Conservation of more evolutionary unique amphibian communities in Türkiye: The role of protected areas

The alarming decline of amphibians, sometimes marked by sudden extinctions, underlines the urgent need for increased conservation efforts. Conservationists recognize that more action, particularly the setting of national targets, is needed to ensure the future persistence and recovery of species and habitats. Protecting habitats that harbor evolutionarily diverse species preserves divergent genetic information within ecosystems. Türkiye holds 36 amphibian species at the intersection of two continents, creating three biodiversity hotspots and phylogenetic transitional areas. In this study, we aimed to determine the hotspot regions and to evaluate the effectiveness of the protected areas in Türkiye in preserving amphibian populations. First, we estimated four community indexes (species richness and three evolutionary distinctiveness measures) for amphibian communities in Türkiye divided into 371 grid cells with a ca 50 × 50 km size. Then, the spatial extent of protected areas is evaluated from two perspectives: current (has a protection status) and candidate protected areas (Key Biodiversity Areas, not protected) coverage in those grid cells. Finally, these two approaches' effectiveness in protecting areas was assessed by modeling four diversity metrics using GLS models. Current protected areas protect about 6% of the total amphibian distribution in Türkiye, while Key Biodiversity Areas would cover 30% if declared protected areas. We estimated that the coastal areas of Türkiye are identified as hotspots based on the four measured amphibian community indexes. Our study also highlights that Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) can contribute to conserving high levels of amphibian richness and evolutionary distinctiveness of species across Türkiye. However, existing protected areas (PAs) networks were insufficient to protect amphibians.

Global mismatches between threat mapping research effort and the potential of threat abatement actions to reduce extinction risk

Threat mapping is a necessary tool for identifying and abating direct threats to species in the ongoing extinction crisis. There are known gaps in the threat mapping literature for particular threats and geographic locations, and it remains unclear if the distribution of research effort is appropriately targeted relative to conservation need. We aimed to determine the drivers of threat mapping research effort and to quantify gaps that, if filled, could inform actions with the highest potential to reduce species' extinction risk. We used a negative binomial generalized linear model to analyze research effort as a function of threat abatement potential (quantified as the potential reduction in species extinction risk from abating threats), species richness, land area, and human pressure. The model showed that threat mapping research effort increased by 1.1 to 1.2 times per standardized unit change in threat abatement potential. However, species richness and land area were stronger predictors of research effort overall. The greatest areas of mismatch between research effort and threat abatement potential, receiving disproportionately low research effort, were related to the threats to species of agriculture, aquaculture, and biological resource use across the tropical regions of the Americas, Asia, and Madagascar. Conversely, the threat of linear infrastructure (e.g., roads and rails) across regions, the threat of biological resource use (e.g., hunting or collection) in sub-Saharan Africa, and overall threats in North America and Europe all received disproportionately high research effort. We discuss the range of methodological and sociopolitical factors that may be behind the overall trends and specific areas of mismatch we found. We urge a stronger emphasis on targeting research effort toward those threats and geographic locations where threat abatement activities could make the greatest contribution to reducing global species extinction risk.

Towards harmonized standards for freshwater biodiversity monitoring and biological assessment using benthic macroinvertebrates

Monitoring programs at sub-national and national scales lack coordination, harmonization, and systematic review and analysis at continental and global scales, and thus fail to adequately assess and evaluate drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation and loss at large spatial scales. Here we review the state of the art, gaps and challenges in the freshwater assessment programs for both the biological condition (bioassessment) and biodiversity monitoring of freshwater ecosystems using the benthic macroinvertebrate community. To assess the existence of nationally- and regionally- (sub-nationally-) accepted freshwater benthic macroinvertebrate protocols that are put in practice/used in each country, we conducted a survey from November 2022 to May 2023. Responses from 110 respondents based in 67 countries were received. Although the responses varied in their consistency, the responses clearly demonstrated a lack of biodiversity monitoring being done at both national and sub-national levels for lakes, rivers and artificial waterbodies. Programs for bioassessment were more widespread, and in some cases even harmonized among several countries. We identified 20 gaps and challenges, which we classed into five major categories, these being (a) field sampling, (b) sample processing and identification, (c) metrics and indices, (d) assessment, and (e) other gaps and challenges. Above all, we identify the lack of harmonization as one of the most important gaps, hindering efficient collaboration and communication. We identify the IUCN SSC Global Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Sampling Protocols Task Force (GLOSAM) as a means to address the lack of globally-harmonized biodiversity monitoring and biological assessment protocols.

