We assessed the patterns of diversity, richness, abundance, and dissimilarity in rodent and bat communities for four sites on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca, Mexico, an important region given the enormous number of endemic Neotropical species. The main objective was to examine rodent and bat community parameters relative to habitat diversity and human habitat disturbance in a fragmented landscape. We captured 1,133 individuals of 13 rodent species and 26 bat species from January to August 2006. The site (landscape unit) with greatest habitat diversity also had the highest diversity of rodents. Species dissimilarity was low between sites that had similar degrees of human disturbance. For rodents, species dissimilarity between habitats on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec landscape was generally high; therefore, the species are not distributed evenly across the entire landscape. For bats, the degree of species dissimilarity between the different habitats of the landscape was low. The distribution of bat species across the landscape is a reflection of their high vagility and the spatial structure of the landscape. The results show the importance of a diversity of habitats to the patterns of richness, abundance, and dissimilarity of mammals in the study area.

Forests cover only 6 to 8 percent of the total land area of Bangladesh. While agricultural expansion continues to massively deplete the natural forests, a well-managed homegarden practice is vital for reversing the existing trend and promoting the ecological balance of the country. An understanding of the role of women in homegarden management within a traditional farming system is important in expanding and improving the practice. This paper seeks to explore the participation of women in homegarden management activities, understanding the impact of homegardens on women's income and livelihoods and assessing women's awareness of homegarden-oriented activities that support forest conservation. The study demonstrates a number of important conclusions: (1) women are mostly involved in homegarden management-related activities (2) women are interested in conserving homegardens because they obtain such substantial benefits as food security, income, health care, and environmental benefits (3) women were found to be aware of home-garden conservation and tuned to motivating husbands, children, and neighbors to conserve the agro-biodiversity of homegardens. Findings suggest that increased involvement of women in a broad range of homegarden management activities is not only beneficial for their own socio-economic well-being, but also imperative for sustaining the livelihoods of their communities and for preserving the agro-biodiversity in homegardens.

La fragmentation des habitats forestiers, induisant une réduction de I'aire totale et une augmentation du nombre de taches forestières constitue I'une des menaces majeures pour le maintien de la biodiversité. La présente étude menée dans la province orientale de la République Démocratique du Congo s'articule autours de I'hypothèse selon laquelle, dans les zones forestières, la variation de la densité de la population entraîne un changement de la structure du paysage. Nous avons déterminé la classe forestière à partir de la classification d'une image de type Landsat ETM+ datant de 2001. Après avoir subdivisé la zone en 266 cellules de 10 km × 10 km, quatre indices de structures spatiales quantifiant la fragmentation de la forět (classe forět) ont été calculés : le nombre d'îlots de forět (taches de forět), la proportion de couverture forestière, la dominance de la plus grande tache et la dimension fractale. La densité de la population dans chaque cellule a été obtenue à partir des données de I'UNEP de I'année 2000. Les résultats ont montré I'existence de corrélations hautement significatives entre la densité de la population et les indices de fragmentation confirmant ainsi I'influence de la densité de la population sur la dégradation de I'écosystème naturel matérialisée par la fragmentation forestière.

In Colombia, there are approximately 27–31 primate species, including at least five endemic ones and a high proportion of threatened species. Differences in these primates' distribution, abundance, ecology, and charisma, among many other things, have led to large variation in the amount and nature of investigations performed on the different species. Basic information on each native primate species is necessary to build adequate conservation plans; therefore, knowledge of the quantity and type of information available on each species can be helpful to identify possible research gaps. Based on publications from 1900 to 2008 on 25 primate species present in Colombia, we evaluated primate research in this country in terms of quantity, type, and topics of investigation. Additionally, we comparatively assessed the role of Colombian primatology within all scientific production on primate species present in this country. Our analyses indicate that in Colombia, primate research has developed mainly in the field-work area, with studies focused primarily on ecology and behavior. Investigations of topics such as karyology, anatomy, and physiology are very limited, and molecular biology is understudied compared to research on this subject in other countries. Captive studies are also comparatively scarce. Our analyses also suggest that those species distributed in areas where research stations are located have been the focus of a greater proportion of investigations. A few study sites (PNN La Macarena, Rio Peneya Station, PNN Tinigua, and Caparu Biological Station) stand out as primate research “hot-spots” within Colombia; however, field work in these stations is frequently jeopardized by the constant threat imposed by revolutionary armed forces in the rural and forested parts of Colombia.

