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Biological Conservation
Elsevier Applied Science Publishers
Biological Conservation

Elsevier Applied Science Publishers

0006-3207

Biological Conservation/Journal Biological ConservationSCIAHCIISTP
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    Semi-natural habitats promote winter survival of wild-living honeybees in an agricultural landscape

    Rutschmann B.Kohl P.L.Steffan-Dewenter I.Machado A....
    8页
    查看更多>>摘要:? 2022 Elsevier LtdThe diversity of endemic honeybee subspecies and ecotypes is at risk in Europe because modern apiculture promotes only a small number of honeybee strains. A crucial step for the conservation of honeybee diversity is the assessment of the status of remaining wild populations and their limiting factors. Here we present a two-year census of native, wild-living honeybees inhabiting power poles in an intensive agricultural landscape in Galicia, NW Spain. The autumn colony densities were at least 0.22 and 0.17 colonies/km2 and winter survival rates were 59% and 26% for the years 2019 (N = 29) and 2020 (N = 23), respectively. Both the initial occurrence and the subsequent winter survival of the colonies were positively correlated with increasing proportions of wood- and shrubland in the surroundings in both study years. These observations highlight the importance of semi-natural habitats for the conservation of wild-living honeybees.

    Sustainable linear infrastructure route planning model to balance conservation and socioeconomic development

    Wu S.Li B.V.
    11页
    查看更多>>摘要:? 2022Linear infrastructures, such as roads, highways and railways, can bring significant social and economic benefits while posing great threats to local environment and biodiversity. Although processes such as Strategic Environmental Assessment have been increasingly applied during the route planning stage of major linear infrastructures to evaluate their potential impacts, the assessment of the spatial variations in these impacts is often missing. Thus, a spatial planning tool that balances both the costs and benefits for environmental and socioeconomic aspects is needed. Here we propose a Sustainable Linear Infrastructure Route Planning Model, which incorporates the spatial assessments of potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts using factors from six aspects, which are ecosystem importance, biodiversity conservation, environmental risks, economic costs, social costs, and socioeconomic benefits. The model allows users to set weights for different factors according to specific development priorities, then produces a weighted spatial resistance map, and identifies the optimized route through least-cost path analysis. We implemented this model through a case study of the Southern Expressway Extension project in Sri Lanka to test its validity. The results showed that the route choices from our model under three hypothetical scenarios (environmental, socioeconomic and balanced) all resulted in lower negative impacts compared to the current route. The proposed model can provide decision-makers an effective tool to improve the sustainability of roads, highways and railways in the age of rapid linear infrastructure expansion across the globe.

    The need, opportunities, and challenges for creating a standardized framework for marine restoration monitoring and reporting

    Worthington T.A.Bayraktarov E.Saunders M.Reeves S....
    8页
    查看更多>>摘要:? 2021 Elsevier LtdMarine ecosystems have been used, impacted by, and managed by human populations for millennia. As ecosystem degradation has been a common outcome of these activities, marine management increasingly considers ecosystem restoration. Currently, there is no coherent data recording format or framework for marine restoration projects. As a result, data are inconsistently recorded and it is difficult to universally track progress, assess restoration's global effectiveness, reduce reporting bias, collect a holistic suite of metrics, and share information. Barriers to developing a unified system for reporting marine restoration outcomes include: reaching agreement on a framework that meets the needs of all users, funding its development and maintenance, balancing the need for ‘ease of use’ and detail, and demonstrating the value of using the framework. However, there are opportunities to leverage arising from the United Nation Decades of Ecosystem Restoration and Science for Sustainable Development and with existing processes already developed by restoration groups (e.g. Global Mangrove Alliance, Society for Ecological Restoration). Here we provide guidelines and a roadmap for how such a framework could be developed and the potential benefits of such an endeavor. We call on practitioners to collaborate to develop such a framework and on governing bodies to commit to making detailed reporting a requirement for restoration project funding. Using a standardized marine restoration monitoring framework would enable the application of adaptive management when projects are not progressing as expected, advance our understanding of the state of worldwide marine restoration, and generate knowledge to advance restoration methodologies.

    Motivating conservation even for widespread species using genetic uniqueness and relational values

    Eyster H.N.Olmsted P.Naidoo R.Chan K.M.A....
    10页
    查看更多>>摘要:? 2021Widespread, common species continue to decline, disrupting ecosystems and human connections with nature. New strategies to motivate people to protect widespread species are needed. Drawing on a relational values framework, we deploy a discrete choice experiment survey (n = 646) to test whether foregrounding the genetic distinctiveness of local populations and interdependence with humans could motivate conservation of a widespread species (rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss). Genetic/genomic data have long been used to manage endangered species, but have heretofore not been used to motivate public support for conservation of widespread species. Fitting our survey data to a mixed multinomial logit model, we find that when we emphasize participants' interdependent relationships with fish, participants are willing to pay significantly more to support conservation projects that protect genetically distinct populations. These findings suggest a new avenue for using an abundant resource (genetic data) to motivate conservation of widespread species.

