Conservation Science and Practice最新文献

Describing the habitat needs of endangered species is a major focus of applied conservation research. The blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila (Stejneger, 1890)) is a flagship endangered species endemic to the San Joaquin Valley of California, USA. Arthropods are an important component of G. sila's diet and of many other listed vertebrate species in Californian drylands. We examined the drivers of abundance, richness, and composition across the current and extirpated ranges of the blunt-nosed leopard lizard G. sila for four arthropod communities: ground-active, shrub-canopy active, open area active, and aerial. We found no evidence for lower arthropod abundance or species richness at sites from which G. sila has been extirpated. In contrast, the ground-active arthropod and beetle communities were less abundant at sites with current populations of G. sila after accounting for environmental variation. Thus, prey availability—at least at the community level and for the taxonomic groups considered—would not likely be a factor constraining future repopulation efforts for G. sila into its historical range. Beta-diversity partitioning analyses indicated that a regional approach to conservation is necessary to conserve arthropod biodiversity across the San Joaquin Valley. Increasing aridity lowered abundance and species richness at fine scales for most communities tested and was also related to spatial composition across the region. Thus, in terms of G. sila conservation and restoration, sites with the lowest current and projected future aridity should be prioritized to maximize the abundance and richness of co-occurring ground-active arthropod and beetle communities.

Map-based decision support tools (DSTs) that use species distributions are an important means of identifying priority areas for conservation. The Wisconsin Waterfowl Habitat Conservation Strategy (WWHCS) uses a DST to identify priority ecological landscapes and watersheds to guide waterfowl habitat projects. The WWHCS DST relies on waterfowl habitat suitability layers derived through expert opinion in lieu of species distributions, a common approach in DSTs. Given the subjectivity of expert opinion, model-driven species distributions such as those available from community science projects could provide more reliable information and better identify areas for waterfowl conservation. Here, we explore the application of relative abundance products available through the eBird Status and Trends project as an alternative to expert-derived habitat suitability layers in the WWHCS DST. Our objectives were to compare seasonal species distributions from habitat suitability models (expert-derived) and species distribution models (eBird-derived) and determine whether differences influenced DST prioritizations. Correlations between expert- and eBird-derived distributions were generally low to moderate for breeding and fall layers (ρ: −0.03–0.76), and lowest for spring (ρ: −0.49–0.72). There was also minimal agreement among top-ranked ecological landscapes (40%) and watersheds (28%) between the two versions of the DST. Finally, we compare tradeoffs and suggest a model-driven approach for the WWHCS DST. However, additional work validating eBird relative abundance against professional surveys and empirical studies evaluating waterfowl habitat selection and vital rates are important future considerations for the DST and waterfowl habitat conservation in Wisconsin.

Wildlife is an important global commodity that generates significant revenue along the supply chain, including economic benefits in range states for sought-after species. However, international trade in wild species is often associated with over-exploitation and illegal extraction. To regulate, monitor, and ensure the sustainability of such trade, over 180 countries have ratified the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Using national data collected through CITES processes, we undertook a network analysis to evaluate the structure and dynamics of international trade in six CITES-listed species of Colombian endemic poison frogs (Dendrobatidae). We assessed the magnitude of the international trade and the countries that were reporting legal imports/exports, both before and after Colombia allowed legal exports of these species, to examine the changes associated with Colombia's export legalization and to draw conclusions about the country's role and benefits from trade in these species. Our analyses show that, for over two decades, international trade of CITES-listed species likely in contravention of the Convention resulted in significant exports—and likely greater financial benefits—accruing in non-range states through reported captive breeding programs. Although the market was reconfigured when Colombia legalized the export of certain endemic frog species, non-range states with founder stocks obtained from unknown and possibly illegal sources continue to account for a significant portion of the trade volume of some species (mostly, Phyllobates spp.). We discuss the importance of enforcing regulations and collaborations that promote better traceability of international commerce of endemic species to ensure the legitimacy of transactions, economic benefits for origin countries, and the conservation of species in the wild.

