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Peter A Lindsey - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the importance of conservancies for enhancing the value of game ranch land for large mammal conservation in southern africa
Journal of Zoology, 2009Co-Authors: Peter A Lindsey, Stephanie S Romanach, Harriet T DaviesmostertAbstract:Legislative changes during recent decades resulted in a massive shift away from livestock towards game ranching in southern Africa, resulting in significant increases in the abundance and distribution of many wildlife species. However, there are problems associated with game ranching from a conservation perspective, including persecution of predators, overstocking, introductions of exotic species and genetic manipulation of ‘huntable’ species. We suggest here that most of these problems could be overcome through promoting the formation of conservancies, where adjacent ranches remove internal fencing to form larger collaborative wildlife areas. Larger areas permit the reintroduction of the full range of indigenous mammals, tending to result in a land-use shift from high-offtake, low-value consumptive utilization towards higher value forms of hunting and ecotourism. Under these land-use conditions, Ranchers tend to be more tolerant of predators and often actively reintroduce them. Freedom of movement for wildlife populations increases resilience to environmental shocks. The collaborative management agreements typical of conservancies tend to align more closely with conservation objectives than on single ranches. Fortuitously, there are financial advantages associated with conservancies: land-use options in conservancies are more profitable and there are economies of scale associated with cooperative management. Land within conservancies is likely to appreciate in value and attract external investment. In addition, conservancies are more conducive to developing partnerships with indigenous communities and investors and may thus increase the political and social sustainability of game ranching. However, Ranchers are fiercely independent and may be resistant to removing fences due to the perception that they may relinquish control over their land and wildlife. Strategies are required to overcome such reluctance and promote the formation of conservancies to enhance the conservation value of game ranch land.
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conservation implications of prey responses to wild dogs lycaon pictus during the denning season on wildlife ranches
Animal Conservation, 2008Co-Authors: Peter A Lindsey, Stephanie S RomanachAbstract:The spread of game ranching in southern Africa provides opportunities for the reestablishment of populations of endangered wild dogs extirpated by livestock Ranchers. However, this potential has not been realized, partly because of negative rancher perceptions. Some Ranchers believe that wild dogs impart costs by killing wildlife that could be utilized consumptively. Others complain that wild dogs make ungulates ‘skittish’ and cause local reductions in prey densities while denning. We compared the skittishness and density of prey species inside and outside the denning home ranges of nine wild dog packs in Zimbabwe. Wild dogs had no impact on prey skittishness, but prey species did occur at lower densities inside denning home ranges. In some scenarios, and particularly on fenced game ranches, wild dogs could cause prey population declines during denning. On small game ranches, the use of fences as a tool by wild dogs during hunting can increase the proportion of large prey species in their diet by up to 11 times, and thus increase the minimum area required to support that diet. In addition, game fencing is typically permeable to wild dogs but not their prey, preventing the recovery of prey populations through the natural influx of prey animals into the denning area following departure of the dogs. Wild dogs could thus impose significant financial costs to game Ranchers hosting denning packs. Our findings emphasize the importance of promoting the formation of conservancies, where neighbouring landowners remove boundary fences to create larger contiguous wildlife areas.
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attitudes of Ranchers towards african wild dogs lycaon pictus conservation implications on private land
Biological Conservation, 2005Co-Authors: Peter A Lindsey, Johan T Du Toit, M G L MillsAbstract:In South Africa, wild dogs are limited to a single viable population in Kruger National Park. Current conservation efforts aim to develop a meta-population through the reintroduction of wild dogs into fenced reserves. However, significant potential also exists for conserving naturally occurring wild dogs in situ on ranchland. This study represents an assessment of the attitudes of southern African landowners towards wild dogs to determine the scope for conserving them on private land, and to identify the conditions under which conservation efforts might succeed. Over half of Ranchers interviewed indicated that they would like to have wild dogs on their property. Younger Ranchers were more positive than older Ranchers, suggesting that traditional prejudices against wild dogs are fading. Attitudes were generally negative where ranches are game-fenced, and where cattle or consumptive wildlife utilisation dominate land use. Negative attitudes were typically related to economic costs associated with wild dogs, and conservation initiatives aimed at reducing costs or creating benefits from the species represent the most direct way to improve attitudes. Many Ranchers recognised the potential ecotourism value of wild dogs, and attitudes were most positive where ranches belong to conservancies, and where ecotourism-based land uses predominate. Similar relationships were found between ranch/rancher characteristics and attitudes towards most large carnivores. Thus, our findings have general relevance for large carnivore conservation on private land in southern Africa. Encouraging the formation of conservancies should be a priority for carnivore conservation efforts on ranchland, to reduce conflict and promote coexistence between people and predators.
