Journal of Global Ecology and Environment
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The Influence of Conservation Education on Pro-wildlife Sustainability Behaviour at the Eco-centric Zone of Budongo Central Forest Reserve in Buliisa District, Uganda
No full textHuman-wildlife coexistence has become increasingly pressing in sub-Saharan Africa, especially Uganda, highlighting the need for an effective conservation education programme. The relationship between Conservation education and Human-wildlife coexistence in Uganda remains an open question. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the influence of conservation education on pro-wildlife sustainability behaviour at the eco-centric zone of Budongo Central Forest Reserve (CFR) in Uganda. Two specific objectives guided the research which include to: document the existing conservation education programs involved in enhancing human-wildlife coexistence around Budongo CFR; and to determine the influence of conservation education programs towards enhancing human-wildlife coexistence around Budongo CFR. The study employed a descriptive survey design where mixed-methods approach, including quantitative and qualitative surveys were carried out. Key informant interviews were carried out to elicit information from some community leaders and teachers. In addition, field observations were done to gauge the success of these programs towards fostering human-wildlife co-existence. The study revealed various conservation education programs in place, including environmental education in schools, community outreach programs, ecotourism, sustainable agriculture, and forest restoration. Notably, conservation education in schools played a significant role, contributing 59.1% to the variance in human-wildlife co-existence. A Pearson Correlation Coefficient analysis indicated a strong positive significant relationship between conservation education programs and improvements in human-wildlife co-existence (r=0.973, Sig=0.000). The findings showed that well-designed conservation education programs have the potential to enhance community awareness, reduce conflict incidents, and encourage sustainable co-habitation practices. However, challenges such as cultural nuances and resource limitations pose significant hurdles to program effectiveness. In conclusion, this research demonstrates the effectiveness of conservation education programs in enhancing human-wildlife coexistence around Budongo CFR. These programs have not only increased knowledge and positive attitudes but also fostered local capacity to conservation. There should be a continued investment in these programs by the government, NGOs, CBOs, and industry experts aimed at promoting sustainable coexistence and conservation in the Budongo CFR and similar areas in the country
Effect of Different Storage Methods on the Shelf Life of Guava Fruits and Some Quality Indicators
No full textGuava is fifth most important fruit crop of India in production after banana, mango, citrus and papaya. Guava fruits are widely used by consumers as a fresh or are processed into a variety of value-added products in the food industries such as jam, jelly, cheese, nectar, paste. Guava fruits without any treatment and wrapper (1000g) were placed over perforated plastic round basket and stored under Room storage, Refrigeration and zero energy cool chamber (ZECC) up to 5 days with thrice replication. The moisture (%), mass (g), physiological loss in weight (PLW), shrinkage (%) and colour of guava was evaluated. It is clear from that the shelf life of guava were increased considerable by keeping them in room storage, Refrigeration and ZECC. Low PLW and shrinkage was noticed under refrigeration and ZECC throughout the period of storage. Lowest decrement in PLW and shrinkage was observed in Zero energy cool chamber, refrigeration as compared to room storage condition. ZECC is suitable for increasing shelf life of fruits and vegetables without non-renewable energy sources
Chemophysical and Metallic Characterization of Surface Water and Precipitation for Environmental Quality Assessment in Oyigbo L.G.A., Rivers State, Nigeria
No full textThis study investigates the repercussions of oil industry operations on environmental quality in the Niger Delta, with a specific focus on atmospheric soot contamination. By conducting chemophysical and metallic characterization of surface water (river) and precipitation (rain) in Oyigbo, Rivers State, Nigeria, the research evaluates various chemical and physical parameters, like pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity, as well as concentrations of heavy metals like lead (Pb), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn). The findings uncover a slightly acidic to neutral pH in water samples. The elevated EC in the Imo River, while meeting WHO standards, highlights the delicate balance between industrial development and environmental health. Turbidity values, meeting WHO standards but exceeding limits in some rainwater samples, prompt scrutiny of anthropogenic influences, with fishing and sand mining emerging as potential contributors to river turbidity, while TSS values, though higher along the Imo River, remain within WHO standards. Results reveal Cd, Cu, and Zn adhere to standards, while the elevated Pb levels necessitate further exploration into contamination sources. The heavy metals pollution index (HPI) categorizes the area as polluted and identifies lead as the primary contributor, underlining the urgency of interventions. The potential ecological risks index (PERI) classifies the pollution risk as slight, indicating a low ecological risk level, and reveals risk hierarchies, in the order of metals contributing to pollution as Pb > Cu > Cd > Zn for both river and rainwater. This study unravels the relationship between industrial activities and water quality in Oyigbo, contributing substantively to sustainable water resources and environmental management. The detailed findings stand as a cornerstone for informed decision-making, aiming to mitigate environmental impacts and safeguard ecosystems and communities reliant on vital water sources
