---

Abstract: Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are relatively unknown in terms of their herpetological diversity. Based on specimens collected in the Congolese region of the Katanga and the northeast of Angola during the first decades of the twentieth century, de Witte and Laurent independently suggested, based on morphological and coloration differences, that populations of T. megalura of these regions could belong a new “race”. We compared specimens of T. megalura (including the type specimens of T. megalura and T. massaiana) with Angolan and Katangan museum specimens as well as newly collected specimens from Angola. Coloration pattern and morphological characters, in combination with substantial divergence in the 16S mitochondrial gene, confirm the distinctiveness of the west Central African form, and it is here described as a new species. Data regarding its natural history, ecology and global distribution are presented. Copyright © 2019 Magnolia Press.
Source title: Zootaxa
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4568.1.3
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85063161923&doi=10.11646%2fzootaxa.4568.1.3&partnerID=40&md5=dc253c4547d64e692594d941cfd48e99
Correspondence Address: Marques, M.P.; Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Rua Padre Armando Quin-tas 7, Vairão, Portugal; email: mptlmarques@gmail.com
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Upemba ; Kundelungu
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Reptiles ; Taxonomy ; Biology / Ecology ; Genetics

---

Abstract: During a recently started-up project in the Biosphere Reserve at Yangambi, DR Congo, an unknown Geissleria taxon was observed in a small tributary of the Congo River. This taxon is here described as new to science based on detailed light and scanning electron microscopy observations. Geissleria lubiluensis sp. nov. can be distinguished by the slightly tri-undulate valve margins and the very distinct annulus located at a distance of 3 striae from the apex. The comparison of this taxon with various other Geissleria taxa with resembling valve outline or with resembling annulus structure, led to the description of another new species: Geissleria fogedii sp. nov. reported by Foged from Ghana as Navicula paludosa. This taxon resembles very well Geissleria lubiluensis but differs in the distinct annulus located closer to the apex mostly at the distance of one stria, the broader valves and the denser striation. © 2019 Magnolia Press.
Source title: Phytotaxa
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.402.5.3
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85067002990&doi=10.11646%2fphytotaxa.402.5.3&partnerID=40&md5=f19019f44c8f2c8278c335f5b181fa8c
Correspondence Address: Cocquyt, C.; Meise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, Belgium; email: christine.cocquyt@botanicgardenmeise.be
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Yangambi
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Algae ; Taxonomy ; Biology / Ecology

---

Abstract: The diet of the catfish, Clarias buthupogon, was studied in two forest rivers in the Yoko Reserve, the Yoko and Biaro Rivers, from September 2008 to August 2009. Gill nets, long lines and traditional traps were used to catch the fish. An analysis of the contents of 409 stomachs yielded 22 prey Families, 11 Orders and 4 Classes, grouped into 15 major food categories. Indices of weight and volumetric occurrences indicated that Clarias buthupogon eats aquatic insects, crustaceans, oligochaetes, molluscs, animal and plant debris. The average intestinal coefficient was 0.84, which places the species among the insectivorous-prone omnivores. The diet according to sex, season, length and height, and location inside and outside the Yoko Reserve revealed that similar prey items were consumed in similar proportions. The calculated Schöner Index indicates an overlap of diet between seasons and sex. © 2019, © 2019 NISC (Pty) Ltd.
Source title: African Journal of Aquatic Science
DOI: 10.2989/16085914.2019.1604311
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85071720442&doi=10.2989%2f16085914.2019.1604311&partnerID=40&md5=0ed031834be117791cd0cc09e0ce53e6
Correspondence Address: Mahamba, R.B.; Department of Phytotechnics, University of GomaCentral African Republic; email: mahambar@yahoo.fr
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Yoko
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Fish ; Biology / Ecology ; Survey / Monitoring

