Abstract. The global environment is faced with growing threats from anthropogenic disturbance, propelling the Earth into a 6th mass extinction. For the world's mammals, this is reflected in the fact that 25% of species are threatened with some risk of extinction. During this time of species loss and environmental alteration, the world's natural history museums (NHMs) are uniquely poised to provide novel insight into many aspects of conservation. This review seeks to provide evidence of the importance of NHMs to mammal conservation, how arguments against continued collecting of physical voucher specimens is counterproductive to these efforts, and to identify additional threats to collecting with a particular focus on small mammals across Africa. NHMs contribute unique data for assessing mammal species conservation status through the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened species. However, NHMs' contributions to mammal conservation go well beyond supporting the IUCN Red List, with studies addressing topics such as human impacts, climate change, genetic diversity, disease, physiology, and biodiversity education. Increasing and diverse challenges, both domestic and international, highlight the growing threats facing NHMs, especially in regards to the issue of lethally sampling individuals for the purpose of creating voucher specimens. Such arguments are counterproductive to conservation efforts and tend to reflect the moral opposition of individual researchers than a true threat to conservation. The need for continued collecting of holistic specimens of all taxa across space and time could not be more urgent, especially for underexplored biodiversity hotspots facing extreme threats such as the Afrotropics.
{"title":"On the role of (and threat to) natural history museums in mammal conservation: an African small mammal perspective","authors":"Adam W. Ferguson","doi":"10.25225/jvb.20028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.20028","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The global environment is faced with growing threats from anthropogenic disturbance, propelling the Earth into a 6th mass extinction. For the world's mammals, this is reflected in the fact that 25% of species are threatened with some risk of extinction. During this time of species loss and environmental alteration, the world's natural history museums (NHMs) are uniquely poised to provide novel insight into many aspects of conservation. This review seeks to provide evidence of the importance of NHMs to mammal conservation, how arguments against continued collecting of physical voucher specimens is counterproductive to these efforts, and to identify additional threats to collecting with a particular focus on small mammals across Africa. NHMs contribute unique data for assessing mammal species conservation status through the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened species. However, NHMs' contributions to mammal conservation go well beyond supporting the IUCN Red List, with studies addressing topics such as human impacts, climate change, genetic diversity, disease, physiology, and biodiversity education. Increasing and diverse challenges, both domestic and international, highlight the growing threats facing NHMs, especially in regards to the issue of lethally sampling individuals for the purpose of creating voucher specimens. Such arguments are counterproductive to conservation efforts and tend to reflect the moral opposition of individual researchers than a true threat to conservation. The need for continued collecting of holistic specimens of all taxa across space and time could not be more urgent, especially for underexplored biodiversity hotspots facing extreme threats such as the Afrotropics.","PeriodicalId":50436,"journal":{"name":"Folia Zoologica","volume":"9 1","pages":"20028.1 - 23"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87731714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. Our aim was to determine biogeographical patterns in the food habits of golden jackals by first reviewing their dietary patterns at the continental scale and then analysing associations between the food items in their diets and geographical, regional productivity and land-use variables, using multivariate analyses. Our findings indicated that jackals generally consume small mammals as a staple food but shift to consume plant materials or the carcasses of larger mammals when food resources are scarce owing to changes in the regional climate and productivity, as well as anthropogenic habitat modifications. Disruption of natural food resources (specifically small mammals) due to anthropogenic landscape modifications provokes dietary shifts in golden jackals, potentially increasing their reliance on anthropogenic resources. Consequently, conservation of their habitat in combination with waste management to decrease the accessibility to anthropogenic resources is required to resolve human-jackal conflicts.
