell lines, and the accompanying data are indispensable for using, exchanging and benefiting from these valuable materials. Explicit authentication of such biosamples by assigning unique and robust identifiers is therefore required to allow for unambiguous referencing, avoid identification conflicts and maintain reproducibility in research. A predefined nomenclature based on uniform rules would facilitate this process. However, such a nomenclature is currently lacking for animal biological material. We here present a first, standardized, human-readable nomenclature design, which is sufficient to generate unique and stable identifying names for animal cellular material with a focus on wildlife species. A species-specific human- and machine-readable syntax is included in the proposed standard naming scheme, allowing for the traceability of donated material and cultured cells, as well as data FAIRification. Only when it is consistently applied in the public domain, as publications and inter-institutional samples and data are exchanged, distributed and stored centrally, can the risks of misidentification and loss of traceability be mitigated. This innovative globally applicable identification system provides a standard for a sustainable structure for the long-term storage of animal bio-samples in cryobanks and hence facilitates current as well as future species conservation and biomedical research. Full article

Estimating the population density of vulnerable species, such as the elusive and nocturnal Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), is essential for wildlife conservation and management. We used camera traps and a Random Encounter Model (REM) to estimate the population density of U. thibetanus during the autumn and winter seasons in the Hindu Raj Mountains. We installed 23 camera traps from October to December 2020 and acquired 66 independent pictures of Asiatic black bears over 428 trap nights. Our results showed that the bears preferred lowland areas with the presence of Quercus spp. We estimated, using the REM, a population density of U. thibetanus of 1.875 (standard error = 0.185) per square kilometer, which is significantly higher than that in other habitats. Our results showed that during autumn and winter, the bear population density tends to concentrate at lower elevations. Forest cover showed a positive correlation with the rates of bear encounters unlike the Euclidean distance to human settlements, altitude, and aspect variables. The approaches used here are cost-effective for estimating the population density of rare and vulnerable species such as U. thibetanus, and can be used to estimate their population density in Pakistan. Population density estimation can identify areas where the bears live and human–bear conflicts occurred and use this information in future wildlife management plans. Full article

In Taiwan, the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis chinensis) remains the only extant native wild cat species. Previous studies have suggested anthropogenic factors as a cause of their decline, mainly due to conflicts with local farmers. Adaptation strategies that generate co-benefits are key to achieving human–wildlife coexistence. However, an understanding of the local views on such strategies is currently lacking. In this study, we performed the first regional assessment of 10 adaptation strategies for human–leopard cat coexistence and examined the impact of the socio-demographic factors affecting farmers’ willingness to participate in these strategies based on quantitative interviews with 418 farmers in Miaoli County, employing an importance–performance analysis. We also present an integrated conceptual framework capturing five adaptation strategy domains and their resulting benefits, which lay the structural foundation for facilitating resilient coexistence. Our findings suggest that (1) respondents’ perceived importance and performance of adaptation strategies were significantly different; (2) respondents most agreed with improvements in the incorporation of local knowledge/skills into science and policy and the establishment of adaptive co-management with local associations/non-governmental organisations; and (3) respondents aged below 49 years, supportive of coexistence, who did not own poultry, and preferred local farmer organisations to facilitate coexistence, were more likely to participate in the proposed adaptation strategies. Our findings provide guidelines for the future direction of the conservation and management of leopard cats that help achieve harmonious coexistence in shared landscapes. Full article

Under the dual pressures of climate change and human activities, the restrictions imposed by conservation policies, along with the increasing overlap between wildlife protected areas (PAs) and community living areas, have intensified the contradictions and conflicts between PAs and surrounding communities. Effective governance of such conflicts is particularly crucial to reconciling the contradictions between conservation and development. This study takes the Mikumi–Selous areas in Tanzania, Africa, as a case study. Through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, it explores the current state of conflicts between PAs and communities in the study area and summarizes conflict governance measures. Moreover, this research focuses on identifying various factors that influence the conservation willingness and action of community residents, further validating the relationships between residents’ household characteristics, conservation costs and benefits, conservation cognition, willingness, and behaviors through empirical analysis methods. The results indicate that residents’ conservation cognition significantly positively impacts their conservation willingness and behaviors, while conservation willingness also positively affects their conservation behaviors. Additionally, it was found that conservation costs inhibit residents’ conservation willingness and behaviors. This study primarily explores, from a community governance perspective, the participation willingness and behaviors of core stakeholders in conflict governance, emphasizing the critical role of community involvement in achieving biodiversity conservation and coordinated community development and providing a new perspective for alleviating conservation and development issues. Full article

