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Quintana I, Rivers M, Davies K. Conservation Action Tracker: A tool to identify and monitor conservation actions for tree species. APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES 2024; 12:e11579. [PMID: 38912127 PMCID: PMC11192161 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Premise The GlobalTree Portal, hosted by Botanic Gardens Conservation International, provides access to information on the approximately 58,000 tree species worldwide. Included in the GlobalTree Portal is the Conservation Action Tracker, a dynamic and collaborative database to identify and monitor conservation actions for tree species globally. Methods The Conservation Action Tracker collates conservation action information at the species level, including species recovery/action plans, ex situ collections, propagation protocols, in situ management, species protection policy, and education/awareness campaigns. Results To date, the Conservation Action Tracker contains conservation action information for 4126 tree species, including 2161 threatened species, of which 659 are classified as Vulnerable, 783 as Endangered, and 719 as Critically Endangered. It covers conservation action information for at least one tree species in every country; however, more information is needed for 89% of Vulnerable, 87% of Endangered, and 77% of Critically Endangered tree species. Discussion Monitoring species conservation actions can support the prioritization and scaling up of conservation practices by sharing knowledge, increasing collaboration, enabling the identification of conservation gaps, and making the information available to be used by decision-makers. Tracking conservation actions at the species level is, therefore, essential to guide future conservation efforts. Increasing the amount of data in the Conservation Action Tracker will improve the tool's ability to guide future conservation efforts and avoid the extinction of tree species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itxaso Quintana
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)Descanso House, 199 Kew RoadRichmondTW9 3BWUnited Kingdom
| | - Malin Rivers
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)Descanso House, 199 Kew RoadRichmondTW9 3BWUnited Kingdom
| | - Katharine Davies
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)Descanso House, 199 Kew RoadRichmondTW9 3BWUnited Kingdom
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Saccò M, Mammola S, Altermatt F, Alther R, Bolpagni R, Brancelj A, Brankovits D, Fišer C, Gerovasileiou V, Griebler C, Guareschi S, Hose GC, Korbel K, Lictevout E, Malard F, Martínez A, Niemiller ML, Robertson A, Tanalgo KC, Bichuette ME, Borko Š, Brad T, Campbell MA, Cardoso P, Celico F, Cooper SJB, Culver D, Di Lorenzo T, Galassi DMP, Guzik MT, Hartland A, Humphreys WF, Ferreira RL, Lunghi E, Nizzoli D, Perina G, Raghavan R, Richards Z, Reboleira ASPS, Rohde MM, Fernández DS, Schmidt SI, van der Heyde M, Weaver L, White NE, Zagmajster M, Hogg I, Ruhi A, Gagnon MM, Allentoft ME, Reinecke R. Groundwater is a hidden global keystone ecosystem. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17066. [PMID: 38273563 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17066] [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: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Groundwater is a vital ecosystem of the global water cycle, hosting unique biodiversity and providing essential services to societies. Despite being the largest unfrozen freshwater resource, in a period of depletion by extraction and pollution, groundwater environments have been repeatedly overlooked in global biodiversity conservation agendas. Disregarding the importance of groundwater as an ecosystem ignores its critical role in preserving surface biomes. To foster timely global conservation of groundwater, we propose elevating the concept of keystone species into the realm of ecosystems, claiming groundwater as a keystone ecosystem that influences the integrity of many dependent ecosystems. Our global analysis shows that over half of land surface areas (52.6%) has a medium-to-high interaction with groundwater, reaching up to 74.9% when deserts and high mountains are excluded. We postulate that the intrinsic transboundary features of groundwater are critical for shifting perspectives towards more holistic approaches in aquatic ecology and beyond. Furthermore, we propose eight key themes to develop a science-policy integrated groundwater conservation agenda. Given ecosystems above and below the ground intersect at many levels, considering groundwater as an essential component of planetary health is pivotal to reduce biodiversity loss and buffer against climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Saccò
- Subterranean Research and Groundwater Ecology (SuRGE) Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Stefano Mammola
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), National Research Council, Verbania Pallanza, Italy
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Roman Alther
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Rossano Bolpagni
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Anton Brancelj
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department for Environmental Science, University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
| | - David Brankovits
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), National Research Council, Verbania Pallanza, Italy
| | - Cene Fišer
- SubBio Lab, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Vasilis Gerovasileiou
- Faculty of Environment, Department of Environment, Ionian University, Zakynthos, Greece
- Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Thalassocosmos, Institute of Marine Biology, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Heraklion, Greece
| | - Christian Griebler
- Department of Functional & Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Simone Guareschi
- Estación Biologica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Grant C Hose
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kathryn Korbel
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Elisabeth Lictevout
- International Groundwater Resources Assessment Center (IGRAC), Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Florian Malard
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, Univ Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alejandro Martínez
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), National Research Council, Verbania Pallanza, Italy
| | - Matthew L Niemiller
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
| | - Anne Robertson
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Roehampton University, London, UK
| | - Krizler C Tanalgo
- Ecology and Conservation Research Laboratory (Eco/Con Lab), Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan, Cotabato, Philippines
| | - Maria Elina Bichuette
- Laboratory of Subterranean Studies (LES), Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Špela Borko
- SubBio Lab, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Traian Brad
- Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Matthew A Campbell
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, and Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Fulvio Celico
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Steven J B Cooper
- South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences and Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - David Culver
- Department of Environmental Science, American University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Tiziana Di Lorenzo
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems of the National Research Council of Italy (IRET CNR), Florence, Italy
| | - Diana M P Galassi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences (MESVA), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Michelle T Guzik
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Adam Hartland
- Lincoln Agritech Ltd, Ruakura, Kirikiriroa, Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - William F Humphreys
