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Welch H, Liu OR, Riekkola L, Abrahms B, Hazen EL, Samhouri JF. Selection of planning unit size in dynamic management strategies to reduce human-wildlife conflict. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14201. [PMID: 37855129 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Conservation planning traditionally relies upon static reserves; however, there is increasing emphasis on dynamic management (DM) strategies that are flexible in space and time. Due to its novelty, DM lacks best practices to guide design and implementation. We assessed the effect of planning unit size in a DM tool designed to reduce entanglement of protected whales in vertical ropes of surface buoys attached to crab traps in the lucrative U.S. Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) fishery. We conducted a retrospective analysis from 2009 to 2019 with modeled distributions of blue (Balaenoptera musculus) and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whales and observed fisheries effort and revenue to evaluate the effect of 7 planning unit sizes on DM tool performance. We measured performance as avoided whale entanglement risk and protected fisheries revenue. Small planning units avoided up to $47 million of revenue loss and reduced entanglement risk by up to 25% compared to the large planning units currently in use by avoiding the incidental closure of areas with low biodiversity value and high fisheries revenue. However, large planning units were less affected by an unprecedented marine heat wave in 2014-2016 and by delays in information on the distributions of whales and the fishery. Our findings suggest that the choice of planning unit size will require decision-makers to navigate multiple socioecological considerations-rather than a one-size-fits-all approach-to separate wildlife from threats under a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Welch
- Environmental Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Monterey, California, USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Owen R Liu
- NRC Research Associateship Program, Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Ocean Associates, Inc., Arlington, Virginia, USA
| | - Leena Riekkola
- NRC Research Associateship Program, Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Briana Abrahms
- Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Elliott L Hazen
- Environmental Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Monterey, California, USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Jameal F Samhouri
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, USA
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2
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Robinson JG, LaBruna D, O’Brien T, Clyne PJ, Dudley N, Andelman SJ, Bennett EL, Chicchon A, Durigan C, Grantham H, Kinnaird M, Lieberman S, Maisels F, Moreira A, Rao M, Stokes E, Walston J, Watson JEM. Scaling up area-based conservation to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework's 30x30 target: The role of Nature's Strongholds. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002613. [PMID: 38771730 PMCID: PMC11108224 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), signed in 2022 by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, recognized the importance of area-based conservation, and its goals and targets specify the characteristics of protected and conserved areas (PCAs) that disproportionately contribute to biodiversity conservation. To achieve the GBF's target of conserving a global area of 30% by 2030, this Essay argues for recognizing these characteristics and scaling them up through the conservation of areas that are: extensive (typically larger than 5,000 km2); have interconnected PCAs (either physically or as part of a jurisdictional network, and frequently embedded in larger conservation landscapes); have high ecological integrity; and are effectively managed and equitably governed. These areas are presented as "Nature's Strongholds," illustrated by examples from the Congo and Amazon basins. Conserving Nature's Strongholds offers an approach to scale up initiatives to address global threats to biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G. Robinson
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Danielle LaBruna
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Peter J. Clyne
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Sandy J. Andelman
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Avecita Chicchon
- Andes-Amazon Initiative, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - Carlos Durigan
- Wildlife Conservation Society Brasil, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Hedley Grantham
- Center for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Bush Heritage Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Sue Lieberman
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Fiona Maisels
- Wildlife Conservation Society Congo, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Adriana Moreira
- Global Environmental Facility, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Madhu Rao
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- World Commission on Protected Areas, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Emma Stokes
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Joe Walston
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - James EM Watson
- School of The Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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3
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Kauffmann J, Esders M, Ruff L, Montavon G, Samek W, Muller KR. From Clustering to Cluster Explanations via Neural Networks. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NEURAL NETWORKS AND LEARNING SYSTEMS 2024; 35:1926-1940. [PMID: 35797317 DOI: 10.1109/tnnls.2022.3185901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A recent trend in machine learning has been to enrich learned models with the ability to explain their own predictions. The emerging field of explainable AI (XAI) has so far mainly focused on supervised learning, in particular, deep neural network classifiers. In many practical problems, however, the label information is not given and the goal is instead to discover the underlying structure of the data, for example, its clusters. While powerful methods exist for extracting the cluster structure in data, they typically do not answer the question why a certain data point has been assigned to a given cluster. We propose a new framework that can, for the first time, explain cluster assignments in terms of input features in an efficient and reliable manner. It is based on the novel insight that clustering models can be rewritten as neural networks-or "neuralized." Cluster predictions of the obtained networks can then be quickly and accurately attributed to the input features. Several showcases demonstrate the ability of our method to assess the quality of learned clusters and to extract novel insights from the analyzed data and representations.
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4
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Neugarten RA, Chaplin-Kramer R, Sharp RP, Schuster R, Strimas-Mackey M, Roehrdanz PR, Mulligan M, van Soesbergen A, Hole D, Kennedy CM, Oakleaf JR, Johnson JA, Kiesecker J, Polasky S, Hanson JO, Rodewald AD. Mapping the planet's critical areas for biodiversity and nature's contributions to people. Nat Commun 2024; 15:261. [PMID: 38199986 PMCID: PMC10781687 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43832-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Meeting global commitments to conservation, climate, and sustainable development requires consideration of synergies and tradeoffs among targets. We evaluate the spatial congruence of ecosystems providing globally high levels of nature's contributions to people, biodiversity, and areas with high development potential across several sectors. We find that conserving approximately half of global land area through protection or sustainable management could provide 90% of the current levels of ten of nature's contributions to people and meet minimum representation targets for 26,709 terrestrial vertebrate species. This finding supports recent commitments by national governments under the Global Biodiversity Framework to conserve at least 30% of global lands and waters, and proposals to conserve half of the Earth. More than one-third of areas required for conserving nature's contributions to people and species are also highly suitable for agriculture, renewable energy, oil and gas, mining, or urban expansion. This indicates potential conflicts among conservation, climate and development goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Neugarten
- Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Cornell University, 226 Mann Drive, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
- Conservation International, 2100 Crystal Drive #600, Arlington, VA, 22202, USA.
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.
| | - Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer
- Global Science, WWF, 131 Steuart St, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA
- Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, 1954 Buford Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Richard P Sharp
- Global Science, WWF, 131 Steuart St, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA
- SPRING, 5455 Shafter Ave, Oakland, CA, 94618, USA
| | - Richard Schuster
- Nature Conservancy of Canada, 245 Eglinton Ave East, Suite 410, Toronto, ON, M4P 3J1, Canada
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew Strimas-Mackey
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Patrick R Roehrdanz
- Conservation International, 2100 Crystal Drive #600, Arlington, VA, 22202, USA
| | - Mark Mulligan
- Department of Geography, King's College London, Bush House, North East Wing, 40 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
| | - Arnout van Soesbergen
- Department of Geography, King's College London, Bush House, North East Wing, 40 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DL, UK
| | - David Hole
- Conservation International, 2100 Crystal Drive #600, Arlington, VA, 22202, USA
| | | | - James R Oakleaf
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, CO, 80524, USA
| | - Justin A Johnson
- Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Natural Capital Project, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Joseph Kiesecker
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, CO, 80524, USA
| | - Stephen Polasky
- Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Natural Capital Project, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | | | - Amanda D Rodewald
- Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Cornell University, 226 Mann Drive, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
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5
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Cox DTC, Gaston KJ. Global erosion of terrestrial environmental space by artificial light at night. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166701. [PMID: 37652384 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts natural light cycles, with biological impacts that span from behaviour of individual organisms to ecosystem functions, and across bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. Global consequences have almost invariably been inferred from the geographic distribution of ALAN. How ALAN is distributed in environmental space, and the extent to which combinations of environmental conditions with natural light cycles have been lost, is also key. Globally (between 60°N and 56°S), we ordinated four bioclimatic variables at 1.61 * 1.21 km resolution to map the position and density of terrestrial pixels within nighttime environmental space. We then used the Black Marble Nighttime Lights product to determine where direct ALAN emissions were present in environmental space in 2012 and how these had expanded in environmental space by 2022. Finally, we used the World Atlas of Artificial Sky Brightness to determine the proportion of environmental space that is unaffected by ALAN across its spatial distribution. We found that by 2012 direct ALAN emissions occurred across 71.9 % of possible nighttime terrestrial environmental conditions, with temperate nighttime environments and highly modified habitats disproportionately impacted. From 2012 to 2022 direct ALAN emissions primarily grew within 34.4 % of environmental space where it was already present, with this growth concentrated in tropical environments. Additionally considering skyglow, just 13.2 % of environmental space now only experiences natural light cycles throughout its distribution. With opportunities to maintain much of environmental space under such cycles fast disappearing, the removal, reduction and amelioration of ALAN from areas of environmental space in which it is already widespread is critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T C Cox
