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August 2009 | Vol. 2 | Issue 3 | pages 266-373
Marina Janzantti Lapenta and Paula Procópio-de-Oliveira Animals that feed on fruits can be important seed dispersers, and may influence the distribution of adult and juvenile plants in the forests. But a large portion of the seeds dipersed is lost to predators which feed on seeds. The majority of seeds deposited by primates in forests are killed by seed predators or moved to other places by secondary dispersers (beetles, ants, and other animals), but little is known about the fate of seeds after dispersal. The golden lion tamarins are small primates that only occur in the Atlantic Forest, and feed on fruits, dispersing the seeds. The main threat to the species is the deforestation and fragmentation of these forests. This research is the first to consider the survival and establishment of seeds defecated by tamarins, by studying their importance as seed dispersers. Two groups of golden lion tamarins were studied in the União Biological Reserve-Brazil from April 2003 to March 2004. Seeds from fruits consumed by tamarins and seeds from their feces were evaluated with respect to germination, seed disappearance or secondary dispersal by other animals, predation, mortality or survival, and establishment of the plants. During the study, the tamarin groups consumed 88 fruit species and 38 species were used in the experiments. More than 50% of the seeds disappeared during the experiments, and about 15% died before germinating. Seeds from 22 species germinated until juvenile stage during the study, but at the end of the research, only 15 of these species were still surviving. Studies on seed fate are important for the conservation of golden lion tamarins and their habitat, the lowland Atlantic Forest of the state of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Mise en relation de la diversité des vers de terre et des caractéristiques du sol de Thua Thien Hue (Centre Vietnam) | pages 282-298 Lara Zirbes, Caroline Collin, Joseph Dufey, Pham Khanh Tu, Nguyen Duyet, Fréderic Francis, Philippe Lebailly, Eric Haubruge, et Yves Brostaux. Central Vietnam is a region that suffers from hostile climate (drought, flood) and sandy soils that are low in fertility. As a consequence of these conditions, the regions is less favoured for agricultural development than the Mekong River Delta. Soils fertility is a function of the quantity and quality of organic matter transformed by soil organisms, like earthworms, which are commonly viewed as bio-indicators of soils fertility. This reasearch examined the relationship between the characteristics of soil and earthworms. It found that certain families of earthworms were more likely to be found in specific soil types. The highest earthworm diversity was documented in soils growing crops like manioc and sweat potatoes rather than rice. Attitudes and knowledge of shade-coffee farmers towards vertebrates and their ecological functions | pages 299-318 Paulina López-del-Toro, Ellen Andresen, Laura Barraza and Alejandro Estrada Environmental conservation depends, to a large degree, on public acceptance. Understanding people’s opinions on ecosystems and wildlife can be very helpful at the time of designing programs that aim to benefit both the environment and society. In this study we interviewed organic shade-coffee farmers in Cuetzalan, Mexico, with the purpose of understanding how farmers perceive the wild animals that live in the coffee fields, as well as their knowledge regarding the importance these animals can have for the well being of the environment. In general, we found that birds are perceived as useful and agreeable animals, while snakes are considered dangerous but useful. On the other hand, bats are considered of no use and even damaging, while many non-flying mammals are perceived with indifference. When asked about the roles these animals play, farmers said that birds were important because they move seeds and in the case of hummingbirds also pollinate flowers. Regarding snakes, farmers mentioned their importance in the control of rodent pests. However, very few farmers know that bats and non-flying mammals also play important roles that help in the maintenance of a healthy environment. We found that farmers who had participated in environmental education workshops had better attitudes and knowledge than those farmers who had not participated. However, we could not establish that the environmental education was the cause for this pattern. We suggest that environmental education programs should include specific information on the importance of wildlife for the environment. Species distribution modeling in the tropics: problems, potentialities, and the role of biological data for effective species conservation | pages 319-352 L. Cayuela, D. J. Golicher, A. C. Newton, M. Kolb, F. S. de Alburquerque, E. J. M. M. Arets, J. R. M. Alkemade, and A. M. Pérez In order to conserve the world's biodiversity we need to know where species are found. We also need to predict where they might be found if the climate changes or human activity alters habitats. One way of gaining such knowledge is through field studies. Such work on the ground produces lists of species and adds to museum collections. However many tropical areas have not yet been visited by scientists. Even the most detailed studies from the best known areas of the tropics are far from exhaustive. This means that accurate distribution maps are not available for many tropical species. In order to address the problem increasingly sophisticated computer models have been designed that aim to predict where species might occur based on current knowledge. These models can often add a