Utilizing a top predator to prioritize site protection for biodiversity conservation

Ongoing global change makes it ever more urgent to find creative solutions for biodiversity preservation, but prioritizing sites for protection can be challenging. One shortcut lies in mapping the habitat requirements of well-established biodiversity indicators, such as top predators, to identify high-biodiversity sites. Here, we planned site protection for biodiversity conservation by developing a multi-scale species distribution model (SDM) for the raptorial Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis; goshawk) breeding in an extensive megacity region of Japan. Specifically, we: (1) examined the determinants of top predator occurrence and thus of high-biodiversity value in this megacity setting, (2) identified the biodiversity hotspots, (3) validated whether they actually held higher biodiversity through an independent dataset, and (4) evaluated their current protection by environmental laws. The SDM revealed that goshawks preferred secluded sites far from roads, with abundant forest within a 100 m radius and extensive forest ecotones suitable for hunting within a 900 m radius. This multi-scale landscape configuration was independently confirmed to hold higher biodiversity, yet covered only 3.2% of the study area, with only 44.0% of these sites legally protected. Thus, a rapid biodiversity assessment mediated by a top predator quickly highlighted: (1) the poor development of biodiversity-friendly urban planning in this megacity complex, an aspect overlooked for decades of rapid urban sprawl, and (2) the extreme urgency of extending legal protection to the sites missed by the current protected area network. Exigent biodiversity indicators, such as top predators, could be employed in the early or late stages of anthropogenic impacts in order to proactively incorporate biodiversity protection into planning or flag key biodiversity relics. Our results confirm and validate the applied reliability of top predatory species as biodiversity conservation tools.

First evidence of microplastic ingestion in the ocean giant sunfish (Mola mola)

Mola mola is the largest teleost inhabiting our ocean and the presence of microplastics (MP) in this flagship species was, before this study, never described. Thus, this investigation focused on analysing MP ingestion in 53 ocean giant sunfish in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. A total of 116 MP were found in 79% of the specimens, with a median of 1 MP.ind-1, ranging from 0 to 11 MP.ind-1. Seasonal differences were observed, with more fibers registered in specimens caught in autumn. Among the different size classes observed, the smallest category (<300 μm) was the most frequent (43%). Blue (43%) was the most prevalent color, followed by green (29%) and black (10%). The majority of fragments were styrene acrylic copolymer (53%), while most fibers were rayon (78%). These findings emphasize that the ocean sunfish population crossing the southern waters of Portugal is exposed to microplastic pollution and highlight the need for effective management policies to address plastic pollution in marine ecosystems.

Geospatial analysis to assess distribution patterns and predictive model for endangered Lilium mackliniae Sealy: to support management decisions

Lilium mackliniae Sealy is a species endemic to the Indo-Myanmar Biodiversity Hotspot with confined occurrence in the Shirui hills of Manipur (India). A rapid fragmentation of the species resulted in enlisting the remaining population as endangered. Tribal communities have managed this population in national parks for in situ conservation because of its sacred value. Maximum entropy-based modeling was performed with 19 bioclimatic and six geospatial variables on 65 true presence data to assess the threat on its only habitat. The accuracy of modeling was confirmed by an AUC value of 0.989. Among the variables used for habitat modeling, elevation range was a key predictor of the species distribution, followed by land use class and annual temperature range. Additionally, the model projected a similar habitat for the species in the same district. This study, therefore, provides essential information for the conservation and management of the species.

The medium over the message: Differential knowledge of conservation outreach activities and implications for threatened species

Conservation outreach is regularly conducted to increase support for conservation by altering local awareness and attitudes about species or environmental issues. However, there is often little assessment of the effectiveness of these activities. We investigated knowledge of past conservation outreach in 26 villages adjacent to Bawangling National Nature Reserve, Hainan, China, which contains the last population of the Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus). The medium of past outreach activities was reported most frequently by interviewees, followed by who delivered them and the outreach topic, with the fewest interviewees reporting the specific messages being communicated (the consequences of following conservation management policies). Negatively-framed messages, emphasizing prohibited activities and associated punishments, were reported more than positively-framed messages that aimed to foster conservation support. Male interviewees and those with higher education levels reported more aspects of past activities. The Hainan gibbon had higher salience than other threatened native species, and reporting the occurrence (but not necessarily the content) of past outreach was associated with increased likelihood of knowing that gibbons were threatened. These findings highlight the need for conservation outreach to increase both exposure and retention of key messages among target audiences. Meaningful and concrete conservation benefits should be communicated to local communities, and the effectiveness of outreach using a flagship species could be expanded to also improve awareness of other conservation-priority species within the same landscape.

A flagship species-based approach to efficient, cost-effective biodiversity conservation in the Qinling Mountains, China

Prioritizing threatened species protection has been proposed as an efficient response to the global biodiversity crisis. We used in-situ conservation data to predict the potential habitat area of four flagship species: the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), golden monkey (Rhinopithecus roxella quinlingensis), takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi), and crested ibis (Nipponia nippon). We then designed systematic conservation planning schemes for various scenarios given species habitat preferences and anthropogenic activities and conducted a cost-effectiveness assessment. Broadly, the geographical distributions of suitable habitats for giant pandas, golden monkeys, and takins exhibited high spatial congruence (correlation coefficients of 0.59-0.90), and areas of high congruence were concentrated in the northern portion of the Qinling Mountains at high elevation (>1500 m). By contrast, the crested ibis was negatively correlated in space with its sympatric species (-0.47 to -0.29). Crested ibis habitats were clustered in the southern portion of the region at low elevation (<1500 m). A hypothetical conservation priority area (CPA) based on the giant panda, golden monkey, and takin included 39.64% of the Qinling Mountains and 100%, 99.99%, 99.59%, and 7.84% of the suitable habitats for giant pandas, golden monkeys, takins, and crested ibises, respectively. The same area included 99.07%, 70.87%, and 39.96% of the highly important areas for the ecosystem services of biodiversity conservation, water supply, and soil retention, respectively, and only 4.62%, 16.83%, and 13.4% of the area were associated with high-density residential area, impervious surfaces, and cropland, respectively. Therefore, we conclude that a CPA approach based on the specialist species could result in effective, low-cost biodiversity conservation in the Qinling Mountains. However, we note that existing protected areas account for only 26.52% of the CPA. We recommend that the main area of the proposed Qinling National Park should be based on the CPA developed here.

Selecting flagship species to solve a biodiversity conservation conundrum

The difficulty of effectively monitoring and managing the environment to conserve biodiversity is as yet an unsolved conundrum. A project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has concluded that progress can be made through the use of flagship species selected using criteria drawn from conservation biology, ecosystem function, socio-economics, and cultural importance. Inclusion of the latter three criteria will help attract and maintain the commitment of the public to play full parts in carrying out any conservation measures needed. A system is proposed for scoring species to select those that are most suitable as flagships. This method can be used regardless of the size of the area chosen for attention, whether it is a region, a country, or a particular protected area.