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Kevin J Gaston
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
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6
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Zhu Y, Xu X, Xi Z, Liu J. Conservation priorities for endangered trees facing multiple threats around the world. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14142. [PMID: 37424365 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Trees are vital to the survival of numerous species and to forest ecosystem functioning. However, the current distribution, vulnerability to extinction, and conservation priorities of globally endangered trees are not well known. We mapped the global distribution of 1686 tree species listed as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List and identified conservation priority for them based on species richness, life-history traits, evolutionary distinctiveness, future climate change, and intensity of human activities. We also evaluated the impacts of various threats to these endangered tree species and evaluated the effectiveness of their protection based on the percentage of the species' range inside protected areas. The worldwide distribution of endangered trees, from the tropics through temperate zones, was uneven. Most endangered tree species were not protected in their native ranges, and only 153 species were fully protected. Hotspots of tree diversity occurred primarily in the tropics, and 79.06% of these were highly vulnerable to threats. We identified 253 areas of high priority for the conservation of endangered trees that are highly threatened and insufficiently protected. In particular, 43.42% of unprotected tree species in priority areas lacked recommended conservation measures or had no associated conservation plan. The priority conservation areas and unprotected trees we identified serve as a guideline for future management underpinning the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences & State Key Lab of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoting Xu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences & State Key Lab of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Zhenxiang Xi
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences & State Key Lab of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Jianquan Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences & State Key Lab of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China
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7
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Yue W, Zhou Q, Li M, van Vliet J. Relocating built-up land for biodiversity conservation in an uncertain future. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 345:118706. [PMID: 37536125 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Land use changes associated with habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation exert profoundly detrimental impacts on biodiversity conservation. Urban development is one of the prevailing anthropogenic disturbances to wildlife habitat, because these developments are often considered permanent and irreversible. As a result, the potential benefits of built-up land relocation for biodiversity conservation have remained largely unexplored in environmental management practices. Here, we analyze recent built-up land relocation in Shanghai and explore how such restoration programs can affect future land change trajectories with regards to biodiversity conservation. Results show that 187.78 km2 built-up land in Shanghai was restored to natural habitat between 2017 and 2020. Further simulation analysis highlights that relocating built-up land can substantially promote conserve biodiversity. In particular, there would be less habitat loss, better natural habitat quality and more species habitat-suitable range under the scenarios with built-up land relocation. Species extinction assessment suggest that amphibians, mammals, and reptiles will all have an increasingly high extinction risk without built-up land relocation. However, there will even be a marginal decrease in extinction risk over time for mammals and reptiles if the relocation of built-up land is permitted, but still a moderate increase in extinction risk for amphibians. This study highlights the importance of incorporating rigorous conservation planning prior to development activities, thereby underpinning a sustainable approach to environmental management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenze Yue
- Department of Land Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiushi Zhou
- Department of Land Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mengmeng Li
- Department of Land Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
| | - Jasper van Vliet
- Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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8
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Dabalà A, Dahdouh-Guebas F, Dunn DC, Everett JD, Lovelock CE, Hanson JO, Buenafe KCV, Neubert S, Richardson AJ. Priority areas to protect mangroves and maximise ecosystem services. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5863. [PMID: 37735160 PMCID: PMC10514197 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41333-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities threaten global biodiversity and ecosystem services. Yet, area-based conservation efforts typically target biodiversity protection whilst minimising conflict with economic activities, failing to consider ecosystem services. Here we identify priority areas that maximise both the protection of mangrove biodiversity and their ecosystem services. We reveal that despite 13.5% of the mangrove distribution being currently strictly protected, all mangrove species are not adequately represented and many areas that provide disproportionally large ecosystem services are missed. Optimising the placement of future conservation efforts to protect 30% of global mangroves potentially safeguards an additional 16.3 billion USD of coastal property value, 6.1 million people, 1173.1 Tg C, and 50.7 million fisher days yr-1. Our findings suggest that there is a pressing need for including ecosystem services in protected area design and that strategic prioritisation and coordination of mangrove conservation could provide substantial benefits to human wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvise Dabalà
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
- Systems Ecology and Resource Management Research Unit (SERM), Department of Organism Biology, Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB, Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50, CPi 264/1, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
- Ecology & Biodiversity, Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Pleinlaan 2, VUB-APNA-WE, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Farid Dahdouh-Guebas
- Systems Ecology and Resource Management Research Unit (SERM), Department of Organism Biology, Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB, Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50, CPi 264/1, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Ecology & Biodiversity, Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Pleinlaan 2, VUB-APNA-WE, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Mangrove Specialist Group (MSG), Species Survival Commission (SSC), International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Zoological Society of London, London, UK
- Interfaculty Institute of Social-Ecological Transitions, Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB, Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Daniel C Dunn
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science (CBCS), The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Jason D Everett
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Environment, Queensland Biosciences Precinct (QBP), St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation (CMSI), The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Catherine E Lovelock
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Mangrove Specialist Group (MSG), Species Survival Commission (SSC), International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | | | - Kristine Camille V Buenafe
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science (CBCS), The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Environment, Queensland Biosciences Precinct (QBP), St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Sandra Neubert
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science (CBCS), The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Institute of Computer Science, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anthony J Richardson
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science (CBCS), The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Environment, Queensland Biosciences Precinct (QBP), St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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Xing X, Zhang Y, Li X, Jiang G. Decomposing the Spatial and Temporal Effects of Climate and Habitat on a Hazel Grouse ( Tetrastes bonasia) Population in Northeastern Chinese Mountains. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2025. [PMID: 37370535 DOI: 10.3390/ani13122025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat, climate, and human disturbances have important effects on wildlife, and these are especially critical for threatened species. In this study, we used infrared camera traps to monitor the population dynamics of the hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia) from 2012 to 2021 in northeast China and explore the effects of habitat, climate, and human disturbance on their distribution. We analyzed 16 environmental variables related to significant differences between presence recordings and absence recordings within and between seasons. Temperatures and roads influenced the distribution of the hazel grouse, but topography and vegetation types did not. The hazel grouse preferred deciduous forest and oak forest from spring to autumn. This study provides ecological information to help guide the mountain habitat management of the hazel grouse in national parks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Xing
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Yuesen Zhang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Guangshun Jiang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
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10
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Sunde J, Franzén M, Betzholtz PE, Francioli Y, Pettersson LB, Pöyry J, Ryrholm N, Forsman A. Century-long butterfly range expansions in northern Europe depend on climate, land use and species traits. Commun Biol 2023; 6:601. [PMID: 37270651 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04967-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change is an important driver of range shifts and community composition changes. Still, little is known about how the responses are influenced by the combination of land use, species interactions and species traits. We integrate climate and distributional data for 131 butterfly species in Sweden and Finland and show that cumulative species richness has increased with increasing temperature over the past 120 years. Average provincial species richness increased by 64% (range 15-229%), from 46 to 70. The rate and direction of range expansions have not matched the temperature changes, in part because colonisations have been modified by other climatic variables, land use and vary according to species characteristics representing ecological generalisation and species interactions. Results emphasise the role of a broad ecological filtering, whereby a mismatch between environmental conditions and species preferences limit the ability to disperse and establish populations in emerging climates and novel areas, with potentially widespread implications for ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Sunde
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, SE-39182, Kalmar, Sweden.
