The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) is a state-run body which organizes wildlife research in Tanzania. The Institute is under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and Their Control presents a “conceptual diagram of management-invasion continuum”, introducing a versatile framework to support decision-making on the management of biological invasions. Drawing on an extensive synthesis of current knowledge, this IPBES invasion-management framework has been developed to broaden the scope of existing invasion curves—which primarily overlay generic management objectives onto a sigmoid curve depicting the expansion of the affected area over time—and to illustrate the applicability of the concept of effective management at different stages of the biological invasion process. To introduce the IPBES invasion-management framework to a wider audience, this paper explains the features of the framework and defines the invasion-stage-based management approaches and the potential outcomes envisaged therein. Reflecting the currently limited management options for biological invasions in marine and other connected-water systems, unlike in terrestrial and closed-water systems, the IPBES invasion-management framework clearly distinguishes between these two groups of systems. For each, it presents management approaches including three key factors that decision-makers should consider concurrently: management objectives, targets, and actions. This framework supports informed decision-making in the management of biological invasions in all ecosystems.
Natural resource managers and policymakers need actionable climate data to guide conservation decisions. Conserving climate change refugia, areas relatively buffered from contemporary climate change, is increasingly considered an effective strategy for adaptation. Despite tropical species facing heightened vulnerability to climate change, the tropics remain underserved in climate adaptation research. We coproduced with Tanzanian partners the first comprehensive assessment of climate change refugia across Tanzania through extensive consultation, in‐person conversations, and field visits to priority ecosystems, ensuring our analysis addressed local conservation needs and decision‐making contexts. We developed species distribution models for 33 terrestrial animal species using maximum entropy and boosted regression tree algorithms. We projected future suitable habitats for SSP126 and SSP585, for 2011–2040 and 2071–2100, using GFDL Earth System and the UK Earth System models. More than half under SSP126 and 79% of focal species under SSP585 lost their suitable habitat by 2100. Serengeti National Park, Northern Highlands Forest Reserve, and the Eastern Arc Mountains emerged as key climate change refugia, while other protected areas, including Kigosi and Ugalla River National Parks, had no climate change refugia. This assessment provides actionable insights for Tanzania's conservation prioritization while identifying critical research gaps in western and montane ecosystems.
Accurate demographic data are essential for understanding population dynamics and developing effective conservation strategies for threatened raptor species. This study provides the first quantitative assessment of how grassland fragmentation at landscape scale, driven by woody plant encroachment, and interannual variation in precipitation affect the secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius reproduction within the Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania. Through nest density estimation models based on nest survival and detection probabilities, and generalized additive mixed models, we estimated nesting success and productivity across three habitat types with different grassland fragmentation levels and rainfall regimes during the 2023 and 2024 breeding seasons. Nest density was highest in habitats with moderate to low fragmentation (50–< 90% grassland cover: 7.6 nests 100 km −2 ), lower in highly fragmented habitats (< 50% grassland cover), and lowest in minimally fragmented ones (> 90% grassland cover). Nesting success increased significantly with grassland cover, from 18.9% in highly fragmented habitats – possibly due to greater influence of edge effects – to 71% in minimally fragmented ones. Productivity was lowest in highly fragmented habitats (0.8 successful nests 100 km −2 ), highest in moderately to low fragmented ones (2.5), and intermediate in minimally fragmented habitats (1.7). Wet‐season rainfall emerged as dominant driver of nest abundance across all habitat types. Substantially higher precipitation in 2024 than 2023 correlated with a nearly three times higher nest abundance in 2024 compared to 2023, positively influencing productivity (2.2 versus 0.8 successful nests 100 km −2 ). Additionally, lower long‐term dry‐season rainfall negatively affected nesting success. These findings highlight the secretarybird vulnerability to habitat and climate change, which may disrupt predator–prey dynamics and reduce nesting site quality and the number of breeding attempts. Conservation efforts in fragmented habitats should prioritize limiting the effects of woody plant encroachment and actively protecting nests to mitigate predation risks, thereby enhancing productivity and sustaining steady populations of this African savannah raptor.
African swine fever (ASF) is a highly lethal hemorrhagic disease of domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boars, caused by ASF virus (ASFV). In Africa, ASFV is maintained in a sylvatic cycle involving wild suids, primarily warthogs (Phacocherus africanus) and Ornithodoros ticks. Despite ASF outbreaks in Tanzania, the role of the sylvatic cycle in areas with high wildlife-livestock interactions remains understudied. This study aimed to detect and characterize ASFV in Ornithodoros ticks from warthog burrows in the Serengeti ecosystem. Soft ticks were collected from warthog burrows and screened for ASFV using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). A total of 1,003 Ornithodoros ticks were collected from 25 burrows and qPCR detected ASFV in ticks from 9 burrows. Conventional PCR targeting the ASFV B646L (p72) gene, intergenic region (IGR) between I73R and I329L genes, and the central variable region (CVR) of the B602L gene was conducted in positive samples. The amplicons were sequenced and used for phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences of B646L (p72) gene showed that the identified ASFV strains clustered within genotype X, which has been previously associated with outbreaks in domestic pigs in Tanzania and neighboring countries. Analysis of the IGR and the CVR of the B602L gene confirmed the high genetic similarity between the detected strains and those linked to previous ASF outbreaks in Tanzania and neighboring countries. The findings of this study highlight the need to prevent virus spillover from the sylvatic cycle for efficient control of the ASF in Tanzania.
The emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases remain a major public health threat in Europe. The Horizon Europe-funded MOBILISE project addresses this challenge by establishing a One Health Mobile Laboratory capable of handling risk group 3 and 4 pathogens, while strengthening outbreak preparedness through targeted capacity-building activities and the development of a rapid-response expert network. A key component of the project is a training-of-trainers (ToT) model, which enables participants to perform critical tasks in the field and transfer expertise within their home countries. This approach expands the pool of skilled professionals and strengthens collective preparedness. A descriptive mixed-methods programme evaluation, including pre- and post-test assessments, was conducted to assess the ToT model's implementation. In the first phase, two laboratory experts from each partner country were selected. They completed online courses, followed by a two-week in-person training at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg, Germany. Training covered biosafety, molecular diagnostics, sequencing, and mobile laboratory operation. The programme concluded with four field missions, allowing participants to apply their skills and train new cohorts. The evaluation also highlighted challenges related to retaining trained experts within the expert pool over time. This structured approach enhances outbreak preparedness, fosters cross-border collaboration, and strengthens the resilience of the health system.
