查看更多>>摘要：Assessing protected areas (PA) effectiveness for aquatic species is essential, as they are frequently recognised ineffective for freshwater ecosystems. By using spatially correlated replicates, the occupancy model with Markovian spatial dependence is well-suited to network-constrained environments. We applied this model to a semi-aquatic mammal, Galemys pyrenaicus, across the river network of the French Pyrenees. We found that occupancy is mainly influenced by climatic and hydrographic factors. Rainfall, forest cover and flow variability influence the overall high faeces detection. We then assessed the efficiency of the PA network to protect suitable streams for G. pyrenaicus by combining conservation gap analyses with two types of model outputs (i.e. occupancy probabilities and binary predictions). Using complementary indices and permutation tests, we found that about 25% of stream sections protected by PA are highly suitable for G. pyrenaicus and less than 5.5% of the most suitable sections benefit from a moderate to strong level of protection. Some highly suitable unprotected areas for G. pyrenaicus were identified where conservation measures should urgently be implemented. This study presents an innovative and integrative approach that opens future perspectives for development and additional applications to other taxa, difficult-to-survey or network-constrained environments.
查看更多>>摘要：The translation of scientific data, analyses, and conclusions into public policy and social action almost always contains an implication of the investigator's ethics and values. Direct statements of these values are often deeply considered, but the ethical implications of structural constraints and upstream analytical choices are often hidden. This is relatively uncontroversial from a philosophical point of view, and well-known to scholars in environmental ethics. However, many practitioners in ecology and evolution without such training (ourselves included) may not have realized that by asserting the value of biodiversity conservation in either general or specific terms, they are stating a "normative postulate:" a value judgment taken to be true and foundational to further thinking. These assumptions are based on some theory of value and ethical reasoning, but often one that has not been made fully explicit. Consequently, many theories and metrics in empirical scientific research may be founded on hidden normative postulates of which practitioners are often unaware. We consider five cases where this may be the case: local vs. global diversity, prioritization based on evolutionary distinctness, species concepts, extinction by hybridization, and non-native species. Conflicts over the interpretation of data driven by different parties holding to different conceptions of ethics and philosophy are possible, with little guidance on how they can best be adjudicated. To the extent this is true, there exists a "normative postulate problem" for biodiversity researchers.
查看更多>>摘要：Climate change and other anthropogenic threats are increasingly imperilling the diverse biomes of Central Africa, which are globally important for biodiversity, carbon storage and people's livelihoods. The objectives of this paper were to: (i) map the vulnerability of 100 socio-ecologically important priority tree species in Central Africa to climate change, fire, habitat conversion, overexploitation, overgrazing and (ii) propose a spatially explicit strategy to guide restoration and conservation actions. We performed ensemble distribution modelling to predict the present and future distributions of the 100 species, assembled other anthropogenic threat exposure layers, assessed species' sensitivities to the five threats based on their trait profiles, and constructed species-specific vulnerability maps by combining the species' exposure and sensitivity. The results show that these 100 species are vulnerable to the five threats, with an average of 34% of their distribution ranges under high to very high vulnerability and 60% under medium to high vulnerability to at least one threat. Many species identified as most vulnerable in this study are not considered as threatened by the IUCN Red List, suggesting a need to update their conservation status, potentially through integration of the vulnerability mapping methodology we used here. We generated both species-specific maps and summary maps including all 100 species identifying priority areas for a) in-situ conservation, b) ex-situ conservation, and c) active planting or assisted natural regeneration. We present an online platform to enable easy access to the vulnerability and the conservation and restoration priority maps for decision makers and support conservation and restoration planning across Central Africa.
Mateo-Tomas, PatriciaGigante, Fatima D.Santos, Joa P. V.Olea, Pedro P....
