Conservation Science and Practice最新文献

Hyman, A. A., Crone, E. R., Benson, A., Dunham, J., Lynch, A. J., Thompson, L., & Mims, M. C. (2025). Exposure, sensitivity, or adaptive capacity? Reviewing assessments that use only two of three elements of climate change vulnerability. Conservation Science and Practice, 7(1), e13293. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13293

On the y-axis of Figure 4, the bottom variable category was incorrectly labeled as “Adaptive Capacity”. This label should have read “Exposure”. The corrected figure is shown below.

We apologize for the error.

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) presents a growing challenge to conservation and development worldwide. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and experts on human–wildlife coexistence strategies have responded to this challenge by developing a holistic, globally applicable approach to HWC management that can be tailored to specific local, regional, or national contexts. Its framework addresses the complexity of essential HWC management and long-term coexistence strategies and is implemented in a structured yet contextualized step-by-step sequence by a team of facilitators and multiple stakeholders. The C2C: Conflict to Coexistence Approach centers on four principles (tolerance is maintained, responsibility is shared, resilience is built, holism is fundamental), four outcomes (wildlife thrives alongside human presence, habitat sufficient to maintain viable wildlife populations, people able and willing to live alongside wildlife, livelihoods/assets secured against presence of wildlife), and six HWC management elements (policy and governance, understanding interactions, prevention, response, mitigation, monitoring) that are to be implemented in an integrated way. It is currently undergoing testing in diverse pilot sites across three continents and demonstrating positive initial results. Here, we share the framework and methodology of the approach and initial results and experiences from these pilot sites.

Although forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are known to use logged forests, the impact of selective logging on this critically endangered species has never been well established. Considering the potential of some logged areas to serve as other effective area-based conservation measures, aligning with the Convention on Biological Diversity's 30/30 initiative, we aimed to assess the short-term impacts of logging on three population parameters: the presence, abundance, and activity of forest elephants. Combining camera traps and dung surveys before and after logging operations, we assessed the response of forest elephants in a certified timber concession in Gabon. Encouragingly, we found no negative effects of logging on the three population parameters studied. There was no discernible change in the presence of elephants after logging, and their abundance actually increased (relative abundance index from 1.56 to 2.59; p-value 0.0139) at one of the study sites. Activity patterns were also unaffected, showing sustained activity during daylight hours. We also identified the logging-associated factors that have significantly influenced forest elephant's abundance. Notably, logging intensity, as measured by the average number of trees harvested per hectare, and road density were positively correlated with the number of forest elephant observations (logging intensity effect: 0.2992, p-value 0.035; road density effect: 0.3628, p-value 0.060). As global conservation goals evolve, this research provides important insights into the coexistence of well-managed industrial activities and the conservation of endangered species, highlighting the need to include responsibly managed timber concessions in future conservation strategies. It also underscores the importance of wider adoption of sustainable practices such as low-impact logging, promoted by certification schemes such as FSC or PEFC, to secure the future of central African forests and their unique wildlife.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) detections of imperiled species have the potential to inform conservation action, but this requires the acceptance of new technologies by decision-makers. Here we describe how engaging stakeholders into a collaborative process led to the successful translation of new eDNA findings into conservation outcomes. We characterized the distribution of three federally listed pond-breeding amphibians across nearly 200 wetlands in coastal California using both traditional field surveys and eDNA sampling; the latter had greater detection rates overall. Regulatory agency staff gained trust in the rigor and effectiveness of eDNA data by joining traditional surveys and through the collaborative development of recommendations for the adoption of eDNA methods. Extensive outreach to the local community within the range of the highly endangered Santa Cruz long-toed salamander resulted in invitations to sample previously unsurveyed wetlands on private property and the detection of new breeding sites. Conservation organizations and resource management agencies were integrated into our core team from the start, and ultimately shaped wetland management actions, siting of new wetlands, and land acquisition priorities informed by the data generated. Thus, this project serves as a model for actionable eDNA science directly affecting conservation.

The biodiversity crisis calls for more collective effort, and a close examination of the tools available to effect change. We documented insider knowledge into how pro-nature decision-making can be influenced in the Australian state of Victoria, focusing on the role of public advocacy targeting government. We interviewed 12 experts who currently or previously held influential roles in government or advocacy-focused environmental non-government organizations (ENGOs) and used thematic analysis to explore their responses. Experts described influence from individuals, grassroots groups, or ENGOs, and factors shaping success. These included attributes of the decision-making context, having resources and commitment to see out long-term change, having relevant networks, and being able to act when opportunities arise. Barriers described included lack of environmental literacy among the public and some decision-makers, biodiversity concern being crowded out by climate change concern, and the difficulty of shifting from incremental to systemic change. Understanding these factors can better equip advocates to have impact. Democratic governments recognize that societies make progress where there is two-way exchange between public and state, so should foster public pathways toward political engagement in conservation.

