Pub Date : 2024-11-14DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126764
Kristine Cerbule , Bent Herrmann , Roger B. Larsen , Mengjie Yu
Unintended continuous capture or so-called “ghost fishing”, by abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear produces negative environmental impact on marine life and nature conservation. The risk of ghost fishing in pots could be high due to potential self-baiting resulting from mortality of ghost fished catch. Self-baiting may increase ghost fishing by further attracting marine organisms, including cannibalistic conspecifics. However, self-baiting effect in pot fisheries is seldom investigated. Pot fisheries targeting snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in the Arctic have high risk of gear loss due to harsh weather conditions. This study quantifies ghost fishing efficiency by simulated self-baited snow crab pots containing dead snow crab relative to catch efficiency of actively fished baited pots. On average, self-baited pots captured 0.4% of target-sized snow crab compared to actively fished pots. These results showed that the impact on marine environment caused by ghost fishing in pots is not always increasing due to self-baiting and can vary throughout the time pots are exposed to ghost fishing.
{"title":"Ghost fishing by self-baited lost, abandoned or discarded pots in snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery","authors":"Kristine Cerbule , Bent Herrmann , Roger B. Larsen , Mengjie Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126764","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126764","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Unintended continuous capture or so-called “ghost fishing”, by abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear produces negative environmental impact on marine life and nature conservation. The risk of ghost fishing in pots could be high due to potential self-baiting resulting from mortality of ghost fished catch. Self-baiting may increase ghost fishing by further attracting marine organisms, including cannibalistic conspecifics. However, self-baiting effect in pot fisheries is seldom investigated. Pot fisheries targeting snow crab (<em>Chionoecetes opilio</em>) in the Arctic have high risk of gear loss due to harsh weather conditions. This study quantifies ghost fishing efficiency by simulated self-baited snow crab pots containing dead snow crab relative to catch efficiency of actively fished baited pots. On average, self-baited pots captured 0.4% of target-sized snow crab compared to actively fished pots. These results showed that the impact on marine environment caused by ghost fishing in pots is not always increasing due to self-baiting and can vary throughout the time pots are exposed to ghost fishing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142657730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126760
David J. Kavana , Yuchen Wang , Guocan Zhang , Siqin He , Pamela D. Maganga , Bing Yu
Human-induced habitat transformation often leads to habitat degradation and loss, impacting suitable habitats for endangered and rare species. This study was conducted to assess suitable habitats for the endangered oriental white stork in the wetland ecosystem of northeast China, to facilitate successful species-habitat conservation. The study incorporated field surveys, literature reviews, vegetation index calculations, eDNA for assessing prey abundance and land use and land cover classification for the years 2000, 2011, and 2022. A fuzzy logic-based habitat model was developed to map suitable habitats for the oriental stork. Generalized Linear Models (GLM) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used to assess the influence of various environmental variables on habitat suitability changes. Roosting locations of the oriental stork were used as reference points to evaluate the impact of environmental factors on habitat suitability. The results indicate that 20% of the area is highly suitable for the stork, 73.4% is moderately suitable, and 5.6% is less or not suitable. Habitats near lakes and rivers, with low Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and high Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), are more suitable compared to areas close to roads and built-up zones. Prey abundance, particularly fish, is a crucial determinant of oriental stork presence and survival. Marshlands, swamps, and water bodies were identified as the most suitable habitats, as they interface with lotic and lentic ecosystems providing abundant prey for the storks. Our findings emphasize the importance of ongoing efforts to protect wetland ecosystems and habitats for endangered and rare bird species. Priority should be given to habitats identified as critical roosting areas for the oriental stork.
