Human-Wildlife Conflict and Wildlife Conservation in Forests and Plantations

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2021) | Viewed by 9011

Special Issue Editor

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
Interests: animal ecology and behaviour; movement ecology; plant-animal interactions; resource selection; wildlife conservation and management

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Wildlife helps to maintain forests as functional ecosystems which allow us, people, to survive, get enough food, and stay healthy. Human usage of wildlife habitat is, however, increasing and, as a consequence, people’s encounters with animals rise. Ongoing deforestation and increasing intensity of exploitation of forest natural resources mean that human–wildlife conflict (HWC) has now become one of the most pressing threats to wildlife conservation, sustainable development, and human wellbeing.

People are nevertheless prone to develop positive interactions with wildlife. There is thus a way which may lead to mutually beneficial outcomes, enhanced conservation for endangered species on one side and alternative sources of income, job opportunities ,and increased awareness for people on the other. There is enormous potential in the true challenge to turn conflicting situations into positive human–wildlife interactions (HWI).

Human–wildlife interactions have multiple dimensions and require an interdisciplinary approach to effectively mitigate the HWC, find meaningful conservation solutions, and implement functional coexistence and land-use policies where both people and wildlife are better off.

This Special Issue of Forests invites authors to submit original articles or reviews exploring edge-crossing perspectives of HWC and HWI in regard to management of forests, plantations, and conservation of wildlife. We welcome papers expanding our understanding of ecological and social drivers of HWC, what land use patterns trigger and foster non-desired wildlife behaviors, what management interventions support wildlife dispersal and reduce harmful HWI, and what local people’s perceptions and attitudes are critical for HWC solutions. We highlight connections between ecological and social systems.

Prof. Dr. Pavla Hejcmanova
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wildlife conservation
  • forest ecology and management
  • landscape heterogeneity
  • behavior
  • human-wildlife interactions
  • land use policy
  • coexistence
  • conflict resolution

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 1997 KiB  
Article
Conducting Importance–Performance Analysis for Human–Elephant Conflict Management Surrounding a National Park in Vietnam
by Van Viet Nguyen, Thi Thanh Thuy Phan, Arockia E J Ferdin and Chun-Hung Lee
Forests 2021, 12(11), 1458; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12111458 - 26 Oct 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2878
Abstract
In this paper, we present a conceptual framework of human–elephant conflict (HEC) management embodying community aspects gleaned from the importance–performance analysis (IPA) for a National Park in Vietnam. Nine approaches were proposed to prevent and mitigate HEC (HEC indicators), of which six fell [...] Read more.
In this paper, we present a conceptual framework of human–elephant conflict (HEC) management embodying community aspects gleaned from the importance–performance analysis (IPA) for a National Park in Vietnam. Nine approaches were proposed to prevent and mitigate HEC (HEC indicators), of which six fell into different quadrants based on the respective estimations of farmer and non-farmer respondents. Both the levels of importance and performance (I-P) of the HEC indicators are evaluated between (I-P) among farmers and non-farmers. Locals perceived the importance of all HEC indicators highly, but they thought its performance is poor. Third, we confirm the factors affecting the locals’ participation behavior towards HEC management based on their demographics, awareness, and behavior in terms of HEC, and their perceptions of HEC. Compared to the non-farmer residents, the farmers recognized that the management strategy of HEC must focus on the aspects of building an insurance scheme and implementing appropriate land use planning. The characteristics that affect the differentiation of the locals’ participation of HEC management are: (1) higher income residents, (2) farmers, (3) residents who would like to participate in an insurance scheme, and (4) the HEC management factors. Theoretical insights and management implications are also addressed in this study. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 2574 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Knowledge and Perceptions of Local Communities on Illegal Hunting: Long-Term Trends in a West African Protected Area
by Jerry Owusu Afriyie, Michael Opare Asare and Pavla Hejcmanová
Forests 2021, 12(11), 1454; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12111454 - 25 Oct 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2018
Abstract
Local communities in rural areas are dependent on hunting for their livelihoods and rely on their knowledge to understand wildlife ecology. Their knowledge and perceptions may be vital for forming effective and sustainable management plans related to wildlife conservation. We aimed to examine [...] Read more.
Local communities in rural areas are dependent on hunting for their livelihoods and rely on their knowledge to understand wildlife ecology. Their knowledge and perceptions may be vital for forming effective and sustainable management plans related to wildlife conservation. We aimed to examine perceptions of local people living inside (n = 153 households) and outside (n = 178 households) the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve (KSNR, Ghana) regarding bushmeat prevalence and long-term trends in illegal hunting, and to explore people’s knowledge about hunting tools, species, and reasons to hunt illegally. Perceptions of bushmeat sightings and illegal hunting trends were influenced by living inside or outside the protected area, gender, and residence time. Residents living inside the reserve perceived bushmeat and hunting as frequently present in their environment mainly due to frequent sightings of bushmeat and other wildlife products, while people living adjacent to the KSNR were more knowledgeable about the decrease in illegal hunting trends, probably because of awareness about penalties and biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, the perceptions of most residents about the decrease in hunting over time were validated by long-term KSNR law enforcement data. The perception in local communities that snares were the commonest form of hunting equipment used was also consistent with the ranger-based monitoring data. The need for money, bushmeat, unemployment, and retaliatory killings were the main drivers for illegal hunting. Our findings indicated that local people’s knowledge can have a valid relevance in protected area management and may assist in developing effective conservation strategies and in overall improvement of local socio-ecological systems. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4932 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Human Disturbance on the Activity of Medium–Large Mammals in Myanmar Tropical Forests
by Giacomo Cremonesi, Francesco Bisi, Lorenzo Gaffi, Thet Zaw, Hla Naing, Kyaw Moe, Zarni Aung, Alessandra Gagliardi, Lucas A. Wauters, Damiano G. Preatoni and Adriano Martinoli
Forests 2021, 12(3), 290; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12030290 - 03 Mar 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3182
Abstract
The effects of human disturbance represent one of the major threats for wildlife conservation. Many studies have shown that wildlife avoids or reduces direct contact with human activities through changes in activity patterns, and by minimizing spatiotemporal overlap. In this study, we investigated [...] Read more.
The effects of human disturbance represent one of the major threats for wildlife conservation. Many studies have shown that wildlife avoids or reduces direct contact with human activities through changes in activity patterns, and by minimizing spatiotemporal overlap. In this study, we investigated the possible effects of human presence on the temporal activity of medium-to-large mammals using two areas in Myanmar that differ in the intensity of human disturbance. We monitored temporal segregation mechanisms using camera trapping data and with two statistical approaches: daily activity overlaps between humans and wildlife and circular statistics. We did not find a significant difference in overlapping activity between areas but, thanks to circular statistics, we found that some species show changes in activity patterns, suggesting temporal avoidance. We observed that the daily activity of five species differed between areas of Myanmar, likely adopting mechanisms to reduce overlap in areas highly frequented by humans. Interestingly, these species are all threatened by hunting or poaching activities, four of which have been described in literature as “cathemeral”, or species that are active through day and night. This study suggests that some species adapt their behavior, at least partially, to avoid human presence in habitats with higher anthropic occurrence and increase our knowledge on the status of medium–large mammals in a poorly studied country as Myanmar. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop