1
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Dubiner S, Vardi R, Meiri S, Levin E. Stressed reptiles pay the metabolic price of war. Ecology 2024; 105:e4370. [PMID: 38877831 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Shahar Dubiner
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Reut Vardi
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eran Levin
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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2
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Meaza H, Ghebreyohannes T, Nyssen J, Tesfamariam Z, Demissie B, Poesen J, Gebrehiwot M, Weldemichel TG, Deckers S, Gidey DG, Vanmaercke M. Managing the environmental impacts of war: What can be learned from conflict-vulnerable communities? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:171974. [PMID: 38547990 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171974] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Wars have serious negative effects on the total environment. This study reviews 193 case studies worldwide in order to better understand these impacts and their potential management before, during and after war. The synthesis of the evidence shows that military actions damage landscape resources. Aerial bombings have great negative impacts by damaging environmental conservation efforts, destroying trees, disturbing soilscapes and undermining soil health. In addition, war exterminates wildlife and their ecological niches and contributes to atmospheric and water pollution. Overall, military leaders and personnel have shown little concern about these impacts. Limited postwar restoration activities are also undertaken to reduce war-driven environmental impacts. The study highlights some good practices on how to manage the total environment during the warfare. Therefore, communities must share best lessons to remain in a sustainable peace, restore the war-damaged environment, and enhance sustainable economic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailemariam Meaza
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Mekelle University, Ethiopia; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | | | - Jan Nyssen
- Department of Geography, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Zbelo Tesfamariam
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Mekelle University, Ethiopia
| | - Biadiglign Demissie
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Mekelle University, Ethiopia; Laboratoire d'Analyses Géospatiales, ULB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean Poesen
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, UMCS, Poland
| | - Misgina Gebrehiwot
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Mekelle University, Ethiopia
| | | | - Seppe Deckers
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
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3
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Murtaza MR, Hongzhong F, Magdalena R, Javed H, Ileana SC. Nexus of green energy, financial inclusion, militarization, and environmental sustainability: A global perspective. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301122. [PMID: 38758933 PMCID: PMC11101087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
This article investigates the dynamic impact of green energy consumption (GE), financial inclusion (FI), and military spending (MS) on environmental sustainability (ES) by utilizing a sample of 121 countries from 2003 to 2022. The dataset is divided into high-income, upper-middle income and low and lower-middle-income countries. We employed a two-step system GMM approach, which was further robust through panel Quantile and Driscoll-Kraay (D-K) regressions. The findings divulged that green energy resources benefit ES at global and all income levels because of having a significant negative impact of 5.9% on ecological footprints. At the same time, FI and MS significantly enhance ecological footprints by 7% and 6.9%, respectively, proving these factors detrimental to ES. Moreover, conflicts (CON), terrorism (TM), institutional quality (IQ), and socioeconomic conditions (SEC) also have a significantly positive association with global ecological footprints and most of the income level groups. Dissimilarly, financial inclusion and armed conflicts have a non-significant influence on ecological footprints in low-income and high-income countries, respectively. Furthermore, institutional quality enhances ES in upper-middle and low and lower-middle-income countries by negatively affecting ecological footprints. At the same time, terrorism significantly reduces ecological footprints in high-income countries. This research also provides the imperative policy inferences to accomplish various SDGs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fan Hongzhong
- School of Economics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Radulescu Magdalena
- Department of Finance, Accounting, and Economics, National University of Science and Technology, Politehnica Bucharest, Pitesti Regional Center, Pitești, Romania
- Institute of Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Studies, University Lucian Blaga of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Haseeb Javed
- School of Business Administration, Budapest Metropolitan University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sinisi Crenguta Ileana
- School of Management, Valahia University of Târgoviște, Târgoviște, Romania
- Selinus University of Science and Literature, Bolonga, Italy
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4
