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Cooke SJ, Piczak ML, Singh NJ, Åkesson S, Ford AT, Chowdhury S, Mitchell GW, Norris DR, Hardesty-Moore M, McCauley D, Hammerschlag N, Tucker MA, Horns JJ, Reisinger RR, Kubelka V, Lennox RJ. Animal migration in the Anthropocene: threats and mitigation options. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1242-1260. [PMID: 38437713 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Animal migration has fascinated scientists and the public alike for centuries, yet migratory animals are facing diverse threats that could lead to their demise. The Anthropocene is characterised by the reality that humans are the dominant force on Earth, having manifold negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem function. Considerable research focus has been given to assessing anthropogenic impacts on the numerical abundance of species/populations, whereas relatively less attention has been devoted to animal migration. However, there are clear linkages, for example, where human-driven impacts on migration behaviour can lead to population/species declines or even extinction. Here, we explore anthropogenic threats to migratory animals (in all domains - aquatic, terrestrial, and aerial) using International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Threat Taxonomy classifications. We reveal the diverse threats (e.g. human development, disease, invasive species, climate change, exploitation, pollution) that impact migratory wildlife in varied ways spanning taxa, life stages and type of impact (e.g. from direct mortality to changes in behaviour, health, and physiology). Notably, these threats often interact in complex and unpredictable ways to the detriment of wildlife, further complicating management. Fortunately, we are beginning to identify strategies for conserving and managing migratory animals in the Anthropocene. We provide a set of strategies that, if embraced, have the potential to ensure that migratory animals, and the important ecological functions sustained by migration, persist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Cooke
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Morgan L Piczak
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Navinder J Singh
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 90183, Sweden
| | - Susanne Åkesson
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund, 22362, Sweden
| | - Adam T Ford
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, 1177 Research Road, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Shawan Chowdhury
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, Jena, 07743, Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr, 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr, 4, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Greg W Mitchell
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
- Wildlife Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - D Ryan Norris
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Molly Hardesty-Moore
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Douglas McCauley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Neil Hammerschlag
- Atlantic Shark Expeditions, 29 Wideview Lane, Boutiliers Point, Nova Scotia, B3Z 0M9, Canada
| | - Marlee A Tucker
- Radboud Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Houtlaan 4, Nijmegen, 6525, The Netherlands
| | - Joshua J Horns
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Ryan R Reisinger
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Center Southampton, University Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Vojtěch Kubelka
- Dept of Zoology and Centre for Polar Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Robert J Lennox
- Ocean Tracking Network, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3Z1, Canada
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Alagador D. Dependence of Europe's most threatened mammals on movement to adapt to climate change. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14315. [PMID: 38973578 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Current rates of climate change and gloomy climate projections confront managers and conservation planners with the need to integrate climate change into already complex decision-making processes. Predicting and prioritizing climatically stable areas and the areas likely to facilitate adaptive species' range adjustments are important stages in maximizing conservation outcomes and rationalizing future land management. I determined, for the most threatened European terrestrial mammal species, the spatial adaptive trajectories (SATs) of highest expected persistence up to 2080. I devised simple spatial network indices for evaluation of species in those SATs: total persistence; proportion of SATs that offer in situ adaptation (i.e., stable refugia); number of SATs converging in a site; and relationship between SAT convergence and persistence and protected areas, the Natura 2000 and Emerald networks, and areas of low human disturbance. I compared the performance of high-persistence SATs with a scenario in which each species remained in the areas with the best climatic conditions in the baseline period. The 1000 most persistence SATs for each of the 39 species covered one fifth of Europe. The areas with the largest adaptive potential (i.e., high persistence, stability, and SAT convergence) did not always overlap for all the species. Predominantly, these regions were located in southwestern Europe, Central Europe, and Scandinavia, with some occurrences in Eastern Europe. For most species, persistence in the most climatically suitable areas during the baseline period was lower than within SATs, underscoring their reliance on adaptive movements. Importantly, conservation areas (particularly protected areas) covered only minor fractions of species persistence among SATs, and hubs of spatial climate adaptation (i.e., areas of high SAT convergence) were seriously underrepresented in most conservation areas. These results highlight the need to perform analyses on spatial species' dynamics under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Alagador
- Biodiversity Chair, Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED) & Institute for Global Change and Sustainability (CHANGE), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
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Xu B, Wu X. A comprehensive analysis to optimizing national-scale protected area systems under climate change. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 363:121408. [PMID: 38852411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121408] [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: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
With the intensification of climate change, incorporating climate information into protected areas planning has become crucial in reducing biodiversity loss. However, the current natural reserve system in China does not take climate information into account. Therefore, we assessed the effectiveness of existing protected areas through climate refuge and connectivity rankings, and Zonation software was used to identify the ecological priority zone in China by combining climate indicators and human footprint. The results show that the current natural protected areas in China have certain limitations in dealing with climate change, and some protected areas may struggle to maintain their value in biodiversity conservation under climate change. Moreover, China still has lots of important areas that can maintain biodiversity under climate change, but most of them are not covered by protected areas. The results provide support for the planning of China's nature protected area system in response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Xu
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuefei Wu
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
