Conservation Science and Practice最新文献

In an agricultural landscape, production and conservation ideally go hand in hand. In a win-win scenario, conservation measures, such as hedges and flower strips, provide support for biodiversity and crop production for example by increased pollination and pollinator diversity. However, these conservation measures may also decrease pollination by attracting pollinators and competing with crop flower visits. Here, we studied plant–pollinator interactions from two different perspectives. First, we looked at the production perspective investigating whether plant–pollinator networks differed between apple orchards with and without adjacent flower strips and hedges. With help of the Bayes factor, we investigated similarity and conclude that there are no differences between pollination networks with or without adjacent flower strips and hedges. Second, we looked at the conservation perspective and analyzed the impact of hedges and flower strips on pollinators and their interactions with plants before and after apple bloom in April. We showed that apple pollinators used more flower resources in flower strips and hedges across the whole season compared to isolated orchards. In orchards with flower strips and hedges, interactions were more constant over time. We conclude that flower strips and hedges are beneficial for conservation of apple pollinators without being harmful for apple flower pollination.

The trade of alien species as pets is increasingly recognized as a biosecurity risk due to their intentional and accidental release into the wild. However, pets are often categorized as native or non-native at a national level, meaning that their presence outside of their native range, yet within their native country, may be an overlooked biosecurity threat. So-called “domestic non-natives” have established new populations across several countries and, in some cases, become invasive. Here, we investigated the extent of the domestic trade of native Australian pet species outside of their natural distributions and determined whether such locations were climatically suitable for potential alien establishments. Australia provides a unique system to explore this issue because it deters the trade of most alien species yet permits the keeping of a large diversity of native pets. We monitored trade from a popular Australian e-commerce site used to trade native pet birds, reptiles, and amphibians (29 k advertisements over 1 year; from July 2019 to July 2020). Of the 177 native vertebrate species we observed in the pet trade, 129 species (73%) had at least some instances of their trade occurring outside of their natural distribution. We found that climatically suitable environments were present outside the native range of 90 species and that these regions were proximal to suburbs where we observed trade. Our results indicate that the “domestic non-native” trade is widespread in Australia and that, if captive pets escape or are released into the wild in sufficient numbers, there is a risk of establishment for most of these species. We suggest that regulations pertaining to the trade of native pets ensure that careful biosecurity consideration is given in circumstances when trade occurs beyond a species' native range, both in the context of Australia and for other large countries with widespread pet industries.

The use of fungicides in agriculture can reduce animal biodiversity. Such non-target effects could be mitigated through fungus-resistant cultivars that reduce the need for fungicide applications. Hence, we conducted a study in 32 commercial vineyards in southwest Germany. We investigated the effect of fungicide spraying intensities (susceptible vs resistant cultivars) and management (conventional vs organic) on ground beetles as a widely used indicator group in agroecological studies. In addition, we examined the effects of local habitat conditions (e.g., microclimate, vegetation) and landscape characteristics. Fungicide applications were reduced by half in conventional, and almost by two-thirds in organic vineyards with fungus-resistant cultivars, compared to susceptible grape varieties in the same management regime. While there was no evidence that fungus-resistant cultivars positively affect the diversity of ground beetles, organic management doubled the number of individuals of conservation-relevant species per vineyard. Additionally, the proportion of semi-natural habitats in the surrounding landscape, and the vegetation height significantly affected the species composition across vineyards. We conclude that local habitat conditions and landscape characteristics influence ground beetles more than the fungicide spraying intensity. Additional measures such as organic management, moderate ground vegetation management, and landscape diversification are needed for the conservation of ground beetles in viticulture.

Local participation has been greatly promoted to accomplish conservation and development goals globally, but the participation paradox, in which those empowered to participate fail to do so, has rarely been thoroughly scrutinized. Here we test the participation paradox with empirical data of 234 local decision-makers' participation in a decision-making forum, Conservation Area Management Committees, in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected in 2013 and 2016, analyzed, interpreted, and integrated. Women, minorities, younger members, and non-elected members participated significantly less in decision-making than men, older members, and elected members and those with leadership roles and longer tenures on the committees. Qualitative analyses revealed five major themes for motivation to participate: influence in the community; personal incentives; conservation; improving access to natural resources; and feelings of accomplishment. Key constraints to participation included hardships and competing tasks; lack of incentives; perceptions of limited agency; disinterest; and emotional burdens. Participation motivations and constraints varied by gender, social group, and membership types. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these results for participatory approaches to conservation and sustainable development in general and the governance of protected areas in particular.

Adoption of on-farm conservation strategies, such as edge-of-field practices, has the potential to reduce nutrient runoff, promote greater biodiversity, and improve water quality. To date, adoption rates among farmers are extremely low. Communication with farmers has been identified as a vital strategy to encourage the voluntary adoption of these practices and policies that promote on-farm conservation. Yet little is known about which information sources shape farmers' concerns about conservation practices, perceptions of the risks and benefits of conservation practices, and ultimately, adoption behaviors. Using the Social Amplification of Risk Framework, the Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model, and a cross-sectional survey, we examined farmers' concerns about nitrate loss and water quality, perceptions of the risks and benefits of conservation practices, attention to messages and information sources, and communication behaviors. We received N = 474 completed surveys. Attention to agricultural associations was associated with decreased concern about nitrates and diminished perceptions of the benefits of edge-of-field practices. Farmers paying greater attention to non-agricultural and social media sources were more likely to share and seek information. Attention to interpersonal sources was associated with greater adoption behaviors. This work highlights the importance of farmers' social networks, exposure to multiple information sources, and the need to identify new strategies for engagement and direct communication with hard-to-reach audiences. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this work for conservation communication and land management practices to promote environmental health.