| | - Markus Franzén
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, SE-39182, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Per-Eric Betzholtz
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, SE-39182, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Yannick Francioli
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, SE-39182, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Lars B Pettersson
- Biodiversity Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-22362, Lund, Sweden
| | - Juha Pöyry
- Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Nature Solutions, Latokartanonkaari 11, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nils Ryrholm
- Department of Electronics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, University of Gävle, SE-80176, Gävle, Sweden
| | - Anders Forsman
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, SE-39182, Kalmar, Sweden
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11
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Dragonetti C, Mendez Angarita VY, Di Marco M. Scenarios of change in the realized climatic niche of mountain carnivores and ungulates. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14035. [PMID: 36424863 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Mountains are among the natural systems most affected by climate change, and mountain mammals are considered particularly imperiled, given their high degree of specialization to narrow tolerance bands of environmental conditions. Climate change mitigation policies, such as the Paris Agreement, are essential to stem climate change impacts on natural systems. But how significant is the Paris Agreement to the survival of mountain mammals? We investigated how alternative emission scenarios may determine change in the realized climatic niche of mountain carnivores and ungulates in 2050. We based our predictions of future change in species niches based on how species have responded to past environmental changes, focusing on the probabilities of niche shrink and niche stability. We found that achieving the Paris Agreement's commitments would substantially reduce climate instability for mountain species. Specifically, limiting global warming to below 1.5°C would reduce the probability of niche shrinkage by 4% compared with a high-emission scenario. Globally, carnivores showed greater niche shrinkage than ungulates, whereas ungulates were more likely to shift their niches (i.e., face a level of climate change that allows adaptation). Twenty-three species threatened by climate change according to the IUCN Red List had greater niche contraction than other species we analyzed (3% higher on average). We therefore argue that climate mitigation policies must be coupled with rapid species-specific conservation intervention and sustainable land-use policies to avoid high risk of loss of already vulnerable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Dragonetti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Y Mendez Angarita
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Moreno Di Marco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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12
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Zhu G, Giam X, Armsworth PR, Cho SH, Papeş M. Biodiversity conservation adaptation to climate change: Protecting the actors or the stage. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2765. [PMID: 36259369 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
To be able to protect biodiversity in coming decades, conservation strategies need to consider what sites will be important for species not just today but also in the future. Different methods have been proposed to identify places that will be important for species in the future. Two of the most frequently used methods, ecological niche modeling and climate resilience, have distinct aims. The former focuses on identifying the suitable environmental conditions for species, thus protecting the "actor," namely, the species, whereas the latter seeks to safeguard the "stage," or the landscape in which species occur. We used the two methods to identify climate refugia for 258 forest vertebrates under short- and long-term climatic changes in a biodiversity hotspot, the Appalachian ecoregion of the United States. We also evaluated the spatial congruence of the two approaches for a possible conservation application, that of protecting 30% of the Appalachian region, in line with recent national and international policy recommendations. We detected weak positive correlations between resilience scores and baseline vertebrate richness, estimated with ecological niche models for historical (baseline) climatic conditions. The correlations were stronger for amphibians and mammals than for birds and reptiles. Under climate change scenarios, the correlations between estimated vertebrate richness and resilience were also weakly positive; a positive correlation was detected only for amphibians. Locations with estimated future gain of suitable climatic conditions for vertebrates showed low correlation with resilience. Overall, our results indicate that climate resilience and ecological niche modeling approaches capture different characteristics of projected distributional changes of Appalachian vertebrates. A climate resilience (the stage) approach could be more effective in safeguarding species with low dispersal abilities, whereas an ecological niche modeling (the actor) approach could be more suitable for species with long-distance dispersal capacity because they may be more broadly impacted by climate and less sensitive to geophysical features captured by a climate resilience approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengping Zhu
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Xingli Giam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Paul R Armsworth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Seong-Hoon Cho
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Monica Papeş
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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13
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Investigating an Unknown Biodiversity: Evidence of Distinct Lineages of the Endemic Chola Guitarfish Pseudobatos percellens Walbaum, 1792 in the Western Atlantic Ocean. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15030344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic actions have affected marine species for a long time, through overexploitation of natural stocks and habitat degradation, influencing the life strategies of several taxa, especially rays and sharks, which have suffered significant population declines in recent years. Therefore, conservation actions and stock management have become paramount. In this regard, chola guitarfish, Pseudobatos percellens, distributed throughout the Brazilian coast, is often commercially fished by local artisanal fleets or as by-catch in shrimp trawl fisheries. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the genetic diversity of P. percellens throughout the Brazilian coast, using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Genetic analyses employing 3329 SNPs revealed a hidden biodiversity within P. percellens, with at least one lineage occurring in the Northern and Northeastern regions and another distributed in the Southeastern/Southern Brazilian coast, with high genetic differentiation between them. However, the Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) indicated the presence of in fact three lineages distributed in these regions that must still be better investigated. Therefore, to ensure adequate conservation of chola guitarfish biodiversity, populations must be managed separately along the Brazilian coast. Furthermore, the need for a taxonomic review for this group is noted.
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Global assessment of nature's contributions to people. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2023; 68:424-435. [PMID: 36732118 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Synergistically maintain or enhance the numerous beneficial contributions of nature to the quality of human life is an important but challenging question for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. However, the spatiotemporal distributions of global nature's contributions to people (NCPs) and their interactions remain unclear. We built a rapid assessment indicator framework and produced the first spatially explicit assessment of all 18 NCPs at a global scale. The 18 global NCPs in 1992 and 2018 were globally assessed in 15,204 subbasins based on two spatial indicator dimensions, including nature's potential contribution and the actual contribution to people. The results show that most of the high NCP values are highly localized. From 1992 to 2018, 6 regulating NCPs, 3 material NCPs, and 2 nonmaterial NCPs declined; 29 regulating-material NCP combinations (54 in total) dominated 76% of the terrestrial area, and the area with few NCPs accounted for 22%; and synergistic relationships were more common than tradeoff relationships, while the relationships among regulating and material NCPs generally traded-off with each other. Transitional climate areas contained few NCPs and have strong tradeoff relationships. However, the high synergistic relationship among NCPs in low latitudes could be threatened by future climate change. These findings provide a general spatiotemporal understanding of global NCP distributions and can be used to interpret the biogeographic information in a functional way to support regional coordination and achieve landscape multifunctionality for the enhancement of human well-being.
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Primates facing climate crisis in a tropical forest hotspot will lose climatic suitable geographical range. Sci Rep 2023; 13:641. [PMID: 36635347 PMCID: PMC9837198 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26756-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Global climate changes affect biodiversity and cause species distribution shifts, contractions, and expansions. Climate change and disease are emerging threats to primates, and approximately one-quarter of primates' ranges have temperatures over historical ones. How will climate changes influence Atlantic Forest primate ranges? We used habitat suitability models and measured potential changes in area and distributions shifts. Climate change expected in 2100 may change the distribution area of Atlantic Forest primates. Fourteen species (74%) are predicted to lose more than 50% of their distribution, and nine species (47%) are predicted to lose more than 75% of their distribution. The balance was negative, indicating a potential future loss, and the strength of the reduction in the distribution is related to the severity of climate change (SSP scenarios). Directional shifts were detected to the south. The projected mean centroid latitudinal shift is ~ 51 km to the south for 2100 SSP5-8.5 scenario. The possibility of dispersal will depend on suitable routes and landscape configuration. Greenhouse gas emissions should be urgently reduced. Our results also emphasize that no more forest loss is acceptable in Atlantic Forest, and restoration, canopy bridges, friendly agroecosystems, and monitoring of infrastructure projects are urgent to enable dealing with climate change.
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Lumbierres M, Dahal PR, Soria CD, Di Marco M, Butchart SHM, Donald PF, Rondinini C. Area of Habitat maps for the world's terrestrial birds and mammals. Sci Data 2022; 9:749. [PMID: 36463270 PMCID: PMC9719530 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01838-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Area of Habitat (AOH) is "the habitat available to a species, that is, habitat within its range". It complements a geographic range map for a species by showing potential occupancy and reducing commission errors. AOH maps are produced by subtracting areas considered unsuitable for the species from their range map, using information on each species' associations with habitat and elevation. We present AOH maps for 5,481 terrestrial mammal and 10,651 terrestrial bird species (including 1,816 migratory bird species for which we present separate maps for the resident, breeding and non-breeding areas). Our maps have a resolution of 100 m. On average, AOH covered 66 ± 28% of the range maps for mammals and 64 ± 27% for birds. The AOH maps were validated independently, following a novel two-step methodology: a modelling approach to identify outliers and a species-level approach based on point localities. We used AOH maps to produce global maps of the species richness of mammals, birds, globally threatened mammals and globally threatened birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Lumbierres
- grid.7841.aGlobal Mammal Assessment Program, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 32, 00185 Rome, Italy ,grid.432210.60000 0004 0383 6292BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ UK
| | - Prabhat Raj Dahal
- grid.7841.aGlobal Mammal Assessment Program, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 32, 00185 Rome, Italy ,grid.432210.60000 0004 0383 6292BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ UK
| | - Carmen D. Soria
- grid.7841.aGlobal Mammal Assessment Program, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 32, 00185 Rome, Italy ,grid.432210.60000 0004 0383 6292BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ UK
| | - Moreno Di Marco
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 32, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Stuart H. M. Butchart
- grid.432210.60000 0004 0383 6292BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ UK ,grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Paul F. Donald
- grid.432210.60000 0004 0383 6292BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ UK ,grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Carlo Rondinini
- grid.7841.aGlobal Mammal Assessment Program, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 32, 00185 Rome, Italy
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Castiglione S, Mondanaro A, Di Febbraro M, Melchionna M, Serio C, Girardi G, Belfiore AM, Raia P. Testing for changes in rate of evolution and position of the climatic niche of clades. Mamm Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Castiglione
- Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources University of Naples Federico II 80138 Naples Italy
| | | | - Mirko Di Febbraro
- Department of Biosciences and Territory University of Molise C. da Fonte Lappone, 15 86090 Pesche IS Italy
| | - Marina Melchionna
- Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources University of Naples Federico II 80138 Naples Italy
| | - Carmela Serio
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool UK
| | - Giorgia Girardi
- Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources University of Naples Federico II 80138 Naples Italy
| | - Arianna Morena Belfiore
- Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources University of Naples Federico II 80138 Naples Italy
| | - Pasquale Raia
- Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources University of Naples Federico II 80138 Naples Italy
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18
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Mammola S, Meierhofer MB, Borges PA, Colado R, Culver DC, Deharveng L, Delić T, Di Lorenzo T, Dražina T, Ferreira RL, Fiasca B, Fišer C, Galassi DMP, Garzoli L, Gerovasileiou V, Griebler C, Halse S, Howarth FG, Isaia M, Johnson JS, Komerički A, Martínez A, Milano F, Moldovan OT, Nanni V, Nicolosi G, Niemiller ML, Pallarés S, Pavlek M, Piano E, Pipan T, Sanchez‐Fernandez D, Santangeli A, Schmidt SI, Wynne JJ, Zagmajster M, Zakšek V, Cardoso P. Towards evidence-based conservation of subterranean ecosystems. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1476-1510. [PMID: 35315207 PMCID: PMC9545027 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Subterranean ecosystems are among the most widespread environments on Earth, yet we still have poor knowledge of their biodiversity. To raise awareness of subterranean ecosystems, the essential services they provide, and their unique conservation challenges, 2021 and 2022 were designated International Years of Caves and Karst. As these ecosystems have traditionally been overlooked in global conservation agendas and multilateral agreements, a quantitative assessment of solution-based approaches to safeguard subterranean biota and associated habitats is timely. This assessment allows researchers and practitioners to understand the progress made and research needs in subterranean ecology and management. We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature focused on subterranean ecosystems globally (terrestrial, freshwater, and saltwater systems), to quantify the available evidence-base for the effectiveness of conservation interventions. We selected 708 publications from the years 1964 to 2021 that discussed, recommended, or implemented 1,954 conservation interventions in subterranean ecosystems. We noted a steep increase in the number of studies from the 2000s while, surprisingly, the proportion of studies quantifying the impact of conservation interventions has steadily and significantly decreased in recent years. The effectiveness of 31% of conservation interventions has been tested statistically. We further highlight that 64% of the reported research occurred in the Palearctic and Nearctic biogeographic regions. Assessments of the effectiveness of conservation interventions were heavily biased towards indirect measures (monitoring and risk assessment), a limited sample of organisms (mostly arthropods and bats), and more accessible systems (terrestrial caves). Our results indicate that most conservation science in the field of subterranean biology does not apply a rigorous quantitative approach, resulting in sparse evidence for the effectiveness of interventions. This raises the important question of how to make conservation efforts more feasible to implement, cost-effective, and long-lasting. Although there is no single remedy, we propose a suite of potential solutions to focus our efforts better towards increasing statistical testing and stress the importance of standardising study reporting to facilitate meta-analytical exercises. We also provide a database summarising the available literature, which will help to build quantitative knowledge about interventions likely to yield the greatest impacts depending upon the subterranean species and habitats of interest. We view this as a starting point to shift away from the widespread tendency of recommending conservation interventions based on anecdotal and expert-based information rather than scientific evidence, without quantitatively testing their effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe)Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of HelsinkiPohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13Helsinki00100Finland
- Molecular Ecology Group (dark‐MEG)Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR)Largo Tonolli, 50Verbania‐Pallanza28922Italy
| | - Melissa B. Meierhofer
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus (LUOMUS)University of HelsinkiPohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13Helsinki00100Finland
| | - Paulo A.V. Borges
- cE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group / CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of Azores, Faculty of Agrarian Sciences and Environment (FCAA), Rua Capitão João d'ÀvilaPico da Urze, 9700‐042 Angra do HeroísmoAzoresPortugal
| | - Raquel Colado
- Departament of Ecology and HidrologyUniversity of MurciaMurcia30100Spain
| | - David C. Culver
- Department of Environmental ScienceAmerican University4400 Massachusetts Avenue, N.WWashingtonDC20016U.S.A.