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Liang J, Wang W, Cai Q, Li X, Zhu Z, Zhai Y, Li X, Gao X, Yi Y. Prioritizing conservation efforts based on future habitat availability and accessibility under climate change. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14204. [PMID: 37855159 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The potential for species to shift their ranges to avoid extinction is contingent on the future availability and accessibility of habitats with analogous climates. To develop conservation strategies, many previous researchers used a single method that considered individual factors; a few combined 2 factors. Primarily, these studies focused on identifying climate refugia or climatically connected and spatially fixed areas, ignoring the range shifting process of animals. We quantified future habitat availability (based on species occurrence, climate data, land cover, and elevation) and accessibility (based on climate velocity) under climate change (4 scenarios) of migratory birds across the Yangtze River basin (YRB). Then, we assessed species' range-shift potential and identified conservation priority areas for migratory birds in the 2050s with a network analysis. Our results suggested that medium (i.e., 5-10 km/year) and high (i.e., ≥ 10 km/year) climate velocity would threaten 18.65% and 8.37% of stable habitat, respectively. Even with low (i.e., 0-5 km/year) climate velocity, 50.15% of climate-velocity-identified destinations were less available than their source habitats. Based on our integration of habitat availability and accessibility, we identified a few areas of critical importance for conservation, mainly in Sichuan and the middle to lower reaches of the YRB. Overall, we identified the differences between habitat availability and accessibility in capturing biological responses to climate change. More importantly, we accounted for the dynamic process of species' range shifts, which must be considered to identify conservation priority areas. Our method informs forecasting of climate-driven distribution shifts and conservation priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Wanting Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Qing Cai
- Hunan Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Xin Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Ziqian Zhu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Yeqing Zhai
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Xiaodong Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Xiang Gao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Yuru Yi
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, P.R. China
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McNichol BH, Wang R, Hefner A, Helzer C, McMahon SM, Russo SE. Topography-driven microclimate gradients shape forest structure, diversity, and composition in a temperate refugial forest. PLANT-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2024; 5:e10153. [PMID: 38863691 PMCID: PMC11166229 DOI: 10.1002/pei3.10153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Macroclimate drives vegetation distributions, but fine-scale topographic variation can generate microclimate refugia for plant persistence in unsuitable areas. However, we lack quantitative descriptions of topography-driven microclimatic variation and how it shapes forest structure, diversity, and composition. We hypothesized that topographic variation and the presence of the forest overstory cause spatiotemporal microclimate variation affecting tree performance, causing forest structure, diversity, and composition to vary with topography and microclimate, and topography and the overstory to buffer microclimate. In a 20.2-ha inventory plot in the North American Great Plains, we censused woody stems ≥1 cm in diameter and collected detailed topographic and microclimatic data. Across 59-m of elevation, microclimate covaried with topography to create a sharp desiccation gradient, and topography and the overstory buffered understory microclimate. The magnitude of microclimatic variation mirrored that of regional-scale variation: with increasing elevation, there was a decrease in soil moisture corresponding to the difference across ~2.1° of longitude along the east-to-west aridity gradient and an increase in air temperature corresponding to the difference across ~2.7° of latitude along the north-to-south gradient. More complex forest structure and higher diversity occurred in moister, less-exposed habitats, and species occupied distinct topographic niches. Our study demonstrates how topographic and microclimatic gradients structure forests in putative climate-change refugia, by revealing ecological processes enabling populations to be maintained during periods of unfavorable macroclimate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey H. McNichol
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincolnNebraskaUSA
| | - Ran Wang
- School of Natural ResourcesUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincolnNebraskaUSA
| | | | | | - Sean M. McMahon
- Smithsonian Institution Forest Global Earth ObservatorySmithsonian Environmental Research CenterEdgewaterMarylandUSA
| | - Sabrina E. Russo
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincolnNebraskaUSA
- Center for Plant Science InnovationUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincolnNebraskaUSA
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McCullough IM, Beirne C, Soto-Navarro C, Whitworth A. Mapping climate adaptation corridors for biodiversity-A regional-scale case study in Central America. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304756. [PMID: 38820545 PMCID: PMC11142673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate adaptation corridors are widely recognized as important for promoting biodiversity resilience under climate change. Central America is part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, but there have been no regional-scale analyses of potential climate adaptation corridors in Central America. We identified 2375 potential corridors throughout Central America that link lowland protected areas (≤ 500 m) with intact, high-elevation forests (≥ 1500 m) that represent potential climate change refugia. Whereas we found potential corridors in all Central American countries, potential corridors in Panama, Belize, and Honduras were most protected (medians = 64%, 49%, and 47%, respectively) and potential corridors in El Salvador were least protected (median = 10%). We also developed a corridor priority index based on the ecological characteristics and protected status of potential corridors and their associated start and end points. Compared to low- and medium-priority corridors, high-priority corridors (n = 160; top 7% of all corridors) were generally more protected, forested, and distributed across wider elevational gradients and more Key Biodiversity Areas, but also generally linked larger lowland protected areas to target areas that were larger, more protected, and spanned wider elevational gradients. For example, based on median values, high-priority corridors were 9% more protected and overlapped with 2-3 more Key Biodiversity Areas than low- and medium-priority corridors. Although high-elevation targets spanned considerably wider elevational gradients than lowland protected areas (medians = 695 vs. 142 m, respectively) and thus may be more likely to support refugia, they were considerably smaller than lowland protected areas (medians = 11 vs. 50 km2 respectively) and mostly unprotected (median = 4% protection). This initial, regional assessment can help prioritize locations for finer-scale research, conservation, and restoration activities in support of climate adaptation corridors throughout Central America and highlights the need for greater conservation of potential high-elevation refugia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M. McCullough
- Osa Conservation, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Osa Conservation Campus, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
| | - Christopher Beirne
- Osa Conservation, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Osa Conservation Campus, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
| | - Carolina Soto-Navarro
- Osa Conservation, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Osa Conservation Campus, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Whitworth
- Osa Conservation, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Osa Conservation Campus, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