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira
- Centro de Estudos em Biologia Subterrânea, Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação, Instituto de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Enrico Lunghi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences (MESVA), University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Daniele Nizzoli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Giulia Perina
- Subterranean Research and Groundwater Ecology (SuRGE) Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Rajeev Raghavan
- Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, India
| | - Zoe Richards
- Coral Conservation and Research Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ana Sofia P S Reboleira
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, and Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Melissa M Rohde
- Rohde Environmental Consulting, LLC, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Graduate Program in Environmental Science, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | | | - Susanne I Schmidt
- Department of Lake Research, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Mieke van der Heyde
- Subterranean Research and Groundwater Ecology (SuRGE) Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Louise Weaver
- Water & Environment Group, Institute of Environmental Science & Research Ltd., Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Nicole E White
- Subterranean Research and Groundwater Ecology (SuRGE) Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Maja Zagmajster
- SubBio Lab, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ian Hogg
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
- Canadian High Arctic Research Station, Polar Knowledge Canada, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada
| | - Albert Ruhi
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Marthe M Gagnon
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Morten E Allentoft
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert Reinecke
- Institute of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Doherty S, Saltré F, Llewelyn J, Strona G, Williams SE, Bradshaw CJA. Estimating co-extinction threats in terrestrial ecosystems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5122-5138. [PMID: 37386726 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16836] [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: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
The biosphere is changing rapidly due to human endeavour. Because ecological communities underlie networks of interacting species, changes that directly affect some species can have indirect effects on others. Accurate tools to predict these direct and indirect effects are therefore required to guide conservation strategies. However, most extinction-risk studies only consider the direct effects of global change-such as predicting which species will breach their thermal limits under different warming scenarios-with predictions of trophic cascades and co-extinction risks remaining mostly speculative. To predict the potential indirect effects of primary extinctions, data describing community interactions and network modelling can estimate how extinctions cascade through communities. While theoretical studies have demonstrated the usefulness of models in predicting how communities react to threats like climate change, few have applied such methods to real-world communities. This gap partly reflects challenges in constructing trophic network models of real-world food webs, highlighting the need to develop approaches for quantifying co-extinction risk more accurately. We propose a framework for constructing ecological network models representing real-world food webs in terrestrial ecosystems and subjecting these models to co-extinction scenarios triggered by probable future environmental perturbations. Adopting our framework will improve estimates of how environmental perturbations affect whole ecological communities. Identifying species at risk of co-extinction (or those that might trigger co-extinctions) will also guide conservation interventions aiming to reduce the probability of co-extinction cascades and additional species losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seamus Doherty
- Global Ecology | Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Frédérik Saltré
- Global Ecology | Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John Llewelyn
- Global Ecology | Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Giovanni Strona
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Stephen E Williams
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Corey J A Bradshaw
- Global Ecology | Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
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4
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Lymbery AJ, Smit NJ. Conservation of parasites: A primer. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 21:255-263. [PMID: 37483309 PMCID: PMC10359719 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Although parasites make up a substantial proportion of the biotic component of ecosystems, in terms of both biomass and number of species, they are rarely considered in conservation planning, except where they are thought to pose a threat to the conservation of their hosts. In this review, we address a number of unresolved questions concerning parasite conservation. Arguments for conserving parasite species refer to the intrinsic value conferred by their evolutionary heritage and potential, their functional role in the provision of ecosystem services, and their value as indicators of ecosystem quality. We propose that proper consideration of these arguments mean that it is not logically defensible to automatically exclude parasite species from conservation decisions; rather, endangered hosts and parasites should be considered together as a threatened ecological community. The extent to which parasites are threatened with extinction is difficult to estimate with any degree of confidence, because so many parasite species have yet to be identified and, even for those which have been formally described, we have limited information on the factors affecting their distribution and abundance. This lack of ecological information may partially explain the under-representation of parasites on threatened species lists. Effective conservation of parasites requires maintaining access to suitable hosts and the ecological conditions that permit successful transmission between hosts. When implementing recovery plans for threatened host species, this may be best achieved by attempting to restore the ecological conditions that maintain the host and its parasite fauna in dynamic equilibrium. Ecosystem-centred conservation may be a more effective strategy than species-centred (or host-parasite community-centred) approaches for preventing extinction of parasites, but the criteria which are typically used to identify protected areas do not provide information on the ecological conditions required for effective transmission. We propose a simple decision tree to aid the identification of appropriate conservation actions for threatened parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan J. Lymbery
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, 6150, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nico J. Smit
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
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5
