Conservation Science and Practice最新文献

Species extinction rates have accelerated despite the global growth of the protected area estate, and maintaining or restoring ecological connectivity across landscapes is a major challenge in conservation. To address shortfalls in statutory protected areas, the designation of private protected areas (PPA) has been encouraged. Here we assess the level of ecological connectivity in the National System of Protected Areas in Chile (SNASPE) and measure the contribution of PPAs to the connectivity of the system, using novel indicators derived from landscape ecology. In so doing, we demonstrate how countries could report progress towards achieving connectivity among protected areas, using three complementary indicators. Our results show that while SNASPE currently has a high level of ecological connectivity, it varies substantially from region to region, with more protected and connected land needed to enhance connectivity. When PPAs are considered alongside statutory protected areas, connectivity is improved slightly, but still falls well short of meaningful levels. We therefore conclude that substantial expansion of the formal protected area network in Chile needs to happen, guided by a scientific and systematic process that enables the strategic designation of new PAs that enhance the performance of the current PA system and achieves international conservation goals. Additionally, new approaches and frameworks to recognize and manage land outside protected areas for connectivity and other ecosystem services are required.

The world is currently facing a biodiversity crisis and for many species, this is exacerbated by historic exploitation. Monitoring programs provide an integral tool to understand changes in abundance and the impact of threats informing conservation actions. However, measures of absolute abundance for management can be misleading, particularly when there is a biased sex ratio. Here we recommend focusing on the rate-limiting cohort for management actions using the case of North Atlantic right whales. The North Atlantic right whale has a male-biased sex ratio, with reproductively active females making up less than a fifth of the species. We highlight the importance of understanding and incorporating reproductive potential into management actions to provide species with the best chance of recovery.

Understanding human–wildlife interactions within biocultural systems is essential to support evidence-based conservation and Indigenous cultural integrity, and to identify inclusive “win-win” options for coexistence with threatened species. Jamaica's Blue and John Crow Mountains contain a population of the Endangered Jamaican hutia or coney (Geocapromys brownii), one of the last surviving Caribbean mammals, as well as Maroon communities that practice hunting as a traditional cultural activity. An interview survey was conducted in two Maroon communities within this conservation-priority landscape to understand local knowledge and attitudes toward coneys, and the cultural importance and dynamics of interactions with coneys. Experience of coney consumption is relatively widespread through small-scale local trade in hunted animals, but few respondents consider hunting to be of cultural or economic importance, very few people specifically hunt coneys, and most respondents support coney conservation. Conversely, crop damage caused by coneys is considered a substantial problem and is associated with decreased conservation support. Although we estimate that almost 530 coneys were killed during the previous year by our respondent sample, local perceptions suggest that hunting may not be having a negative impact on the coney population, and coney conservation can hopefully be integrated equitably with Maroon cultural values and needs.

Countries have committed to conserving and restoring ecosystems after signing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) will serve as a headline indicator to track countries' progress toward achieving this goal. Using Kenyan coral reefs, we demonstrate how nations implementing the GBF can use standardized estimates of ecosystem degradation from RLE assessments to support site-specific management decisions. We undertook a reef-by-reef analysis to evaluate the relative decline of four key ecosystem components over the past 50 years: hard corals, macroalgae, parrotfish, and groupers. Using the two benthic indicators, we also calculated standardized estimates of state to identify reef sites which maintain a better condition through time relative to adjacent sites. Kenya's coral reefs have degraded across all four ecosystem components. At more than half the monitored sites parrotfish and grouper abundance declined by more than 50%, while coral cover and macroalgae-coral ratio declined by at least 30%. This resulted in an Endangered threat status for coral reefs in Kenya (under criterion D of the RLE). The results can guide management actions related to 9 of the 23 GBF targets. For example, we identified several sites with relatively healthy benthic and fish communities as candidate areas for protection measures under Target 3. The RLE has a key role to play in monitoring and meeting the goals and targets of the GBF, and our work demonstrates how using the wealth of data within these assessments can inform local-scale ecosystem management and amplify the GBF's impact.

This perspective reflects on conservation efforts to increase the coverage of marine protected areas in Solomon Islands. We demonstrate that the current model in which international conservation NGOs provide technical and financial support to pilot projects, from which community-based resource management will spontaneously spread, is misguided. These site-based projects typically require substantial financial resources, ignore external threats to coastal ecosystems, and tend to bypass existing governance structures, which makes replication in other areas highly problematic. We argue that to effectively support indigenous peoples and local communities in the management of marine resources and, thereby, achieve biodiversity conservation outcomes at scale, it is necessary to move away from site-based conservation projects and focus instead on strengthening the capability of government agencies.

Urban landscapes play a crucial role in the health of freshwater ecosystems. The task of protecting and restoring urban freshwater waterways requires concerted efforts from all sectors of society, including volunteers. The recruitment and retention of volunteers is often a challenge for community environmental organizations as urban residents are diverse and influenced by a blend of personal, societal, and environmental factors. We surveyed a representative sample of 1901 urban residents across Aotearoa New Zealand and used the Behaviour Change Wheel framework and audience segmentation to understand the underlying factors influencing volunteering for waterway restoration projects and to identify potential target audiences to recruit new volunteers. We identified four segments within the target audience (“Supportive,” “Receptive but unsure,” “Hesitant and lack opportunity,” and “Reluctant”) each with its own unique profile of capabilities, opportunities, and motivations for volunteering. Recommendations for appropriate intervention designs to increase levels of volunteering include providing tailored messaging and events for those who are “Receptive but unsure” or “Hesitant and lack opportunity” and information about volunteering opportunities to “Supportive” individuals. This knowledge lays the groundwork for future initiatives focused on increasing urbanites' volunteering with community freshwater restoration groups.