6页
查看更多>>摘要：Enforcement is critical to guarantee the effectiveness of environmental laws for nature conservation. Erroneously assuming an equivalence between the formal implementation of environmental legislation on paper and its practical enforcement in reality can result in biased conclusions with potential to ill-inform conservation actions and influence stakeholder perceptions. Here, using as an illustrative example the implementation of European sanitary regulations EC 1069/2009 and EU 142/2011 to manage livestock carcasses for wildlife conservation in Spain and Portugal, we demonstrate how the legal implementation of these regulations does not mean effective enforcement and compliance in practice. When interviewed, more Portuguese farmers declared to leave carcasses in the field without official authorization, than their Spanish counterparts, who were legally allowed to do so. This unforeseen result was further supported by GPS-tracked vultures feeding on livestock carcasses available in the Portuguese countryside, contrasting to what would be expected considering the sanitary regulations approved at each country at the time of this study. Accordingly, while agreeing with the global trend for weak enforcement and compliance with environmental legislation, our results provide additional evidence against assuming that the formal implementation on paper of environmental laws equals their real implementation on the ground. We highlight the need to systematically assess (not assume) observance of and compliance with environmental legislation and propose some ways to improve enforcement using as an example the above referred sanitary regulations. Communication-based interventions to publicize the regulations, reducing bureaucratic burden, and on-ground monitoring to assess observance and compliance have strong potential to enhance enforcement. Overlooking implementation gaps can give rise to biased interpretations on the effectiveness of these legal tools with consequences at both, the scientific and conservation arenas.
查看更多>>摘要：There now exists a duality between humans and Earth that is delineated and defined by the economic structure and dynamic of human material life. In the face of the 6th mass extinction we are forced to understand the formation, power, and unwavering forward march of this economic system (economic superorganism), and the duality it creates between humans and Earth. This is an economic system that began about 10-12 thousand years ago with the advent of grain agriculture and has now reached its apogee with global capitalism. Conservation can serve as a lever of change in a world governed by this forward march, but it will only be effective if it remains clear on the challenge of the long arc of history and the presence of duality.
查看更多>>摘要：Reducing CO2 emissions progressively moves up on national and international political agendas. Hopes for "carbon neutrality" heavily rely on renewable energies, especially wind and solar. However, actions against climate change are not at zero cost and can exert large negative environmental and social impacts. The land footprints of wind, solar and hydropower are dozens to hundreds of times larger than other alternatives to fossil fuels, such as nuclear power. However, evidence-based calls to seriously consider nuclear power as part of the energy mix needed to get rid of fossil fuels are systematically ignored, as nuclear energy has been progressively ruled out from the energy transition debate, particularly in most advanced economies. Since first reports on the topic, habitat degradation still ranks as the largest driver of biodiversity loss (e.g. a 68% decrease in vertebrate populations since 1970), contributing between 4 and 14 times more than climate change. Climate action is a Sustainable Development Goal that must be addressed without compromising other Agenda 2030 targets, such as preserving biodiversity. Halting habitat degradation while fighting against climate change will require to seriously re-consider the inclusion of nuclear power into the energy mix for a truly sustainable development, particularly considering that the global energy demand has no signs of slowing down. Otherwise, we risk to degrade what is left of our already decimated nature in the name of climate change.
Valente, Jonathon J.Bennett, Ruth E.Gomez, CamilaBayly, Nicholas J....
9页
查看更多>>摘要：Protecting biodiversity while sustaining agricultural production is one of our greatest modern challenges. The dominant conservation paradigm in tropical coffee-growing regions involves land-sharing, wherein wildlife-friendly shade trees are integrated into plantations. Meanwhile, the value of land-sparing approaches that combine intensified farming with forest preservation has not been fully explored. We surveyed bird communities in forests and coffee plantations in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia and used community occupancy models to quantify the effects of multi-scale habitat characteristics on distributions of 3 species groups (forest specialists, open area specialists, and generalists). We then predicted avian diversity across simulated landscape mosaics of sun coffee, shade coffee, and forest to compare land-sharing, land-sparing, and hybrid conservation approaches. Simulated land-sharing landscapes supported more open area specialists (16-17% of the community) and up to 17 (95% credible interval 11, 24) more generalist species (53-62% of the community) per point than sparing landscapes. Conversely, the richness of forest specialists (21-30% of the community) was greatest in land-sparing and hybrid simulations. Total community richness was greatest in simulated sparing landscapes during the breeding season but in sharing landscapes during the non-breeding season. Our results demonstrate that land-sharing and land-sparing can be complimentary conservation strategies to support functionally diverse and seasonally variable avian communities in coffee-growing regions. We recommend that eco-certification programs incorporate both conservation models to provide (1) habitat for the greatest diversity of species across the annual cycle, and (2) flexible participation options for farmers exposed to heterogeneous markets, growing conditions, and landscape contexts.
