Wind energy is widely considered to be an integral part in global efforts to mitigate climate change, but its rapid expansion is raising concerns regarding its impacts on biodiversity and specifically soaring birds which rely on the same high-wind landscapes targeted for turbine siting. Understanding how these developments alter space use, movement behaviour, and energy expenditure is critical for mitigating impacts on threatened populations. Here, we combined two decades of telemetry data to evaluate the responses of Cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus) in a region undergoing substantial wind power plant development. Long-term analyses (2004–2022) revealed pronounced displacement, with population utilization reduced by 85–89% within 200 m of turbines. High-resolution GPS tracking (2016–2021) provided complementary behavioural insights, showing significant reductions in crossing rates, daily flight distances and time spent near turbines once they became operational. We also identified areas of increased vulture activity that overlap with planned wind farms under licensing, suggesting that such sites may represent critical corridors for population movement and should remain undeveloped. Our findings support considering cumulative displacement and potential energetic costs in environmental assessments alongside major existing threats, including poisoning and electrocution. We recommend spatial planning that avoids core movement areas to reconcile renewable energy expansion with the conservation of large soaring raptors.
{"title":"Displacement effects on an endangered cinereous vulture population in a landscape of increasing wind power development","authors":"Anastasios Bounas , Elzbieta Kret , Lavrentis Sidiropoulos , Sylvia Zakkak , Eleftherios Kapsalis , Volen Arkumarev , Dobromir Dobrev , Anton Stamenov , Stoycho Stoychev , Dimitris Vasilakis","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111728","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111728","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wind<!--> <!-->energy is widely considered to be an integral part in global efforts to mitigate climate change, but its rapid expansion is raising concerns regarding its impacts on biodiversity and specifically soaring birds which rely on the same high-wind landscapes targeted for turbine siting. Understanding how these developments alter space use, movement behaviour, and energy expenditure is critical for mitigating impacts on threatened populations. Here, we combined two decades of telemetry data to evaluate the responses of Cinereous vultures (<em>Aegypius monachus</em>) in a region undergoing substantial<!--> <!-->wind power plant development. Long-term analyses (2004–2022) revealed pronounced displacement, with population utilization reduced by 85–89% within 200 m of turbines. High-resolution GPS tracking (2016–2021) provided complementary behavioural insights, showing significant reductions in crossing rates, daily flight distances and time spent near turbines once they became operational. We also identified areas of increased vulture activity that overlap with planned wind farms under licensing, suggesting that such sites may represent critical corridors for population movement and should remain undeveloped. Our findings support considering cumulative displacement and potential energetic costs in environmental assessments alongside major existing threats, including poisoning and electrocution. We recommend spatial planning that avoids core movement areas to reconcile renewable energy expansion with the conservation of large soaring raptors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111728"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111720
Elizabeth K. Orning , Bryan C. Tarbox , Catherine S. Jarnevich , Lindy Garner , James R. Meldrum , Cameron L. Aldridge
Invasive annual grasses (IAG) continue to spread within the sagebrush biome of the western United States, degrading plant communities and wildlife habitat, decreasing forage for ranching livelihoods, and heightening wildfire risk. Effective management of IAGs requires action and long-term strategic planning across the sagebrush biome, but the cumulative effects of IAG treatments over time and space are not well understood, especially over broad extents defined for strategies like the Sagebrush Conservation Design. We developed a simulation model and sampling framework that allow local-scale actions to be ‘scaled up’ to evaluate large-scale regional and biome-wide management strategy outcomes. We worked with natural resource managers and experts to co-develop a spatially explicit state-and-transition simulation model of IAG dynamics in sagebrush landscapes that can be used to evaluate alternative management strategies. We evaluated our framework by contrasting two baseline scenarios in terms of their long-term effects on the sagebrush biome. We show that focusing management efforts on moderate to high IAG cover was effective at reducing full conversion to IAGs but failed to prevent widespread establishment of IAGs in core sagebrush areas, exposing them to increased risk of wildfire and wildlife habitat degradation. The results of our model help quantify the extent of the problem that IAGs pose to sagebrush ecosystems given current knowledge and management efforts. Our framework provides a platform to explore alternative management strategy outcomes and can help managers develop informed conservation plans with realistic expectations for return on investment of resources committed to sagebrush landscapes.
{"title":"A regional simulation modeling framework for evaluating invasive annual grass management across the sagebrush biome","authors":"Elizabeth K. Orning , Bryan C. Tarbox , Catherine S. Jarnevich , Lindy Garner , James R. Meldrum , Cameron L. Aldridge","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Invasive annual grasses (IAG) continue to spread within the sagebrush biome of the western United States, degrading plant communities and wildlife habitat, decreasing forage for ranching livelihoods, and heightening wildfire risk. Effective management of IAGs requires action and long-term strategic planning across the sagebrush biome, but the cumulative effects of IAG treatments over time and space are not well understood, especially over broad extents defined for strategies like the Sagebrush Conservation Design. We developed a simulation model and sampling framework that allow local-scale actions to be ‘scaled up’ to evaluate large-scale regional and biome-wide management strategy outcomes. We worked with natural resource managers and experts to co-develop a spatially explicit state-and-transition simulation model of IAG dynamics in sagebrush landscapes that can be used to evaluate alternative management strategies. We evaluated our framework by contrasting two baseline scenarios in terms of their long-term effects on the sagebrush biome. We show that focusing management efforts on moderate to high IAG cover was effective at reducing full conversion to IAGs but failed to prevent widespread establishment of IAGs in core sagebrush areas, exposing them to increased risk of wildfire and wildlife habitat degradation. The results of our model help quantify the extent of the problem that IAGs pose to sagebrush ecosystems given current knowledge and management efforts. Our framework provides a platform to explore alternative management strategy outcomes and can help managers develop informed conservation plans with realistic expectations for return on investment of resources committed to sagebrush landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111720"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111721
Ananthanarayanan Sankar , Ryan A. Chisholm
The island nation of Singapore has experienced large-scale habitat loss over the last two centuries, accompanied by unprecedented defaunation. Nevertheless, the remnant forests have seen some recovery in the last 100 years and some species that had previously become extirpated have recolonised and re-established, particularly birds, mammals, and butterflies. Most locally extirpated squamates, being less able to recolonize islands, can only be reintroduced through human-mediated conservation translocation. Some of Singapore's several extirpated squamate species may be more suitable for reintroduction than others. However, there is a lack of objective tools for selecting candidate species for reintroduction. In this paper, we explore the novel application of a mathematical extinction model (MODGEE) to select squamate species for potential reintroduction to Singapore. The extirpation timeline identifies two periods of heightened extirpation rates (around the 1900s and the 2000s). Extirpation rates of 17% (95% CI [1 to 31%]) estimated in squamates were comparatively lower than those previously estimated for birds in Singapore, implying that squamates may be more resilient to habitat degradation. The model identifies three species of squamates that were extirpated recently and would thus experience the least “ecological memory loss” and be better able to reintegrate into a recovering landscape. We identify the Hulk forest gecko, Gekko hulk, as the best candidate for conservation translocation into Singapore from stock populations in Peninsular Malaysia.