This study provides a comprehensive, population-scale analysis of the mitogenome of the critically endangered European mink, Mustela lutreola, involving 52 individuals from Russia, Germany (conservation breeding stock), Romania, and France-Spain. Significant mitogenomic diversity was identified within the previously presumed genetically homogenous French-Spanish population, challenging concerns of inbreeding. Despite having lower nucleotide diversity (π = 0.00024) than the German (π = 0.00055) and Russian (π = 0.00048) populations, the French-Spanish group exhibited impressive haplotype diversity (h = 0.9810) compared to Russian (h = 0.8727) and German (h = 0.7826) populations. Considering genetic diversity and uniqueness, the French-Spanish population ranked highest in conservation importance, second only to the combined assessment of all other populations. The extensive population structuring identified two distinct haplogroups—the Central-Eastern European and the Aquitaine-Navarre—suggesting reconsideration of their conservation status. These findings guide tailored conservation strategies, emphasizing the need for careful interpopulation translocations to protect genetic diversity and prevent outbreeding depression. A decision algorithm for these translocations has been proposed.

Large carnivores such as the lion are declining across Africa, in part because their large herbivore prey is declining. There is consensus that increased protection from prey depletion will be necessary to reverse the decline of lion populations, but few studies have tested whether increased protection is sufficient to reverse the decline, particularly in the large, open ecosystems where most lions remain. Here, we used an integrated population model to test whether lion demography and population dynamics were measurably improved by increased protection. We used data from monitoring of 358 individuals from 2013 to 2021 in the Greater Kafue Ecosystem, where prior research showed that lions were strongly limited by prey depletion, but protection increased in several well-defined areas beginning in 2018. In some other areas, protection decreased. In areas with high protection, lion fecundity was 29% higher, and mean annual apparent survival (φ) was 8.3% higher (with a minimum difference of 6.0% for prime-aged adult females and a maximum difference of 11.9% for sub-adult males). These demographic benefits combined to produce likely population growth in areas with high protection ($��\hat{\lambda }�$ = 1.085, 90% CI = 0.97, 1.21), despite likely population decline in areas with low protection ($��\hat{\lambda }�$ = 0.970, 90% CI = 0.88, 1.07). For the ecosystem as a whole, population size remained relatively constant at a moderate density of 3.74 (±0.49 SD) to 4.13 (±0.52 SD) lions/100 km². With the growth observed in areas with high protection, the expected doubling time was 10 years. Despite this, recovery at the scale of the entire ecosystem is likely to be slow without increased protection; the current growth rate would require 50 years to double. Our results demonstrate that increased protection is likely to improve the reproduction and population growth rate of lions at a large scale within an unfenced ecosystem that has been greatly affected by poaching.

We call on conservation funders, technology developers, and practitioners to explore how digital technologies can transform conservation practice. Actors supporting, developing, and funding digital technologies for conservation must address digital inequity and reduce the societal risks of digital technologies that may undermine conservation goals. We highlight the challenges in leveraging digital conservation technologies and recommend approaches to increase access to digital technologies for uptake by diverse users while supporting equitable participation from diverse user communities to shape digital technologies and their applications. Improving access to and use of tools may be achieved through strategic funding for digital design that recognizes and supports local solutions and diverse practices and perspectives. With increasing digital access, funders must also emphasize adherence to safeguards and protocols to reduce risks associated with digital technologies. By adopting more ethical methodologies related to digital technologies, we not only enhance global sustainability but also foster collaborative relationships with communities, recognizing the intrinsic value of their expertise in conservation initiatives and jointly safeguarding the environment to ensure the well-being of all. Encouraging more equitable approaches to conservation technologies underpins global priorities for sustainable development by centering and supporting the communities most directly involved in conservation action.

Willingness to donate and to protect (WTP) is an important part of worldwide nature conservation, and animals can be used as flagships for establishing conservation measures and collecting donations. We here focus on 141 German bird species to address factors that impact WTP by using a survey on the individual respondent level. Further, another analysis assessed traits on the species level. A total of 1003 respondents participated in the survey. Results of an analysis of covariance suggest that, at the level of the individual, subjective cuteness rating, coloration, species knowledge, and age positively influenced WTP. On the species trait level based on the 141 species, cuteness, coloration, and internet salience were positively related to WTP, and presence at feeders, eBird entries, and global abundance were negatively related to WTP. This is one of the first studies based on a large number of bird species from Europe and it can inform regional nongovernmental organizations for selecting charismatic species for conservation communications. Moreover, this study consequently addresses cuteness in birds as an important factor.