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Carroll SL, Schmidt GM, Waller JS, Graves TA. Evaluating density-weighted connectivity of black bears (Ursus americanus) in Glacier National Park with spatial capture-recapture models. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:8. [PMID: 38263096 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00445-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improved understanding of wildlife population connectivity among protected area networks can support effective planning for the persistence of wildlife populations in the face of land use and climate change. Common approaches to estimating connectivity often rely on small samples of individuals without considering the spatial structure of populations, leading to limited understanding of how individual movement links to demography and population connectivity. Recently developed spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models provide a framework to formally connect inference about individual movement, connectivity, and population density, but few studies have applied this approach to empirical data to support connectivity planning. METHODS We used mark-recapture data collected from 924 genetic detections of 598 American black bears (Ursus americanus) in 2004 with SCR ecological distance models to simultaneously estimate density, landscape resistance to movement, and population connectivity in Glacier National Park northwest Montana, USA. We estimated density and movement parameters separately for males and females and used model estimates to calculate predicted density-weighted connectivity surfaces. RESULTS Model results indicated that landscape structure influences black bear density and space use in Glacier. The mean density estimate was 16.08 bears/100 km2 (95% CI 12.52-20.6) for females and 9.27 bears/100 km2 (95% CI 7.70-11.14) for males. Density increased with forest cover for both sexes. For male black bears, density decreased at higher grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) densities. Drainages, valley bottoms, and riparian vegetation decreased estimates of landscape resistance to movement for male and female bears. For males, forest cover also decreased estimated resistance to movement, but a transportation corridor bisecting the study area strongly increased resistance to movement presenting a barrier to connectivity. CONCLUSIONS Density-weighed connectivity surfaces highlighted areas important for population connectivity that were distinct from areas with high potential connectivity. For black bears in Glacier and surrounding landscapes, consideration of both vegetation and valley topography could inform the placement of underpasses along the transportation corridor in areas characterized by both high population density and potential connectivity. Our study demonstrates that the SCR ecological distance model can provide biologically realistic, spatially explicit predictions to support movement connectivity planning across large landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Carroll
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.
| | - Greta M Schmidt
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - John S Waller
- Glacier National Park, P.O. Box 128, West Glacier, MT, 59936, USA
| | - Tabitha A Graves
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, PO Box 169, West Glacier, MT, 59936, USA
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Eckert I, Brown A, Caron D, Riva F, Pollock LJ. 30×30 biodiversity gains rely on national coordination. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7113. [PMID: 37932316 PMCID: PMC10628259 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42737-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Global commitments to protect 30% of land by 2030 present an opportunity to combat the biodiversity crisis, but reducing extinction risk will depend on where countries expand protection. Here, we explore a range of 30×30 conservation scenarios that vary what dimension of biodiversity is prioritized (taxonomic groups, species-at-risk, biodiversity facets) and how protection is coordinated (transnational, national, or regional approaches) to test which decisions influence our ability to capture biodiversity in spatial planning. Using Canada as a model nation, we evaluate how well each scenario captures biodiversity using scalable indicators while accounting for climate change, data bias, and uncertainty. We find that only 15% of all terrestrial vertebrates, plants, and butterflies (representing only 6.6% of species-at-risk) are adequately represented in existing protected land. However, a nationally coordinated approach to 30×30 could protect 65% of all species representing 40% of all species-at-risk. How protection is coordinated has the largest impact, with regional approaches protecting up to 38% fewer species and 65% fewer species-at-risk, while the choice of biodiversity incurs much smaller trade-offs. These results demonstrate the potential of 30×30 while highlighting the critical importance of biodiversity-informed national strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Eckert
- Dept. of Biology, McGill University, H3A 1B1, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Andrea Brown
- Dept. of Biology, McGill University, H3A 1B1, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Dominique Caron
- Dept. of Biology, McGill University, H3A 1B1, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Federico Riva
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura J Pollock
- Dept. of Biology, McGill University, H3A 1B1, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Fennell MJE, Ford AT, Martin TG, Burton AC. Assessing the impacts of recreation on the spatial and temporal activity of mammals in an isolated alpine protected area. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10733. [PMID: 38034339 PMCID: PMC10682857 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The management objectives of many protected areas must meet the dual mandates of protecting biodiversity while providing recreational opportunities. It is difficult to balance these mandates because it takes considerable effort to monitor both the status of biodiversity and impacts of recreation. Using detections from 45 camera traps deployed between July 2019 and September 2021, we assessed the potential impacts of recreation on spatial and temporal activity for 8 medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammals in an isolated alpine protected area: Cathedral Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. We hypothesised that some wildlife perceive a level of threat from people, such that they avoid 'risky times' or 'risky places' associated with human activity. Other species may benefit from associating with people, be it through access to anthropogenic resource subsidies or filtering of competitors/predators that are more human-averse (i.e., human shield hypothesis). Specifically, we predicted that large carnivores would show the greatest segregation from people while mesocarnivores and ungulates would associate spatially with people. We found spatial co-occurrence between ungulates and recreation, consistent with the human shield hypothesis, but did not see the predicted negative relationship between larger carnivores and humans, except for coyotes (Canis latrans). Temporally, all species other than cougars (Puma concolor) had diel activity patterns significantly different from that of recreationists, suggesting potential displacement in the temporal niche. Wolves (Canis lupus) and mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) showed shifts in temporal activity away from people on recreation trails relative to off-trail areas, providing further evidence of potential displacement. Our results highlight the importance of monitoring spatial and temporal interactions between recreation activities and wildlife communities, in order to ensure the effectiveness of protected areas in an era of increasing human impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam T. Ford
- Irving K Barber Faculty of ScienceUniversity of British Columbia OkanaganKelownaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Biodiversity Research CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Tara G. Martin
- Faculty of ForestryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Biodiversity Research CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - A. Cole Burton
