In
many
industrialised
societies,
the
COVID-19
pandemic
has
been
painted
as
an
unprecedented
moment
caused
by
human
abuse
of
nature.Responses
to
it
have,
in
turn,
temporarily
slowed
down
impacts
upon
nature.This
led
a
rallying
cry
against
encroachment
into
what
are
claimed
be
pristine
wildernesses.Reflecting
historic,
archaeological
and
palaeoecological
evidence
relating
past
epidemics
within
wider
historical
timeframe
from
Africa
South
America,
we
show
that
though
is
novel
disease,
itself
does
not
represent
event,
since
diseases
brought
Europeans
have
previously
decimated
peoples
living
these
areas.The
'pristine
wilderness'
myth,
which
falsely
held
places
had
always
empty
people,
thus
helping
legitimate
creation
protected
areas,
their
political
control
both
colonial
national
administrations.We
therefore
question
assumption
behind
termed
'anthropause'
-that
supposed
reduction
anthropogenic
activities
current
presents
new
opportunity
study
on
nature:
numerous
previous
occasions
exist
where
depopulation
resulted
anthropauses.Such
responses
suggest
further
interdisciplinarity
needed
field
conservation,
spite
advances
this
direction.
Humans
may
play
a
key
role
in
providing
small
prey
mammals
spatial
and
temporal
refuge
from
predators,
but
few
studies
have
captured
the
heterogeneity
of
these
effects
across
space
time.
Global
COVID-19
lockdown
restrictions
offered
unique
opportunity
to
investigate
how
sudden
change
human
presence
semi-urban
park
impacted
wildlife.
Here,
we
quantify
changes
distributions
humans
natural
predators
influenced
landscape
fear
for
California
ground
squirrel
(Otospermophilus
beecheyi)
pandemic
(2020)
non-COVID
(2019)
year.
We
used
structural
equation
modeling
approach
explore
direct
indirect
presence,
predator
habitat
features
on
foraging
that
reflected
responses
(e.g.,
giving-up
densities
[GUDs],
number
foragers,
average
food
intake
rate
while
at
patches).
In
2019,
dogs
had
moderate
GUDs;
squirrels
were
less
fearful
(lower
GUDs)
areas
frequently
visited
by
dogs,
raptors
weak.
contrast,
2020,
GUDs
weak;
more
high
raptor
activity,
open
sky,
cover.
both
years,
farthest
most
risk-averse.
Overall,
our
analyses
revealed
an
increase
perceived
risk
2020
associated
with
concentration
presence.
Thus,
risk-sensitive
was
dynamic
time,
depending
complex
interplay
among
dog
microhabitat
features.
Our
findings
elucidate
myriad
ways
directly
indirectly
influence
animal
perception
safety
danger.
IEEE Access,
Год журнала:
2023,
Номер
11, С. 23462 - 23473
Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2023
Encounters
between
humans
and
wildlife
often
lead
to
injuries,
especially
in
remote
wilderness
regions,
highways.
Therefore,
animal
detection
is
a
vital
safety
conservation
component
that
can
mitigate
the
negative
impacts
of
these
encounters.
Deep
learning
techniques
have
achieved
best
results
compared
other
object
techniques;
however,
they
require
many
computations
parameters.
A
lightweight
species
model
based
on
YOLOv2
was
proposed.
It
designed
as
proof
concept
first
step
build
real-time
mitigation
system
with
embedded
devices.
Multi-level
features
merging
employed
by
adding
new
pass-through
layer
improve
feature
extraction
ability
accuracy
YOLOv2.
Moreover,
two
repeated
3
×
convolutional
layers
seventh
block
architecture
are
removed
reduce
computational
complexity,
thus
increase
speed
without
reducing
accuracy.
Animal
methods
regular
Convolutional
Neural
Networks
(CNNs)
been
widely
applied;
difficult
adapt
geometric
variations
animals
images.
Thus,
modified
addition
deformable
(DCLs)
proposed
resolve
this
issue.
Our
experimental
show
outperforms
original
5.0%
12.0%
speed.
Furthermore,
our
analysis
shows
more
suitable
for
deployment
than
YOLOv3
YOLOv4
Current Biology,
Год журнала:
2021,
Номер
31(17), С. 3952 - 3955.e3
Опубликована: Июнь 30, 2021
Humans
have
outsized
effects
on
ecosystems,
in
part
by
initiating
trophic
cascades
that
impact
all
levels
of
the
food
chain.1,2
Theory
suggests
disease
outbreaks
can
reverse
these
impacts
modifying
human
behavior,3,4
but
this
has
not
yet
been
tested.
The
COVID-19
pandemic
provided
a
natural
experiment
to
test
whether
virus
could
subordinate
humans
an
intermediate
link
chain,
releasing
top
carnivore
from
landscape
fear.
Shelter-in-place
orders
Bay
Area
California
led
50%
decline
mobility,
which
resulted
relaxation
mountain
lion
aversion
urban
areas.
Rapid
changes
mobility
thus
appear
act
quickly
web
functions,
suggesting
important
pathway
emerging
infectious
diseases
will
only
health
ecosystems
as
well.
Animals,
Год журнала:
2021,
Номер
11(3), С. 868 - 868
Опубликована: Март 18, 2021
Globally,
wildlife
is
affected
by
unprecedented
changes
related
to
the
COVID-19
pandemic.
In
this
paper,
lockdown
effect
on
traffic-related
mortality
in
hedgehogs
an
urban
area
was
studied.
Comparing
pre-pandemic
(2018
and
2019)
pandemic
(2020)
years,
we
showed
that
hedgehog
roadkill
levels
during
period
were
over
50%
lower
(which
means
a
decrease
greater
than
road
traffic
same
measured
number
of
accidents
or
average
vehicles
per
day).
Based
literature
data,
may
mean
at
least
tens
thousands
have
survived
national
scale.
We
report
need
start
intensive
research
possible
demographic
genetic
effects
unique
phenomenon.
also
ask
how
stable
will
be
whether
anthropause)
reverse
negative
trends
decline
wild
species,
including
hedgehogs.
Conservation Science and Practice,
Год журнала:
2022,
Номер
4(7)
Опубликована: Июнь 7, 2022
The
dual
mandate
for
many
protected
areas
(PAs)
to
simultaneously
promote
recreation
and
conserve
biodiversity
may
be
hampered
by
negative
effects
of
on
wildlife.
However,
reports
these
are
not
consistent,
presenting
a
knowledge
gap
that
hinders
evidence-based
decision-making.
We
used
camera
traps
monitor
human
activity
terrestrial
mammals
in
Golden
Ears
Provincial
Park
the
adjacent
University
British
Columbia
Malcolm
Knapp
Research
Forest
near
Vancouver,
Canada,
with
objective
discerning
relative
various
forms
cougars
(