A global synthesis and assessment of free-ranging domestic cat diet

Free-ranging cats (Felis catus) are globally distributed invasive carnivores that markedly impact biodiversity. Here, to evaluate the potential threat of cats, we develop a comprehensive global assessment of species consumed by cats. We identify 2,084 species eaten by cats, of which 347 (16.65%) are of conservation concern. Islands contain threefold more species of conservation concern eaten by cats than continents do. Birds, reptiles, and mammals constitute ~90% of species consumed, with insects and amphibians being less frequent. Approximately 9% of known birds, 6% of known mammals, and 4% of known reptile species are identified in cat diets. 97% of species consumed are <5 kg in adult body mass, though much larger species are also eaten. The species accumulation curves are not asymptotic, indicating that our estimates are conservative. Our results demonstrate that cats are extreme generalist predators, which is critical for understanding their impact on ecological systems and developing management solutions.

Diversity and spatiotemporal dynamics of fish communities in the Chongqing section of the upper Yangtze River based on eDNA metabarcoding

Fish diversity plays a critical role in maintaining the balance of water ecosystems, especially in the Chongqing section of the National Nature Reserve for Rare and Endemic Fishes in the upper Yangtze River, which serves as an important habitat for rare and endemic fish, as well as an important channel for the replenishment of fishery resources in the Three Gorges Reservoir. Under a 10-year ban on fishing in the Yangtze River basin, we investigate fish diversity and seasonal variation in the Reserve by using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. We found fishes belonging to 85 genera, 24 families, and 8 orders in the Reserve. A comparison of eDNA metabarcoding results with the diversity of a recent fish catch revealed that eDNA metabarcoding not only enables rapid and efficient fish monitoring but also has a high sensitivity. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that eDNA metabarcoding can be used as a tool for monitoring seasonal variations of fish composition in freshwater ecosystems. The alpha and beta diversity analysis both showed compositional differences in the fish community in accordance with seasonal variations. In addition, changes in eDNA relative sequence abundance and the detection of fish species at different sampling sites may reflect shifts in habitat use and distribution. Thus, we provide detailed seasonal data on fish diversity in the Chongqing section of the Reserve. This will contribute to conservation and to the understanding of fish diversity and community dynamics in the Chongqing section of the Reserve.

What is conservation paleobiology? Tracking 20 years of research and development

Conservation paleobiology has coalesced over the last two decades since its formal coining, united by the goal of applying geohistorical records to inform the conservation, management, and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Yet, the field is still attempting to form an identity distinct from its academic roots. Here, we ask a deceptively simple question: What is conservation paleobiology? To track its development as a field, we synthesize complementary perspectives from a survey of the scientific community that is familiar with conservation paleobiology and a systematic literature review of publications that use the term. We present an overview of conservation paleobiology’s research scope and compare survey participants’ perceptions of what it is and what it should be as a field. We find that conservation paleobiologists use a variety of geohistorical data in their work, although research is typified by near-time records of marine molluscs and terrestrial mammals collected over local to regional spatial scales. Our results also confirm the field’s broad disciplinary basis: survey participants indicated that conservation paleobiology can incorporate information from a wide range of disciplines spanning conservation biology, ecology, historical ecology, paleontology, and archaeology. Finally, we show that conservation paleobiologists have yet to reach a consensus on how applied the field should be in practice. The survey revealed that many participants thought the field should be more applied but that most do not currently engage with conservation practice. Reflecting on how conservation paleobiology has developed over the last two decades, we discuss opportunities to promote community cohesion, strengthen collaborations within conservation science, and align training priorities with the field’s identity as it continues to crystallize.

