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Araújo MB, Alagador D. Expanding European protected areas through rewilding. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3931-3940.e5. [PMID: 39151433 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
Rewilding seeks to address biodiversity loss by restoring trophic interactions and fostering self-regulating ecosystems. Although gaining traction in Europe and North America, the extent to which rewilding can meet post-2020 protected-area targets remains uncertain. We formulated criteria to map suitable areas for rewilding by identifying large tracts of land with minimal human disturbances and the presence of key mammal species. We find that one-quarter of Europe, approximately 117 million hectares (ha), is compatible with our rewilding criteria. Of these, 70% are in cooler climates. Passive rewilding opportunities, focused on managing existing wilderness, are predominant in Scandinavia, Scotland, the Iberian Peninsula, and notably in the Baltic states, Ireland, and southeastern Europe. Active rewilding opportunities, marked by reintroduction of absent trophic guilds, are identified in Corsica, Sardinia, southern France, and parts of the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Our mapping supports European nations in leveraging land abandonment to expand areas for nature conservation, aligning with the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Nevertheless, countries with limited potential for rewilding should consider alternative conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel B Araújo
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural Sciences, CSIC, Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28806 Madrid, Spain; Rui Nabeiro Biodiversity Chair, MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, University of Évora, Largo dos Colegiais, 2, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal.
| | - Diogo Alagador
- Rui Nabeiro Biodiversity Chair, MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, University of Évora, Largo dos Colegiais, 2, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal
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Faure E, Levrel H, Quétier F. Economics of rewilding. AMBIO 2024; 53:1367-1382. [PMID: 38850468 PMCID: PMC11300785 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02019-2] [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: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Rewilding, a concept often defined as an open-ended approach to ecological restoration that aims to establish self-sustaining ecosystems, has gained much interest in recent conservation science and practice. The economic dimensions of rewilding remain understudied, despite repeated calls for research, and we find that synthetic or programmatic contributions to the scientific literature are still missing. Here, we mined Scopus and Web of Science databases through a systematic review, looking for "rewilding" with various economic terms in the peer-reviewed literature, in the English language. We then screened out a 257 references-rich corpus with 14 variables, including the position of rewilding regarding positive and negative economic effects in specific sectors, and geographical or ecological foci. Our corpus amounts to ca. 40% of recent rewilding literature, with a clear emphasis on European study sites and the economic consequences of rewilding initiatives. Rewilding studies often refer to positive economic impacts on tourism and hunting, e.g., through higher income and employment rates, although very few studies properly quantify these. Conversely, most authors find rewilding harms farming, which is threatened by abandonment and damages by wildlife, raising interest in potential EU subsidy regimes. We highlight the surprising paucity of rewilding literature truly focusing on economics and/or providing detailed quantification-with remarkable exceptions. While rewilding's ecological relevance is no longer in question, demonstrating its economic benefits and sustainability will undoubtedly help scaling up. Thus, we advise rewilders to systematically measure and report investments and outcomes of rewilding initiatives, and to adopt common standards for cost and benefit assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Faure
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, CNRS - Univ. Grenoble Alpes - Univ. Savoie Mont-Blanc, Grenoble, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement, AgroParisTech - Cirad - CNRS - EHESS - Ecole des PontsParisTech, Nogent-sur-Marne, France
| | - Harold Levrel
- Université Paris-Saclay, Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement, AgroParisTech - Cirad - CNRS - EHESS - Ecole des PontsParisTech, Nogent-sur-Marne, France.
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Mutillod C, Buisson É, Mahy G, Jaunatre R, Bullock JM, Tatin L, Dutoit T. Ecological restoration and rewilding: two approaches with complementary goals? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:820-836. [PMID: 38346335 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
As we enter the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) and address the urgent need to protect and restore ecosystems and their ecological functions at large scales, rewilding has been brought into the limelight. Interest in this discipline is thus increasing, with a large number of conceptual scientific papers published in recent years. Increasing enthusiasm has led to discussions and debates in the scientific community about the differences between ecological restoration and rewilding. The main goal of this review is to compare and clarify the position of each field. Our results show that despite some differences (e.g. top-down versus bottom-up and functional versus taxonomic approaches) and notably with distinct goals - recovery of a defined historically determined target ecosystem versus recovery of natural processes with often no target endpoint - ecological restoration and rewilding have a common scope: the recovery of ecosystems following anthropogenic degradation. The goals of ecological restoration and rewilding have expanded with the progress of each field. However, it is unclear whether there is a paradigm shift with ecological restoration moving towards rewilding or vice versa. We underline the complementarity in time and in space of ecological restoration and rewilding. To conclude, we argue that reconciliation of these two fields of nature conservation to ensure complementarity could create a synergy to achieve their common scope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Mutillod
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, site Agroparc BP 61207, Avignon Cedex 09, 84911, France
| | - Élise Buisson
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, site Agroparc BP 61207, Avignon Cedex 09, 84911, France
| | - Gregory Mahy
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, site Agroparc BP 61207, Avignon Cedex 09, 84911, France
- Université de Liège, Biodiversité et Paysage, 27 Avenue Maréchal Juin, Gembloux, 5030, Belgique
| | - Renaud Jaunatre
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INRAE, UR LESSEM, St-Martin-d'Hères, F-38402, France
| | - James M Bullock
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, OX10 8BB, Wallingford, UK
| | - Laurent Tatin
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, site Agroparc BP 61207, Avignon Cedex 09, 84911, France
| | - Thierry Dutoit
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, site Agroparc BP 61207, Avignon Cedex 09, 84911, France
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Mitchell C, Bolam J, Bertola LD, Naude VN, Gonçalves da Silva L, Razgour O. Leopard subspecies conservation under climate and land-use change. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11391. [PMID: 38779533 PMCID: PMC11109047 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11391] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Predicting the effects of global environmental changes on species distribution is a top conservation priority, particularly for large carnivores, that contribute to regulating and maintaining ecosystems. As the most widespread and adaptable large felid, ranging across Africa and Asia, leopards are crucial to many ecosystems as both keystone and umbrella species, yet they are threatened across their ranges. We used intraspecific species distribution models (SDMs) to predict changes in range suitability for leopards under future climate and land-use change and identify conservation gaps and opportunities. We generated intraspecific SDMs for the three western leopard subspecies, the African, Panthera pardus pardus; Arabian, Panthera pardus nimr; and Persian, Panthera pardus tulliana, leopards, and overlapped predictions with protected areas (PAs) coverage. We show that leopard subspecies differ in their environmental associations and vulnerability to future changes. The African and Arabian leopards are predicted to lose ~25% and ~14% of their currently suitable range, respectively, while the Persian leopard is predicted to experience ~12% range gains. We found that most areas predicted to be suitable were not protected, with only 4%-16% of the subspecies' ranges falling inside PAs, and that these proportions will decrease in the future. The highly variable responses we found between leopard subspecies highlight the importance of considering intraspecific variation when modelling vulnerability to climate and land-use changes. The predicted decrease in proportion of suitable ranges falling inside PAs threatens global capacity to effectively conserve leopards because survival rates are substantially lower outside PAs due to persecution. Hence, it is important to work with local communities to address negative human-wildlife interactions and to restore habitats to retain landscape connectivity where PA coverage is low. On the other hand, the predicted increase in range suitability across southern Europe presents opportunities for expansion outside of their contemporary range, capitalising on European rewilding schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Vincent N. Naude
- Department of Conservation Ecology and EntomologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