| | - Louis Deharveng
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), CNRS UMR 7205, MNHN, UPMC, EPHEMuseum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
| | - Teo Delić
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaJamnikarjeva 101Ljubljana1000Slovenia
| | - Tiziana Di Lorenzo
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET‐CNR), National Research CouncilVia Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto FiorentinoFlorenceItaly
| | - Tvrtko Dražina
- Division of Zoology, Department of BiologyFaculty of Science, University of ZagrebRooseveltov Trg 6Zagreb10000Croatia
- Croatian Biospeleological SocietyRooseveltov Trg 6Zagreb10000Croatia
| | - Rodrigo L. Ferreira
- Center of Studies in Subterranean Biology, Biology Department, Federal University of LavrasCampus universitário s/n, Aquenta SolLavrasMG37200‐900Brazil
| | - Barbara Fiasca
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental SciencesUniversity of L'AquilaVia Vetoio 1, CoppitoL'Aquila67100Italy
| | - Cene Fišer
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaJamnikarjeva 101Ljubljana1000Slovenia
| | - Diana M. P. Galassi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental SciencesUniversity of L'AquilaVia Vetoio 1, CoppitoL'Aquila67100Italy
| | - Laura Garzoli
- Molecular Ecology Group (dark‐MEG)Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR)Largo Tonolli, 50Verbania‐Pallanza28922Italy
| | - Vasilis Gerovasileiou
- Department of Environment, Faculty of EnvironmentIonian University, M. Minotou‐Giannopoulou strPanagoulaZakynthos29100Greece
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Marine BiologyBiotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC)Thalassocosmos, GournesCrete71500Greece
| | - Christian Griebler
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Division of LimnologyUniversity of ViennaDjerassiplatz 1Vienna1030Austria
| | - Stuart Halse
- Bennelongia Environmental Consultants5 Bishop StreetJolimontWA6014Australia
| | | | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TurinVia Accademia Albertina, 13TorinoI‐10123Italy
| | - Joseph S. Johnson
- Department of Biological SciencesOhio University57 Oxbow TrailAthensOH45701U.S.A.
| | - Ana Komerički
- Croatian Biospeleological SocietyRooseveltov Trg 6Zagreb10000Croatia
| | - Alejandro Martínez
- Molecular Ecology Group (dark‐MEG)Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR)Largo Tonolli, 50Verbania‐Pallanza28922Italy
| | - Filippo Milano
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TurinVia Accademia Albertina, 13TorinoI‐10123Italy
| | - Oana T. Moldovan
- Emil Racovita Institute of SpeleologyClinicilor 5Cluj‐Napoca400006Romania
- Romanian Institute of Science and TechnologySaturn 24‐26Cluj‐Napoca400504Romania
| | - Veronica Nanni
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TurinVia Accademia Albertina, 13TorinoI‐10123Italy
| | - Giuseppe Nicolosi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TurinVia Accademia Albertina, 13TorinoI‐10123Italy
| | - Matthew L. Niemiller
- Department of Biological SciencesThe University of Alabama in Huntsville301 Sparkman Drive NWHuntsvilleAL35899U.S.A.
| | - Susana Pallarés
- Departamento de Biogeografía y Cambio GlobalMuseo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSICCalle de José Gutiérrez Abascal 2Madrid28006Spain
| | - Martina Pavlek
- Croatian Biospeleological SocietyRooseveltov Trg 6Zagreb10000Croatia
- Ruđer Bošković InstituteBijenička cesta 54Zagreb10000Croatia
| | - Elena Piano
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TurinVia Accademia Albertina, 13TorinoI‐10123Italy
| | - Tanja Pipan
- ZRC SAZUKarst Research InstituteNovi trg 2Ljubljana1000Slovenia
- UNESCO Chair on Karst EducationUniversity of Nova GoricaGlavni trg 8Vipava5271Slovenia
| | | | - Andrea Santangeli
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research ProgrammeUniversity of HelsinkiViikinkaari 1Helsinki00014Finland
| | - Susanne I. Schmidt
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CASNa Sádkách 702/7České Budějovice370 05Czech Republic
- Department of Lake ResearchHelmholtz Centre for Environmental ResearchBrückstraße 3aMagdeburg39114Germany
| | - J. Judson Wynne
- Department of Biological SciencesCenter for Adaptable Western Landscapes, Box 5640, Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffAZ86011U.S.A.
| | - Maja Zagmajster
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaJamnikarjeva 101Ljubljana1000Slovenia
| | - Valerija Zakšek
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaJamnikarjeva 101Ljubljana1000Slovenia
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe)Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of HelsinkiPohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13Helsinki00100Finland
- cE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group / CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of Azores, Faculty of Agrarian Sciences and Environment (FCAA), Rua Capitão João d'ÀvilaPico da Urze, 9700‐042 Angra do HeroísmoAzoresPortugal
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Zhang S, Liu W, Cheng X, Wang Z, Yuan F, Wu W, Liao S. Evaluating the productivity of ancient Pu'er tea trees (Camellia sinensis var. assamica): a multivariate modeling approach. PLANT METHODS 2022; 18:95. [PMID: 35897068 PMCID: PMC9327265 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-022-00928-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The demand for productive economic plant resources is increasing with the continued growth of the human population. Ancient Pu'er tea trees [Camellia sinensis var. assamica (J. W. Mast.) Kitam.] are an important ecological resource with high economic value and large interests. The study intends to explore and evaluate critical drivers affecting the species' productivity, then builds formulas and indexes to make predicting the productivity of such valuable plant resources possible and applicable. RESULTS Our analysis identified the ideal values of the seven most important environmental variables and their relative contribution (shown in parentheses) to the distribution of ancient Pu'er tea trees: annual precipitation, ca. 1245 mm (28.73%); min temperature of coldest month, ca. 4.2 °C (18.25%); precipitation of driest quarter, ca. 47.5 mm (14.45%); isothermality, 49.9% to 50.4% (14.11%); precipitation seasonality, ca. 89.2 (6.77%); temperature seasonality, ca. 391 (4.46%); and solar radiation, 12,250 to 13,250 kJ m-2 day-1 (3.28%). Productivity was indicated by the total value (viz. fresh leaf harvested multiplied by unit price) of each tree. Environmental suitability, tree growth, and management positively affected productivity; regression weights were 0.325, 0.982, and 0.075, respectively. The degree of productivity was classified as follows: > 0.8, "highly productive"; 0.5-0.8, "productive"; 0.3-0.5, "poorly productive"; and < 0.3, "unproductive". Overall, 53% of the samples were categorized as "poorly productive" or "unproductive"; thus, the management of these regions require attention. CONCLUSIONS This model improves the accuracy of the predictions of ancient Pu'er tea tree productivity and will aid future analyses of distribution shifts under climate change, as well as the identification of areas suitable for Pu'er tea tree plantations. Our modeling framework provides insights that facilitate the interpretation of abstract concepts and could be applied to other economically valuable plant resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqiao Zhang
- Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, 650216, Yunnan, China.