Wild boars have become a common yet controversial species in France, where the main response to the species’ development and the problems it may cause is an increased hunting effort. However, wild boars are an extremely adaptive species, and their response to human activities (including hunting) is not fully understood. Moreover, hunting may be a source of conflict with other stakeholders and a topic for public debate, which questions its sustainability. To discuss wild boar behaviour, as well as (other) means to coexist with these animals, we developed a role-playing board game framed around wild boars and hunting. In this paper, we outline the design of the WILD BOAR(D) GAME and reflect on the first three game sessions, which we conducted in our research areas (Gorges du Gardon and Camargue Biosphere Reserves, France). We show that a continuous back and forth between the game and reality allows the participants to elicit their knowledge as well as learn from the other participants, which contributes to filling in the knowledge gaps identified previously in the game design as well as mitigating conflicts regarding wild boars. Finally, we discuss the interest of including wild boars as a role in itself to reflect on their agency. Full article

Tolerance has become a central position in wildlife conservation thought, and a goal in and of itself. Appeals to tolerance are expected to grow as the planet becomes more crowded, species are lost, and habitat is degraded. The concept has been uncritically adopted in wildlife conservation to mitigate human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs). However, scholars have demonstrated that tolerance is burdened with limitations, paradoxes, and shortcomings. Thus, blind adherence to it is not expected to produce a coexistence design necessary to sustain wildlife populations in the long term. This paper is a conceptual scoping project that engages a summary and critique of tolerance as a design principle within wildlife conservation governance. After introducing a resultant theory of dysfunctional human–wildlife coexistence, a pathway toward hospitality as a social institution is outlined via several commitments societies can make to transition to an era of normalizing a process of sincere welcoming, care, and support. The transition from tolerance to hospitality will entail shifting responsibility to humans to modify their behavior to help keep wildlife invisible where it is essential, learning about what wildlife want and need, and ensuring wildlife is not injured for being themselves. Full article

Livestock herding is a vital practice in Balochistan, contributing to the economy and culture. The livestock sector is significant in Balochistan, providing 20% of the national stock. Large predators and their prey species, including livestock, have coexisted in these mountainous landscapes for centuries. The aim of the present research is to investigate the impacts of livestock depredation by large predators on livelihoods and predator conservation in two districts of Balochistan, Pakistan. A human–carnivore conflict survey was conducted from July to September 2019, collecting data from 311 residents in a selected study area. Large predators in the study area preyed on a total of 876 livestock during a one-year period, including 560 goats, 292 sheep, 19 cows, and 5 donkeys. The gray wolf is the leading predator, responsible for 66.3% of livestock depredation, followed by the caracal (24.3%), Asiatic jackal (8.9%), and striped hyena (0.6%). The total economic loss was USD 78,694. Overall, 80% of respondents had a negative perception of wolves compared to 24.4% for caracals. Only 20.6% of respondents knew about the importance of conserving carnivores. Livestock depredation by carnivores in the study area created a negative perception of these animals among people. There is a lack of awareness about the importance of conserving carnivore species and their role in the ecosystem. This lack of understanding has ultimately led to detrimental effects on predator populations. It is imperative to raise awareness among people about the ecological significance of carnivores through community meetings, seminars in educational institutions, and providing basic education to herders about effective livestock guarding practices. Full article

This study presents a performance analysis for an Internet-of-Things wildlife radio-tracking mission using drones, satellites and stratospheric platforms for data relay with Spread Spectrum Modulation devices. The performance analysis is presented with link and data budgets, calculations of the area coverage, an estimation of the time resolution and allowable data amount of each collar, a power and energy budget and consequent battery pack and collar weight estimations, cost budgets, and considerations on synergetic approaches to incorporate more mission segments together. The paper results are detailed with example species to target with each collar weight range, and with design drivers and guidelines to implement improved mission segments. Full article

Livestock predation induces global human–wildlife conflict, triggering the retaliatory killing of large carnivores. Although domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) contribute to livestock depredation, blame primarily falls on wild predators. Dogs can also transmit pathogens between wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Therefore, the presence of free-ranging dogs can have negative consequences for biodiversity conservation, smallholder economy, food supply, and public health, four of the United Nations’ Sustainable Developed Goals (SDGs) for 2030. In Ecuador, where livestock sustains rural households, retaliatory poaching threatens Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus), jaguar (Panthera onca), and puma (Puma concolor) populations. However, the role of dogs in these incidents remains underexplored. The present study evaluates the possibility of reliable molecular identification of predatory species from DNA traces in bite wounds. Our results revealed the presence of dog saliva on four out of six livestock carcasses presumably attacked by wild predators. These findings highlight the importance of rectifying misinformation about large carnivores in Ecuador and the need to control dog populations. We recommend that local administrations incorporate DNA analysis into livestock predation events to examine how common the problem is, and to use the analysis to develop conflict mitigation strategies which are essential for the conservation of large carnivores. Full article

