Conservation Science and Practice最新文献

Global awareness about the threats of ecosystem degradation in the Amazon is growing. While state-managed protected areas remain key instruments for forest conservation, private actors are increasingly funding and implementing a broad range of conservation initiatives. Private actors are transforming the Amazonian conservation landscape and its governance, however, many aspects of private conservation, especially the diversity of local practitioners and the challenges they face, remain understudied. Drawing on a case study of Madre de Dios in the Peruvian Amazon, we aim to generate a better understanding of private conservation practitioners and their various approaches to conservation on private and public land. We used an extensive review of literature and databases, in addition to 13 semi-structured interviews with various private conservation practitioners, to map privately conserved areas, and to gather perceptions about challenges, opportunities, and future pathways for private conservation. A total of 590 privately conserved areas, covering over one million hectares, were identified and mapped in Madre de Dios. We find that, while most initiatives are managed by individuals and families, for-profit companies manage half of the total area privately protected. Furthermore, we find that private conservation initiatives face significant barriers and pressures. These barriers include complex bureaucratic processes, legal contradictions and incoherencies, corruption, weak law enforcement, and financial insecurity. Conservation policies largely favor national and international actors and less so local, grassroots initiatives run by individuals and communities. Finally, we highlight the need for more accessible and inclusive policies that recognize the contribution of less powerful actors, to foster more effective conservation efforts for the future of the Amazon.

In response to biodiversity declines worldwide, over 190 nations committed to protect 30% of their lands and waters by 2030 (hereafter, 30×30). Systematic conservation planning and return on investment analysis can be helpful tools for determining where protection efforts could deliver the most efficient and effective reserve design, and supporting decision-making when trade-offs among objectives are required. Here, we propose a framework for efficient “30×30” implementation and apply it to the state of California (USA). Because conservation of a region's full suite of biodiversity is the primary objective of the global initiative, we prioritized representation in our analysis. We used Zonation to identify networks that close the gap in representation of major habitat types in California's protected area network and that also conserve the places important for biodiversity or climate change mitigation. We identified networks that are efficient relative to metrics likely to be important in implementation including land acquisition cost, number of transactions, and conservation benefit per hectare, and we illustrate not only trade-offs associated with these metrics but also differences in the co-benefits achieved. Five of the eight major habitat types in California are not currently protected at a 30% level statewide, and if representation was achieved solely through private land acquisition, targets could be met for as little as $5.84 billion, with as few as 364 transactions, or with 2.18 million additional conserved hectares. Implementation of 30×30 will likely require more flexibility than a single network design. A “no regrets” action would be to protect properties that were prioritized across all networks and additional implementation should include properties with characteristics of any of the individual networks. Our analytical framework and implementation guidance can be applied to other geographies and jurisdictions to increase the likelihood of both meeting 30×30 targets and delivering the conservation benefits they aim to secure.

Public policy addressing biodiversity loss is most likely to be effective when it is informed by appropriate evidence and considers potential unintended consequences. We evaluate key evidence relating to the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill that was discussed in the UK Parliament between 2022 and 2024. We characterize the UK's role in international hunting trophy trade by analyzing CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) trade data for 2000–2021 and 2015–2021. For CITES-listed species imported to/exported from the UK as hunting trophies in these periods we use data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species to determine whether hunting designated as “trophy hunting” is (i) likely a major threat contributing to species being of elevated conservation concern, (ii) likely or possibly causing localized declines, or (iii) not a threat. We then use the Red List to determine whether such hunting provides, or potentially provides, benefits for species and/or people. Finally, we evaluate the UK Government's impact assessment of the bill. In 2000–2021 an estimated 3494 hunting trophies from 73 CITES-listed species and subspecies were exported to the UK involving an estimated 2549 whole organism equivalents (WOEs), that is, individual animals. Imports involved 158.86 ± 66.53 (mean ± SD) trophies/year (115.83 ± 32.27 WOEs/year). In 2015–2021, 79% of imports were from countries where populations of the hunted species are stable, increasing, or abundant. Legal hunting for trophies is not a major threat to any of the species or subspecies imported to the UK, but likely or possibly represents a local threat to some populations of eight species. This hunting does, or could potentially, benefit 20 species and subspecies, and people. Among other concerns, the impact assessment failed to adequately consider the costs and benefits to local communities in countries where such hunting occurs. Informed by these analyses we discuss alternative regulatory options.

