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Rana AK, Kumar N. Current wildlife crime (Indian scenario): major challenges and prevention approaches. BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION 2023; 32:1473-1491. [PMID: 37063172 PMCID: PMC10025790 DOI: 10.1007/s10531-023-02577-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The constant depletion of wild flora and fauna in India due to uncontrolled human activities, natural habitat destruction and covert poaching activities is threatening the ecological balance. The poaching and trafficking of wild species in the lure of money as well as fashion has wiped out a range of wildlife species that call for critical attention to tackle this menace. There are many transit routes through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam, which are major hubs for wildlife trafficking in India, in both domestic and international markets. The poaching of wild animals and plants slowly erases biodiversity, which in turn affects the survival of humans and other living species. Therefore, there is an urgent need to check ongoing wildlife crimes, raise the number of endangered species, rehabilitate exotic/extinct species and restore natural ecosystems. In this article, we collected wildlife crime data from web portals of various stakeholders, government agencies and authentic news sources, and discuss the current crime trends, challenges, and prevention approaches required to control and restore wildlife biodiversity in India. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10531-023-02577-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Kumar Rana
- Division of Biology, Central Forensic Science Laboratory Hyderabad, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Amberpet post, Ramanthapur, Hyderabad, Telangana 500013 India
| | - Nishant Kumar
- Quality Control, Bihar, Patna, Department of Agriculture, Government of Bihar, Patna, 800001 India
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Gunson KE, Clevenger AP, Ford AT. A comparison of elk‐vehicle collision patterns with demographic and abundance data in the
Central Canadian Rocky Mountains. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Reinking AK, Højlund Pedersen S, Elder K, Boelman NT, Glass TW, Oates BA, Bergen S, Roberts S, Prugh LR, Brinkman TJ, Coughenour MB, Feltner JA, Barker KJ, Bentzen TW, Pedersen ÅØ, Schmidt NM, Liston GE. Collaborative wildlife–snow science: Integrating wildlife and snow expertise to improve research and management. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adele K. Reinking
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Stine Højlund Pedersen
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Alaska USA
| | - Kelly Elder
- US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Natalie T. Boelman
- Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University Palisades New York USA
| | - Thomas W. Glass
- Wildlife Conservation Society Fairbanks Alaska USA
- Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska USA
| | - Brendan A. Oates
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Ellensburg Washington USA
| | - Scott Bergen
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game Pocatello Idaho USA
| | - Shane Roberts
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game Pocatello Idaho USA
| | - Laura R. Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Todd J. Brinkman
- Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska USA
| | - Michael B. Coughenour
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | | | - Kristin J. Barker
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | | | | | - Niels M. Schmidt
- Department of Bioscience and Arctic Research Centre Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| | - Glen E. Liston
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
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Hoy SR, Vucetich LM, Peterson RO, Vucetich JA. Winter Tick Burdens for Moose Are Positively Associated With Warmer Summers and Higher Predation Rates. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.758374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is expected to modify host-parasite interactions which is concerning because parasites are involved in most food-web links, and parasites have important influences on the structure, productivity and stability of communities and ecosystems. However, the impact of climate change on host–parasite interactions and any cascading effects on other ecosystem processes has received relatively little empirical attention. We assessed host-parasite dynamics for moose (Alces alces) and winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) in Isle Royale National Park over a 19-year period. Specifically, we monitored annual tick burdens for moose (estimated from hair loss) and assessed how it covaried with several aspects of seasonal climate, and non-climatic factors, such as moose density, predation on hosts by wolves (Canis lupus) and wolf abundance. Summer temperatures explained half the interannual variance in tick burden with tick burden being greater following hotter summers, presumably because warmer temperatures accelerate the development of tick eggs and increase egg survival. That finding is consistent with the general expectation that warmer temperatures may promote higher parasite burdens. However, summer temperatures are warming less rapidly than other seasons across most regions of North America. Therefore, tick burdens seem to be primarily associated with an aspect of climate that is currently exhibiting a lower rate of change. Tick burdens were also positively correlated with predation rate, which could be due to moose exhibiting risk-sensitive habitat selection (in years when predation risk is high) in such a manner as to increases the encounter rate with questing tick larvae in autumn. However, that positive correlation could also arise if high parasite burdens make moose more vulnerable to predators or because of some other density-dependent process (given that predation rate and moose density are highly correlated). Overall, these results provide valuable insights about interrelationships among climate, parasites, host/prey, and predators.
