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Conservation Case Studies

Trends in active restoration of tropical dry forest: Methods, metrics, and outcomes

Abstract: Tropical Dry Forests (TDF) are one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world.  This study reviews 30 peer reviewed papers from Web of Science and Scopus in order to assess the overall effectiveness of current TDF restoration techniques.  Causes of TDR degradation included grazing (50%), fire (37%), and agriculture (27%) as mentioned from the studies.  While conducting studies, it was noted that metrics which were most evaluated such as growth, germination, and survival.  Heterogeneous seedling assemblages had greater success rates than homogeneous seedling assemblages and locally sourced seedlings were preferred over seeds for their success rates.  It was observed that seedling mortality (63%) was due to poor soil quality, lack of precipitation or poor seasonal timing, or competition for natural resources.  Because of this, irrigation techniques and land management of herbivores and invasive plants were present in most studies in order to keep a controlled study site.  Overall, there was a lack of uniform study procedures as well as a lack of in-depth data on under studies performance metrics such as social and economic costs, as well as long term evaluations. 

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Ploughshare Tortoise in Northwestern Madagascar

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Abstract:  The ploughshare tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora) is the world’s most endangered tortoise. Occurring only in tropical dry forests of northwestern Madagascar, the ploughshare tortoise is on the brink of extinction due to habitat conversion and the illegal pet trading market. Because of a lack of resources, money, and corruption in Madagascar, conserving the tortoise can be difficult. However, many studies are being done to understand their reproductive physiology and how diverse the ploughshare tortoises’ genes actually are. With these studies in mind, nongovernmental organizations can use the data to help in captive breeding programs in Madagascar. While the path to recovery for the ploughshare tortoises is unclear, doing more studies, establishing more regulations on habitat conversion and illicit trade, and involving local communities may be the key to increasing their numbers.

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Sloth bears living in seasonally dry tropical and moist broadleaf forests and their conservation

Abstract: This case study’s main focus is on the sloth bear and its conservation efforts. These bears are native to the dry rain forests in Sri Lanka. This case study compares the sloth bear to other bear that are closely related and have habitats in similar areas. Sloth bears also cohabitate with Asian cats and dholes, and this causes some conflict between the species. Some sloth bears were fitted with radio collars to track their movement and activity. Their diet mostly consists of ripened fruit, ants, and termites. Sloth bear interaction with humans is a major issue because of sloth bears are being killed for foraging on the farms. There has been a significant amount of people who have been attacked/killed by sloth bears. The hope is to have people who are trained in handling sloth bear interactions and to enact policies that deal with human-sloth bear interactions. The conservation of sloth bears depends on the limiting their interaction with people as much as possible.

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