---

Abstract: Crop damage by forest elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) and the resulting human-elephant conflict are issues of great concern for both the conservation of the species and the protection of rural livelihoods in Central Africa. Addressing these problems requires identifying the factors that facilitate or impede crop-raiding by forest elephants. Yet to date, the environmental or anthropogenic factors that influence the occurrence and intensity of crop-raiding by forest elephants are largely unknown. We used a multivariate approach to investigate conditions under which forest elephants raid some fields and not others in the buffer zone of Monts de Cristal National Park (MCNP), Gabon. We first interviewed 121 farmers from 11 villages situated within 10 km of MCNP regarding the occurrence of elephant crop-raiding of their fields. We then collected data on 39 explanatory variables to characterize the agricultural fields. Of these, the most important predictors of elephant raid occurrence of crop damage were presence of fruit trees, elephant deterrents (scarecrows, fire, wire string fences and empty barrels), and field topography. We secondly assessed the effect of stage of crop growth, presence of fruit trees, field topography and presence of elephant deterrents on crop-raiding occurrence and intensity by counting raids and measuring areas of crop damage every week in 17 plantations over 19 weeks in the most elephant-impacted zone of the study area. We found that fruit presence and stage of crop growth led to more intense damage to crops, whereas local deterrents did not inhibit raiding events and crop damage by elephants. We report a tradeoff between non-timber forest products (NTFP) services and crop-raiding by elephants. We show for the first time that steep topography impedes elephant damage to crops with no raids recorded in fields with surrounding slopes greater than 25%. We discuss whether farming on steep fields could be used as a strategy for mitigating crop-raiding to favor human-elephant coexistence and enhance elephant conservation. Copyright © This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.
Source title: PLoS ONE
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213971
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85063354801&doi=10.1371%2fjournal.pone.0213971&partnerID=40&md5=52469f20237545166bdb3e049a1c31d8
Correspondence Address: Ngama, S.; TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Forest Is Life, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of LiègeBelgium; email: steeve_ngama@yahoo.fr
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Monts de Cristal
Main topic: Biodiversity ; Humans
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Ungulates ; Elephants ; Biology / Ecology ; Human-wildlife conflicts ; Agriculture ; Income-generating activities ; Conservation initiatives ; Periphery / Management ; Non-timber forest products

---

Abstract: The 225,000 ha Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (Democratic Republic of Congo) is one of the main protected areas under threat from human activities in the region. Despite its inclusion in the worldwide network of biosphere reserves since the 1970s, there are still a great many gaps in knowledge as regards land use dynamics. An approach based on satellite image analysis (Landsat TM, ETM+ and OLI) and field studies was implemented to study the dynamics of land use in the reserve from 1986 to 2016. The annual rate of deforestation increased from 0.18% in 1986-2003 to 0.38% from 2003 to 2016. During the latter period, the deforestation rate was higher in primary forests (4.5%) than secondary forests (0.4%). Four zones with distinct socio-environmental dynamics were identified, each requiring a different management approach. These are the INERA logging concession, zones close to main roads, zones along more or less abandoned roads and isolated zones in the central part of the reserve. The main causes of deforestation cited by the inhabitants were slash-and-burn farming (54% of households), artisanal ore extraction (17%) and the manufacture of dug-out canoes (8%). The underlying causes are demographic pressure with few improvements in living conditions or agricultural techniques, and expansion of the road network, which promotes trade. These deforestation dynamics in a forest included in the worldwide network of biosphere reserves is compromising the State’s goal of extending the network of protected areas to cover 15% of the country. © 2019, Bois et Forêts des Tropiques – Cirad.
Source title: Bois et Forets des Tropiques
DOI: 10.19182/bft2019.341.a31752
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85071154415&doi=10.19182%2fbft2019.341.a31752&partnerID=40&md5=086ef31806a56d2b1ac13af886f1103b
Correspondence Address: Koy, J.K.; Université de Kisangani Faculté de sciences sociales, administratives et politiques Département des sciences politiques et administratives, BP 2012, Congo; email: koykyale@yahoo.fr
Language of Original Document: Spanish
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Yangambi
Main topic: Environment
Subtopic: Land use / cover ; Deforestation

