Conservation Science and Practice最新文献

Small-scale fisheries support millions of people globally, but if poorly monitored and managed, they can negatively impact threatened marine species like sharks. We explore approaches to assess the ecological sustainability of an extremely data-limited, small-scale fishery for blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) in Goa, India. We use an adapted expert elicitation approach, modified to suit local fishing communities, to collect data on shark catch and develop exploratory population models to understand conditions under which the fishery could be sustainable. An estimated 13,881–15,616 newborn blacktip sharks are targeted and captured annually by gillnets across our study sites. Our adapted expert elicitation protocol can serve as a rapid, cost-effective, and inclusive method to obtain critical data for conservation planning, especially in data-limited, Global South contexts. Our population models reveal that the current levels of shark harvesting are unlikely to be sustainable and can only continue if harvest rates are reduced by at least half and if the current local shark population is relatively high. Our study provides crucial information to inform conservation decision-making, highlighting the need for urgent intervention to regulate Goa's shark fishery. Working with the local community and understanding the socio-economic dimensions of this fishery can help identify appropriate conservation interventions.

Land acquisition is an important strategy in some countries to grow the size, representation, and connectivity of protected area networks, and to contribute to the 30 × 30 protection target. Here, I outlined newly emerging trends in Australia where philanthropy is partnering with governments to enable the purchase of significant properties for conservation, and the importance of dedicated government land purchase funds to attract philanthropy. The Australian experience provides lessons for other countries with tenure systems that enable the purchase of land for the purpose of conservation.

Bat populations are declining globally. Maintaining high-quality habitat for bats can help mitigate extinction risk. Natural and semi-natural linear vegetation features have been shown to provide shelter and foraging habitat for bats in temperate agroecosystems in Europe, yet their value for bats in North America has received little attention. Using automated ultrasonic recorders, we assessed bat species richness and activity across agricultural drainage ditches that varied in mean vegetation height, variability in vegetation height, and mean width in agroecosystems in eastern Ontario, Canada. Landscapes surrounding recording sites also varied in forest amount and mean field size, and recording sites were located at different distances from the nearest forest patch. We found that in general, bat activity at the community level and at the individual species level was positively associated with mean vegetation height and mean vegetation width; however, species appeared to vary in their response to variation in vegetation height. We also found a general positive relationship within and across species for bat activity with forest amount at the landscape scale. Overall, our results suggest maintaining or increasing vegetation height along drainage ditches and field margins as well as maintaining or increasing forest amount at the landscape scale will best support bats in temperate North American agroecosystems.

Identifying and implementing policy measures to reduce on-farm biodiversity loss requires a better understanding of complex system interactions. Studies on policy challenges to enhance on-farm biodiversity can be divided into those focusing on biodiversity-enhancing practices on farms versus those focusing on the success of policies in terms of farmers' adoption rates. In this study, we combine both parts within an ad-hoc decision analytic method to predict which policy scenario is most likely to improve biodiversity on smallholder farms across the European Union. We apply a Bayesian belief network to assess on-farm biodiversity outcomes under five policy scenarios including (a) regulatory, (b) market-based, (c) incentive-based, (d) voluntary information-driven, and (e) policy mix. We collect and combine information from existing literature along with expert elicitation from a workshop held with decision makers and other stakeholders. We found the highest probability of positive biodiversity outcomes (48%) under a regulatory policy, but the result was strongly dependent on the expected rate of adoption. We employ a novel approach combining knowledge from different knowledge strains and sources that accounts for layers of uncertainty while informing biodiversity policy decisions.

The increased interest in serious games in environmental education has prompted the development of an education board game on human–elephant interactions in Malaysia to raise awareness and understanding of this issue. Based on an experiential game model, the game provides a realistic and engaging learning experience. The study evaluates the game's impact on motivation, behavior, and learning outcomes, considering socio-demographic and environmental factors influencing participants' decisions in tackling human-elephant conflict issues. Game components (i.e., action cards, hexagonal board pieces, and stakeholder roles) were refined through iterative feedback. Data from 282 participants aged 13 and above were analyzed using statistical, thematic, and word cloud methods. We found that the educational game enhances learning and literacy skills, with 37.8% of participants expressing increased environmental responsibility and 25.8% highlighting human-elephant conflict and coexistence as key takeaways. Most in-game experiences were rated above neutral, though 30% of feedback suggested improving clarity and 28.5% recommended gameplay changes. Role interactions shaped outcomes, with 16.7% of participants emphasizing multi-stakeholder involvement. In the word cloud analysis, frequent terms included “elephants” “humans” “roles” and “cards.” This suggests that participants predominantly discussed game mechanics (game, cards) and conservation issues (elephants, humans, roles). 46.7% advocated for collaborative coexistence efforts to address conflicts. The game positively impacted self-perception and learning, as females reported greater understanding of wildlife conservation compared to males, and non-working class participants showed higher confidence in excelling at the game than middle and upper middle-class participants. These results underscore the potential of educational games to reflect real-world conflict resolution complexities.

