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Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), introduced by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), refer to areas outside formal protected-area networks that deliver effective and enduring in situ biodiversity conservation. This scoping review systematically examined global approaches to identifying and evaluating potential OECMs. Analysing 99 studies covering 694 case studies and 237 000 potential sites, we found that potential OECMs are widespread, particularly in Asia and terrestrial environments, with most initiatives led by the environmental sector. Assessments relied largely on qualitative expert knowledge, with limited application of analytical methods. Although CBD criteria were commonly applied, contributions of related to ecosystem services and socio-cultural values were often overlooked. Effectiveness evaluations showed considerable uncertainty, with over one-third of case studies reporting inadequate evidence of conservation outcomes. The review emphasises the need for standardised assessment methodologies, improved decision-support tools, and socio-cultural integration to enhance OECM recognition, particularly under the 30 × 30 conservation biodiversity target.

Rising flood frequencies and magnitudes are causing the loss of lives, infrastructure damage, and economic disruption, making effective flood management imperative. Nature-based solutions are increasingly promoted, but whether forests mitigate large floods remains a decades-long scientific controversy. Resolving this issue is crucial, as flood management necessitates reliable projections and a sound, scientifically defensible understanding. We show that the conventional deterministic approach uses a non-relevant research question, improper hypothesis, and non-causal experiment, rendering its conclusion that forests have little impact on large floods scientifically indefensible. In contrast, a causal, stochastic approach captures the probabilistic nature of floods and allows for studying anthropogenic effects to hydroclimatic variables through its relevant research questions, falsifiable hypotheses, controlled experiment, and sound physical reasoning. The defensible stochastic approach must replace flawed alternatives, suggesting that forests can mitigate large floods. With rigorous methods, hydrology can support strategies which meaningfully reduce flood risk in an increasingly uncertain future.

The recovery of large carnivore populations in Europe often leads to conflicts with the primary sector. Compensation for livestock and agricultural losses is a common mitigation tool, but its impact on tolerance and support for conservation remains unclear. We investigated brown bear damage to apiaries in the Polish Carpathians by surveying beekeepers in areas of bear presence. Using statistical modelling, we examined how emotional and cognitive responses to damage and compensation experiences shape tolerance and behavioural intentions towards bear conservation. We found that experiencing damage and receiving compensation was associated with higher risk perceptions and greater trust in the management administration. Whereas negative intentions were more likely when tolerance was low and fear was high, conservation support was positively associated with tolerance and perceived control. These findings suggest that conservation authorities can improve coexistence by relying on non-lethal strategies that minimize risk, build trust and foster a sense of control.

Polarisation is a key process in land systems, describing land-change trajectories within a region that simultaneously move in opposite directions, such as co-occurring agricultural intensification and abandonment. Land-system polarisation relates strongly to sustainability goals, with potentially positive or negative consequences depending on domain and context. Yet, we lack approaches for mapping polarisation, limiting our understanding of its spatiotemporal distribution and integration into policy or impact assessments. We address this gap by exploring the concept of land-system polarisation and identifying five key dimensions for its mapping: spatial scales, temporal scales, land-use sectors, indicators, and neighbourhood relationships. We propose and test a workflow using the EU's crop production systems, showing that ~ 87% of NUTS2 regions display polarisation. Our transferable workflow is adaptable across scales and contexts, enabling polarisation to serve as a lens for examining land-change drivers and impacts and providing spatially explicit information to guide targeted intervention and monitoring efforts.

Nature connection is an important leverage point for human wellbeing and planetary health. In this paper, we examine the varying relationships between nature connection and wellbeing measures through a nationally-representative survey in Australia. We find a positive association between nature connection and two measures of wellbeing: life satisfaction (measured through the personal wellbeing index; PWI) and health-related quality-of-life (measured through the Australian Quality of Life (AQoL) tool). Nature connection was associated with all PWI life domains with a strength of association similar to the relationship between income and PWI. We find a stronger association between nature connection and how satisfied a person feels about their life (PWI) than how well a person feels they function in life (AQoL). Those with higher levels of nature connection tend to have greater life satisfaction than expected from their health-related quality-of-life. These findings highlight the potential to improve wellbeing via nature connection, by expanding opportunities to meaningfully connect with nature.

