Conservation Science and Practice最新文献

Ecological monitoring plays a crucial role in conserving biodiversity. However, ensuring that monitoring programs possess adequate statistical power—the capacity to detect changes in populations with a high level of confidence—remains a significant challenge for wildlife managers worldwide. The rise in popularity of camera traps has led to a proliferation of models with varying costs, specifications, and capabilities. This diversity presents both opportunities and challenges for wildlife managers, as selecting the most suitable model requires careful consideration of detection probabilities, deployment durations, and overall cost-effectiveness. Here, we present a case study comparing the performance of two commercially available camera trap models widely used for monitoring eight species groups within a global biodiversity hotspot. While Reconyx cameras demonstrated superior detectability for most species, the lower-cost Swift models proved more cost-effective for increasing statistical power in large-scale monitoring programs. These results highlight the importance of comparing monitoring technologies using metrics that go beyond nightly detectability, such as statistical power, and evaluating these technologies at the scale at which they are intended to be implemented. These findings provide a framework for wildlife managers to optimize monitoring programs while balancing cost and performance.

Plant conservation fences are widely used to restrict or minimize grazing pressure on endangered plant species or communities, and to ultimately ensure their viability. Despite the wide range of studies on how fences restrict ungulate herbivory and promote plant protection and conservation, information about what factors condition their effectiveness at a regional level is still lacking. For this reason, we analyzed 90 fences located in a biodiversity hotspot (Southern Spain). We used a model selection approach to evaluate the relative importance of management strategy, landscape context and fence shape for determining ungulate detection within exclosures and discussing its ecological and conservation implications. The level of structural damage (fence permeability) was the main factor to explain ungulate detection within fences. As expected, intact or closed fences were able to exclude large herbivores. Interestingly, semipermeable fences (i.e., with an intermediate level of structural damage) also showed a significant reduction in ungulate crossings (approximately 60%). The fences located in higher altitude landscapes and with high proportions of grassland cover showed more frequent ungulate crossings compared to the lower altitude areas surrounded by pine and Quercus spp. formations. Ungulate detection within fences was less frequent when fences were smaller and had a more complex shape. According to our results, fence networks may benefit from including both nonpermeable and semipermeable fences, while prioritizing complex perimeters that adjust to the boundaries of vegetation patches with threatened plant populations and communities. Ungulate fence crossings varied along an altitudinal gradient and vegetation type, indicating that landscape context can also determine the effectiveness of herbivore exclusion fences. We conclude that integrating fence design, management, and landscape context can improve regional-scale implementation of exclosure networks to better safeguard threatened flora.

Biodiversity markets are proliferating globally, aiming to increase private investment to address conservation financing gaps. Markets commodify biodiversity to facilitate the trade of biodiversity “units” even across heterogeneous ecologies. However, the metric used to commodify biodiversity can strongly influence which habitats become valuable in biodiversity markets, and there has been little research on whether the biodiversity incentivized through markets maximizes conservation value or is aligned with higher-level conservation goals. Here, we address this gap by using an ambitious national biodiversity market as a case study. We calculated the value of habitat transitions in England's Biodiversity Net Gain metric to investigate which habitats deliver biodiversity gains from common habitat baselines and explored how well these habitats aligned with those outlined in national conservation targets. Our results suggest that the biodiversity metric works well to incentivize avoidance of biodiversity impacts, but without policy coordination, the investment generated by biodiversity markets risks being allocated toward activities that do not maximize conservation potential.

Sharks and their relatives are ecologically important animals that face serious conservation challenges. Scientists studying chondrichthyans have expressed a desire to generate data that helps to conserve threatened species, but environmental advocates and natural resource managers have expressed frustration that significant portions of supposedly policy-relevant and conservation-relevant scientific research are not useful at accomplishing these goals. The phrase “this research is important for the conservation and management of sharks,” which appears frequently in scientific papers and conference presentations about research that managers consider to be of limited or equivocal conservation application, has become a point of frustration, and sometimes even mockery. This perspective article uses data from surveys of shark-focused conservation advocates and natural resource managers, analysis of existing publications, and the authors' own experience in policy-relevant scientific research to discuss strategies for strengthening connections between research and policy applications. It synthesizes feedback into a framework that provides advice to scientists who wish to generate conservation-relevant data, designed for scientists with limited knowledge of the practices or data needs of natural resource management policymaking and environmental advocacy. It also presents the results of a review of papers identified as effectively relating scientific findings to the needs of policymakers or advocates.

