Objective
The objectives of the project are: To document the distributions, numbers and principal points of contact of livestock and saiga in the Aral Sea region; to collect baseline data on the parasite loads and prevalence of diseases affecting livestock and saiga antelopes in Kazakhstan; to investigate the effects of changing agricultural patterns on the epidemiology of parasites and diseases within saiga and livestock herds; to investigate the effects of environmental degradation (particularly the desertification of the Aral Sea region) on the disease-mediated interactions between saiga and livestock; to use mathematical modelling to describe these interactions between saiga and livestock, and to predict the effects of changing agricultural practices on these interactions; to develop diagnostic tests for parasites and diseases for use on saiga and livestock herds; to identify parasites and diseases of cattle and sheep that could increase in significance for the conservation and management of the saiga antelope in the future; to develop policy recommendations for the minimisation of saiga-carried disease outbreaks in livestock, with due respect to the conservation, management and profitable exploitation of the saiga antelope. This project is well-suited to the aims of INTAS-MSNT in that it addresses directly the interaction between environmental protection and the effects of agriculture on the environment, and is based in the area of concern surrounding the Aral Sea. The problems of the effects of changing agricultural practices on the environment are not confined to pollution and wastes, but include the indirect effects of desertification and livestock distribution and density on the population dynamics of wildlife. This is particularly important in the case of the saiga antelope, for several reasons: It is an ecologically important species for the arid zone, being the major large herbivore in the ecosystem; it is economically important to the inhabitants of the arid zone, as an export commodity (horns) and a source of cheap meat and employment; it is found in areas of major desertification and environmental degradation around the Aral Sea, and thus there is an interaction between its importance for the inhabitants of the area and the effects of the degradation on it; its effects on the livestock industry may be important if disease transmission occurs from the saiga to the livestock. This may have serious impacts on the rural economy. The research will involve skills transfer from INTAS members to Kazakhstan Institutes; the development of new diagnostic tests for parasites and diseases, for use in the field; the development of models of the transmission of parasites and diseases between saiga and livestock, for use in policy-making; the formulation of recommendations for the minimisation of the economic and ecological damage caused by the interaction between livestock and saiga, mediated by parasites and diseases. The four research teams complement each other well - they include experts on the ecology and parasitology of the saiga; modelling of saiga population dynamics; diagnosis of parasitic diseases; epidemiology of cattle diseases; veterinary care of livestock in Kazakhstan. There will be full participation in the project by all four institutions, and each will derive a clear benefit from the project. The skills of the teams are ideally suited to the project to be undertaken, and the project itself will be of great scientific merit, combining the expertise of all the partners to produce an innovative research programme, with direct relevance to the economic and environmental well-being of Kazakhstan. The results will be presented at a seminar for decision-makers and officials involved in the management of saiga antelopes and livestock health. Representatives from Kalmykia, Russian Republic, where the problems are similar, will be invited to attend. The results will also be disseminated in scientific papers in both English and Russian language journals.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Programme(s)
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Topic(s)
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Coordinator
CV4 7AL Coventry
United Kingdom
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