The FFPS has been involved for some time in conservation activities in the diminishing montane forests of east-central Africa. These montane forests form an upper sector of an even more endangered medium-altitude forest formation. Throughout their distribution, medium-altitude forests have been extensively disturbed by ever-increasing human activities. Extensive areas remain only in eastern Zaire, where there ststus is uncertain, and in Uganda. The Ugandan forests are now the focus of a major internationally financed development programme.

Population decline resulting from agricultural intensification led to contraction of the range of the cirl bunting Emberiza cirlus in the UK to a small area of south Devon. As part of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan for the species, a project to re-establish a population in suitable habitat in Cornwall was undertaken during 2006–2011, in which chicks were removed from the nest in Devon, hand-reared and then delayed-released. The survival of the birds to four time points in the year after release was analysed in relation to the effect of rearing factors, using a multivariable logistic regression model. Individuals with higher body weight at capture were more likely to survive to 1 January and 1 May in the year following release, and individuals released in June and July were more likely to survive than those released in August. Individuals released in 2006 and 2011 had a higher survival rate than those released during 2007–2010. Timing of capture, time spent at each stage in captivity, medication and the detection of parasites in the brood had no significant effect. Immunosuppressive disease, weather factors and predator activity may have led to some of the observed differences in survival. This analysis provides evidence with which to plan future translocation projects for cirl buntings and other passerine birds.

Found in only one small area in north-east Kenya, the Tana mangabey is both seriously depleted and highly endangered. Numbers are estimated at under 1500. The author, who spent two years on a field study in the Tana River area, shows how the combination of increased pressure from the growing human population and the long-term effects of new hydroelectric and irrigation schemes will affect especially the food supply of this monkey, which has adapted itself to a complicated river regime that may now be destroyed.

Formed by three Andean ranges and two peripheral elements, the complex mountainous system of Colombia harbours a diverse avifauna (>1,500 spp.) characterized by high large-scale beta diversity and endemism. In these mountains there are 25 protected areas covering c. 3.5 million hectares but not all ecosystems are adequately represented. We conducted an analysis of representation of bird species in these protected areas for eight subregions of the Colombian mountains by means of a comparison between potential and recorded faunas in each area. Potential faunas were compiled by considering the distribution of species across the subregions, their elevational ranges, and the elevational extent covered by each protected area in each subregion. Analyses were performed separately for all species and for migrant species, with an emphasis on threatened species. Bird inventories are lacking for nine of the protected areas. Existing inventories have representation values of 4–91% for all species, and 3–72% for migrant species. Assuming that all potential species occur within protected areas, representation values for the subregions were high (74–100%) but may be as low as 26% when representation values are estimated using recorded species only. For most Andean subregions representation decreased with decreasing elevation, revealing a lack of protected areas at lower elevations. In addition, 31 threatened species (26% of total), which mainly occur at lower elevations and in adjacent lowlands, are not covered by protected areas. Thus, although birds are relatively well protected by the system of reserves in the mountains of Colombia, significant gaps remain, particularly for threatened species.

The Chacoan peccary Catagonus wagneri is the rarest and most threatened of the three extant species of peccary. Its presence has been recorded in the northern Dry Chaco ecoregion, which spans northern Argentina, western Paraguay and south-eastern Bolivia. However, distribution models based on its occurrence in Argentina have predicted that suitable habitat extends southwards into central Argentina, where the species was not previously recorded. We present several records of the species outside the currently accepted distribution, including the first two records in the west of Córdoba province, > 650 km south of the southern limit of the previously known distribution. The discovery of the Chacoan peccary in central Argentina could serve as a justification for the protection of Chacoan forests in this region, where deforestation rates are among the highest worldwide.