Trends and biases in African large carnivore population assessments: identifying priorities and opportunities from a systematic review of two decades of research

African large carnivores have undergone significant range and population declines over recent decades. Although conservation planning and the management of threatened species requires accurate assessments of population status and monitoring of trends, there is evidence that biodiversity monitoring may not be evenly distributed or occurring where most needed. Here, we provide the first systematic review of African large carnivore population assessments published over the last two decades (2000-2020), to investigate trends in research effort and identify knowledge gaps. We used generalised linear models (GLMs) and generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) to identify taxonomic and geographical biases, and investigated biases associated with land use type and author nationality. Research effort was significantly biased towards lion (Panthera leo) and against striped hyaena (Hyaena hyaena), despite the latter being the species with the widest continental range. African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) also exhibited a negative bias in research attention, although this was partly explained by its relatively restricted distribution. The number of country assessments for a species was significantly positively associated with its geographic range in that country. Population assessments were biased towards southern and eastern Africa, particularly South Africa and Kenya. Northern, western, and central Africa were generally under-represented. Most studies were carried out in photographic tourism protected areas under government management, while non-protected and trophy hunting areas received less attention. Outside South Africa, almost half of studies (41%) did not include authors from the study country, suggesting that significant opportunities exist for capacity building in range states. Overall, large parts of Africa remain under-represented in the literature, and opportunities exist for further research on most species and in most countries. We develop recommendations for actions aimed at overcoming the identified biases and provide researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with priorities to help inform future research and monitoring agendas.

Wood stock in neotropical streams: Quantifying and comparing instream wood among biomes and regions

Instream wood plays important chemical, physical and ecological functions in aquatic systems, benefiting biota directly and indirectly. However, human activities along river corridors have disrupted wood recruitment and retention, usually leading to reductions in the amount of instream wood. In the tropics, where wood is believed to be more transient, the expansion of agriculture and infrastructure might be reducing instream wood stock even more than in the better studied temperate streams. However, research is needed to augment the small amount of information about wood in different biomes and ecosystems of neotropical streams. Here we present the first extensive assessment of instream wood loads and size distributions in streams of the wet-tropical Amazon and semi-humid-tropical Cerrado (the Brazilian savanna). We also compare neotropical wood stocks with those in temperate streams, first comparing against data from the literature, and then from a comparable dataset from temperate biomes in the USA. Contrary to our expectations, Amazon and Cerrado streams carried similar wood loads, which were lower than the world literature average, but similar to those found in comparable temperate forest and savanna streams in the USA. Our results indicate that the field survey methods and the wood metric adopted are highly important when comparing different datasets. But when properly compared, we found that most of the wood in temperate streams is made-up of a small number of large pieces, whereas wood in neotropical streams is made up of a larger number of small pieces that produce similar total volumes. The character of wood volumes among biomes is linked more to the delivery, transport and decomposition mechanisms than to the total number of pieces. Future studies should further investigate the potential instream wood drivers in neotropical catchments in order to better understand the differences and similarities here detected between biomes and climatic regions.

The scope and extent of literature that maps threats to species globally: a systematic map

BACKGROUND

Human activities are driving accelerating rates of species extinctions that continue to threaten nature's contribution to people. Yet, the full scope of where and how human activities threaten wild species worldwide remains unclear. Furthermore, the large diversity of approaches and terminology surrounding threats and threat mapping presents a barrier to understanding the state of knowledge and uptake into decision-making. Here, we define 'threats' as human activities and direct human-initiated processes, specifically where they co-occur with, and impact the survival of, wild species. Our objectives were to systematically consolidate the threat mapping literature, describe the distribution of available evidence, and produce a publicly available and searchable database of articles for easy uptake of evidence into future decision-making.

METHODS

Four bibliographic databases, one web-based search engine, and thirteen organisational websites were searched for peer-reviewed and grey-literature published in English 2000-2020. A three-stage screening process (title, abstract, and full-text) and coding was undertaken by two reviewers, with consistency tested on 20% of articles at each stage. Articles were coded according to 22 attributes that captured dimensions of the population, threat, and geographic location studied in addition to methodological attributes. The threats studied were classified according to the IUCN Red List threat classification scheme. A range of graphical formats were used to visualise the distribution of evidence according to these attributes and complement the searchable database of articles.

