Human perspectives and conservation of grizzly bears in Banff National Park, Canada

Some conservation initiatives provoke intense conflict among stakeholders. The need for action, the nature of the conservation measures, and the effects of these measures on human interests may be disputed. Tools are needed to depolarize such situations, foster understanding of the perspectives of people involved, and find common ground. We used Q methodology to explore stakeholders' perspectives on conservation and management of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) in Banff National Park and the Bow River watershed of Alberta, Canada. Twenty-nine stakeholders participated in the study, including local residents, scientists, agency employees, and representatives of nongovernmental conservation organizations and other interest groups. Participants rank ordered a set of statements to express their opinions on the problems of grizzly bear management (I-IV) and a second set of statements on possible solutions to the problems (A-C). Factor analysis revealed that participants held 4 distinct views of the problems: individuals associated with factor I emphasized deficiencies in goals and plans; those associated with factor II believed that problems had been exaggerated; those associated with factor III blamed institutional flaws such as disjointed management and inadequate resources; and individuals associated with factor IV blamed politicized decision making. There were 3 distinct views about the best solutions to the problems: individuals associated with factor A called for increased conservation efforts; those associated with factor B wanted reforms in decision-making processes; and individuals associated with factor C supported active landscape management. We connected people's definitions of the problem with their preferred solutions to form 5 overall problem narratives espoused by groups in the study: the problem is deficient goals and plans, the solution is to prioritize conservation efforts (planning-oriented conservation advocates); the problem is flawed institutions, the solution is to prioritize conservation efforts (institutionally-oriented conservation advocates); the problems have been exaggerated, but there is a need to improve decision-making processes (optimistic decision-process reformers); the problems have been exaggerated, but managers should more actively manage the landscape (optimistic landscape managers); and the problem is politicized decision making, solutions vary (democratizers). Although these 5 groups differed on many issues, they agreed that the population of grizzly bears is vulnerable to extirpation, human use of the area should be designed around ecological constraints, and more inclusive decision-making processes are needed. We used our results to inform a series of workshops in which stakeholders developed and agreed on new management strategies that were implemented by Parks Canada. Our research demonstrates the usefulness of Q method to illuminate people's perspectives and identify common ground in settings where conservation is contested.     

Demographic Connectivity for Ursid Populations at Wildlife Crossing Structures in Banff National Park

Wildlife crossing structures are one solution to mitigating the fragmentation of wildlife populations caused by roads, but their effectiveness in providing connectivity has only been superficially evaluated. Hundreds of grizzly (Ursus arctos) and black bear (Ursus americanus) passages through under and overpasses have been recorded in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. However, the ability of crossing structures to allow individual and population‐level movements across road networks remains unknown. In April 2006, we initiated a 3‐year investigation into whether crossing structures provide demographic connectivity for grizzly and black bears in Banff National Park. We collected hair with multiple noninvasive methods to obtain genetic samples from grizzly and black bears around the Bow Valley. Our objectives were to determine the number of male and female grizzly and black bears that use crossing structures; examine spatial and temporal patterns of crossings; and estimate the proportions of grizzly and black bear populations in the Bow Valley that use crossing structures. Fifteen grizzly (7 female, 8 male) and 17 black bears (8 female, 9 male) used wildlife crossing structures. The number of individuals detected at wildlife crossing structures was highly correlated with the number of passages in space and time. Grizzly bears used open crossing structures (e.g., overpasses) more often than constricted crossings (e.g., culverts). Peak use of crossing structures for both bear species occurred in July, when high rates of foraging activity coincide with mating season. We compared the number of bears that used crossings with estimates of population abundance from a related study and determined that substantial percentages of grizzly (15.0% in 2006, 19.8% in 2008) and black bear (17.6% in 2006, 11.0% in 2008) populations used crossing structures. On the basis of our results, we concluded wildlife crossing structures provide demographic connectivity for bear populations in Banff National Park. Conectividad Demográfica para Poblaciones de Úrsidos en Estructuras para Cruce de Vida Silvestre en el Parque Nacional Banff     

How humans shape wolf behavior in Banff and Kootenay National Parks, Canada

This paper describes the conceptualization and implementation of an agent-based model to investigate how varying levels of human presence could affect elements of wolf behavior, including highway crossings; use of areas in proximity to roads and trails; size of home ranges; activities, such as hunting, patrolling, resting, and feeding pups; and survival of individuals in Banff and Kootenay National Parks, Canada. The model consists of a wolf module as the primary component with five packs represented as cognitive agents, and grizzly bear, elk, and human modules that represent dynamic components of the environment. A set of environmental data layers was used to develop a friction model that serves as a base map representing the landscape over which wolves moved. A decision model was built to simulate the sequence of wolf activities. The model was implemented in a Java Programming Language using RePast, an agent-based modeling library. Six months of wolf activities were simulated from April 16 to October 15 (i.e., a season coherent with regard to known wolf behaviors), and calibrated with GPS data from wolf radiocollars (n = 15) deployed from 2002 to 2004. Results showed that the simulated trajectories of wolf movements were correlated with the observed trajectories (Spearman's rho 0.566, P < 0.001); other critical behaviors, such as time spent at the den and not traveling were also correlated. The simulations revealed that wolf movements and behaviors were noticeably affected by the intensity of human presence. The packs’ home ranges shrank and wolves crossed highways less frequently with increased human presence. In an extreme example, a wolf pack whose home range is traversed by a high-traffic-volume highway was extirpated due to inability to hunt successfully under a scenario wherein human presence levels were increased 10-fold. The modeling prototype developed in this study may serve as a tool to test hypotheses about human effects on wolves and on other mammals, and guide decision-makers in designing management strategies that minimize impacts on wolves and on other species functionally related to wolves in the ecosystem.     