- Faculty of ForestryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Biodiversity Research CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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Tang H, Peng J, Jiang H, Lin Y, Dong J, Liu M, Meersmans J. Spatial analysis enables priority selection in conservation practices for landscapes that need ecological security. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 345:118888. [PMID: 37690245 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118888] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Global urbanization has not only promoted social and economic development, but also contributed to seriously ecological challenges. As a type of sustainable landscape patterns, ecological security pattern is considered as an effective spatial pathway to simultaneously conserve ecological security and maintain social-economic development. However, the fragmentation issue of ecological sources of ecological security pattern has not been effectively addressed, although many case studies have been conducted to identify ecological security pattern. In this study, we used spatial conservation prioritization to identify the ecological security pattern of the city belt along the Yellow River in Ningxia, China. Ecological sources were selected using Zonation model while ecological corridors and key ecological nodes were identified with circuit model. The results showed that the ecological security pattern was composed of 97 ecological sources, 226 ecological corridors, 267 pinch points and 22 barriers, covering a total area of 7713.1 km2 and accounting for 34% of the study area. Ecological sources were concentrated in the Helan Mountain, Xiang Mountain and along the Yellow River. Besides, ecological corridors were dense in the southern and eastern part of the study area. Both indicated that the Yellow River and Helan Mountain were the conservation hotspots. Landscape connectivity of ecological sources identified through Zonation-based spatial conservation prioritization was better than that with the scoring approach based on ecosystem service importance. Particularly, in the Zonation approach the landscape connectivity increased with 44% while the average patch area increased with 28% when comparing with the scoring approach. The spatial conservation prioritization approach proposed in this study provides a new effective tool to construct ecological security pattern, which is conducive to the synergic enhancement of landscape connectivity and ecosystem services conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Tang
- Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Human-Earth Relations, Ministry of Natural Resources, School of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jian Peng
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Hong Jiang
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yifan Lin
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jianquan Dong
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Menglin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Human-Earth Relations, Ministry of Natural Resources, School of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jeroen Meersmans
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agrobio Tech, University of Liège, 5030, Gembloux, Belgium
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Buenafe KCV, Dunn DC, Everett JD, Brito-Morales I, Schoeman DS, Hanson JO, Dabalà A, Neubert S, Cannicci S, Kaschner K, Richardson AJ. A metric-based framework for climate-smart conservation planning. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2852. [PMID: 36946332 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is already having profound effects on biodiversity, but climate change adaptation has yet to be fully incorporated into area-based management tools used to conserve biodiversity, such as protected areas. One main obstacle is the lack of consensus regarding how impacts of climate change can be included in spatial conservation plans. We propose a climate-smart framework that prioritizes the protection of climate refugia-areas of low climate exposure and high biodiversity retention-using climate metrics. We explore four aspects of climate-smart conservation planning: (1) climate model ensembles; (2) multiple emission scenarios; (3) climate metrics; and (4) approaches to identifying climate refugia. We illustrate this framework in the Western Pacific Ocean, but it is equally applicable to terrestrial systems. We found that all aspects of climate-smart conservation planning considered affected the configuration of spatial plans. The choice of climate metrics and approaches to identifying refugia have large effects in the resulting climate-smart spatial plans, whereas the choice of climate models and emission scenarios have smaller effects. As the configuration of spatial plans depended on climate metrics used, a spatial plan based on a single measure of climate change (e.g., warming) will not necessarily be robust against other measures of climate change (e.g., ocean acidification). We therefore recommend using climate metrics most relevant for the biodiversity and region considered based on a single or multiple climate drivers. To include the uncertainty associated with different climate futures, we recommend using multiple climate models (i.e., an ensemble) and emission scenarios. Finally, we show that the approaches we used to identify climate refugia feature trade-offs between: (1) the degree to which they are climate-smart, and (2) their efficiency in meeting conservation targets. Hence, the choice of approach will depend on the relative value that stakeholders place on climate adaptation. By using this framework, protected areas can be designed with improved longevity and thus safeguard biodiversity against current and future climate change. We hope that the proposed climate-smart framework helps transition conservation planning toward climate-smart approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Camille V Buenafe
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Daniel C Dunn
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science (CBCS), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jason D Everett
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Environment, Queensland Biosciences Precinct (QBP), St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation (CMSI), The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Isaac Brito-Morales
- Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science, Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - David S Schoeman
- Ocean Futures Research Cluster, School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
| | - Jeffrey O Hanson
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alvise Dabalà
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Systems Ecology and Resource Management, Department of Organism Biology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB, Brussels, Belgium
- Ecology and Biodiversity, Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sandra Neubert
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Institute of Computer Science, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefano Cannicci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kristin Kaschner
- Department of Biometry and Environmental Systems Analysis, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Anthony J Richardson
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Environment, Queensland Biosciences Precinct (QBP), St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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12
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Zhu G, Giam X, Armsworth PR, Cho SH, Papeş M. Biodiversity conservation adaptation to climate change: Protecting the actors or the stage. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2765. [PMID: 36259369 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
To be able to protect biodiversity in coming decades, conservation strategies need to consider what sites will be important for species not just today but also in the future. Different methods have been proposed to identify places that will be important for species in the future. Two of the most frequently used methods, ecological niche modeling and climate resilience, have distinct aims. The former focuses on identifying the suitable environmental conditions for species, thus protecting the "actor," namely, the species, whereas the latter seeks to safeguard the "stage," or the landscape in which species occur. We used the two methods to identify climate refugia for 258 forest vertebrates under short- and long-term climatic changes in a biodiversity hotspot, the Appalachian ecoregion of the United States. We also evaluated the spatial congruence of the two approaches for a possible conservation application, that of protecting 30% of the Appalachian region, in line with recent national and international policy recommendations. We detected weak positive correlations between resilience scores and baseline vertebrate richness, estimated with ecological niche models for historical (baseline) climatic conditions. The correlations were stronger for amphibians and mammals than for birds and reptiles. Under climate change scenarios, the correlations between estimated vertebrate richness and resilience were also weakly positive; a positive correlation was detected only for amphibians. Locations with estimated future gain of suitable climatic conditions for vertebrates showed low correlation with resilience. Overall, our results indicate that climate resilience and ecological niche modeling approaches capture different characteristics of projected distributional changes of Appalachian vertebrates. A climate resilience (the stage) approach could be more effective in safeguarding species with low dispersal abilities, whereas an ecological niche modeling (the actor) approach could be more suitable for species with long-distance dispersal capacity because they may be more broadly impacted by climate and less sensitive to geophysical features captured by a climate resilience approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengping Zhu