{"title":"Variations in the trophic niches of the golden jackal Canis aureus across the Eurasian continent associated with biogeographic and anthropogenic factors","authors":"H. Tsunoda, Masayuki U. Saito","doi":"10.25225/jvb.20056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.20056","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Our aim was to determine biogeographical patterns in the food habits of golden jackals by first reviewing their dietary patterns at the continental scale and then analysing associations between the food items in their diets and geographical, regional productivity and land-use variables, using multivariate analyses. Our findings indicated that jackals generally consume small mammals as a staple food but shift to consume plant materials or the carcasses of larger mammals when food resources are scarce owing to changes in the regional climate and productivity, as well as anthropogenic habitat modifications. Disruption of natural food resources (specifically small mammals) due to anthropogenic landscape modifications provokes dietary shifts in golden jackals, potentially increasing their reliance on anthropogenic resources. Consequently, conservation of their habitat in combination with waste management to decrease the accessibility to anthropogenic resources is required to resolve human-jackal conflicts.","PeriodicalId":50436,"journal":{"name":"Folia Zoologica","volume":"95 1","pages":"20056.1 - 13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80941344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Mayamba, R. M. Byamungu, Bram Vanden Broecke, H. Leirs, P. Hieronimo, A. Nakiyemba, M. Isabirye, David Kifumba, D. Kimaro, M. Mdangi, L. Mulungu
Abstract. Small rodents are increasingly gaining importance as agricultural pests, with their distribution and abundance known to vary across landscapes. This study aimed at identifying ecological factors in the landscape that may influence small rodent distribution and abundance across agricultural landscapes in Uganda. This information may be used to inform the development of adaptive control measures for small rodent pests. Small rodent trapping surveys were conducted in three agro-ecosystem landscapes: Butaleja, Mayuge and Bulambuli districts in Eastern Uganda between November 2017 to June 2018 covering both dry and wet seasons. Data on small rodent abundance and richness, vegetation characteristics, land use/cover characteristics, farm management practices and soil characteristics were collected from quadrats. Additionally, Geographic Information System and remote sensing were used to determine vegetation characteristics (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index – NDVI) and land use/cover from satellite images. Our results showed that crop field state (including hygiene, crop type and growth stage) is the most important variable with an overall relative importance of 34.4% prediction value for the abundance of Mastomys natalensis across the landscape studied. In terms of number of species encountered (species richness), results showed field crop status scoring highest with an overall relative importance of 39.8% at predicting small rodent species richness. Second in importance for overall rodent abundance was percentage composition soil silt particles with 15.6% and 18.1% for species richness and abundance respectively. Our findings have important implications for small rodent management, where land use characteristics, especially field crop state, is a critical factor as different conditions tend to affect rodent abundances differently. The study thus recommends that control efforts should be planned to consider field crop state; i.e. field hygiene where fields should be kept free of weeds to eliminate potential rodent breeding/habitation sites thus lowering rates of reproduction and population increase.
{"title":"Factors influencing the distribution and abundance of small rodent pest species in agricultural landscapes in Eastern Uganda","authors":"A. Mayamba, R. M. Byamungu, Bram Vanden Broecke, H. Leirs, P. Hieronimo, A. Nakiyemba, M. Isabirye, David Kifumba, D. Kimaro, M. Mdangi, L. Mulungu","doi":"10.25225/jvb.20002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.20002","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Small rodents are increasingly gaining importance as agricultural pests, with their distribution and abundance known to vary across landscapes. This study aimed at identifying ecological factors in the landscape that may influence small rodent distribution and abundance across agricultural landscapes in Uganda. This information may be used to inform the development of adaptive control measures for small rodent pests. Small rodent trapping surveys were conducted in three agro-ecosystem landscapes: Butaleja, Mayuge and Bulambuli districts in Eastern Uganda between November 2017 to June 2018 covering both dry and wet seasons. Data on small rodent abundance and richness, vegetation characteristics, land use/cover characteristics, farm management practices and soil characteristics were collected from quadrats. Additionally, Geographic Information System and remote sensing