我国自然保护区内国家重点保护物种保护成效评价

对我国473个自然保护区内野生动植物资源就地保护状况的分析和评价表明,这些自然保护区不同程度地保护了国家重点保护野生动物共386种,占其总数的84．84％;保护了国家重点保护野生植物共264种,占其总数的86．27％。指出了我国自然保护区应重点关注的物种,并提出相关保护建议。     

上海佘山国家森林公园空气负离子动态及其主要影响因子

以上海佘山国家森林公园为研究地,通过定点观测,对比分析了林内与空地的空气负离子在日变化和季节变化上的规律。研究结果表明:在一日内的上午、中午、下午3个时段,林内与空地的空气负离子浓度和安培空气离子评价系数(CI)值均无显著性差异;而在这3个时段,林内的空气负离子浓度和CI值均显著高于空地;季节上,林内与空地的负离子浓度、CI值以及空气清洁程度均为夏秋季大于春季大于冬季,林内和空地在夏秋两季负离子浓度和CI值都显著大于空地。同时林内的空气清洁程度在4个季节皆高于空地。通过多元回归分析得出,总悬浮颗粒物(TSP)是影响夏秋两季林内负离子浓度和CI值的主要影响因素;相对湿度是影响夏秋两季空地空气负离子浓度和CI值的主要影响因素。     

Constructing change: The evolution of land and resource management in Alberta,Canada

Recognizing the limitations common to both centralized and privatized management regimes, institutionalized resource management is beginning to incorporate the knowledge and skills of local resource users, coupled with the enabling policies and legislation of state systems, to arrive at cooperative approaches to resource management. These varying and dynamic approaches to resource management have been compelled largely through the recognition of the limited capabilities of existing management systems to adapt effectively to ecosystem change and the evolving needs of resource users. These cooperative approaches to management should not, however, be considered an institutional end-point, but rather a phase in the perpetual transition of a social system; each unique in character and individually variable depending on the resource being managed, the political climate in which management occurs, as well as the differing strategies employed by resource users to enact institutional change. Drawing from the experiences of the Whitefish Lake First Nation of Alberta, Canada, this paper presents a brief overview of the evolution of resource management theory, grounded in the real-world formation of the Whitefish Lake First Nation — Province of Alberta Cooperative Management Agreement.     

Edge-Core Effects and the Effectiveness of Traditional Reserves in Conservation: Eurasian Badgers in Doñana National Park

Abstract: High rates of human-mediated mortality on animals are frequently reported inside protected areas, especially near their borders, so the overall effect of reserves on animal conservation is not usually known. To determine the effect of a traditional reserve (Doñana National Park, southwestern Spain) on the Eurasian badger (   Meles meles ), a medium sized carnivore, we studied mortality causes and rates, with the aid of radiotelemetry, in two populations inside the reserve, one closer to the border than the other. Human-related mortality ( poaching and road kills) was by far the most common cause of mortality (85% of deaths recorded). The average annual mortality rate due to poaching was high (0.48 ± 0.08) for the population close to the border of the park, whereas none of the radiomarked badgers in the core of the reserve died during the study period. A logistic model that included distance from the border of the park, sampling effort, and the local area (i.e., edge and core populations) indicated that the difference between both sites was due to the effect of distance from the border on survival probability. On a regional scale, badger density at the core of the park was 3.16 times higher than outside. Overall, the effect of the reserve was positive, but edge effects reduced reserve effectiveness by 36%. Edge effects in close proximity of the border were strong, reducing badger density even below the expected density outside the reserve. Edge effects should be considered carefully when reserves are implemented because they can greatly reduce reserve effectiveness and influence the viability of the populations inside. Enlargement of reserves and control of human activities that promote edge effects, both inside and outside the reserve, are the two management actions that can most effectively mitigate edge effects.     

北京西山国家森林公园中空气负离子浓度与气象因子的相关性研究

空气负离子(Negative air ions,NAI)是城市空气质量的重要指标之一,揭示城市森林释放NAI的影响机制,有助于充分利用NAI的净化作用及保健作用,并判断空气质量.利用北京西山国家森林公园2017年9月—2018年8月的NAI和气象数据,深入探究不同季节条件下和典型天气下影响空气负离子浓度(NAIC)的气...     

