An investigation of the effects of commercial mechanised selective logging on rain forest vegetation and mammals, was undertaken in the Lope Reserve, central Gabon, between January 1989 to July 1991. Vegetation in Lope is mostly semi-evergreen lowland tropical rain forest, but there are some localised patches of savanna., which are thought to be natural in origin, but which are maintained today by regular fires started by humans. Study sites were established in areas of forest logged 20-25, 10-15, and 3-5 years previously, a fourth was logged during the study, and a fifth remained unexploited. None of the study sites had been subject to hunting in the recent past. A line-transect five kilometres in length was cut across the drainage in each site. Forest composition and structure was assessed along each transect, by identifying and measuring trees and lianes in botanical plots, counting stem density of herbaceous vegetation in the families Marantaceae and Zingiberaceae, and by measuring canopy cover at three heights. At total of 4885 trees and lianes of 327 species occurred in five 2.5 ha samples of plants greater than 10 cm dbh, whilst 1832 individuals of 137 species were found in five 25ha samples of trees greater than 70cm dbh. There were marked differences in structure and species composition both between and within sites. A model was developed to attempt to explain this variation, based upon the theory that much of Lope had been covered by savanna vegetation during a previous cool, dry climatic phase, and that forest structure and composition reflected recolonisation of the savanna by forest. Physical features such as swamps, rocky outcrops and altitude were also considered. Two types of multivariate analysis were applied to botanical data and supported the model. The effects of logging on forest vegetation were assessed by returning after logging to botanical plots established before exploitation. Damage levels were low, compared to other parts of the World, resulting in about a 10% reduction in canopy cover. Patterns of fruit production were studied by counting fallen ripe and unripe fruit on transects. Fruits encountered were classified on the basis of their morphology and dispersal mechanism. There was a period of low fruit production during the major dry season, when frugivores are likely to suffer dietary stress. A number of plant species which did produce fruit at this time were identified as species which might represent 'keystone' resources. Over 70% of fruit species were animal-dispersed, demonstrating the the important role animals play in the ecology of tropical rain forests. Forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) diet, ecological role and group structure were analysed. The bulk of the diet consisted of the bark and leaves of trees, and some monocotyledons in the families Marantaceae and Zingiberaceae, but fruit was also important. Large-scale seasonal movements in response to fruit availability were detected. Elephants were important seed dispersers f o r many plant species, and were responsible for less than 1% of natural tree mortality. The social structure of these forest elephants differed from that of populations that have been studied i n east and southern Africa. Average group size was 2.8, and no groups of more than 10 individuals were encountered. Densi ties of primates, ungulates and squirrels were assessed using standard line-transect censuses. Resolution was poor, but statistical differences were detected between sites for some species. Chimpanzee, (Pan t. troglodytes) densities declined in logged forest, but no other species could be shown to decline after logging. Some other differences between sites were related to vegetation composition. Biomass was high, estimated a t up to 4692.6 kg km-2, but was dominated by elephants, which made up 25-82%. Conservation implications of this study are discussed, and recommendations made.

Just graduated, Livy McHaney moves into a loft owned by father and daughter Wallace and Keegan Sammler. As Livy gets to know the Sammlers, he becomes fascinated by the sense Wallace makes out the world, a skill difficult for Livy. At the same time, Livy starts working at Zoo Dunn conducting its Tournado Train. Wallace explains to Livy his reflections on animals, enthralling Livy with his big ideas about freedom and questioning when one is supposed to not. In an attempt to make his grand pronouncements concrete, Wallace recruits Livy into a secret plan to kidnap and set free a popular young elephant from Zoo Dunn. Once in motion, much of their plan fails and everything appears less certain. Livy is forced to rethink the kidnapping's meaning, the possibility of changing the way people view animals, and ultimately the allure of Wallace's "truth" in forging his own ideas about life.

A couple travels through Spain in order to obtain an abortion for an unwanted pregnancy. The couple, an unnamed American man and a woman known only by the nickname Jig, has a much more complicated relationship than first seems and must navigate through complex emotions and gender roles. This story, and elaboration on Hemingway’s well known “Hills Like White Elephants”, attempts to give the characters introduced by Hemingway more depth and back story than the original short story.

No description available.

In Central Africa, wildlife populations are increasingly influenced by humans, even in protected areas. This raises the question how spatial patterns of wildlife abundance are affected by human activities and habitat and how these patterns change over time. I address these questions by developing spatial models combined with line transect survey data in two forest sites in Central Africa. In the Odzala National Park in the Republic of Congo, I examine elephant dung abundance data in relation to human threats and protection. In the Okapi Faunal Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), I developed spatio-temporal models for elephants and other forest ungulates to examine temporal changes in their densities as a result of changes in human impact in the context of a civil war that took place in the region between the two surveys. Covariates related to human influences dominated the observed patterns at both sites. In Odzala, elephant dung densities were mainly influenced by protection. They were higher inside the protected area and closer to anti-poaching patrol routes. In the Okapi Faunal Reserve, populations of all ungulate species declined severely between the two survey periods. Declines in elephant abundance were relatively higher closer to the park boundary and areas of intense human activity. After the war, elephant densities were higher in a small area in the centre of the park that may have acted as a refuge. Forest duikers also declined, but the spatial pattern of their decline was different than that of elephants. Densities dropped more in the southern part of the reserve, probably due to pre-exisisting higher levels of hunting there. Besides explaining spatial patterns of abundance, spatial modeling was shown to be useful in improving the precision of density estimates and in predicting densities across a surface in the Odzala National Park. In summary, humans overwhelmingly determined the distribution and abundance of ungulates in both sites. The civil war in DRC led to a dramatic increase in elephant poaching for ivory which caused a major decline in elephant populations. It aggravated the bushmeat hunting of duikers whose populations also declined sharply.

