Conservation Science and Practice最新文献

Including biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) spatial priorities in reserve design through quantitative methods known as systematic conservation planning has been proposed to identify spatial solutions that achieve both elements in a spatially efficient manner. The aim of this study is to evaluate the differences between priority sites for biodiversity and hydrological ecosystem services (HES) and to identify opportunities for co-benefits that allow an efficient conservation planning proposal, using as a case study the Riviera Maya, Mexico. The results confirm the following: (1) biodiversity and HES priority sites have different spatial patterns, sharing only 24% of priority sites; (2) HES priority sites achieve a high percentage (95%) of biodiversity conservation targets, showing that they can potentially be used for biodiversity representation; and (3) integrating HES and biodiversity into one model is more efficient to represent conservation targets than considering both elements individually (46% vs. 66% of the study area). These results reflect the lack of irreplaceable sites for biodiversity conservation, and as <8% of the study area is currently covered by protected areas, this means that there are numerous opportunities to align cobenefits of biodiversity and HES conservation actions.

In the context of recent anthropogenic climate change and the alarming loss of biodiversity, urgent action is required to safeguard our life-sustaining ecosystems and implement effective sustainable conservation behavior change strategies. To attend to this concern, the present study explores the efficacy of the evidence-based Tiny Habits® method in fostering behavior change for sustainability. To this end, a case–control pilot project was conducted with a small cohort of adults randomly divided into two groups: cases and controls. Both groups engaged in a 5-day online program, selecting and practicing three Tiny Habits recipes daily. The conservation Tiny Habits group focused on sustainable actions, while the control group engaged in non-conservation activities such as relaxation. The results revealed that practicing the Tiny Habits method resulted in an immediate and sustained increase in conservation actions, with lasting changes (up to 1 month) in the participants' behavior. The mean scores for the intervention group at baseline significantly differed from those immediately and at 1 month after the intervention (p = .0092 and p = .0033). These findings suggest that the Tiny Habits method can be a viable opportunity to cultivate sustainable habits in the long term.

For conservation to be based on evidence, the outcomes of conservation actions need to be shared. The European Union (EU) is a major funder of conservation action in Europe through the well-studied LIFE program. Less well-known, but also funding substantial conservation action, is the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Through a systematic review of conservation projects funded by LIFE and ERDF, we identify substantial expenditure on biodiversity conservation (€1300 M and €760 M between 2014 and 2024 respectively). We explore the extent to which LIFE and ERDF contribute to building an evidence base about the effectiveness of conservation actions. There were differences between LIFE and ERDF in the extent to which documentation about the project was publicly available (89% and 26% respectively), and large differences in whether any form of project evaluation was available (63% and 5% respectively). A possible explanation for these results is differing funder requirements regarding the monitoring and reporting of project implementation and outcomes. We explore funder requirements across a sample of other conservation funders and suggest how changes could incentivize higher quality sharing of project outcomes. This would expand the evidence base needed to improve the effectiveness of conservation actions.

Australia's offset framework requires that permitted development impacts on nationally threatened species should be fully counterbalanced using biodiversity offsets. The current offsets framework was established in 2012, the same year that the iconic koala Phascolarctos cinereus was listed as threatened. We examined every development impact on koala habitat that was permitted under national biodiversity laws (the EPBC Act 1999) from 2012 until the end of 2021, shortly after which the koala was uplisted from vulnerable to endangered (n = 98). We analyzed the application of the national environmental offset framework in each case. In this period, more than 25,000 hectares of koala habitat were approved for removal, most in the state of Queensland (96%) and for mining (76%). Although most clearing of koala habitat is attributable to agricultural activity and ostensibly requires approval under the EPBC Act, we found zero referrals for agricultural clearing. A total of 62 projects included offset requirements for koalas, but for only 14 projects could we find details used in the offset calculation. All but one appeared to include implausibly optimistic assumptions or logical errors that inflated the estimated benefit from the offset. After modifying the calculations to align with best practice guidance, we found only two of the 14 projects were likely to fully offset their impacts on koalas (average 55% of impact offset). The most common issues were overestimated benefits from averted losses and double-counting of benefits. We conclude transparency around offset requirements is generally poor, and most biodiversity offsets for koalas are unlikely to fully counterbalance losses. Despite sound, long-established policy, poor implementation means that even offsets for impacts on a highly valued species, for which offsets are ecologically plausible, are prone to failure.

Much of the annual cycle of threatened migratory shorebirds is spent in non-breeding areas, but there have been few studies on how that habitat is used at fine-scale. Tracking data from 13 endangered far eastern curlews at three Australian non-breeding locations revealed that home range size and maximum daily displacement varied substantially among study areas and between years. Home range overlap also varied with tidal cycle, generally being lower at low than high tide, though there was considerable variability across time and between sites. Variation in site fidelity may indicate behavioral flexibility but may also suggest that resources critical to survival vary between years. If the latter is the case, protection of what appears to be critical habitat in 1 year may not be adequate in subsequent years, necessitating a precautionary approach to the conservation of habitat extent over the long term. For species like the far eastern curlew, which are exceptionally hard to capture and highly threatened, tracking data should be analyzed from as many perspectives as possible to justify the cost to both researchers and birds. In this study, use of tracking data previously analyzed to reveal migration routes has yielded important insights into their ecology and optimal management.