Leopards are widely distributed throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East, but have suffered substantial range contractions and population declines. The greater Kruger region of southern Africa contains a key leopard population for which population estimates are lacking. Providing density estimates for leopards within protected areas and understanding the drivers behind density is a fundamental step in monitoring populations and ensuring that conservation authorities can respond to chronic threats to the species. Using multi-session spatial capture-recapture models, we have estimated leopard population density from 10 camera trap surveys that incorporated sections of central and southern Kruger National Park (KNP), Sabi Sand Game Reserve (SSGR) and Karingani Game Reserve (KGR). As each protected area varied in ecological characteristics and anthropogenic threat levels, we also tested the impact of a range of covariates on population density. Density varied substantially among sites, ranging from 2.6 ± 0.6 leopards/100 km² to 13.2 ± 2.6 leopards/100 km². Density was best explained by Reserve Type and NDVI modeled as main and interactive effects. NDVI was positively associated with leopard densities in the two best protected reserves (SSGR and KNP), but was negatively associated with density in the other (KGR). This suggests that in well protected areas leopard density is more influenced by biological, bottom-up processes with NDVI serving as a proxy for prey catchability. By contrast, in less well protected areas, the impact of anthropogenically driven mortality may override bottom-up processes. Though the Kruger leopard population is renowned for its abundance and conservation value, we show these characteristics are limited to particularly well-protected portions of the ecosystem.

Strategies to track the progress of land protection efforts aimed at preserving biodiversity-rich areas have recently emphasized a holistic understanding of the regional context. This includes additional information on potential threats from climate change. Extreme climate events are believed to have uniquely disruptive effects on species, increasing the urgency of including extremes in biodiversity reporting metrics. We propose a strategy to incorporate extreme climate indices with spatially defined areas important for biodiversity, using South Africa as an example. We estimate near-term changes in extremes for Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) from 2015 to 2036 and calculate the expected change in climate hazard compared to its historical average for all KBAs in the region. We find that there is a considerable gap between KBAs that are designated as climate threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and KBAs where climate models estimate increases in at least one extreme event indicator. Notably, only 16% of KBAs with the highest projected changes in exposure to climate hazards are formally designated as climate threatened. Furthermore, only 42% of KBAs with common extreme event vulnerabilities are labeled as climate threatened. Less than a third of the top 10 KBAs at risk for multiple extreme events in the near future have been designated as climate threatened. The high spatial variability in potential KBA exposure to extreme climate events across South Africa combined with the prevalence of nationally governed protected areas offers an opportunity for systematic country-level review of climate threats at a spatial scale that is relevant to the internationally promoted decision-making strategies for land protection.

Target 15 of the Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) encourages the private sector to measure its risks, dependencies, and impacts on biodiversity. Various disclosure and action frameworks are being developed to help companies do this, two of which (Task Force for Nature-related Financial Disclosures & Science Based Targets for Nature) publish lists of tools that can help make these assessments. Here we provide an analysis of 129 tools listed on one or both sites classifying tool type and assessing the ways in which they measure biodiversity. Many of the tools included methods/approaches, single GIS layers or consultancy companies offering bespoke analyses. Only 58 tools (45% of all tools) were classified as a database or software tool that would allow standardized outputs to queries. Only 36 (28%) of the listed tools contained ecosystem (31) or species data (18) with global coverage, and only 13 (10%) tools used data on individual species to enable risk to be assessed at a species level. Most of the 13 tools that could provide information on species used data from either the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool or the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. The utility of tools in supporting disclosure and action frameworks, and achievement of KMGBF goals, would be improved with an independent classification of applicability, transparency about underlying datasets, improved integration of global ecosystems and species data, sustainable financing to generate and maintain high-quality biodiversity data, and corporate follow-through from disclosure to robust action.