M G L Mills - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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attitudes of Ranchers towards african wild dogs lycaon pictus conservation implications on private land
Biological Conservation, 2005Co-Authors: Peter A Lindsey, Johan T Du Toit, M G L MillsAbstract:In South Africa, wild dogs are limited to a single viable population in Kruger National Park. Current conservation efforts aim to develop a meta-population through the reintroduction of wild dogs into fenced reserves. However, significant potential also exists for conserving naturally occurring wild dogs in situ on ranchland. This study represents an assessment of the attitudes of southern African landowners towards wild dogs to determine the scope for conserving them on private land, and to identify the conditions under which conservation efforts might succeed. Over half of Ranchers interviewed indicated that they would like to have wild dogs on their property. Younger Ranchers were more positive than older Ranchers, suggesting that traditional prejudices against wild dogs are fading. Attitudes were generally negative where ranches are game-fenced, and where cattle or consumptive wildlife utilisation dominate land use. Negative attitudes were typically related to economic costs associated with wild dogs, and conservation initiatives aimed at reducing costs or creating benefits from the species represent the most direct way to improve attitudes. Many Ranchers recognised the potential ecotourism value of wild dogs, and attitudes were most positive where ranches belong to conservancies, and where ecotourism-based land uses predominate. Similar relationships were found between ranch/rancher characteristics and attitudes towards most large carnivores. Thus, our findings have general relevance for large carnivore conservation on private land in southern Africa. Encouraging the formation of conservancies should be a priority for carnivore conservation efforts on ranchland, to reduce conflict and promote coexistence between people and predators.
Stephanie S Romanach - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the importance of conservancies for enhancing the value of game ranch land for large mammal conservation in southern africa
Journal of Zoology, 2009Co-Authors: Peter A Lindsey, Stephanie S Romanach, Harriet T DaviesmostertAbstract:Legislative changes during recent decades resulted in a massive shift away from livestock towards game ranching in southern Africa, resulting in significant increases in the abundance and distribution of many wildlife species. However, there are problems associated with game ranching from a conservation perspective, including persecution of predators, overstocking, introductions of exotic species and genetic manipulation of ‘huntable’ species. We suggest here that most of these problems could be overcome through promoting the formation of conservancies, where adjacent ranches remove internal fencing to form larger collaborative wildlife areas. Larger areas permit the reintroduction of the full range of indigenous mammals, tending to result in a land-use shift from high-offtake, low-value consumptive utilization towards higher value forms of hunting and ecotourism. Under these land-use conditions, Ranchers tend to be more tolerant of predators and often actively reintroduce them. Freedom of movement for wildlife populations increases resilience to environmental shocks. The collaborative management agreements typical of conservancies tend to align more closely with conservation objectives than on single ranches. Fortuitously, there are financial advantages associated with conservancies: land-use options in conservancies are more profitable and there are economies of scale associated with cooperative management. Land within conservancies is likely to appreciate in value and attract external investment. In addition, conservancies are more conducive to developing partnerships with indigenous communities and investors and may thus increase the political and social sustainability of game ranching. However, Ranchers are fiercely independent and may be resistant to removing fences due to the perception that they may relinquish control over their land and wildlife. Strategies are required to overcome such reluctance and promote the formation of conservancies to enhance the conservation value of game ranch land.