REVIEW FINDINGS

A total of 1069 relevant threat mapping studies were found and included in the systematic map, most conducted at a sub-national or local scale. Evidence was distributed unevenly among taxonomic groups, ecological realms, and geographies. Although articles were found for the full scope of threat categories used, most articles mapped a single threat. The most heavily mapped threats were alien invasive species, aquatic or terrestrial animal exploitation, roads and railways, residential development, and non-timber crop and livestock agriculture. Limitations regarding the English-only search and imperfect ability of the search to identify grey literature could have influenced the findings.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic map represents a catalogue of threat mapping evidence at any spatial scale available for immediate use in threat reduction activities and policy decisions. The distribution of evidence has implications for devising actions to combat the threats specifically targeted in the post-2020 UN Biodiversity Framework, and for identifying other threats that may benefit from representation in global policy. It also highlights key gaps for further research to aid national and local-scale threat reduction. More knowledge would be particularly beneficial in the areas of managing multiple threats, land-based threats to marine systems, and threats to plant species and threats within the freshwater realm.

Neighboring Green Network and Landscape Metrics Explain Biodiversity within Small Urban Green Areas—A Case Study on Birds

Cities’ green areas are fragmented patches and are often confined to smaller sizes than the higher built-up proportions. Such small-sized green areas can be essential components of green infrastructure to compensate for biodiversity loss. As a proxy to biodiversity, we studied birds in nine small green area locations of Freiburg and eight area locations in Regensburg in Germany. We investigated the neighboring green networks (distance to the nearest water body and another green area) and landscape metrics (patch abundance and habitat heterogeneity at a 1 km radius) that might benefit and explain bird richness and composition in small green areas. We found that the variations in the observed species richness and composition at the surveyed locations were better explained solely by green networks in Freiburg and by green networks and landscape metrics in Regensburg. In general, it indicates that a small green area could be biodiverse if its spatial distribution considers a nearby water body and other green areas, allowing a higher abundance of similar patches and habitat heterogeneity in the neighborhood.

Implications of taxonomic bias for human–carnivore conflict mitigation

Carnivore population declines are a time-sensitive global challenge in which mitigating decreasing populations requires alignment of applied practice and research priorities. However, large carnivore conservation is hindered by gaps among research, conservation practice and policy formation. One potential driver of this research–implementation gap is research bias towards charismatic species. Using depredation of livestock by large carnivores in sub-Saharan Africa as a case study, we examined whether taxonomic bias could be detected and explored the potential effects of such a bias on the research–implementation gap. Via a literature review, we compared the central large carnivore species in research to the species identified as the primary livestock depredator. We detected a substantial misalignment between these factors for two species. Spotted hyaenas Crocuta crocuta were the most common depredator of livestock (58.5% of studies), but were described as a central species among only 20.7% of the studies. In comparison, African lions Panthera leo were the most common central species (45% of studies) but were the primary depredator in just 24.4% of studies. Such patterns suggest that taxonomic bias is prevalent within this research. Although spotted hyaenas may depredate livestock most often, their low charisma in comparison to sympatric species such as the African lion and leopard Panthera pardus may be limiting research-informed conservation efforts for them. Efforts to mitigate human-carnivore conflict designed for one species may not be applicable to another co-occurring species, and thus, taxonomic bias could undermine the efficacy of interventions built to reduce livestock depredation by carnivores.

Long-term changes in temperate marine fish assemblages are driven by a small subset of species

The species composition of plant and animal assemblages across the globe has changed substantially over the past century. How do the dynamics of individual species cause this change? We classified species into seven unique categories of temporal dynamics based on the ordered sequence of presences and absences that each species contributes to an assemblage time series. We applied this framework to 14,434 species trajectories comprising 280 assemblages of temperate marine fishes surveyed annually for 20 or more years. Although 90% of the assemblages diverged in species composition from the baseline year, this compositional change was largely driven by only 8% of the species' trajectories. Quantifying the reorganization of assemblages based on species shared temporal dynamics should facilitate the task of monitoring and restoring biodiversity. We suggest ways in which our framework could provide informative measures of compositional change, as well as leverage future research on pattern and process in ecological systems.