Translocations are a commonly used method in conservation practice and are often viewed as successful if a new population persists. However, there is a need to understand the genetic and demographic consequences of translocations to better understand why some translocations are successful while others fail. Using a spatially structured population of the natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita) from northern Switzerland, this study presents a genetic and phenotypic analysis of natural and translocated populations. We used microsatellites to analyze the genetic structure (genetic diversity, differentiation, gene flow, and bottlenecks) of 102 individuals from 5 natural/donor and 64 individuals from 3 translocated populations. To study phenotypes (i.e., life history traits and behavior) of individuals, we used a common garden experiment. All genetic diversity metrics showed no genetic differences between natural and translocated populations with more genetic variation within than among populations. Although we found signatures of bottlenecks, they did not seem to have significantly affected genetic diversity of both natural and translocated populations. Life history traits of tadpoles (i.e., mass at metamorphosis, days to metamorphosis, survival) and behavior (tadpole activity) were similar in natural and translocated individuals. We conclude that the translocated populations have a genetic structure and life history traits similar to the donor and natural populations in the area. Overall, the results suggest that the approach used in this translocation program (individuals were taken from multiple donor populations and multiple females within populations and a large number of tadpoles in late developmental stages was released) was successful because it led to the establishment of populations that had levels of genetic diversity comparable to natural populations.

Understanding nest site selection is crucial for species conservation. Bird conservation often involves installing nesting aids to increase nest site availability and induce colonization of unoccupied sites. However, prospecting individuals must find nesting aids, which may be facilitated by social information. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of artificial nests and playback in the declining, migratory House Martin Delichon urbicum. We selected unoccupied sites with artificial nests along a distance gradient to occupied sites and broadcasted conspecific vocalizations during prospection times of House Martins in both the post- and the following pre-breeding periods. Visitation and colonization rates increased considerably in proximity to occupied sites. Playback during the post-breeding and pre-breeding periods enhanced visitation rates, while pre-breeding-only and post-breeding-only playback had smaller positive effects. Colonization rate increased exclusively with pre-breeding-only playback. Colonized playback and non-playback sites had similar breeding success, indicating that playback did not create ecological traps by attracting House Martins to suboptimal sites. Hence, broadcasting conspecific vocalizations informs prospecting birds of nest site availability, thereby increasing visitation, and to some degree, colonization of unoccupied House Martin sites. To boost colonization, we recommend installing artificial House Martin nests within approximately 500 m of occupied sites and using playback of conspecific vocalizations.

The Amazon is renowned for its exceptional biodiversity, which faces significant threats from deforestation. Effective biological monitoring is essential for conservation strategies, but remains challenging in Amazonian remote areas. This study explores the contributions of local ecological knowledge (LEK) to understanding habitat occupancy in the Central Amazon, comparing line-transect surveys with structured interviews with local people. Sampling targeted 13 fluvial islands and five continuous forest sites, focusing on 10 taxa, including birds, mammals, and reptiles. Interviews provided higher detection (p = 0.73) and occupancy (ψ = 0.70) probabilities compared to line-transect (p = 0.42, ψ = 0.52). The positive correlation between interviews and line-transect occupancy estimates (0.69; p <.03) suggests the potential to complement traditional surveys with LEK-based methods. The interviews provided insights into iconic species occupancy, including brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus) and jaguar (Panthera onca). The jaguar, brown-throated sloth and red howler monkey (Alouatta juara) demonstrated the highest occupancy probabilities in line-transects. Similarly, these species also showed the highest detection probabilities in interviews, while the red howler monkey exhibited the highest in line-transects. We highlight the potential for complementing traditional surveys with LEK-based approaches to attempt more comprehensive, rapid and cost-effective biodiversity monitoring, while promoting collaboration with local communities, crucial for conservation efforts in the Amazon and similar remote ecosystems globally.