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conservation implications of prey responses to wild dogs lycaon pictus during the denning season on wildlife ranches
Animal Conservation, 2008Co-Authors: Peter A Lindsey, Stephanie S RomanachAbstract:The spread of game ranching in southern Africa provides opportunities for the reestablishment of populations of endangered wild dogs extirpated by livestock Ranchers. However, this potential has not been realized, partly because of negative rancher perceptions. Some Ranchers believe that wild dogs impart costs by killing wildlife that could be utilized consumptively. Others complain that wild dogs make ungulates ‘skittish’ and cause local reductions in prey densities while denning. We compared the skittishness and density of prey species inside and outside the denning home ranges of nine wild dog packs in Zimbabwe. Wild dogs had no impact on prey skittishness, but prey species did occur at lower densities inside denning home ranges. In some scenarios, and particularly on fenced game ranches, wild dogs could cause prey population declines during denning. On small game ranches, the use of fences as a tool by wild dogs during hunting can increase the proportion of large prey species in their diet by up to 11 times, and thus increase the minimum area required to support that diet. In addition, game fencing is typically permeable to wild dogs but not their prey, preventing the recovery of prey populations through the natural influx of prey animals into the denning area following departure of the dogs. Wild dogs could thus impose significant financial costs to game Ranchers hosting denning packs. Our findings emphasize the importance of promoting the formation of conservancies, where neighbouring landowners remove boundary fences to create larger contiguous wildlife areas.
Ginger B Paige - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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rancher preferences for a payment for ecosystem services program in southwestern wyoming
Ecological Economics, 2018Co-Authors: Kristiana Hansen, Esther Duke, Craig A Bond, Melanie Purcell, Ginger B PaigeAbstract:Abstract The Upper Green River Basin in southwestern Wyoming provides critical habitat for many species with ecological and recreational significance, including mule deer and greater sage grouse. A recent energy boom has increased economic opportunities in the region but has also placed development pressures on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Ranchers in the basin place high importance on good stewardship of land and water resources and are amenable to providing ecosystem services on their land in exchange for additional revenue. We conduct a rancher survey in the region to elicit preferences on program design for a voluntary “Payment for Ecosystem Services” program focused on maintaining or enhancing high-quality wildlife habitat and hydrologic services. Choice experiment results indicate management practices that reduce ranch revenues require higher levels of compensation than those that do not. Ranchers report that target ecosystem service is more important to them than associated payment levels, though reservation prices tend to be high relative to land values. Overall, Ranchers do not express a preference for shorter contract length but those planning to sell their ranch operations do. Fewer than 25% of Ranchers are satisfied with current mitigation programs, suggesting room for improvement. Findings have been used to inform development of a market-based PES program in the region.
Johan T Du Toit - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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attitudes of Ranchers towards african wild dogs lycaon pictus conservation implications on private land
Biological Conservation, 2005Co-Authors: Peter A Lindsey, Johan T Du Toit, M G L MillsAbstract:In South Africa, wild dogs are limited to a single viable population in Kruger National Park. Current conservation efforts aim to develop a meta-population through the reintroduction of wild dogs into fenced reserves. However, significant potential also exists for conserving naturally occurring wild dogs in situ on ranchland. This study represents an assessment of the attitudes of southern African landowners towards wild dogs to determine the scope for conserving them on private land, and to identify the conditions under which conservation efforts might succeed. Over half of Ranchers interviewed indicated that they would like to have wild dogs on their property. Younger Ranchers were more positive than older Ranchers, suggesting that traditional prejudices against wild dogs are fading. Attitudes were generally negative where ranches are game-fenced, and where cattle or consumptive wildlife utilisation dominate land use. Negative attitudes were typically related to economic costs associated with wild dogs, and conservation initiatives aimed at reducing costs or creating benefits from the species represent the most direct way to improve attitudes. Many Ranchers recognised the potential ecotourism value of wild dogs, and attitudes were most positive where ranches belong to conservancies, and where ecotourism-based land uses predominate. Similar relationships were found between ranch/rancher characteristics and attitudes towards most large carnivores. Thus, our findings have general relevance for large carnivore conservation on private land in southern Africa. Encouraging the formation of conservancies should be a priority for carnivore conservation efforts on ranchland, to reduce conflict and promote coexistence between people and predators.