- Fenner School of Environment & Society, College of Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Wendou Liu
- Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, 650216, Yunnan, China
| | - Xinmeng Cheng
- Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, 650216, Yunnan, China
| | - Zizhi Wang
- Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, 650216, Yunnan, China
| | - Fengjun Yuan
- Yunnan Institute of Forest Inventory and Planning, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Wengui Wu
- Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, 650216, Yunnan, China
| | - Shengxi Liao
- Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, 650216, Yunnan, China.
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Nania D, Lumbierres M, Ficetola GF, Falaschi M, Pacifici M, Rondinini C. Maps of area of habitat for Italian amphibians and reptiles. NATURE CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.49.82931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Planning conservation actions requires detailed information on species’ geographic distribution. Species distribution data are most needed in areas hosting unique or endangered biodiversity. Italy is one of the European countries with the highest levels of herpetological diversity and endemism and is home to several threatened species of amphibians and reptiles. Information on the distribution of species’ habitats can help identify sites where the species is most likely to thrive, as viable populations depend on it. Area of Habitat (AOH) maps reveal the distribution of the habitat available to the species within their geographic range. We produced high resolution, freely accessible global area of habitat maps for 60 species of reptiles and amphibians distributed in Italy, which represent 60% of all Italian amphibian and reptile species. We validated a total of 44 AOH maps through a presence-only based evaluation method, with 86% of these maps showing a performance better than expected by chance. AOH maps can be used as a reference for conservation planning, as well as to investigate macroecological patterns of Italian herpetofauna. Furthermore, AOH maps can help monitoring habitat loss, which is known to be a major threat to many reptile and amphibian species in Europe.
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21
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The effects of protected areas on the ecological niches of birds and mammals. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11601. [PMID: 35804004 PMCID: PMC9270413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15949-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Protected areas are a cornerstone for biodiversity conservation, and typically support more natural and undisturbed habitats compared to unprotected lands. The effect of protected areas on intra-specific ecological niche has been rarely investigated. Here, we explore potential differences in ecological niche properties of birds and mammals across protected and unprotected areas, and relate such differences to species traits. We combine two decades of survey data of birds and mammals from protected and unprotected areas, and apply robust matching to obtain a set of environmentally comparable protected and unprotected sites. Next, we calculate intra-specific niche volume change and habitat shift between protected and unprotected areas, and use generalized linear mixed models to explain these responses with species traits (habitat specialization, body mass, diet, and red list status). The majority of bird and mammal species (83% and 90%, respectively) show different habitat use when occurring within and outside protected areas, with the magnitude of this shift highly varying across species. A minority of species (16% of birds and 10% of mammals) do not change their niche volume nor shift their habitat between protected and unprotected areas. Variation in niche properties is largely unrelated to species traits. Overall, the varying ecological niche responses of birds and mammals to protected areas underscore that there is no universal niche-based response, and that niche responses to land protection are species-specific.
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22
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Hylander K, Greiser C, Christiansen DM, Koelemeijer IA. Climate adaptation of biodiversity conservation in managed forest landscapes. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13847. [PMID: 34622491 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Conservation of biodiversity in managed forest landscapes needs to be complemented with new approaches given the threat from rapid climate change. Most frameworks for adaptation of biodiversity conservation to climate change include two major strategies. The first is the resistance strategy, which focuses on actions to increase the capacity of species and communities to resist change. The second is the transformation strategy and includes actions that ease the transformation of communities to a set of species that are well adapted to the novel environmental conditions. We suggest a number of concrete actions policy makers and managers can take. Under the resistance strategy, five tools are introduced, including: identifying and protecting forest climate refugia with cold-favored species; reducing the effects of drought by protecting the hydrological network; and actively removing competitors when they threaten cold-favored species. Under the transformation strategy, we suggest three tools, including: enhancing conditions for forest species favored by the new climate, but currently disfavored by forest management, by planting them at suitable sites outside their main range; and increasing connectivity across the landscape to enhance the expansion of warm-favored species to sites that have become suitable. Finally, we suggest applying a landscape perspective and simultaneously managing for both retreating and expanding species. The two different strategies (resistance and transformation) should be seen as complementary ways to maintain a rich biodiversity in future forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristoffer Hylander
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Caroline Greiser
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ditte M Christiansen
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Irena A Koelemeijer
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Mammola S, Pavlek M, Huber BA, Isaia M, Ballarin F, Tolve M, Čupić I, Hesselberg T, Lunghi E, Mouron S, Graco-Roza C, Cardoso P. A trait database and updated checklist for European subterranean spiders. Sci Data 2022; 9:236. [PMID: 35618868 PMCID: PMC9135732 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01316-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Species traits are an essential currency in ecology, evolution, biogeography, and conservation biology. However, trait databases are unavailable for most organisms, especially those living in difficult-to-access habitats such as caves and other subterranean ecosystems. We compiled an expert-curated trait database for subterranean spiders in Europe using both literature data (including grey literature published in many different languages) and direct morphological measurements whenever specimens were available to us. We started by updating the checklist of European subterranean spiders, now including 512 species across 20 families, of which at least 192 have been found uniquely in subterranean habitats. For each of these species, we compiled 64 traits. The trait database encompasses morphological measures, including several traits related to subterranean adaptation, and ecological traits referring to habitat preference, dispersal, and feeding strategies. By making these data freely available, we open up opportunities for exploring different research questions, from the quantification of functional dimensions of subterranean adaptation to the study of spatial patterns in functional diversity across European caves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- LIBRe-Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- DarkMEG-Molecular Ecology Group, Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Verbania, Pallanza, Italy.
| | - Martina Pavlek
- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
- Croatian Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Francesco Ballarin
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Marco Tolve
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Iva Čupić
- Croatian Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Enrico Lunghi
- Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, "La Specola", Firenze, Italy
| | - Samuel Mouron
- LIBRe-Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Caio Graco-Roza
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- LIBRe-Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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The role of climatic niche divergence in the speciation of the genus Neurergus: An inter-and intraspecific survey. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10172-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Biber MF, Voskamp A, Hof C. Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13822. [PMID: 34490662 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias F Biber
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Alke Voskamp
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christian Hof
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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Chowdhury S, Alam S, Labi MM, Khan N, Rokonuzzaman M, Biswas D, Tahea T, Mukul SA, Fuller RA. Protected areas in South Asia: Status and prospects. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 811:152316. [PMID: 34915005 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Natural ecosystems globally have been disrupted by anthropogenic activities, and the current biodiversity extinction rate exceeds the natural extinction rate by 1,000-fold. Protected areas (PAs) help insulate samples of biodiversity from these human-induced threats; however, assessments of the factors threatening biodiversity in PAs are scarce in South Asia - one of the key global epicentres of human population growth. Here, by synthesizing published literature and analysing the current configuration of the PA estate, we discuss the trends and biases in existing knowledge, identify research gaps, measure the level of PA coverage and growth patterns, and discuss the threats to South Asian biodiversity inside PAs. We showed that published studies focused mainly on documenting species distributions in PAs, were heavily biased toward vertebrates, and had been mostly conducted in India. Nearly 70% of studies focused on the distribution of organisms, while only 9% performed conservation assessments or devised strategies to manage PAs; 70% of studies cover vertebrates, while only two studies focused on marine fauna; 50% of studies focused on India, with only a handful from Afghanistan. Only three (Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka) of the eight countries already meet a terrestrial PA representation target of 17%, while no country meets a marine representation target of 10%. Most PAs were very small, with nearly 80% below 100 km2, and 22% below 1 km2. We identified that South Asian PAs are facing a broad range of anthropogenic threats - about three in five studies reported threats inside protected areas. Due to extensive anthropogenic pressures, biodiversity in South Asia is facing an existential crisis, and society-wide collaborative efforts are needed to arrest and reverse the declines. We hope this review will stimulate efforts to capitalise on the opportunity for efficient PA growth in the region on the eve of the post-2020 global biodiversity targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawan Chowdhury
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, 4072, Australia.