    Overview of the Great Barrier Reef sea cucumber fishery with focus on vulnerable and endangered species

    Wolfe K.Byrne M.
    15页
    查看更多>>摘要:? 2022Tropical sea cucumbers are in peril due to overharvest. Sixteen species are endangered or vulnerable (IUCN) with high-value teatfish recently listed on CITES Appendix II. In light of these listings, we review the Queensland Sea Cucumber Fishery, which harvests CITES-listed black teatfish (Holothuria whitmaei) and white teatfish (H. fuscogilva), and other IUCN-species, from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. Teatfish harvest on the GBR has experienced serial catch reductions and fishery closure due to local depletion, a trend observed globally for sea cucumbers and of concern for the at-risk GBR World Heritage Area. We provide the first case study for teatfish while their trade continues, and highlight other species of concern. The major target species of the fishery, Actinopyga spinea (~ 50% of total catch), is not a traditional species in the global trade. With over one million individuals harvested annually, its fishery and its ecological consequences require attention. We synthesise knowledge on teatfish population parameters, identify knowledge gaps and suggest measures to reduce fishery impacts. Continued global exploitation of at-risk marine invertebrate species, coupled with scientific uncertainties, emphasise the urgent need for targeted research and to apply the precautionary principle to avoid detrimental outcomes in their conservation status.

    Genome-wide diversity loss in reintroduced Eurasian lynx populations urges immediate conservation management

    Mueller S.A.Reiners T.E.Prost S.Anders O....
    10页
    查看更多>>摘要:? 2022 The AuthorsReintroductions may produce populations that suffer from decreasing genetic diversity due to isolation, genetic drift and inbreeding if not assisted by careful management. To assess the genetic outcomes of reintroductions in large carnivores, we used the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) as a case study, which was the subject of several reintroduction attempts over the last 50 years. Although some restocking actions initially appeared successful, lynx recovery has stagnated in recent years. To reveal potential genetic causes of slow lynx recovery in Europe, we examined genome-wide patterns of genetic diversity and inbreeding using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in all six successfully reintroduced populations in central Europe, as well as twelve natural populations across Europe and Asia. All reintroduced populations showed lower genetic diversity and elevated levels of inbreeding compared to source and other natural populations. Recent inbreeding is prevalent in all reintroduced populations with varying degrees of severity; the most severe cases are those with the lowest number of founding individuals. Interestingly, we found evidence of lower genetic diversity and recent inbreeding in the source population for five reintroduced populations, begging the question if individuals taken from these source populations can safeguard sufficient genetic diversity for future reintroductions. Given the observed genetic consequences, we advocate for standardized regular genomic assessment of source and target populations as well as individuals prior to release. Our study provides compelling evidence for the serious consequences of founder population size on the genetic diversity of reintroduced large carnivore populations, which has broad implications for their conservation.

    Wolf-dog admixture highlights the need for methodological standards and multidisciplinary cooperation for effective governance of wild x domestic hybrids

    Stronen A.V.Aspi J.Kvist L.Caniglia R....
    8页
    查看更多>>摘要:? 2022 The AuthorsHybridisation between wild and domestic taxa raises complex questions for conservation. Genetic advances offer new methods for hybrid identification, yet social and cultural factors can influence study design, and the interpretation, application, and communication of results. A relevant illustration is hybridisation between domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and wild canids, such as grey wolves (C. lupus). For regional European monitoring programs in areas with expanding wolf populations, priorities include shared genetic markers and inclusion of all relevant reference populations to ensure dispersing wolves are identified as such and not classified as wolf-dog hybrids, which may cause harmful management decisions. Beyond technical developments, hybrid research and conservation management can benefit from improved integration of legal and policy perspectives, recognition of phenotypic traits as broadly unreliable for identification, and attention to the drivers of, and responses to, evolution in human-dominated landscapes. Additionally, the proliferation of unsubstantiated reports about hybrids in popular and social media shows that communication based on verified findings of hybridisation is essential. Hybridisation requires more constructive discussion on how to balance potentially competing conservation objectives, and the integration of multidisciplinary perspectives. These encompass the welfare of individual animals and preservation of historical predator-prey relationships. Conservation measures centred on preserving the ecological function of wild canids likely offer the most sustainable prospects but require improved understanding of the extent to which their behavioural ecology might differ from that of hybrids. Accurate genetic identification is required to fill this critical knowledge gap, advance public discourse, and initiate relevant conservation actions.