were used to determine vegetation characteristics (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index – NDVI) and land use/cover from satellite images. Our results showed that crop field state (including hygiene, crop type and growth stage) is the most important variable with an overall relative importance of 34.4% prediction value for the abundance of Mastomys natalensis across the landscape studied. In terms of number of species encountered (species richness), results showed field crop status scoring highest with an overall relative importance of 39.8% at predicting small rodent species richness. Second in importance for overall rodent abundance was percentage composition soil silt particles with 15.6% and 18.1% for species richness and abundance respectively. Our findings have important implications for small rodent management, where land use characteristics, especially field crop state, is a critical factor as different conditions tend to affect rodent abundances differently. The study thus recommends that control efforts should be planned to consider field crop state; i.e. field hygiene where fields should be kept free of weeds to eliminate potential rodent breeding/habitation sites thus lowering rates of reproduction and population increase.","PeriodicalId":50436,"journal":{"name":"Folia Zoologica","volume":"3 1","pages":"20002.1 - 17"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89772350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
James Ssuuna, R. Makundi, M. Isabirye, C. Sabuni, W. S. Babyesiza, L. Mulungu
Abstract. A study was conducted in Mabira Central Forest Reserve in Uganda to determine rodent species composition, relative abundance, and habitat association. A total of 1,030 rodents belonging to 14 species were captured on 10,584 trap nights. Rodent species recorded include: Lophuromys stanleyi, Hylomyscus stella, Praomys jacksoni, Mastomys natalensis, Lophuromys ansorgei, Lemniscomys striatus, Aethomys hindei, Mus triton, Mus minutoides, Deomys ferrugineus, Gerbilliscus kempi, Rattus rattus, Grammomys kuru, and Hybomys univittatus. Overall, L. stanleyi (23.7%) was the most dominant species followed by H. stella, P. jacksoni, and M. natalensis. Species richness and evenness was highest in the regenerating forest habitat and least in the intact forest habitat. Rodent abundance was significantly affected by habitat type. The regenerating forest habitat had the highest number of animals, while the lowest numbers were observed in the depleted forest habitat. Species diversity was higher in regenerating forest habitat and lowest in the intact forest. The three habitats appeared distinct in terms of rodent species composition and there was a strong association between the two trapping grids in the same habitat type. All ordination plots showed that different rodent species consistently associated with distinct habitats. Habitat type and seasonal changes influenced rodent composition, relative abundance and habitat association. Composition of rodent community reflected the level of habitat degradation and can be used as a proxy for evaluating the biodiversity of lowland tropical forests.
{"title":"Rodent species composition, relative abundance, and habitat association in the Mabira Central Forest Reserve, Uganda","authors":"James Ssuuna, R. Makundi, M. Isabirye, C. Sabuni, W. S. Babyesiza, L. Mulungu","doi":"10.25225/jvb.20021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.20021","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. A study was conducted in Mabira Central Forest Reserve in Uganda to determine rodent species composition, relative abundance, and habitat association. A total of 1,030 rodents belonging to 14 species were captured on 10,584 trap nights. Rodent species recorded include: Lophuromys stanleyi, Hylomyscus stella, Praomys jacksoni, Mastomys natalensis, Lophuromys ansorgei, Lemniscomys striatus, Aethomys hindei, Mus triton, Mus minutoides, Deomys ferrugineus, Gerbilliscus kempi, Rattus rattus, Grammomys kuru, and Hybomys univittatus. Overall, L. stanleyi (23.7%) was the most dominant species followed by H. stella, P. jacksoni, and M. natalensis. Species richness and evenness was highest in the regenerating forest habitat and least in the intact forest habitat. Rodent abundance was significantly affected by habitat type. The regenerating forest habitat had the highest number of animals, while the lowest numbers were observed in the depleted forest habitat. Species diversity was higher in regenerating forest habitat and lowest in the intact forest. The three habitats appeared distinct in terms of rodent species composition and there was a strong association between the two trapping grids in the same habitat type. All ordination plots showed that different rodent species consistently associated with distinct habitats. Habitat type and seasonal changes influenced rodent composition, relative abundance and habitat association. Composition of rodent community reflected the level of habitat degradation and can be used as a proxy for evaluating the biodiversity of lowland tropical forests.","PeriodicalId":50436,"journal":{"name":"Folia