Field Observations of the Vulnerable Impressed Tortoise, Manouria impressa, from Southern Laos and Notes on Local Chelonian Trade

Observations of wild chelonians in Indochina are uncommon with most records and specimens coming from the commercial wildlife trade. During the surveys of the Xe Sap National Protected Area in southern Laos between February and May 2012, four impressed tortoises, Manouria impressa （IUCN Red List： Vulnerable） were found in three separate field locations. There are few published observations of this species in the wild. We also present data on threats and local value of chelonians in the wildlife trade.

A global overview of cranes: status, threats and conservation priorities

This paper reviews the population trends and threats for the 15 species of cranes, and comments on conservation priorities for the family as a whole. Cranes occur on ifve continents, with greatest diversity in East Asia (nine species) and Sub-Saharan Africa (six species). Eleven crane species are threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List, including one species Critically En-dangered, three species Endangered, and seven species Vulnerable. Of the four species of Least Con-cern, population sizes for the Demoiselle (Anthropoides virgo) and Brolga (Grus rubicunda) are not well known but these species are declining in some areas. The Sandhill (G. canadensis) and Eurasian Cranes (G. grus) are the most abundant cranes and have rapidly increased in part due to their lfexible selection of foraging habitats and use of agriculture lands and waste grain as a food source. Status for six species-Grey Crowned (Balearica regulorum), Blue (Anthropoides paradise), Black-necked (G. nigricollis), Red-crowned (G. japonensis), Sandhill, and Siberian (G. leucogeranus)-are summarized in more detail to illustrate the diversity of population shifts and threats within the crane family. A crane threat matrix lists the major threats, rates each threat for each species, and scores each threat for the crane family as a whole. Four of the ifve greatest threats are to the ecosystems that cranes depend upon, while only one of the top threats (human disturbance) relates to human action directly impact-ing on cranes. Four major threats are discussed:dams and water diversions, agriculture development, crane trade, and climate change. Conservation efforts should be strongly science-based, reduce direct threats to the birds, safeguard or restore habitat, and strengthen awareness among decision makers and local communities for how to safeguard cranes and wetlands. Especially for the most severely threatened species, signiifcantly stronger efforts will be needed to incorporate our understanding of the needs of cranes and the ecosystems they inhabit into decisions about agriculture, water manage-ment, energy development and other human activities.

A data directory to facilitate investigations on worldwide wildlife trafficking

Wildlife trafficking is a global phenomenon posing many negative impacts on socio-environmental systems.Scientific exploration of wildlife trafficking trends and the impact of interventions is significantly encumbered by a suite of data reuse challenges.We describe a novel,open-access data directory on wildlife trafficking and a corresponding visualization tool that can be used to identify data for multiple purposes,such as exploring wildlife trafficking hotspots and convergence points with other crime,discovering key drivers or deterrents of wildlife trafficking,and uncovering structural patterns.Keyword searches,expert elicitation,and peer-reviewed publications were used to search for extant sources used by industry and non-profit organizations,as well as those leveraged to publish academic research articles.The open-access data directory is designed to be a living document and searchable according to multiple measures.The directory can be instrumental in the data-driven analysis of unsustainable illegal wildlife trade,supply chain structure via link prediction models,the value of demand and supply reduction initiatives via multi-item knapsack problems,or trafficking behavior and transportation choices via network interdiction problems.

Multifaceted Interactions between Urban Humans and Biodiversity-related Concepts:A Developing-country Data Set

Urban humans and biodiversity-related concepts are interacting with each other in many negative and positive ways.The biodiversity provides a wide array of provision and cultural-ecological services to urban residents,but it is being overexploited to the point of crisis.The crisis is largely driven by the expanding illegal wildlife trade in developing countries with a high urbanization rate and biodiversity level like Vietnam.While supply-side measures are ineffective in reducing biodiversity loss,researchers have suggested demandside measures as supplements,such as social marketing campaigns and law enforcement in urban areas.Moreover,urban residents are also potential visitors to urban public parks and national parks,which helps generate finance for biodiversity preservation and conservation in those places.Understanding how urban residents’perceptions towards biodiversity and biodiversity-related behaviors can help improve the effectiveness of conservation efforts and sustainable urban development.Thus,this article presents a data set of 535 urban residents’wildlife consumption behaviors,multifaceted perceptions and interactions with biodiversity-related concepts,and nature-based recreation demand.The data set is constructed with six major categories:1)wildlife product consumption,2)general biodiversity perceptions,3)biodiversity at home and neighborhood,4)public park visitation and motivations,5)national park visitation and motivations,and 6)socio-demographic profiles.These resources are expected to support researchers in enriching the lax literature regarding the role of urban residents in biodiversity conservation and preservation,and help policymakers to find insights for building up an"eco-surplus culture"among urban residents through effective public communication and policymaking.