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Xingli Giam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Paul R Armsworth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Seong-Hoon Cho
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Monica Papeş
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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13
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O'Brien P, Gunn JS, Clark A, Gleeson J, Pither R, Bowman J. Integrating carbon stocks and landscape connectivity for nature-based climate solutions. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9725. [PMID: 36636425 PMCID: PMC9829451 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9725] [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: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Actions to protect against biodiversity loss and climate change will require a framework that addresses synergies between these interrelated issues. In this study, we present methods for identifying areas important for the implementation of nature-based climate solutions and biodiversity conservation by intersecting high-resolution spatial data for carbon storage and landscape connectivity. We explored the spatial congruence of carbon and connectivity in Ontario, Canada and examined effectiveness of current protected areas coverage. We found a weak positive relationship between carbon stocks and landscape connectivity; however, our maps revealed large hotspots, with high values of both indices, throughout the boreal forest and northern peatlands and smaller, isolated hotspots, in the settled landscapes of the south. Location of hotspots varied depending on whether we considered forest or soil carbon. Further, our results show that current protected and conserved areas in Ontario only cover 13% of landscapes with the highest values for both carbon storage and connectivity. Protection or restoration of areas that maximize the co-benefits of carbon storage and connectivity would make significant contributions toward ambitious national targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul O'Brien
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryOntarioPeterboroughCanada
| | - John S. Gunn
- New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment StationUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNew HampshireUSA
| | - Alison Clark
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryOntarioPeterboroughCanada
| | - Jenny Gleeson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryOntarioPeterboroughCanada
| | - Richard Pither
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Jeff Bowman
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryOntarioPeterboroughCanada
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14
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McCullough IM, Hanly PJ, King KBS, Wagner T. Freshwater corridors in the conterminous United States: A coarse‐filter approach based on lake‐stream networks. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ian M. McCullough
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | - Patrick J. Hanly
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | - Katelyn B. S. King
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | - Tyler Wagner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
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15
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Vilas D, Fletcher RJ, Siders ZA, Chagaris D. Understanding the temporal dynamics of estimated environmental niche hypervolumes for marine fishes. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9604. [PMCID: PMC9748244 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Vilas
- Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
- Nature Coast Biological Station, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences University of Florida Cedar Key Florida USA
| | - Robert J. Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Zachary A. Siders
- Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - David Chagaris
- Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
- Nature Coast Biological Station, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences University of Florida Cedar Key Florida USA
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16
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Meek MH, Beever EA, Barbosa S, Fitzpatrick SW, Fletcher NK, Mittan-Moreau CS, Reid BN, Campbell-Staton SC, Green NF, Hellmann JJ. Understanding Local Adaptation to Prepare Populations for Climate Change. Bioscience 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biac101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Adaptation within species to local environments is widespread in nature. Better understanding this local adaptation is critical to conserving biodiversity. However, conservation practices can rely on species’ trait averages or can broadly assume homogeneity across the range to inform management. Recent methodological advances for studying local adaptation provide the opportunity to fine-tune efforts for managing and conserving species. The implementation of these advances will allow us to better identify populations at greatest risk of decline because of climate change, as well as highlighting possible strategies for improving the likelihood of population persistence amid climate change. In the present article, we review recent advances in the study of local adaptation and highlight ways these tools can be applied in conservation efforts. Cutting-edge tools are available to help better identify and characterize local adaptation. Indeed, increased incorporation of local adaptation in management decisions may help meet the imminent demands of managing species amid a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariah H Meek
- Department of Integrative Biology, AgBio Research, and the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan, United States
| | - Erik A Beever
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University , Bozeman, Montana, United States
| | - Soraia Barbosa
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho , Moscow, Idaho, United States
| | - Sarah W Fitzpatrick
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University , Hickory Corners, Michigan, United States
| | - Nicholas K Fletcher
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland, United States
| | - Cinnamon S Mittan-Moreau
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University , Hickory Corners, Michigan, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York, United States
| | - Brendan N Reid
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University , Hickory Corners, Michigan, United States
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University , New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
| | - Shane C Campbell-Staton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University , Princeton, New Jersey, United States
| | - Nancy F Green
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Falls Church , Virginia, United States
| | - Jessica J Hellmann
- Institute of the Environment and Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota , Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
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17
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Hylander K, Greiser C, Christiansen DM, Koelemeijer IA. Climate adaptation of biodiversity conservation in managed forest landscapes. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13847. [PMID: 34622491 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Conservation of biodiversity in managed forest landscapes needs to be complemented with new approaches given the threat from rapid climate change. Most frameworks for adaptation of biodiversity conservation to climate change include two major strategies. The first is the resistance strategy, which focuses on actions to increase the capacity of species and communities to resist change. The second is the transformation strategy and includes actions that ease the transformation of communities to a set of species that are well adapted to the novel environmental conditions. We suggest a number of concrete actions policy makers and managers can take. Under the resistance strategy, five tools are introduced, including: identifying and protecting forest climate refugia with cold-favored species; reducing the effects of drought by protecting the hydrological network; and actively removing competitors when they threaten cold-favored species. Under the transformation strategy, we suggest three tools, including: enhancing conditions for forest species favored by the new climate, but currently disfavored by forest management, by planting them at suitable sites outside their main range; and increasing connectivity across the landscape to enhance the expansion of warm-favored species to sites that have become suitable. Finally, we suggest applying a landscape perspective and simultaneously managing for both retreating and expanding species. The two different strategies (resistance and transformation) should be seen as complementary ways to maintain a rich biodiversity in future forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristoffer Hylander