{"title":"Where will they come from, when did they go? Squamate extirpations and recoveries in Singapore","authors":"Ananthanarayanan Sankar , Ryan A. Chisholm","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111721","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111721","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The island nation of Singapore has experienced large-scale habitat loss over the last two centuries, accompanied by unprecedented defaunation. Nevertheless, the remnant forests have seen some recovery in the last 100 years and some species that had previously become extirpated have recolonised and re-established, particularly birds, mammals, and butterflies. Most locally extirpated squamates, being less able to recolonize islands, can only be reintroduced through human-mediated conservation translocation. Some of Singapore's several extirpated squamate species may be more suitable for reintroduction than others. However, there is a lack of objective tools for selecting candidate species for reintroduction. In this paper, we explore the novel application of a mathematical extinction model (MODGEE) to select squamate species for potential reintroduction to Singapore. The extirpation timeline identifies two periods of heightened extirpation rates (around the 1900s and the 2000s). Extirpation rates of 17% (95% CI [1 to 31%]) estimated in squamates were comparatively lower than those previously estimated for birds in Singapore, implying that squamates may be more resilient to habitat degradation. The model identifies three species of squamates that were extirpated recently and would thus experience the least “ecological memory loss” and be better able to reintegrate into a recovering landscape. We identify the Hulk forest gecko, <em>Gekko hulk</em>, as the best candidate for conservation translocation into Singapore from stock populations in Peninsular Malaysia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111721"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111717
Alienor L.M. Chauvenet , Anna R. Renwick , Hugh P. Possingham , Vanessa M. Adams , Jennifer McGowan , Vesna Gagić , Nancy A. Schellhorn
Designing landscapes to accommodate both humans and nature poses huge challenges but is increasingly recognised as an essential component of conservation and land management. The land-sparing land-sharing approach has been proposed as a tool to address this challenge. However, its focus on an ideal landscape configuration leaves a gap on what step-wise management decisions are needed to transform the existing landscape to reach that ideal endpoint. We provide a new conceptual framework amenable to the application of structured decision-making to identify the step-wise pathways between the present landscape and a desired landscape given a defined objective and fixed budget. The model can be parameterised for specific systems using information about: the current state of the landscape, the rates of change between landscape states, and the cost and effectiveness of taking actions. To demonstrate this, we apply it to three different landscape types and find that investment into one of three management actions (varying degrees of management and restoration) can move the system towards more biodiversity or more managed land depending on the objectives of the stakeholders. The dynamic and flexible nature of the framework makes it useful for decision-making in a land sparing land sharing context.
{"title":"A framework for designing multi-objective landscapes for conservation","authors":"Alienor L.M. Chauvenet , Anna R. Renwick , Hugh P. Possingham , Vanessa M. Adams , Jennifer McGowan , Vesna Gagić , Nancy A. Schellhorn","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111717","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111717","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Designing landscapes to accommodate both humans and nature poses huge challenges but is increasingly recognised as an essential component of conservation and land management. The land-sparing land-sharing approach has been proposed as a tool to address this challenge. However, its focus on an ideal landscape configuration leaves a gap on what step-wise management decisions are needed to transform the existing landscape to reach that ideal endpoint. We provide a new conceptual framework amenable to the application of structured decision-making to identify the step-wise pathways between the present landscape and a desired landscape given a defined objective and fixed budget. The model can be parameterised for specific systems using information about: the current state of the landscape, the rates of change between landscape states, and the cost and effectiveness of taking actions. To demonstrate this, we apply it to three different landscape types and find that investment into one of three management actions (varying degrees of management and restoration) can move the system towards more biodiversity or more managed land depending on the objectives of the stakeholders. The dynamic and flexible nature of the framework makes it useful for decision-making in a land sparing land sharing context.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111717"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111724
Francisco Aguayo , Michèle Hamers , Angie Elwin , Neil D'Cruze
The global trade in amphibians and reptiles as pets, while offering certain private and economic benefits, also poses complex ecological, species conservation, animal welfare, and public health challenges. Although considerable research has referred to the public health and ecological impacts of this trade, such as the spread of zoonotic diseases, the introduction of invasive species, and the overharvesting of wild populations, there remains a significant gap in understanding its full spectrum of impacts. We assessed the existing literature on the amphibian and reptile pet trade in the United States and Canada, examining a range of both positive and negative impacts (both monetary and non-monetary). Our findings showed that research predominantly focused on negative impacts related to biodiversity conservation and public health, with limited attention paid to the trade's economic and animal welfare impacts. The majority of negative impacts reported constitute hidden costs of the trade, externalised to society and wild populations. Comprehensive impact analyses were virtually absent, but the available evidence indicated broadly referenced negative impacts at private and social levels, as well as a scattered, unsystematic account of positive impacts across all impact categories. We identify knowledge gaps, discuss their implications, and offer recommendations for future research. These include adopting cross-disciplinary approaches to integrate economic, ecological, and public health data; increasing research on various stages of the supply chain; and increasing focus on underrepresented taxa. Addressing these deficiencies is essential for developing sustainable and humane decision making related to amphibian and reptile trade in the U.S., Canada, and globally.