As habitat for the golden-headed lion tamarin (GHLT; Leontopithecus chrysomelas) in Brazil's Atlantic forest becomes smaller and more fragmented, remaining large forest patches may be critical to the persistence of the species. The objectives of our study were to identify the forest patch size that could support a viable population of GHLTs under a range of risk scenarios and to locate patches meeting these size requirements. We found the self-sustaining minimum viable population (MVP) size of GHLTs using the simulation program Vortex under a baseline model and under several anthropogenic disturbance models. We multiplied the MVP size determined in each model scenario by low, medium, and high GHLT population densities to estimate a minimum area requirement. We then used a forest cover map derived through a supervised classification of 2004–2008 Landsat 5TM imagery to locate forest patches meeting the range of minimum area requirements. We found that the MVP size of GHLTs is 70–960 individuals, requiring a forest patch size of 700–18,113 ha depending on the risk level or scenario considered. We found one forest patch that could support a genetically viable, self-sustaining population of GHLTs under the highest level of risk. However, only one federally protected reserve known to currently support GHLTs exists within the range of the species while continuing deforestation, land conversion, and construction projects are real and major threats to the remaining GHLT habitat. Research into the quality and occupancy of the largest patches highlighted here as well as additional protection of habitat needs to be a priority for GHLT conservation.

A recent (2008–2009) outbreak of sylvatic yellow fever caused the death of seven people and over 2,000 howler monkeys (black-and-gold, Alouatta caraya, and brown, A. guariba clamitans) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, spreading panic among the population. The fear of the disease and the misinformation about its relationship with howler monkeys led inhabitants of several regions to exterminate these primates from the forests near their homes. In this paper we describe the theoretical background supporting the idea that howler monkeys play an important role in fighting yellow fever via the surveillance of virus circulation and stress that they are not responsible for the re-emergence of this African infectious disease, its transmission, or its fast spread through the highly fragmented landscape of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. We also describe how this scientific information has been used in the campaign “Protect our Guardian Angels” that was launched to inform the public and the media about the actual relationship of these regionally threatened species to the disease. The campaign is run and supported by educational, scientific, governmental (health-and environment-related) and religious institutions, and NGOs, an alliance in favor of biodiversity conservation and public health that has been effective in changing the quality of the news media, but that still requires a great effort to achieve the necessary level of population awareness.

The tropical moist deciduous Sal (Shorea robusta) forest ecosystem of central Bangladesh is currently in a critical situation. Destructive anthropogenic and natural impacts coupled with overexploitation of forest resources have caused severe damage to the forest ecosystem. Sal is usually harvested for construction works, fuel wood, timbers, tannins, pillars, and furniture making purposes. The rapidly expanding agriculture in the forest land is a significant threat to the Sal forest ecosystem. This forest has been rapidly exhausted in recent times due to rubber monoculture and expanding commercial fuel-wood plantations. Due to illegal cutting, encroachment of forest areas, and illegal poaching of wildlife, the Sal forest is losing biodiversity at an alarming rate. The present status of the Sal forest ecosystem has been briefly discussed in this paper. After reviewing contemporary literature and analyzing findings of published research regarding the present threats to the Sal forest ecosystem of Bangladesh, this study recommends adoption of a sustainable forest management strategy based on scientific concepts of advanced silviculture. Furthermore, the requirement of further scientific research for better understanding of the Sal forest ecosystem has been stressed. Finally, this paper asserts that conservation and protection of the Sal forest ecosystem of Bangladesh can be achieved if sustainable forest management strategies are developed by involving all relevant stakeholders in the policy formulation process.

Within the last few years, Tanzania has witnessed mushrooming growth of “wildlife management areas” (WMAs). These are broadly meant to halt (or reduce) loss of wildlife populations, and ensure that local people benefit from their conservation. However, human pressure is rapidly increasing and causing management problems in the WMAs. Some human land-use activities also limit wildlife dispersal, potentially destabilizing wildlife population dynamics. In addition, poor resource use diversification and lack of creativity constrain sustainable use of natural resources in the WMAs; consequently, their contribution to sustainable livelihoods is seriously undermined. A key question is how WMAs can be a sustainable and competitive land-use option that meets their predetermined objectives? Without doubt, a road map to sustainable WMAs should responsibly engage the government, non-governmental organizations, and community-based organizations in a joint effort towards realization of simple and flexible WMAs establishment process, quality wildlife habitat, and reduced human pressure on the wildlife resources, as well as successful and sustainable wildlife-based enterprises.