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Caroline Greiser
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ditte M Christiansen
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Irena A Koelemeijer
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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18
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Liz AV, Gonçalves DV, Velo-Antón G, Brito JC, Crochet PA, Rödder D. Adapt biodiversity targets to climate change. Science 2022; 376:589-590. [PMID: 35511965 DOI: 10.1126/science.abo7381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- André Vicente Liz
- Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO/InBIO), University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | | | - Guillermo Velo-Antón
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Grupo de Ecoloxía Animal, Torre Cacti (Lab 97), Universidade de Vigo, E-36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - José Carlos Brito
- Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO/InBIO), University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Pierre-André Crochet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Montpellier, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France
| | - Dennis Rödder
- LIB, Museum Koenig Bonn, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
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19
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How migratory birds might have tracked past climate change. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2121738119. [PMID: 35012989 PMCID: PMC8784094 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121738119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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20
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Dreiss LM, Malcom JW. Title identifying key federal, state, and private lands strategies for achieving 30 × 30 in the United States. Conserv Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay M. Dreiss
- Center for Conservation Innovation Defenders of Wildlife Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Jacob W. Malcom
- Center for Conservation Innovation Defenders of Wildlife Washington District of Columbia USA
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21
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Cunningham CA, Crick HQP, Morecroft MD, Thomas CD, Beale CM. Translating area-based conservation pledges into efficient biodiversity protection outcomes. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1043. [PMID: 34493796 PMCID: PMC8423728 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02590-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Ambitious national and global pledges to protect increasing areas of land risk trading conservation effectiveness for convenience of designation. We show that UK conservation areas often lie outside the highest biodiversity priority landscapes, and that systematic conservation planning can improve site selection. Cunningham et al. comment on the U.K.’s commitment to protect 30% of land by 2030, by identifying priority landscapes for expansion of the current protected area network in the UK using 445 priority species ranges across the country, under two baseline protection definitions to reach this conservation target. They find that expanding the protected area network by initially only including the strictest protected areas would yield much greater representation of threatened species, and propose new considerations for protected area commitments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael D Morecroft
- Chief Scientist's Directorate, Natural England c/o Natural England Mail Hub, Worcester, UK
| | - Chris D Thomas
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK.
| | - Colin M Beale
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK.
- York Environmental Sustainability Institute, University of York, York, UK.
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22
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Arafeh‐Dalmau N, Brito‐Morales I, Schoeman DS, Possingham HP, Klein CJ, Richardson AJ. Incorporating climate velocity into the design of climate‐smart networks of marine protected areas. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nur Arafeh‐Dalmau
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Isaac Brito‐Morales
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Oceans and Atmosphere BioSciences Precinct (QBP) St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - David S. Schoeman
- Global‐Change Ecology Research Group School of Science, Technology and Engineering University of the Sunshine Coast Maroochydore Queensland Australia
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Department of Zoology Nelson Mandela University Gqeberha South Africa
| | - Hugh P. Possingham
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
- The Nature Conservancy Arlington Virginia USA
| | - Carissa J. Klein
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Anthony J. Richardson
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Oceans and Atmosphere BioSciences Precinct (QBP) St Lucia Queensland Australia
- Centre for Applications in Natural Resource Mathematics School of Mathematics and Physics The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
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23
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Carroll C, Ray JC. Maximizing the effectiveness of national commitments to protected area expansion for conserving biodiversity and ecosystem carbon under climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3395-3414. [PMID: 33852186 PMCID: PMC8360173 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Global commitments to protected area expansion should prioritize opportunities to protect climate refugia and ecosystems which store high levels of irrecoverable carbon, as key components of an effective response to biodiversity loss and climate change. The United States and Canada are responsible for one-sixth of global greenhouse gas emissions but hold extensive natural ecosystems that store globally significant above- and below-ground carbon. Canada has initiated a process of protected area network expansion in concert with efforts at reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and acknowledged nature-based solutions as a key aspect of climate change mitigation. The US, although not a party to global biodiversity conventions, has recently committed to protecting 30% of its extent by 2030 and achieving the UNFCCC Paris Agreement's mitigation targets. The opportunities afforded by these dual biodiversity conservation and climate commitments require coordinated national and regional policies to ensure that new protected areas maximize biodiversity-focused adaptation and nature-based mitigation opportunities. We address how global commitments can best inform national policy initiatives which build on existing agency mandates for regional planning and species conservation. Previous analyses of global conservation priorities under climate change have been tenuously linked to policy contexts of individual nations and have lacked information on refugia due to limitations of globally available datasets. Comparison and synthesis of predictions from a range of recently developed refugia metrics allow such data to inform planning despite substantial uncertainty arising from contrasting model assumptions and inputs. A case study for endangered species planning for old-forest-associated species in the US Pacific Northwest demonstrates how regional planning can be nested hierarchically within national biodiversity-focused adaptation and nature-based mitigation strategies which integrate refugia, connectivity, and ecosystem carbon metrics to holistically evaluate the role of different land designations and where carbon mitigation and protection of biodiversity's resilience to climate change can be aligned.
