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Human-wildlife conflicts examined at conference in Brazil Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology July 24, 2005 Below is a sampling of some of the human-wildlife conflict papers submitted for the conference. All descriptions are excepts from the official "Book of Abstracts" from the meeting. More abstracts. BOULHOSA, RICARDO L. P.; Michalski, Fernanda; Faria, Alexandre; Peres, Carlos A. Instituto Pró-Carnívoros and CENAP/IBAMA, C.P. 10, Atibaia, SP, 12940 Brazil (RB). Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom (FM, CP). Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual do Mato Grosso, Alta Floresta, MT, 78580-000 Brazil (AF), boulhosa((AT))procarnivoros.org.br. Carnivores are particularly vulnerable to local extinction in fragmented landscapes due to their large ranges, low density and persecution by humans. This problem is aggravated along tropical deforestation frontiers where large felids often shift to both small and large livestock prey because of increased proximity to human agriculture. Here we examine the causes and economic costs of livestock depredation by jaguars and pumas in a deforestation frontier in the Brazilian Amazonia. We carried out 86 interviews conducted with landowners and local ranchers within a radius of 15 to 75 km from the town of Alta Floresta, MT. Depredation was concentrated on animals with an average age of 5.5 months (94%). We detected an increase in depredation rates during the wet season (48%). Proximity to forested areas was the strongest variable related to felid attacks (75.8%). Properties far removed from the town centre (35-60 km radius) showed higher predation rates than those nearer the town, where forest remnants are scarce and highly fragmented. The average annual loss per livestock-owning property was US$725.50, or 0.80% of each property’s net annual income. These patterns of livestock predation can be explained by a combination of landscape variables and livestock management.XIX Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology ABSTRACT WILDLIFE ROAD MORTALITY IN TRIÂNGULO MINEIRO, SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL. BUENO, ADRIANA A.; Belentani, Sonia C. S.; Ribeiro, Milton C. Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, 05508-900, abueno((AT))ib.usp.br (AAB). Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil (SCSB, MCR). Few empirical studies on wildlife road mortality impact were developed in Brazil. So, the aims of this study were to describe the wildlife species susceptible to road-kills and to assess the in- fluence of different landscape attributes on wildlife road mortality. Surveys were conducted along two major roads, located in Triângulo Mineiro, west Minas Gerais State. Quantitative survey involved driving along the road and recording dead animals from March to December 2004. The landscape analysis was conducted using only mammal data from Prata municipality (19°18’S; 48°55’W). A total of 82 carcasses were recorded, mammals accounted for 81.71%, birds 12.20% and reptiles 6.10%. In relation to landscape attributes, two zones were distinguishable: one with more road-kills and higher proportion of forest physiognomies (cerrado 6.0%, gallery forest 12.5% and pine plantation 14.7%) and other with lower number of road-kills (cultivation 28.7% and pasture 57%). The data suggest that areas with higher proportion of forest and lower human disturbance may harbour more biodiversity. However, the maintenance of such areas with no management may not be enough for the persistence of these species. Surely, the employment of signs and driver education are useful to reduce the losses in these priority road zones FACTORS INFLUENCING LIVESTOCK DEPREDATION BY JAGUARS IN THE SOUTHERN PANTANAL, BRAZIL. CAVALCANTI, SANDRA M. C.; Gese, Eric M. Department of Forest, Range, and Wildlife Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-5230, USA, cavalcanti1((AT)) yahoo.com. USDA, National Wildlife Research Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USA.ABSTRACTS Universidade de Brasília, Brazil, July 2005 In the southern Pantanal, killing of livestock is the major source of conflict between humans and jaguars, but the extent of these depredations and the impact on local ranchers is poorly understood. Jaguars are killed for depredation control without evidence of which cats are killing livestock. This study investigated interactions between jaguars and cattle, to determine the factors influencing depredation. We collected information on jaguar movements and habitat use, and examined depredation rates and patterns. Kill sites were mapped and correlated with environmental variables. We gathered a dataset of over 400 prey killed by individual cats. For each of these, we collected information on the species, identity of the predator, date and time, predominant vegetation, season of the year, and reproductive status of the predator. Predation patterns were examined to determine if jaguars preferentially prey on particular species or in specific areas. Individual jaguars utilized large home ranges, but their areas overlapped to a great extent. Native to domestic prey ratios varied among individual jaguars, as well as frequency of