Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rattanawat Chaiyarat, Suphat Prasopsin, Naris Bhumpakphan
Summary: The study found that gaur preferentially enter agricultural areas at night to feed on crop plants, while during the day they primarily utilize forest areas. They prefer crop plants over natural forage species due to their abundance, even though natural forage species have higher levels of crude protein and lipid but are less available.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Sameera Farah, Ashwin Atkulwar, Rakshanda Nahid, Yashashree Gadhikar, Mumtaz Baig
Summary: The Indian bison, commonly known as gaur, is native to South and Southeast Asia and its conservation status ranges between vulnerable and endangered. A study conducted in the Melghat Tiger Reserve found evidence of gene flow in the wild gaur population, and recent population recovery.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Anupama Mukherjee, Sanjeev Kumar, Harendra Verma, Shivam Bhardwaj, Oshin Togla, Siddhartha Narayan Joardar, Imsusosang Longkumer, Moonmoon Mech, Kobu Khate, Kezhavituo Vupru, Meraj Haider Khan, Suresh Kumar, Chandan Rajkhowa
Summary: Mithun and Indian Bison are rare and endangered bovine species in India. This study used microsatellite markers and mitochondrial protein coding sequences to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of Indian Mithun, Bison, and Tho-tho cattle. The results showed the presence of minor genetic bottleneck events in Bison, but not in Mithun and Tho-tho cattle. This is the first report of molecular genetic characterization of these rare Indian bovine species.
Article
Environmental Sciences
N. A. T. Ariffin, M. A. Mustapha, T. M. Taher, N. F. Khodri, N. Abdullah, S. M. Nor
Summary: The study predicts suitable habitats for Malayan gaur in a highly fragmented forest area in Peninsular Malaysia using the MaxEnt approach, with an AUC value of 0.84. The results show that proximity to urban areas, water bodies, and land use are important factors influencing habitat suitability for gaur. Fragmented habitats and barriers like road networks and agricultural lands greatly affect gaur distribution and movement, highlighting the need for regional scale connectivity planning for future conservation and management efforts.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Jouni Taskinen, Jocelyn M. Choo, Ekaterina Mironova, Mikhail Gopko
Summary: Global warming could potentially lengthen the seasonal duration of larval release by parasites, but the effects vary among different species.
Article
Agronomy
Janete Gomes de Moura, Marcio Vieira da Cunha, Evaristo Jorge Oliveira de Souza, Janerson Jose Coelho, Mercia Virginia Ferreira dos Santos, Jose Carlos Batista Dubeux Junior, Alexandre Carneiro Leao de Mello
Summary: Understanding the influence of season and vegetal strata on forage quality in semi-arid rangelands is crucial, with lower nutritional values observed during the dry season and shrub-arboreal strata containing more ether extract compared to herbaceous vegetation.
AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Herbert Prins, Yorick Liefting, Joost de Jong
Summary: In areas where farmland borders protected areas, wild elephants cause substantial financial damage for poor farmers. Farmers near the boundary between agricultural and wilderness areas, with smaller landholdings, are more affected by elephant damage but have lower willingness to pay for insurance.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paul Scholte, Olivier Pays, Saleh Adam, Bertrand Chardonnet, Herve Fritz, Jean-Baptiste Mamang, Herbert H. T. Prins, Pierre-Cyril Renaud, Patrick Tadjo, Mark Moritz
Summary: Analyzing multispecies surveys conducted in Central Africa's seven main savanna national parks between 1960 and 2017, it was found that populations of wild large herbivores declined, livestock numbers increased, and tourism industry collapsed. To address this issue, it is proposed to strategically retreat and focus resources on smaller areas to conserve wildlife in the Central African savannas.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ellen Cieraad, Roy H. A. van Grunsven, Florine van der Sman, Nienke Zwart, Kees J. M. Musters, Emily Strange, Frank van Langevelde, Krijn B. Trimbos
Summary: The study reveals that artificial light at night affects the feeding and calling behavior of Y. cagnagellus moths, but does not result in adaptation. Long-term exposure to artificial light has an impact on feeding behavior and marginally affects calling frequency in moth populations.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Nkoba Kiatoko, Maria Pozo, Annette Van Oystaeyen, Maurice Musonye, Junior Kika, Felix Wackers, Frank van Langevelde, Baerbel Hundt, Juliana Jaramillo
Summary: The current honey bee decline necessitates the use of alternative native pollinators. This study compared the pollination behavior and efficiency of African honey bees and six African endemic Meliponini species in cucumber pollination. The results showed that M. bocandei was the most efficient cucumber pollinator.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Nkoba Kiatoko, Maria Pozo, Annette Van Oystaeyen, Frank van Langevelde, Felix Wackers, Raina Suresh Kumar, Baerbel Hundt, Juliana Jaramillo
Summary: The study demonstrates that certain African endemic stingless bees are more efficient pollinators for sweet melons in greenhouse crops compared to honey bees. This suggests that these stingless bee species could be recommended for use in pollination services.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Martijn J. A. Weterings, Sanne Losekoot, Henry J. Kuipers, Herbert H. T. Prins, Frank Langevelde, Sipke E. Wieren
Summary: In this study, the authors assessed the impact of multiple predators on the body condition and fecundity of European hares in 13 areas in the Netherlands. They found that the sum of the field metabolic rate of predators was negatively correlated with body condition and the number of placental scars, while it was positively related to the weight of the adrenal glands. The total number of predators did not significantly affect the investigated risk responses. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the risk effects of multiple predators on prey fitness and identify a potential factor contributing to the decline of European hare populations.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Elke Wenting, Salome C. Y. Rinzema, Frank van Langevelde
Summary: Carcass decomposition is affected by vertebrate scavengers. Understanding the different functional roles of vertebrate species in the scavenging process helps us understand the impact of the vertebrate scavenger community on carcass decomposition.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
William D. Gosling, Charlotte S. Miller, Timothy M. Shanahan, Philip B. Holden, Jonathan T. Overpeck, Frank van Langevelde
Summary: This study explores the relative importance of six drivers of vegetation change in western Africa over the past 500,000 years by combining past environmental change data from Lake Bosumtwi in Ghana with global data. The results show that moisture availability and fire activity were the most important factors in determining woody cover, while the effect of CO2 was small.