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Kaštovská E, Mastný J, Konvička M. Rewilding by large ungulates contributes to organic carbon storage in soils. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 355:120430. [PMID: 38428182 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120430] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The concept of rewilding, which focuses on managing ecosystem functions through self-regulation by restoring trophic interactions through introduced animal species with little human intervention, has gained increasing attention as a proactive and efficient approach to restoring ecosystems quickly and on a large scale. However, the science of rewilding has been criticized for being largely theory-based rather than evidence-based, with available data being geographically biased towards the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries, and a lack of objective data on rewilding effects on soil processes and C sequestration. In response to a call for data-driven experimental rewilding projects focused on national contexts, we collected unique data on the effects of large herbivore rewilding on soil properties from eight sites in the Czech Republic. These include sites with a wide range of edaphic characteristics that were grazed by Exmoor ponies, European bison, and back-bred Bos primigenius cattle (singly or in combination) for 2-6 years on areas ranging from ≈30 to ≈250 ha. Despite the relatively short duration of rewilding actions and considerable variability in the response rate of soil properties to grazing, our results indicate improved nutrient availability (evidenced by higher nitrification rate or higher soluble nitrogen concentration) and accelerated ecosystem metabolism (higher soil microbial biomass and dissolved carbon content). On longer-grazed pastures, rewilding contributed to soil carbon sequestration associated with increased water holding capacity and improved soil structure. However, other soil properties (reduced dissolved P concentration or total P content) showed signs of low P availability in the soils of the rewilding sites. Therefore, carcass retention should be considered where possible. Our data, although limited in number and geographic coverage, allow us to conclude that large ungulate rewilding has the potential to enhance soil carbon sequestration and related ecosystem services in rewilding areas. At the same time, we urge similar monitoring as an essential part of other rewilding projects, which will ultimately allow much more robust conclusions about the effects of this management on soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Kaštovská
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Jiří Mastný
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Martin Konvička
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Entomology, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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Furlaud JM, Williamson GJ, Bowman DMJS. Mechanical treatments and prescribed burning can reintroduce low-severity fire in southern Australian temperate sclerophyll forests. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 344:118301. [PMID: 37352633 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The establishment of sustainable, low-intensity fire regimes is a pressing global challenge given escalating risk of wildfire driven by climate change. Globally, colonialism and industrialisation have disrupted traditional fire management, such as Indigenous patch burning and silvo-pastoral practices, leading to substantial build-up of fuel and increased fire risk. The disruption of fire regimes in southeastern Tasmania has led to dense even-aged regrowth in wet forests that are prone to crown fires, and dense Allocasuarina-dominated understoreys in dry forests that burn at high intensities. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of several fire management interventions at reducing fire risk. These interventions involved prescribed burning or mechanical understorey removal techniques. We focused on wet and dry Eucalyptus-dominated sclerophyll forests on the slopes of kunanyi/Mt. Wellington in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. We modelled potential fire behaviour in these treated wet and dry forests using fire behaviour equations based on measurements of fuel load, vegetation structure, understorey microclimate and regional meteorological data. We found that (a) fuel treatments were effective in wet and dry forests in reducing fuel load, though each targeted different layers, (b) both mechanical treatments and prescribed burning resulted in slightly drier, and hence more fire prone understorey microclimate, and (c) all treatments reduced predicted subsequent fire severity by roughly 2-4 fold. Our results highlight the importance of reducing fuel loads, even though fuel treatments make forest microclimates drier, and hence fuel more flammable. Our finding of the effectiveness of mechanical treatments in lowering fire risk enables managers to reduce fuels without the risk of uncontrolled fires and smoke pollution that is associated with prescribed burning. Understanding the economic and ecological costs and benefits of mechanic treatment compared to prescribed burning requires further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Furlaud
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia; CSIRO Environment, Private Bag 44, Winnellie, NT 0821, Australia.
| | - Grant J Williamson
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - David M J S Bowman
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
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Fletcher RJ, O'Brien A, Hall TF, Jones M, Potash AD, Kruger L, Simelane P, Roques K, Monadjem A, McCleery RA. Frightened of giants: fear responses to elephants approach that of predators. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230202. [PMID: 37817576 PMCID: PMC10565413 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals are faced with a variety of dangers or threats, which are increasing in frequency with ongoing environmental change. While our understanding of fearfulness of such dangers is growing in the context of predation and parasitism risk, the extent to which non-trophic, interspecific dangers elicit fear in animals remains less appreciated. We provide an experimental test for fear responses of savannah ungulates to a dominant and aggressive megaherbivore, the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), and contrast responses to an apex predator known to elicit fear in this system. Using an automated behavioural response system, we contrast vigilance and run responses of ungulates to elephant, leopard (Panthera pardus), and control (red-chested cuckoo Cuculus solitarius) vocalizations. Overall, we find that ungulates responded to elephant calls, both in terms of an increase in run and vigilance responses relative to controls. The magnitude of most behavioural responses (four of six considered) to elephant vocalizations were not significantly different than responses to leopards. These results suggest that megaherbivores can elicit strong non-trophic fear responses by ungulates and call to broaden frameworks on fear to consider dominant species, such as megaherbivores, as key modifiers of fear-induced interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Amanda O'Brien
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Timothy F. Hall
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Maggie Jones
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Alex D. Potash
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Phumlile Simelane
- All Out Africa, Savannah Research Centre, Mbuluzi Game Reserve, Lubombo, Eswatini
| | - Kim Roques
- All Out Africa, Savannah Research Centre, Mbuluzi Game Reserve, Lubombo, Eswatini
| | - Ara Monadjem
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Eswatini
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Robert A. McCleery
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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Massenberg JR, Schiller J, Schröter‐Schlaack C. Towards a holistic approach to rewilding in cultural landscapes. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Julian R. Massenberg
- Department Economics Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Johannes Schiller
- Department Economics Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ Leipzig Germany
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Pardi MI, DeSantis LRG. Interpreting spatially explicit variation in dietary proxies through species distribution modeling reveals foraging preferences of mammoth (Mammuthus) and American mastodon (Mammut americanum). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1064299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionThe end Pleistocene was a time of considerable ecological upheaval. Recent work has explored the megafauna extinction’s role in altering ecosystem processes. Analyses of functional traits withing communities reveal hidden consequences of the megafauna extinction beyond declines in taxonomic diversity. Functional diversity analyses offer new insight into our understanding of past ecosystems and may even inform future rewilding efforts. However, the utility of functional diversity may be hampered by the use of discrete, taxon-level functional traits, such as dietary categories, that mask variation in functional diversity over space and time.MethodsWe present an approach in which species distribution modeling, in Maxent, provides context for interpreting variation in two widely used proxies for diet among fossil taxa: stable isotope analysis and dental microwear texture analysis. We apply this approach to two ecologically distinct taxa, the American mastodon (Mammut americanum) and mammoths (Mammuthus) and investigate their resource use over space and time from the last glacial maximum to the end Pleistocene (25–11.7 thousand years before present).ResultsMammoth dietary behavior varies by context across their geographic distribution, despite possessing evolutionary adaptations that facilitate grazing. Mammoths exhibit a preference for grazing where species distribution modeling predicts the highest likelihood of occurrence but engage in more mixed-feeding outside of core likelihood areas. In contrast, dietary preferences for mastodon are less resolved and our analyses were unable to identify significant differences in diet across their distribution.DiscussionThe ecological roles of some species are context specific and need to be critically evaluated when planning for management of reintroductions or introducing novel species to restore lost ecological function.