native prey they killed. Native and domestic prey were killed at different rates during different seasons. Understanding the feeding ecology of jaguars will be important for their long-term conservation VERTEBRATE ROAD-KILLS IN TWO HIGHWAYS CROSSING THE MATA ATLANTICA BIOSPHERE RESERVE IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL. COELHO, IGOR P.; Kindel, Andreas; Coelho, Artur V. P. PPG-Ecologia UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-170, Brazil, ipfeifercoelho((AT))yahoo.com (IPC); Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-170, Brazil (AK); Laboratório de Microeletrônica, Instituto de Física, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-170, Brazil (AVPC). Animal mortality due to vehicle collisions is one of the main impacts posed by road networks to ecosystems and only recently this impact is receiving more attention. In this work, we describe the composition, spatial and temporal patterns of vertebrate (except amphibians) road kills at the two largest highways (BR-101 and RS-389) crossing the northern coastal plain of Rio Grande do Sul. Between jan/2003 and jan/2004, once a month, a section of 90 km in each of those highways was monitored. Modified K and STAC statistics were used to evaluate spatial clustering of the events. A total of 877 vertebrates was registered (3,4 ind/10km), without significant variation of mortality between seasons. Vertebrate mortality was non-randomly distributed and presented greater aggregation intensity in scales of 10 km (BR-101) and 20 km (RS- 389). The hotspots of road-kills in each highway had been located. These information, associated with analyses involving the species composition, will be used for recommending the establishment of wildlife passages and/or speed reducers. Relating these data with information about vehicle traffic, highways trace and adjacent landscape composition and structure will be important for supporting future regional road planning policies THE ECOLOGY AND ECONOMICS OF HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT IN THE MARA-SERENGETI. WALPOLE, MATTHEW; Kisotu, Stephen; Sitati, Noah; Lengalen, Benson; Doinyo, Yannick; Leader-Williams, Nigel. Fauna & Flora International, Cambridge, UK, matt.walpole((AT))fauna-flora.org (MW), Friends of Conservation, Nairobi, Kenya (SK), Durrell Institute of Conservation & Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK (NS, NL-W), Department of Wildlife Management, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya (BL), Frankfurt Zoological Society, Seronera, Tanzania (YD). Conservation of large mammals incurs disproportionate costs on local communities, but our efforts to mitigate or offset such costs are often hampered by a lack of rigorous evidence. This series of studies explored the ecological and economic characteristics of human-wildlife conflict around the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem in Kenya and Tanzania, using community-based monitoring, participatory appraisal and GIS. Over a dozen species of bird and mammal were involved in livestock predation or crop raiding. Con- flict patterns varied geographically, seasonally and in relation to rainfall and the choice of prey or crop, between different predators and crop pests. Average annual losses to wildlife represented a relatively small proportion of household assets, and livestock losses to predators were outweighed by losses due to stock theft and disease. However, economic losses were unevenly distributed between households, and an increasing propensity to cultivate increased both the magnitude and inequitability of losses, as well as increasing the range of species in conflict with people. Current park outreach programs do not offset the value of losses to wildlife, but the appropriate deployment of current tourism revenues could do so. However, the results of these studies suggest technical solutions that could minimize losses without recourse to controversial compensation schemes THE IMPACT OF TRAFFIC FATALITIES ON LAVA LIZARD POPULATIONS (Microlophus albemarlensis) IN SANTA CRUZ, GALÁPAGOS. TANNER, DAWN; Perry, James A. Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, 200 Hodson Hall, 1980 Folwell Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108-6124, USA, tann0042((AT))umn.edu. Vehicle collisions with wildlife impact species everywhere roads divide and transect natural habitats. This study addresses the impact of traffic fatalities on lava lizards, Microlophus albemarlensis, on the island of Santa Cruz, Galápagos. The main road bisecting the island north to south was a new addition to the island, begun in 1974 but not completed with asphalt until 2000. We assessed impacts occurring due to an increase in traffic and speed of travel on the island. Using Poisson Regression to analyze transect data at incremental positions from the road, we found a 30% increase in lizard abundance per 100 meters distant from the road, with significant results also between natural vegetation zones with little human impact and highly impacted areas with invasive species. By traveling the length of the 40-kilometer road, we were able to identify hot spots for fatalities, which will be used to target areas for future management efforts. We used incidence of