Journal for Nature Conservation最新文献

Clarence Island and its inland channels are part of the Kawésqar National Park and Kawésqar National Reserve, an extensive wilderness area dominated by pristine sub-Antarctic environments and high marine biodiversity. During the summer and winter of 2020, the assemblages of birds and mammals were recorded in 10 sites, and these data, the following aspects were evaluated: 1) the sampling effort used with species accumulation curves and 2) the community structure of the assemblages with alpha and beta diversity. The total richness was 35 species of birds and 6 species of mammals, representing 17% of both groups documented for the sub-Antarctic Ecoregion of Magellan. During summer and winter, low and high values of species richness and abundance were registered, which modulated low and medium values of diversity. The moderate diversity was consistent with the beta diversity values from the Whittaker index, which on average indicates low species replacement in response to seasonal change. By considering that 20 % of the recorded species have high conservation risks, it can be concluded that this type of fauna survey contributes to improve the knowledge and dissemination of the current distribution of these species, and in future scenarios it will be useful to help predict local extinction events for anthropogenic or natural reasons.

Landscape and its development is crucial for viability and management of protected areas, therefore, we focused on Czech large protected areas and analysed their land cover and landscape structure changes from the 1950s to recent times. Based on four milestones (1950, 1990, 2004 and 2020), data from topographic maps and aerial imagery were vectorized and use for following steps as analysing main trends of changes: an increase in forest in all areas and extensification of agriculture; the latter was expressed by permanent grassland growth in almost all areas and by arable land decrease. Urbanisation was reflected in the growth of built-up areas. However, these changes did not take place equally across all protected areas. Therefore, we distinguished two groups: 1) more stable (in terms of land cover change) and forested areas; 2) protected landscape areas which were also established for conservation of cultural landscape with open land cover categories, which showed larger changes. Moreover, landscape structure shows its simplification during the study period across almost all protected areas. Therefore, our results indicate that, in some protected areas, landscape stability and in some others landscape diversity are their values.

Marking-recapture techniques are essential in the study of wild animal populations, and the use of accessible, easy to apply, and less invasive methods is preferable. Several studies have reported negative effects of more invasive or inaccurate techniques when studying animal behaviour and survival, which raised the alert for the encouragement of affordable and less invasive techniques, such as photoidentification using natural markings. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of the promising use of photoidentification with the application of visible elastomers in the field, verifying application time and presence of stress behaviours in the model anuran species Dendropsophus elegans (Wied-Neuwied, 1824), which has an evident dorsal spotting pattern. In addition, we checked the subsequent performance of individual recognition by software-assisted photoidentification, code recognition of visible elastomers, and manual photoidentification, considering accuracy (error types) and recognition time. We found that software photoidentification had a similar performance to the manual one and elastomer combination for identifying recaptures, but its execution time was the shortest among the three and it was more accurate. There was no association between the presence of stress behaviours and any technique applied in the field. These results suggest that software-assisted photoidentification combined with a field protocol may be an efficient technique in the study of this species, and its applicability may be extended to other species with natural markings.

During an unusual event of extreme drought and rainfall scarcity in the Amazon in October 2023, we found 96 feces of the Amazonian manatee on the beaches of Lake Amanã (Central Amazon, Brazil). All feces contained seeds and some of them seedlings of aquatic herbaceous species, offering the opportunity to study the role of the manatee as an endozoochoric dispersal agent in the Amazonian floodplains. The feces were collected, analyzed, and the intact seeds were separated, identifying 9 morphotypes of aquatic herbaceous plants. Whole seeds were sectioned and immersed in a tetrazolium solution to assess viability of the embryos. The seeds of the species Luziola spruceana were present in all fecal samples. In 17 feces, 79 seedlings of L. sprucena, Eleocharis subarticulata, Bacopa egensis, Cyperus blepharoleptos, and Cyperus sp. were observed. The Amazon manatee migrates annually between different types of floodable environments due to the rise and fall of water levels. In these two phases of the hydrological cycle there is the availability of fruiting aquatic herbaceous plants on which it feeds. In this way, the Amazonian manatee can be considered a gardener of the Amazon floodplains, as it fertilizes the waters with nutrients that favor plant productivity and acts in the dispersal, colonization and plant succession in these environments. This fact opens a range of research opportunities and considerably elevates the importance of the manatee in the maintenance and diversity of aquatic plants, as well as in maintaining the balance of trophic chains in its living areas.

Wilderness areas provide important ecosystem services for human being, and as crucial habitats for diverse species. Human activities have led to the fragmentation of wilderness landscapes, posing a significant challenge to biodiversity conservation. Identifying wilderness areas and assessing their network connectivity is fundamental for developing strategies to address this fragmentation. This study used Zhejiang Province, China, which is in the process of rapid urbanization as a case study. We identified the spatial distribution of wilderness by combing the index system and its weights of wilderness identification, using Boolean superposition analysis and the multi-criteria evaluation method, and tested the ecological sensitivity. Additionally, the connectivity of the wilderness network was assessed using the wilderness identification results in Zhejiang Province as ecological sources. The results indicate that: (1) 50% of Zhejiang Province still maintains relatively good wilderness integrity. (2) The wilderness network can cover 82% of highly fragmented habitats and currently unallocated potential natural reserves. (3) In areas not designated as nature reserves but experiencing frequent species movement as well as in identified wilderness regions, robust wilderness networks may play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation. The findings provide quantitative evidence for biodiversity-oriented wilderness network protection and landscape fragmentation management. The results also aid in selecting specific areas for rewilding and ecological restoration, thereby enhancing the overall robustness of the wilderness network.