State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs), including lists of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), outline state strategies for protecting species and habitats in the United States. In developing the current, second revision SWAPs, states are increasingly pursuing coordinated landscape conservation approaches. Analyzing SGCN lists in the first revision SWAPs, we found evidence that they already support multistate conservation. Most states address a common set of vertebrate and invertebrate groups, include most of the imperiled species from these groups, do not prioritize endemics over non-endemics, and often include most imperiled species that are shared with neighboring states. Also, a regional SGCN coordination effort was successful. Although 65% of animals on each SGCN list were assessed as at elevated risk of extirpation by state authorities, only 43% of the combined national list were at elevated risk of global extinction. Over 40% of the combined animal SGCNs are considered globally apparently secure. Plants, snails, freshwater shrimps, and freshwater insects were poorly represented in SGCN lists. For the current SWAP revisions, we recommend improving foundational data on taxonomy, range-wide distribution, and conservation status; expanded taxonomic coverage in SGCN lists; supporting existing and establishing new interstate initiatives; and diversifying funding mechanisms that target regional cooperation.

Roadside habitat has been touted as a conservation opportunity for insect pollinators, including the declining monarch butterfly. The spectacular monarch migration is under threat from the loss of habitat and the decline of their milkweed host plants. In the northern part of their range, roadsides could potentially produce millions of monarchs annually due to high densities of milkweed; however, roadside milkweed can accumulate chemicals from roads, such as sodium from road salt. Controlled lab studies have shown mixed effects of sodium on monarch development: small increases can be beneficial as sodium is an important micronutrient in brain and muscle development, but large increases can sometimes decrease survival. It is unclear how dietary sodium affects performance in ecologically relevant conditions and the migration itself. In this experiment, we raised monarchs outdoors, in migration-inducing conditions, on milkweed sprayed with three levels of sodium chloride. We released 2464 tagged monarchs and held an additional 246 for further lab assays. While our recovery rates to the wintering grounds were low (N = 7 individuals), individuals from all three sodium chloride treatments made it to Mexico. Butterflies reared on control milkweed and low salt concentrated sodium in their tissues, while those on high salt diets excreted sodium, suggesting high salt levels were above a physiological optimum. There were no effects of treatment on wing coloration, survival, body size, immunity, or parasite prevalence. Taken together, our results suggest that monarchs are robust to levels of sodium in milkweeds found along roadsides, which is promising with respect to the toxicity of roadside plants.

Biodiversity changes and habitat shifts are two phenomena substantially reshaping marine life on our present and future planet. Although those phenomena are well recognized on the macrobial level, they currently do not receive similar attention on the microbial level. Generally, microbiome diversity and function, associated with and governing the health and fitness of their host organisms, are neglected in conservation efforts. This is especially problematic as previous research has highlighted that host-associated microbes (microbiomes) may display distribution patterns that are not only correlated with host animal biogeographies but also with other factors such as prevailing environmental conditions. Here, marine spatial planning for socio-ecological management of animal-associated microbiomes is discussed, using deep-sea sponge and coral-associated microbiomes as an example of how to incorporate microbial diversity into conservation planning. We advocate for a holistic and integrative approach to marine spatial planning that incorporates the larger habitat, the host, the microbiome, as well as the socio-economic and cultural perspective, throughout the whole decision-making process. A general workflow containing the needed steps to establish microbiome-integrated marine protected areas is presented, as well as the analytical steps and results underlying the implementation of the world's first microbiome-considered marine conservation network on the Scotian Shelf off eastern Canada.