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Spears BM, Harpham Q, Brown E, Barnett CL, Barwell L, Collell MR, Davison M, Dixon H, Elliott JA, Garbutt A, Hazlewood C, Hofmann B, Lanyon J, Lofts S, MacKechnie C, Medinets S, Noble J, Ramsbottom D, Redhead JW, Riera A, Spurgeon DJ, Svendsen C, Taylor P, Thackeray SJ, Turvey K, Wood MD. A rapid environmental risk assessment of the Kakhovka Dam breach during the Ukraine conflict. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:834-836. [PMID: 38499872 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02373-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Catherine L Barnett
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | | | | | | | - Harry Dixon
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, UK
| | - J Alex Elliott
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | - Angus Garbutt
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor, UK
| | | | | | | | - Stephen Lofts
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | | | - Sergiy Medinets
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Penicuik, UK
- Odesa National I.I. Mechnikov University, Odesa, Ukraine
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Claus Svendsen
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | | | - Stephen J Thackeray
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
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5
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Solokha M, Pereira P, Symochko L, Vynokurova N, Demyanyuk O, Sementsova K, Inacio M, Barcelo D. Russian-Ukrainian war impacts on the environment. Evidence from the field on soil properties and remote sensing. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 902:166122. [PMID: 37567282 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
The Russian-Ukrainian war is having a dramatic impact on the environment. The effects are still unknown. However, it is expected that the effects will be substantial. Since the conflict is ongoing, it is challenging to have ground-accurate data that could show an idea of the extension of the impact. Remote sensing can support a preliminary analysis in areas without safety to conduct fieldwork. This work aims to assess the impacts of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the environment using field and remote sensing sources. This is the first work that published fieldwork data from this conflict. Different soil properties were studied (e.g., texture and heavy metals) in different places (Novy Korotych and Mala Rohan). Remote sensing (e.g., Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) at different spatial scales (Eastern Ukraine and case study in the Kharkiv region) were assessed between 2021 and 2022. The results showed that the finer sediments increased in bombed areas compared with not bombed ones. Also, there was an increase in the content of heavy metals (e.g., Manganese, Iron, Cobalt, Copper, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead and Nickel) in soils in the shelled areas, compared to the non-shelled. This was mainly observed in the Novy Korotych site. Remote sensing analysis revealed that between 2021 and 2022 at a large scale (Eastern and southeastern Ukraine), vegetation greenness decreased in the areas where the combats are more intense (Luhansk and Donetsk) and increased in the southern area (Zaporizhia and Kherson), likely due to agriculture abandonment. On a small scale (case study in Kharkiv region), the vegetation greenness was affected due to the bombing. Although our results are preliminary, it is important to highlight that shelling is increasing soil pollution and contributing to vegetation greenness reduction where the fighting is intense. The actual impacts of the war still need to be understood entirely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksym Solokha
- National Scientific Center, Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry Research named after O.N. Sokolovsky, Kharkіv, Ukraine
| | - Paulo Pereira
- Environmental Management Laboratory, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Lyudmyla Symochko
- Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine; University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management NAAS, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Nadiya Vynokurova
- National Scientific Center, Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry Research named after O.N. Sokolovsky, Kharkіv, Ukraine
| | - Olena Demyanyuk
- Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management NAAS, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Kateryna Sementsova
- National Scientific Center, Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry Research named after O.N. Sokolovsky, Kharkіv, Ukraine
| | - Miguel Inacio
- Environmental Management Laboratory, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Damia Barcelo
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), C/Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Williams NE, Dhamruwan M, Carrico AR. Displacement and degradation: Impediments to agricultural livelihoods among ethnic minority farmers in post-war Sri Lanka. AMBIO 2023; 52:813-825. [PMID: 36648691 PMCID: PMC9989077 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01819-8] [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: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Our understandings of the effects of war on land and resource access following armed conflicts are often shaped (and limited) by a reliance upon remotely sensed data. Here, we analyze household-level survey and community-level focus group data collected in Sri Lanka following the end of the nation's ethno-religiously rooted civil war (1983-2009) to determine if and how the war differently affected the nation's rice farmers. Our synthetic analyses revealed geographic variation in agricultural livelihood viability in post-war Sri Lanka, demonstrating how the protracted effects of war are exacerbating the vulnerability of rural Sri Lanka's ethno-religious minority (Tamil and Moor) populations by (re-)shaping access to critical natural resources, including both land and irrigation water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E. Williams
- Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA USA
| | - Malaka Dhamruwan
- Department of Economics, University of Colombo, 108 Kanda Kurunduwatta, Dediyawala, Waskaduwa 12580 Sri Lanka
| | - Amanda R. Carrico
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO USA
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7
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Grimes ES, Kneer ML, Berkowitz JF. Military activity and wetland-dependent wildlife: A warfare ecology perspective. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2023. [PMID: 36942452 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Wetlands provide unique habitat functions that benefit society by provisioning food, recreation, and ecosystem sustainability. Warfare affects the habitats of wetland-dependent reptiles, amphibians, and birds in both positive and negative ways, and opportunities exist to improve the management of wildlife habitat using a warfare ecology framework. Recent events in Ukraine highlight these relationships and provide stimulus to further consider the implications of current events for natural resources. In response, this commentary highlights both degradational and positive impacts of warfare on wetland fauna during the cyclical preparation, active conflict, and recovery phases. For example, the active conflict phase often initiates ecological disturbance regimes that couple large-scale landscape alteration with the release of chemicals and other materials into wetlands, leading to reduced reproductive potential and population declines in wetland-dependent species (e.g., amphibians, waterfowl) along with decreased overall wetland biodiversity and habitat quality. In contrast, wetland-dependent wildlife can benefit from (1) conservation activities occurring on military installations maintained to support training activities and (2) restoration efforts initiated after the cessation of combat. For example, many threatened and endangered reptiles and amphibians find refugia on military lands in the USA and internationally, and international protections for wetland resources (including the Ramsar Convention) have been established to promote their sustainability and wise use. Additional research is needed to improve the protection of valuable wetland resources by further enhancing ongoing conservation and planning efforts and improving strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of warfare on wetland dependent species throughout each phase of the warfare ecology cycle. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;00:1-9. Published 2023. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan S Grimes
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marissa L Kneer
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA
| | - Jacob F Berkowitz
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA
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8
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Wenning RJ, Tomasi TD. Using US Natural Resource Damage Assessment to understand the environmental consequences of the war in Ukraine. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2023; 19:366-375. [PMID: 36444733 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Military conflict has led to large-scale environmental changes throughout recorded human history. Pollution from war contaminates surface water and soil, releases large volumes of greenhouse gases into the air, and directly harms wildlife and biodiversity. Although much is understood about the human toll of war, numerous examples of postwar reconstruction suggest that underestimating the severity of wartime damages to ecosystems and natural resources results in prolonged or incomplete recovery of the environment. A data-driven scientific approach closely aligned with the evidentiary rules standard in western legal systems is needed to quantify the injury, destruction, or loss of natural resources and inform the estimation of the reparations necessary to restore the environment fully. The US Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process and the European Union environmental liability directive are well-suited for a systematic and science-based analysis of the ecological injuries incurred during armed conflicts. Both approaches include a preliminary damage assessment process, which could be initiated during wartime to document and predict the likely severity of the injuries and prioritize, in advance, rehabilitation activities after the cessation of hostilities. In this article, we refer to news reporting of Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine as an example of how a preliminary damage assessment could be conducted remotely and later modified by in-country inspections and analysis to verify and refine the scale of injuries and to develop reparation proposals. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:366-375. © 2022 SETAC.