Seorsus aequatorius (Myrtaceae), endemic to Borneo, was first described from a single herbarium specimen collected by H. Hallier on Mount Kelam in 1893–1894. However, a minor error in the published collection number of the type specimen for S. aequatorius requires correction. In 2019, during an expedition on Mount Kelam, Dr. Muhammad Mansur and his colleagues rediscovered S. aequatorius (locally known as ‘pohon embun’). This research aimed to correct information on the collection number of the type specimen, conduct a conservation assessment, and propose conservation strategies. The study involved examining herbarium specimens. The conservation status of the species was evaluated using IUCN guidelines. We outline the rediscovery of S. aequatorius after 129 years. The correct type specimen identified as “H. Hallier 2308”. Seorsus aequatorius is preliminarily categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Short-term conservation strategies include ex-situ conservation of S. aequatorius at the Kuningan Botanical Garden in West Java. This is suitable because the species’ habitat, growing on rocks at around 800 m above sea level, matches the theme and elevation of the botanical garden, dedicated to rocky area plants at 490–870 m above sea level. Meanwhile, in-situ conservation strategies for S. aequatorius include conducting population studies, performing habitat rehabilitation or restoration, protecting both habitats and species through legal regulations, and reintroducing seedlings from ex-situ conservation. Designating S. aequatorius as Mount Kelam’s mascot could also raise public awareness.

Effective sustainable marine management requires the integration of cultural and natural assets, a practice that is rarely attempted. This study developed and tested a new method for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) that uses interdisciplinary knowledge of the spatial distribution of cultural and natural assets in marine ecosystems along environmental and human pressure gradients and seeks to understand their interrelationships. The study focused on Estonian marine areas in the north-eastern Baltic Sea. Environmental conditions and threats were assessed, and the extent of spatial overlap between underwater cultural heritage (UCH), natural assets and conservation measures was identified. Although nature reserves and UCH sites were generally exposed to different ranges of environmental and pressure gradients, significant overlap with UCH sites was observed for certain natural assets, as well as along gradients of current velocity, oxygen concentration, bottom sediment, and human pressure. These results highlight the value of joint archaeological and ecological analyses to identify natural assets specific to UCH regions that require protection from both a natural and cultural heritage perspective.

We examine the public perceptions of an urban biodiversity offsetting pilot project and the implications of such a project for conflicts in urban planning. The City of Lahti was the first in Finland to pilot biodiversity offsetting in its urban planning in 2021. This pilot project demonstrates the contradictions of depoliticised nature, which the urban context makes visible. We draw on interviews with city planners and other city officials, residents and stakeholders, workshops, and documents tracing the pilot project. The case study shows how biodiversity offsetting risks rendering urban planning and its inherent conflicts over preserving greenspaces and enabling development to a set of technical measurements and valuation, while “the social” in urban planning becomes secondary. The theoretical framework of depoliticisation highlights the tensions between the biodiversity offsetting scheme and the participatory planning processes. The former is presented as depoliticised and incontestable, while the latter are overrun by a technocratic measuring of ecological values. We conclude that the contradictions of depoliticised nature are built into the core of biodiversity offsetting and consider ways to improve the social fairness of offsetting in urban contexts.

Management and conservation programs require accessible scientific evidence to effectively plan and achieve their goals. Facing regional and species-specific threats, Gonopterodendron sarmientoi, an endangered tree native to the Gran Chaco region, requires scientific evidence to support management and conservation actions, notably in forest management and territorial planning. To bridge this crucial gap, we developed indices that integrate genetic, evolutionary, morphological, threat-related, and ethnobotanical data concerning G. sarmientoi at a landscape level. Across twenty-four localities of this species, we have created four distinct indices. The first index amalgamates data on genetics, functional traits, and paleoclimate information. The second index incorporates data on threats stemming from deforestation and climate change scenarios. The third index provides supplementary insights into the species’ utilization by indigenous groups. Finally, the fourth index combines all the aforementioned data to prioritize the most valuable and threatened localities. Through this comprehensive approach, we have identified specific in-situ and ex-situ management and conservation actions for G. sarmientoi. This approach considers broader-scale conservation efforts and considers large-scale variations and processes. The indices effectively link scientific data with actionable insights, providing decision-makers involved with G. sarmientoi with concise information that encapsulates the most pertinent aspects of species conservation.

This study delves into the evaluation of the Komodo dragons Adaptive Conservation Program (KACP) at Komodo National Park in Indonesia through Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). It aims to understand how the programs components align with community priorities and assess its effectiveness. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this research analyzes community perceptions of KACP’s critical elements, spanning eco-tourism initiatives to environmental protection strategies. The community is categorized into local advocates, eco-tourism enthusiasts, and eco-community harmonizers, identifying how each group perceives and interacts with various facets of KACP. The findings reveal significant differences in perceptions of importance and performance among these groups, providing insights into areas of strength and those needing improvement. Additionally, the study includes an analysis of demographic influences on these perceptions through Logit and Probit models, aiming to understand the impacts across different community segments. The results highlight the necessity for an adaptive and responsive design in conservation efforts, considering community expectations and ecological impacts. Despite offering comprehensive insights, the study acknowledges limitations in the demographic scope and suggests future research directions, such as longitudinal studies and an expanded analysis of variables. These findings offer critical guidance for policymakers and conservation practitioners to enhance conservation programs’ effectiveness and community alignment, emphasizing the need to adapt to the challenges and changes introduced by KACP.