Protected areas are the cornerstone of national and global efforts to mitigate biodiversity loss. This study focused on the national nature reserves (NNRs) of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), using a long-term series of NDVI data from 2010 to 2020 to assess the effectiveness of vegetation protection across the entire region. By employing a multiple regression model, we accounted for 71% of the variation in the NDVI change rate, indicating a goodness of fit (R-squared) that indicated an interplay between factors such as the natural environment, management capabilities, human-mediated disturbance, and population density in shaping vegetation protection effectiveness within the NNRs of the QTP. The managerial capacity, natural environment, population, and human-mediated disturbance factors contributed 46.0%, 37.5%, 11.4%, and 5.1%, respectively, of the total. The regression analysis findings highlight the crucial role that environmental elements play in the success of conservation by showing that latitude, longitude, elevation, and average annual precipitation all have a major impact on the effectiveness of NNRs. The effectiveness of conservation is significantly positively impacted by province and per capita patrol area, and negatively by per capita management area. Practical conservation and management solutions appropriate for the NNRs of the QTP are also offered to meet current challenges and management restrictions. These suggestions are meant to help the QTP function as an ecological security barrier more successfully.

Forest ecosystems will play a critical role in achieving policy targets for biodiversity and conservation, such as those set out in the EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030. However, practitioners need to know where forests of high conservation value are to make the best-informed decisions about which forests to prioritize. Here, we combine airborne LiDAR (airborne laser scanning/ALS), optical satellite imagery, and gridded datasets on soil and water availability with machine learning models to predict forests' conservation value across Denmark. We then use change-detection algorithms to identify forests that had been disturbed since the collection of the LiDAR data to produce up-to-date estimates for the year 2020. Our models reached a high predictive capacity (82% accuracy) and suggested that 1982 km² (~31%) of Denmark's forests were of potential high conservation value. Our study demonstrates the utility of data fusion approaches to identify forest areas of high value for conservation at fine spatial resolutions (~10–100 m) and nationwide extents. However, uncertainties remain in our approach. Hence, our findings should be used to guide field-based assessments to confirm the in situ conservation value of the forests. Only in combination with such in situ data will approaches like ours enable decision makers to better protect forest biodiversity.

Invasive species distributions and ecological impacts in natural ecosystems have been broadly studied, but invasive species urban distributions and impacts on human populations warrant further investigation. Urban areas are highly disturbed environments at high risk of invasion by non-native species, and urban infrastructure can influence the dispersal and abundance of invasive species. Furthermore, in areas with concentrated human populations, invasive species may pose a risk to human as well as native biota. Here, we examine (1) how high-traffic roadways and the presence of suitable habitat influence buffelgrass abundance in residential areas and (2) whether buffelgrass differentially invades residential areas across socioeconomic levels and racial diversity indices in Tucson, Arizona. We found that, within residential areas, the presence of vacant lots was positively associated with buffelgrass abundance; however, there was no relationship between other suitable habitat types and buffelgrass abundance. We found no relationship between road type and buffelgrass abundance in residential areas. We found that lower-income communities were more likely to be invaded by buffelgrass, but there was no relationship between racial diversity index and buffelgrass abundance. Understanding drivers of invasive species presence and abundance in urban areas is necessary to inform urban management strategies to prevent spread to surrounding wildlands.

Applying scientific evidence to conservation, environmental management, and policy-making improves outcomes. When synthesizing existing evidence, substantial resources are required to access and read scientific publications and extract and analyze decision-relevant information. To improve this process, we developed a free, publicly available, web-based evidence entry form tailored to extract information about cause-effect relationships from ecological publications. The form enables storage, retrieval, reuse, and visualization of qualitative and quantitative ecological and environmental evidence extracted from publications. Evidence can be analyzed for a wide range of synthesis purposes (e.g., causal assessments, hypothesis testing) and approaches (e.g., rapid reviews, meta-analyses). The database schema underlying the form logically relates information about (a) a publication, (b) its experimental design(s), and (c) reported cause-effect relationships. An ontology of controlled terminology enables consistent extraction and characterization of causes and effects across users, facilitating evidence reuse. Future capabilities include customization of terminology and incorporation of study quality information.

Species conservation is generally linked to a wide variety of threats, which might sometimes reflect changes in socioeconomic standards and policies. Here, we demonstrated how treefrog conservation is related to diet preferences, rice agriculture, and international rice trade policies. While rice has been a staple food for over 1000s of years in Korea, recent human-related developments and changes in diet, strengthened by national and international agricultural policies, have resulted in a decrease in rice consumption in the nation. As a result, two treefrog species (Dryophytes suweonensis and Dryophytes flaviventris) restricted to rice paddies for breeding are severely declining due to habitat loss, and they are now under threat of extinction. The efforts of the government to boost rice consumption might support the conservation of the species, although the long-term availability of breeding sites is uncertain, and ultimately, some of the agricultural wetlands should become protected and progressively transformed into functional natural wetlands.