This paper examines the current status and distribution of primates in Gabon on the basis of data collected in the field between 1985 and 1988. There are at least 19 and possibly 21 species of primates definitely present in Gabon, making it one of the richest countries in the world for primates. Most of the species are still widespread and one, the sun-tailed guenon, is endemic. Hunting and habitat destruction are the main threats to the country's primates. The major problem at the moment is the opening up of previously inaccessible areas by logging companies and the Trans Gabon railway, which leads to an increase in hunting pressure. Several species are threatened; the mandrill/drill, the black colobus, and the sun-tailed guenon need special conservation measures. Suggestions for action are made and several new reserves have recently been proposed.

Climate change and habitat fragmentation are considered key pressures on biodiversity, and mammalian carnivores with a limited geographical distribution are particularly vulnerable. The kodkod Leopardus guigna, a small felid endemic to the temperate forests of southern Chile and Argentina, has the smallest geographical range of any New World felid. Although the species occurs in protected areas in both countries, it is not known how well these areas protect the kodkod either currently or under climate change scenarios. We used species distribution models and spatial analyses to assess the distribution of the kodkod, examining the effects of changes in human land use and future climate change. We also assessed the species’ present representation in protected areas and in light of climate change scenarios. We found that the kodkod has already lost 5.5% of its range as a result of human land use, particularly in central areas of its distribution with intermediate habitat suitability. Climate change, together with human land use, will affect 40% of the kodkod's present potential distribution by the year 2050. Currently, 12.5% of the species’ potential distribution lies in protected areas and this will increase to 14% in the future. This increase does not, however, mean an increase in protected habitat but rather a reduction of the species' total potential range; a relatively larger percentage will be protected in Argentina than in Chile but the species is more susceptible to extinction in Argentina and the Chilean Matorral.

The Tropical Andes are characterized by a high level of endemism and plant species richness but are under pressure from human activities. We present the first regional conservation assessment of upper montane tree species in this region. We identified 3,750 tree species as occurring in this region, of which 917 were excluded because of a lack of data on their distribution. We identified a subset of 129 taxa that were restricted to higher elevations (> 1,500 m) but occurred in more than one country, thus excluding local endemics evaluated in previous national assessments. Distribution maps were created for each of these selected species, and extinction risk was assessed according to the IUCN Red List categories and criteria (version 3.1), drawing on expert knowledge elicited from a regional network of specialists. We assessed one species, Polylepis microphylla, as Critically Endangered, 47 species as Endangered and 28 as Vulnerable. Overall, 60% of the species evaluated were categorized as threatened, or 73% if national endemics are included. It is recommended that extinction risk assessments for tree species be used to inform the development of conservation strategies in the region, to avoid further loss of this important element of biodiversity.

The persistence of seed-dispersing animals in degraded habitats could be critical for ensuring the long-term conservation value and restoration of forests. This is particularly important in Southeast Asia, where > 70% of the remaining forest areas are within 1 km of a forest edge, and many are degraded (e.g. logged). We synthesized information on the habitat associations of the binturong Arctictis binturong, a large, semi-arboreal, frugivorous civet and one of the most important seed dispersers in the region, especially for figs (Ficus spp). We adopted a multiscale approach by employing ensemble species distribution modelling from presence-only records, assessing landscape-scale variation in detection rates in published camera-trap studies and using hierarchical occupancy modelling to assess local (i.e. within-landscape) patterns observed from 20 new camera-trap surveys. Contrary to prior reports that binturongs are strongly associated with intact forests, the species was equally present in degraded forests and near forest edges where sufficient forest cover was maintained (> 40% forest cover within a 20-km radius). The species also tolerates moderate incursions of oil palm plantations (< 20% of the area within a 20-km radius covered by oil palm plantations). The relative resilience of binturongs to habitat degradation could be in part because of behavioural adaptations towards increased nocturnal activity. These results support the notion that key seed dispersers can persist and maintain their ecological function in degraded forests.