| | - Shofiul Alam
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | | | - Nahla Khan
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Md Rokonuzzaman
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Dipto Biswas
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Tasmia Tahea
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Sharif A Mukul
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Richard A Fuller
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, 4072, Australia
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27
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Elsen PR, Saxon EC, Simmons BA, Ward M, Williams BA, Grantham HS, Kark S, Levin N, Perez-Hammerle KV, Reside AE, Watson JEM. Accelerated shifts in terrestrial life zones under rapid climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:918-935. [PMID: 34719077 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Rapid climate change is impacting biodiversity, ecosystem function, and human well-being. Though the magnitude and trajectory of climate change are becoming clearer, our understanding of how these changes reshape terrestrial life zones-distinct biogeographic units characterized by biotemperature, precipitation, and aridity representing broad-scale ecosystem types-is limited. To address this gap, we used high-resolution historical climatologies and climate projections to determine the global distribution of historical (1901-1920), contemporary (1979-2013), and future (2061-2080) life zones. Comparing the historical and contemporary distributions shows that changes from one life zone to another during the 20th century impacted 27 million km2 (18.3% of land), with consequences for social and ecological systems. Such changes took place in all biomes, most notably in Boreal Forests, Temperate Coniferous Forests, and Tropical Coniferous Forests. Comparing the contemporary and future life zone distributions shows the pace of life zone changes accelerating rapidly in the 21st century. By 2070, such changes would impact an additional 62 million km2 (42.6% of land) under "business-as-usual" (RCP8.5) emissions scenarios. Accelerated rates of change are observed in hundreds of ecoregions across all biomes except Tropical Coniferous Forests. While only 30 ecoregions (3.5%) had over half of their areas change to a different life zone during the 20th century, by 2070 this number is projected to climb to 111 ecoregions (13.1%) under RCP4.5 and 281 ecoregions (33.2%) under RCP8.5. We identified weak correlations between life zone change and threatened vertebrate richness, levels of vertebrate endemism, cropland extent, and human population densities within ecoregions, illustrating the ubiquitous risks of life zone changes to diverse social-ecological systems. The accelerated pace of life zone changes will increasingly challenge adaptive conservation and sustainable development strategies that incorrectly assume current ecological patterns and livelihood provisioning systems will persist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul R Elsen
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Earl C Saxon
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Geography, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - B Alexander Simmons
- Global Development Policy Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michelle Ward
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- WWF Australia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- The School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Brooke A Williams
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- The School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hedley S Grantham
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Salit Kark
- The Biodiversity Research Group, The School of Biological Sciences, NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Noam Levin
- Department of Geography, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Remote Sensing Research Centre, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Katharina-Victoria Perez-Hammerle
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- The School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - April E Reside
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - James E M Watson
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- The School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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28
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Qu Y, Zheng Y, Gong P, Shi J, Li L, Wang S, Luo C, Zhang H, Xu L. Estimation of wetland biodiversity based on the hydrological patterns and connectivity and its potential application in change detection and monitoring: A case study of the Sanjiang Plain, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 805:150291. [PMID: 34818819 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A high biodiversity conservation value of a specific area generally indicates biodiversity priorities, making biodiversity conservation planning more reasonable. However, the spatial prioritization of biodiversity cannot easily indicate temporal changes because the data of many species are difficult to obtain in even a single period, let alone repeated surveys. Here, we show that the easily available wetland hydrological pattern and connectivity (HCP) variables are effective surrogates for the monitoring of biodiversity conservation value. We used the Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) method to evaluate the historical biodiversity conservation value (BCV), represented by Irreplaceability Index, by integrating the predicted spatial distribution of biodiversity features in 1995. We then calculated the wetland HPC indexes in randomly setup samples within a certain radius and analysed the correlation between the BCV and HPC indexes with a regression method. Finally, we further simulated the numerical and spatial changes of the BCV in different periods to illustrate its variation regularity. We found that the BCV considerably decreased in the study area. In conclusion, we confirmed that the wetland HPC indexes are significantly correlated with and can simulate the BCV indicator. We further identified the spatial locations of these degraded areas and proposed conservation and restoration scenarios for the study area. This study verified the impacts of HPC changes on wetland biodiversity caused by human-induced land use change; it also provides a reference for long-term assessment of wetland biodiversity change. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Among other abilities, effective biodiversity conservation should have the abilities to both prioritize the conservation value and detect its spatial changes. However, the assessment of biodiversity conservation value needs sufficient and high-quality species occurrence data and multi-period comparison. Here, we find that the relatively well accessible wetland hydrological pattern and connectivity indexes are effective surrogates for the change detection of wetland biodiversity conservation value. This means that wetland biodiversity conservation planners can monitor the biodiversity conservation situations without resource-consuming investigations to obtain species' occurrence data and repeated prioritization of the conservation value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Qu
- National and Local Joint Laboratory of Wetland and Ecological Conservation, Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology, Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Yaomin Zheng
- School of International Economics and Management, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China; Institute for Culture and Tourism Development, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China.
| | - Peng Gong
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Ministry of Education Ecological Field Station for East Asian Migratory Birds, Beijing 100084, China; Institute for National Parks, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jinlian Shi
- School of International Economics and Management, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China; Institute for Culture and Tourism Development, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Liping Li
- National Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shudong Wang
- National Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chunyu Luo
- National and Local Joint Laboratory of Wetland and Ecological Conservation, Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology, Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Hongqiang Zhang
- National and Local Joint Laboratory of Wetland and Ecological Conservation, Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology, Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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Shen Y, Liu M, Wang D, Shen X, Li S. Using an integrative mapping approach to identify the distribution range and conservation needs of a large threatened mammal, the Asiatic black bear, in China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Climate and land-use changes drive biodiversity turnover in arthropod assemblages over 150 years. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1291-1300. [PMID: 34267365 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01513-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Long-term studies are essential to understand the impacts of global changes on the multiple facets of biological diversity. Here, we use distribution data for over 600 species of arthropods collected over 150 years from locations across Italy and test how multiple environmental stressors (climate, land use and human population density) influenced assemblage composition and functionality. By carefully reconstructing the temporal changes in these stressors, we explicitly tested how environmental changes can determine the observed changes in taxonomic and functional diversity. We found that rapid changes in precipitation destabilize the assemblages and maximize colonization and extinction rates, especially when coupled with changes in human population density (for taxonomy) or temperature (for functionality). Higher microclimatic heterogeneity increases the stability of biodiversity by reducing taxonomic and functional loss. Finally, changes in natural habitats increased colonization, influencing taxonomic nestedness and functional replacement. The integration of long-term datasets combining distributions, climate and traits may deepen our understanding of the processes underlying biodiversity responses to global-scale drivers.
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Carroll C, Ray JC. Maximizing the effectiveness of national commitments to protected area expansion for conserving biodiversity and ecosystem carbon under climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3395-3414. [PMID: 33852186 PMCID: PMC8360173 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Global commitments to protected area expansion should prioritize opportunities to protect climate refugia and ecosystems which store high levels of irrecoverable carbon, as key components of an effective response to biodiversity loss and climate change. The United States and Canada are responsible for one-sixth of global greenhouse gas emissions but hold extensive natural ecosystems that store globally significant above- and below-ground carbon. Canada has initiated a process of protected area network expansion in concert with efforts at reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and acknowledged nature-based solutions as a key aspect of climate change mitigation. The US, although not a party to global biodiversity conventions, has recently committed to protecting 30% of its extent by 2030 and achieving the UNFCCC Paris Agreement's mitigation targets. The opportunities afforded by these dual biodiversity conservation and climate commitments require coordinated national and regional policies to ensure that new protected areas maximize biodiversity-focused adaptation and nature-based mitigation opportunities. We address how global commitments can best inform national policy initiatives which build on existing agency mandates for regional planning and species conservation. Previous analyses of global conservation priorities under climate change have been tenuously linked to policy contexts of individual nations and have lacked information on refugia due to limitations of globally available datasets. Comparison and synthesis of predictions from a range of recently developed refugia metrics allow such data to inform planning despite substantial uncertainty arising from contrasting model assumptions and inputs. A case study for endangered species planning for old-forest-associated species in the US Pacific Northwest demonstrates how regional planning can be nested hierarchically within national biodiversity-focused adaptation and nature-based mitigation strategies which integrate refugia, connectivity, and ecosystem carbon metrics to holistically evaluate the role of different land designations and where carbon mitigation and protection of biodiversity's resilience to climate change can be aligned.
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Llorente-Culebras S, Molina-Venegas R, Barbosa AM, Carvalho SB, Rodríguez MÁ, Santos AMC. Iberian Protected Areas Capture Regional Functional, Phylogenetic and Taxonomic Diversity of Most Tetrapod Groups. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.634653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) have been created with the purpose of preserving biodiversity, acting as refuges from anthropogenic pressures. Traditionally, PAs have been designed and managed to represent mainly taxonomic diversity, ignoring other diversity facets such as its functional and phylogenetic components. Yet, functional and phylogenetic diversity are, respectively, connected with species’ roles on ecosystems and evolutionary history held within communities. Here, we focused on the amphibian, reptile, resident breeding bird, and non-flying mammal faunas of the national and natural parks of the Iberian Peninsula, to evaluate whether these PAs are adequately representing regional functional, phylogenetic, and taxonomic diversity of each group. Specifically, we computed functional and phylogenetic diversity within each PA, and then compared those values to the ones obtained from a random assembly of species from the regional pool, that was defined as the region encompassing the PA and a neighboring area of 50 km beyond its boundary. We also calculated the proportion of species in each regional pool that were present within the PAs. In general, the functional and phylogenetic diversity of amphibians, reptiles and non-flying mammals found within PAs did not differ significantly from random expectations generated from the species pertaining to the regional pool, although a few PAs showed a higher diversity. In contrast, resident breeding birds presented lower functional and phylogenetic diversity than expected by chance in many of the PAs, which could relate to climatic variables and the habitat specificity of some species. The proportion of species from the regional pools that are present in the PAs was high for amphibians, reptiles and mammals, and slightly lower for birds. These results suggest that the Iberian natural and national parks are effectively capturing the functional, phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity of most tetrapod assemblages present at the regional level. Future studies should identify priority areas to expand the representation of these biodiversity components, and assess potential effects of climate and land-use changes on current patterns.