Land-use change and biodiversity: Challenges for assembling evidence on the greatest threat to nature

Land-use change is considered the greatest threat to nature, having caused worldwide declines in the abundance, diversity, and health of species and ecosystems. Despite increasing research on this global change driver, there are still challenges to forming an effective synthesis. The estimated impact of land-use change on biodiversity can depend on location, research methods, and taxonomic focus, with recent global meta-analyses reaching disparate conclusions. Here, we critically appraise this research body and our ability to reach a reliable consensus. We employ named entity recognition to analyze more than 4000 abstracts, alongside full reading of 100 randomly selected papers. We highlight the broad range of study designs and methodologies used; the most common being local space-for-time comparisons that classify land use in situ. Species metrics including abundance, distribution, and diversity were measured more frequently than complex responses such as demography, vital rates, and behavior. We identified taxonomic biases, with vertebrates well represented while detritivores were largely missing. Omitting this group may hinder our understanding of how land-use change affects ecosystem feedback. Research was heavily biased toward temperate forested biomes in North America and Europe, with warmer regions being acutely underrepresented despite offering potential insights into the future effects of land-use change under novel climates. Various land-use histories were covered, although more research in understudied regions including Africa and the Middle East is required to capture regional differences in the form of current and historical land-use practices. Failure to address these challenges will impede our global understanding of land-use change impacts on biodiversity, limit the reliability of future projections and have repercussions for the conservation of threatened species. Beyond identifying literature biases, we highlight the research priorities and data gaps that need urgent attention and offer perspectives on how to move forward.

Suitability of open digital species records for assessing biodiversity patterns in cities: a case study using avian records

Openly available species observation records on various online platforms achieve good coverage in urban areas. Thus, such digital data could provide a basis for biodiversity assessments in cities. Here, we investigated suitability of open digital species occurrence data, compared with systematically field surveyed data, in Freiburg, Germany (a Western city) and Dhaka, Bangladesh (a global-South city). We focused on resident bird species richness as an indicator of local biodiversity. We collected avian records for urban areas from ‘ornitho.de’ in Freiburg and ‘gbif.org’ in Dhaka. Additionally, we conducted point count surveys at several urban locations in both cities. Using these records, we prepared three grid (cell size 250 m × 250 m) based datasets—open digital dataset (i.e. records compiled from well-surveyed grid cells), field surveyed dataset (i.e. records of systematic bird surveys) and combined dataset (i.e. digital data and field data combined). We compared the relationship of resident bird richness with different habitat factors by applying linear regression models, separately using each of the three datasets. We assessed suitability of data from online platforms by comparing the variables retained after model selection based on digital data versus field surveyed data. We found that field surveyed data and combined data did not alter general understanding of the key driving factors of bird richness patterns we obtained from open digital data. This held for both case examples, Freiburg vs. Dhaka, respectively. This suggests that open digital data from well-surveyed urban locations can provide a suitable basis to assess drivers of biodiversity patterns within cities.

Improvements in reports of species redistribution under climate change are required

Studies have documented climate change-induced shifts in species distributions but uncertainties associated with data and methods are typically unexplored. We reviewed 240 reports of climate-related species-range shifts and classified them based on three criteria. We ask whether observed distributional shifts are compared against random expectations, whether multicausal factors are examined on equal footing, and whether studies provide sufficient documentation to enable replication. We found that only ~12.1% of studies compare distributional shifts across multiple directions, ~1.6% distinguish observed patterns from random expectations, and ~19.66% examine multicausal factors. Last, ~75.5% of studies report sufficient data and results to allow replication. We show that despite gradual improvements over time, there is scope for raising standards in data and methods within reports of climate-change induced shifts in species distribution. Accurate reporting is important because policy responses depend on them. Flawed assessments can fuel criticism and divert scarce resources for biodiversity to competing priorities.