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24
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Grumbine RE, Xu J. Five Steps to Inject Transformative Change into the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Bioscience 2021; 71:637-646. [PMID: 34084096 PMCID: PMC8169310 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Accelerating declines in biodiversity and unmet targets in the Convention on Biological Diversity's 2010-2020 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity are stimulating widespread calls for transformative change. Such change includes societal transitions toward sustainability, as well as in specific content of the CBD's draft Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. We summarize research on transformative change and its links to biodiversity conservation, and discuss how it may influence the work of the CBD. We identify five steps to inject transformative change into the design and implementation of a new post-2020 framework: Pay attention to lessons learned from transitions research, plan for climate change, reframe area-based conservation, scale up biodiversity mainstreaming, and increase resources. These actions will transform the very nature of work under the CBD; a convention based on voluntary implementation by countries and facilitated by international administrators and experts must now accommodate a broader range of participants including businesses, Indigenous peoples, and multiple nonstate actors.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Edward Grumbine
- Chinese Academy of Sciences President's International Fellowship Initiative, Centre for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Kumming, China
| | - Jianchu Xu
- East and Central Asia Office, World Agroforestry Centre, Kunming, China, and is the director of the Centre for Mountain Futures and a professor at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Kunming, China
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25
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Design of Protected Area by Tracking and Excluding the Effects of Climate and Landscape Change: A Case Study Using Neurergus derjugini. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13105645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to use the applications of Ensemble Species Distribution Modelling (eSDM), Geographical Information Systems (GISs), and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for the design of a protected area (PA) for the critically endangered yellow-spotted mountain newt, Neurergus derjugini, by tracking and excluding the effects of climate and landscape changes in western Iran and northeastern Iraq. Potential recent and future distributions (2050 and 2070) were reconstructed by eSDM using eight algorithms with MRI-CGCM3 and CCSM4 models. The GIS-based MCDA siting procedure was followed inside habitats with high eSDM suitability by eliminating the main roads, cities, high village density, dams, poor vegetation, low stream density, agricultural lands and high ridge density. Then, within the remaining relevant areas, 10 polygons were created as “nominations” for PAs (NPAs). Finally, for 10 different NPAs, the suitability score was ranked based on ratings and weights (analytical hierarchy process) of the number of newt localities, NPA connectivity, NPA shape, NPA habitat suitability in 2070, NPA size, genetic diversity, village density and distance to nearest PAs, cities, and main roads. This research could serve as a modern realistic approach for environmental management to plan conservation areas using a cost-effective and affordable technique.
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26
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Carrasco L, Papeş M, Sheldon KS, Giam X. Global progress in incorporating climate adaptation into land protection for biodiversity since Aichi targets. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:1788-1801. [PMID: 33570817 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate adaptation strategies are being developed and implemented to protect biodiversity from the impacts of climate change. A well-established strategy involves the identification and addition of new areas for conservation, and most countries agreed in 2010 to expand the global protected area (PA) network to 17% by 2020 (Aichi Biodiversity Target 11). Although great efforts to expand the global PA network have been made, the potential of newly established PAs to conserve biodiversity under future climate change remains unclear at the global scale. Here, we conducted the first global-extent, country-level assessment of the contribution of PA network expansion toward three key land prioritization approaches for biodiversity persistence under climate change: protecting climate refugia, protecting abiotic diversity, and increasing connectivity. These approaches avoid uncertainties of biodiversity predictions under climate change as well as the issue of undescribed species. We found that 51% of the countries created new PAs in locations with lower mean climate velocity (representing better climate refugia) and 58% added PAs in areas with higher mean abiotic diversity compared to the available, non-human-dominated lands not chosen for protection. However, connectivity among PAs declined in 53% of the countries, indicating that many new PAs were located far from existing PAs. Lastly, we identified potential improvements for climate adaptation, showing that 94% of the countries have the opportunity to improve in executing one or more approaches to conserve biodiversity. Most countries (60%) were associated with multiple opportunities, highlighting the need for integrative strategies that target multiple land protection approaches. Our results demonstrate that a global improvement in the protection of climate refugia, abiotic diversity, and connectivity of reserves is needed to complement land protection informed by existing and projected species distributions. Our study also provides a framework for countries to prioritize land protection for climate adaptation using publicly available data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Carrasco
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Monica Papeş
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Kimberly S Sheldon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Xingli Giam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Sheil
- Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands. .,Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia
| | | | - Anatoly Shvidenko
- International Institute for Applied System Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria.,Institute of Forests, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
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Carroll C, Noss RF. Rewilding in the face of climate change. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:155-167. [PMID: 32557877 PMCID: PMC7984084 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of the global protected-area network has been proposed as a strategy to address threats from accelerating climate change and species extinction. A key step in increasing the effectiveness of such expansion is understanding how novel threats to biodiversity from climate change alter concepts such as rewilding, which have underpinned many proposals for large interconnected reserves. We reviewed potential challenges that climate change poses to rewilding and found that the conservation value of large protected areas persists under climate change. Nevertheless, more attention should be given to protection of microrefugia, macrorefugia, complete environmental gradients, and areas that connect current and future suitable climates and to maintaining ecosystem processes and stabilizing feedbacks via conservation strategies that are resilient to uncertainty regarding climate trends. Because a major element of the threat from climate change stems from its novel geographic patterns, we examined, as an example, the implications for climate-adaptation planning of latitudinal, longitudinal (continental to maritime), and elevational gradients in climate-change exposure across the Yellowstone-to-Yukon region, the locus of an iconic conservation proposal initially designed to conserve wide-ranging carnivore species. In addition to a continued emphasis on conserving intact landscapes, restoration of degraded low-elevation areas within the region is needed to capture sites important for landscape-level climate resilience. Extreme climate exposure projected for boreal North America suggests the need for ambitious goals for expansion of the protected-area network there to include refugia created by topography and ecological features, such as peatlands, whose conservation can also reduce emissions from carbon stored in soil. Qualitative understanding of underlying reserve design rules and the geography of climate-change exposure can strengthen the outcomes of inclusive regional planning processes that identify specific sites for protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Carroll
- Klamath Center for Conservation ResearchOrleansCA95556U.S.A.
| | - Reed F. Noss
- Florida Institute for Conservation ScienceMelroseFL32666U.S.A.