---

Abstract: Understanding the effects of land cover change on wildlife distribution is very important for resource management and conservation planning. This paper aimed at detecting the effects of land cover change on great apes distribution at the Lobéké National Park and its bounded forest management units (FMUs). Data on great ape nests were collected in the field for the years 2001 and 2014 through distance sampling with line transects. Landsat TM images of South-East Cameroon for the years 2001 and 2014 were acquired from earth explorer and corrected atmospherically for proper visualization. An area of interest comprising the Lobéké National Park and its FMUs was extracted for classification and change detection. A comparison in great apes nest distribution and change per land cover change category was done for both years through point pattern analysis, whereas a time series analysis of the detected land cover change impacts on great apes nest distribution for a period of 13 years was modeled using logistic growth and regression equations in Vensim 7.2. The results could illustrate that, as land cover changes from one cover type in 2001 to another in 2014, increases or decreases in great apes nests were observed within each changed area. © 2019, The Author(s).
Source title: Scientific Reports
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36225-2
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85061115457&doi=10.1038%2fs41598-018-36225-2&partnerID=40&md5=48f2bc0bb617183049422ad6b8dbafed
Correspondence Address: Yuh, Y.G.; Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS-SGGW), Nowoursynowska 161, Poland; email: yisaginath80@yahoo.com
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Lobéké
Main topic: Biodiversity ; Environment
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Survey / Monitoring ; Land use / cover

---

Abstract: Corridors are intended to increase species survival by abating landscape fragmentation resulting from the conversion of natural habitats into human-dominated matrices. Conservation scientists often rely on 1 type of corridor model, typically the least-cost model or current-flow model, to construct a linkage design, and their choice is not usually based on theory or empirical evidence. We developed a method to empirically confirm whether corridors produced by these 2 models are used by target species under current landscape conditions. We applied this method in the Gamba landscape between 2 national parks in southwestern Gabon. We collected signs of presence of African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus), and 2 apes, western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and central chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes troglodytes), on transects. We used patch-occupancy models to identify least-cost and current-flow corridors for these 4 species. On average, 28.7% of current-flow corridors overlapped with least-cost corridors, confirming that the choice of corridor model can affect the location of the resulting linkage design. We validated these corridors by monitoring signs and examining camera detections on new transects within and outside modeled corridors. Current-flow corridors performed better than least-cost corridors for elephants, whereas the opposite was found for buffalo and apes. Locations of the highest priority corridors for the 3 taxa did not overlap, and only 18.3% of their combined surface was common among 2 species. We used centrality metrics to calculate the average contribution of corridor pixels to landscape connectivity and derived an index that can be used to prioritize corridors. As a result, we recommend protecting at least 17.4% of the land surface area around Gamba town to preserve the preferred travel routes of the target species. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Source title: Conservation Biology
DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13194
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85055738863&doi=10.1111%2fcobi.13194&partnerID=40&md5=e7516110d7a7cc330505563aabbc2399
Correspondence Address: Vanthomme, H.P.A.; Center for Conservation and Sustainability, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 705, United States; email: vanthommeh@si.edu
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Loango ; Moukalaba-Doudou
Main topic: Biodiversity ; Humans
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Ungulates ; Elephants ; Primates ; Survey / Monitoring ; Conservation initiatives ; Periphery / Management

---

Abstract: This paper examines the implications of the paradox implicit in the conflation of Pygmies and other forest-based peoples (Bantu farmers) as a single identity group by conservationists and tourism developers. These actors share a hardened image and a single field view of the Pygmies as "people of the forest"that must paradoxically be evicted to give way for neoliberal development activities. The paper demonstrates that while Pygmies have diversified livelihood trajectories, prevailing prejudicial views about their noncontamination by the tourist and academic industry persists. As agents, the Pygmies are however, simultaneously maintaining their identity while engaging in performatic performances through which they stage their authenticity (reflective ethnicity) for their own benefits. To avoid conflicts between protected areas and people, and ensure co-management, conservationists and eco-tourism developers should take note of the co-constitution of man-nature relationships, the intersection between economic and ecological justice as well as inter-group power dynamics among multiple stakeholders in local communities. Copyright © 2019 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
Source title: International Journal of Tourism Anthropology
DOI:
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85087215967&partnerID=40&md5=7ea557c71a1b79fdd92c5499cb8ad9e3
Correspondence Address: Pemunta, N.V.; Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of GothenburgSweden; email: vitalis.pemunta@gu.se
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Mengame ; Dja ; Nki ; Boumba Bek ; Lobéké
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Ethnoscience ; Conservation initiatives ; Tourism ; Perceptions / Behaviors ; Governance / Policy ; Periphery / Management

