Today, especially in countries that offer a satisfactory quality of life, it is easy to forget that we depend directly and indirectly on services provided by ecosystems such as quantity and quality of water, energy, f...Today, especially in countries that offer a satisfactory quality of life, it is easy to forget that we depend directly and indirectly on services provided by ecosystems such as quantity and quality of water, energy, food, health, and shelter. In less developed countries, the daily struggle for essential goods makes this dependency more real, despite the lack of knowledge, organization and/or financial resources to deal with the problems imposed on ecosystems by climate and anthropogenic changes. Protecting ecosystems by ensuring the services they provide has become highly dependent on our management capacity, our understanding of its functioning, and our capacity for persuasion. Demographic pressure and individualism compromise the survival of various species, including our own, and create pressures under governments and the stability of nations. The notion of facing a global challenge has awakened in the scientific community the need to focus on developing global strategies that change the mind-sets of decision makers, industry, governments and markets. Global knowledge networks and experts are being built to mitigate problems on a global scale. In this mini review, the authors make a brief visit to documents, intergovernmental initiatives, and platforms that have been built with the aim of contributing to promote a resolution for the global problems.展开更多
Monitoring programs for nesting turtles around the world have been important to build up a matrix of information for better comprehension of their behaviour and dispersion. The Western Indian Ocean has several monitor...Monitoring programs for nesting turtles around the world have been important to build up a matrix of information for better comprehension of their behaviour and dispersion. The Western Indian Ocean has several monitoring programs that are being used to reveal migration routes, phylogenetic interconnections and nesting behaviour patterns. We determined the nesting parameters for 69 records of hawksbill turtles collected during the Vamizi Island monitoring program. We also determined carapace measurements parameters of the turtles caught by fishermen in the area and give some considerations to improve the conservation of this species. Results show that the island receives hawksbill females all year long. Vamizi is a small nesting ground for this species, with an incubation period of 60.9 ± 10.6 days and a high reproductive rate. The turtles’ carapace measurements (SCL 42.0 ± SD 9.0 cm) revealed the existence of young individuals, foraging near the island, and their vulnerability to the fishing practices. This study strongly defends the need to identify more developmental and nesting spots, to be protected near Vamizi, to establish a solid network of marine reserves and corridors in the north of the Mozambique Channel.展开更多
The loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services disturbance will result in serious ecological and socioeconomic consequences. How can people be prepared to be more efficient in preserving ecosystems, its services and ...The loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services disturbance will result in serious ecological and socioeconomic consequences. How can people be prepared to be more efficient in preserving ecosystems, its services and resources? The Messalo Wilderness Area (MWA) is an area lacking a bottom-up approach for the design of a management plan. This research intended to develop a strategy to gather people’s views to begin a human wellbeing assessment for the area, for which a Digital Questionnaire (DQ) was developed and tested. The specific objectives were to 1) verify the dispersion/distribution of people and elephants;2) study the natural resources used by the inhabitants;3) locate the areas from where the most important natural resources are extracted and where conflict between humans and animals occur;4) propose a Management Plan (MP) capable of mitigating the human-animals conflict, promoting the conservation of elephants and, consequently, of other types of biodiversity, thus working towards a better socio-economical development of the area. The elements gathered in the consulted references were used to design several maps and cartographic figures shown in this article, using the Map Window software. These maps describe: fresh water distribution, habitat distribution, population dispersal and main road connections, crop fields distribution and main exploitation spots of the different resources, orography and topography. The results from the DQ analysis helped to gather indicators to the human wellbeing assessment. The information gathered in the literature and by inquiry was effective in confirming the high dependency of local people on land and sea resources, as well as the conflicts between people and wild animals, such as elephants and African wild dogs, and the reasons for those conflicts. The DQ is effective in gathering people’s opinions and it constitutes an important tool in a bottom-up approach to the design of a management plan as to the design of the MP for the MWA.展开更多
To avoid wildlife-human conflict several solutions are used, like electrical fences, the most expensive solution. Nowadays, technology enables alternative and cheaper approaches for conservation projects. A technologi...To avoid wildlife-human conflict several solutions are used, like electrical fences, the most expensive solution. Nowadays, technology enables alternative and cheaper approaches for conservation projects. A technological device was developed to detect elephants, moving on their habitat, and predict and react by avoiding confrontation with man. The devices were tested in field experiments, and proved to be efficient in capturing floor vibration, and air-sound signals. Collected data also enabled the estimation of the vibration-source by calculus (using triangulation), revealing the importance of the methodology for real-time location and tracking of high mass animals (e.g. elephants). Building up a mesh of devices, separated 25 m from each other, is estimated as possible to monitor and identify different animals (by discriminating patterns) in an area, like a virtual fencing system. Though the devices may be effective for animal behaviour research, or even animal communication analysis, or other Biology field, other applications outside Biology are possible for them, like monitoring of: rock-falling, micro seismic railway, infrastructures, and people movements.展开更多
The Indian Ocean basin has much to reveal in what concerns marine turtles. Its regional management units (RMUs) are still lacking molecular data to define conservation strategies and priorities. Vamizi Island is one o...The Indian Ocean basin has much to reveal in what concerns marine turtles. Its regional management units (RMUs) are still lacking molecular data to define conservation strategies and priorities. Vamizi Island is one of the best known rookeries in the north of the Mozambique Channel. A mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed 14 haplotypes for the hawksbill turtle’s nesting and foraging in/near Vamizi, twelve of which were new in 2011. Though more studies inside the Channel are needed, Vamizi Island possibly contributes with hatchlings for other locations. More knowledge is important to define priorities for management units inside the Indian Ocean.展开更多
文摘Today, especially in countries that offer a satisfactory quality of life, it is easy to forget that we depend directly and indirectly on services provided by ecosystems such as quantity and quality of water, energy, food, health, and shelter. In less developed countries, the daily struggle for essential goods makes this dependency more real, despite the lack of knowledge, organization and/or financial resources to deal with the problems imposed on ecosystems by climate and anthropogenic changes. Protecting ecosystems by ensuring the services they provide has become highly dependent on our management capacity, our understanding of its functioning, and our capacity for persuasion. Demographic pressure and individualism compromise the survival of various species, including our own, and create pressures under governments and the stability of nations. The notion of facing a global challenge has awakened in the scientific community the need to focus on developing global strategies that change the mind-sets of decision makers, industry, governments and markets. Global knowledge networks and experts are being built to mitigate problems on a global scale. In this mini review, the authors make a brief visit to documents, intergovernmental initiatives, and platforms that have been built with the aim of contributing to promote a resolution for the global problems.