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DeMars CA, Gilbert S, Serrouya R, Kelly AP, Larter NC, Hervieux D, Boutin S. Demographic responses of a threatened, low-density ungulate to annual variation in meteorological and phenological conditions. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258136. [PMID: 34624030 PMCID: PMC8500449 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As global climate change progresses, wildlife management will benefit from knowledge of demographic responses to climatic variation, particularly for species already endangered by other stressors. In Canada, climate change is expected to increasingly impact populations of threatened woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) and much focus has been placed on how a warming climate has potentially facilitated the northward expansion of apparent competitors and novel predators. Climate change, however, may also exert more direct effects on caribou populations that are not mediated by predation. These effects include meteorological changes that influence resource availability and energy expenditure. Research on other ungulates suggests that climatic variation may have minimal impact on low-density populations such as woodland caribou because per-capita resources may remain sufficient even in “bad” years. We evaluated this prediction using demographic data from 21 populations in western Canada that were monitored for various intervals between 1994 and 2015. We specifically assessed whether juvenile recruitment and adult female survival were correlated with annual variation in meteorological metrics and plant phenology. Against expectations, we found that both vital rates appeared to be influenced by annual climatic variation. Juvenile recruitment was primarily correlated with variation in phenological conditions in the year prior to birth. Adult female survival was more strongly correlated with meteorological conditions and declined during colder, more variable winters. These responses may be influenced by the life history of woodland caribou, which reside in low-productivity refugia where small climatic changes may result in changes to resources that are sufficient to elicit strong demographic effects. Across all models, explained variation in vital rates was low, suggesting that other factors had greater influence on caribou demography. Nonetheless, given the declining trajectories of many woodland caribou populations, our results highlight the increased relevance of recovery actions when adverse climatic conditions are likely to negatively affect caribou demography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig A. DeMars
- Caribou Monitoring Unit, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Sophie Gilbert
- Department of Fish & Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States of America
| | - Robert Serrouya
- Caribou Monitoring Unit, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Allicia P. Kelly
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Northwest Territories, Fort Smith, NT, Canada
| | - Nicholas C. Larter
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources (retired), Government of Northwest Territories, Fort Simpson, NT, Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, AB, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Hoy SR, MacNulty DR, Metz MC, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Peterson RO, Vucetich JA. Negative frequency-dependent prey selection by wolves and its implications on predator–prey dynamics. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Abstract
The effects of human disturbance spread over virtually all ecosystems and ecological communities on Earth. In this review, we focus on the effects of human disturbance on terrestrial apex predators. We summarize their ecological role in nature and how they respond to different sources of human disturbance. Apex predators control their prey and smaller predators numerically and via behavioral changes to avoid predation risk, which in turn can affect lower trophic levels. Crucially, reducing population numbers and triggering behavioral responses are also the effects that human disturbance causes to apex predators, which may in turn influence their ecological role. Some populations continue to be at the brink of extinction, but others are partially recovering former ranges, via natural recolonization and through reintroductions. Carnivore recovery is both good news for conservation and a challenge for management, particularly when recovery occurs in human-dominated landscapes. Therefore, we conclude by discussing several management considerations that, adapted to local contexts, may favor the recovery of apex predator populations and their ecological functions in nature.
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Wilmers CC, Metz MC, Stahler DR, Kohl MT, Geremia C, Smith DW. How climate impacts the composition of wolf-killed elk in northern Yellowstone National Park. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1511-1519. [PMID: 32145069 PMCID: PMC7317765 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
While the functional response of predators is commonly measured, recent work has revealed that the age and sex composition of prey killed is often a better predictor of prey population dynamics because the reproductive value of adult females is usually higher than that of males or juveniles. Climate is often an important mediating factor in determining the composition of predator kills, but we currently lack a mechanistic understanding of how the multiple facets of climate interact with prey abundance and demography to influence the composition of predator kills. Over 20 winters, we monitored 17 wolf packs in Yellowstone National Park and recorded the sex, age and nutritional condition of kills of their dominant prey—elk—in both early and late winter periods when elk are in relatively good and relatively poor condition, respectively. Nutritional condition (as indicated by per cent marrow fat) of wolf‐killed elk varied markedly with summer plant productivity, snow water equivalent (SWE) and winter period. Moreover, marrow was poorer for wolf‐killed bulls and especially for calves than it was for cows. Wolf prey composition was influenced by a complex set of climatic and endogenous variables. In early winter, poor plant growth in either year t or t − 1, or relatively low elk abundance, increased the odds of wolves killing bulls relative to cows. Calves were most likely to get killed when elk abundance was high and when the forage productivity they experienced in utero was poor. In late winter, low SWE and a relatively large elk population increased the odds of wolves killing calves relative to cows, whereas low SWE and poor vegetation productivity 1 year prior together increased the likelihood of wolves killing a bull instead of a cow. Since climate has a strong influence on whether wolves prey on cows (who, depending on their age, are the key reproductive components of the population) or lower reproductive value of calves and bulls, our results suggest that climate can drive wolf predation to be more or less additive from year to year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Matthew C Metz
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA.,Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA
| | - Michel T Kohl
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Chris Geremia
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA
| | - Douglas W Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA
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