Modern agriculture faces conflicting objectives—increasing agricultural production while preserving and fostering biodiversity. As intensive agricultural management threatens biodiversity, legal obligations aim to halt biodiversity loss and safeguard threatened species. In Switzerland, agricultural priority species have been defined to set environmental goals for biodiversity, with limited success so far. This study spatially defines farmland focus zones with potential for the promotion of priority species for conservation in agricultural landscapes. We overlaid information about field-level impact of agricultural activities using the Swiss Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment (SALCA-BD) as “impact of agricultural activities” with the potential distribution of Swiss priority birds. The potential distribution was assessed by aggregating predictions from species distribution models of 27 bird priority species. We identified significantly high/low values for management impact and potential distribution using hotspot analyses. Multivariate clustering was used to identify zones that should be preserved (low management impact, high bird potential) and zones where conservation measures could be promoted (high management impact, high bird potential). Zones which were minimally impacted by management and had a high potential for birds included grassland with structures, covering ca. 18% of the studied farmland. Zones with high management impacts consisted mainly of arable land with little structures, covering ca. 31% of the studied farmland, occurring mainly in the Swiss lowlands. Our results help to assess and visualize the intertwined links between agricultural management and the species inhabiting these agricultural landscapes in a spatially explicit manner. This can help to identify zones and regions for ecological promotion and set priorities for action within future agricultural policies.

Reptiles are often overlooked in conservation efforts. Hence, long-term population data is often unavailable, and evidence for effective conservation actions that improve reptile habitat remains scarce for most species. Here we used a before–after control–intervention (BACI) experiment to investigate the impact of basking bank creation on four co-occurring reptile species: European adder, barred grass snake, slow worm, and viviparous lizard. Long-term refuge monitoring at a UK wildlife reserve allowed population assessment before and after habitat modification. Only viviparous lizards were observed at basking banks within 12 months of construction. In subsequent years, barred grass snake observations increased near basking banks and slow worms were observed for the first time, while European adder observations increased away from banks and barred grass snake observations decreased away from banks. Our small-scale BACI study suggests basking banks attracted barred grass snakes from the surrounding area, which saw a corresponding increase in European adder sightings.

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is one of the most important tools for ensuring sustainable use of marine areas. Although MSP is a well-established method, its adoption in rapidly developing countries is a challenge. One of the main concerns is data adequacy, as the MSP process typically requires a large amount of spatial data on human activities, biodiversity, and socio-ecological interactions within the planning area. Drawing from an institutional cooperation project in Zanzibar, Tanzania, we share our experience and demonstrate how to fill in socio-ecological data gaps to support the development of MSP in areas with limited data availability. We developed a rapid and cost-effective system for collecting biological data, which, together with remote sensing and place-based participatory mapping, helped formulate the first pilot ecologically informed MSP for Zanzibar. By sharing our results and experiences, we aim to provide best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations for future projects with a similar ecological setting and socio-economic context.

Movement ecology data are often collected by catching animals and fitting GPS tags. This technique is expensive, biased and comes at an extra cost for the caught individuals. New conservation technologies allow noninvasive data collection, providing ecological knowledge to aid the conservation of endangered species. Using bioacoustics, we investigated intraseason and between-year movements of the red-listed corncrake (Crex crex) and their relationships with landscape structure. Our goals were to track corncrake movements with minimal disturbance to the species and determine how landscape features affect these movements. We recorded males over two consecutive breeding seasons in 2022 and 2023 in an extensively farmed agricultural landscape in the West of Ireland. Individual identity was obtained through vocal characteristics of the calling males which were grouped into clusters. The areas of seminatural grassland and margin features, presence of bird refuge strips, and habitat connectivity were extracted from buffers between locations of two matching recordings (same calling male). These landscape features were used as model predictors to determine the distance that the same male covered. We found that, in a season, males moved 415 m on average (min = 10 m; max = 1805 m) between calling locations, which was more than previously thought in the Western Europe. Males also reoccurred on average 375 m (min = 23 m; max = 1231 m) away from the previous year's location. Landscape connectivity (p = 0.01, N = 42) and seminatural grassland area (p = 0.02, N = 42) were positive predictors of intraseason movements, whereas the margin area (p = 0.01, N = 35) predicted further between-year movements. Considering our noninvasively sampled results in the Irish context, we suggest increasing the protection area around a calling male to 500 m. In this buffer, we also suggest improving the availability of seminatural grassland to 30% and presence of margin features to 3%. Further land management recommendations are provided.

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.