tail loss to quantify additional energetic costs. The results of this were striking: 29% on the road, 10% adjacent to the road, with numbers quickly reduced, arriving at 1% at 400 meters distant. These results will be used to direct and focus future management efforts JAGUAR/RANCHER CONFLICTS IN THE PANTANAL: DO COMPENSATION PROGRAMS WORK? Silveira, Leandro; Jácomo, Anah T. A.; Ferro, Claudia; Kashivakura, Cyntia K.; Furtado, Mariana M.; TÔRRES, NATÁLIA M. Jaguar Conservation Fund, Caixa Postal 193, Mineiros, GO, 75.830-000, Brazil, jaguar((AT))jaguar.org.br. Attacks by jaguars and pumas on domestic livestock and consequent retaliation by cattle ranchers is an historical problem in the Pantanal. When the conflict between humans/livestock/predators exists, it is necessary to add human intervention in order to reduce losses on both parties. This project intended to diagnose the impact of jaguar and puma predation on the domestic livestock and use a financial compensation program to prevent retaliation upon the predators by ranchers. Eleven ranches in the surroundings of the Rio Negro State Park-MS were partners of this initiative for an 18 month period. A total of 74 predation records associated to jaguars on cattle were confirmed in five properties. Jaguars were responsible for 73% of the registered attacks, of these 98% happened on a single property. In an attempt to involve the local community in the conservation of the species, besides the financial compensation to the ranchers, three social campaigns were conducted for the residents of the participating ranchers, where the farm hands and their families received free medical and dental care. In this study we evaluate the real impact of predation and a compensation program as a potential model to solve or minimize jaguar-rancher conflicts in strategic conservation areas ANDEAN BEAR-CATTLE CONFLICT: APPLICATION OF THE MODEL FOR CONSERVATION PLANNING BASED ON LANDSCAPE SPECIES REQUIREMENTS TO THE OYACACHI CASE, ECUADOR. FLORES, SASKIA; Bustamante, Macarena; Remache, Gioconda; Goldstein, Isaac; Camacho, Jaime. EcoCiencia, Fco. Salazar E14-34 y Coruña, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador, pep((AT))ecociencia.org (SF, MB, GR, JC). Wildlife Conservation Society, Avenida 4 entre calles 18 y 19 Edificio General Masini Piso 3 Oficina B32, Merida, Merida, Venezuela, igoldstein((AT))wcs.org (IG). In Oyacachi, a community in the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve, cattlemen since 2001 have increasingly lost their cattle due to Andean bear attacks, affecting the people’s economy and attitudes, which could lead to an indiscriminate killing of the species. The purpose of the present work is to understand the conflict using the conceptual model for conservation planning considering the Andean bear as a landscape species. We focused on: the ecology of the conflict developing GIS assisted models of the Andean bear, cattle and predation probabilities of occurrence; the economic impacts of predation, studying its direct and indirect costs; and the social impacts, testing if changes in people’s attitudes towards Andean bear have occurred due to predation. The results showed that the attacks took place in areas close to the forest-paramo ecotone, were cattle vigilance is poor, and where the probability of presence of both bears and cattle is moderate to high. The economic losses from 2001 to 2004 have been about 45.000 US dollars, and a strong change in the people’s perceptions and attitudes towards the Andean bear have occurred. Based on the results we will design and implement a conservation plan to reduce Andean bear-cattle conflict in Oyacachi.XIX Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology ABSTRACT LIVESTOCK DEPREDATION BY CARNIVORES IN BRAZIL: A GOVERNMENTAL PROGRAM PURSUING SOLUTIONS FOR A NATIONAL PROBLEM. DE PAULA, ROGÉRIO C.; Boulhosa, Ricardo L. P. CENAP/IBAMA, Rua João Soares do Amaral, 112, Atibaia, SP, 12.941-600, Brazil, rogerio((AT))procarnivoros.org.br. Brazil is worldwide known as one of the richest countries concerning biodiversity. It is also one of the emerging countries with a high development rate. Likewise several areas around the world, economical development has leading to consequences in wildlife conservation, so that conflicts between wildlife and people throughout the country are common due to the expanding of contact zones between them. The most impacting conflicts are related to predators preying upon livestock. Although pumas and jaguars are the most problematic carnivores that lead to conflicts with humans, of the 26 species of carnivores occurring in Brazil, 17 have been recorded as responsible for livestock depredation. By observing 10 years of data recorded, 87% of the conflicts registered were involving large cats, and only 4% were related to 15 other carnivores species. Additionally, records show that Brazil’s central and southeast regions have the highest numbers of con- flicts. Until recently, punctual actions were conducted. Nowadays, new efforts have been made to find new solutions for the HWC throughout Brazil. Solutions such as ranch activities related to wildlife tourism, regional damage control programs, among others, are presenting positive results on balancing livestock losses. Presently, close to 85% of the attacks reported are resolved HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICTS IN A FRAGMENTED TROPICAL FOREST LANDSCAPE: COSTS OF LARGE FELID PREDATION ON LIVESTOCK IN BRAZILIAN AMAZONIA. BOULHOSA, RICARDO L. P.; Michalski, Fernanda; Faria, Alexandre; Peres, Carlos A. Instituto Pró-Carnívoros and CENAP/IBAMA, C.P. 10, Atibaia, SP, 12940- 970, Brazil (RB). Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom (FM, CP). Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual do Mato Grosso, Alta Floresta, MT, 78580-000 Brazil (AF), boulhosa((AT))procarnivoros.org.br. Carnivores are particularly vulnerable to local extinction in fragmented landscapes due to their large ranges, low density and persecution by humans. This problem is aggravated along tropical deforestation frontiers where large felids often shift to both small and large livestock prey because of increased proximity to human agriculture. Here we examine the causes and economic costs of livestock depredation by jaguars and pumas in a deforestation frontier in the Brazilian Amazonia. We carried out 86 interviews conducted with landowners and local ranchers within a radius of to 75 km from the town of Alta Floresta, MT. Depredation was concentrated on animals with an average age of 5.5 months (94%). We detected an increase in depredation rates during the wet season (48%). Proximity to forested areas was the strongest variable related to felid attacks (75.8%). Properties far removed from the town centre (35-60 km radius) showed higher predation rates than those nearer the town, where forest remnants are scarce and highly fragmented. The average annual loss per livestock-owning property was US$725.50, or 0.80% of each property’s net annual income. These patterns of livestock predation can be explained by a combination of landscape variables and livestock management. EVALUATING IMPACTS OF PROBLEM ANIMAL CONTROL ON LOCAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR PROTECTED AREA CONSERVATION AT BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK, UGANDA. BAKER, JULIA; Leader-Williams, Nigel. Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 7NS, United Kingdom. jeb9((AT))kent.ac.uk. Improved relations with local communities are a primary motive for managers of protected areas to mitigate crop raiding by wild animals. Crop raiding patterns and impacts on local livelihoods have been established, although the assumption that problem animal control gains local support for protected areas has rarely been examined. The analysis was based on law enforcement data from 1996-2000 on patrol encounters with crop raiding by wild animals; mitigation incidents; and, farmers’ complaints about crop raiding to rangers passing their fields on patrol, at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. We found that crop raiding patterns are highly localised around Bwindi. Baboons cause most crop loss although infrequent but severe raids by mountain gorillas and elephants occur in certain areas. Farmers experiencing raids by flagship species received most mitigation. Farmers experiencing baboon raids accounted for most complaints and exhibited a greater mismatch between complaints and actual damage. Bene- fits from protected areas for rural communities are primary strategies of integrated conservation and development at Bwindi, and considered successful in conflict resolution. Yet despite community benefits, human-wildlife conflict continued for individuals not receiving mitigation. Thus, incorporating problem animal control and law enforcement with community-based programmes is recommended for the integrated policy of Bwindi. LIVESTOCK DEPREDATION BY JAGUAR AND PUMA IN THE PANTANAL REGION OF BRAZIL. AZEVEDO, FERNANDO C. C. Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-1136, USA, azev3517((AT))uidaho.edu. Habitat loss, close proximity to domestic livestock, and direct competition from poachers removing natural prey, may force jaguars and pumas to coexist spatially with domestic animals and consequently use them as prey. In an attempt to study livestock depredation in the Pantanal of Brazil, 11 cats (nine jaguars and two pumas) were monitored during 2003-2004 in three livestock ranches. From January to August 2004, of all carcasses of wild prey found (43), predation by jaguars represented the majority of recorded incidents (86.3%, 19 animals). Capybaras, marsh deer and caiman constituted the wild prey most taken by jaguars. A total of 100 domestic animals were found dead or killed during the period. Of all domestic animals found dead, depredation accounted for only 22.0% (22 animals). The average rate of predation of livestock at the main ranch, San Francisco farm, and in two neighbor farms represented 1.45 ± 1.11% of all livestock. Considering the total number of cattle within San Francisco area at the beginning of 2004 (4.951 heads), predation by jaguars and pumas represented only 0.18% of all cattle. The abundance of wild prey apparently contributed for low depredation of cattle in the area. Society for Conservation Biology - Brasilia 2005 News index | RSS | Add to MyYahoo! Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing |
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