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Hatfield JH, Davis KE, Thomas CD. Lost, gained, and regained functional and phylogenetic diversity of European mammals since 8000 years ago. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:5283-5293. [PMID: 35748709 PMCID: PMC9540530 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Mammals have experienced high levels of human-mediated extirpations but have also been widely introduced to new locations, and some have recovered from historic persecution. Both of these processes-losses and gains-have resulted in concern about functional losses and changes in ecological communities as new ecological states develop. The question of whether species turnover inevitably leads to declines in functional and phylogenetic diversity depends, however, on the traits and phylogenetic distinctiveness of the species that are lost, gained, or regained. Comparing ~8000 years ago with the last century, we show that extirpations and range retractions have indeed reduced the functional and phylogenetic diversity of mammals in most European regions (countries and island groups), but species recoveries and the introduction of non-native species have increased functional and phylogenetic diversity by equivalent or greater amounts in many regions. Overall, across Europe, species richness increased in 41 regions over the last 8000 years and declined in 1; phylogenetic diversity increased in 33 and declined in 12, while functional diversity results showed 20 increases and 25 decreases. The balance of losses (extirpations) and gains (introductions, range expansions) has, however, led to net increases in functional diversity on many islands, where the original diversity was low, and across most of western Europe. Historically extirpated mega- and mesofaunal species have recolonized or been reintroduced to many European regions, contributing to recent functional and phylogenetic diversity recovery. If conservation rewilding projects continue to reintroduce regionally extirpated species and domestic descendants of "extinct" species to provide replacement grazing, browsing, and predation, there is potential to generate net functional and phylogenetic diversity gains (relative to 8000 years ago) in most European regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack H. Hatfield
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene BiodiversityUniversity of YorkYorkUK
- Department of BiologyUniversity of YorkYorkUK
| | | | - Chris D. Thomas
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene BiodiversityUniversity of YorkYorkUK
- Department of BiologyUniversity of YorkYorkUK
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Cidrás D, Paül V. Rewilding Shouldn’t Be Reactive: Fragas do Eume Natural Park in the Face of an Invasive Alien Species. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Munstermann MJ, Heim NA, McCauley DJ, Payne JL, Upham NS, Wang SC, Knope ML. A global ecological signal of extinction risk in terrestrial vertebrates. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13852. [PMID: 34668599 PMCID: PMC9299904 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
To determine the distribution and causes of extinction threat across functional groups of terrestrial vertebrates, we assembled an ecological trait data set for 18,016 species of terrestrial vertebrates and utilized phylogenetic comparative methods to test which categories of habitat association, mode of locomotion, and feeding mode best predicted extinction risk. We also examined the individual categories of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List extinction drivers (e.g., agriculture and logging) threatening each species and determined the greatest threats for each of the four terrestrial vertebrate groups. We then quantified the sum of extinction drivers threatening each species to provide a multistressor perspective on threat. Cave dwelling amphibians (p < 0.01), arboreal quadrupedal mammals (all of which are primates) (p < 0.01), aerial and scavenging birds (p < 0.01), and pedal (i.e., walking) squamates (p < 0.01) were all disproportionately threatened with extinction in comparison with the other assessed ecological traits. Across all threatened vertebrate species in the study, the most common risk factors were agriculture, threatening 4491 species, followed by logging, threatening 3187 species, and then invasive species and disease, threatening 2053 species. Species at higher risk of extinction were simultaneously at risk from a greater number of threat types. If left unabated, the disproportionate loss of species with certain functional traits and increasing anthropogenic pressures are likely to disrupt ecosystem functions globally. A shift in focus from species- to trait-centric conservation practices will allow for protection of at-risk functional diversity from regional to global scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya J. Munstermann
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Hawaii at HiloHiloHawaiiUSA
- Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Graduate ProgramUniversity of Hawaii at HiloHiloHawaiiUSA
| | - Noel A. Heim
- Department of Earth & Ocean SciencesTufts UniversityMedfordMassachusettsUSA
| | - Douglas J. McCauley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology and Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jonathan L. Payne
- Department of Geological SciencesStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Nathan S. Upham
- School of Life SciencesArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - Steve C. Wang
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsSwarthmore CollegeSwarthmorePennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Matthew L. Knope
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Hawaii at HiloHiloHawaiiUSA
- Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Graduate ProgramUniversity of Hawaii at HiloHiloHawaiiUSA
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Jepson PR. To capitalise on the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, we need institutional redesign to empower advances in restoration ecology and rewilding. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Kaltenborn BP, Linnell JDC. The Coexistence Potential of Different Wildlife Conservation Frameworks in a Historical Perspective. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.711480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife management in contemporary society means balancing multiple demands in shared landscapes. Perhaps the greatest question facing today's policy makers and wildlife professionals is how to develop frameworks for coexistence between wildlife and the plethora of other land use interests. As a profession, the roots of wildlife management and conservation can be traced back to the 1600's, but most of the relevant frameworks that have shaped the management of wildlife over time have emerged after the mid-1800's and particularly since the 1960's. Here we examine the historical development of the main traits and concepts of a number of management and conservation frameworks that have all contributed to the multifaceted field of contemporary wildlife management and conservation in Europe and North America. We outline a chronology of concepts and ideologies with their underlying key ideas, values, and operational indicators, and make an assessment of the potential of each paradigm as a coexistence framework for dealing with wildlife. We tie this to a discussion of ethics and argue that the lack of unity in approaches is deeply embedded in the differences between rule-based (deontological) vs. results-based (consequentialist) or context dependent (particularist) ethics. We suggest that some of the conflicts between ideologies, value sets and frameworks can be resolved as an issue of scale and possibly zonation in shared landscapes. We also argue that approaches built on anthropocentrism, value pluralism and environmental pragmatism are most likely to succeed in complex socio-political landscapes. However, we caution against moral relativism and the belief that all types of cultural values are equally valid as a basis for contemporary wildlife management.
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Carver S, Convery I, Hawkins S, Beyers R, Eagle A, Kun Z, Van Maanen E, Cao Y, Fisher M, Edwards SR, Nelson C, Gann GD, Shurter S, Aguilar K, Andrade A, Ripple WJ, Davis J, Sinclair A, Bekoff M, Noss R, Foreman D, Pettersson H, Root-Bernstein M, Svenning JC, Taylor P, Wynne-Jones S, Featherstone AW, Fløjgaard C, Stanley-Price M, Navarro LM, Aykroyd T, Parfitt A, Soulé M. Guiding principles for rewilding. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1882-1893. [PMID: 33728690 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
There has been much recent interest in the concept of rewilding as a tool for nature conservation, but also confusion over the idea, which has limited its utility. We developed a unifying definition and 10 guiding principles for rewilding through a survey of 59 rewilding experts, a summary of key organizations' rewilding visions, and workshops involving over 100 participants from around the world. The guiding principles convey that rewilding exits on a continuum of scale, connectivity, and level of human influence and aims to restore ecosystem structure and functions to achieve a self-sustaining autonomous nature. These principles clarify the concept of rewilding and improve its effectiveness as a tool to achieve global conservation targets, including those of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Finally, we suggest differences in rewilding perspectives lie largely in the extent to which it is seen as achievable and in specific interventions. An understanding of the context of rewilding projects is the key to success, and careful site-specific interpretations will help achieve the aims of rewilding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Carver
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Ian Convery
- National School of Forestry, University of Cumbria, UK
| | - Sally Hawkins
- Institute of Science, Natural Resources and Outdoor Studies, University of Cumbria, UK
| | - Rene Beyers
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Yue Cao
- Institute for National Parks, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Mark Fisher
- Wildland Research Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | - Cara Nelson
- W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, USA
| | - George D Gann
- The Institute for Regional Conservation, Delray Beach, Florida, USA
- Society for Ecological Restoration, Washington, D.C., USA
| | | | - Karina Aguilar
- Agencia Metropolitana de Bosques Urbanos del AMG, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Angela Andrade
- Commission for Ecosystem Management, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland
- Conservation International Colombia, Bogota, Colombia
| | - William J Ripple
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - John Davis
- The Rewilding Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Anthony Sinclair
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marc Bekoff
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Reed Noss
- Florida Institute for Conservation Science, Melrose, Florida, USA
| | - Dave Foreman
- The Rewilding Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Hanna Pettersson
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Meredith Root-Bernstein
- UMR CESCO, CNRS, Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
- Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Santiago, Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Taylor
- Wildland Research Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Laetitia M Navarro
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | | | - Alison Parfitt
- Wildland Research Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Michael Soulé
- Society for Conservation Biology, Washington, D.C., USA
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16
