Raptors in West Africa’s savannas have strongly declined the past four decades and many species now survive only in a few pockets of intact habitat, mostly inside protected areas, while some... Show moreRaptors in West Africa’s savannas have strongly declined the past four decades and many species now survive only in a few pockets of intact habitat, mostly inside protected areas, while some species are on the brink of extinction. Little is known about the processes that sustain raptor populations within increasingly human-transformed savanna landscapes, and clues to the mechanisms and causal drivers behind population declines remain little studied. Moreover, it is unclear how changing conditions differently affect the diverse assemblage of Afrotropical and Palearctic raptors, which depend on the West Africa’s savannas for part or most of their life cycle, and how vulnerability, or adaptability to changing environments, relate to life-history traits such as their mobility, sex, age, body mass, and diet. This thesis quantifies the effects of land transformation on distribution, foraging, diet, and reproductive output of Palearctic and Afrotropical raptors, both migratory and sedentary, in West African savannas, to increase the knowledge that can support conservation efforts directed at the persistence of rich raptor populations in this part of the world. Show less
Lions in Waza National Park Cameroon were studied with focus on lion ecology and the human-lion conflicts due to livestock predation. The number of adult lions has declined from 40-60 in 2002 to 14... Show moreLions in Waza National Park Cameroon were studied with focus on lion ecology and the human-lion conflicts due to livestock predation. The number of adult lions has declined from 40-60 in 2002 to 14-21 in 2008, which represents a reduction of about 65% in 6 years. The human-livestock pressure on the park is enormous, 31% of photographs captured by camera traps in 2008, were of humans and livestock in the park. Retaliatory killing of lions by herders is high, as lions increasingly predate on cattle due to the strong decline of their natural prey. Lion home ranges have increased from a mean of 630 km² in 2000 to 1015 km² in 2008, extending to areas outside the park. Livestock constitutes as much as 21.6% of the diet. Characteristics of the diet and movements of the lion reflect a survival strategy of lions under highly disturbed conditions. Although the Waza lion population now seems to be most threatened, concerte d conservation efforts could save this population from local extinction. The government must greatly improve park protection through the park management authority and law enforcement, as well as providing financial and human resources for the park. Furthermore, local communities living close to the park must receive direct benefits from park revenues Show less
Everybody still knows the images of hunger and drought in the dry zones of Africa (the Sahel). These last years the situation for the millions of people living there has stabilised due to the fact... Show moreEverybody still knows the images of hunger and drought in the dry zones of Africa (the Sahel). These last years the situation for the millions of people living there has stabilised due to the fact that rainfall has not failed. But what about the future? The population is still growing rapidly, and industries to absorb these numbers does not exist. The future of the Sahel depends on the investments of the farmers to improve the productivity of their arable land. But the people are poor, there are no good markets to trade new agricultural products, and there is still some bushland available where new fields may be made if the old fields are exhausted. The dissertation deals with this bushland in the Sahel. In the bush, we find trees, grass and bushes, which are used for cattle, wood supply, medicines and may other functions, such as fallow and hunting. Is it possible to estimate the value of this land? Will all of this bushland be lost in the near future, converted to arable land to feed the ever higher population? After studying these questions in a specific area in Cameroon, Wassouni concludes that it is unwise to wait till all bushland is used up. Active protection of the bush, by the government but also by local people, is necessary to stimulate the farmers to invest in their land before they have become so poor that they no longer can. Show less