---

Abstract: Biological surveys starting in the 1950s provided clear evidence that the Itombwe Massif, located in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is one of the most important areas for conservation in Africa. Further surveys in the mid 1990s and early 2000s showed key species were still present and could be conserved. Following a report on these surveys the Ministry of Environment established the Itombwe Reserve in 2006 without consulting local communities who have legitimate customary rights to reside within the area and use the region's natural resources. Although creating the Reserve was within the government's legal authority, its establishment violated the rights of the people there. Here we report over a decade of work by a consortium of international and national human rights and conservation NGOs, the local communities and the protected areas authority (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature), to remediate this taking of customary rights. Starting in 2008 these partners began a participatory process with all 550 villages within and around the boundary of the Reserve. Using a community resource use mapping approach, developed from best practices, the team helped communities determine the boundary of the Reserve, and then pilot participatory zoning to identify zones for settlements, agriculture, hunting, gathering of non-timber forest products, and conservation. This process secured the customary rights of long-term residents in the Reserve and protected their lands from being taken by non-rights holders. As a result of this work the use rights of communities were largely restored and the communities agreed on 23 June 2016 to formalize the boundaries of the renamed Itombwe Nature Reserve. © 2018 Fauna and Flora International.
Source title: ORYX
DOI: 10.1017/S0030605317001478
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85041577932&doi=10.1017%2fS0030605317001478&partnerID=40&md5=71becc3ce81dcc6cda7f943c140bd390
Correspondence Address: Plumptre, A.J.; Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, Cambridge Conservation Initiative, Cambridge University, Pembroke St, United Kingdom; email: aplumptre@wcs.org
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Itombwe
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Periphery / Management ; Governance / Policy ; Perceptions / Behaviors ; Income-generating activities ; Agriculture ; Hunting / Poaching ; Non-timber forest products ; Conservation initiatives

---

Abstract: This work looks at the exploitation of natural resources and their negative impacts on the natural resources in the Lomako-Yokokala faunal reserve and also explores the perception by players of the sustainability of those resources. Surveys supplemented with interviews, field observation and the analysis of documents and maps led to the collection of data in situ. The main finding of this study is the growth in the needs of local communities. There has been significant population growth all around the reserve, creating great pressure on natural resources used by the local population for its daily needs. 82% of respondents consider that natural resources have considerably decreased, especially the fauna, due to the impact of human activity on nature, While people recognize their action is harmful to nature, 73% consider they have no choice because natural resources are their sole source of income. © 2019, Ecole Nationale du Genie Rural des Eaux et des Forets. All rights reserved.
Source title: Revue Forestiere Francaise
DOI: 10.4267/2042/70830
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85088777906&doi=10.4267%2f2042%2f70830&partnerID=40&md5=720ccc4d73331f8e587a513bfaabe30d
Correspondence Address: Malankanga, G.S.; Institut supérieur d’études agronomiques de MvuaziDemocratic Republic Congo; email: gsankiana@yahoo.fr
Language of Original Document: French
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Lomako-Yokokala
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Perceptions / Behaviors ; Demography ; Periphery / Management ; Income-generating activities ; Hunting / Poaching

---

Abstract: Studies have shown how centralized institutions in resource management lead to adverse impacts on communities. However, important questions remain about the mechanisms through which people thrive under unfavorable policy environments. This paper examines how locals around the Mount Cameroon National Park (MCNP) carve space for articulating their agency despite unsympathetic management initiatives. Using focus group discussions and thematic analysis of data from 17 villages, the results identified arrangements that do not entirely solicit local consent in natural resource management. In this context, locals express their agency holding onto cultural traditions through religious engagement and the use of economic incentives to enhance livelihoods. They do so with the aid of traditional institutions, awareness of system challenges, acting more wisely, and initiating constructive needs in remote areas. © 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Source title: Environmental Sociology
DOI: 10.1080/23251042.2019.1695381
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85075485944&doi=10.1080%2f23251042.2019.1695381&partnerID=40&md5=c6cb1dfc4930e60ad9090b76626f118e
Correspondence Address: Akonwi Nebasifu, A.; Anthropology Research Group, Arctic Centre Rovaniemi; Communities & Changing Work Programme, Graduate School, University of LaplandFinland; email: aayonghe@ulapland.fi
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Mont Cameroun
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Periphery / Management ; Governance / Policy ; Perceptions / Behaviors ; Income-generating activities

---

Abstract: Afrotropical ant-following birds are vulnerable to forest loss and disturbance, but critical habitat thresholds regarding their abundance and species richness in human-dominated landscapes, including industrial oil palm plantations, have never been assessed. We measured forest cover through Landsat imagery and recorded species richness and relative abundance of 20 ant-following birds in 48 plots of 1-km2, covering three landscapes of Southwest Cameroon: Korup National Park, smallholder agroforestry areas (with farms embedded in forest), and an industrial oil palm plantation. We evaluated differences in encounter frequency and species richness among landscapes, and the presence of critical thresholds through enhanced adaptive regression through hinges. All species were detected in Korup National Park and the agroforestry landscape, which had similar forest cover (>85%). Only nine species were found in the oil palm plantation (forest cover = 10.3 ± 3.3%). At the 1-km2 scale, the number of species and bird encounters were comparable in agroforests and the protected area: mean species richness ranged from 12.2 ± 0.6 in the park and 12.2 ± 0.6 in the agroforestry matrix to 1.0 ± 0.4 in the industrial oil palm plantation; whereas encounters decreased from 34.4 ± 3.2 to 26.1 ± 2.9 and 1.3 ± 0.4, respectively. Bird encounters decreased linearly with decreasing forest cover, down to an extinction threshold identified at 24% forest cover. Species richness declined linearly by ca. one species per 7.4% forest cover lost. We identified an extinction threshold at 52% forest cover for the most sensitive species (Criniger chloronotus, Dicrurus atripennis, and Neocossyphus poensis). Our results show that substantial proportions of forests are required to sustain complete ant-following bird assemblages in Afrotropical landscapes and confirm the high sensitivity of this bird guild to deforestation after industrial oil palm development. Securing both forest biodiversity and food production in an Afrotropical production landscape may be best attained through a combination of protected areas and wildlife-friendly agroforestry. © 2019 Gesellschaft für Ökologie
Source title: Basic and Applied Ecology
DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2019.06.008
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85069826184&doi=10.1016%2fj.baae.2019.06.008&partnerID=40&md5=477ff1125a71a8f6d11f2a384b45995a
Correspondence Address: Ocampo-Ariza, C.; Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August University Göttingen, Grisebachstraße 6, Germany; email: carocampoa@gmail.com
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Korup
Main topic: Biodiversity ; Environment
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Birds ; Biology / Ecology ; Abundance ; Diversity ; Land use / cover ; Deforestation ; Forests

