Laura Ross

Large-Scale Human Effects on an arid African Raptor Community

Introduction:
The Sahel region of Africa, which runs like a belt in the Northern portion of the continent
from the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea, has experienced environmental degradation due to a
rapidly growing population. Many factors play a part in this, such as over-farming and
deforestation. There are some existing correlations between human population and their negative
effects on various species in this region.The decrease in raptor population size and other
vertebrate populations seems to be directly linked to human population size and their over-
exploitation of available resources. In order to save the Sahels wildlife and ecosystem, more
conclusive and specific correlations need to be made on cause and effect.
Conservation efforts and a balanced biome are important for the Sahel. This region relies
on the land to support the rapidly growing population. The conservation of species is important
for a balanced ecosystem, to the scientific community, and animal lovers. Raptors play an
important role in control of prey populations and outbreaks of pests. Scientists intend to use
information gathered on changing raptor populations to measure the effects of human influence
in the Sahel, as well as compare energy demands to the available resources.

Materials and Methods
Roadside raptor counts were conducted for two consecutive winter seasons. The counts
took place in southern Mauritania and northern Mali in specific areas containing varied
landscapes. Each raptor seen was recorded along with its position relative to the nearest transect.
Experienced observers worked from two hours after sunrise to one or two hours before sunset,
and avoided adverse weather conditions. Average driving speed at the transect was also
recorded. Mathematical systems were used to measure the human influence on each region in
relation to the counts. Autocorrelations were accounted for through noting the neighboring
distance between pairs of raptors.

Results
15 different species of raptors were part of this observation. Eight of these were resident,
and seven migrated during the Saharan winter. Wintering species were more than 20 times more
abundant than residents. The resident raptors were strongly affected by human population, but
the wintering species were more affected by productivity and habitat. The raptor population as a
whole was similar to nearby semi-arid places, but the resident raptors had a decrease in
population.

Discussion
The information gathered supported the hypothesis of the scientists because of the effects
of human population on native and resident raptors. These raptor populations are suffering, and
this could have many effects on other species as well as the balance of this biome. This situation
is likely to be occurring in many systems of developing countries with high population growth
and low carrying capacity, a situation particularly common in the arid and semi-arid portions of
Africa. Conservation efforts need to be strengthened in not just the Sahel region. Studying
different species, and doing the studies for longer periods of time could be beneficial in coming
to more absolute conclusions and solutions.

Reflective Writing:
I had no idea about the situation in the Sahel region. There are so many things going on
in the world, and its important to be aware of them. Its especially important for things
involving the environment and its balances because our future survival and the survival of our
children depends on it.
This article contained a lot of things I was unfamiliar with, especially the ways in which
it was worded. To have to take this information written in an unfriendly way, and find meaning
to reword in a way that myself and others are likely to better understand has definitely helped me
learn a new way to communicate.
This assignment has also helped my critical thinking in the way I will view articles. I read
a lot of scientific articles around the web, but most are dumbed down and made to be
entertaining. Also, a lot of times, an author of a summary article will leave out something like
sample size, and other things that may vary the way someone interprets the results. This is
because the author is writing for a specific purpose, and wants to sway the viewers opinion. So
to decipher a source article myself and create my own summary gave me insight on the process,
as well as how important it can be to read these reports because someone elses summary might
be biased and misleading.