Forests are essential to the global green transition, but intensified management may undermine environmental goals. Continuous cover forestry (CCF) offers an alternative, balancing timber production and ecosystem conservation. We investigated the legislative and technical feasibility of CCF in riparian buffers along freshwaters, where it could potentially restore simplified stands and better protect water. We analyzed EU, national, and global policies identifying barriers and enablers and used GIS data from 11 Swedish sites estimating the share of productive forest converted to CCF under varying buffer widths. Results show CCF in riparian buffers is feasible, with few legislative barriers and several soft enablers. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation is a key enabler, as CCF-managed buffers can contribute to restoration targets, providing opportunities for different property sizes to meet multiple management objectives. Future feasibility depends on EU member states' implementation of the regulation and alignment of ecological goals with political and economic conditions.

Understanding how crises impact local hunters and wildlife is imperative for developing adaptive strategies to navigate these disruptions. COVID-19 caused widespread disruptions to socioecological systems, yet the response of local hunters to the global pandemic remains understudied. I examined hunting permit sales, harvest records, and hunter effort and motivation data to investigate how the pandemic influenced bison (Bison bison) hunters in the Yukon. Following the onset of COVID-19, the number of permits sold, and bison harvested, increased by 13% and 21%, respectively. Although harvest numbers quickly returned to pre-pandemic levels afterward, the number of permits sold continued to rise, indicating sustained interest. Hunters indicated that increased interest and opportunity during the pandemic were driven by concerns over food security. Less tangible motivations-such as spending time outdoors with family and friends-were also important. My findings reveal how global crises can temporarily increase hunting pressure in some socioecological systems. Wildlife managers should anticipate increased interest and opportunity by local hunters during disruptions to food supply, travel, or social gatherings. These results emphasize the importance of integrating social and ecological data to inform adaptive management strategies that anticipate changes in hunting pressure during societal crises.

We share land with carnivores throughout the world, but coexistence is not assured. Using a social-ecological systems approach and employing the coexistence parameter concept, we tested whether environmental variables could serve as operational tools to resolve carnivore-livestock conflict in Chile. Our analysis of the national Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) database (2011-2019) confirms that Southern Chile is a predation hot spot, with domestic dogs, not pumas, being the primary predator. Environmental variables such as proximity to urban centers and forests explain predation patterns, which are valuable for identifying conflict hot spots and prioritizing interventions. However, we conclude these variables are not realistically manageable mitigation tools. This study strongly suggests that while environmental correlates exist, the true, operational drivers of conflict are social. We conclude that shifting to a state of coexistence in shared landscapes requires a focus on behavioral and societal changes, such as legal and cultural shifts to manage free-roaming dog populations. We offer a research agenda based on key coexistence parameters we have identified to help solve the dog predation of livestock in Chile.

Effective decarbonisation must be socially equitable and attentive to the capacities of households to adopt and apply new social practices at home and in mobility spaces in-between. Understanding attitudinal landscapes and the dynamics of social recognition and interaction surrounding decarbonisation helps advance technical solutions and reduce consumption. This paper approaches decarbonisation as a "social dramaturgy" of climate-friendly practices and conceptualises the modalities and performances of climate action in public and private spaces, following Erving Goffman's notions of "front- and backstages". Analysing a geocoded Finnish survey from 2022 (n = 1446), we compare visible technological solutions with more latent, self-reported energy- and resource-saving practices. By examining how attitudes toward climate change shape beliefs in various solutions, we find that backstage decarbonisation practices align more with climate change concerns, while frontstage practices diffuse more easily. This novel sociospatial approach contributes to debates on the legitimacy of climate action and efforts to curb segregation concurrently.