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Petrelli S, Buglione M, Maselli V, Troiano C, Larson G, Frantz L, Manin A, Ricca E, Baccigalupi L, Wright D, Pietri C, Fulgione D. Population genomic, olfactory, dietary, and gut microbiota analyses demonstrate the unique evolutionary trajectory of feral pigs. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:220-237. [PMID: 34676935 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Domestication is an intriguing evolutionary process. Many domestic populations are subjected to strong human-mediated selection, and when some individuals return to the wild, they are again subjected to selective forces associated with new environments. Generally, these feral populations evolve into something different from their wild predecessors and their members typically possess a combination of both wild and human selected traits. Feralisation can manifest in different forms on a spectrum from a wild to a domestic phenotype. This depends on how the rewilded domesticated populations can readapt to natural environments based on how much potential and flexibility the ancestral genome retains after its domestication signature. Whether feralisation leads to the evolution of new traits that do not exist in the wild or to convergence with wild forms, however, remains unclear. To address this question, we performed population genomic, olfactory, dietary, and gut microbiota analyses on different populations of Sus scrofa (wild boar, hybrid, feral and several domestic pig breeds). Porcine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) analysis shows that the feral population represents a cluster distinctly separate from all others. Its members display signatures of past artificial selection, as demonstrated by values of FST in specific regions of the genome and bottleneck signature, such as the number and length of runs of homozygosity. Generalised FST values, reacquired olfactory abilities, diet, and gut microbiota variation show current responses to natural selection. Our results suggest that feral pigs are an independent evolutionary unit which can persist so long as levels of human intervention remain unchanged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Petrelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Buglione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Maselli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudia Troiano
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Greger Larson
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Laurent Frantz
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Aurelie Manin
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ezio Ricca
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Loredana Baccigalupi
- Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Dominic Wright
- IFM Biology, AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Christian Pietri
- Fédération Départementale des Chasseurs de Haute-Corse (FDCHC), Résidence Nouvelle-Corniche, St Joseph, Bastia, France
| | - Domenico Fulgione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
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17
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Boyce PN, McLoughlin PD. Ecological Interactions Involving Feral Horses and Predators: Review with Implications for Biodiversity Conservation. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul N. Boyce
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan 112 Science Place Saskatoon SK S7N 5E2 Canada
| | - Philip D. McLoughlin
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan 112 Science Place Saskatoon SK S7N 5E2 Canada
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18
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Dempsey B. Everything under control? Comparing Knepp Estate rewilding project with 'traditional' nature conservation. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0241160. [PMID: 34061859 PMCID: PMC8168866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
'Rewilding' is an increasingly prominent concept in conservation, but one that has attracted controversy. Debate frequently focuses on human 'control' over nature. 'Traditional' conservation has been presented as involving 'high control,' and rewilding as 'low control.' Opposition to rewilding often stems from a perceived lack of control and associated perception of increased risk and uncertainty. This paper explores the concept of control in conservation. I identify multiple dimensions of control ('stabilisation', 'location', 'prediction' and 'outputs'), illustrating that control is not a simple, linear concept. I compare two ethnographic case studies: the Sussex Wildlife Trust's Old Lodge nature reserve; and Knepp Estate, one of the most influential rewilding projects in the UK. I use them to test assertions made about control in 'traditional' conservation and 'rewilding'. I outline how Old Lodge does not exert precise control in all respects, but involves elements of uncertainty and negotiation. I describe how Knepp's model of rewilding reduces control in some dimensions but potentially increases it in others. I conclude that, while Knepp's rewilding does represent a significant conceptual departure from 'traditional' conservation, it should not be characterised as an approach that reduces control in a simplistic way. Based on this analysis, I argue that reduction of control does not necessarily underpin the concept of rewilding. Rather, there is interplay between different control dimensions that combine to form multiple 'configurations of control.' Using a framework of 'configurations of control', debate about the place of rewilding in conservation can become less polarised, and instead involve an active discussion of what configuration of control is desired. This analysis has the potential to increase understanding of rewilding projects as part of plural conservation strategies, in the UK and globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict Dempsey
- Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom
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19
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Hirashiki C, Kareiva P, Marvier M. Concern over hybridization risks should not preclude conservation interventions. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Hirashiki
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles California USA
| | | | - Michelle Marvier
- Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences Santa Clara University Santa Clara California USA
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20
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Gordon IJ, Manning AD, Navarro LM, Rouet-Leduc J. Domestic Livestock and Rewilding: Are They Mutually Exclusive? FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.550410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human influence extends across the globe, from the tallest mountains to the deep bottom of the oceans. There is a growing call for nature to be protected from the negative impacts of human activity (particularly intensive agriculture); so-called “land sparing”. A relatively new approach is “rewilding”, defined as the restoration of self-sustaining and complex ecosystems, with interlinked ecological processes that promote and support one another while minimising or gradually reducing human intervention. The key theoretical basis of rewilding is to return ecosystems to a “natural” or “self-willed” state with trophic complexity, dispersal (and connectivity) and stochastic disturbance in place. However, this is constrained by context-specific factors whereby it may not be possible to restore the native species that formed part of the trophic structure of the ecosystem if they are extinct (e.g., mammoths, Mammuthus spp., aurochs, Bos primigenius); and, populations/communities of native herbivores/predators may not be able to survive or be acceptable to the public in small scale rewilding projects close to areas of high human density. Therefore, the restoration of natural trophic complexity and disturbance regimes within rewilding projects requires careful consideration if the broader conservation needs of society are to be met. In some circumstances, managers will require a more flexible deliberate approach to intervening in rewilding projects using the range of tools in their toolbox (e.g., controlled burning regimes; using domestic livestock to replicate the impacts of extinct herbivore species), even if this is only in the early stages of the rewilding process. If this approach is adopted, then larger areas can be given over to conservation, because of the potential broader benefits to society from these spaces and the engagement of farmers in practises that are closer to their traditions. We provide examples, primarily European, where domestic and semi-domestic livestock are used by managers as part of their rewilding toolbox. Here managers have looked at the broader phenotype of livestock species as to their suitability in different rewilding systems. We assess whether there are ways of using livestock in these systems for conservation, economic (e.g., branded or certified livestock products) and cultural gains.
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21
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Clark TJ, Vick B, Newton J, Marengo I, Wakefield ED. A wolf in fox's clothing? Using stable isotopes to quantify ecological replacement. Conserv Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- T. J. Clark
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | - Bugge Vick
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Jason Newton
- NERC National Environmental Isotope Facility Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre East Kilbride UK
| | - Ilaria Marengo
- SAERI – South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute Stanley Falkland Islands, UK
| | - Ewan D. Wakefield
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
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22
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Quinn A. Transparency and secrecy in citizen science: Lessons from herping. STUDIES IN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE 2021; 85:208-217. [PMID: 33966777 DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2020.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this paper I will outline a worry that citizen science can promote a kind of transparency that is harmful. I argue for the value of secrecy in citizen science. My argument will consist of analysis of a particular community (herpers), a particular citizen science platform (iNaturalist, drawing contrasts with other platforms), and my own travels in citizen science. I aim to avoid a simple distinction between science versus non-science, and instead analyze herping as a rich practice [MacIntyre, 2007]. Herping exemplifies citizen science as functioning simultaneously within and outside the sphere of science. I show that herpers have developed communal systems of transmitting and protecting knowledge. Ethical concerns about secrecy are inherently linked to these systems of knowledge. My over-arching aim is to urge caution in the drive to transparency, as the concepts of transparency and secrecy merit close scrutiny. The concerns I raise are complementary to those suggested by previous philosophical work, and (I argue) resist straightforward solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleta Quinn
- Department of Politics and Philosophy, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3165, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA.
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23
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Lundgren EJ, Schowanek SD, Rowan J, Middleton O, Pedersen RØ, Wallach AD, Ramp D, Davis M, Sandom CJ, Svenning JC. Functional traits of the world's late Quaternary large-bodied avian and mammalian herbivores. Sci Data 2021; 8:17. [PMID: 33473149 PMCID: PMC7817692 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-020-00788-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Prehistoric and recent extinctions of large-bodied terrestrial herbivores had significant and lasting impacts on Earth's ecosystems due to the loss of their distinct trait combinations. The world's surviving large-bodied avian and mammalian herbivores remain among the most threatened taxa. As such, a greater understanding of the ecological impacts of large herbivore losses is increasingly important. However, comprehensive and ecologically-relevant trait datasets for extinct and extant herbivores are lacking. Here, we present HerbiTraits, a comprehensive functional trait dataset for all late Quaternary terrestrial avian and mammalian herbivores ≥10 kg (545 species). HerbiTraits includes key traits that influence how herbivores interact with ecosystems, namely body mass, diet, fermentation type, habitat use, and limb morphology. Trait data were compiled from 557 sources and comprise the best available knowledge on late Quaternary large-bodied herbivores. HerbiTraits provides a tool for the analysis of herbivore functional diversity both past and present and its effects on Earth's ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick J Lundgren
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia.