Performance comparison of two reduced-representation based genome-wide marker-discovery strategies in a multi-taxon phylogeographic framework

Multi-locus genetic data are pivotal in phylogenetics. Today, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) allows scientists to generate an unprecedented amount of such data from any organism. However, HTS is resource intense and may not be accessible to wide parts of the scientific community. In phylogeography, the use of HTS has concentrated on a few taxonomic groups, and the amount of data used to resolve a phylogeographic pattern often seems arbitrary. We explore the performance of two genetic marker sampling strategies and the effect of marker quantity in a comparative phylogeographic framework focusing on six species (arthropods and plants). The same analyses were applied to data inferred from amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting (AFLP), a cheap, non-HTS based technique that is able to straightforwardly produce several hundred markers, and from restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq), a more expensive, HTS-based technique that produces thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms. We show that in four of six study species, AFLP leads to results comparable with those of RADseq. While we do not aim to contest the advantages of HTS techniques, we also show that AFLP is a robust technique to delimit evolutionary entities in both plants and animals. The demonstrated similarity of results from the two techniques also strengthens biological conclusions that were based on AFLP data in the past, an important finding given the wide utilization of AFLP over the last decades. We emphasize that whenever the delimitation of evolutionary entities is the central goal, as it is in many fields of biodiversity research, AFLP is still an adequate technique.

Space-time dynamics in monitoring neotropical fish communities using eDNA metabarcoding

The biodiverse Neotropical ecoregion remains insufficiently assessed, poorly managed, and threatened by unregulated human activities. Novel, rapid and cost-effective DNA-based approaches are valuable to improve understanding of the biological communities and for biomonitoring in remote areas. Here, we evaluate the potential of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding for assessing the structure and distribution of fish communities by analysing water and sediment from 11 locations along the Jequitinhonha River catchment (Brazil). Each site was sampled twice, before and after a major rain event in a five-week period and fish diversity was estimated using high-throughput sequencing of 12S rRNA amplicons. In total, 252 Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) and 34 fish species were recovered, including endemic, introduced, and previously unrecorded species for this basin. Spatio-temporal variation of eDNA from fish assemblages was observed and species richness was nearly twice as high before the major rain event compared to afterwards. Yet, peaks of diversity were primarily associated with only four of the locations. No correlation between β-diversity and longitudinal distance or presence of dams was detected, but low species richness observed at sites located near dams might that these anthropogenic barriers may have an impact on local fish diversity. Unexpectedly high α-diversity levels recorded at the river mouth suggest that these sections should be further evaluated as putative "eDNA reservoirs" for rapid monitoring. By uncovering spatio-temporal changes, unrecorded biodiversity components, and putative anthropogenic impacts on fish assemblages, we further strengthen the potential of eDNA metabarcoding as a biomonitoring tool, especially in regions often neglected or difficult to access.

Location biases in ecological research on Australian terrestrial reptiles

Understanding geographical biases in ecological research is important for conservation, planning, prioritisation and management. However, conservation efforts may be limited by data availability and poor understanding of the nature of potential spatial bias. We conduct the first continent-wide analysis of spatial bias associated with Australian terrestrial reptile ecological research. To evaluate potential research deficiencies, we used Maxent modelling to predict the distributions of 646 reptile studies published from 1972 to 2017. Based on existing distributions of 1631 individual reptile study locations, reptile species richness, proximity to universities, human footprint and location of protected areas, we found the strongest predictor of reptile research locations was proximity to universities (40.8%). This was followed by species richness (22.9%) and human footprint (20.1%), while protected areas were the weakest predictor (16.2%). These results highlight that research effort is driven largely by accessibility and we consequently identify potential target areas for future research that can be optimised to ensure adequate representation of reptile communities.