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Kim JY, Koide D, Ishihama F, Kadoya T, Nishihiro J. Current site planning of medium to large solar power systems accelerates the loss of the remaining semi-natural and agricultural habitats. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 779:146475. [PMID: 33752006 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The global transition to renewable energy sources has accelerated to mitigate the effects of global climate change. Sudden increases in solar power facilities have caused the physical destruction of wildlife habitats, thereby resulting in the decline of biodiversity and ecosystem functions. However, previous assessments have been based on the environmental impact of large solar photovoltaics (PVs). The impact of medium-sized PV facilities (0.5-10 MW), which can alter small habitat patches through the accumulation of installations has not been assessed. Here, we quantified the amount of habitat loss directly related to the construction of PV facilities with different size classes and estimated their siting attributes using construction patterns in Japan and South Korea. We identified that a comparable amount of natural and semi-natural habitats were lost due to the recent installation of medium solar facilities (approximately 66.36 and 85.73% of the overall loss in Japan and South Korea, respectively). Compared to large solar PVs, medium PV installations resulted in a higher area loss of semi-natural habitats, including secondary/planted forests, secondary/artificial grasslands, and agricultural lands. The siting attributes of medium and large solar PV facilities indicated a preference for cost-based site selection rather than prioritizing habitat protection for biodiversity conservation. Moreover, even conservation areas were developed when economic and topological conditions were suitable for energy production. Our simulations indicate that increasing the construction of PVs in urban areas could help reduce the loss of natural and semi-natural habitats. To improve the renewable energy share while mitigating the impacts on biodiversity, our results stress the need for a proactive assessment to enforce sustainable site-selection criteria for solar PVs in renewable energy initiatives. The revised criteria should consider the cumulative impacts of varied size classes of solar power facilities, including medium PVs, and the diverse aspects of the ecological value of natural habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Yoon Kim
- Center for Climate Change Adaptation, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan.
| | - Dai Koide
- Center for Climate Change Adaptation, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | - Fumiko Ishihama
- Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | - Taku Kadoya
- Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | - Jun Nishihiro
- Center for Climate Change Adaptation, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
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Loiseau N, Thuiller W, Stuart-Smith RD, Devictor V, Edgar GJ, Velez L, Cinner JE, Graham NAJ, Renaud J, Hoey AS, Manel S, Mouillot D. Maximizing regional biodiversity requires a mosaic of protection levels. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001195. [PMID: 34010287 PMCID: PMC8133472 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Protected areas are the flagship management tools to secure biodiversity from anthropogenic impacts. However, the extent to which adjacent areas with distinct protection levels host different species numbers and compositions remains uncertain. Here, using reef fishes, European alpine plants, and North American birds, we show that the composition of species in adjacent Strictly Protected, Restricted, and Non-Protected areas is highly dissimilar, whereas the number of species is similar, after controlling for environmental conditions, sample size, and rarity. We find that between 12% and 15% of species are only recorded in Non-Protected areas, suggesting that a non-negligible part of regional biodiversity occurs where human activities are less regulated. For imperiled species, the proportion only recorded in Strictly Protected areas reaches 58% for fishes, 11% for birds, and 7% for plants, highlighting the fundamental and unique role of protected areas and their environmental conditions in biodiversity conservation. This study shows that the dissimilarity in species composition between sites with different levels of protection is consistently high, suggesting that adjacent and connected areas with different protection levels host very dissimilar species assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Loiseau
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Rick D. Stuart-Smith
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Vincent Devictor
- CNRS, ISEM, Université de Montpellier, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Graham J. Edgar
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Laure Velez
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Joshua E. Cinner
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Julien Renaud
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Andrew S. Hoey
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Stephanie Manel
- EPHE, PSL Research University, CNRS, UM, SupAgro, IRD, INRA, UMR 5175 CEFE, F-Montpellier, France
| | - David Mouillot
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, IUF, Paris, France
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Calatayud J, Neuman M, Rojas A, Eriksson A, Rosvall M. Regularities in species' niches reveal the world's climate regions. eLife 2021; 10:58397. [PMID: 33554863 PMCID: PMC7963475 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate regions form the basis of many ecological, evolutionary, and conservation studies. However, our understanding of climate regions is limited to how they shape vegetation: they do not account for the distribution of animals. Here, we develop a network-based framework to identify important climates worldwide based on regularities in realized niches of about 26,000 tetrapods. We show that high-energy climates, including deserts, tropical savannas, and steppes, are consistent across animal- and plant-derived classifications, indicating similar underlying climatic determinants. Conversely, temperate climates differ across all groups, suggesting that these climates allow for idiosyncratic adaptations. Finally, we show how the integration of niche classifications with geographical information enables the detection of climatic transition zones and the signal of geographic and historical processes. Our results identify the climates shaping the distribution of tetrapods and call for caution when using general climate classifications to study the ecology, evolution, or conservation of specific taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Calatayud
- Integrated Science Lab, Department of Physics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Magnus Neuman
- Integrated Science Lab, Department of Physics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alexis Rojas
- Integrated Science Lab, Department of Physics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anton Eriksson
- Integrated Science Lab, Department of Physics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Martin Rosvall
- Integrated Science Lab, Department of Physics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Gaitán-Espitia JD, Hobday AJ. Evolutionary principles and genetic considerations for guiding conservation interventions under climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:475-488. [PMID: 32979891 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Impacts of climate change are apparent in natural systems around the world. Many species are and will continue to struggle to persist in their current location as their preferred environment changes. Traditional conservation efforts aiming to prevent local extinctions have focused on two aspects that theoretically enhance genetic diversity-population connectivity and population size-through 'passive interventions' (such as protected areas and connectivity corridors). However, the exceptionally rapid loss of biodiversity that we are experiencing as result of anthropogenic climate change has shifted conservation approaches to more 'active interventions' (such as rewilding, assisted gene flow, assisted evolution, artificial selection, genetic engineering). We integrate genetic/genomic approaches into an evolutionary biology framework in order to discuss with scientists, conservation managers and decision makers about the opportunities and risks of interventions that need careful consideration in order to avoid unwanted evolutionary outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan D Gaitán-Espitia
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, Tas., Australia
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Abstract
Recent assessment reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) have highlighted the risks to humanity arising from the unsustainable use of natural resources. Thus far, land, freshwater, and ocean exploitation have been the chief causes of biodiversity loss. Climate change is projected to be a rapidly increasing additional driver for biodiversity loss. Since climate change and biodiversity loss impact human societies everywhere, bold solutions are required that integrate environmental and societal objectives. As yet, most existing international biodiversity targets have overlooked climate change impacts. At the same time, climate change mitigation measures themselves may harm biodiversity directly. The Convention on Biological Diversity’s post-2020 framework offers the important opportunity to address the interactions between climate change and biodiversity and revise biodiversity targets accordingly by better aligning these with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. We identify the considerable number of existing and proposed post-2020 biodiversity targets that risk being severely compromised due to climate change, even if other barriers to their achievement were removed. Our analysis suggests that the next set of biodiversity targets explicitly addresses climate change-related risks since many aspirational goals will not be feasible under even lower-end projections of future warming. Adopting more flexible and dynamic approaches to conservation, rather than static goals, would allow us to respond flexibly to changes in habitats, genetic resources, species composition, and ecosystem functioning and leverage biodiversity’s capacity to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
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Falaschi M, Scali S, Sacchi R, Mangiacotti M. Data sharing among protected areas shows advantages in habitat suitability modelling performance. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/wr20196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
ContextMost of the effort dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity in the European Union is applied through the establishment and maintenance of the Natura 2000 network, the world’s most extensive network of conservation areas. European Member State must actively manage these sites and report the state of the species listed in the Annexes of the Habitat and Birds Directives. Fulfilling these duties is a challenging task, especially when money available for conservation is limited. Consequently, how to optimise the use of the available economic resources is a primary goal for reserve managers.
AimsIn the present study, we focussed on data-sharing, and we analysed whether data-sharing among institutions may boost the performance of habitat suitability models (HSMs).
MethodsWe collected presence data about three species of reptiles in three different protected areas of northern Italy. Then, we built HSMs under the following two different data-sharing policies: data-sharing of species’ occurrence among the different managers of the protected areas, and not sharing the occurrence data among the different managers. To evaluate how sharing the occurrence data influences the reliability of HSMs in various situations, we compared model performances under several sampling-effort levels.
Key resultsResults show that data-sharing is usually the best strategy. In most cases, models built under the data-sharing (DS) strategy showed better performance than did data-un-sharing (DU) models. The data-sharing strategy showed advantages in model performance, notably at low levels of sampling effort.
ConclusionsOvercoming administrative barriers and share data among different managers of protected areas allows obtaining more biologically meaningful results.
ImplicationsData-sharing among protected areas could allow improving the reliability of future management actions within the Natura 2000 network.