{"title":"Cold-blooded commerce: A literature review on the impacts of the amphibian and reptile pet trade in Canada and the U.S.","authors":"Francisco Aguayo , Michèle Hamers , Angie Elwin , Neil D'Cruze","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111724","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111724","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global trade in amphibians and reptiles as pets, while offering certain private and economic benefits, also poses complex ecological, species conservation, animal welfare, and public health challenges. Although considerable research has referred to the public health and ecological impacts of this trade, such as the spread of zoonotic diseases, the introduction of invasive species, and the overharvesting of wild populations, there remains a significant gap in understanding its full spectrum of impacts. We assessed the existing literature on the amphibian and reptile pet trade in the United States and Canada, examining a range of both positive and negative impacts (both monetary and non-monetary). Our findings showed that research predominantly focused on negative impacts related to biodiversity conservation and public health, with limited attention paid to the trade's economic and animal welfare impacts. The majority of negative impacts reported constitute hidden costs of the trade, externalised to society and wild populations. Comprehensive impact analyses were virtually absent, but the available evidence indicated broadly referenced negative impacts at private and social levels, as well as a scattered, unsystematic account of positive impacts across all impact categories. We identify knowledge gaps, discuss their implications, and offer recommendations for future research. These include adopting cross-disciplinary approaches to integrate economic, ecological, and public health data; increasing research on various stages of the supply chain; and increasing focus on underrepresented taxa. Addressing these deficiencies is essential for developing sustainable and humane decision making related to amphibian and reptile trade in the U.S., Canada, and globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111724"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111722
Brett M. Seymoure , John F. Deitsch , Paul Hyder , Braulio Sanchez , Kajaya Pollard , Isabella Rios , Evan Robinson-Griffiths , Sol Saenz-Arreola , L. Miles Horne , Oceane Da Cunha , Oliver Neria , Joshua J. Mead , Imogen Daszak , Avalon C.S. Owens
Artificial lighting at night (ALAN) from residential, commercial, transportation, and other sources has substantially altered nocturnal light environments, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem services. Insects are especially susceptible to light pollution for numerous reasons including their maladaptive flight-to-light response. Insects attracted to lights at night experience both sublethal and lethal consequences, with direct mortality estimated at 30%. Despite this evident cost, the best mitigation approach for reducing insect phototaxis remains an open question. Here we test the effectiveness of recessing and shielding individual light sources on insect attraction in a section of the Chihuahuan Desert that experiences minimal light pollution. We deployed four light treatments (unshielded, shielded (∼135°), recessed (∼100°), and a dark control) across two seasons (spring and summer) in 2024. We sampled flying insects attracted to each light source with aerial flight intercept traps and ground-dwelling insects with pitfall traps. Recessed lighting reduced aerial insect attraction by over 50% relative to unshielded lighting, but there were no consistent differences between shielded and unshielded treatments. Furthermore, no light treatments influenced ground-dwelling insect attraction. We conclude that recessing lighting can reduce but not eliminate the flight-to-light response of insects, as orders of magnitude more insects still aggregated at recessed lights compared to dark controls. Thus, while recessing lighting can be an effective method of mitigating the negative consequences of light pollution for insect populations, additional efforts are necessary to fully conserve at-risk species and ecosystem services.