---

Abstract: Exploring trends in species richness and the distribution of individual species over time as well as the factors affecting these trends informs conservation priorities in protecting species and ecosystems as a whole. We used data from 41 park-wide line transect surveys in 2009 and 2014 and multi-season occupancy models with multi-species data to explore trends in species richness and distribution of individual species and factors affecting these trends in Nyungwe National Park (NNP), Rwanda. Mammalian species richness and the distributional range of 5 of the 7 species increased between 2009 and 2014 in NNP. The probability of colonization of a species into a new area in 2014, where it was not present in 2009, was highest in sites with a lower probability of poaching activity, close to tourist trails, and at lower elevations. The probability of colonization with no poaching activity was about 50% but dropped to about 10% with a 100% chance of poaching activity. Duiker species had the largest increase in distribution during the study, while there was a decrease in the distribution of the eastern chimpanzee and blue monkey. Our results suggest that increased patrols could be implemented in areas of the park with low species richness and areas with a low probability of occurrence for species of conservation concern to combat poaching activity and thus increase the probability of a species moving into a new area. Our use of a single multi-season model for multiple species explicitly accounts for imperfect detection and species-specific identities, while allowing for inferences to be made about rarely detected species by sharing covariates with common species. These results can be used to improve conservation planning in NNP for species management and ranger patrol protocols, and our modelling framework is broadly applicable to any protected area with presence/absence species field data. © 2019 The Zoological Society of London
Source title: Animal Conservation
DOI: 10.1111/acv.12491
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85073215835&doi=10.1111%2facv.12491&partnerID=40&md5=2aebc8896eb4336306ad3156b5c51e18
Correspondence Address: Moore, J.F.; Department of Wildlife Conservation and Ecology, University of FloridaUnited States; email: jennifer.f.moore@rice.edu
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Rwanda ;
Protected area: Nyungwe
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Ungulates ; Primates ; Diversity ; Biology / Ecology ; Survey / Monitoring

---

Abstract: Purpose: Policymakers and stakeholders lack empirical evidence on the effectiveness of community participatory management for agribusiness development and environmental conservation. The purpose of this paper is to assess the management preferences, approaches and practices of farm communities in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park (VNP). Design/methodology/approach: Primary data collected from 191 farmers were used. A choice experiment on current and potential park management practices and utilization levels was conducted along with a survey on socioeconomic, farm and institutional behavior characteristics. Findings: Results show that farmers prefer preserving VNP resources for the production of agribusiness crops that are low input and environmental friendly and provide high income to farmers in addition to handcraft production to enhance cultural, plant and wild animal tourism development. Farmers highly value integrated stakeholder participatory decision making about the parks natural resources. High-income farmers prefer to restore traditional cultural heritage park sites for recreation, and ancestral intellectual and cultural property rights. Research limitations/implications: The sample size limited the analysis to a conditional logit model. Originality/value: This is the first study to assess the management preferences of farm communities in the VNP area. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Source title: Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies
DOI: 10.1108/JADEE-01-2018-0004
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85065873110&doi=10.1108%2fJADEE-01-2018-0004&partnerID=40&md5=20de65132c7c8b830670e97f7ee7d7df
Correspondence Address: Weatherspoon, D.; Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Michigan State UniversityUnited States; email: weathe42@msu.edu
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Rwanda ;
Protected area: Volcans
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Perceptions / Behaviors ; Periphery / Management ; Governance / Policy ; Agriculture ; Conservation initiatives ; Income-generating activities ; Demography ; Tourism

---

Abstract: Fleas (Siphonaptera) are ubiquitous blood-sucking parasites that transmit a range of vector-borne pathogens. The present study examined rodents (n = 29) and domestic dogs (n = 7) living in the vicinity of the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, for fleas, identified flea species from these hosts, and detected Bartonella (Rhizobiales: Bartonellaceae) and Rickettsia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) DNA. The most frequently encountered flea on rodents was Xenopsylla brasiliensis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae). In addition, Ctenophthalmus (Ethioctenophthalmus) calceatus cabirus (Siphonaptera: Hystrichopsyllidae) and Ctenocephalides felis strongylus (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) were determined using morphology and sequencing of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and cytochrome c oxidase subunit II genes (cox1 and cox2, respectively). Bartonella tribocorum DNA was detected in X. brasiliensis and Rickettsia asembonensis DNA (a Rickettsia felis-like organism) was detected in C. felis strongylus. The present work complements studies that clarify the distributions of flea-borne pathogens and potential role of fleas in disease transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. In the context of high-density housing in central sub-Saharan Africa, the detection of B. tribocorum and R. asembonensis highlights the need for surveillance in both rural and urban areas to identify likely reservoirs. © 2018 The Royal Entomological Society
Source title: Medical and Veterinary Entomology
DOI: 10.1111/mve.12340
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85055934959&doi=10.1111%2fmve.12340&partnerID=40&md5=0fe5b69176c30d451e868cd33e3a1bd7
Correspondence Address: Šlapeta, J.; Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of SydneyAustralia; email: jan.slapeta@sydney.edu.au
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Rwanda ;
Protected area: Volcans
Main topic: Health
Subtopic: Animal health