Faecal DNA to the rescue: Shotgun sequencing of non-invasive samples reveals two subspecies of Southeast Asian primates to be Critically Endangered species

A significant number of Southeast Asian mammal species described in the 19^th and 20^th century were subsequently synonymized and are now considered subspecies. Many are affected by rapid habitat loss which creates an urgent need to re-assess the conservation status based on species boundaries established with molecular data. However, such data are lacking and difficult to obtain for many populations and subspecies. We document via a literature survey and empirical study how shotgun sequencing of faecal DNA is a still underutilized but powerful tool for accelerating such evaluations. We obtain 11 mitochondrial genomes for three subspecies in the langur genus Presbytis through shotgun sequencing of faecal DNA (P. femoralis femoralis, P. f. percura, P. siamensis cf. cana). The genomes support the resurrection of all three subspecies to species based on multiple species delimitation algorithms (PTP, ABGD, Objective Clustering) applied to a dataset covering 40 species and 43 subspecies of Asian colobines. For two of the newly recognized species (P. femoralis, P. percura), the results lead to an immediate change in IUCN status to Critically Endangered due to small population sizes and fragmented habitats. We conclude that faecal DNA should be more widely used for clarifying species boundaries in endangered mammals.

Untapped potential: The utility of drylands for testing eco-evolutionary relationships between hosts and parasites

Drylands comprise over 41% of all terrestrial surface area and are home to approximately 35.5% of the world's population; however, both free-living and parasitic fauna of these regions remain relatively understudied. Yet, the very conditions that make these regions challenging to study – extreme environmental conditions and low population density for various organisms – also make them potentially untapped natural laboratories for examining eco-evolutionary relationships between hosts and parasites. Adaptations and ecological patterns illustrated by desert parasite communities can serve as exemplars within the extremes regarding the evolution of virulence, breadth of host spectra, and lifecycle strategies. This review provides relevant examples for each of these three topics using parasites from dryland regions in order to encourage future empirical tests of hypotheses regarding parasite ecology and evolution within dryland ecosystems and stimulate wider investigation into the parasitofauna of arid regions in general. As global climate changes and anthropogenic disturbance increases, desertification is a growing problem which has been labeled as a threat to global health. Thus, deserts not only provide useful natural laboratories in which to study parasite transmission but understanding parasite transmission within these habitats becomes increasingly important as larger, likely highly resource insecure, populations are projected to live on the margins of desert regions in the future.

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Drylands comprise over 41% of Earth's surface but their parasites are understudied.

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Desert parasite communities are exemplars within the extremes of parasite ecology.

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Can test hypotheses of virulence evolution, host spectra, and lifecycle strategies.

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Drylands can provide increasingly important insight into parasite transmission.

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Larger human populations are projected to live in arid regions as climate changes.

Well-managed grassland heterogeneity promotes butterfly conservation in a corridor network

Habitat degradation is a major concern in transformed landscapes, as it reduces complexity by removing species, interactions, and ultimately biodiversity. Degradation is also of concern for ecological networks (ENs) composed of an interconnected system of conservation corridors among South Africa's commercial forestry compartments. These corridors are predominantly grasslands, and used as rangeland, so managed to optimize grazing conditions. Yet, how this management approach influences biodiversity remains unknown. Here, we studied how butterfly assemblages respond to local differences in rangeland quality (low, high and reference sites), and how this effect compared to that of local environmental variables (e.g. rockiness and bare ground), meso environmental gradients (e.g. topographic position and aspect), and landscape composition (i.e. proportion of different land cover types in the surrounding matrix). We calculated species richness and composition, Shannon's diversity index (H'), and the Butterfly Conservation Index (BCIn) representing the proportion of sensitive and range-restricted butterfly species per site. Rangeland quality was considered less important for butterflies than other environmental variables, but it was also significantly confounded with other environmental variables. At the landscape scale, proportion of grassland in the landscape matrix influenced butterfly assemblage composition, while proportion of thicket had a significant positive effect on BCIn. Moreover, the effect of elevation on assemblage composition emphasizes the value of maintaining environmental gradients within these conservation corridors. At the meso spatial scale, butterfly species richness and diversity (H') declined with increased dominance by a single plant species, which usually occurs late in a normal fire cycle. This suggests a reliance by butterflies on recurring natural disturbances for long-term persistence. We recommend moderate patch burning and grazing, as well as occasional hot burns to reduce thicket in Afromontane grassland. This approach would improve local scale vegetation patterns, and increase heterogeneity across the landscape for conserving these butterflies into the future.