{"title":"Glare more than uplight attracts flying insects to artificial lights","authors":"Brett M. Seymoure , John F. Deitsch , Paul Hyder , Braulio Sanchez , Kajaya Pollard , Isabella Rios , Evan Robinson-Griffiths , Sol Saenz-Arreola , L. Miles Horne , Oceane Da Cunha , Oliver Neria , Joshua J. Mead , Imogen Daszak , Avalon C.S. Owens","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Artificial lighting at night (ALAN) from residential, commercial, transportation, and other sources has substantially altered nocturnal light environments, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem services. Insects are especially susceptible to light pollution for numerous reasons including their maladaptive flight-to-light response. Insects attracted to lights at night experience both sublethal and lethal consequences, with direct mortality estimated at 30%. Despite this evident cost, the best mitigation approach for reducing insect phototaxis remains an open question. Here we test the effectiveness of recessing and shielding individual light sources on insect attraction in a section of the Chihuahuan Desert that experiences minimal light pollution. We deployed four light treatments (unshielded, shielded (∼135°), recessed (∼100°), and a dark control) across two seasons (spring and summer) in 2024. We sampled flying insects attracted to each light source with aerial flight intercept traps and ground-dwelling insects with pitfall traps. Recessed lighting reduced aerial insect attraction by over 50% relative to unshielded lighting, but there were no consistent differences between shielded and unshielded treatments. Furthermore, no light treatments influenced ground-dwelling insect attraction. We conclude that recessing lighting can reduce but not eliminate the flight-to-light response of insects, as orders of magnitude more insects still aggregated at recessed lights compared to dark controls. Thus, while recessing lighting can be an effective method of mitigating the negative consequences of light pollution for insect populations, additional efforts are necessary to fully conserve at-risk species and ecosystem services.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111722"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111718
Mark A. Ditmer , Katherine A. Zeller , Heather N. Abernathy , James Wilder , Ashley Egan , Julia N.D. Daniell , Jesse R. Barber , William L. Rice , Michael K. Schwartz , George Wittemyer
Recreation's expanding footprint increasingly overlaps habitats once considered refuges from human disturbance. Yet our ability to predict wildlife responses across broad spatial scales to balance recreational opportunities and wildlife refugia remains limited. We integrated data from an experimental audio playback study quantifying antipredator responses of large mammals to recreation noise with estimates of human use derived from fine-scale GPS data from smartphone applications. We tested whether variation in responses to recreation noises was mediated by exposure history to human presence and the reliability of human-associated cues. To evaluate potential behavioral mechanisms, we compared three competing hypotheses: (a) habituation or filtering, where responses decline with increased exposure or less tolerant individuals are excluded from high-use areas; (b) sensitization, where responses intensify with greater exposure; and (c) no relationship to exposure, with responses instead reflecting individual differences or seasonal drivers. Exposure intensity strongly influenced the probability of fleeing when recreation noises were played. Fleeing behavior was 22% lower in high-use areas relative to low-use areas during the previous month, with the reduction especially pronounced in species generally more sensitive to human presence. By combining behavioral experiments with human mobility data, we scaled predictions of wildlife behavior across an expansive National Forest and revealed how recreation reshapes the landscape of fear. Our results highlight a practical framework for managing human–wildlife coexistence. Strategic spatial or temporal zoning of recreation, including densification of new trail systems, may help preserve refugia for sensitive species while sustaining recreation access.
