Assessment of the efficacy of Myanmar's shark reserves

A formal evaluation of the reserves efficacy was undertaken using an adapted version of the Philippines Marine Protected Area (MPA) Management Effectiveness Assessment Tool (MEAT). This report details the results and major findings of the evaluation

A description of certain indigenous fishing methods from Southern Dahomey

A survey of certain Dahomean fishing methods showed them to be specifically adapted to the exploitation of floodplains and shallow water lagoons. Several types of fish-parks are described, ranging from small installations thaI funclion as refuge traps, to larger constructions that act as a form of fish culture. Ponds are also dug in the floodplains in order to conserve fish isolated during the dry season. These methods all give high yields and are worthy of consideration for use elsewhere on the African continent.

Evaluation of indigenous molluscicides in water against schistosomiasis vectors

Seven varieties of indigenous Phytolacca dodecwulra L'Herrit (Phytolaccaceae) were field-tried for molluscicidal potency. Varieties (U96) and (U95) collected from Kabarole and Kabale respectively were the most potent with LD90 equal to 2.54 and 6.46 mg.t-· respectively. Water bodies ranging between 4,770 and 347,510 Iitres in Kibimba rice fields were treated with up to 50mg.t-· Snails kills were monitored every three months and 92 - 100% mortality rates were realized. HPLC fingerprints revealed the two P. dodecandra varieties to contain highest concentration of the active principle, oleanoglycotoxin- A or lemmatoxin - A.

Bird and mammal conservation in Gaoligongshan Region and Jingdong County, Yunnan, China: patterns of species richness and nature reserves

Elevational and latitudinal patterns of species richness for birds and mammals were compared with human population density in relation to nature reserve designation in two areas of Yunnan Province, China. Results suggest that species richness is not the same for the two areas. In Gaoligongshan Region, species richness is inversely correlated with elevation and altitude, while reserve designation is positively correlated with elevation and latitude. In Jingdong County, reserve designations are positively correlated with elevation, but species richness shows no clear trends. In general, the present situation is strongly influenced by human activities. It appears that reserve designation is mismatched with species richness in Gaoligongshan Region, while there is a better fit between the two in Jingdong County. In both areas, however, it appeared that reserves were located primarily in order to reduce conflict with humans rather than to maximize conservation of biodiversity, probably because humans were responsible for forest-especially primary forest-destruction and degradation in the low-lying areas.

Impacts of the Wenchuan Earthquake on the Giant Panda Nature Reserves in China

Ministry of Science and Technology of China [2008BAK47B02, 2008BAC44B04, 2008BAK50B06, 2008BAC43B01, 2006BAC08B06]

Case history and persistence of the non-indigenous diatom Coscinodiscus wailesii in the north-east Atlantic

The introduction of non-indigenous marine plankton species can have a considerable ecological and economic effect on regional systems. Their presence, however, can go unnoticed until they reach nuisance status and as a consequence few case histories exist containing information on their initial appearance and their spatio-temporal patterns. Here we report on the occurrence of the non-indigenous diatom Coscinodiscus wailesii in 1977 in the English Channel, its subsequent geographical spread into European shelf seas, and its persistence as a significant member of the diatom community in the north-east Atlantic from 1977-1995.