---

Abstract: Burundi has a population that depends mainly on agriculture and livestock. As such, following administrative measures preventing the circulation of the cattle in the capital Bujumbura, especially along the shore of Lake Tanganyika or in the localities of the Rusizi National Park and for environmental protection purposes, we have observed since 2006, the existence of a new type of breeding and fodder markets in the suroundings of Bujumbura. But no study has been conducted to highlight the species subject to this trade and breeding new type. A study was thus carried out to identify the floristic inventory of this forage and the potential distribution of these native forage species throughout Burundi. 36 indigenous forage species were recorded; Gramineae or Poaceae occupy a prominent place with 67% of the species. The potential distribution map highlights the pastoral potential of the country. In order to safeguard this natural genetic inheritance of the country, it is important to take necessary measures through notably the scientific management and popularization of this heritage, in a perspective of constitution of semi-natural pastures while sustaining the production. © 2019 Geo-Eco-Trop. All rights reserved.
Source title: Geo-Eco-Trop
DOI:
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85067821538&partnerID=40&md5=faab94c6a2b1dcb034a77f90568d778e
Correspondence Address: Masharabu, T.; Université du Burundi, Faculté des Sciences, Département de Biologie, B.P. 2700 Bujumbura, Burundi; email: tatien.masharabu@ub.edu.bi
Language of Original Document: French
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Burundi ;
Protected area: Parc National de la Rusizi
Main topic: Biodiversity ; Humans
Subtopic: Plants ; Survey / Monitoring ; Diversity ; Income-generating activities ; Agriculture

---

Abstract: The indigenous Baka Pygmies of southeast Cameroon depend mainly on environmental incomes for their livelihoods, usually hunting and gathering and the sustainable use of their ecological systems. They are at the verge of profound political, socioeconomic, and environmental transformations orchestrated by modern state laws regulating hunting and international development actors and agencies whose development vision expressed through conservation often underlie a contradiction with their way of life. This ethnographic study aims to document the dynamics of the institution of the great hunting expedition among the Baka. An interplay between the overexploitation of forestry resources, the creation of protected areas (fortress conservation), the full protection of certain classes of large mammals, the use of specific tools forbidden by existing forestry legislation and the ruthless behaviour of ‘eco-guards’ have led to changes in the organization of the great hunting expedition. To better address the socio-cultural aspects of biodiversity conservation and consequently strengthen the legislation regulating the wildlife sector in the country, conservation stakeholders must be conscious of the multiple entanglements between human and other life forms and the ecology of hunting. This suggests the need for a rights-based approach to conservation that recognizes the entanglement of ‘multispecies assemblages’ and respects indigenous land rights. © 2018, The Author(s).
Source title: GeoJournal
DOI: 10.1007/s10708-018-9906-z
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85050672074&doi=10.1007%2fs10708-018-9906-z&partnerID=40&md5=cce5cad237059b8d37b0ffd35dfce8c8
Correspondence Address: Pemunta, N.V.; Centre for Concurrences in Colonial and Postcolonial Studies, Linnaeus UniversitySweden; email: vitalispemunta@gmail.com
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Nki ; Boumba Bek ; Lobéké
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Ethnoscience ; Anthropology / Ethnoscience ; Perceptions / Behaviors ; Governance / Policy ; Periphery / Management ; Conservation initiatives ; Income-generating activities ; Hunting / Poaching ; Non-timber forest products