In order to initiate the actionable science needed to support effective conservation under climate change, we engaged researchers and other experts in refining and prioritizing a climate adaptation research agenda that was originally developed via dialogue with natural resource managers. Experts identified topics that were missing or underrepresented in an initial practitioner-defined list of science topics, and then scored topics according to the state of knowledge, the feasibility of research, and the potential that research might change management. Our process capitalizes on the complementarity between the expertise of practitioners and the expertise of researchers and other non-practitioners, improves the transparency and legitimacy of the agenda-setting process, and reveals the challenges public agencies have in focusing on some research topics.

Responding to climate impacts and expanding adaptation efforts necessitates getting the right knowledge and tools in the hands of land managers and decision-makers. In 2022–2023, several regional US Geological Survey Climate Adaptation Science Centers partnered with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Science Applications Program on the first targeted climate training series designed for the FWS Grassland Ecosystem Team. This training spanned multiple months and formats with self-paced virtual lessons, webinars, and an in-person workshop. As the FWS Grassland Ecosystem Team is tasked with conservation planning for grassland birds and other species, the focus of the workshop was an interactive collaborative activity incorporating species adaptive capacity assessments, future climate projections, and adaptation menus into the decision-making process. Herein, we describe the methods used to design and deliver the training series, as well as lessons learned for future climate literacy programs aimed at natural resource managers.

A range of interventions have been established to manage international wildlife trade and protect traded species; however, there is little consensus as to whether, when, and how they are effective. Here, through a comprehensive, systematic review of >8000 articles, we appraise the evidence for the effectiveness of interventions on conservation, biological, and/or socio-economic outcomes. Our systematic review examined four intervention types: “laws and regulations”, “detection and enforcement”, “efforts to reduce threats to species”, and “support local livelihoods”. We find that while laws and regulations were most well-studied, with some reported positive outcomes, over half of articles reported unintended consequences including shifting exploitation and trade routes, increased illegal trade, and socio-economic trade-offs. Detection and enforcement efforts appeared effective in protecting target species but limited for high-value species especially when combined with low reproductive rates. Efforts to reduce threats to species (particularly through area protection) had positive biological impacts, but some socio-economic trade-offs were reported. Evidence on community-based approaches was limited but our review indicated positive synergies occurring between conservation and socio-economic outcomes. Overall, socio-economic outcomes were underrepresented, limiting understanding of potentially important socio-ecological feedbacks. This review furthers understanding of relevant conditions, risks and enabling factors around effectiveness of wildlife trade interventions.

Behavior change campaigns are crucial in combatting illegal wildlife trade (IWT) by reducing demand, but assessing their impact requires robust strategies. The Behavior-Centered Theory of Change (BC-ToC) integrates Theory of Change frameworks with decision-making models to design and evaluate interventions using behavioral and progress indicators. We used BC-ToC to design two behavioral change interventions aimed at reducing demand for two threatened Venezuelan bird species: the Yellow-shouldered Amazon (YSA) and the Red Siskin (RS). We developed workshops to engage community organizations and conservationists to identify audience groups, evaluate alternative behaviors considering impact and benefits, and define behavior-based indicators for monitoring change. For YSA, two audience groups with similar demand motivations emerged: “common folks” (women, 20–70 yo, low education) and “young professionals” (20–30 yo, educated). Enjoying parrots through outdoor activities emerged as an alternative. For RS, the main audience segments were the breeder groups “South American node” (Venezuelan and Brazilian) and “Iberian node” (Spaniels and Portuguese). Iberian with wider age range (30–60 yo) and greater education than South American. Adopting responsible sourcing practices surfaced as the alternative behavior. We described behavioral levers, intermediary outputs, and indicators reflecting changes in knowledge, attitudes, norms, and control. We discussed challenges for adoption, emphasizing systemic barriers and the role of regulations, and provided ground-tailored strategies for effective behavioral interventions.