    Forest fragments prioritization based on their connectivity contribution for multiple Atlantic Forest mammals

    Iezzi M.E.Di Bitetti M.S.Martinez Pardo J.Paviolo A....
    11页
    查看更多>>摘要:? 2022 Elsevier LtdNatural environments worldwide are increasingly restricted to smaller and isolated patches, resulting in major threats to biodiversity. To prioritize conservation efforts, it is important to assess the relative contribution of the habitat remnants to landscape connectivity. We prioritized remnants of Atlantic Forest in Argentina based on their contribution to the connectivity requirements of mammals that are sensitive to landscape transformation by analyzing habitat connectivity and availability for five species with varying habitat requirements and dispersal abilities. We combined graph-based analysis with occupancy models to calculate the resistance matrices and the node attributes, incorporating anthropogenic pressures. Results of connectivity indices were combined for all species so that those that were more sensitive to the loss of connectivity and/or availability had a greater influence on the final prioritization. Five patches had maximum priority for conservation and were vital to maintaining both landscape connectivity and habitat availability. These patches were particularly important for smaller species with low dispersal abilities, for which they constitute suitable habitats. Four percent of the patches were identified as irreplaceable stepping-stones that connected habitat patches for species with intermediate dispersal distances. Patch connectivity was not equally important for all species as they had different dispersal abilities and sensitivity to anthropogenic pressures, which means that the process of territorial planning based on landscape connectivity must include very careful selection of the species involved. With this multi-species model, we generated a spatially explicit tool that proved useful to prioritize forest patches to conserving Atlantic Forest mammals and other fragmented Neotropical forests.

    Interweaving local, expert, and Indigenous knowledge into quantitative wildlife analyses: A systematic review

    Stern E.R.Humphries M.M.
    15页
    查看更多>>摘要:? 2022 The AuthorsInclusion of local, expert, or Indigenous knowledge about wildlife populations and their habitats can inform wildlife research, while also increasing knowledge holder engagement and support for wildlife conservation decisions. However, experiential wildlife knowledge accumulated over time through the personal observations of knowledge holders differs from other data based on systematic observations collected through standardized methodology such as telemetry locations or field surveys. Differences in the form and the function of these two types of wildlife information makes combining them into a single comprehensive analysis more easily encouraged than accomplished. Here, we systematically review primary literature that interweaves the experiential wildlife knowledge of diverse knowledge holders into quantitative, mixed methods analysis of terrestrial vertebrate populations and their habitats. Forty-nine studies that met our selection criteria were distributed around the globe and across terrestrial vertebrate species, but most frequently were situated in Australia, Canada, and United States and focused on large, harvested mammals including ungulates, carnivores, primates, and elephants. The most common descriptor of knowledge holders was hunters/trappers, with academic experts and community members also common. The most common analyses interweaved experiential wildlife knowledge as point observations in habitat models or as habitat covariates in habitat selection analyses. Local knowledge was also included, less frequently, in species distribution models, population models, and occupancy models. Most articles accounted for bias and uncertainty either in the knowledge elicitation stage through study design or knowledge holder selection, or in the analysis stage through regression methods. Most articles that assessed model success did so through comparison to independently collected telemetry locations or field survey data. There was wide variation in self-reported success, with the majority of authors offering neutral or positive assessments and many discussing study-specific factors contributing to model performance. Our overall assessment of these 49 studies, including 6 examples described in more detail, highlight several key challenges and solutions related to the inclusion of local, expert, and Indigenous knowledge into quantitative wildlife habitat and population analyses related to i) the incorporation of uncertainty, bias, reliability, and variation in experiential wildlife knowledge, ii) matching the scale of experiential wildlife knowledge to scale of study objectives, and iii) the appropriate use, communication, and application of experiential wildlife knowledge, including issues of consent, member checking, and knowledge co-production. We conclude with several recommendations intended to better standardize and communicate uncertainty, increase the involvement of knowledge holders in multiple stages of the research, improve validity assessment through multiple model comparisons and triangulation, and encourage more careful consideration of intellectual property protection and research ethics.

    Paths of coexistence: Spatially predicting acceptance of grizzly bears along key movement corridors

    Sage A.H.Hillis V.Graves R.A.Burnham M....
    10页
    查看更多>>摘要:? 2022Landscape connectivity is important for conserving wildlife in spaces shared with humans. Yet, differences in human attitudes and behaviors within movement corridors can lead to spatial variation in the risks humans pose to wildlife. Mapping the spatial pattern of attitudes toward wildlife provides a useful tool for measuring this variation and promoting connectivity. We surveyed ranchers (n = 505) in the High Divide region in eastern Idaho and western Montana (United States) about their attitudes toward grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) – a species that can pose risks to livestock and human safety. We assessed spatial variation in rancher acceptance of grizzly bears by combining survey and spatial predictors. Ranchers surrounded by more conservation easements and wildland-urban interface reported more positive attitudes toward grizzlies. Ranch size, experience with bears, and off-ranch income sources helped to further explain relationships between predictors and ranchers' acceptance of grizzlies. Our predictive map of acceptance provides spatially explicit information for targeted, pre-emptive conflict mitigation and a baseline for examining spatiotemporal changes in human attitudes as grizzly bear populations expand in the region. Integrating human social factors into spatial connectivity planning may better inform how organizations approach landowners and allow for a more strategic, sustainable approach to connectivity and conservation decision-making.