Community-Led Participatory Forest Monitoring for the Restoration of Kibale National Park (KNP) in Western Uganda
No full textThis paper presents findings from a study on Participatory Forest Monitoring (PFM) and Natural Forest Restoration (NFR) in Uganda, a case of communities bordering Kibale National Park (KNP), Uganda was conducted among 394 respondents from June to August 2024. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design to determine participatory Forest Monitoring Activities and Practices. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to collect responses and data was analysed using MS Excel. Findings reveal that more males (55.58%) participated in PFM compared to 44.42 females, most females were involved in raising seedlings for restoration of KNP. The majority (83.76%) of them were farmers. Over 46.09% of the households were employed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority Forests Absorbing Carbon Emission (UWA-FACE) project and living within 1 kilometre of the park boundary. Tree planting through reforestation of degraded and reclaimed areas was the main PFM activity at 51%. Participation in PFM was through signing a Memorandum of Understanding. Only 24% of the households signed an MOU with UWA-FACE to participate in PFM programmes. According to the survey, most (37.8%) of respondents were supported in livelihood projects such as tree nursery management. Supporting tree planting and reforestation efforts accounted for 11.75%. Of the 394 respondents surveyed, 79.2% strongly agreed that they engaged in selecting tree species to raise for restoration activities to improve the management of Kibale National Park (M=1.88, SD = 1.97). Almost half (54.4%) of the communities bordering Kibale National Park (KNP) work with UWA rangers during forest monitoring patrols in restored areas (M=2.25, SD = 1.95). PFM can restore natural forests. There is a need to increase support for community projects by UWA-FACE
Enhancing Biodegradation of Spent Oil in Soil through Autochthonous Bioaugmentation
No full textThe study used autochthonous bio-augmentation for the bio-degradation of spent oil in soil via standard non-molecular analysis. These organisms were reintroduced individually and in synergy into microcosms of the contaminated soil so they can use the spent oil as food, carbon and energy sources. The results revealed the presence of seventeen (17) bacteria in the contaminated soil. The performance of the individual bacteria accounted for 67.60% of the total variance in the extracted residual oil following bio-augmentation with the inherent microbes while the days of bio-augmentation accounts for 23.16% of the total variance, p< 0.001. However, the days allowed for autochthonous bioaugmentation with microbes in synergy to occur , caused 47.89% of the total variance in the amount of residual oil extracted, p<0.001 while the different mixed bacteria used accounted for 35.03% of the total variance, p <0.001. At the end of the 42-day incubation period, the performance of Bacillus spp. >Clostridium spp. >Staphylococcus spp. in their microcosms were significantly better than the rest of the bacteria isolated from the contaminated soil. Also, Micrococcus spp. + Citrobacter spp., Clostridium spp. + Citrobacter spp. and Mycobacterium spp. + Salmonella species in their respective microcosms performance significantly better than the rest mixed bacteria, p<0.05. The individual bacteria and in synergy performed significantly better than the natural attenuated microcosms in reducing the amount of residual oil obtained with p values< 0.001. Increasing the days of bioaugmentation will also increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the bacteria. Thus, the application of autochthonous bio-augmentation with these tried species of bacteria for further studies in a larger scale may be helpful to reduce the pollution of the environment with spent oil
Effect of Different Doses of Nitrogen Phosphorus and Potassium on Growth and Yield of Rice Cultivars
No full textThe experiment was conducted at the screen house of the Department of Biological Science Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Yelwa Campus Bauchi State, Nigeria, located at 10ͦ 16’ 52’’ N 9ͦ 19’’ longitude and latitude. The objective of this research is to determine rice genotypes nutrient use efficiency under low NPK fertilizer treatments. The whole experiment was randomized using Microsoft excel in a completely randomized block design (CRBD) with four replications, the germinated seedlings of each cultivar from the petri-dish were planted into two each in plastic pots measuring 30cm with drainage holes at the bottom and the soil of 1.5kg was filled into the pot. For the NPK treatments, two levels of fertilizer adopted were 200kg/ha-1 NPK, which was considered as full dose (FD), and the control, while the 100kg/ha-1 NPK was considered as half dose (HD), and the other experiment tag CF, and without application of fertilizer. The whole experiment was given continuous water flooding throughout period. The experimental data collected of plant height, tillers, shoot mass, root mass, and grain yield on FARO 37, FARO 38, FARO 41, FARO 45, FARO 48, FARO 51, FARO 52, FARO 60, FARO 61, FARO 62, FARO 64, FARO 65, and FARO 66 were subjected to analysis of variance, from the results obtained, and the outcome showed was no significant difference between the treatments. This could suggest the rice cultivars resilience to NPK
Vulnerability of Coastal Livelihood to Sea Level Rise and Climate Change in Eastern Niger Region of Nigeria