Zoologica","volume":"28 1","pages":"20021.1 - 15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81293026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. The red goral is an endangered species with a small population and narrow distribution in China. The only captive population (21 individuals) is held in Shanghai Zoo, China. Demographic and genetic analyses were carried out to assess the status of this captive population and put forward conservation and management proposals. Population status was assessed on the basis of studbook records from 1981 to 2016. The population size grew from seven (three males, four females) to 31 (19 males, 12 females) in 2012 (λ = 1.06) and 21 (17 males, four females) in 2016 (λ = 0.91). From 1981 to 2016, a total of 81 births (45 males, 36 females) and 68 deaths (32 males, 32 females, four unknown) occurred. The mean kinship (MK) of the population is 0.2614 and the average inbreeding index is 0.2037. Parturition mainly occurs in May, June and July, and deaths occurred in January, February, July and November. In addition, the genetic diversity of this population was analysed on the basis of nine microsatellite loci. The results revealed that 14 primer-amplified bands were found; nine of them were stable, with four loci highly polymorphic (polymorphic information content, PIC > 0.05), three moderate (0.25 < PIC < 0.5), one low (PIC < 0.25) and one monomorphic (PIC = 0). In total, 34 alleles were detected from eight microsatellite loci, with the number of alleles per locus (A) ranging from 3-6 (x̄ = 4.250), and the effective number of alleles (Ne) from 1.245 to 3.862 (x̄ = 2.529). The observed heterozygosity (H0) varied from 0.143 to 0.857 (x̄ = 0.562), and the expected heterozygosity (He) from 0.201 to 0.755 (x̄ = 0.550). The polymorphism information content (PIC) varied from 0.188 to 0.705 (x̄ = 0.500). The results indicated a moderate level of genetic diversity among the red goral population in Shanghai Zoo.
{"title":"Population status and genetic analysis of captive red goral (Naemorhedus baileyi) in Shanghai Zoo, China","authors":"Yaohua Yuan, K. Huang, Qunxiu Liu","doi":"10.25225/fozo.028.2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/fozo.028.2019","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The red goral is an endangered species with a small population and narrow distribution in China. The only captive population (21 individuals) is held in Shanghai Zoo, China. Demographic and genetic analyses were carried out to assess the status of this captive population and put forward conservation and management proposals. Population status was assessed on the basis of studbook records from 1981 to 2016. The population size grew from seven (three males, four females) to 31 (19 males, 12 females) in 2012 (λ = 1.06) and 21 (17 males, four females) in 2016 (λ = 0.91). From 1981 to 2016, a total of 81 births (45 males, 36 females) and 68 deaths (32 males, 32 females, four unknown) occurred. The mean kinship (MK) of the population is 0.2614 and the average inbreeding index is 0.2037. Parturition mainly occurs in May, June and July, and deaths occurred in January, February, July and November. In addition, the genetic diversity of this population was analysed on the basis of nine microsatellite loci. The results revealed that 14 primer-amplified bands were found; nine of them were stable, with four loci highly polymorphic (polymorphic information content, PIC > 0.05), three moderate (0.25 < PIC < 0.5), one low (PIC < 0.25) and one monomorphic (PIC = 0). In total, 34 alleles were detected from eight microsatellite loci, with the number of alleles per locus (A) ranging from 3-6 (x̄ = 4.250), and the effective number of alleles (Ne) from 1.245 to 3.862 (x̄ = 2.529). The observed heterozygosity (H0) varied from 0.143 to 0.857 (x̄ = 0.562), and the expected heterozygosity (He) from 0.201 to 0.755 (x̄ = 0.550). The polymorphism information content (PIC) varied from 0.188 to 0.705 (x̄ = 0.500). The results indicated a moderate level of genetic diversity among the red goral population in Shanghai Zoo.","PeriodicalId":50436,"journal":{"name":"Folia Zoologica","volume":"178 S433","pages":"285 - 293"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72407493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. Our aim was to obtain details of the condition of the scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) and to elucidate the gut microbial diversity of captive individuals of this species. For the first time, 16S rRNA barcoding was used to characterise the faecal microbiota of five captive scimitar-horned oryx individuals. A total of 15 prokaryotic phyla were identified in the five samples. Including Firmicutes (53.40-72.01 %), Bacteroidetes (12.94-23.72 %) and Proteobacteria (1.03-31.74 %), accounting for > 96 % of all the sequences. At the family level, there were < 3.5 % unclassified sequences. In conclusion, these data revealed similarities and differences in gut microbial diversity across the scimitar-horned oryx individuals. These observations advance the current understanding of the bacterial ecosystems in these endangered animals under captivity.