Longitudinal variations of coral reef features in the Marine National Park,Gulf of Kachchh

The Gulf of Kachchh is characterised by a strong tidal variation and the reef communities are capable of higher exposure time during negative tides. About 11 sites located along the Marine National Park (MNP) from west to east were studied for assessing the present status of live coral cover along with other life-form categories. In the present study, the maximum live coral cover was recorded in Pirotan Island, followed by Laku Point, Mithapur and Boriya reef. Multivariate analyses such as Principal Component Analysis and Correspondence Analysis supported that the contribution of live coral cover was more towards Pirotan Island whereas the contribution of coral species cover was more towards Laku Point. Bray-Curtis cluster analysis categorized all the study sites into four major clusters with 78 % similarity based on life-form categories. Among them, two clusters from western region (one forming site from Mithapur Reef to Lakku Point and another one forming from Ashaba Gugar Reef to Dabdaba Island), the third one combines the western and eastern regions (Boriya Reef to Kalubar Island), the fourth one comprises the eastern region (Narara Reef to Sikka), and one outlier Pirotan Island. Based on coral species cover, two major clusters with 55 % similarity were formed. Among them, one cluster was formed from Pirotan Island to Kalubar Island in the eastern side of MNP and the second one comprised the western region of MNP (Boriya Reef to Laku Point), and one outlier Mithapur Reef. Thirty one species of live corals belonging to 8 families and 18 genera were recorded in the Marine National Park itself during the study period.     

Male chimpanzees compromise the foraging success of their mates in Kibale National Park,Uganda

Sexual conflict develops when the optimal reproductive strategy for one sex inflicts fitness costs upon the other sex. Among species with intense within-group feeding competition and high costs of reproduction, females are expected to experience reduced foraging efficiency by associating with males, and this may compromise their reproductive ability. Here, we test this hypothesis in chimpanzees, a species with flexible grouping patterns in which female avoidance of large subgroups has been attributed to their relatively high costs of grouping. In an >11-year study of the Kanyawara community of East African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Kibale National Park, Uganda, the availability of sexually receptive females was a key determinant of the number of males in parties. In turn, females experienced significantly lower C-peptide of insulin levels, indicative of reduced energy balance, during periods when they associated with more males. Female associates did not produce the same negative effect. C-peptide levels positively and significantly predicted female ovarian steroid production, indicating that the costs of associating with males can lead to downstream reproductive costs. Therefore, we conclude that Kanyawara chimpanzees exhibit sexual conflict over subgroup formation, with the large groupings that allow males to compete for mating opportunities inflicting energetic and reproductive costs on females. Because association with males is central to female chimpanzees’ anti-infanticide strategy, and males may confer other benefits, we propose that reproductive success in female chimpanzees hinges on a delicate balance between the costs and benefits of associating with male conspecifics.     

九寨沟风景区秋季水体硅藻的海拔梯度变化

九寨沟是著名的世界自然遗产地,水是九寨沟自然风景的灵魂,因而关于九寨沟湿地的研究极为重要.硅藻的生长和繁殖对环境极为敏感,长期作为湿地水质监测的指标.对四川几寨沟风景区内17处采样点水体中的硅藻进行了实地调查研究,经鉴定共发现113个分类单位,包括种和变种,隶属于2纲6目10科32属.脆杆藻属、舟形藻属、桥弯藻属和异极藻属常为优势属,只在长海是以小环藻属为单一优势属的群落.首次发现典型的富营养化指示种颗粒直链藻[Melosira granulata(Ehr.)Ralfs]和星形冠盘藻[Stephanodiscus astraea(Ehr.)Grun.]在旅游旺季出现,并在淡季消失,表明旅游对九寨沟核心景Ⅸ的湖泊产生了一定的影响,而其生态系统具有较强的自我调节功能.数量统计和相关分析结果表明,硅藻细胞密度受到环境因子的综合作用而表现出与海拔显著的正相关;反映多样性的Cairns连续比较指数(SCI)普遍较高(长海除外),与海拔显著负相关,与密度极显著负相关,可以都从种间竞争得到解释;SCI不一定反映了水体水质.图2表6参25     

净月潭国家森林公园凋落物层土壤动物群落多样性

为了解中温带地区城市森林凋落物层土壤动物群落结构及大面积针叶人工林对凋落物层土壤动物群落多样性的影响,对长春净月潭国家森林公园凋落物层土壤动物进行调查,共采获土壤动物8 630头,隶属于3门6纲18个类群,其中弹尾目、蜱螨目、膜翅目、鞘翅目、鳞翅目幼虫、蜘蛛目、双翅目幼虫和石蜈蚣目是该地区森林生态系统凋落物层土壤动物的主要类群,其个体数占土壤动物个体总数的97.91%。天然次生林与针叶人工林间凋落物土壤动物的类群数、密度、多样性指数、均匀度指数、Simpson优势度指数和密度-类群指数均无显著差异(P>0.05),而2种林分间伪蝎目、石蜈蚣目、缨翅目和鳞翅目幼虫的密度及蜱螨目和弹尾目个体数之比差异明显。2种林分Jaccard相似性系数为0.67。