Trophic rewilding as a restoration approach under emerging novel biosphere conditions

Current Biology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 34(9), С. R435 - R451

Опубликована: Май 1, 2024

Язык: Английский

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Goat as the ideal climate-resilient animal model in tropical environment: revisiting advantages over other livestock species

International Journal of Biometeorology, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 65(12), С. 2229 - 2240

Опубликована: Авг. 7, 2021

Язык: Английский

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Animal Harms and Food Production: Informing Ethical Choices

Animals, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 11(5), С. 1225 - 1225

Опубликована: Апрель 23, 2021

Ethical food choices have become an important societal theme in post-industrial countries. Many consumers are particularly interested the animal welfare implications of various foods they may choose to consume. However, concepts rapidly evolving towards consideration all animals (including wildlife) contemporary approaches such as “One Welfare”. This approach requires recognition that negative impacts (harms) be intentional and obvious (e.g., slaughter livestock) but also include under-appreciated indirect or unintentional harms often impact wildlife land clearing). is especially true Anthropocene, where on non-human life almost ubiquitous across human activities. We applied “harms” model assessment several common production systems provide a framework for assessing breadth (not intensity) imposed. considered caused wild well domestic animals, both direct effects effects. described 21 forms harm how 16 production. Our analysis suggests some degree majority these affect wildlife, not livestock. conclude likely impose greatest overall intensive agriculture industries dairy) rely secondary system cropping), while harvesting locally available plants, mushrooms seaweed least harms. present this conceptual resource those who want begin considering complex trade-offs involved their choices.

Язык: Английский

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Africa’s drylands in a changing world: Challenges for wildlife conservation under climate and land-use changes in the Greater Etosha Landscape

Global Ecology and Conservation, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 38, С. e02221 - e02221

Опубликована: Июль 12, 2022

Proclaimed in 1907, Etosha National Park northern Namibia is an iconic dryland system with a rich history of wildlife conservation and research. A recent research symposium on the Greater Landscape (GEL) highlighted increased concern how intensification global change will affect based participant responses to questionnaire. The GEL includes surrounding areas, latter divided by veterinary fence into large, private farms south communal areas residential farming land north. Here, we leverage our knowledge this ecosystem provide insight broader challenges facing vulnerable environment. We first look backward, summarizing trends literature review, providing broad-scale understanding socioecological processes that drive dynamics. then forward, focusing eight key challenge opportunity for ecosystem: climate change, water availability quality, vegetation fire management, adaptability populations, disease risk, human-wildlife conflict, crime, human dimensions conservation. Using model system, summarize lessons identify critical threats highlighting future needs support management. Research has followed trajectory seen elsewhere reflecting increase complexity integration across biological scales over time. Yet, despite these trends, gap exists between scope efforts adapt land-use changes. Given complex nature addition locally existing stressors, framework forward-thinking adaptive management address challenges, supported integrative multidisciplinary could be beneficial. One area growth better integrate types. Such have potential development goals, while building resilience against impacts change. While conclusions reflect specifics ecosystem, they direct relevance other African systems impacted

Язык: Английский

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Hydration and evaporative water loss of lizards change in response to temperature and humidity acclimation

Journal of Experimental Biology, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 226(20)

Опубликована: Сен. 28, 2023

Testing acclimation plasticity informs our understanding of organismal physiology and applies to conservation management amidst rapidly changing climate. Although there is a wealth research on the thermal hydric in response temperature acclimation, comparative gap for different regimes, as well interaction between water temperature. We sought fill this by acclimating western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) experimental climate conditions (crossed design hot or cool, dry humid) 8 days, measuring cutaneous evaporative loss (CEWL), plasma osmolality, hematocrit body mass before after acclimation. CEWL changed plastically climates, with acclimated humid experiencing greatest increase CEWL. Change among individuals was negatively related treatment vapor pressure deficit positively pressure. Plasma all showed greater changes than humidity deficit. osmolality were across groups within but two variables responses suggesting that they are interrelated governed mechanisms. This study few assess more one metric test interactive effects humidity. Such measurements will be essential predictive models activity survival animals under change.

Язык: Английский

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Dynamic modeling of African elephant populations under changing climate and habitat loss across the Greater Virunga Landscape

PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 3(1), С. e0000094 - e0000094

Опубликована: Янв. 31, 2024

Elephants in Africa are declining rapidly due to habitat loss and human-wildlife conflicts, with these problems worsening climate change. Understanding how age classes respond such events is crucial designing implementing mitigation strategies developing the adaptive capacity of wildlife managers challenges adequately. This study builds a dynamic simulation model elephants their interaction habitat, water, climate. The response elephant populations change, water resources, change assessed. It observed that affects older more than young ones terms survivability migration. also likely undetected direct impact on population changes habitats, particularly forests wetlands used for thermal regulation. An improvement type availability resources improved populations. results suggest if environmental anthropogenic stressors not mitigated, Greater Virunga Landscape (GVL) will face demography younger overall Such age-class-specific stress could substantially affect African elephants’ long-term viability sustainability. Conservation requires transboundary management approach mitigation, cooperation among conservation agencies, effective partnerships all relevant stakeholders conservation.

Язык: Английский

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Where could they go? Potential distribution of small mammals in the Caatinga under climate change scenarios

Journal of Arid Environments, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 221, С. 105133 - 105133

Опубликована: Фев. 21, 2024

Язык: Английский

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Maximum temperatures determine the habitat affiliations of North American mammals

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 120(50)

Опубликована: Дек. 4, 2023

Addressing the ongoing biodiversity crisis requires identifying winners and losers of global change. Species are often categorized based on how they respond to habitat loss; for example, species restricted natural environments, those that most occur in anthropogenic habitats, generalists do well both. However, might switch affiliations across time space: an organism may venture into human-modified areas benign regions but retreat thermally buffered forested habitats with high temperatures. Here, we apply community occupancy models a large-scale camera trapping dataset 29 mammal distributed over 2,485 sites continental United States, ask three questions. First, species' responses forest consistent scales? Second, macroclimatic conditions explain spatial variation land use? Third, can traits elucidate which taxa likely show climate-dependent associations? We found all exhibited significant land-use, tending avoid increasingly use forests hotter regions. In hottest regions, was 50% higher compared open whereas coldest trend reversed. Larger larger ranges, herbivores, primary predators were more change their than top predators, consistently affiliated cover. Our findings suggest climatic influence space-use maintaining cover help protect mammals from warming climates.

Язык: Английский

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Biological mechanisms matter in contemporary wildlife conservation

iScience, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 26(3), С. 106192 - 106192

Опубликована: Фев. 14, 2023

Given limited resources for wildlife conservation paired with an urgency to halt declines and rebuild populations, it is imperative that management actions are tactical effective. Mechanisms about how a system works can inform threat identification mitigation such work be identified. Here, we call more mechanistic approach where behavioral physiological tools knowledge used characterize drivers of decline, identify environmental thresholds, reveal strategies would restore prioritize actions. With growing toolbox doing research as well suite decision-support (e.g., models), the time now fully embrace concept mechanisms matter in ensuring focus on have potential directly benefit populations.

Язык: Английский

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Applicability of thermography as a potential non-invasive technique to assess the body-thermal status of heat-stressed and water-deprived goats (Capra hircus)

Journal of Thermal Biology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 119, С. 103790 - 103790

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2024

Язык: Английский

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