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Simon D Schowanek
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - John Rowan
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Owen Middleton
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Sussex, UK
| | - Rasmus Ø Pedersen
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Arian D Wallach
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | - Daniel Ramp
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | - Matt Davis
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | | | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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24
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Garrido P, Edenius L, Mikusiński G, Skarin A, Jansson A, Thulin CG. Experimental rewilding may restore abandoned wood-pastures if policy allows. AMBIO 2021; 50:101-112. [PMID: 32152907 PMCID: PMC7708577 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-020-01320-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Large herbivores play key roles in terrestrial ecosystems. Continuous defaunation processes have produced cascade effects on plant community composition, vegetation structure, and even climate. Wood-pastures were created by traditional management practices that have maintained open structures and biodiversity for millennia. In Europe, despite the broad recognition of their biological importance, such landscapes are declining due to land-use changes. This calls for finding urgent solutions for wood-pasture conservation. To test whether introducing an ecological replacement of an extinct wild horse could have positive effects on wood-pasture restoration, we designed a 3-year rewilding experiment. Horses created a more open wood-pasture structure by browsing on seedlings and saplings, affected tree composition via selective browsing and controlled the colonization of woody vegetation in grassland-dominated areas. Thus, rewilding could be a potential avenue for wood-pasture restoration and biodiversity conservation. However, such benefits may not materialize without a necessary paradigm and political shift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Garrido
- School for Forest Management, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 21 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Edenius
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Grzegorz Mikusiński
- School for Forest Management, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 21 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Anna Skarin
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Jansson
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Carl-Gustaf Thulin
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
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25
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Klop‐Toker K, Clulow S, Shuttleworth C, Hayward MW. Are novel ecosystems the only novelty of rewilding? Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaya Klop‐Toker
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Callaghan New South Wales Australia
| | - Simon Clulow
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Callaghan New South Wales Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | | | - Matt W. Hayward
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Callaghan New South Wales Australia
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
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26
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Abstract
Large-bodied mammalian herbivores dominated Earth's terrestrial ecosystems for several million years before undergoing substantial extinctions and declines during the Late Pleistocene (LP) due to prehistoric human impacts. The decline of large herbivores led to widespread ecological changes due to the loss of their ecological functions, as driven by their unique combinations of traits. However, recently, humans have significantly increased herbivore species richness through introductions in many parts of the world, potentially counteracting LP losses. Here, we assessed the extent to which introduced herbivore species restore lost-or contribute novel-functions relative to preextinction LP assemblages. We constructed multidimensional trait spaces using a trait database for all extant and extinct mammalian herbivores ≥10 kg known from the earliest LP (∼130,000 ybp) to the present day. Extinction-driven contractions of LP trait space have been offset through introductions by ∼39% globally. Analysis of trait space overlap reveals that assemblages with introduced species are overall more similar to those of the LP than native-only assemblages. This is because 64% of introduced species are more similar to extinct rather than extant species within their respective continents. Many introduced herbivores restore trait combinations that have the capacity to influence ecosystem processes, such as wildfire and shrub expansion in drylands. Although introduced species have long been a source of contention, our findings indicate that they may, in part, restore ecological functions reflective of the past several million years before widespread human-driven extinctions.
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27
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Thierry H, Rogers H. Where to rewild? A conceptual framework to spatially optimize ecological function. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20193017. [PMID: 32126955 PMCID: PMC7126074 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.3017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Rewilding is an approach aiming at restoring ecosystems to a self-sustaining state by restoring ecological function through active reintroductions or passive management. Locations for most rewilding-through-reintroduction efforts today are selected based on the suitability of the habitat for the reintroduced species, often with little consideration of where the ecological function is most needed. We developed the Spatial Planning of Rewilding Effort (Spore) framework to identify priority locations for rewilding projects through simultaneous consideration of habitat suitability and provisioning of ecological function. We use the island of Guam as a case study for a potential rewilding project, as the island has functionally lost all native seed dispersers as a result of the invasive brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis). The Såli (Micronesian starling, Aplonis opaca) is a good candidate for rewilding to restore ecological function, because it is an effective seed disperser with a localized remnant population. Using Spore, we identify three priority areas for the restoration of seed dispersal, each subdivided into management units. By recognizing the influence of landscape structure and the behaviour of the reintroduced species on the spatial pattern of the function provided by that species, this approach should lead to improved ecological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Thierry
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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28
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Shurin JB, Aranguren-Riaño N, Duque Negro D, Echeverri Lopez D, Jones NT, Laverde-R O, Neu A, Pedroza Ramos A. Ecosystem effects of the world's largest invasive animal. Ecology 2020; 101:e02991. [PMID: 31994172 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The keystone roles of mega-fauna in many terrestrial ecosystems have been lost to defaunation. Large predators and herbivores often play keystone roles in their native ranges, and some have established invasive populations in new biogeographic regions. However, few empirical examples are available to guide expectations about how mega-fauna affect ecosystems in novel environmental and evolutionary contexts. We examined the impacts on aquatic ecosystems of an emerging population of hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibus) that has been growing in Colombia over the last 25 yr. Hippos in Africa fertilize lakes and rivers by grazing on land and excreting wastes in the water. Stable isotopes indicate that terrestrial sources contribute more carbon in Colombian lakes containing hippo populations, and daily dissolved oxygen cycles suggest that their presence stimulates ecosystem metabolism. Phytoplankton communities were more dominated by cyanobacteria in lakes with hippos, and bacteria, zooplankton, and benthic invertebrate communities were similar regardless of hippo presence. Our results suggest that hippos recapitulate their role as ecosystem engineers in Colombia, importing terrestrial organic matter and nutrients with detectable impacts on ecosystem metabolism and community structure in the early stages of invasion. Ongoing range expansion may pose a threat to water resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan B Shurin
- Section of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093-0116, USA
| | - Nelson Aranguren-Riaño
- Unidad de Ecología en Sistemas Acuáticos-UDESA, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Avenida Central del Norte 39-115, Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia
| | - Daniel Duque Negro
- Unidad de Ecología en Sistemas Acuáticos-UDESA, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Avenida Central del Norte 39-115, Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia
| | - David Echeverri Lopez
- Corporación Autónoma Regional de las Cuencas de los Ríos Negros y Nare-CORNARE, Calle 13, No. 9-29, Municipio de la Unión, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Natalie T Jones
- Section of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093-0116, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Oscar Laverde-R
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Sede Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Alexander Neu
- Section of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093-0116, USA
| | - Adriana Pedroza Ramos
- Unidad de Ecología en Sistemas Acuáticos-UDESA, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Avenida Central del Norte 39-115, Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia
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29
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Macias-Fauria M, Jepson P, Zimov N, Malhi Y. Pleistocene Arctic megafaunal ecological engineering as a natural climate solution? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190122. [PMID: 31983339 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural climate solutions (NCS) in the Arctic hold the potential to be implemented at a scale able to substantially affect the global climate. The strong feedbacks between carbon-rich permafrost, climate and herbivory suggest an NCS consisting of reverting the current wet/moist moss and shrub-dominated tundra and the sparse forest-tundra ecotone to grassland through a guild of large herbivores. Grassland-dominated systems might delay permafrost thaw and reduce carbon emissions-especially in Yedoma regions, while increasing carbon capture through increased productivity and grass and forb deep root systems. Here we review the environmental context of megafaunal ecological engineering in the Arctic; explore the mechanisms through which it can help mitigate climate change; and estimate its potential-based on bison and horse, with the aim of evaluating the feasibility of generating an ecosystem shift that is economically viable in terms of carbon benefits and of sufficient scale to play a significant role in global climate change mitigation. Assuming a megafaunal-driven ecosystem shift we find support for a megafauna-based arctic NCS yielding substantial income in carbon markets. However, scaling up such projects to have a significant effect on the global climate is challenging given the large number of animals required over a short period of time. A first-cut business plan is presented based on practical information-costs and infrastructure-from Pleistocene Park (northeastern Yakutia, Russia). A 10 yr experimental phase incorporating three separate introductions of herds of approximately 1000 individuals each is costed at US$114 million, with potential returns of approximately 0.3-0.4% yr-1 towards the end of the period, and greater than 1% yr-1 after it. Institutional friction and the potential role of new technologies in the reintroductions are discussed. This article is part of the theme issue 'Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Macias-Fauria