The Caatinga of north-eastern Brazil is the largest and most diverse seasonally dry tropical forest in the Americas and is home to numerous endemic species. However, only 1.2% of the area is under full protection, and given the ongoing decline of this biome there is an urgent need to expand the protected area network. The Endangered Caatinga howler monkey Alouatta ululata is almost endemic to the Caatinga, and is a potential umbrella species for the protection of its biodiversity. Using all available distribution data and our own surveys we applied Maxent and Zonation spatial modelling to identify the range of A. ululata, and priority conservation areas for the species, maximizing habitat quality and connectivity, and minimizing conservation constraints. The top 10% priority areas cover 34,400 km2 and mostly coincide with good remnants of Caatinga. Only priority areas in the northern part of the species’ range are protected, so it is essential to create new protected areas in the centre and south of the range. Maxent modelling indicates that the species depends on good tree cover, but even inside protected areas we observed recent deforestation, illustrating the urgency to improve management. Maxent also indicated that aridity limits the species' range, and therefore the ongoing aridification of the Caatinga is a threat to its future. The protection of A. ululata requires establishing new protected areas in priority locations and improving management of existing protected areas. Preservation of priority areas for the Caatinga howler monkey also represents an opportunity for the conservation of other important biodiversity in the region.

The leopard Panthera pardus tulliana survives in south-west Turkey, but after a two-month survey there for the World Wildlife Fund, the author shows that numbers are so small and the people's attitudes so hostile that this subspecies is probably doomed to extinction; leopards found in eastern Turkey are the Persian subspecies saxicolor. Other large predators are disappearing too, and the author urges the need to establish several large reserves, for which the Turkish Government's planned wildlife survey will provide the data.

There are two forms of lechwe, the typical Red Lechwe (Onotragus leche leche. Gray) and the Black (O.l. smithemani. Lyd.), while a few surviving in the Mweru area to the north-west of the smithemani race, are of doubtful status. The present paper considers the red lechwe only, and that within Northern Rhodesia proper. The author has no knowledge of the animal outside the territory, nor in the Barotse province.

Corruption is a complex phenomenon with various confounding effects and, in their separate replies, both Ferraro (2005) and Katzner (2005) note that in some cases corruption may have short- and long-term benefits for conservation by limiting extractive and destructive development activities. We agree, and we also acknowledge that better governance does not necessarily lead to better conservation; a cursory look at Conservation International's biodiversity hotspots (Conservation Interational, 2005) shows that these threatened regions occur in countries with both high and low governance levels.

The need for increased monitoring and evaluation within the conservation sector has been well documented, and includes the monitoring and evaluation of training activities. We evaluated the impacts of a long-term training programme in Mauritius, using a questionnaire and semi-structured key informant interviews to develop a theory of change from the perspective of the trainers, and validated it against participants' perceptions of the benefits of training. Our findings indicated that an important outcome of training was to increase participants' belief that they could effect change, also called perception of control; this is related to an increase in a trainee's practical skills, which enables them to become more effective in their work. However, if a trainee's work environment was negative, the impact of training on practical skills, job performance and perception of control was lower. Neither the acquisition of conservation theory nor the opportunity to network was perceived by participants as improving their conservation performance, despite trainers anticipating that these matters would be important. Perception of control and work environment should therefore be considered when designing conservation training programmes, and the effectiveness of teaching conservation theory and networking should be examined further.

All gibbon species are declining throughout South and South-east Asia because of habitat loss and human activities such as hunting. Lao still contains a relatively large area of forest habitat suitable for gibbons, but their status in the country remains poorly known. Here we present the first density estimate of the Critically Endangered northern white-cheeked gibbon Nomascus leucogenys in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area, northern Lao. We conducted gibbon surveys using an auditory sampling technique during May–August 2014 and May 2015, at 40 sites, covering 125.6 km2. We applied N-mixture models to analyse group counts, investigating which landscape and human disturbance covariates influenced the spatial variation of gibbon abundance across the study area. We estimated the average gibbon density to be 0.4 groups/km2. Gibbon density was higher in mixed deciduous forest (0.74 groups/km2) than in evergreen forest (0.09 groups/km2), which could be a result of long-term hunting in evergreen forest areas. Thus, future gibbon protection plans should consider not only evergreen forest as priority habitat, but also deciduous forest, which tends to receive less attention in conservation planning. We also highlight key areas containing gibbons where law enforcement patrols should be focussed, to limit threats such as poaching. Future forest management plans should aim to maximize the size and connectivity of suitable gibbon habitat, to enable exchange between subpopulations.