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9
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Murillo-Sandoval PJ. Disentangling the landscape during armed conflicts and postpeace agreements: Clues from Colombia's Andes-Amazon region. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2023; 19:355-359. [PMID: 36168787 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The link between remote sensing and armed conflict processes has been evaluated through discrete landscape representations, deforestation, and static land cover maps. Yet, the landscape is dynamic-not discrete, and recognizing its evolution through armed conflict processes provides better-informed management and a more profound understanding of landscape dynamics. We must create continuous variables that provide compelling landscape representations that account for armed conflict processes as a driver of land cover and land-use change. Here, we present the advancements in monitoring landscape changes in Colombia from subannual forest change and annual land cover maps to elucidate illicit land use and habitat connectivity status. This evolution delivers critical elements to understanding the consequences of armed conflict processes on the environment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:355-359. © 2022 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo J Murillo-Sandoval
- Departamento de Topografía, Facultad de Ciencias del Hábitat, Diseño e Infraestructura, Universidad del Tolima, Ibagué, Colombia
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10
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Extending the dynamic landscape of fear in a human-dominated world. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:215-216. [PMID: 36372612 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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11
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Gadsden GI, Golden N, Harris NC. Place-Based Bias in Environmental Scholarship Derived from Social-Ecological Landscapes of Fear. Bioscience 2022; 73:23-35. [PMID: 36643594 PMCID: PMC9832956 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biac095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Historical perspectives (e.g., moments of social, political, and economic significance) are increasingly relevant for developing insights into landscape change and ecosystem degradation. However, the question of how to incorporate historical events into ecological inquiry is still under development, owing to the evolving paradigm of transdisciplinary thinking between natural science and the humanities. In the present article, we call for the inclusion of negative human histories (e.g., evictions of communities and environmental injustices) as important factors that drive landscape change and shape research questions relevant to environmental conservation. We outline the detrimental effects of conservationists not addressing negative human histories by likening this social phenomenon to the ecological concept of landscapes of fear, which describes how not acknowledging these histories produces a landscape that constrains where and how research is conducted by scientists. Finally, we provide three positive recommendations for scholars or practitioners to address the manifestation of historic place-based bias in ecological research. What we call the social-ecological landscapes of fear provides a conceptual framework for more inclusive practices in ecology to increase the success of environmental and conservation goals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nigel Golden
- Applied Wildlife Ecology (AWE) Lab, School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Nyeema C Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology (AWE) Lab, School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
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12
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Murillo-Sandoval PJ, Clerici N, Correa-Ayram C. Rapid loss in landscape connectivity after the peace agreement in the Andes-Amazon region. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
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13
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Pereira P, Bašić F, Bogunovic I, Barcelo D. Russian-Ukrainian war impacts the total environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 837:155865. [PMID: 35569661 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Russian-Ukrainian war triggered a tsunami that dramatically impacted the world economy, geopolitics, and food security. Due to the extreme humanitarian situation, the effects on the environment have been overlooked. However, due to the intense fighting, the impacts will be dramatic and produce an environmental disaster. The war is already affecting areas beyond Ukraine (explosions in Russia and Moldova territory). This discussion paper aims to shed light on the potential effect of this vast conflict on the ecosystems and their services. Although the war is still ongoing, there is evidence of severe air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the intense fights. Also, warfare activities were conducted in the vicinity of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (the biggest in Europe) and Chernobyl, increasing the fear of radiation leaks. The biodiversity is being drastically affected due to intense deforestation and habitat destruction with potential implications for wildlife. Bombing, trench and tunnel excavations will likely negatively impact soil degradation and landscape morphology. This assumes particular importance since Ukraine has some of the most fertile soils globally (Chernozem), affecting food production. Water availability and quality are likely to be affected due to infrastructure destruction and the transport of pollutants to water reserves. The ecosystem services supplied will likely be strongly damaged since deforestation will decrease the capacity of the ecosystems to regulate air pollution or climate. Soil degradation will hamper food production, and landscape aesthetics, cultural heritage and social cohesion destruction drastically affects cultural services. Finally, the impacts on human health are already tremendous. However, it can be even higher due to exposure to high levels of contamination and sanitary conditions degradation. The war is still ongoing, and there is considerable uncertainty regarding the impacts. However, we may expect a dramatic effect on the total environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Pereira