{"title":"Gut microbiota of the scimitar-horned oryx, Oryx dammah","authors":"Shuai Shang, Longxiang Liu, Jiayun Ren, Hanjie Zhang, Wangfeng Zhao, Jikun Xu, Qiang Man, Liping Zhao, Bin Dong, J. Xia, Xue-Xi Tang","doi":"10.25225/fozo.019.2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/fozo.019.2019","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Our aim was to obtain details of the condition of the scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) and to elucidate the gut microbial diversity of captive individuals of this species. For the first time, 16S rRNA barcoding was used to characterise the faecal microbiota of five captive scimitar-horned oryx individuals. A total of 15 prokaryotic phyla were identified in the five samples. Including Firmicutes (53.40-72.01 %), Bacteroidetes (12.94-23.72 %) and Proteobacteria (1.03-31.74 %), accounting for > 96 % of all the sequences. At the family level, there were < 3.5 % unclassified sequences. In conclusion, these data revealed similarities and differences in gut microbial diversity across the scimitar-horned oryx individuals. These observations advance the current understanding of the bacterial ecosystems in these endangered animals under captivity.","PeriodicalId":50436,"journal":{"name":"Folia Zoologica","volume":"37 1","pages":"269 - 273"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90246452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. Recent technological developments in non-invasive methods facilitate study of the behaviour of elusive predators. We used two types of automatic digital video surveillance systems in combination with GPS telemetry to record feeding behaviour of wild Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), intraspecific prey sharing and scavenger activity at ungulate kill sites in the Dinaric Mountains. This approach proved an effective and mostly non-invasive way to obtain detailed data on the consumption of prey by lynx and kleptoparasites, especially when the advanced video system was used. Lynx spent a considerable amount of time in the vicinity of the kill site, but usually visited the carcass for feeding only once per night with a mean visit time of 35 min and most of the feeding occurred during the first half of the night. Lynx covered 83 % of prey remains, which seemed to be effective against avian scavengers that only found 17 % of the carcasses. We recorded six vertebrate species scavenging on lynx kills, with red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and brown bear (Ursus arctos) being the most frequent kleptoparasites. Based on our results, we provide recommendations for future research using this method, as well as outlining the pros and cons of advanced vs. simple video systems.