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul Jepson
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Ecosulis Ltd., Bath, UK
| | - Nikita Zimov
- Northeast Science Station, Pacific Institute for Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Cherskii, Russia
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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30
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Wilcox JJS, Boissinot S, Idaghdour Y. Falcon genomics in the context of conservation, speciation, and human culture. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:14523-14537. [PMID: 31938538 PMCID: PMC6953694 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we review the diversity, evolutionary history, and genomics of falcons in the context of their conservation and interactions with humans, and provide a perspective on how new genomic approaches may be applied to expand our knowledge of these topics. For millennia, humans and falcons (genus Falco) have developed unique relationships through falconry, religious rituals, conservation efforts, and human lifestyle transitions. From an evolutionary perspective, falcons remain an enigma. Having experienced several recent radiations, they have reached an unparalleled and almost global distribution, with an intrageneric species richness that is roughly an order of magnitude higher than typical within their family (Falconidae) and across other birds (Phylum: Aves). This diversity has evolved in the context of unusual genomic architecture that includes unique chromosomal rearrangements, relatively low chromosome counts, extremely low microdeletion rates, and high levels of nuclear mitochondrial DNA segments (NUMTs). These genomic peculiarities combine with high levels of ecological and organismal diversity and a legacy of human interactions to make falcons obvious candidates for evolutionary studies, providing unique research opportunities in common topics, including chromosomal evolution, the mechanics of speciation, local adaptation, domestication, and urban adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J. S. Wilcox
- Center for Genomics & Systems BiologyNew York University Abu DhabiAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Stéphane Boissinot
- Center for Genomics & Systems BiologyNew York University Abu DhabiAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
- Program in BiologyNew York University Abu DhabiAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Youssef Idaghdour
- Center for Genomics & Systems BiologyNew York University Abu DhabiAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
- Program in BiologyNew York University Abu DhabiAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
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31
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Turvey ST, Saupe EE. Insights from the past: unique opportunity or foreign country? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190208. [PMID: 31679483 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel T Turvey
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Erin E Saupe
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK
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32
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Russell JC, Kaiser-Bunbury CN. Consequences of Multispecies Introductions on Island Ecosystems. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2019. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110218-024942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The rate of non-native species introductions continues to increase, with directionality from continents to islands. It is no longer single species but entire networks of coevolved and newly interacting continental species that are establishing on islands. The consequences of multispecies introductions on the population dynamics and interactions of native and introduced species will depend on the form of trophic limitation on island ecosystems. Freed from biotic constraints in their native range, species introduced to islands no longer experience top-down limitation, instead becoming limited by and disrupting bottom-up processes that dominate on resource-limited islands. This framing of the ecological and evolutionary relationships among introduced species with one another and their ecosystem has important consequences for conservation. Whereas on continents the focus of conservation is on restoring native apex species and top-down limitation, on islands the focus must instead be on removing introduced animal and plant species to restore bottom-up limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C. Russell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Christopher N. Kaiser-Bunbury
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
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33
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Root‐Bernstein M, Ladle R. Ecology of a widespread large omnivore, Homo sapiens, and its impacts on ecosystem processes. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:10874-10894. [PMID: 31641442 PMCID: PMC6802023 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Discussions of defaunation and taxon substitution have concentrated on megafaunal herbivores and carnivores, but mainly overlooked the particular ecological importance of megafaunal omnivores. In particular, the Homo spp. have been almost completely ignored in this context, despite the extinction of all but one hominin species present since the Plio-Pleistocene. Large omnivores have a particular set of ecological functions reflecting their foraging flexibility and the varied disturbances they create, functions that may maintain ecosystem stability and resilience. Here, we put the ecology of Homo sapiens in the context of comparative interspecific ecological roles and impacts, focusing on the large omnivore guild, as well as comparative intraspecific variation, focusing on hunter-gatherers.We provide an overview of the functional traits of H. sapiens, which can be used to spontaneously provide the functions for currently ecologically extinct or endangered ecosystem processes. We consider the negative impacts of variations in H. sapiens phenotypic strategies, its possible status as an invasive species, and the potential to take advantage of its learning capacities to decouple negative and positive impacts.We provide examples of how practices related to foraging, transhumance, and hunting could contribute to rewilding-inspired programs either drawing on hunter-gatherer baselines of H. sapiens, or as proxies for extinct or threatened large omnivores. We propose that a greater focus on intraspecific ecological variation and interspecific comparative ecology of H. sapiens can provide new avenues for conservation and ecological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith Root‐Bernstein
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Institute of Ecology and BiodiversitySantiagoChile
- UMR Sciences pour l'Action et le Développement, Activités, Produits, TerritoiresINRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris‐SaclayThiverval‐GrignonFrance
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES)SantiagoChile
| | - Richard Ladle
- School of Science and HealthFederal University of AlagoasAlagoasBrazil
- School of Geography and the EnvironmentOxford UniversityOxfordUK
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34
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Toit JT, Pettorelli N. The differences between rewilding and restoring an ecologically degraded landscape. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Johan T. Toit
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan UT USA
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35
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Derham TT, Duncan RP, Johnson CN, Jones ME. Hope and caution: rewilding to mitigate the impacts of biological invasions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2018.0127. [PMID: 30348875 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Rewilding is a novel approach to ecological restoration. Trophic rewilding in particular aims to reinstate ecological functions, especially trophic interactions, through the introduction of animals. We consider the potential for trophic rewilding to address biological invasions. In this broad review, we note some of the important conceptual and ethical foundations of rewilding, including a focus on ecosystem function rather than composition, reliance on animal agency, and an appeal to an ethic of coexistence. Second, we use theory from invasion biology to highlight pathways by which rewilding might prevent or mitigate the impacts of an invasion, including increasing biotic resistance. Third, we use a series of case studies to illustrate how reintroductions can mitigate the impacts of invasions. These include reintroductions and positive management of carnivores and herbivores including European pine martens (Martes martes), Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra), dingoes (Canis dingo), Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) and tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes). Fourth, we consider the risk that rewilding may enable a biological invasion or aggravate its impacts. Lastly, we highlight lessons that rewilding science might take from invasion biology.This article is part of the theme issue 'Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan T Derham
- School of Natural Sciences and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Richard P Duncan
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Christopher N Johnson
- School of Natural Sciences and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Menna E Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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36
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Jarvie S, Svenning JC. Using species distribution modelling to determine opportunities for trophic rewilding under future scenarios of climate change. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170446. [PMID: 30348873 PMCID: PMC6231076 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Trophic rewilding, the (re)introduction of species to promote self-regulating biodiverse ecosystems, is a future-oriented approach to ecological restoration. In the twenty-first century and beyond, human-mediated climate change looms as a major threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem function. A critical aspect in planning trophic rewilding projects is the selection of suitable sites that match the needs of the focal species under both current and future climates. Species distribution models (SDMs) are currently the main tools to derive spatially explicit predictions of environmental suitability for species, but the extent of their adoption for trophic rewilding projects has been limited. Here, we provide an overview of applications of SDMs to trophic rewilding projects, outline methodological choices and issues, and provide a synthesis and outlook. We then predict the potential distribution of 17 large-bodied taxa proposed as trophic rewilding candidates and which represent different continents and habitats. We identified widespread climatic suitability for these species in the discussed (re)introduction regions under current climates. Climatic conditions generally remain suitable in the future, although some species will experience reduced suitability in parts of these regions. We conclude that climate change is not a major barrier to trophic rewilding as currently discussed in the literature.This article is part of the theme issue 'Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Jarvie
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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37