No full textStudies were carried out to assess the vulnerability of Coastal livelihood to sea level rise and effect of climate change in Eastern Niger Region of Nigeria. The study area covered the major estuaries in the south-eastern Nigeria. questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions were used in the study on the basis of finding, The primary occupation of households surveyed is fishing (64%), followed by forestry (mangrove resource) (26%) and daily wage laborer (10%); with significant difference of 0.310 (2-sided), livelihood ratio of 0.292 and linear by linear association of 0.740 at (0.05) significant level. It was observed that more income was spent on maintaining fishing gear, purchasing gasoline and health care with significant difference of p-value 0.002 (2-sided), livelihood ratio of 0.002 and linear by linear association of 0.008, as such the effect of flood on fish production in south-eastern Nigeria was on the increasing (80% at risk). The study concluded that, flooding is currently a major threat to the fishermen’s livelihoods especially the resultant decline in mangrove abundance and diversity causing a reduction in fish production/catch. As such, a well-planned and managed mangrove reforestation programme is necessary, educating communities about the impacts of climate change and involving them in adaptation planning is essential for building resilience. Programs that raise awareness about sustainable practices and disaster preparedness can help mitigate climate risks also, establishing and managing protected areas such as marine parks and wildlife sanctuaries help conserve critical habitats and biodiversity to serve as hot spot to affected areas. It is also recommended that further research be carried out to investigate the physiological response of mangrove related to temperature and salinity
Community Involvement in Participatory Forest Monitoring around Kibale National Park of Western Uganda
No full textA study on Participatory Forest Monitoring (PFM) and Natural Forest Restoration (NFR) was carried out in the communities residing around the Kibale National Park (KNP), Uganda. The research was conducted from June to August 2024 among 394 respondents, adopting a cross-sectional research design to explore mechanisms for scaling up Participatory Forest Monitoring. The results revealed that participation in PFM improved income at the household level directly addressing household needs especially income for school fees and other needs by 79.9% (r=0.799, P<0.05). Enhancing PFM activities and practices, the Uganda Wildlife Authority Forest Absorbing Carbon Emission (UWA-FACE) project is encouraged to consider electric fencing as an addition to existing PFM benefits (23.40%), increase the remuneration of a daily wage for PFM recipients (28.6%) and PFM could consider compensating farmers who lose livelihoods (29.9%). The findings indicated that PFM can effectively restore natural forests in the study area and enhance income and community livelihoods. There is a need to invest more funds in PFM activities
Analyzing the Impact of Residential Chemicals upon the Heartbeat of Daphnia magna
No full textThe controversial consensus among toxicology researchers is that the country\u27s regulation of chemicals has always been insufficient. One critical aspect that has been debated is the government\u27s ability to determine the criteria of what makes a commercially available chemical dangerous, especially considering that these chemicals haven’t undergone rigorous testing. In this experiment, the Daphnia magna’s heart rate change was evaluated through the serial dilution of residential chemicals, particularly for insecticides and herbicides. We utilized the change in the bpm of the Daphnia magna as an indicator of stress, which was used to analyze the environmental stress associated with the tested chemicals. An important parameter, the Cardiac Disturbance Indicator (CDI), was defined as the sum of the average heartbeat changes at the set time points we measured. Results showed a broad spectrum of CDI from 0.0 to 90%, while the magnitude of CDI could be predicted by considering other published toxicological data. The CDI was found to be a somewhat useful surrogate for scrutinizing any harmful effects in future studies
Assessing the Impact of Water Quality and Its Significance on Women’s Health in Guatemala
No full textThe lack of good quality water in many third-world countries such as Guatemala is a pressing issue that demands immediate attention, among other environmental issues. Although the dangerous effects of poor water quality on children\u27s health are well known and extensively studied, there is relatively less research focusing on water quality\u27s impact on women\u27s health and living conditions. Women in Guatemala are potentially more vulnerable to exposure to toxins and adverse environmental conditions that affect their health differently from men due to diet, behavior, and living conditions. These toxins exposure might lead to various health problems, including urinary tract infections (UTIs), dysmenorrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), parasites, and eczema.
This paper investigates the current state of water quality in Guatemala through a comprehensive literature review of previous studies. The lifestyle factors affecting women’s health, including age, housing, childbirth, health conditions, and access to medical care, were examined using a set of questionnaire research. Additionally, the survey data from local women in Guatemala provide practical insights into their living conditions and equip us with a deeper understanding of their challenges. The survey findings suggest that over half of the women rate their overall health fairly and face significant challenges in obtaining medical care