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Geary WL, Tulloch AIT, Ritchie EG, Doherty TS, Nimmo DG, Maxwell MA, Wayne AF. Identifying historical and future global change drivers that place species recovery at risk. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:2953-2967. [PMID: 36864646 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem management in the face of global change requires understanding how co-occurring threats affect species and communities. Such an understanding allows for effective management strategies to be identified and implemented. An important component of this is differentiating between factors that are within (e.g. invasive predators) or outside (e.g. drought, large wildfires) of a local manager's control. In the global biodiversity hotspot of south-western Australia, small- and medium-sized mammal species are severely affected by anthropogenic threats and environmental disturbances, including invasive predators, fire, and declining rainfall. However, the relative importance of different drivers has not been quantified. We used data from a long-term monitoring program to fit Bayesian state-space models that estimated spatial and temporal changes in the relative abundance of four threatened mammal species: the woylie (Bettongia penicillata), chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii), koomal (Trichosurus vulpecula) and quenda (Isoodon fusciventor). We then use Bayesian structural equation modelling to identify the direct and indirect drivers of population changes, and scenario analysis to forecast population responses to future environmental change. We found that habitat loss or conversion and reduced primary productivity (caused by rainfall declines) had greater effects on species' spatial and temporal population change than the range of fire and invasive predator (the red fox Vulpes vulpes) management actions observed in the study area. Scenario analysis revealed that a greater extent of severe fire and further rainfall declines predicted under climate change, operating in concert are likely to further reduce the abundance of these species, but may be mitigated partially by invasive predator control. Considering both historical and future drivers of population change is necessary to identify the factors that risk species recovery. Given that both anthropogenic pressures and environmental disturbances can undermine conservation efforts, managers must consider how the relative benefit of conservation actions will be shaped by ongoing global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L Geary
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Biodiversity Division, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ayesha I T Tulloch
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Euan G Ritchie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tim S Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Dale G Nimmo
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, New South Wales, Albury, Australia
| | - Marika A Maxwell
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Adrian F Wayne
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia
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6
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Iacarella JC. Fish zeta diversity responses to human pressures and cumulative effects across a freshwater basin. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Bowd E, Blanchard W, McBurney L, Lindenmayer D. Direct and indirect disturbance impacts on forest biodiversity. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elle Bowd
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Wade Blanchard
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Lachlan McBurney
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - David Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
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Lavaud R, Filgueira R, Augustine S. The role of Dynamic Energy Budgets in conservation physiology. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab083. [PMID: 34707875 PMCID: PMC8545044 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The contribution of knowledge, concepts and perspectives from physiological ecology to conservation decision-making has become critical for understanding and acting upon threats to the persistence of sensitive species. Here we review applications of dynamic energy budget (DEB) theory to conservation issues and discuss how this theory for metabolic organization of all life on earth (from bacteria to whales) is well equipped to support current and future investigations in conservation research. DEB theory was first invented in 1979 in an applied institution for environmental quality assessment and mitigation. The theory has since undergone extensive development and applications. An increasing number of studies using DEB modelling have provided valuable insights and predictions in areas that pertain to conservation such as species distribution, evolutionary biology, toxicological impacts and ecosystem management. We discuss why DEB theory, through its mechanistic nature, its universality and the wide range of outcomes it can provide represents a valuable tool to tackle some of the current and future challenges linked to maintaining biodiversity, ensuring species survival, ecotoxicology, setting water and soil quality standards and restoring ecosystem structure and functioning in a changing environment under the pressure of anthropogenic driven changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Lavaud
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Ramón Filgueira
- Marine Affairs Program, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Starrlight Augustine
- Akvaplan-niva, Fram High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø 9296, Norway
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9
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Dorrough J, Tozer M, Armstrong R, Summerell G, Scott ML. Quantifying uncertainty in the identification of endangered ecological communities. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Josh Dorrough
- Science, Economics and Insights Division, Department of Planning, Industry and Environment New South Wales Australia
| | - Mark Tozer
- Science, Economics and Insights Division, Department of Planning, Industry and Environment New South Wales Australia
| | - Rob Armstrong
- Biodiversity Conservation Trust New South Wales Australia
| | - Gregory Summerell
- Science, Economics and Insights Division, Department of Planning, Industry and Environment New South Wales Australia
| | - Mitchell L. Scott
- Biodiversity and Conservation Division, Department of Planning, Industry and Environment New South Wales Australia
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Keen EM, Pilkington J, O’Mahony É, Thompson KL, Hendricks B, Robinson N, Dundas A, Nichol L, Alidina HM, Meuter H, Picard CR, Wray J. Fin whales of the Great Bear Rainforest: Balaenoptera physalus velifera in a Canadian Pacific fjord system. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256815. [PMID: 34478477 PMCID: PMC8415578 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256815] [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: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) are widely considered an offshore and oceanic species, but certain populations also use coastal areas and semi-enclosed seas. Based upon fifteen years of study, we report that Canadian Pacific fin whales (B. p. velifera) have returned to the Kitimat Fjord System (KFS) in the Great Bear Rainforest, and have established a seasonally resident population in its intracoastal waters. This is the only fjord system along this coast or elsewhere in which fin whales are known to occur regularly with strong site fidelity. The KFS was also the only Canadian Pacific fjord system in which fin whales were commonly found and killed during commercial whaling, pointing to its long-term importance. Traditional knowledge, whaling records, and citizen science databases suggest that fin whales were extirpated from this area prior to their return in 2005-2006. Visual surveys and mark-recapture analysis documented their repopulation of the area, with 100-120 whales using the fjord system in recent years, as well as the establishment of a seasonally resident population with annual return rates higher than 70%. Line transect surveys identified the central and outer channels of the KFS as the primary fin whale habitat, with the greatest densities occurring in Squally Channel and Caamaño Sound. Fin whales were observed in the KFS in most months of the year. Vessel- and shore-based surveys (27,311 km and 6,572 hours of effort, respectively) indicated regular fin whale presence (2,542 detections), including mother-calf pairs, from June to October and peak abundance in late August-early September. Seasonal patterns were variable year-to-year, and several lines of evidence indicated that fin whales arrived and departed from the KFS repeatedly throughout the summer and fall. Additionally, we report on the population's social network and morphometrics. These findings offer insights into the dynamics of population recovery in an area where several marine shipping projects are proposed. The fin whales of the Great Bear Rainforest represent a rare exception to general patterns in this species' natural history, and we highlight the importance of their conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M. Keen
