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SummaryThis study aims to evaluate the current situation and diversity of indigenous cattle breeds in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A survey was executed in five regions of the KSA. We recorded population sizes, phenotypes and rearing conditions. TaurineBos taurusand zebuBos indicuspopulations were found. The zebu cattle include two breeds; the Hassawi and the Janobi. The Hassawi breed was found in the eastern region and it is in decreasing number. It may become extinct soon in the absence of conservation plan. Janobi remains common with thousand animals in the south-western part of the country. Only one indigenous taurine cow, showing no phenotypic evidence of zebu introgression, was found in the Central region of KSA (Najd Plateau). This cow might be the last pure indigenous Saudi Arabia taurine animal and therefore, the breed is now close to extinction. We advocate the urgency to design conservation plan for the indigenous livestock of the KSA and to complement these with phenotypic as well as genotypic information.

We conducted an intensive survey of the Vulnerable eastern hoolock gibbon Hoolock leuconedys along the west bank of the Salween River in southern China, covering all known hoolock gibbon populations in China. We found 40–43 groups, with a mean group size of 3.9, and five solitary individuals. We estimated the total population to be < 200. In the nine groups for which we recorded composition, seven comprised one adult pair and 0–3 offspring and the other two groups both comprised one adult male and two adult females. The population is severely fragmented, in 17 locations, with the largest subpopulation containing only five family groups. Compared with the population in 1985 and 1994 five subpopulations have declined and gibbons have been extirpated from nine localities, although we discovered two previously unknown subpopulations. Commercial logging, illegal hunting, agricultural encroachment and population fragmentation pose serious threats to the future of H. leuconedys in China. An integrated conservation plan, including nature reserve establishment/expansion, enforcement of existing laws, conservation education, translocation and conservation-oriented research are needed to ensure the survival of H. leuconedys in China.

The ibex Capra pyrenaica has recently recolonized its former Portuguese range from a contiguous Spanish protected area. The first observations of ibex in Portugal were in Peneda-Gerês National Park in 1998. In 2001 we began a survey to confirm ibex presence in Portuguese territory, and to determine the current status of the species there. There are three ibex nuclei in the general area of the international border, and they are expanding their geographical range with two of the nuclei almost restricted to Portuguese territory. In 2003 the ibex population consisted of a minimum of 75 individuals. Different founder histories have led to distinct age structures in each nucleus, but in general they exhibit the population dynamics typical of a recently reintroduced population with high reproductive potential. Priority conservation actions for this newly established population need to include increased monitoring, and reinforcement of the population with individuals from elsewhere. Effective conservation will require collaboration between staff of both Portuguese and Spanish protected areas and an integrated Spanish-Portuguese conservation plan.

A key issue in the design of land use policy is how to integrate information about spatially variable biophysical and economic conditions into a cost-effective conservation plan. Using common biophysical scoring methods, in combination with economic data and simple optimization methods, an illustration is provided for how to identify a set of priority land parcels for conservation investment. This study also demonstrates a way in which conservation agencies can incorporate concerns about biophysical thresholds in the identification of their priority land parcels. These methods are applied using Geographic Information System data from a New York conservation easement acquisition initiative for water quality protection.

Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus occurs only in Asia, and is Critically Endangered. The western population of the species has been almost extirpated, wintering at just two known sites, in Iran and India. To help conserve species that migrate long distances it is essential to have a comprehensive conservation plan that includes identification of migration routes and key resting areas. One Siberian Crane was satellite-tracked from the south Caspian Sea to its breeding grounds in Russia during the spring of 1996. The crane began migration on 6 March, and completed its migration on 1 May. This destination was formerly unknown as a breeding area for the species. During migration, the crane rested primarily at the eastern end of the Volga River delta. This suggests that the delta may be an important resting site for Siberian Crane.

