The World Conservation Union (IUCN) recently published a new conservation action plan for equids, wild members of the family including zebras, asses, and horses, many of which are threatened. Dr. Dan Rubenstein, (Chair of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University), member of Earthwatch's Science Advisory Council and principal investigator of Zebras of Kenya, was a coauthor of the chapter on plains zebra (Equus burchellii).
"This is the definitive, up-to-date analysis of the state of equid species," said Rubenstein, a member of Earthwatch's Science Advisory Council. "Moreover, it contains important assessment of health issues, conservation and management issues, and appropriate recommendations."
Rubenstein's chapter, co-authored with colleagues Mace Hack and Rod East, spells out the taxonomy, ecology, population status, and conservation issues around the plains zebra. The history and conservation of this species is complicated by the existence of six subspecies, the most common being the Grant's zebra, as well as the possible inclusion of the extinct Quagga (Equus quagga) of South Africa.
Although plains zebras are the most widespread and abundant equid in the world today, the species has been extirpated from several parts of its range in eastern, southern, and southwestern Africa. For instance, civil wars in Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda have resulted in dramatic declines of zebras in those countries. Nearly 70 percent of the global population remains in two countries, Kenya and Tanzania, where most of the animals live outside of protected lands.
"Plains zebras continue to be threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation," said Rubenstein. "There is also the potential for excessive poaching and quotas that are too high when cropping is legally possible."
For the past two years, Rubenstein has been working with Earthwatch teams on Zebras of Kenya to understand the population dynamics of both plains zebras and endangered Grevy's zebras as well as their role in grassland ecology. Now Rubenstein has helped launch Earthwatch's new Conservation Research Initiative (CRI) in Samburu, Kenya, to respond to the need to monitor the behavior and demography of zebras as called for in the action plan.
"The CRI will result in a better understanding of behavior, population sizes and movements, and where hot spots and corridors exist," said Rubenstein. "All of this will help with better land use planning and hence some pre-emptive protection until population size can increase."
The new Action Plan for the conservation of equids is an urgently needed tool for guiding the development of comprehensive conservation strategies for wild populations of zebras and other equids. This summer, Earthwatch teams working at the Samburu Conservation Research Initiative will be gathering data necessary to formulate effective recovery plans for endangered Grevy's zebras.
For more information, see "Status and Action Plan for the Plains Zebra (Equus burchellii)", by Mace A Hack, Rod East, and Dan I. Rubenstein. In Equids: Zebras, Asses and Horses. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. 2003. IUCN. Find the full text at www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/actionplans/equids/equidap.htm
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