{"title":"Using video surveillance to monitor feeding behaviour and kleptoparasitism at Eurasian lynx kill sites","authors":"M. Krofel, T. Skrbinšek, Maja Mohorović","doi":"10.25225/fozo.037.2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/fozo.037.2019","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Recent technological developments in non-invasive methods facilitate study of the behaviour of elusive predators. We used two types of automatic digital video surveillance systems in combination with GPS telemetry to record feeding behaviour of wild Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), intraspecific prey sharing and scavenger activity at ungulate kill sites in the Dinaric Mountains. This approach proved an effective and mostly non-invasive way to obtain detailed data on the consumption of prey by lynx and kleptoparasites, especially when the advanced video system was used. Lynx spent a considerable amount of time in the vicinity of the kill site, but usually visited the carcass for feeding only once per night with a mean visit time of 35 min and most of the feeding occurred during the first half of the night. Lynx covered 83 % of prey remains, which seemed to be effective against avian scavengers that only found 17 % of the carcasses. We recorded six vertebrate species scavenging on lynx kills, with red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and brown bear (Ursus arctos) being the most frequent kleptoparasites. Based on our results, we provide recommendations for future research using this method, as well as outlining the pros and cons of advanced vs. simple video systems.","PeriodicalId":50436,"journal":{"name":"Folia Zoologica","volume":"3 1","pages":"274 - 284"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87123629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. In recent decades, wild boar Sus scrofa populations have increased both in number and distribution in Italy, thus enhancing problems of cohabitation with humans. Crop damage represents one of the main sources of conflict; understanding the spatiotemporal variation of damage events and which factors increase the risk of damage is crucial to the development of effective management strategies. The aims of this study were to determine the impact of wild boar on croplands in the Special Protection Area “Risaie della Lomellina” (western Po Plain, northern Italy) and to formulate a risk prediction model through a binary logistic regression analysis. Damage events almost exclusively involved maize, and were concentrated in spring and summer. Sporadic cases of damage concerned rice, soybean and sorghum fields. The risk of damage was higher in fields close to forests, far from main roads, urban areas and continuous hedgerows, and in areas with low human population densities.
摘要近几十年来，野猪在意大利的数量和分布都有所增加，从而加剧了与人类同居的问题。农作物受损是冲突的主要根源之一;了解损伤事件的时空变化以及哪些因素会增加损伤风险，对于制定有效的管理策略至关重要。本研究旨在确定野猪对意大利北部Po平原西部“Risaie della Lomellina”特别保护区农田的影响，并通过二元logistic回归分析建立风险预测模型。危害事件几乎全部涉及玉米，且集中在春夏季。零星的损害案例涉及水稻、大豆和高粱田。在靠近森林、远离主要道路、城市地区和连续树篱以及人口密度低的地区，破坏风险较高。
{"title":"Influence of seasonality, environmental and anthropic factors on crop damage by wild boar Sus scrofa","authors":"F. Cappa, M. Lombardini, A. Meriggi","doi":"10.25225/fozo.015.2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/fozo.015.2019","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. In recent decades, wild boar Sus scrofa populations have increased both in number and distribution in Italy, thus enhancing problems of cohabitation with humans. Crop damage represents one of the main sources of conflict; understanding the spatiotemporal variation of damage events and which factors increase the risk of damage is crucial to the development of effective management strategies. The aims of this study were to determine the impact of wild boar on croplands in the Special Protection Area “Risaie della Lomellina” (western Po Plain, northern Italy) and to formulate a risk prediction model through a binary logistic regression analysis. Damage events almost exclusively involved maize, and were concentrated in spring and summer. Sporadic cases of damage concerned rice, soybean and sorghum fields. The risk of damage was higher in fields close to forests, far from main roads, urban areas and continuous hedgerows, and in areas with low human population densities.","PeriodicalId":50436,"journal":{"name":"Folia Zoologica","volume":"60 1","pages":"261 - 268"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73665037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. Three image analysis methods were compared to assess the most effective way to accurately measure the length and width of a series of wires, which represent mammalian hair. Five different wires of known length and width were mounted with straight wires (Layout A) or curvy wires (Layout B) each with different angles or curvature. Prepared cards were scanned on a flatbed scanner at maximum resolution (1200 dpi), and analysed using Qualitative Image Analysis 64 software (QIA-64). Method 1 utilized the default automatic thresholding algorithm to measure all generated features. Method 2 used manual selection of features. Method 3 also used manual feature selection, but used the Johannsen thresholding algorithm instead of automatic thresholding. QIA-64 could accurately measure the length of straight wires when features were selected manually (Methods 2 and 3), but could not accurately determine the length of curved wires. With respect to width measurements, the Inscribed Radius procedure measured width more accurately than Mean Fibre Width. QIA-64 has the potential for use in research but requires further refinement and validation before it can replace manual measurement of length and width using a microscope.