- Environmental Management Laboratory, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), Girona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Ferdo Bašić
- Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Igor Bogunovic
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Damia Barcelo
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), Girona, Catalonia, Spain
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14
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Almalki M. Breeding biology of Saunders's tern ( Sterna saundersi) in the Farasan Islands, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:1931-1937. [PMID: 33732079 PMCID: PMC7938151 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.12.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Saunders’s terns (Sternula saundersi) are a small, ground-nesting marine bird species that have a massive rearing range, including the shores and islands of Asia and Africa adjacent to the north Indian Ocean. Despite occupying a large breeding range, little is known about the breeding ecology of this species. This research explored aspects of Saunders’s terns’ breeding ecology and predation rate in 2013 on the Farasan Islands of Saudi Arabia. The outcomes confirm that the mean clutch size of a Saunders’s tern was 1.77 ± 0.08 (n = 31) eggs per clutch and the mean egg size was 31.05 × 23.15 mm. The results of this study show a remarkable relationship between clutch size and egg volume and length (p = .002, p = .004, respectively). Predation was the major reason for nest damage (62.5%). Evidence from cameras at nests showed that the predators of Saunders’s tern nests on the Farasan Islands were white-tailed mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda) and Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus). This is the first study on the breeding ecology of Saunders’s terns, and it shows that predator control is essential to the existence of the species. The results of this study suggest that fencing some breeding sites may help to minimize human disturbance and decrease the risk of nest predation from mammalian predators. Further research is needed to compare the predation rates on the mainland and islands and to develop efficient strategies to conserve this ground-nesting species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Almalki
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
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15
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Perino A, Pereira HM, Navarro LM, Fernández N, Bullock JM, Ceaușu S, Cortés-Avizanda A, van Klink R, Kuemmerle T, Lomba A, Pe'er G, Plieninger T, Rey Benayas JM, Sandom CJ, Svenning JC, Wheeler HC. Rewilding complex ecosystems. Science 2019; 364:364/6438/eaav5570. [PMID: 31023897 DOI: 10.1126/science.aav5570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The practice of rewilding has been both promoted and criticized in recent years. Benefits include flexibility to react to environmental change and the promotion of opportunities for society to reconnect with nature. Criticisms include the lack of a clear conceptualization of rewilding, insufficient knowledge about possible outcomes, and the perception that rewilding excludes people from landscapes. Here, we present a framework for rewilding that addresses these concerns. We suggest that rewilding efforts should target trophic complexity, natural disturbances, and dispersal as interacting processes that can improve ecosystem resilience and maintain biodiversity. We propose a structured approach to rewilding projects that includes assessment of the contributions of nature to people and the social-ecological constraints on restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Perino
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. .,Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Henrique M Pereira
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. .,Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.,CIBIO (Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources)–InBIO (Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology), Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Laetitia M Navarro
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Néstor Fernández
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | | | - Silvia Ceaușu
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ainara Cortés-Avizanda
- CIBIO (Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources)–InBIO (Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology), Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,Animal Ecology and Demography Unit, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Balearic Islands (Mallorca), Spain.,Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Roel van Klink
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department and Integrative Research Institute for Transformations in Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Angela Lomba
- CIBIO (Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources)–InBIO (Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology), Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Guy Pe'er
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Economics and Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Plieninger
- Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany.,Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - José M Rey Benayas
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | | | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Helen C Wheeler
- Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.,Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France.,Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT Norges Arktiske Universitet, Tromsø, Norway.,Department of Biology, Chemistry and Geography, Université du Quebec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
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16
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Stalmans ME, Massad TJ, Peel MJS, Tarnita CE, Pringle RM. War-induced collapse and asymmetric recovery of large-mammal populations in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212864. [PMID: 30865663 PMCID: PMC6415879 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