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Cromsigt JPGM, Te Beest M, Kerley GIH, Landman M, le Roux E, Smith FA. Trophic rewilding as a climate change mitigation strategy? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170440. [PMID: 30348867 PMCID: PMC6231077 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss of megafauna at the terminal Pleistocene has been linked to a wide range of Earth-system-level changes, such as altered greenhouse gas budgets, fire regimes and biome-level vegetation changes. Given these influences and feedbacks, might part of the solution for mitigating anthropogenic climate change lie in the restoration of extant megafauna to ecosystems? Here, we explore the potential role of trophic rewilding on Earth's climate system. We first provide a novel synthesis of the various ways that megafauna interact with the major drivers of anthropogenic climate change, including greenhouse gas storage and emission, aerosols and albedo. We then explore the role of rewilding as a mitigation tool at two scales: (i) current and near-future opportunities for national or regional climate change mitigation portfolios, and (ii) more radical opportunities at the global scale. Finally, we identify major knowledge gaps that complicate the complete characterization of rewilding as a climate change mitigation strategy. Our perspective is urgent since we are losing the Earth's last remaining megafauna, and with it a potential option to address climate change.This article is part of the theme issue 'Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå 901 83, Sweden
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
- Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, PO Box 80115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mariska Te Beest
- Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, PO Box 80115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
- SAEON Grasslands-Wetlands-Forests Node, South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa
| | - Graham I H Kerley
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
| | - Marietjie Landman
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
| | - Elizabeth le Roux
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
| | - Felisa A Smith
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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38
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van Klink R, WallisDeVries MF. Risks and opportunities of trophic rewilding for arthropod communities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2017.0441. [PMID: 30348868 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Trophic rewilding is a restoration strategy focusing on the restoration of trophic interactions to promote self-regulating, biodiverse ecosystems. It has been proposed as an alternative to traditional conservation management in abandoned or defaunated areas. Arthropods constitute the most species-rich group of eukaryotic organisms, but are rarely considered in rewilding. Here, we first present an overview of direct and indirect pathways by which large herbivores and predators affect arthropod communities. We then review the published evidence of the impacts of rewilding with large herbivores on arthropods, including grey literature. We find that systematic monitoring is rare and that a comparison with a relevant control treatment is usually lacking. Nevertheless, the available data suggest that when the important process of top-down control of large-herbivore populations is missing, arthropod diversity tends to decrease. To ensure that rewilding is supportive of biodiversity conservation, we propose that if natural processes can only partially be restored, substitutes for missing processes are applied. We also propose that boundaries of acceptable outcomes of rewilding actions should be defined a priori, particularly concerning biodiversity conservation, and that action is taken when these boundaries are transgressed. To evaluate the success of rewilding for biodiversity, monitoring of arthropod communities should be a key instrument.This article is part of the theme issue 'Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel van Klink
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research iDiv (Halle/Jena/Leipzig), Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Michiel F WallisDeVries
- De Vlinderstichting/Dutch Butterfly Conservation, Wageningen 6702 AD, The Netherlands.,Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
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39
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Fuhlendorf SD, Davis CA, Elmore RD, Goodman LE, Hamilton RG. Perspectives on grassland conservation efforts: should we rewild to the past or conserve for the future? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2017.0438. [PMID: 30348865 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Grasslands are among the most imperilled biomes of the world. Identifying the most appropriate framework for restoring grasslands is dependent on the objectives of restoration, which is inherently determined by human priorities. Debates over the appropriate conservation model for grasslands have often focused on which species of herbivores should be the focus of restoration efforts. Here we discuss three perspectives of herbivore-based conservation in North American grasslands. First, the Pleistocene rewilding perspective is based upon the idea that early humans contributed to the demise of megafauna that were important to the evolution and development of many of North America's grasslands; therefore, their aim of restoration is rewilding of landscapes to pre-human times. Second, the bison rewilding perspective considers American bison a keystone herbivore that is culturally and ecologically important to North American grasslands. A third perspective focuses on restoring the pattern and processes of herbivory on grasslands and is less concerned about which herbivore is introduced to the landscape. We evaluate each of these three conservation perspectives in terms of a framework that includes a human domain, an herbivore domain and a biophysical domain. While all conservation perspectives partly address the three domains, they all fall short in key areas. Specifically, they fail to recognize that past, current and future humans are intimately linked to grassland patterns and processes and will continue to play a role in structuring grasslands. Furthermore, these perspectives seem to only superficially consider the role of fragmentation and climate change in influencing grassland patterns and processes. As such, we argue that future grassland conservation efforts must depend on the development of a model that better integrates societal, economic and policy objectives and recognizes climate change, fragmentation and humans as an integral part of these ecosystems.This article is part of the theme issue 'Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D Fuhlendorf
- Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Craig A Davis
- Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - R Dwayne Elmore
- Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Laura E Goodman
- Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Robert G Hamilton
- Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, The Nature Conservancy, Pawhuska, OK 74056, USA
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40
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Torres A, Fernández N, Zu Ermgassen S, Helmer W, Revilla E, Saavedra D, Perino A, Mimet A, Rey-Benayas JM, Selva N, Schepers F, Svenning JC, Pereira HM. Measuring rewilding progress. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2017.0433. [PMID: 30348877 PMCID: PMC6231071 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rewilding is emerging as a promising restoration strategy to enhance the conservation status of biodiversity and promote self-regulating ecosystems while re-engaging people with nature. Overcoming the challenges in monitoring and reporting rewilding projects would improve its practical implementation and maximize its conservation and restoration outcomes. Here, we present a novel approach for measuring and monitoring progress in rewilding that focuses on the ecological attributes of rewilding. We devised a bi-dimensional framework for assessing the recovery of processes and their natural dynamics through (i) decreasing human forcing on ecological processes and (ii) increasing ecological integrity of ecosystems. The rewilding assessment framework incorporates the reduction of material inputs and outputs associated with human management, as well as the restoration of natural stochasticity and disturbance regimes, landscape connectivity and trophic complexity. Furthermore, we provide a list of potential activities for increasing the ecological integrity after reviewing the evidence for the effectiveness of common restoration actions. For illustration purposes, we apply the framework to three flagship restoration projects in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Argentina. This approach has the potential to broaden the scope of rewilding projects, facilitate sound decision-making and connect the science and practice of rewilding.This article is part of the theme issue 'Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Torres
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany .,Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06108, Germany
| | - Néstor Fernández
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06108, Germany
| | - Sophus Zu Ermgassen
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06108, Germany.,Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Kent CT2 7NZ, UK
| | - Wouter Helmer
- Rewilding Europe, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Eloy Revilla
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Seville 41092, Spain
| | - Deli Saavedra
- Rewilding Europe, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea Perino
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06108, Germany
| | - Anne Mimet
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany.,Department Computational Landscape Ecology, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - José M Rey-Benayas
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences, Av. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
| | - Frans Schepers
- Rewilding Europe, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Department of Bioscience, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.,Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Henrique M Pereira
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06108, Germany.,Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairāo, Portugal
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41
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Bakker ES, Svenning JC. Trophic rewilding: impact on ecosystems under global change. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2017.0432. [PMID: 30348876 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth S Bakker
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.,Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Nagaoka L, Rick T, Wolverton S. The overkill model and its impact on environmental research. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:9683-9696. [PMID: 30386567 PMCID: PMC6202698 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on human-environment interactions that informs ecological practices and guides conservation and restoration has become increasingly interdisciplinary over the last few decades. Fueled in part by the debate over defining a start date for the Anthropocene, historical disciplines like archeology, paleontology, geology, and history are playing an important role in understanding long-term anthropogenic impacts on the planet. Pleistocene overkill, the notion that humans overhunted megafauna near the end of the Pleistocene in the Americas, Australia, and beyond, is used as prime example of the impact that humans can have on the planet. However, the importance of the overkill model for explaining human-environment interactions and anthropogenic impacts appears to differ across disciplines. There is still considerable debate, particularly within archeology, about the extent to which people may have been the cause of these extinctions. To evaluate how different disciplines interpret and use the overkill model, we conducted a citation analysis of selected works of the main proponent of the overkill model, Paul Martin. We examined the ideas and arguments for which Martin's overkill publications were cited and how they differed between archeologists and ecologists. Archeologists cite overkill as one in a combination of causal mechanisms for the extinctions. In contrast, ecologists are more likely to accept that humans caused the extinctions. Aspects of the overkill argument are also treated as established ecological processes. For some ecologists, overkill provides an analog for modern-day human impacts and supports the argument that humans have "always" been somewhat selfish overconsumers. The Pleistocene rewilding and de-extinction movements are built upon these perspectives. The use of overkill in ecological publications suggests that despite increasing interdisciplinarity, communication with disciplines outside of ecology is not always reciprocal or even.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Nagaoka