{"title":"Is photoshop with Qualitative Image Analysis a valid technique for measuring hair morphology? A test using wires of known dimensions","authors":"Christopher Glueck, James A. Wilson","doi":"10.25225/fozo.012.2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/fozo.012.2019","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Three image analysis methods were compared to assess the most effective way to accurately measure the length and width of a series of wires, which represent mammalian hair. Five different wires of known length and width were mounted with straight wires (Layout A) or curvy wires (Layout B) each with different angles or curvature. Prepared cards were scanned on a flatbed scanner at maximum resolution (1200 dpi), and analysed using Qualitative Image Analysis 64 software (QIA-64). Method 1 utilized the default automatic thresholding algorithm to measure all generated features. Method 2 used manual selection of features. Method 3 also used manual feature selection, but used the Johannsen thresholding algorithm instead of automatic thresholding. QIA-64 could accurately measure the length of straight wires when features were selected manually (Methods 2 and 3), but could not accurately determine the length of curved wires. With respect to width measurements, the Inscribed Radius procedure measured width more accurately than Mean Fibre Width. QIA-64 has the potential for use in research but requires further refinement and validation before it can replace manual measurement of length and width using a microscope.","PeriodicalId":50436,"journal":{"name":"Folia Zoologica","volume":"os-50 1","pages":"235 - 245"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87249805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. A good knowledge of food resource utilization is essential to understand how most wild ungulates meet their seasonal requirements in order to improve conservation of endangered taxa. Using faecal sampling, the diet of Gazella cuvieri has was investigated in the Djebel Messaâd Mountain (M'sila Province, Algeria) from September 2013 to August 2014. A microhistological analysis method revealed that gazelles ate 29 species of plants during the year. The grass Stipa tenacissima and the shrub Artemisia herba alba were the major food items throughout the year. The highest diversity was recorded in spring (17 taxa) despite a large consumption of Helianthemum lippii, the lowest in a dry summer (nine species), including the major consumption of the shrubs Phillyrea media and Thymus algeriensis, together with Artemisia herba alba, Stipa tenacissima and Stipa parviflora. An average relative numerical abundance of 50.5 % of the diet comprised shrubs and trees, mainly including A. herba alba, T. algeriensis and Cistus libanotis. Grasses and forbs accounted for 29.4 % and 20.1 % respectively. Based on this study, this gazelle species can be classified as an intermediate feeder (i.e. browser-grazer).
{"title":"First data on the seasonal diet of the vulnerable Gazella cuvieri (Mammalia: Bovidae) in the Djebel Messaâd forest, northern Algeria","authors":"N. Benamor, F. Bounaceur, M. Baha, S. Aulagnier","doi":"10.25225/fozo.009.2019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25225/fozo.009.2019","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. A good knowledge of food resource utilization is essential to understand how most wild ungulates meet their seasonal requirements in order to improve conservation of endangered taxa. Using faecal sampling, the diet of Gazella cuvieri has was investigated in the Djebel Messaâd Mountain (M'sila Province, Algeria) from September 2013 to August 2014. A microhistological analysis method revealed that gazelles ate 29 species of plants during the year. The grass Stipa tenacissima and the shrub Artemisia herba alba were the major food items throughout the year. The highest diversity was recorded in spring (17 taxa) despite a large consumption of Helianthemum lippii, the lowest in a dry summer (nine species), including the major consumption of the shrubs Phillyrea media and Thymus algeriensis, together with Artemisia herba alba, Stipa tenacissima and Stipa parviflora. An average relative numerical abundance of 50.5 % of the diet comprised shrubs and trees, mainly including A. herba alba, T. algeriensis and Cistus libanotis. Grasses and forbs accounted for 29.4 % and 20.1 % respectively. Based on this study, this gazelle species can be classified as an intermediate feeder (i.e. browser-grazer).","PeriodicalId":50436,"journal":{"name":"Folia Zoologica","volume":"58 1","pages":"253 - 260"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84187202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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