{"title":"Spatio-temporal analysis of habitat suitability for the endangered oriental white stork (Ciconia boyciana) in the wetland ecosystem of northeast China","authors":"David J. Kavana , Yuchen Wang , Guocan Zhang , Siqin He , Pamela D. Maganga , Bing Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126760","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126760","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human-induced habitat transformation often leads to habitat degradation and loss, impacting suitable habitats for endangered and rare species. This study was conducted to assess suitable habitats for the endangered oriental white stork in the wetland ecosystem of northeast China, to facilitate successful species-habitat conservation. The study incorporated field surveys, literature reviews, vegetation index calculations, eDNA for assessing prey abundance and land use and land cover classification for the years 2000, 2011, and 2022. A fuzzy logic-based habitat model was developed to map suitable habitats for the oriental stork. Generalized Linear Models (GLM) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used to assess the influence of various environmental variables on habitat suitability changes. Roosting locations of the oriental stork were used as reference points to evaluate the impact of environmental factors on habitat suitability. The results indicate that 20% of the area is highly suitable for the stork, 73.4% is moderately suitable, and 5.6% is less or not suitable. Habitats near lakes and rivers, with low Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and high Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), are more suitable compared to areas close to roads and built-up zones. Prey abundance, particularly fish, is a crucial determinant of oriental stork presence and survival. Marshlands, swamps, and water bodies were identified as the most suitable habitats, as they interface with lotic and lentic ecosystems providing abundant prey for the storks. Our findings emphasize the importance of ongoing efforts to protect wetland ecosystems and habitats for endangered and rare bird species. Priority should be given to habitats identified as critical roosting areas for the oriental stork.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142657727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126756
Hong Zhang , Zhou Chen , Min Xu
Assessment of coastal habitat quality assessment is of great significance for sustainable coastal development. However, few attempts have been made to conduct an integrated assessment of coastal habitat quality. Consequently, we proposed a novel framework, in which cross-system threats from terrestrial and marine human activities are taken into account. The integrated assessment of the coastal habitat quality was realized by using the intertidal zone as a bridge after evaluating the two subsystems of the terrestrial and marine independently. Nantong, a typical development coast in Southern Yellow Sea, was used as a case study. The results showed that in 2020, the trend of the coastal habitat quality in Nantong steadily improved from the terrestrial to the marine. The distribution of the coastal habitat quality in Nantong was significantly polarized. The direction of the habitat quality distribution in Nantong’s coastal zone was generally northwest-southeast. Human activities and benthic biodiversity are the main factors affecting habitat quality in Nantong’s coastal zone. This study is a useful attempt of cross-system habitat quality assessment, which can support integrated land-sea conservation planning and integrated coastal management.
{"title":"An integrated assessment of coastal habitat quality in Nantong, Jiangsu, China","authors":"Hong Zhang , Zhou Chen , Min Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126756","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126756","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessment of coastal habitat quality assessment is of great significance for sustainable coastal development. However, few attempts have been made to conduct an integrated assessment of coastal habitat quality. Consequently, we proposed a novel framework, in which cross-system threats from terrestrial and marine human activities are taken into account. The integrated assessment of the coastal habitat quality was realized by using the intertidal zone as a bridge after evaluating the two subsystems of the terrestrial and marine independently. Nantong, a typical development coast in Southern Yellow Sea, was used as a case study. The results showed that in 2020, the trend of the coastal habitat quality in Nantong steadily improved from the terrestrial to the marine. The distribution of the coastal habitat quality in Nantong was significantly polarized. The direction of the habitat quality distribution in Nantong’s coastal zone was generally northwest-southeast. Human activities and benthic biodiversity are the main factors affecting habitat quality in Nantong’s coastal zone. This study is a useful attempt of cross-system habitat quality assessment, which can support integrated land-sea conservation planning and integrated coastal management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142657728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ecological succession (sequential replacement of species following a disruptive event) is critical for understanding ecosystem dynamics. With coral reefs facing increasing threats, comprehending secondary ecological succession is of heightened importance. Coral reef restoration, through techniques such as coral transplantation and herbivore introduction, plays a crucial role in mitigating coral degradation at the local scale. However, the combined effect of these two techniques on ecological succession remains understudied. To determine the impact of herbivory and coral transplantation on ecological succession, four experimental conditions were evaluated on reef patches (Bora Bora, French Polynesia): (i) no-restored control, (ii) restored control, and two conditions with herbivorous invertebrates introduced (sea-urchins and mollusks) alongside restoration: (iii) one site with macroalgae removal and (iv) one without. Macroalgae cover and fish were monitored among the conditions over a 70-day period. Herbivorous invertebrates limited algae cover compared to control. However, no difference in fish assemblages was found in alpha diversity when comparing conditions over time. Changes in fish assemblages were observed in beta diversity, with statistically supported values for juveniles in the restored condition with herbivorous invertebrates present. Understanding the dynamics of ecological succession in so complex environments like coral reefs is essential for designing effective restoration strategies and safeguarding their health.