SummaryWe documented habitat use by the Resplendent QuetzalPharomacrus mocinno, a large frugivorous bird that breeds in cloud-forests in the highlands of Central America, to assess the adequacy of protection afforded to regional biodiversity by the Monteverde reserve complex, a protected natural area that includes most of the highland forests of the Tilarán mountain range in western Costa Rica. Our results demonstrated that this relatively large (20,000 ha) protected natural area does not adequately protect the area's biodiversity. Through the use of radio-telemetry, we identified the areas on the Pacific slopes that are most critical to altirudinally migrating Quetzals. These forest patches are subject to deforestation and degradation and are rapidly becoming further isolated from other remaining forest. The possibility of the local extirpation of the Quetzal, through continued habitat loss on the Pacific slopes, presents an unusual dilemma for the region because the species is the major attraction for the Ideal tourist industry which now includes over 80 businesses and annually generates over US$5 million in local revenue. Therefore, its extirpation would seriously affect regional economic stability. In order to protect the Monteverde Quetzal population, we propose a regional conservation plan that depends on participation of local landowners to protect their remaining forest fragments and allows for the development of corridors to connect critical habitats as the focus of a regional conservation effort. While the ecological significance of the structure of corridors per se, versus other possible formats, is still being debated, we have selected the corridor format primarily because it is relatively easy for landowners to grasp the concept and the necessity for continuity of the corridor network. This recognition provides an important incentive for participation across property boundaries, promoting cooperation in a group effort rather than as isolated actions. Success of this cooperative plan will provide an example for grass-roots participation in buffer-zone management strategies elsewhere in the Neotropics.

SummaryThe endangered White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata was formerly widely recorded from north-east India, Bangladesh, Union of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia (peninsular) and Indonesia (Java and Sumatra). It was found to be “common” by British ornithologists in areas of India, Myanmar and Thailand in the early part of this century. Since then, deforestation and hunting have caused a major decline to perhaps less than 5% of its original population size. Since 1980 the species has been reliably recorded from 55 sites in seven countries, with a minimum combined population of 336 individuals. A conservation plan has been produced and implementation has begun.

The golden-backed uacari Cacajao melanocephalus ouakary is one of South America's least-known monkeys. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, it lives in remote areas of north-western Amazonia, as yet relatively unaffected by ecologically disruptive economic and technological activities. It inhabits swamp forests on black-water rivers during the main fruiting season and may move to dry land forests at other times of the year. The authors' survey showed that the animal was still common in the vicinity of subsistence communities, but is subject to heavy hunting pressure. Although the political situation in the area and the region's remoteness make it difficult to implement conservation plans, the authors propose a possible basis for a conservation plan for the golden-backed uacari and its habitat.

In 1979 there was only one national park in the forested Amazon region of Brazil. In that year Brazil adopted a conservation plan for the Amazonian region, proposed in 1976 as part of a system of conservation units for the whole country. Since then a further four national parks and a number of biological reserves and ecological stations have been established. The plan, which gives priority to ecosystem protection, takes the geographic diversity of plant species into consideration but not that of the fauna. The authors examine the effectiveness of the plan in protecting the primate families Callitrichidae, Callimiconidae and Cebidae and suggest how it could be adapted by recognising the importance of rivers, which limit the distributions of many primate species and subspecies as well as those of many other mammals, birds and plants.

There are five, perhaps only four, monkey species in The Gambia and all are under threat. The main problems are habitat destruction, hunting of crop raiders and illegal capture for medical research. The information presented here was collected during a long-term study from March 1978 to September 1983 on the socio-ecology of the red colobus monkey in the Abuko Nature Reserve. Further information was collected during brief periods between February 1985 and April 1989 on the presence of monkeys in the forest parks. It is not systematic nor extensive, but it indicates clearly that action is needed if monkeys are to remain as part of the country's wildlife. The most pressing need is for survey work to supply the information needed to work out a conservation plan.

The Conservation Compliance provision of the Food Security Act of 1985 requires all farmers who farmed highly erodible land prior to the passage of the Act to have a locally approved conservation plan fully implemented by 1995 or lose eligibility for numerous farm programs. Soil loss estimates of various crop, tillage practices, and conservation practices, however, are stochastic in nature. A farm planning model is suggested that allows for stochastic soil loss estimates. The model is compared to other models used in farm level soil conservation studies. The model shows promise as a more acceptable tool in that the farm plans are more likely to be acceptable to the farmer.