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Identification of Priority Conservation Areas for Protected Rivers Based on Ecosystem Integrity and Authenticity: A Case Study of the Qingzhu River, Southwest China. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su13010323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of protected areas for a river (PARs) is an efficient approach for the conservation of its ecosystem and biodiversity. This study selected the free-flowing Qingzhu River, located in the mountains of southwest China and one of 34 global biodiversity hotspots, as a case study. This study applied the ecosystem approach to develop a model for identifying priority conservation areas for a river (PCARs) based on integrity and authenticity. Three model elements were selected, namely streams, forest and human activity, characterized by three indicators: irreplaceability, tree cover and human activity, respectively. The spatial distributions of these indicators were overlaid according to different weights to generate a map (SCPV) of comprehensive protected value (CPV), which was used to indicate ecosystem integrity and authenticity in the study catchment. Lastly, PCARs were identified by comparing existing protected areas with the calculated SCPV. The application of the model to the Qingzhu River indicated the area of PCARs to be ~71.88 km2, accounting for 15.13% of the total PAR area. Priority reaches for protection were then identified, with many falling within the mainstem of the river in the middle and lower reaches. The total length of priority protected reaches was ~75.97 km, accounting for 49.33% of the total length of the river mainstem within Qingchuan County. This study validated the model at both the theoretical and practical level, confirming that the model is useful for facilitating the precise protection and smart management of rivers.
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Mammola S, Riccardi N, Prié V, Correia R, Cardoso P, Lopes-Lima M, Sousa R. Towards a taxonomically unbiased European Union biodiversity strategy for 2030. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202166. [PMID: 33290682 PMCID: PMC7739930 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Through the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the financial investments of the LIFE projects, Europe has become an experimental arena for biological conservation. With an estimated annual budget of €20 billion, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 has set an ambitious goal of classifying 30% of its land and sea territory as Protected Areas and ensuring no deterioration in conservation trends and the status of protected species. We analysed LIFE projects focused on animals from 1992 to 2018 and found that investment in vertebrates was six times higher than that for invertebrates (€970 versus €150 million), with birds and mammals alone accounting for 72% of species and 75% of the total budget. In relative terms, investment per species towards vertebrates has been 468 times higher than that for invertebrates. Using a trait-based approach, we show that conservation effort is primarily explained by species' popularity rather than extinction risk or body size. Therefore, we propose a roadmap to achieve unbiased conservation targets for 2030 and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), 28922 Verbania Pallanza, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Riccardi
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), 28922 Verbania Pallanza, Italy
| | - Vincent Prié
- Institute of Systematics, Evolution, Biodiversity (ISYEB), National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), CNRS, SU, EPHE, UA, CP 51, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ricardo Correia
- Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science (HELICS), Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
- DBIO and CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus A. C. Simões, Avenida Lourival Melo Mota, Tabuleiro dos Martins, Maceió, 57072-900 Alagoas, Brazil
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Manuel Lopes-Lima
- CIBIO/InBIO—Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ronaldo Sousa
- CBMA—Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campos de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
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Cirigliano A, Mura F, Cecchini A, Tomassetti MC, Maras DF, Di Paola M, Meriggi N, Cavalieri D, Negri R, Quagliariello A, Hallsworth JE, Rinaldi T. Active microbial ecosystem in
Iron‐Age
tombs of the Etruscan civilization. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:3957-3969. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Angela Cirigliano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Francesco Mura
- CNIS – Center for Nanotechnology Applied to Industry of La Sapienza Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Adele Cecchini
- Associazione No Profit ‘Amici Delle Tombe Dipinte di Tarquinia’ Tarquinia Italy
| | | | - Daniele Federico Maras
- Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per l'Area Metropolitana di Roma, la Provincia di Viterbo e l'Etruria Meridionale Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo Rome Italy
| | | | | | | | - Rodolfo Negri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Andrea Quagliariello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science University of Padova Padova Italy
| | - John E. Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast Belfast UK
| | - Teresa Rinaldi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
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Lu Y, Yang Y, Sun B, Yuan J, Yu M, Stenseth NC, Bullock JM, Obersteiner M. Spatial variation in biodiversity loss across China under multiple environmental stressors. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/47/eabd0952. [PMID: 33219032 PMCID: PMC7679164 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd0952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity is essential for the maintenance of ecosystem health and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, the drivers of biodiversity loss and the spatial variation in their impacts are poorly understood. Here, we explore the spatial-temporal distributions of threatened and declining ("biodiversity-loss") species and find that these species are affected by multiple stressors, with climate and human activities being the fundamental shaping forces. There has been large spatial variation in the distribution of threatened species over China's provinces, with the biodiversity of Gansu, Guangdong, Hainan, and Shaanxi provinces severely reduced. With increasing urbanization and industrialization, the expansion of construction and worsening pollution has led to habitat retreat or degradation, and high proportions of amphibians, mammals, and reptiles are threatened. Because distributions of species and stressors vary widely across different climate zones and geographical areas, specific policies and measures are needed for preventing biodiversity loss in different regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonglong Lu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yifu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- School of Environmental & Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Bin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing 10019, China
| | - Jingjing Yuan
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Minzhao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Nils Chr Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 03160 Oslo 3, Norway
| | - James M Bullock
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Michael Obersteiner
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Ecosystem Services and Management Program, Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
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Hu R, Gu Y, Luo M, Lu Z, Wei M, Zhong J. Shifts in bird ranges and conservation priorities in China under climate change. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240225. [PMID: 33031430 PMCID: PMC7544134 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is one of the most significant causes of species range shift and extinction. Based on a citizen science dataset of birds in China, the Bird Report, we developed a high-resolution map of bird species richness in China, and simulated the range shifts and area changes of the 1,042 birds through the year 2070 using three different General Circulation Models and two different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs, including RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5). It was found that 241-244 (under different scenarios) bird species would lose a portion of their distribution ranges; and that most species in China would move to either higher elevations or northward. The other 798-801 species would experience range expansion. Compared to resident species (n = 516), migratory birds (n = 526) may undergo more limited range expansion but a longer range shift distance on average. The species diversity of birds will considerably increase in areas higher than 1,500 m in elevation under both RCPs. Conservation priorities with higher species richness were also identified using the Zonation model. The existing national nature reserves are not sufficient for protecting important bird habitats, especially after range shifts. Significant gaps in protected areas were observed in the northern Xinjiang, southern Tibet, Greater Khingan, Sanjiang Plain, Songnen Plain, northern Bohai Rim, and southeastern coastline areas. Many of these areas are characterized by high human populations and intensive development, and establishing sizable protected areas has become difficult. Inclusive conservation mechanisms that include restoring habitats in urban parks and sharing habitats in farmland areas, may be a feasible solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruocheng Hu
- Center for Nature and Society, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Shan Shui Conservation Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yiyun Gu
- Shan Shui Conservation Center, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Luo
- Center for Nature and Society, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi Lu
- Center for Nature and Society, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Wei
- China Birdwatching Association, Yunnan, Kunming, China
| | - Jia Zhong
- China Birdwatching Association, Yunnan, Kunming, China
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Hanson JO, Marques A, Veríssimo A, Camacho‐Sanchez M, Velo‐Antón G, Martínez‐Solano Í, Carvalho SB. Conservation planning for adaptive and neutral evolutionary processes. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey O. Hanson
- CIBIO/InBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
| | - Adam Marques
- CIBIO/InBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
| | - Ana Veríssimo
- CIBIO/InBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
| | - Miguel Camacho‐Sanchez
- CIBIO/InBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
| | - Guillermo Velo‐Antón
- CIBIO/InBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
| | - Íñigo Martínez‐Solano
- CIBIO/InBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales‐MNCN‐CSIC Madrid Spain
| | - Silvia B. Carvalho
- CIBIO/InBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
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Cazorla BP, Cabello J, Peñas J, Garcillán PP, Reyes A, Alcaraz-Segura D. Incorporating Ecosystem Functional Diversity into Geographic Conservation Priorities Using Remotely Sensed Ecosystem Functional Types. Ecosystems 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-020-00533-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Melotto A, Manenti R, Ficetola GF. Rapid adaptation to invasive predators overwhelms natural gradients of intraspecific variation. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3608. [PMID: 32681028 PMCID: PMC7368066 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17406-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive predators can exert strong selection on native populations. If selection is strong enough, populations could lose the phenotypic variation caused by adaptation to heterogeneous environments. We compare frog tadpoles prior to and 14 years following invasion by crayfish. Prior to the invasion, populations differed in their intrinsic developmental rate, with tadpoles from cold areas reaching metamorphosis sooner than those from warm areas. Following the invasion, tadpoles from invaded populations develop faster than those from non-invaded populations. This ontogenetic shift overwhelmed the intraspecific variation between populations in a few generations, to the point where invaded populations develop at a similar rate regardless of climate. Rapid development can have costs, as fast-developing froglets have a smaller body size and poorer jumping performance, but compensatory growth counteracts some costs of development acceleration. Strong selection by invasive species can disrupt local adaptations by dampening intraspecific phenotypic variation, with complex consequences on lifetime fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Melotto
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, Milano, 20133, Italy.
- Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa.
| | - Raoul Manenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, Milano, 20133, Italy.
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, Milano, 20133, Italy
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA - Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine, F-38000, Grenoble, France
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