great deal of value to the limited information available. However, models are only as good as the data from which they are built. This study looks closely at recent attempts to apply species distribution modeling to guide conservation in the tropics. A review of the literature suggested that models built for the most threatened species are still likely to be the least reliable. We found that output from species distribution models is rarely being used when setting conservation priorities. The difficulty is due to a chronic shortfall in the quantity and quality of data used to build models. Although there have been many improvements in the algorithms used for modeling, these advances can not be expected to address underlying weakness of the data. Our work points out the need to continue to work on improved frameworks for sharing scarce yet invaluable data on tropical biodiversity. We also suggest that a more systematic approach to future data generation is needed in order to fill key gaps in the knowledge base used for tropical conservation. Mismatch of research effort and threat in avian conservation biology | pages 353-362 Daniel Brito and Monik Oprea Despite extremely high species diversity and endemism of existing tropical forests, 16 million ha are lost annually, an unprecedented process in evolutionary history. According to BirdLife International (BLI,2000) globally, one in eight bird species may become extinct over the next 100 years, with 99% of the extinctions resulting from human activities such as deforestation and hunting. The study by Brito and Oprea, based on a review of the available scientific literature (2000-20006), considers avian declines and extinctions as a worldwide concern and argues that the Nearctic and Palearctic are the biogeographic realms that receive most attention by avian conservationists, while the Neotropical, Afrotropical, and Indomalayan are the regions with higher avian species diversity. They further point out that the majority of bird conservation research is conducted by North American and western European researchers and that there is urgent need for capacity building in tropical developing nations. The authors warn that avian conservation science is misplacing its focus in lower-biodiversity regions in general and in non-threatened species for some orders, and that if such trends are not changed the persistence of several bird species worldwide may be seriously compromised. Protected on paper, hunted in wetlands: exploitation and trade of freshwater turtles (Melanochelys trijuga coronata and Lissemys punctata punctata) in Punnamada, Kerala, India | pages 363-373 K. Krishnakumar, Rajeev Raghavan and Benno Pereira Soft shell turtles are among the most threatened groups of freshwater animals that require immediate conservation attention. In Kerala (South India), two species of freshwater turtles, the Indian black turtle or Indian pond terrapin, and the Indian Flap-shelled turtle are exploited from Vembanad Lake and associated wetlands in Punnamada to meet the demand from local restaurants and toddy shops. Eight hundred and forty three individuals belonging to the two species (499 pond terrapins and 344 flap-shelled turtle) were observed during a field survey conducted in 2007 at Punnamada. Turtles in the study region are caught mainly by local fishers, who get them from the lower reaches of Vembanad Lake – a wetland of international importance and adjoining paddy fields using a variety of gear including encircling nets, gill nets, and hand nets as well as by hook and line. These are then sold to the main turtle dealer in the region, who holds them for a week in ferro-cement rings, and subsequently supplies them to toddy shops and restaurants in the area by transporting them in gunny sacks. Local people believe that consumption of turtle meat was effective in controlling arthritis and curing various ano-rectal disorders, and hence provide the much needed consumer base. Despite being listed at the highest level in the Indian wildlife protection act, very little law enforcement takes place and turtles are exploited and traded regularly in this region. Collection and trade have also become an important component of the local livelihoods in Punnamada, with the involvement of around five full-time and 25 part-time collectors. There is thus, an urgent need for the initiation of awareness programs aimed at local fishers, turtle collectors, and restaurant owners to sensitize them on relevant wildlife laws as well as on the biological and socio-economic impacts of turtle exploitation and trade. Reader comments are generally moderated. If you find something inappropriate, please contact Tropical Conservation Science. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other authors or Tropical Conservation Science. |
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Tropical Conservation Science is an open-access e-journal that publishes research relating to conservation of tropical forests and other tropical ecosystems.
Volume 2: Issue 3 Table of Contents Articles Estrada & Butler Lapenta & Procópio-de-Oliveira Zirbes et al López-del-Toro et al Cayuela et al Brito & Oprea Krishnakumar et al All issues Mar 2008 Jun 2008 Sep 2008 Dec 2008 Mar 2009 Jun 2009 Sep 2009 Dec 2009 Mar 2010 Jun 2010 Sep 2010 Dec 2010 Mar 2011 Jun 2011 Sep 2011 Dec 2011 Mar 2012 Jun 2012 Sep 2012 Dec 2012 Mar 2013 Jun 2013 Aug 2013 Sep 2013 Nov 2013 Dec 2013 Mar 2014 Jun 2014 Sep 2014 Dec 2014 Mar 2015 Jun 2015 Sep 2015 Dec 2015 Mar 2016 Jun 2016 Most downloaded 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 All time ADVERTISEMENT SEARCH  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. |
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