{"title":"Temporal shifts in algal and fish assemblages following the introduction of herbivorous species in coral reef patches (Bora Bora Island)","authors":"Xavier Raick , Ethel Mery , Camille Carpentier , Stéphanie Krimou , Jérome Sowinski , Lucille Sowinski , Natacha Roux , Tehani Maueau , David Lecchini","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126761","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126761","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ecological succession (sequential replacement of species following a disruptive event) is critical for understanding ecosystem dynamics. With coral reefs facing increasing threats, comprehending secondary ecological succession is of heightened importance. Coral reef restoration, through techniques such as coral transplantation and herbivore introduction, plays a crucial role in mitigating coral degradation at the local scale. However, the combined effect of these two techniques on ecological succession remains understudied. To determine the impact of herbivory and coral transplantation on ecological succession, four experimental conditions were evaluated on reef patches (Bora Bora, French Polynesia): (<em>i</em>) no-restored control, (<em>ii</em>) restored control, and two conditions with herbivorous invertebrates introduced (sea-urchins and mollusks) alongside restoration: (<em>iii</em>) one site with macroalgae removal and (<em>iv</em>) one without. Macroalgae cover and fish were monitored among the conditions over a 70-day period. Herbivorous invertebrates limited algae cover compared to control. However, no difference in fish assemblages was found in alpha diversity when comparing conditions over time. Changes in fish assemblages were observed in beta diversity, with statistically supported values for juveniles in the restored condition with herbivorous invertebrates present. Understanding the dynamics of ecological succession in so complex environments like coral reefs is essential for designing effective restoration strategies and safeguarding their health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142657726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126758
Nur Hairunnisa Rafaai, Saiful Arif Abdullah
In Peninsular Malaysia, the various forms and contexts of assessing the conservation status of a protected area has led to inconsistent results, causing misunderstanding and uncertainty among protected area managers. Furthermore, these assessments rely heavily on the conservation value inside the protected area, despite the fact that its value is also influenced by the external environment. In this regard, using a composite index of conservation value (CICV) provides the opportunity for a more practical assessment of conservation status. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a CICV to determine the conservation status of two protected areas in Peninsular Malaysia, i.e., the Krau Wildlife Reserve and Tasek Bera Ramsar Site. Land use/land cover maps inside and outside the protected areas, developed using Landsat images from 2014, were the basis for the conservation value assessment, which employed three landscape scale indicators, i.e., naturalness, fragmentation, and connectivity. Through an analytical hierarchical process, the indicators were combined to develop a CICV inside and outside each protected area. Acceptable robustness values obtained through sensitivity analysis enabled the calculation of the CICV scores. For each protected area, the internal and external sites were then merged to calculate a net CICV. The inside, outside, and net CICV scores were used to determine the area’s conservation status on a critical value scale with the markers ‘very critical’, ‘critical’, ‘moderate’, ‘good’, and ‘excellent’. Inside the Krau Wildlife Reserve, the CICV was 88.4 %, indicating an ‘excellent’ conservation status, while its outside status is ‘critical’ with a CICV of 35 %. The net CICV of this area was 64.29 %, yielding a ‘good’ net conservation status. The CICV inside and outside Tasek Bera Ramsar Site were 35 % and 21.34 % respectively, both of which represent a ‘critical’ conservation status. The net CICV was found to be 22.52 %, suggesting that the net conservation status is ‘critical’. The results show that the external landscape of protected areas is a threat that influences the areas’ net conservation status. Therefore, a comprehensive conservation status assessment requires a composite index that integrates conservation values from the outside to help protected area managers easily understand and interpret findings, and thus, effectively coordinate conservation planning.
{"title":"Developing a composite index of conservation value to determine the conservation status of protected areas: The case of the Krau Wildlife Reserve and Tasek Bera Ramsar Site, Peninsular Malaysia","authors":"Nur Hairunnisa Rafaai, Saiful Arif Abdullah","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126758","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126758","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In Peninsular Malaysia, the various forms and contexts of assessing the conservation status of a protected area has led to inconsistent results, causing misunderstanding and uncertainty among protected area managers. Furthermore, these assessments rely heavily on the conservation value inside the protected area, despite the fact that its value is also influenced by the external environment. In this regard, using a composite index of conservation value (CICV) provides the opportunity for a more practical assessment of conservation status. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a CICV to determine the conservation status of two protected areas in Peninsular Malaysia, i.e., the Krau Wildlife Reserve and Tasek Bera Ramsar Site. Land use/land cover maps inside and outside the protected areas, developed using Landsat images from 2014, were the basis for the conservation value assessment, which employed three landscape scale indicators, i.e., naturalness, fragmentation, and connectivity. Through an analytical hierarchical process, the indicators were combined to develop a CICV inside and outside each protected area. Acceptable robustness values obtained through sensitivity analysis enabled the calculation of the CICV scores. For each protected area, the internal and external sites were then merged to calculate a net CICV. The inside, outside, and net CICV scores were used to determine the area’s conservation status on a critical value scale with the markers ‘very critical’, ‘critical’, ‘moderate’, ‘good’, and ‘excellent’. Inside the Krau Wildlife Reserve, the CICV was 88.4 %, indicating an ‘excellent’ conservation status, while its outside status is ‘critical’ with a CICV of 35 %. The net CICV of this area was 64.29 %, yielding a ‘good’ net conservation status. The CICV inside and outside Tasek Bera Ramsar Site were 35 % and 21.34 % respectively, both of which represent a ‘critical’ conservation status. The net CICV was found to be 22.52 %, suggesting that the net conservation status is ‘critical’. The results show that the external landscape of protected areas is a threat that influences the areas’ net conservation status. Therefore, a comprehensive conservation status assessment requires a composite index that integrates conservation values from the outside to help protected area managers easily understand and interpret findings, and thus, effectively coordinate conservation planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142657691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-19DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126735
Y. Bunsy , R.Z. Oleksy , P. Bissessur , M.L.F. Monty , T. Gujudhur , M.O.D. Dupré , F.B.V. Florens
Bats (Chiroptera) constitute one-fifth of the global mammalian diversity, with over 1,450 species. Yet, 16.5 % of them are threatened with extinction, a situation exacerbated on islands, underscoring an urgent need for conservation efforts there. However, effective conservation action can only be as sound as the understanding of the basic ecology of such insular species. Mauritius harbours one endemic Endangered cave-roosting insectivorous bat, in recent decline, whose ecology is poorly known, hampering its conservation. We used Mormopterus acetabulosus as a model species to inform insectivorous island bat conservation in highly transformed habitats. We compared the species’ historical and current known roost distribution and sizes and estimated any change in its Area of Occupancy (AOO) and Extent of Occurrence (EOO) using GeoCAT. We also compiled the physical characteristics, environmental and anthropogenic variables of caves that are occupied and unoccupied by the bats to identify potential factors influencing roost occupancy. We found roosts in 17 of the recorded 130 lava cave tunnels, up from the nine previously recorded, including 11 permanent and six seasonal roosts, mostly (∼71 %) on privately owned land. Compared to the last surveys in 2017, the EOO remained stable at 818.9 km2, while the AOO increased by 33.3 %. This expansion may reflect previously undetected roosts or recent colonisation events or both. Cave dimensions in terms of entrance size and height as well as the number of chambers, relative humidity and distance to water best explained roost occupancy by M. acetabulosus. Caves with larger entrances may be preferred for roosting as this characteristic eases manoeuvrability and predator avoidance, and larger caves may be preferred for enhanced microclimatic stability. Occupied and unoccupied caves were found to differ in terms of physical characteristics, although cave microclimate did not vary notably. Based on their characteristics and their potential contributions to increasing the species’ EOO and AOO, six currently unoccupied caves were identified as priority sites for future conservation efforts. Legal protection of all caves, regardless of current bat occupancy is necessary to mitigate extinction risks and preserve their associated ecological functions.
{"title":"Cave-roosting specialisation of an oceanic island endemic microbat elevates extinction risks as caves face multiple threats","authors":"Y. Bunsy , R.Z. Oleksy , P. Bissessur , M.L.F. Monty , T. Gujudhur , M.O.D. Dupré , F.B.V. Florens","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bats (Chiroptera) constitute one-fifth of the global mammalian diversity, with over 1,450 species. Yet, 16.5 % of them are threatened with extinction, a situation exacerbated on islands, underscoring an urgent need for conservation efforts there. However, effective conservation action can only be as sound as the understanding of the basic ecology of such insular species. Mauritius harbours one endemic Endangered cave-roosting insectivorous bat, in recent decline, whose ecology is poorly known, hampering its conservation. We used <em>Mormopterus acetabulosus</em> as a model species to inform insectivorous island bat conservation in highly transformed habitats. We compared the species’ historical and current known roost distribution and sizes and estimated any change in its Area of Occupancy (AOO) and Extent of Occurrence (EOO) using GeoCAT. We also compiled the physical characteristics, environmental and anthropogenic variables of caves that are occupied and unoccupied by the bats to identify potential factors influencing roost occupancy. We found roosts in 17 of the recorded 130 lava cave tunnels, up from the nine previously recorded, including 11 permanent and six seasonal roosts, mostly (∼71 %) on privately owned land. Compared to the last surveys in 2017, the EOO remained stable at 818.9 km<sup>2</sup>, while the AOO increased by 33.3 %. This expansion may reflect previously undetected roosts or recent colonisation events or both. Cave dimensions in terms of entrance size and height as well as the number of chambers, relative humidity and distance to water best explained roost occupancy by <em>M. acetabulosus</em>. Caves with larger entrances may be preferred for roosting as this characteristic eases manoeuvrability and predator avoidance, and larger caves may be preferred for enhanced microclimatic stability. Occupied and unoccupied caves were found to differ in terms of physical characteristics, although cave microclimate did not vary notably. Based on their characteristics and their potential contributions to increasing the species’ EOO and AOO, six currently unoccupied caves were identified as priority sites for future conservation efforts. Legal protection of all caves, regardless of current bat occupancy is necessary to mitigate extinction risks and preserve their associated ecological functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142657729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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