How do large-mammal communities reassemble after being pushed to the brink of extinction? Few data are available to answer this question, as it is rarely possible to document both the decline and recovery of wildlife populations. Here we present the first in-depth quantitative account of war-induced collapse and postwar recovery in a diverse assemblage of large herbivores. In Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park, we assembled data from 15 aerial wildlife counts conducted before (1968-1972) and after (1994-2018) the Mozambican Civil War (1977-1992). Pre-war total biomass density exceeded 9,000 kg km-2, but populations declined by >90% during the war. Since 1994, total biomass has substantially recovered, but species composition has shifted dramatically. Formerly dominant large herbivores-including elephant (Loxodonta africana), hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius), buffalo (Syncerus caffer), zebra (Equus quagga), and wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)-are now outnumbered by waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) and other small to mid-sized antelopes. Waterbuck abundance has increased by an order of magnitude, with >55,000 individuals accounting for >74% of large-herbivore biomass in 2018. By contrast, elephant, hippo, and buffalo, which totaled 89% of pre-war biomass, now comprise just 23%. These trends mostly reflect natural population growth following the resumption of protection under the Gorongosa Restoration Project; reintroductions (465 animals of 7 species) accounted for a comparatively small fraction of the total numerical increase. Waterbuck are growing logistically, apparently as-yet unchecked by interspecific competition or predation (apex-carnivore abundance has been low throughout the post-war interval), suggesting a community still in flux. Most other herbivore populations have increased post-war, albeit at differing rates. Armed conflict remains a poorly understood driver of ecological change; our results demonstrate the potential for rapid post-war recovery of large-herbivore biomass, given sound protected-area management, but also suggest that restoration of community structure takes longer and may require active intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc E. Stalmans
- Department of Scientific Services, Beira, Sofala Province, Mozambique
| | - Tara J. Massad
- Department of Scientific Services, Beira, Sofala Province, Mozambique
| | - Mike J. S. Peel
- ARC-Animal Production Institute, Rangeland Ecology Group, Nelspruit, South Africa
| | - Corina E. Tarnita
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America
| | - Robert M. Pringle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America
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Enaruvbe G, Keculah K, Atedhor G, Osewole A. Armed conflict and mining induced land-use transition in northern Nimba County, Liberia. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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18
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Responding to Climate Change in Tropical Countries Emerging from Armed Conflicts: Harnessing Climate Finance, Peacebuilding, and Sustainable Food. FORESTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/f9100621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Linking climate action with sustainable development goals (SDGs) might incentivize social and political support to forest conservation. However, further examination of the conceptual entry points for linking efforts for reducing forest-based emissions with those for delivering SDGs is required. This review paper aims to contribute to fulfilling this research need. It provides insights into the links between conserving forests for climate change mitigation and peacebuilding. Specifically, the paper examines opportunities to harness climate finance for conserving forests and achieving long-lasting peace and sustainable food. It does so via a literature review and the examination of the Orinoquia region of Colombia. The findings from the literature review suggest that harnessing climate finance for conserving forests and peacebuilding is, in theory, viable if the activities are designed in accordance with social, institutional, and economic factors. Meanwhile, the Orinoquia region provides evidence that these two seemingly intractable problems are proposed to be solved together. At a time when efforts for reducing forest-based emissions are being designed and targeted at (post-) conflict areas in Colombia and elsewhere, the paper’s findings might demonstrate the compatibility of programs aimed at reducing forest-based emissions with efforts relating to peacebuilding and sustainable food to both environmental and non-environmental government agencies.
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Calle-Rendón BR, Moreno F, Hilário RR. Vulnerability of mammals to land-use changes in Colombia’s post-conflict era. NATURE CONSERVATION 2018. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.29.28943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Colombia, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, is entering a peaceful period after more than fifty years of armed conflict. Due to land use changes resulting from this new situation, negative effects on biodiversity, including mammals are expected. We think that mammal populations will be more sensitive in municipalities where activities related to post-conflict will be carried out. In that order, we aim to: 1) identify which mammal species would be more sensitive and 2) identify the critical regions where there is higher richness of sensitive mammals. We used the distributions of 95 mammal taxa and calculated a sensitivity index by combining four factors: 1) the proportion of each species distribution within protected areas in relation to their proposed extinction thresholds, 2) the proportion within post-conflict municipalities, 3) the proportion of five types of potential land use in post-conflict municipalities and 4) the threat status of each species. Using this index, we drew a map of species richness for mammals classified at high-risk and very high-risk categories. Primates were the most sensitive group to post-conflict changes. Urabá and the region near to the Serranía de San Lucas were the areas with the highest richness of sensitive species. We suggest using primates as flagship species to carry out conservation schemes in the post-conflict era in programmes led by local farmers and former fighters who have been reintegrated into civilian life.
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