{"title":"The landscape of no worries? Increased recreation exposure decreases the landscape of human fear in wildlife","authors":"Mark A. Ditmer , Katherine A. Zeller , Heather N. Abernathy , James Wilder , Ashley Egan , Julia N.D. Daniell , Jesse R. Barber , William L. Rice , Michael K. Schwartz , George Wittemyer","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recreation's expanding footprint increasingly overlaps habitats once considered refuges from human disturbance. Yet our ability to predict wildlife responses across broad spatial scales to balance recreational opportunities and wildlife refugia remains limited. We integrated data from an experimental audio playback study quantifying antipredator responses of large mammals to recreation noise with estimates of human use derived from fine-scale GPS data from smartphone applications. We tested whether variation in responses to recreation noises was mediated by exposure history to human presence and the reliability of human-associated cues. To evaluate potential behavioral mechanisms, we compared three competing hypotheses: (a) habituation or filtering, where responses decline with increased exposure or less tolerant individuals are excluded from high-use areas; (b) sensitization, where responses intensify with greater exposure; and (c) no relationship to exposure, with responses instead reflecting individual differences or seasonal drivers. Exposure intensity strongly influenced the probability of fleeing when recreation noises were played. Fleeing behavior was 22% lower in high-use areas relative to low-use areas during the previous month, with the reduction especially pronounced in species generally more sensitive to human presence. By combining behavioral experiments with human mobility data, we scaled predictions of wildlife behavior across an expansive National Forest and revealed how recreation reshapes the landscape of fear. Our results highlight a practical framework for managing human–wildlife coexistence. Strategic spatial or temporal zoning of recreation, including densification of new trail systems, may help preserve refugia for sensitive species while sustaining recreation access.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111718"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111712
A.C. Wartenberg , C. Cheng , C. Marples , H. Dettmann , K. Hemminger , F. Ghafarian , L. Schaan , M. Scoville , S.D. Bellingrath-Kimura
Advances in digital technologies have the potential to address shortcomings of current agri-environment schemes (AES) designed to promote biodiversity conservation and ecosystem health in agricultural landscapes. We identify three major barriers that currently hinder broader implementation of AES: gaps in the current understanding and reflections of locally-specific agro-ecological complexities; spatial scale mismatches between ecological scales of change and individual and administrative scales of implementation; and administrative and logistical hurdles. The Digital Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (DAKIS) is an integrated decision support system (DSS) which generates localised land management recommendations designed to simultaneously support sustainable agricultural production, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience. We here draw on core concepts and components of the DAKIS to formulate a guiding framework for leveraging digital technologies to support the implementation, monitoring and valorisation of sustainable agricultural practices across farm and landscape scales. We present the five central steps of the framework and illustrate its technical application through a case study examining the implementation of the EU's Nature Restoration Regulation in Brandenburg, Germany. We then discuss its advantages and challenges, its potential to overcome multi-scalar barriers to AES planning and implementation, and potential contributions to scaling up sustainable agricultural land management beyond individual farms.
{"title":"From digital decision-support to policy implementation: An operational framework for agri-environmental schemes","authors":"A.C. Wartenberg , C. Cheng , C. Marples , H. Dettmann , K. Hemminger , F. Ghafarian , L. Schaan , M. Scoville , S.D. Bellingrath-Kimura","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111712","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111712","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Advances in digital technologies have the potential to address shortcomings of current agri-environment schemes (AES) designed to promote biodiversity conservation and ecosystem health in agricultural landscapes. We identify three major barriers that currently hinder broader implementation of AES: gaps in the current understanding and reflections of locally-specific agro-ecological complexities; spatial scale mismatches between ecological scales of change and individual and administrative scales of implementation; and administrative and logistical hurdles. The Digital Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (DAKIS) is an integrated decision support system (DSS) which generates localised land management recommendations designed to simultaneously support sustainable agricultural production, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience. We here draw on core concepts and components of the DAKIS to formulate a guiding framework for leveraging digital technologies to support the implementation, monitoring and valorisation of sustainable agricultural practices across farm and landscape scales. We present the five central steps of the framework and illustrate its technical application through a case study examining the implementation of the EU's Nature Restoration Regulation in Brandenburg, Germany. We then discuss its advantages and challenges, its potential to overcome multi-scalar barriers to AES planning and implementation, and potential contributions to scaling up sustainable agricultural land management beyond individual farms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111712"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111711
Gabriel A. Charvalakis , Nina van Boxem , Marcel E. Visser , Roelof A. Hut , Kamiel Spoelstra
Nocturnal insects provide major ecosystem services but are vulnerable to artificial light at night as it disrupts their nocturnal activity, mostly via positive phototaxis. Although the attraction of nocturnal insects to artificial light at night is known to vary by taxon, light intensity, and colour, the temporal distribution of spectrum specific phototaxis throughout the night remains largely uncharted. Understanding the interaction between taxon and light spectrum on temporal patterns in phototaxis is critical for developing time-scheduled, spectrally adjustable lighting systems in order to mitigate the negative effects of artificial light at night.