查看更多>>摘要：Many phylogenetically distinctive species are the last surviving member of a once diverse clade. The loss of these species would thus represent the last stage in the loss of the clade, which likely occurred over a long evolutionary history. However, the implementation of conservation actions targeting threatened phylogenetically distinctive species remains limited and has relied on a single view of how phylogenetic distinctiveness should be measured. Here, we develop a simple mathematical framework to connect different points of view of the measurement of a species' distinctiveness. The framework allows controlling the depth of the phylogenetic tree that most influences the definition of phylogenetic distinctiveness and considers the risk of extinction of the target species and other species in a given timeframe. As an example, we analyze a small dataset on perissodactyls to illustrate how the proposed framework works in practice. Notably, we highlight that based on the particular biological criterion of threat and distinctiveness, conservation measures for the critically endangered wild African ass (Equus africanus) must be bolstered since the population size of this species is still declining despite current conservation efforts. We hope that our framework will help guide the use of phylogenetic distinctiveness as one of the main criteria to consider when designing conservation actions on a global scale.
Leonard, BryanPlantinga, Andrew J.Powers, L. ClaireLarsen, Ashley E....
10页
查看更多>>摘要：The spatial distribution of many public lands in the western U.S. is an artifact of 19th century land-disposal policies. While this legacy is sometimes an impediment to conservation, it may also provide novel opportu-nities to spatially reorganize public conservation lands within realistic budget constraints. Here we seek to understand the conservation potential of strategically rearranging inaccessible ( "stranded ") public land in Montana, US. We use conservation reserve network design and consider coarse-and fine-filter conservation features-land cover types and predicted habitat for 12 umbrella species, respectively-and incorporate habitat connectivity corridors into one reserve design scenario. All conservation reserve network designs are constrained by a budget equal to the current value of stranded public land parcels and seek to meet or exceed the extent of conservation currently provided by stranded parcels with respect to land cover type and predicted species habitat. We find that each conservation reserve simulation expands the total protected area in Montana within the realistic budget constraint. Two maximum coverage scenarios, which exhaust the budget, result in reserve designs that substantially exceed coarse-and fine-filter conservation targets. All reserve designs provide land-scape connectivity benefits. Our results illustrate notable and practical opportunities to develop conservation reserve networks in the western US that account for landscape connectivity and that benefit both private landowners and biodiversity conservation efforts through land trades and acquisitions.
Brindis-Badillo, David A.Arroyo-Rodriguez, VictorMendoza, EduardoWies, German...
11页
查看更多>>摘要：Deforestation of old-growth forests (OGF) is a significant driver of biodiversity loss, particularly impacting rare species. However, the threat to dominant species is usually overlooked, given their relatively high abundance. Therefore, assessing the impact of forest loss on dominant species is imperative, mainly because they play critical roles in the structure, functioning, and ecosystem services. In particular, identifying the amount of OGF required to avoid local extinction and conserve dominant species in human modified landscapes is critically needed. Furthermore, as dominant species may regenerate in secondary forests (SF), growing in abandoned fields, assessing whether SF may buffer species' local extinction is also needed. We addressed these issues by analyzing demographic changes of four canopy dominant tree species across twenty 1-km2 landscapes encompassing the whole deforestation gradient (0 to ~100% OGF and SF cover) in the Lacandon rainforest, Mexico. Non-linear modeling identified local extinction thresholds at 25-35% OGF cover, below which tree density (DBH > 5 cm) and regeneration potential (juvenile/adult ratio) of all species sharply declined. Deforestation also increased the spacing of remaining trees and reduced tree size. Thus, we propose that >40% OGF cover be retained in the landscape to be conservative. SF were too young (<30 years fallow age) and perishable to sustain viable populations of our dominant species. Because the remaining OGF in the study region is within the estimated extinction thresholds, we urge the adoption of land uses promoting high-quality landscape matrices suitable for the conservation of dominant species and associated biodiversity.
NSTL
Elsevier