Interactions between people and large carnivores on shared landscapes can have harmful social and ecological consequences. Human–carnivore coexistence depends on an assemblage of sociological factors including effective management institutions that address the social costs of carnivore conservation and promote tolerance toward wildlife. In East Africa, large carnivores are particularly troublesome for herders who depend on livestock for subsistence and wellbeing. This paper provides an overview of human–hyena conflict in the Tarangire ecosystem of northern Tanzania. It presents descriptive results from a questionnaire survey (n = 1076) administered as part of an anthropological study (2019–2020; 2022; 2023) of human–wildlife interactions across twelve villages inhabited by Maasai agropastoralists. The survey instrument was designed through community-based participatory research methods to convey herder concerns about the impacts of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) on the livestock economy. Based on the perceptions and local ecological knowledge of Maasai interlocutors, the paper provides an overview of the spatial and temporal patterns of human–hyena interactions. Perceived frequencies of hyena attacks on kraaled livestock were unevenly distributed geographically, with those homesteads surrounding Manyara Ranch most heavily affected. Based on herder-reported livestock losses, the costs of depredation by spotted hyenas across the study area were estimated at approximately USD 904.84 per household per year. Most homesteads lacked fortified bomas and would benefit from the provision of lights and fencing materials to improve kraal structures. The paper’s central finding is that spotted hyenas represent a pressing, everyday concern for local pastoralists. Unsurprisingly, herders despise hyenas and are intolerant of sharing landscapes with them. For carnivore conservation outside protected areas to thrive in Tanzania, conservationists and policy makers must engage more meaningfully with the lived experiences of local herders who bear the brunt of conservation costs on their livelihoods. Full article

With the results of a survey presented in this paper, we provide insight into public attitudes towards dealing with wildlife. Based on 1569 data sets derived from participating stakeholders, we inquired about the individual experience the participants had made with wild animals, and asked about their personal engagement, attitude towards management, and emotions involved and tried to evaluate basic contextual knowledge. As a result, we discovered a positive effect showing that a strong opinion about dealing with wildlife is associated with increasing contextual knowledge. People that are experienced in and engaged in wildlife conservation expressed significantly stronger positive emotions in this context. We conclude that education is essential in dealing with wildlife responsibly and that positive emotions are a main trigger for such engagement. The results of the survey underline that a combination of contextual knowledge and a positive attitude towards wildlife leads to a higher awareness of possible conflicts between humans and wildlife. Furthermore, these criteria are crucial when developing strategies that strive for a sustainable coexistence. Full article

The West African giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) was historically spread across much of the Sudano-Sahelian zone but is now restricted to Niger. Several factors resulted in their dramatic decline during the late 20th century. In 1996, only 49 individuals remained, concentrated in the ‘Giraffe Zone’. Conservation activities implemented by the Government of Niger, supported by local communities and NGOs, facilitated their population numbers to increase. This review summarizes past and present conservation activities and evaluates their impact to advise and prioritize future conservation actions for the West African giraffe. The long-term conservation of the West African giraffe is highly dependent on the local communities who live alongside them, as well as supplementary support from local and international partners. Recent conservation initiatives range from community-based monitoring to the fitting of GPS satellite tags to better understand their habitat use, spatial movements to expansion areas, and environmental education to the establishment of the first satellite population of West African giraffe in Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve, the latter serving as a flagship for the future restoration of large mammal populations in West Africa. The integration of modern technologies and methods will hopefully provide better-quality data, improved spatial analyses, and greater understanding of giraffe ecology to inform the long-term management of West African giraffe. Full article

The wild large herbivores inhabiting the Yellow-River-Source National Park (YRSNP) are confronted with a significant threat from climate change and human activities. In response to these detrimental influences, measures have been proposed by the government, such as the Ecological Conservation and Restoration Project in the Sanjiangyuan Region (ECRPSR) and the establishment of the Sanjiangyuan National Park (SNP). To advance species diversity, it is crucial to investigate the spatial distribution of large herbivores, identify factors influencing their distribution, and address conflicts arising from divergent plans within the YRSNP. In this study, unmanned aerial vehicles were employed for surveying the distribution of the Tibetan wild ass (Equus kiang) and Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata). The findings indicate that the optimal habitat area for Tibetan wild ass is 437.16 km², while for Tibetan gazelle, it is 776.46 km². Precipitation and the human footprint index emerge as the primary factors influencing the habitat distribution of large herbivores within the YRSNP. Under the influence of the ECRPSR, there was a noteworthy expansion of the habitat area for Tibetan wild ass by 791.25 km², and for Tibetan gazelle, it expanded by 1612.94 km². From a wildlife conservation standpoint, this study proposes the establishment of a wildlife refuge in the YRSNP, effective coordination of conflicts between various functional zones and plans, preservation of suitable habitats for large herbivores, and the provision of a scientific foundation to reconcile development and conservation conflicts in the region, while concurrently fostering biodiversity conservation. Full article