Given the accelerated pace of global biodiversity loss and urbanization, it is becoming increasingly urgent to identify ways to minimize the costs and maximize the benefits of urban environments for wild flora and fauna. For instance, it has been estimated that 48% of all bird species are experiencing declines. One of the main drivers of these declines is habitat loss and degradation associated with urbanization. Although relationships between urbanization and bird communities have been explored extensively, few studies have been conducted in residential neighborhoods, and the influence of urban environmental conditions, particularly air pollution, on bird communities remains unclear. In this study, we examined relationships between bird community metrics and environmental measures related to vegetation and air pollution within a residential neighborhood at multiple spatial scales. We found that bird species richness was positively related to greenness (as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index [NDVI]) within 50 m and negatively associated with ambient levels of NO₂ at 200 m. Similarly, we found the Hill–Shannon diversity index was positively associated with canopy volume density but negatively associated with NO₂ at 200 m. As ultrafine particle (UFP; <100 nm in diameter) concentration decreased, the strength of the positive relationship between NDVI and the relative abundance of native birds increased. We also observed a negative relationship between the abundance of native birds and NO₂ at 200 m. Unlike native birds, invasive birds were not sensitive to NO₂ or UFPs. Moreover, the average number of invasive birds was negatively correlated with canopy volume density at 50 m. Thus, our research suggests that reductions in air pollution, in combination with greening efforts that increase NDVI and canopy volume density via the restoration of vegetation within urban neighborhoods, are likely to increase bird diversity and the abundances of native birds while reducing the abundance of invasive birds.

Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) provide a framework to assess the threat of climate change and inform conservation decisions. Species distribution models (SDMs) can be informative for a primary component of CCVAs: estimating climate change exposure (hereafter exposure). Despite their utility, SDMs are inconsistently applied. Limitations of few occurrences and difficulty obtaining microclimate-informed predictors relevant in topographically complex and heterogeneous landscapes challenge their use and may lead to inaccurate exposure estimates. To address this, we develop SDMs with a technique adapted for few occurrences for two rare mosses, Bartramia aprica and Bartramia halleriana, and use a simple method for representing microclimates for the latter, which occurs in mountainous regions. We estimate exposure from models with varying microclimatic detail, spatial resolution, and extent, and explore additional uncertainty by comparing estimate types, scenarios, and potential for extrapolation to novel climates. We found that including microclimate data, smaller spatial extents, and finer resolutions predicted less exposure and produced the best-performing models. We additionally found that B. halleriana may face greater exposure regardless of the scenario, model, or exposure estimate used. Based on our findings, we introduce a framework suggesting approaches for these difficult cases to enhance the consistent implementation of SDMs in CCVAs.

Translocation is a core conservation strategy, yet the outcomes of invertebrate translocations are often poorly documented due to the small size and limited mobility of invertebrates. Levels of genetic diversity and inbreeding are key indicators of translocation success, reflecting breeding success, adaptive capacity, and long-term viability of translocated populations. This study characterizes the genetic diversity of a recently translocated flightless grasshopper, Vandiemenella viatica, two generations after release. Genome-wide sequence data revealed significant reductions in observed heterozygosity (19.07% decrease) and nucleotide diversity (12.69% decrease) in the F₂ generation relative to the source population. Runs of homozygosity were 50.74% more common and 112.98% longer in the F₂ generation relative to the source population. These rapid reductions in diversity underscore the need for genetic monitoring to be integrated into translocation protocols to inform management actions like genetic supplementation for improved conservation outcomes.

Field surveys have been the standard method for conducting species monitoring. However, other methods involving data from community science, remote sensing, and environmental DNA (eDNA) are increasingly being recognized for their potential as complements to traditional surveys. This evidence map examines studies that use these techniques for detecting rare terrestrial vascular plants. We explore plant types detected, study habitats, and recommendations for future research. We also use a case study of Canadian plant species at risk to suggest species that might potentially benefit from being detected via these techniques. We find that herbaceous species are the most common vascular plant type detected in community science and eDNA studies, while trees dominate remote sensing studies. Most community science studies occurred in urban areas, while most remote sensing studies occurred in areas that comprised multiple habitats, and most eDNA studies occurred in semi-open habitats such as shrublands and wetlands. Few studies discussed the efficacy of these techniques in terms of detection success and resources used. To better situate these new techniques among monitoring options, we discuss common problems, potential solutions, sources of false negative and false positive errors, and financial cost considerations for each technique.

Optimizing wetland conservation programs requires effective mapping of watershed inundation patterns and the identification of priority areas for future conservation. This study presents a data-driven framework to analyze watershed wetness dynamics and prioritize agricultural lands for wetland conservation. It focuses on mapping areas with the most periodic inundation of agricultural lands from 2018 to 2023. A multi-criteria spatial decision support tool was developed to identify high-priority agricultural parcels for wetland conservation programs. This tool integrates inundation dynamics, soil characteristics, and restoration context to evaluate site suitability for conservation efforts. Using Google Earth Engine, Sentinel-2 imagery was analyzed to assess the frequency of periodic inundation on each pixel of agricultural land, including cropland, forestland, and hay/pasture land. This study calculates the watershed wetness index and evaluates parcel-level suitability for wetland conservation. The analysis ranks watersheds based on the proportion of inundated agricultural lands and identifies approximately 24,000 priority parcels, ranging in size from 0.4 to 20 hectares (1–50 US acres). A scenario-based cost analysis of land acquisition provides further guidance for conservation planning. Statewide agricultural-based conservation programs should prioritize potential sandhill wetlands within the wettest agricultural watersheds in the Sandhills ecoregion, high-potential playa wetlands in the Rainwater Basin area, riverine wetlands along the Missouri, Elkhorn, and Platte Rivers, and saline wetlands in the rural–urban transitional watersheds of eastern Nebraska. This study demonstrates how remote sensing and multi-criteria geospatial analysis can facilitate scalable and cost-effective wetland mapping and site selection, both in the United States and globally.