- North Coast Cetacean Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- Environmental Studies, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, TN, United States of America
- Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - James Pilkington
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Éadin O’Mahony
- North Coast Cetacean Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Kim-Ly Thompson
- Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Benjamin Hendricks
- North Coast Cetacean Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- SoundSpace Analytics, Cumberland, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicole Robinson
- Gitga’at Oceans and Lands Department, Hartley Bay, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Archie Dundas
- Gitga’at Oceans and Lands Department, Hartley Bay, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Linda Nichol
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Hermann Meuter
- Pacific Whale Society, Hartley Bay, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chris R. Picard
- Gitga’at Oceans and Lands Department, Hartley Bay, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Janie Wray
- North Coast Cetacean Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- Pacific Orca Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
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11
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A guide to ecosystem models and their environmental applications. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1459-1471. [PMID: 32929239 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01298-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Applied ecology has traditionally approached management problems through a simplified, single-species lens. Repeated failures of single-species management have led us to a new paradigm - managing at the ecosystem level. Ecosystem management involves a complex array of interacting organisms, processes and scientific disciplines. Accounting for interactions, feedback loops and dependencies between ecosystem components is therefore fundamental to understanding and managing ecosystems. We provide an overview of the main types of ecosystem models and their uses, and discuss challenges related to modelling complex ecological systems. Existing modelling approaches typically attempt to do one or more of the following: describe and disentangle ecosystem components and interactions; make predictions about future ecosystem states; and inform decision making by comparing alternative strategies and identifying important uncertainties. Modelling ecosystems is challenging, particularly when balancing the desire to represent many components of an ecosystem with the limitations of available data and the modelling objective. Explicitly considering different forms of uncertainty is therefore a primary concern. We provide some recommended strategies (such as ensemble ecosystem models and multi-model approaches) to aid the explicit consideration of uncertainty while also meeting the challenges of modelling ecosystems.
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12
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Westgate MJ, Barton PS, Lindenmayer DB, Andrew NR. Quantifying shifts in topic popularity over 44 years of Austral Ecology. AUSTRAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin J. Westgate
- Fenner School of Environment and Society; The Australian National University; Acton ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Philip S. Barton
- School of Health and Life Sciences; Federation University Australia; Mt Helen VIC Australia
| | - David B. Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society; The Australian National University; Acton ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Nigel R. Andrew
- Insect Ecology Lab, Natural History Museum; University of New England; Armidale NSW Australia
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Rayne A, Byrnes G, Collier‐Robinson L, Hollows J, McIntosh A, Ramsden M, Rupene M, Tamati‐Elliffe P, Thoms C, Steeves TE. Centring Indigenous knowledge systems to re‐imagine conservation translocations. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aisling Rayne
- School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Greg Byrnes
- Te Kōhaka o Tūhaitara Trust Christchurch New Zealand
| | | | | | - Angus McIntosh
- School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
| | | | - Makarini Rupene
- Environment Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
- Ngāi Tahu Research Centre University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
| | | | - Channell Thoms
- School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Tammy E. Steeves
- School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
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Habitat Models of Focal Species Can Link Ecology and Decision-Making in Sustainable Forest Management. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11070721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental problem of sustainability is how to reduce the double complexity of ecological and social systems into simple operational terms. We highlight that the conservation concept of focal species (selected species sensitive to a set of anthropogenic threats to their habitat) links multiple issues of ecological sustainability, and their habitat models can provide a practical tool for solving these issues. A review of the literature shows that most spatial modeling of focal species focuses on vertebrates, lacks the aspect of aquatic and soil habitats, and has been slow in the uptake by actual management planning. We elaborate on a deductive modeling approach that first generalizes the main influential dimensions of habitat change (threats), which are then parameterized as habitat quality estimates for focal species. If built on theoretical understanding and properly scaled, the maps produced with such models can cost-effectively describe the dynamics of ecological qualities across forest landscapes, help set conservation priorities, and reflect on management plans and practices. The models also serve as ecological hypotheses on biodiversity and landscape function. We illustrate this approach based on recent additions to the forest reserve network in Estonia, which addressed the insufficient protection of productive forest types. For this purpose, mostly former production forests that may require restoration were set aside. We distinguished seven major habitat dimensions and their representative taxa in these forests and depicted each dimension as a practical stand-scale decision tree of habitat quality. The model outcomes implied that popular stand-structural targets of active forest restoration would recover passively in reasonable time in these areas, while a critically degraded condition (loss of old trees of characteristic species) required management beyond reserve borders. Another hidden issue revealed was that only a few stands of consistently low habitat quality concentrated in the landscape to allow cost-efficient restoration planning. We conclude that useful habitat models for sustainable forest management have to balance single-species realism with stakeholder expectations of meaningful targets and scales. Addressing such social aspects through the focal species concept could accelerate the adoption of biodiversity distribution modeling in forestry.