文摘Monitoring programs for nesting turtles around the world have been important to build up a matrix of information for better comprehension of their behaviour and dispersion. The Western Indian Ocean has several monitoring programs that are being used to reveal migration routes, phylogenetic interconnections and nesting behaviour patterns. We determined the nesting parameters for 69 records of hawksbill turtles collected during the Vamizi Island monitoring program. We also determined carapace measurements parameters of the turtles caught by fishermen in the area and give some considerations to improve the conservation of this species. Results show that the island receives hawksbill females all year long. Vamizi is a small nesting ground for this species, with an incubation period of 60.9 ± 10.6 days and a high reproductive rate. The turtles’ carapace measurements (SCL 42.0 ± SD 9.0 cm) revealed the existence of young individuals, foraging near the island, and their vulnerability to the fishing practices. This study strongly defends the need to identify more developmental and nesting spots, to be protected near Vamizi, to establish a solid network of marine reserves and corridors in the north of the Mozambique Channel.
文摘The loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services disturbance will result in serious ecological and socioeconomic consequences. How can people be prepared to be more efficient in preserving ecosystems, its services and resources? The Messalo Wilderness Area (MWA) is an area lacking a bottom-up approach for the design of a management plan. This research intended to develop a strategy to gather people’s views to begin a human wellbeing assessment for the area, for which a Digital Questionnaire (DQ) was developed and tested. The specific objectives were to 1) verify the dispersion/distribution of people and elephants;2) study the natural resources used by the inhabitants;3) locate the areas from where the most important natural resources are extracted and where conflict between humans and animals occur;4) propose a Management Plan (MP) capable of mitigating the human-animals conflict, promoting the conservation of elephants and, consequently, of other types of biodiversity, thus working towards a better socio-economical development of the area. The elements gathered in the consulted references were used to design several maps and cartographic figures shown in this article, using the Map Window software. These maps describe: fresh water distribution, habitat distribution, population dispersal and main road connections, crop fields distribution and main exploitation spots of the different resources, orography and topography. The results from the DQ analysis helped to gather indicators to the human wellbeing assessment. The information gathered in the literature and by inquiry was effective in confirming the high dependency of local people on land and sea resources, as well as the conflicts between people and wild animals, such as elephants and African wild dogs, and the reasons for those conflicts. The DQ is effective in gathering people’s opinions and it constitutes an important tool in a bottom-up approach to the design of a management plan as to the design of the MP for the MWA.
文摘To avoid wildlife-human conflict several solutions are used, like electrical fences, the most expensive solution. Nowadays, technology enables alternative and cheaper approaches for conservation projects. A technological device was developed to detect elephants, moving on their habitat, and predict and react by avoiding confrontation with man. The devices were tested in field experiments, and proved to be efficient in capturing floor vibration, and air-sound signals. Collected data also enabled the estimation of the vibration-source by calculus (using triangulation), revealing the importance of the methodology for real-time location and tracking of high mass animals (e.g. elephants). Building up a mesh of devices, separated 25 m from each other, is estimated as possible to monitor and identify different animals (by discriminating patterns) in an area, like a virtual fencing system. Though the devices may be effective for animal behaviour research, or even animal communication analysis, or other Biology field, other applications outside Biology are possible for them, like monitoring of: rock-falling, micro seismic railway, infrastructures, and people movements.
文摘The Indian Ocean basin has much to reveal in what concerns marine turtles. Its regional management units (RMUs) are still lacking molecular data to define conservation strategies and priorities. Vamizi Island is one of the best known rookeries in the north of the Mozambique Channel. A mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed 14 haplotypes for the hawksbill turtle’s nesting and foraging in/near Vamizi, twelve of which were new in 2011. Though more studies inside the Channel are needed, Vamizi Island possibly contributes with hatchlings for other locations. More knowledge is important to define priorities for management units inside the Indian Ocean.