The Homogocene: a research prospectus for the study of biotic homogenisation

In an era of global change, the process of biotic homogenisation by which regional biotas become more similar through time has attracted considerable attention from ecologists. Here, a retrospective look at the literature is taken and the question asked how comprehensive is the understanding of this global phenomenon? The goal is to identify potential areas for additional and future enquiries to advance this research frontier and best ensure the long-term preservation of biological diversity across the world. Six propositions are presented here to; (1) broaden our geographic and taxonomic understanding, (2) diversify the spatial and temporal scales of inquiry, (3) reconcile past and embrace new approaches to quantification, (4) improve our knowledge of the underlying drivers, (5) reveal the conservation implications and (6) forecast future homogenisation. It is argued that significant progress in the understanding of the causes, consequences and conservation implication of biotic homogenisation will come by integrating concepts and approaches from ecology, evolution and conservation across a hierarchy of spatial and temporal scales.

Authors and editors assort on gender and geography in high-rank ecological publications

Peer-reviewed publication volume and caliber are widely-recognized proxies for academic merit, and a strong publication record is essential for academic success and advancement. However, recent work suggests that publication productivity for particular author groups may also be determined in part by implicit biases lurking in the publication pipeline. Here, we explore patterns of gender, geography, and institutional rank among authors, editorial board members, and handling editors in high-impact ecological publications during 2015 and 2016. A higher proportion of lead authors had female first names (33.9%) than editorial board members (28.9%), and the proportion of female first names among handling editors was even lower (21.1%). Female editors disproportionately edited publications with female lead authors (40.3% of publications with female lead authors were handled by female editors, though female editors handled only 34.4% of all studied publications). Additionally, ecological authors and editors were overwhelmingly from countries in the G8, and high-ranking academic institutions accounted for a large portion of both the published work, and its editorship. Editors and lead authors with female names were typically affiliated with higher-ranking institutions than their male peers. This description of author and editor features provides a baseline for benchmarking future trends in the ecological publishing culture.

Ecological traps: current evidence and future directions

Ecological traps, which occur when animals mistakenly prefer habitats where their fitness is lower than in other available habitats following rapid environmental change, have important conservation and management implications. Empirical research has focused largely on assessing the behavioural effects of traps, by studying a small number of geographically close habitat patches. Traps, however, have also been defined in terms of their population-level effects (i.e. as preferred habitats of sufficiently low quality to cause population declines), and this is the scale most relevant for management. We systematically review the ecological traps literature to (i) describe the geographical and taxonomic distribution of efforts to study traps, (ii) examine how different traps vary in the strength of their effects on preference and fitness, (iii) evaluate the robustness of methods being used to identify traps, and (iv) determine whether the information required to assess the population-level consequences of traps has been considered. We use our results to discuss key knowledge gaps, propose improved methods to study traps, and highlight fruitful avenues for future research.

Patterns and biases in climate change research on amphibians and reptiles: a systematic review

Climate change probably has severe impacts on animal populations, but demonstrating a causal link can be difficult because of potential influences by additional factors. Assessing global impacts of climate change effects may also be hampered by narrow taxonomic and geographical research foci. We review studies on the effects of climate change on populations of amphibians and reptiles to assess climate change effects and potential biases associated with the body of work that has been conducted within the last decade. We use data from 104 studies regarding the effect of climate on 313 species, from 464 species-study combinations. Climate change effects were reported in 65% of studies. Climate change was identified as causing population declines or range restrictions in half of the cases. The probability of identifying an effect of climate change varied among regions, taxa and research methods. Climatic effects were equally prevalent in studies exclusively investigating climate factors (more than 50% of studies) and in studies including additional factors, thus bolstering confidence in the results of studies exclusively examining effects of climate change. Our analyses reveal biases with respect to geography, taxonomy and research question, making global conclusions impossible. Additional research should focus on under-represented regions, taxa and questions. Conservation and climate policy should consider the documented harm climate change causes reptiles and amphibians.