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Barbosa AEA, Tella JL. How much does it cost to save a species from extinction? Costs and rewards of conserving the Lear's macaw. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190190. [PMID: 31417724 PMCID: PMC6689625 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Although the limited resources available to save species from extinction necessitate the optimization of conservation actions, little is known about their costs and effectiveness. We developed a costs-rewards framework that integrates information on which sectors of society contribute to funding conservation, how much is contributed, how funds are distributed among conservation targets and how these investments drive not only conservation rewards but also the economic and ecosystem services that benefit society. We applied this framework to the Lear's macaw (Anodorhynchus leari), a species discovered in the wild in 1978 with only 60 individuals. Funds invested over the last 25 years reached US$3.66 million. The contribution of governments, non-governmental organizations and private funders varied over time, as did the funding targets. Funds were proportionally invested to mitigate the main causes of mortality, while no funds were devoted to protecting foraging habitats. Conservation rewards were satisfactory, with the cost and time needed to downlist the species from critically endangered to endangered being similar to those invested in other bird species. However, economic rewards (through ecotourism and handicrafts linked to the conservation of the species) were low and require promotion, while ecosystem services provided by Lear's macaws have yet to be quantified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio E. A. Barbosa
- The National Center for Bird Conservation and Research (CEMAVE), BR 230, Floresta Nacional da Restinga de Cabedelo, Renascer, 58.108-012 Cebedelo-PB, Brazil
| | - José L. Tella
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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Rada S, Schweiger O, Harpke A, Kühn E, Kuras T, Settele J, Musche M. Protected areas do not mitigate biodiversity declines: A case study on butterflies. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Rada
- Department of Community Ecology; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Halle Germany
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Science; Palacký University Olomouc; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - Oliver Schweiger
- Department of Community Ecology; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Halle Germany
| | - Alexander Harpke
- Department of Community Ecology; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Halle Germany
| | - Elisabeth Kühn
- Department of Community Ecology; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Halle Germany
| | - Tomáš Kuras
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Science; Palacký University Olomouc; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - Josef Settele
- Department of Community Ecology; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Halle Germany
- iDiv; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Leipzig Germany
| | - Martin Musche
- Department of Community Ecology; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Halle Germany
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Follow-up ecological studies for cryptic species discoveries: Decrypting the leopard frogs of the eastern U.S. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205805. [PMID: 30412587 PMCID: PMC6226167 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptic species are a challenge for systematics, but their elucidation also may leave critical information gaps about the distribution, conservation status, and behavior of affected species. We use the leopard frogs of the eastern U.S. as a case study of this issue. We refined the known range of the recently described Rana kauffeldi, the Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog, relative to the region’s two other leopard frog species, conducted assessments of conservation status, and improved methods for separating the three species using morphological field characters. We conducted over 2,000 call and visual surveys and took photographs of and tissue samples from hundreds of frogs. Genetic analysis supported a three-species taxonomy and provided determinations for 220 individual photographed frogs. Rana kauffeldi was confirmed in eight U.S. states, from North Carolina to southern Connecticut, hewing closely to the Atlantic Coastal Plain. It can be reliably differentiated in life from R. pipiens, and from R. sphenocephala 90% of the time, based on such characters as the femoral reticulum patterning, dorsal spot size and number, and presence of a snout spot. However, the only diagnostic character separating R. kauffeldi from R. sphenocephala remains the breeding call described in 2014. Based on our field study, museum specimens, and prior survey data, we suggest that R. kauffeldi has declined substantially in the northern part of its range, but is more secure in the core of its range. We also report, for the first time, apparent extirpations of R. pipiens from the southeastern portion of its range, previously overlooked because of confusion with R. kauffeldi. We conclude with a generalized ecological research agenda for cryptic species. For R. kauffeldi, needs include descriptions of earlier life stages, studies of niche partitioning with sympatric congeners and the potential for hybridization, and identification of conservation actions to prevent further declines.