We examined how spectrum-dependent phototaxis in nocturnal insects varies over time depending on the taxonomic group. We used custom camera-light traps equipped with LED strips capable of emitting four monochromatic spectra, and one dichromatic spectrum with a calibrated radiant output to assess phototactic activity. We recorded the timing of attraction for twelve non-consecutive nights at four forested locations in the Netherlands.
Phototactic activity intensified from the early to the middle of the night but varied with taxon. For example, Diptera (midges) exhibited an earlier centre of phototactic activity than Lepidoptera (moths). Notably, Diptera were earlier attracted to especially ultraviolet and red light, and later to green and amber light. Interestingly, the timing of Lepidopteran phototaxis was unaffected by light colour.
These findings reveal taxon and spectrum-dependent variation in the timing of insect phototaxis and highlight the potential of targeted spectral tuning and light curfews, or emission reductions especially in the early and middle parts of the night.
{"title":"Timing of attraction to light of nocturnal insects is spectrum and taxon dependent: implications for mitigating light pollution","authors":"Gabriel A. Charvalakis , Nina van Boxem , Marcel E. Visser , Roelof A. Hut , Kamiel Spoelstra","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111711","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111711","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nocturnal insects provide major ecosystem services but are vulnerable to artificial light at night as it disrupts their nocturnal activity, mostly via positive phototaxis. Although the attraction of nocturnal insects to artificial light at night is known to vary by taxon, light intensity, and colour, the temporal distribution of spectrum specific phototaxis throughout the night remains largely uncharted. Understanding the interaction between taxon and light spectrum on temporal patterns in phototaxis is critical for developing time-scheduled, spectrally adjustable lighting systems in order to mitigate the negative effects of artificial light at night.</div><div>We examined how spectrum-dependent phototaxis in nocturnal insects varies over time depending on the taxonomic group. We used custom camera-light traps equipped with LED strips capable of emitting four monochromatic spectra, and one dichromatic spectrum with a calibrated radiant output to assess phototactic activity. We recorded the timing of attraction for twelve non-consecutive nights at four forested locations in the Netherlands.</div><div>Phototactic activity intensified from the early to the middle of the night but varied with taxon. For example, Diptera (midges) exhibited an earlier centre of phototactic activity than Lepidoptera (moths). Notably, Diptera were earlier attracted to especially ultraviolet and red light, and later to green and amber light. Interestingly, the timing of Lepidopteran phototaxis was unaffected by light colour.</div><div>These findings reveal taxon and spectrum-dependent variation in the timing of insect phototaxis and highlight the potential of targeted spectral tuning and light curfews, or emission reductions especially in the early and middle parts of the night.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111711"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111709
Shakeel Ahmad , Katherine A. Solari , Ian Durbach , Hussain Ali , Shoaib Hameed , Jaffar Ud Din , Muhammad Asif , Dmitri A. Petrov , Muhammad Ali Nawaz
Knowledge of the abundance and density of large carnivores, such as the globally vulnerable snow leopard (Panthera uncia), is crucial for their conservation and for evaluating management measures. The snow leopard inhabits remote and harsh terrain in high-altitude regions of South and Central Asia across 12 countries. It is one of the least studied large mammals in Pakistan, and reliable data on its populations are scarce across its range. The current study adopted a new noninvasive genetics approach—a snow leopard-specific SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) panel designed for individual identification. Over one thousand putative snow leopard scats were collected along transects across the species' distribution range in Pakistan from 2017 to 2023, of which 235 were genetically identified as belonging to snow leopards. A total of 179 snow leopard samples were successfully genotyped, yielding 56 unique individuals, comprising 63% males. Model averaging over top Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture (SECR) model predicted an average density of 0.17 snow leopards per 100 km2 potential habitat (95% CL 0.130–0.225) across the species' range in Pakistan, with an estimated population of 167.9 (95% CI 129.0–220.6). Current study findings suggest that the new SNP panel, in combination with SECR, provides an effective means of monitoring snow leopard populations. The results validate camera trap-derived population estimates and establish a reliable baseline for monitoring the snow leopard population in Pakistan. Additionally, we recommend enhancing the surveillance of protected areas, which are home to most of the snow leopard populations, to decrease poaching and facilitate the growth of both snow leopards and their prey.