Article
Development Studies
Richard Chepkwony, Severine van Bommel, Frank van Langevelde
Summary: This article examines the spatial biopolitics of acaricide use and management of TBDs in Laikipia, Kenya. The results reveal power relations, tensions and contradictions arising from the clash between indigenous knowledge and western veterinary thought in the control of TBDs.
SOCIETY & NATURAL RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Jacco J. Leemans, Birthe Linden, Frank van Langevelde
Summary: Associations between animals of different species can provide benefits such as foraging benefits or reduced predation risk. This study investigated the association between Crested Guineafowl and samango monkeys and found that the birds join the monkeys for a longer period of time than expected by chance. Additionally, the birds show reduced sentinel behavior in the presence of the monkeys, suggesting reduced predation risk.
Article
Ecology
Joost F. F. de Jong, Laura Iacolina, Herbert H. T. Prins, Pim van Hooft, Richard P. M. A. Crooijmans, Sip E. E. van Wieren, Joaquin Vicente Banos, Eric Baubet, Sean Cahill, Eduardo Ferreira, Carlos Fonseca, Peter M. M. Glazov, Ida Jelenko Turinek, Victor M. Lizana M. Martin, Andras Nahlik, Bostjan Pokorny, Tomasz Podgorski, Nikica Sprem, Rauno Veeroja, Ronald C. C. Ydenberg, Hendrik-Jan Megens
Summary: European wildlife has been impacted by human activities, but genetic partitioning of many species still reflects the glacial refugia. By analyzing the genetic structure of wild boar across Europe, we found population fragmentation, inbreeding, and hybridization with domestic pigs at the local scale. However, a deep genetic structure indicating a natural continental division was still present. Our findings suggest weaker evidence for glacial refugia, but support the importance of Southern France and the Balkans as recolonization routes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bruno dos Santos Rabelo, Frank Van Langevelde, Kyle Tomlinson, Pedro Diniz, Dulce Alves da Silva, Eduardo R. M. Barbosa, Fabian Borghetti
Summary: Invasive grasses have invaded ancient savannas and had significant impacts on native landscapes. This study examined the effects of an invasive grass and a native grass on the survival and growth of native tree seedlings in neotropical savannas. Experimental manipulations of light, water supply, and fertilization were conducted to understand how these factors interact with grass species to affect tree seedlings. The results showed that both grass species reduced tree seedling survival and growth, and these effects were not mitigated by shade, irrigation, or fertilization. The impacts of the invasive grass were greater than those of the native grass, highlighting the need for management plans to control invasive grasses and conserve native biodiversity and ecosystem services.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mikhail Grishchenko, Ronald C. Ydenberg, Herbert H. T. Prins
Summary: Stopover sites are crucial for migratory bird species, including the greater white-fronted goose. However, extensive land cover changes in European Russia since 1990 due to agricultural abandonment may be reducing the availability and suitability of these sites. To measure the extent of land cover change, Landsat images were compiled and classified into different categories. Field visits were also conducted to assess vegetation composition and cover in identified stopover sites. The findings suggest that the land cover changes in northern European Russia are making migration more challenging for the greater white-fronted geese.
Article
Zoology
Ma. Nina Regina M. Quibod, Uriel Gelin, Frank van Langevelde, Kyle W. Tomlinson
Summary: The skull traits of more than 70% of bovid and cervid species are associated with aridity, with different relationships across feeding guilds. For grazers, both muzzle width and masseteric fossa length increase towards wetter climates, while there are no changes for mixed feeders or browsers. These patterns suggest that grazer diets may change more dramatically with aridity gradients, possibly due to changes in grass architecture and toughness. However, when accounting for phylogeny, no changes in skull traits across aridity gradient were found, possibly due to subfamily differentiation.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Pim Lemmers, Mark Groen, Ben H. J. M. Crombaghs, Rob E. M. B. Gubbels, Thomas de Krom, Frank van Langevelde, Gerard van der Velde, Rob S. E. W. Leuven
Summary: The Rhine sculpin (Cottus rhenanus) is an endemic fish species in North-western Europe. Little is known about its occurrence and habitat characteristics. The core population of C. rhenanus in the Netherlands has been affected by water pollution. However, with water quality improvement, the population is recovering, making it a good indicator of stream ecosystem integrity.
KNOWLEDGE AND MANAGEMENT OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
(2023)