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Dietz S, Beazley KF, Lemieux CJ, St. Clair C, Coristine L, Higgs E, Smith R, Pellatt M, Beaty C, Cheskey E, Cooke SJ, Crawford L, Davis R, Forbes G, Gadallah F(Z, Kendall P, Mandrak N, Moola F, Parker S, Quayle J, Ray JC, Richardson K, Smith K, Snider J, Smol JP, Sutherland WJ, Vallillee A, White L, Woodley A. Emerging issues for protected and conserved areas in Canada. Facets (Ott) 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2021-0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizon scanning is increasingly used in conservation to systematically explore emerging policy and management issues. We present the results of a horizon scan of issues likely to impact management of Canadian protected and conserved areas over the next 5–10 years. Eighty-eight individuals participated, representing a broad community of academics, government and nongovernment organizations, and foundations, including policymakers and managers of protected and conserved areas. This community initially identified 187 issues, which were subsequently triaged to 15 horizon issues by a group of 33 experts using a modified Delphi technique. Results were organized under four broad categories: ( i) emerging effects of climate change in protected and conserved areas design, planning, and management (i.e., large-scale ecosystem changes, species translocation, fire regimes, ecological integrity, and snow patterns); ( ii) Indigenous governance and knowledge systems (i.e., Indigenous governance and Indigenous knowledge and Western science); ( iii) integrated conservation approaches across landscapes and seascapes (i.e., connectivity conservation, integrating ecosystem values and services, freshwater planning); and ( iv) early responses to emerging cumulative, underestimated, and novel threats (i.e., management of cumulative impacts, declining insect biomass, increasing anthropogenic noise, synthetic biology). Overall, the scan identified several emerging issues that require immediate attention to effectively reduce threats, respond to opportunities, and enhance preparedness and capacity to react.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Dietz
- Ecosystem Science Laboratory, Office of the Chief Ecosystem Scientist, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate, Parks Canada Agency, Gatineau QC J8X 0B3, Canada
| | - Karen F. Beazley
- School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Christopher J. Lemieux
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3C5, Canada
| | - Colleen St. Clair
- Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Laura Coristine
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Gatineau, QC, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Eric Higgs
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Risa Smith
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature/World Commission on Protected Areas
| | - Marlow Pellatt
- Ecosystem Science Laboratory, Office of the Chief Ecosystem Scientist, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate, Parks Canada Agency, Gatineau QC J8X 0B3, Canada
| | | | | | - Steven J. Cooke
- Institute for Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences and Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Lindsay Crawford
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, QC K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Rob Davis
- Ontario Parks, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Peterborough, ON K9J 8M5, Canada
| | - Graham Forbes
- University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Fawziah (ZuZu) Gadallah
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Gatineau, QC, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | | | - Nick Mandrak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Faisal Moola
- Geography, Environment & Geomatics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Scott Parker
- Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate, Parks Canada Agency, Gatineau QC J8X 0B3, Canada
| | | | - Justina C. Ray
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, Toronto, ON M5S 3A7, Canada
| | - Karen Richardson
- Ecosystem Science Laboratory, Office of the Chief Ecosystem Scientist, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate, Parks Canada Agency, Gatineau QC J8X 0B3, Canada
| | - Kevin Smith
- Ducks Unlimited Canada, Edmonton, AB T5S 0A2, Canada
| | - James Snider
- World Wildlife Fund Canada, Toronto, ON M5V 1S8, Canada
| | - John P. Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - William J Sutherland
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK; Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine’s, St Catharine’s College, Cambridge CB2 1RL, UK
| | | | - Lori White
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, QC K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Alison Woodley
- Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ottawa, ON K2P 0A4, Canada
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Beazley KF, Olive A. Transforming conservation in Canada: shifting policies and paradigms. Facets (Ott) 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2021-0144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Karen F. Beazley
- School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Andrea Olive
- Departments of Political Science and Geography, Geomatics and Environment, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Maanjiwe nendamowinan, 5th floor, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
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Nolte C. High-resolution land value maps reveal underestimation of conservation costs in the United States. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:29577-29583. [PMID: 33168741 PMCID: PMC7703645 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2012865117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The justification and targeting of conservation policy rests on reliable measures of public and private benefits from competing land uses. Advances in Earth system observation and modeling permit the mapping of public ecosystem services at unprecedented scales and resolutions, prompting new proposals for land protection policies and priorities. Data on private benefits from land use are not available at similar scales and resolutions, resulting in a data mismatch with unknown consequences. Here I show that private benefits from land can be quantified at large scales and high resolutions, and that doing so can have important implications for conservation policy models. I developed high-resolution estimates of fair market value of private lands in the contiguous United States by training tree-based ensemble models on 6 million land sales. The resulting estimates predict conservation cost with up to 8.5 times greater accuracy than earlier proxies. Studies using coarser cost proxies underestimate conservation costs, especially at the expensive tail of the distribution. This has led to underestimations of policy budgets by factors of up to 37.5 in recent work. More accurate cost accounting will help policy makers acknowledge the full magnitude of contemporary conservation challenges and can help improve the targeting of public ecosystem service investments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Nolte
- Department of Earth & Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215
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