---

Abstract: Despite the essential role of Bifidobacterium in health-promoting gut bacteria in humans, little is known about their functions in wild animals, especially non-human primates. It is difficult to determine in vivo the function of Bifidobacterium in wild animals due to the limited accessibility of studying target animals in natural conditions. However, the genomic characteristics of Bifidobacterium obtained from the feces of wild animals can provide insight into their functionality in the gut. Here, we analyzed the whole genomes of 12 B. moukalabense strains isolated from seven feces samples of wild western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), three samples of wild central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and two samples of wild forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon. In addition, we analyzed the fecal bacterial communities of six wild western lowland gorillas by meta 16S rRNA gene analyses with next generation sequencing. Although the abundance of the genus Bifidobacterium was as low as 0.2% in the total reads, a whole genome analysis of B. moukalabense suggested its contribution digestion of food and nutrition of frugivore/folivore animals. Specifically, the whole genome analysis indicated the involvement of B. moukalabense in hemicellulose degradation for short chain fatty acid production and nucleic acid utilization as nitrogen resources. In comparison with human-associated Bifidobacterium spp., genes for carbohydrate transport and metabolism are not conserved in these wild species. In particular the glycosidases, which are found in all 12 strains of B. moukalabense, were variably detected, or not detected, in human-associated species. © MDPI AG. All rights reserved.
Source title: Microorganisms
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7040099
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85074166004&doi=10.3390%2fmicroorganisms7040099&partnerID=40&md5=e59750b375d7ead9fde6ddf001c5bb59
Correspondence Address: Ushida, K.; Chubu University Academy of Emerging Sciences, Kasugai, Japan; email: k_ushida@isc.chubu.ac.jp
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Moukalaba-Doudou
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Primates ; Ungulates ; Elephants ; Microorganisms ; Biology / Ecology ; Genetics

---

Abstract: This study analyzes the factors of installation of villages and encampments around the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (DRC) and the impact of this issue on its management. Among the factors that determine this phenomenon, the study revealed those of a political, economic, social, and religious nature. Logical consequences are a reduced distance between there serve and the villages, demographic pressure, exploitation of natural resources by migrants, and questioning of any initiative to return migrants to their sites of origin. The integration of this phenomenon into public policies could contribute to the protection of this reserve. © 2019 Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH und Co. All rights reserved.
Source title: Anthropos
DOI: 10.5771/0257-9774-2019-2-399
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85086225188&doi=10.5771%2f0257-9774-2019-2-399&partnerID=40&md5=70aac27fa059e4330418f04de031297d
Correspondence Address:
Language of Original Document: French
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Yangambi
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Periphery / Management ; Demography ; Governance / Policy ; Income-generating activities ; Perceptions / Behaviors

---

Abstract: The forests of Lopé in central Gabon lie at the heart of multiple stakes. Supplanting the resourcist rationale that prevailed in the treatment of the natural environments that these forests comprise, the imperative of protecting natural resources requires that the various players adapt their practices and the value they attri-bute to this entity. This approach is particularly necessary since it is placed in an international context that promotes the conservation of socio-ecological systems through the establishment of protected areas. The Lopé National Park was established in August 2002 and conforms to this vision, sometimes at the expense of forest industry workers. Implementing this conservation tool has required legislation to be passed and bodies set up to safeguard portions of the territory that have high ecological potential and a rich cultural heritage. The Lopé National Park is indeed the most advanced, concrete case of forest governance in Gabon. This article relies on field work conducted by its authors between 2018 and 2019 to pinpoint the mechanisms of forest governance through the study of the actors and the stakes connected with the Lopé National Park. © AgroParisTech, 2019.
Source title: Revue Forestiere Francaise
DOI: 10.4267/2042/70829
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85086073780&doi=10.4267%2f2042%2f70829&partnerID=40&md5=d4623dc96e426d8b287dc4535a8ba219
Correspondence Address:
Language of Original Document: French
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Lopé
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Governance / Policy ; Conservation initiatives ; Perceptions / Behaviors ; Periphery / Management