Most European rewilding initiatives are based on the recovery of large herbivores, particularly European bison Bison bonasus, aiming at restoring ecosystem processes and increase trophic complexity. The growing support for the release of bison as a wild species, and change its legal status, in Spain, as an ecological analogue of the extinct steppe bison Bison priscus, makes it an excellent example to reflect the limits of a rewilding biogeographically advisable. We discuss if this initiative could be justified from ecological, biogeographical, ethical, and legal reasons. Besides remarkable taxonomic and functional differences between both bison species, the Mediterranean environment, under the present and future climatic scenarios, does not suit the European bison. Furthermore, there is no evidence to support the presumption that the European bison was ever present in the Iberian Peninsula, with legal implications. We expect that our approach will be inspirational for similar assessments on rewilding initiatives globally.

Reintroductions are increasingly being used as a conservation tool to restore species to areas where they once existed. Unfortunately, many reintroduction projects fail to establish viable populations. Climate suitability at release sites is thought to be important in determining reintroduction outcomes, and future climate change is an essential consideration for effective reintroduction planning. Climate change threatens species in a variety of ways, such as by impacting life history traits or causing spatial and temporal distribution mismatches of interdependent species. Hibernating species, such as the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius), may be particularly susceptible to changes in climate. For example, milder winters may increase the number of interbout arousals during hibernation, which are energetically costly. Timing of food availability may also be impacted by changing climates, potentially causing mismatches between activity and feeding opportunities. Here, we use species distribution models (SDMs) to map climate suitability for dormice in the UK. We also investigate the impact of climate suitability on a long-running dormouse reintroduction programme, providing the first such investigation for a reintroduced mammal. We find that higher levels of current climate suitability increase the probability of reintroduction success. We find no effect of climate suitability on adult dormouse counts at reintroduction sites, but dormouse counts decline with time since reintroduction. Future projections predict that climate change may lead to more widespread climate suitability for dormice in the UK, reflecting predicted changes in seasonality, winter temperature and precipitation. Our work demonstrates the importance of understanding changing climate suitability for reintroduction planning, with potential widespread applications of SDMs for conservation projects of low-dispersing mammals.

Cost benefit analysis (CBA) is used in many fields to ensure efficient allocation of scarce resources but is rarely applied in conservation. By using a common metric to evaluate projects in complex social-ecological systems, CBA can help to maximize the impact of conservation funding. It can also help to interrogate issues of distributional equity, plan for effective community-based conservation, and inform future research and strategic priorities. We demonstrate this using the example of the Nyerere Selous-Udzungwa Wildlife Corridor in Tanzania, a wildlife corridor aiming to restore connectivity between two protected areas to enhance African elephant (Loxodonta africana) conservation outcomes and mitigate human–elephant conflict. We combine novel data on elephant crop depredation with crop price and productivity data, elephant valuation methods, and ecosystem service values to analyze corridor costs and benefits from contrasting global and local community perspectives. From the global perspective, we find benefits to outweigh costs by at least 4.6:1. From the communities' perspective, we find that while substantial benefits should secure buy-in to the project, continued subsidy will be required to cover the costs. Our findings support generalized recommendations for application of CBA across diverse systems and conservation priorities.

The potential harm inflicted by forearm bands on bats has been debated for decades. To aid in decision-making regarding bat marking, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of banding injuries using recapture data from a long-term overwintering study in Georgia, USA, involving 776 banded tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) with 284 recaptures. Most recaptured bats showed no visible injuries (77.8%); however, 22.2% of bats presented varying degrees of band-related injuries. Although <25% of tricolored bats exhibited banding-related injuries, sublethal effects of injuries are unknown and could add additional stressors to bat populations already facing multiple threats, including mortality from white-nose syndrome. Thus, we recommend that banding bats, especially species that have experienced white-nose syndrome-related population declines, be appropriately justified and their use carefully considered. Our study contributes valuable knowledge to aid in informed decision-making on the use of capture-mark-recapture methods in the research and management of bat communities.

Dynamic ocean management (DOM) is a critical approach for protecting highly migratory species amid environmental variability and change. We conducted an adapted systematic review to assess how animal movement and environmental data are used in DOM applications, identifying key data traits, barriers, and research priorities. Animal tag data inform initial assessments of species distributions, development of habitat models, near real-time model inputs, and iterative model evaluation for dynamic management. In documented examples, effective translation of scientific insights into dynamic management products has resulted from early communication between researchers and stakeholders, integration of environmental and fisheries-dependent data into advanced habitat modeling approaches, and reformatting of outputs for interdisciplinary needs. However, challenges persist around data gaps, science-policy translation, and technical capacity limitations. Our findings highlight the importance of intentional, collaborative data collection, translation, and sharing to enable dynamic, climate-resilient management of migratory species. We demonstrate DOM's adaptability and provide guidance for researchers and practitioners to contribute and use impactful data that informs responsive management decision-making.