Harmful non-indigenous species (NIS) impose great economic and environmental impacts globally, but little is known about their impacts in Southeast Asia. Lack of knowledge of the magnitude of the problem hinders the allocation of appropriate resources for NIS prevention and management. We used benefit-cost analysis embedded in a Monte-Carlo simulation model and analysed economic and environmental impacts of NIS in the region to estimate the total burden of NIS in Southeast Asia. The total annual loss caused by NIS to agriculture, human health and the environment in Southeast Asia is estimated to be US$33.5 billion (5th and 95th percentile US$25.8â€“39.8 billion). Losses and costs to the agricultural sector are estimated to be nearly 90% of the total (US$23.4â€“33.9 billion), while the annual costs associated with human health and the environment are US$1.85 billion (US$1.4â€“2.5 billion) and US$2.1 billion (US$0.9â€“3.3 billion), respectively, although these estimates are based on conservative assumptions. We demonstrate that the economic and environmental impacts of NIS in low and middle-income regions can be considerable and that further measures, such as the adoption of regional risk assessment protocols to inform decisions on prevention and control of NIS in Southeast Asia, could be beneficial.

Economic and Environmental Impacts of Harmful Non-Indigenous Species in Southeast Asia

We reviewed information on dairy cattle production systems in the tropics, the factors involved, and their influence on milk composition. Genetic factors had greater influence on milk production; specialized breeds produced more milk, and there was an inverse relation between the content of fat, protein, total solids, and the amount of milk produced. Season was related to the availability of forage, and the type of grazing system. Greater pasture area increased individual production, while a greater supply of feed concentrate did not increase milk production. The number of calvings positively affected milk production through the fifth calving, with subsequent declines in production. Milk production increased to a maximum and then declined as lactation progressed. Specialized systems had higher production and better hygienic milk quality; milking and container equipment are critical for maintaining milk sanitary quality. Factor interaction is highly complex, preventing the generation of specific recommendations and general principles applicable to the specific conditions for each system.

Tropical milk production systems and milk quality: a review

The aim of this study was to determine the socioeconomic, production characteristics and milk production cost of dual-purpose farms (DPF) oriented to milk production in a subtropical region of Central Mexico. The study focused on ten DPF that produce milk all year round, to gather socioeconomic characteristics of farmers (age, family structure, education level), farm resources (land holding, herd structure, infrastructure, management) and economic information during the year 2008. Family labour (FL) covers 66 % of labour needs. The average milk production cost was US$0.21, fluctuating from US$0.19 to US$0.31 during the rainy and dry season, respectively. Supplements and hired labour (HL) accounted for 48 and 35 % of milk production cost, respectively. Milk production generated daily incomes that covered daily operation costs of farms, as well as the economic needs of the farming family. Calves represented important incomes that ranged between 30 and 50 % of total annual farm incomes, cashed in once or twice a year. Milk production provides economic stability to DPF, whereas FL and low input use are key elements that allow low costs in the production of milk and calves in DPF in Central Mexico.

Socioeconomic and productive characterization of dual-purpose farms oriented to milk production in a subtropical region of Mexico

Contribution of dung beetles to cattle productivity in the tropics: A stochastic-dynamic modeling approach

Edge effects alter insect biodiversity in several ways. However, we still have a limited understanding on simultaneous responses of ecological populations and assemblages to ecotones, especially in human modified landscapes. We analyze edge effects on dung beetle populations and assemblages between livestock pastures and native temperate forests (Juniperus and pine-oak forests (POFs)) to describe how species abundances and assemblage parameters respond to edge effects through gradients in forest-pasture ecotones. In Juniperus forest 13 species avoided the ecotones: six species showed greater abundance in forest interior and seven in pasturelands, while the other two species had a neutral response to the edge. In a different way, in POF we found five species avoiding the edge (four with greater abundance in pastures and only one in forest), two species had a neutral response, and two showed a unimodal pattern of abundance near to the edge. At the assemblage level edge effects are masked, as species richness, diversity, functional richness, functional evenness, and compositional incidence dissimilarity did not vary along forest-pasture ecotones. However, total abundance and functional divergence showed higher values in pastures in one of the two sampling localities. Also, assemblage similarity based on species' abundance showed a peak near to the edge in POF. We propose that conservation efforts in human-managed landscapes should focus on mitigating current and delayed edge effects. Ecotone management will be crucial in livestock dominated landscapes to conserve regional biodiversity and the environmental services carried out by dung beetles.