Human–elephant conflict is growing in Africa as human populations and development increases, creating disturbance to elephant habitats. Beehive fences have been trialed as a coexistence tool with some success but all studies have looked at small sample sizes over a short time period. Our study analyses the behavior of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) that approached a network of beehive fence protected farms in two conflict villages over 9 years next to Tsavo East National Park. We compare differences in elephant raids and beehive occupation rates annually, during a drought, and during peak crop production seasons. Out of 3999 elephants approaching our study farms 1007 elephants broke the beehive fence and entered the protected farm areas (25.18%). This was significantly less than the 2649 encounters where elephants remained either outside the farm boundary or broke into the control farms (66.24%). A further 343 elephants entered the farm by walking through a gap at the end of a fence (8.56%). The annual beehive fence break-through rates averaged 23.96% (±SE 3.15) resulting in a mean of 76.04% elephants deterred from beehive fences protected farm plots. Over six peak crop growing seasons the beehive fences kept between 78.3% and 86.3% of elephants out of the farms and crops. The beehive fences produced one ton of honey sold for $2250; however, a drought caused a 75% reduction in hive occupation rates and honey production for 3 years after negatively impacting honey profits and the effectiveness of the fences. Beehive fences are very effective at reducing up to 86.3% of elephant crop-raids during peak crop seasons after good rainfall, but any increase in elephant habitat disturbance or the frequency and duration of droughts could reduce their effectiveness as a successful coexistence tool.

Accurate information on species range contraction is the cornerstone of effective biodiversity conservation. The eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) is an apex predator in Florida and, similar to many species native to Florida, is threatened by widespread habitat destruction. Environmental deoxyribonucleic acid (eDNA) monitoring of this elusive snake would provide a non-invasive approach to improve our knowledge of the species' range and distribution. We designed and tested an eDNA assay that can detect the presence of D. couperi from soil samples from their natural scrub habitat in Florida. We validated our assay in silico, in vitro, and in situ. Furthermore, we investigated the influence of temperature and humidity on the degradation rate of eDNA over time. We successfully amplified the cytochrome b gene for D. couperi at concentrations as low as 3 × 10⁻³ ng/μL and successfully detected the presence of D. couperi in 2 of 30 in situ field soil samples. The degradation experiment resulted in detectable DNA for 10 days. Interestingly, temperature and humidity had no effect on the degradation rate of eDNA in our experimental conditions. This study provides support for soil eDNA applications to detect the presence of a federally threatened species in their natural environment bolstering our ability to monitor the conservation and management of imperiled species. Environmental DNA provides an additional conservation tool to quickly and effectively monitor species range shifts driven by multiple anthropogenic stressors to promote the persistence of imperiled species.

Population surges of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) (Acanthaster spp.) are a leading cause of coral cover loss on Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR). While COTS culling has been undertaken since 2012 little is known about how the public perceive COTS culling or how perceptions vary among social groups. Drawing on survey data collected in 2018 and 2022 we test the relative influence of demographic variables, social and institutional variables, and beliefs concerning the risks and benefits of culling, on public acceptance for the culling of COTS on the GBR. In contrast with previous research suggesting a polarization of views, we found limited opposition to culling (12% in 2018 and 8% in 2022). Remaining respondents, however, were almost equally divided between those who agreed or strongly agreed with culling and those who were neutral or only slightly in agreement. The strongest predictors of support, in terms of standardized mean odds ratios, were the perceived social, environmental, and ethical responsibility of culling (1.57), the manageability of culling risks (1.46), the personal importance of the GBR to the respondent (1.33), trust in science to deliver solutions (1.30), confidence in management of the GBR (1.26), and how much of a threat respondents believed COTS posed to the Reef (1.25). These findings suggest public communications about COTS culling might usefully focus on how scientific understanding, ongoing research, ecosystem monitoring, and partnerships with Reef Traditional Owners and stakeholders guide operations.

Human-carnivore conflicts pose significant challenges in the management and conservation of carnivores across the globe. Abundant research has led to generalizable insights into the causes of such conflicts. For example, conflicts predictably occur when carnivores have access to human food resources, particularly when their natural foods are scarce. However, similar insights into the effectiveness of interventions aimed at coexistence remains comparatively scarce. We hypothesized that this disparity might be reflected in a bias toward research focused on causes of conflict rather than interventions to address it. To test our hypothesis, we evaluated the content of studies on human–carnivore conflicts and coexistence in Canada and the United States from 2010 to 2021. We found that studies disproportionately focused on causes of conflict, with that discrepancy increasing through our study period. We also found a disproportionate focus on black bears and wolves and western jurisdictions, and a disproportionate use of observational (vs. experimental) approaches. Studies on conflict interventions were primarily directed at the carnivores themselves (e.g., lethal approaches) versus human elements (e.g., attractant management, policies), despite evidence that the latter are more effective. We expect that a shift in focus toward solutions-oriented research, integrating insights across geographies, taxa, social contexts, and disciplines, would facilitate effective interventions and foster coexistence, improving outcomes for people and carnivores alike.