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Maschinski J, Albrecht MA. Center for Plant Conservation's Best Practice Guidelines for the reintroduction of rare plants. PLANT DIVERSITY 2017; 39:390-395. [PMID: 30159534 PMCID: PMC6112315 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Recent estimates indicate that one-fifth of botanical species worldwide are considered at risk of becoming extinct in the wild. One available strategy for conserving many rare plant species is reintroduction, which holds much promise especially when carefully planned by following guidelines and when monitored long-term. We review the Center for Plant Conservation Best Reintroduction Practice Guidelines and highlight important components for planning plant reintroductions. Before attempting reintroductions practitioners should justify them, should consider alternative conservation strategies, understand threats, and ensure that these threats are absent from any recipient site. Planning a reintroduction requires considering legal and logistic parameters as well as target species and recipient site attributes. Carefully selecting the genetic composition of founders, founder population size, and recipient site will influence establishment and population growth. Whenever possible practitioners should conduct reintroductions as experiments and publish results. To document whether populations are sustainable will require long-term monitoring for decades, therefore planning an appropriate monitoring technique for the taxon must consider current and future needs. Botanical gardens can play a leading role in developing the science and practice of plant reintroduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce Maschinski
- Center for Plant Conservation, San Diego Zoo Global, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Matthew A. Albrecht
- Center for Conservation & Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166, USA
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Hayes LD, Ebensperger LA, Kelt DA, Meserve PL, Pillay N, Viblanc VA, Schradin C. Long-term field studies on rodents. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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20
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Thornton D, Zeller K, Rondinini C, Boitani L, Crooks K, Burdeh C, Rabinowitz A, Quigley H. Assessing the umbrella value of a range-wide conservation network for jaguars (Panthera onca). ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:1112-24. [PMID: 27509752 DOI: 10.1890/15-0602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Umbrella species are employed as conservation short-cuts for the design of reserves or reserve networks. However, empirical data on the effectiveness of umbrellas is equivocal, which has prevented more widespread application of this conservation strategy. We perform a novel, large-scale evaluation of umbrella species by assessing the potential umbrella value of a jaguar (Panthera onca) conservation network (consisting of viable populations and corridors) that extends from Mexico to Argentina. Using species richness, habitat quality, and fragmentation indices of ~1500 co-occurring mammal species, we show that jaguar populations and corridors overlap a substantial amount and percentage of high-quality habitat for co-occurring mammals and that the jaguar network performs better than random networks in protecting high-quality, interior habitat. Significantly, the effectiveness of the jaguar network as an umbrella would not have been noticeable had we focused on species richness as our sole metric of umbrella utility. Substantial inter-order variability existed, indicating the need for complementary conservation strategies for certain groups of mammals. We offer several reasons for the positive result we document, including the large spatial scale of our analysis and our focus on multiple metrics of umbrella effectiveness. Taken together, our results demonstrate that a regional, single-species conservation strategy can serve as an effective umbrella for the larger community and should help conserve viable populations and connectivity for a suite of co-occurring mammals. Current and future range-wide planning exercises for other large predators may therefore have important umbrella benefits.
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Tella JL, Lambertucci SA, Speziale KL, Hiraldo F. Large-scale impacts of multiple co-occurring invaders on monkey puzzle forest regeneration, native seed predators and their ecological interactions. Glob Ecol Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2016.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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22
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Colin N, Porte C, Fernandes D, Barata C, Padrós F, Carrassón M, Monroy M, Cano-Rocabayera O, de Sostoa A, Piña B, Maceda-Veiga A. Ecological relevance of biomarkers in monitoring studies of macro-invertebrates and fish in Mediterranean rivers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 540:307-323. [PMID: 26148426 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mediterranean rivers are probably one of the most singular and endangered ecosystems worldwide due to the presence of many endemic species and a long history of anthropogenic impacts. Besides a conservation value per se, biodiversity is related to the services that ecosystems provide to society and the ability of these to cope with stressors, including climate change. Using macro-invertebrates and fish as sentinel organisms, this overview presents a synthesis of the state of the art in the application of biomarkers (stress and enzymatic responses, endocrine disruptors, trophic tracers, energy and bile metabolites, genotoxic indicators, histopathological and behavioural alterations, and genetic and cutting edge omic markers) to determine the causes and effects of anthropogenic stressors on the biodiversity of European Mediterranean rivers. We also discuss how a careful selection of sentinel species according to their ecological traits and the food-web structure of Mediterranean rivers could increase the ecological relevance of biomarker responses. Further, we provide suggestions to better harmonise ecological realism with experimental design in biomarker studies, including statistical analyses, which may also deliver a more comprehensible message to managers and policy makers. By keeping on the safe side the health status of populations of multiple-species in a community, we advocate to increase the resilience of fluvial ecosystems to face present and forecasted stressors. In conclusion, this review provides evidence that multi-biomarker approaches detect early signs of impairment in populations, and supports their incorporation in the standardised procedures of the Water Frame Work Directive to better appraise the status of European water bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Colin