Populations and assemblages living on the edge: dung beetles responses to forests-pasture ecotones.

Caracterización socioeconómica y tecnológica de los agroecosistemas con bovinos de doble propósito de la región del papaloapan, veracruz, méxico (socioeconomical and technological characterization of agroecosystems with dual purpose cattle in the papaloapan region, veracruz, mexico)

The purpose of this study was to characterize the socioeconomic and technological components present in cattle in agro dual purpose of the area of the Papaloapan, Veracruz, Mexico. A survey was designed and implemented semi-structured interviews with producers in the Local Livestock Associations and cattle ranches of the 21 municipalities that make up the region under study. The variables were included social, technical and marketing. The sample size of 405 was producers who account for 4% of the total number of farmers in the region. We used cluster analysis, descriptive statistics and contingency tables. The cluster analysis, according to the variables considered, allow characterizing the producers (no groups): traditional, transitional and business. The age for these groups of farmers was 53±13, 54±15 and 56±12 years, and the animal charges were 42.8±38.9, 154.1±88.3 and 123.8±93.5, respectively. In general, the aim was zootechnical dual purpose cattle (86.9%), with extensive grazing pasture for free (98%) as the dominant system and a pattern of racial Swiss crosses x Cebu (79.8%) as the most representative.

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Socioeconomical and technological characterization of agroecosystems with dual purpose cattle in the the papaloapan region, veracruz, mexico

Los objetivos de este estudio fueron caracterizar los sistemas de produccion de leche bovina en el Distrito de Desarrollo Rural 008 (DDR 008) y establecer una tipologia de productores en el sistema Doble proposito (DP) que permita generar informacion para el desarrollo de politicas diferenciales. Para ello, en 124 unidades de produccion (UP) se realizo una encuesta mediante un cuestionario que incluyo variables sociales y tecnicoproductivas. Se encontro que las UP del DDR 008 tienen una superficie promedio de 40,2 ± 37,9 ha y hatos de 18 ± 17 vacas en ordeno. El productor administra directamente su UP, tiene una edad promedio de 56 ± 12 anos y una escolaridad de 5,6 ± 4 anos; esta ultima inferior a la media nacional. Mediante un analisis de conglomerados se identificaron cuatro tipos de productores: 1) tradicional de subsistencia, 2) tradicional comercial, 3) semitecnificado y 4) tecnificado. Entre ellos hubo diferencias en edad, superficie de la UP, numero de vacas en ordeno, indice tecnologico e ingresos. Los productores tradicionales de subsistencia y comerciales (tipo 1 y 2) representan el 86 % del total y se caracterizan por tener una edad y escolaridad promediode 56 y cinco anos, respectivamente, UP pequenas (27 y 42 ha) con hatos de 9 y 22 vacas en ordeno, y bajo indice tecnologico (9,1 y 10,88). Los productores semi-tecnificados y tecnificados (tipo 3 y 4) representan el 14% del total y poseen UP con mayor superficie (85,8 y 104,6 ha) con hatos mas grandes (48 y 77 vacas en ordeno), y un indice tecnologico alto (12,2 y 16,0, respectivamente), lo cual se refleja en mayores ingresos por venta de leche. El sistema de DP, presenta tipologias similares en los aspectos socioeconomicos y el nivel productivo, pero contrastantes en escala de produccion e ingresos brutos.

Tipificación de sistemas de doble propósito para producción de leche en el distrito de desarrollo rural 008, veracruz, méxico

The objective of this study was to identify which type of dual-purpose cattle (DP) producers are in to make the development of livestock in the municipality ...

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Julio Vilaboa-Arroniz

Papers

Caracterización socioeconómica y tecnológica de los agroecosistemas con bovinos de doble propósito de la región del papaloapan, veracruz, méxico (socioeconomical and technological characterization of agroecosystems with dual purpose cattle in the papaloapan region, veracruz, mexico)

Contribution of dung beetles to cattle productivity in the tropics: A stochastic-dynamic modeling approach

Socioeconomical and technological characterization of agroecosystems with dual purpose cattle in the the papaloapan region, veracruz, mexico

Tipificación de sistemas de doble propósito para producción de leche en el distrito de desarrollo rural 008, veracruz, méxico

Dynamics of development of dual purpose cattle in las choapas, veracruz, mexico