- Department of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of North TexasDentonTexas
| | - Torben Rick
- Department of AnthropologySmithsonian InstitutionNational Museum of Natural HistoryWashingtonDistrict of Columbia
| | - Steve Wolverton
- Department of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of North TexasDentonTexas
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Predicting Predator Recognition in a Changing World. Trends Ecol Evol 2018; 33:106-115. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Hobbs RJ, Valentine LE, Standish RJ, Jackson ST. Movers and Stayers: Novel Assemblages in Changing Environments. Trends Ecol Evol 2017; 33:116-128. [PMID: 29173900 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Increased attention to species movement in response to environmental change highlights the need to consider changes in species distributions and altered biological assemblages. Such changes are well known from paleoecological studies, but have accelerated with ongoing pervasive human influence. In addition to species that move, some species will stay put, leading to an array of novel interactions. Species show a variety of responses that can allow movement or persistence. Conservation and restoration actions have traditionally focused on maintaining or returning species in particular places, but increasingly also include interventions that facilitate movement. Approaches are required that incorporate the fluidity of biotic assemblages into the goals set and interventions deployed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Hobbs
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Leonie E Valentine
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Rachel J Standish
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Stephen T Jackson
- U.S. Geological Survey, DOI Southwest Climate Science Center, 1064 E. Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Geosciences and School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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Blossey B, Gorchov DL. Introduction to the Special Issue: Ungulates and invasive species: quantifying impacts and understanding interactions. AOB PLANTS 2017; 9:plx063. [PMID: 29302303 PMCID: PMC5739040 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plx063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
White-tailed deer are emblematic ungulates that, due to anthropogenic modification of landscapes, currently occur at elevated densities. Elevated deer densities often co-occur with non-native plants, but it is not known if plant invasions are a consequence of deer impacts or occur independent of deer impacts on ecosystems, or whether these two stressors are synergistic. A colloquium on 'Interactions of white-tailed deer and invasive plants in forests of eastern North America' explored these topics at the 2016 annual meeting of the Botanical Society of America. Nine of those presentations are published in this special issue of AoB PLANTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Blossey
- Department of Natural Resources, Fernow Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Blossey B, Dávalos A, Nuzzo V. An indicator approach to capture impacts of white-tailed deer and other ungulates in the presence of multiple associated stressors. AOB PLANTS 2017; 9:plx034. [PMID: 28894567 PMCID: PMC5585856 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plx034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Management of ungulates is contested ground that lacks stakeholder agreement on desirable population sizes and management approaches. Unfortunately, we often miss information about extent of local impacts, for example on plant communities, to guide management decisions. Typical vegetation impact assessments like the woody browse index do not assess herbaceous plants, and differences in browse severity can be a function of deer density, deer legacy effects, localized deer feeding preferences and/or differences in plant community composition. Furthermore, in heavily affected areas, few remnant plants may remain for assessments. We used a sentinel approach to assess impact of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), rodent attack, invasive earthworms and three invasive plants on survival and growth of 3-month-old red oak (Quercus rubra) individuals. We planted cohorts in 2010 and 2011 into deer accessible and fenced 30 × 30 m plots at 12 forests in New York State. We found year and site-specific effects with high deer herbivory of unprotected individuals (70-90 % of oaks browsed by deer versus none in fenced areas) far exceeding importance of rodent attacks. Oaks planted at low earthworm density sites were at significantly higher risk of being browsed compared with oaks at high earthworm density sites, but there was no detectable negative effect of invasive plants. Surviving oaks grew (~2 cm per year) under forest canopy cover, but only when fenced. We consider planting of oak or other woody or herbaceous sentinels to assess deer browse pressure a promising method to provide quantifiable evidence for deer impacts and to gauge success of different management techniques. The strength of this approach is that typical problems associated with multiple stressor impacts can be avoided, areas devoid of forest floor vegetation but under heavy deer browse pressure can still be assessed and the method can be implemented by non-specialists. Implementation of regular assessments can guide ungulate management based on meaningful evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Blossey
- Department of Natural Resources, Fernow Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Andrea Dávalos
- Department of Natural Resources, Fernow Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Victoria Nuzzo
- Natural Area Consultants, 1 West Hill School Road, Richford, NY 13835, USA
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Sá GJDSE. THE RETURN OF WHAT NEVER LEFT: ANIMALS PRESENT IN FUTURE NATURES. VIBRANT: VIRTUAL BRAZILIAN ANTHROPOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1590/1809-43412017v14n2p058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract This article presents data collected in ethnographic research begun in 2014 at the Faia Brava Reserve in Portugal. The Faia Brava Reserve has been dedicated to ecological restoration by the association that manages it. This has made the reserve the starting point of an ambitious project for re-naturalizing the western region of the Iberian Peninsula, which foresees the reintroduction of large animal species in Portugal through its integration to the Rewilding Europe network. The article describes some of the steps necessary to the creation of re-naturalization areas, and some of the hypotheses associated to the re-naturalization project in Europe and particularly in Portugal.
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Rebein M, Davis CN, Abad H, Stone T, Del Sol J, Skinner N, Moran MD. Seed dispersal of Diospyros virginiana in the past and the present: Evidence for a generalist evolutionary strategy. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:4035-4043. [PMID: 28616198 PMCID: PMC5468125 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Several North American trees are hypothesized to have lost their co‐evolved seed disperser during the late‐Pleistocene extinction and are therefore considered anachronistic. We tested this hypothesis for the American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) by studying the effects of gut passage of proposed seed dispersers on seedling survival and growth, natural fruiting characteristics, and modern animal consumption patterns. We tested gut passage effects on persimmon seeds using three native living species, the raccoon (Procyon lotor), Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and coyote (Canis latrans), and two Pleistocene analogs; the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and alpaca (Vicugna pacos). Persimmon seeds excreted by raccoons, coyotes, and elephants survived gut transit. Gut passage did not affect sprouting success, but did tend to decrease time to sprout and increase seedling quality. Under field conditions, persimmon fruits were palatable on the parent tree and on the ground for an equal duration, but most fruits were consumed on the ground. Seven vertebrate species fed upon persimmon fruits, with the white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)—a species not capable of dispersing persimmon seeds—comprising over 90% of detections. Conversely, potential living seed dispersers were rarely detected. Our results suggest the American persimmon evolved to attract a variety of seed dispersers and thus is not anachronistic. However, human‐induced changes in mammal communities could be affecting successful seed dispersal. We argue that changes in the relative abundance of mammals during the Anthropocene may be modifying seed dispersal patterns, leading to potential changes in forest community composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mimi Rebein
- Department of Biology Hendrix College Conway AR USA
| | - Charli N Davis
- Department of Biology Hendrix College Conway AR USA.,Present address: Department of Biology Gilbert Hall Stanford University Stanford CA 94305-5020 USA
| | - Helena Abad
- Department of Biology Hendrix College Conway AR USA
| | - Taylor Stone
- Department of Biology Hendrix College Conway AR USA
| | - Jillian Del Sol
- Department of Biology Hendrix College Conway AR USA.,Present address: Division of Biological Sciences (DBS) University of Montana 32 Campus Dr. HS 104 Missoula MT 59812 USA
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Burgio KR, Carlson CJ, Tingley MW. Lazarus ecology: Recovering the distribution and migratory patterns of the extinct Carolina parakeet. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:5467-5475. [PMID: 28770082 PMCID: PMC5528215 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of the ecology and natural history of species has traditionally ceased when a species goes extinct, despite the benefit to current and future generations of potential findings. We used the extinct Carolina parakeet as a case study to develop a framework investigating the distributional limits, subspecific variation, and migratory habits of this species as a means to recover important information about recently extinct species. We united historical accounts with museum collections to develop an exhaustive, comprehensive database of every known occurrence of this once iconic species. With these data, we combined species distribution models and ordinal niche comparisons to confront multiple conjectured hypotheses about the parakeet's ecology with empirical data on where and when this species occurred. Our results demonstrate that the Carolina parakeet's range was likely much smaller than previously believed, that the eastern and western subspecies occupied different climatic niches with broad geographical separation, and that the western subspecies was likely a seasonal migrant while the eastern subspecies was not. This study highlights the novelty and importance of collecting occurrence data from published observations on extinct species, providing a starting point for future investigations of the factors that drove the Carolina parakeet to extinction. Moreover, the recovery of lost autecological knowledge could benefit the conservation of other parrot species currently in decline and would be crucial to the success of potential de‐extinction efforts for the Carolina parakeet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R Burgio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs CT USA
| | - Colin J Carlson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Morgan W Tingley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs CT USA
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