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Research in Biodiversity (IRBio), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Cinta Porte
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Denise Fernandes
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Barata
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Padrós
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, ES-08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maite Carrassón
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, ES-08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mario Monroy
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Research in Biodiversity (IRBio), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oriol Cano-Rocabayera
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Research in Biodiversity (IRBio), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adolfo de Sostoa
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Research in Biodiversity (IRBio), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Benjamín Piña
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alberto Maceda-Veiga
- Institute of Research in Biodiversity (IRBio), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, ES-08028 Barcelona, Spain; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK; Department of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), ES-41092 Sevilla, Spain
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Mazziotta A, Triviño M, Tikkanen OP, Kouki J, Strandman H, Mönkkönen M. Applying a framework for landscape planning under climate change for the conservation of biodiversity in the Finnish boreal forest. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2015; 21:637-651. [PMID: 25044467 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Conservation strategies are often established without consideration of the impact of climate change. However, this impact is expected to threaten species and ecosystem persistence and to have dramatic effects towards the end of the 21st century. Landscape suitability for species under climate change is determined by several interacting factors including dispersal and human land use. Designing effective conservation strategies at regional scales to improve landscape suitability requires measuring the vulnerabilities of specific regions to climate change and determining their conservation capacities. Although methods for defining vulnerability categories are available, methods for doing this in a systematic, cost-effective way have not been identified. Here, we use an ecosystem model to define the potential resilience of the Finnish forest landscape by relating its current conservation capacity to its vulnerability to climate change. In applying this framework, we take into account the responses to climate change of a broad range of red-listed species with different niche requirements. This framework allowed us to identify four categories in which representation in the landscape varies among three IPCC emission scenarios (B1, low; A1B, intermediate; A2, high emissions): (i) susceptible (B1 = 24.7%, A1B = 26.4%, A2 = 26.2%), the most intact forest landscapes vulnerable to climate change, requiring management for heterogeneity and resilience; (ii) resilient (B1 = 2.2%, A1B = 0.5%, A2 = 0.6%), intact areas with low vulnerability that represent potential climate refugia and require conservation capacity maintenance; (iii) resistant (B1 = 6.7%, A1B = 0.8%, A2 = 1.1%), landscapes with low current conservation capacity and low vulnerability that are suitable for restoration projects; (iv) sensitive (B1 = 66.4%, A1B = 72.3%, A2 = 72.0%), low conservation capacity landscapes that are vulnerable and for which alternative conservation measures are required depending on the intensity of climate change. Our results indicate that the Finnish landscape is likely to be dominated by a very high proportion of sensitive and susceptible forest patches, thereby increasing uncertainty for landscape managers in the choice of conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Mazziotta
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
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Gardner TA, VON Hase A, Brownlie S, Ekstrom JMM, Pilgrim JD, Savy CE, Stephens RTT, Treweek J, Ussher GT, Ward G, Ten Kate K. Biodiversity offsets and the challenge of achieving no net loss. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2013; 27:1254-1264. [PMID: 24033441 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Businesses, governments, and financial institutions are increasingly adopting a policy of no net loss of biodiversity for development activities. The goal of no net loss is intended to help relieve tension between conservation and development by enabling economic gains to be achieved without concomitant biodiversity losses. biodiversity offsets represent a necessary component of a much broader mitigation strategy for achieving no net loss following prior application of avoidance, minimization, and remediation measures. However, doubts have been raised about the appropriate use of biodiversity offsets. We examined what no net loss means as a desirable conservation outcome and reviewed the conditions that determine whether, and under what circumstances, biodiversity offsets can help achieve such a goal. We propose a conceptual framework to substitute the often ad hoc approaches evident in many biodiversity offset initiatives. The relevance of biodiversity offsets to no net loss rests on 2 fundamental premises. First, offsets are rarely adequate for achieving no net loss of biodiversity alone. Second, some development effects may be too difficult or risky, or even impossible, to offset. To help to deliver no net loss through biodiversity offsets, biodiversity gains must be comparable to losses, be in addition to conservation gains that may have occurred in absence of the offset, and be lasting and protected from risk of failure. Adherence to these conditions requires consideration of the wider landscape context of development and offset activities, timing of offset delivery, measurement of biodiversity, accounting procedures and rule sets used to calculate biodiversity losses and gains and guide offset design, and approaches to managing risk. Adoption of this framework will strengthen the potential for offsets to provide an ecologically defensible mechanism that can help reconcile conservation and development. Balances de Biodiversidad y el Reto de No Obtener Pérdida Neta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby A Gardner
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom; International Institute for Sustainability, Estrada Dona Castorina, 124, Rio de Janeiro, 22460-320, Brazil.