The ecological role of large herbivores is increasingly recognized due to their ability to influence ecosystem functioning and their impacts on faunal and floral assemblages. Knowledge on the determinants of spatial utilization is crucial towards the successful management of these species according to objectives set for the conservation of biodiversity. While numerous studies have investigated the factors influencing the movements and habitat preferences of large northern hemisphere herbivores, few have focused on members of the African megaherbivore guild. In the context of fenced reserves, elephants have been implicated in the degradation of habitat resulting in negative impacts on biodiversity. Using a kernel analysis approach, I calculated home range size and utilization distributions for five separate herds from an elephant population in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and examined possible determinants. I explored differences in utilization intensity between herds and seasons by comparing the rugosity of utilization distributions. I used a utilization distribution-weighted composition analysis to determine seasonal habitat preferences within the home range and examined the factors influencing daily movement characteristics within different habitats in different seasons. Substantial variation in home range size and location, utilization intensity, habitat preferences and movement responses was evident between herds. Spatial and temporal variation in resource distribution and intra-specific competition explained differences in home range size and utilization intensity. Larger herds underwent more fission-fusion events than small herds, possibly due to resource scarcity and greater competitive interactions. Elephants preferred greener habitats during the dry season and appeared to conform to optimal foraging principles. They utilized forest habitats more than others, selected larger patches with high densities of favoured food items and included greater proportions of common woody species in their diet. Large groups foraged close to rivers in the wet season and appeared to broaden foraging choices in the dry season by moving further away. Restricted displacements in the early morning and evening suggested crepuscular foraging activity while greater displacements at midday could not be explained by the need for water. This study highlights the importance of considering variation in animal movements and habitat utilization in overall conservation planning and when evaluating threats to sensitive habitats, particularly in fenced protected areas. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

Herbivores are important drivers and have a longstanding history in shaping our terrestrial environments. However, during the past decades, changes in woody vegetation in savanna and forest systems have been observed in southern Africa. Subsequently, concerns have been raised about the loss of (tall) trees in areas with elephant. The relative effects of browsing herbivores on vegetation and the potential browsing interaction with other herbivore species remain unclear and were examined using vegetation transects and exclosure experiments in savanna woodland and Sand Forest. Rainfall, fire and elephant were important savanna determinants. Especially rainfall positively affected woody densities, which were negatively affected by a longer exposure time to elephant, but not to elephant densities itself. In general, within South Africa’s savannas, tree height classes were absent from the population demography. Different height classes were likely to be impacted by different drivers. For example, seedling and sapling densities were greater with longer fire return periods and increased rainfall. The Sand Forest exclosure experiments showed that forest regeneration was impacted by nyala and both elephant and nyala, as the absence of both species increased tree densities. Both species combined, and individually, also affected tree species assemblages. In contrast, short term elephant access to a savanna area did not affect tree densities or species assemblages. In both savanna and Sand Forest elephant displaced mesoherbivores, and in Sand Forest both elephant and mesoherbivores displaced their smaller counterparts. The presence of competitive displacement also affected recruitment (i.e. seedlings and/or saplings) of woody vegetation both in Sand Forest and savanna. Thus, elephant and mesoherbivores exert direct and indirect (i.e. competitive displacement providing a window for recruitment) impact on vegetation. Active management of the herbivore species assemblage affects both vegetation and other herbivores, which effects potentially cascade into lower trophic levels, jeopardising biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Therefore, the full herbivore assemblage present and their combined and individual browsing effects need to be considered when setting management goals to conserve habitats and biodiversity across all trophic levels. In addition some contrasting results between Sand Forest and savanna emphasise the need for caution when extrapolating results from different areas and ecosystems. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

In Central Africa, wildlife populations are increasingly influenced by humans, even in protected areas. This raises the question how spatial patterns of wildlife abundance are affected by human activities and habitat and how these patterns change over time. I address these questions by developing spatial models combined with line transect survey data in two forest sites in Central Africa. In the Odzala National Park in the Republic of Congo, I examine elephant dung abundance data in relation to human threats and protection. In the Okapi Faunal Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), I developed spatio-temporal models for elephants and other forest ungulates to examine temporal changes in their densities as a result of changes in human impact in the context of a civil war that took place in the region between the two surveys. Covariates related to human influences dominated the observed patterns at both sites. In Odzala, elephant dung densities were mainly influenced by protection. They were higher inside the protected area and closer to anti-poaching patrol routes. In the Okapi Faunal Reserve, populations of all ungulate species declined severely between the two survey periods. Declines in elephant abundance were relatively higher closer to the park boundary and areas of intense human activity. After the war, elephant densities were higher in a small area in the centre of the park that may have acted as a refuge. Forest duikers also declined, but the spatial pattern of their decline was different than that of elephants. Densities dropped more in the southern part of the reserve, probably due to pre-exisisting higher levels of hunting there. Besides explaining spatial patterns of abundance, spatial modeling was shown to be useful in improving the precision of density estimates and in predicting densities across a surface in the Odzala National Park. In summary, humans overwhelmingly determined the distribution and abundance of ungulates in both sites. The civil war in DRC led to a dramatic increase in elephant poaching for ivory which caused a major decline in elephant populations. It aggravated the bushmeat hunting of duikers whose populations also declined sharply.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Groningen, 1984. / Summary in Dutch. Stellingen laid in. Includes bibliographical references (p. 10-11).

Thesis (M.S.)--Georgia Southern University, 2006. / "A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science" ETD. Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-95) and appendices.