了解大型食肉动物的丰富度和密度,如全球脆弱的雪豹(Panthera uncia),对它们的保护和评估管理措施至关重要。雪豹生活在南亚和中亚12个国家高海拔地区偏远而恶劣的地形上。它是巴基斯坦被研究最少的大型哺乳动物之一,关于其分布范围内的数量的可靠数据很少。目前的研究采用了一种新的非侵入性遗传学方法——设计用于个体鉴定的雪豹特异性SNP(单核苷酸多态性)面板。从2017年到2023年,在巴基斯坦的物种分布范围内,沿横断面收集了1000多张假定的雪豹粪便,其中235张经基因鉴定属于雪豹。对179个雪豹样本进行基因分型,得到56个独特个体,其中雄性占63%。在空间明确捕获-再捕获(SECR)模型上进行平均模型预测,在巴基斯坦的物种范围内,每100平方公里潜在栖息地的平均密度为0.17只雪豹(95% CI 0.130-0.225),估计种群为167.9只(95% CI 129.0-220.6)。目前的研究结果表明,新的SNP面板,结合SECR,提供了监测雪豹种群的有效手段。研究结果验证了摄像机捕获的种群估计,并为监测巴基斯坦雪豹种群建立了可靠的基线。此外,我们建议加强对保护区的监控,这些保护区是大多数雪豹的家园,以减少偷猎,促进雪豹和它们的猎物的生长。
{"title":"Integrating noninvasive genetics and SECR to estimate snow leopard population in Pakistan","authors":"Shakeel Ahmad , Katherine A. Solari , Ian Durbach , Hussain Ali , Shoaib Hameed , Jaffar Ud Din , Muhammad Asif , Dmitri A. Petrov , Muhammad Ali Nawaz","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111709","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111709","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Knowledge of the abundance and density of large carnivores, such as the globally vulnerable snow leopard (<em>Panthera uncia</em>), is crucial for their conservation and for evaluating management measures. The snow leopard inhabits remote and harsh terrain in high-altitude regions of South and Central Asia across 12 countries. It is one of the least studied large mammals in Pakistan, and reliable data on its populations are scarce across its range. The current study adopted a new noninvasive genetics approach—a snow leopard-specific SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) panel designed for individual identification. Over one thousand putative snow leopard scats were collected along transects across the species' distribution range in Pakistan from 2017 to 2023, of which 235 were genetically identified as belonging to snow leopards. A total of 179 snow leopard samples were successfully genotyped, yielding 56 unique individuals, comprising 63% males. Model averaging over top Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture (SECR) model predicted an average density of 0.17 snow leopards per 100 km<sup>2</sup> potential habitat (95% CL 0.130–0.225) across the species' range in Pakistan, with an estimated population of 167.9 (95% CI 129.0–220.6). Current study findings suggest that the new SNP panel, in combination with SECR, provides an effective means of monitoring snow leopard populations. The results validate camera trap-derived population estimates and establish a reliable baseline for monitoring the snow leopard population in Pakistan. Additionally, we recommend enhancing the surveillance of protected areas, which are home to most of the snow leopard populations, to decrease poaching and facilitate the growth of both snow leopards and their prey.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111709"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}