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Mills MGL, Mills MEJ. Cheetah cub survival revisited: a re-evaluation of the role of predation, especially by lions, and implications for conservation. J Zool (1987) 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. G. L. Mills
- The Lewis Foundation; Craighall South Africa
- WildCRU; Zoology Department; University of Oxford; The Recanati-Kaplan Centre; Abingdon UK
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Amat ME, Silvertown J, Vargas P. Strong spatial genetic structure reduces reproductive success in the critically endangered plant genus Pseudomisopates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 104:692-703. [PMID: 23885091 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/est042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Clonal growth can be a double-edged sword for endangered species, because the short-term insurance against extinction may incur a longer-term hazard of creating small inbred populations with low fecundity. In the present study, we quantify the advantages and disadvantages of clonal growth regarding the fitness of the central Iberian monotypic endangered genus Pseudomisopates. Preliminary studies showed that the species is self-incompatible and exhibits extensive clonal growth with plants flowering profusely. However, seeds at many sites seemed to be unviable, and no seedlings have been observed in the field. A fully replicated nested sampling design (n = 100) was conducted to explore genetic (using seven SSR loci) and environmental factors potentially affecting seed viability, such as: 1) clonal and genetic diversity, 2) spatial genetic structure, and 3) environmental factors (shrub cover and grazing). Generalized Linear Mixed Models were fitted relating genetic and environmental variables to reproductive variables (seed viability and flower display). Our results indicate that the relatively low genotypic diversity of the population (PD = 0.23), as quantified by SSRs, and the strong spatial genetic structure observed are congruent with intense clonal growth. This clonal growth is enhanced by unfavorable environmental conditions, such as canopy closure and grazing. Under these circumstances, both flower display and mate availability decrease, thus hindering sexual reproduction. Indeed, a mixed reproductive system (clonal and sexual) to escape environmental stochasticity is crucial for the survival of Pseudomisopates, a species inhabiting a disturbance-prone ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- María E Amat
- Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, Madrid, Spain.
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YOUNGENTOB KN, LIKENS GE, WILLIAMS JE, LINDENMAYER DB. A survey of long-term terrestrial ecology studies in Australia. AUSTRAL ECOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2012.02421.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Püttker T, Bueno AA, Dos Santos de Barros C, Sommer S, Pardini R. Immigration rates in fragmented landscapes--empirical evidence for the importance of habitat amount for species persistence. PLoS One 2011; 6:e27963. [PMID: 22125643 PMCID: PMC3220714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2011] [Accepted: 10/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The total amount of native vegetation is an important property of fragmented landscapes and is known to exert a strong influence on population and metapopulation dynamics. As the relationship between habitat loss and local patch and gap characteristics is strongly non-linear, theoretical models predict that immigration rates should decrease dramatically at low levels of remaining native vegetation cover, leading to patch-area effects and the existence of species extinction thresholds across fragmented landscapes with different proportions of remaining native vegetation. Although empirical patterns of species distribution and richness give support to these models, direct measurements of immigration rates across fragmented landscapes are still lacking. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Using the Brazilian Atlantic forest marsupial Gray Slender Mouse Opossum (Marmosops incanus) as a model species and estimating demographic parameters of populations in patches situated in three landscapes differing in the total amount of remaining forest, we tested the hypotheses that patch-area effects on population density are apparent only at intermediate levels of forest cover, and that immigration rates into forest patches are defined primarily by landscape context surrounding patches. As expected, we observed a positive patch-area effect on M. incanus density only within the landscape with intermediate forest cover. Density was independent of patch size in the most forested landscape and the species was absent from the most deforested landscape. Specifically, the mean estimated numbers of immigrants into small patches were lower in the landscape with intermediate forest cover compared to the most forested landscape. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our results reveal the crucial importance of the total amount of remaining native vegetation for species persistence in fragmented landscapes, and specifically as to the role of variable immigration rates in providing the underlying mechanism that drives both patch-area effects and species extinction thresholds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Püttker
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Cooke SJ, Suski CD. Ecological Restoration and Physiology: An Overdue Integration. Bioscience 2008. [DOI: 10.1641/b581009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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Baskent EZ, Terzioğlu S, Başkaya S. Developing and implementing multiple-use forest management planning in Turkey. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2008; 42:37-48. [PMID: 18379837 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-008-9106-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2007] [Revised: 02/12/2008] [Accepted: 02/27/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
This paper explains briefly the conceptual framework of an ecosystem-based multiple-use forest management planning focusing on biodiversity conservation and participation. Some results from a case study were documented to realize the implementation of the concept. A strong liaison between the related institutions and major stakeholders and the effective use of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) are necessary. Effective participation is evident only with the involvement of enthusiastic and skillful stakeholders. A case study of Iğneada, Turkey, supported the idea that participation as communication has better possibilities to promote multiple-use forest management than participation as information gathering. Primary challenges relate to the effectiveness of conservation program, availability of coherent biodiversity data, capacity building; awareness, training, and common understanding of biodiversity and protected area concept; coordination among the related institutions and stakeholders; and willingness and enthusiasm of authorities to accept and implement the concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emin Zeki Baskent
- Faculty of Forestry, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, 61080, Turkey.
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