The Singapore freshwater crab Johora singaporensis is known only from three streams in Singapore and is among the top 100 most threatened species in the world. It is the only member of the genus Johora, endemic to the Malay Peninsula, to be categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Extensive surveys conducted over 1 year to determine the extent of the species’ distribution revealed that the population has declined significantly at its type locality in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore Island's oldest protected forest area. The species remains extant in two unprotected streams in Bukit Batok and Bukit Gombak, which are located outside the nature reserve. Acidification of streams as a result of acid precipitation may be a factor in the decline of the species. If so, this will be the first documented instance of a species being affected negatively by anthropogenic acidification of a tropical freshwater system. The occurrence of this threatened species in a protected area has not, therefore, guaranteed its survival. There is a need for long-term and continuous monitoring of species of high conservation value, together with other measures that focus on habitat protection. Conservation efforts by the National Parks Board of Singapore in collaboration with other government agencies are ongoing in an effort to ensure the survival of this important species.

Research on crop systems and biodiversity conservation in the tropics has mainly been concerned with how low to mid intensity agricultural systems can benefit from adjacent natural habitats by receiving ecosystem services from natural biodiversity. One intensively studied crop in this framework is coffee. Positive effects are relatively easy to quantify by comparing coffee yield and by recording native species diversity. However, a largely overlooked issue is how agricultural areas affect native organisms in adjacent natural habitats, for example through movement of pest species that could impose a risk of degrading these habitats. We give an example from Mauritius, where an introduced coffee pest severely reduces the reproductive success of a threatened endemic plant species. We argue that such effects may be more common than suggested by the literature, especially when crop and native plants are congeneric. In the long term, such negative effects may degrade natural habitats, thereby causing ecosystem services derived from these habitats to decline.

Rose's mountain toad Capensibufo rosei survives in a few isolated montane populations in the south-western Cape of South Africa. It comprises several cryptic species but it is uncertain whether the lineage on the Cape Peninsula is distinct. We tested the hypothesis that toads from the Peninsula form a single genetic lineage but that different breeding sites are divergent at a population level as a result of limited dispersal abilities. Directed surveys were carried out to locate breeding sites and samples obtained were analysed in a phylogenetic and population genetic framework, using two mitochondrial markers. We found toads breeding at only one of five known historical breeding sites, although one new breeding site was also recorded. No toads were observed at 15 other non-breeding localities where they were historically observed. Toads from the two active breeding sites formed a single lineage that was sufficiently distinct to be given species status. However, these were discrete at a population level, with no shared haplotypes, suggesting no gene flow between sites. One site was particularly low in genetic diversity, implying increased vulnerability to stochastic events and elevated risk of extinction. These results, coupled with the failure to locate historically known sites on the Cape Peninsula, make this newly recognized Peninsula endemic a conservation priority. Efforts should focus on the protection and expansion of the two known surviving populations and the patches of habitat upon which they rely.

This paper examines the impact of hunting on the conservation of large Neotropical primates (≥ 6 kg adult body mass) and of the forest they inhabit. A greater emphasis on the in-situ conservation of large cebids outside protected areas and close to people is advocated and research priorities are suggested to support the conservation of large primates imperilled by hunting.

Elephant management in East African reserves and national parks has become one of the urgent conservation problems of today. In this study of the African savanna elephant, Dr Sikes shows that two diseases of the heart and arteries, found only in lowland elephants, were directly associated with the degeneration of the habitat when elephant numbers began to build up in the Tsavo National Park in Kenya and the Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks in Uganda. The two diseases thus appear to be natural factors tending to limit the elephant populations in these reserves, and she suggests four lessons to be drawn from this discovery by those concerned with elephant management in national parks.