Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111689
Harith Farooq , Craig Hilton-Taylor , Michael Hoffmann , Carsten Rahbek , Jonas Geldmann
The Red List is one of the most important and widely used sources of biodiversity information, providing conservation assessments for nearly 160,000 species. Here, we assess how the change in available Red List data can influence the selection of spatial conservation priorities and which regions are identified as most critical for conservation. We mapped biodiversity importance based on species ranges and threat status at ∼25 km, ∼50 km, and ∼ 100 km resolutions for two time points: 2010 and 2023. We then analyzed shifts in the top 10 % and 25 % most important areas for biodiversity at global and national levels between the two time points. We find that, globally, conservation priorities shifted over time from higher-income to lower-income countries. Nationally, priority areas in 2010 and 2023 were on average 60 % retained and over 40 % of countries experienced a shift in over half of their priority areas between the two years. Beyond showing large shifts within countries of which areas would be the most important to preserve, our analysis highlights an increasing focus on biodiversity research in developing nations. These shifts showcase the uneven global sampling of biodiversity, which skews our understanding of where to invest to efficiently conserve nature. We recommend increased funding for geographically representative field data collection, and the inclusion of explicit guidelines for regular updates in biodiversity frameworks to ensure conservation strategies remain effective.
{"title":"Priorities for conservation rely heavily on discovery and assessments","authors":"Harith Farooq , Craig Hilton-Taylor , Michael Hoffmann , Carsten Rahbek , Jonas Geldmann","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111689","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111689","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Red List is one of the most important and widely used sources of biodiversity information, providing conservation assessments for nearly 160,000 species. Here, we assess how the change in available Red List data can influence the selection of spatial conservation priorities and which regions are identified as most critical for conservation. We mapped biodiversity importance based on species ranges and threat status at ∼25 km, ∼50 km, and ∼ 100 km resolutions for two time points: 2010 and 2023. We then analyzed shifts in the top 10 % and 25 % most important areas for biodiversity at global and national levels between the two time points. We find that, globally, conservation priorities shifted over time from higher-income to lower-income countries. Nationally, priority areas in 2010 and 2023 were on average 60 % retained and over 40 % of countries experienced a shift in over half of their priority areas between the two years. Beyond showing large shifts within countries of which areas would be the most important to preserve, our analysis highlights an increasing focus on biodiversity research in developing nations. These shifts showcase the uneven global sampling of biodiversity, which skews our understanding of where to invest to efficiently conserve nature. We recommend increased funding for geographically representative field data collection, and the inclusion of explicit guidelines for regular updates in biodiversity frameworks to ensure conservation strategies remain effective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111689"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928737","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 : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111684
Susan E. Everingham , Ian J. Wright , Lina Teckentrup , Stuart Allen , Rachael V. Gallagher
Climate change is driving substantial impacts on plants, including widespread increases in drought frequency, duration, and intensity. Changes to these elements of the drought regime can elevate plant mortality and extinction risk, yet they remain largely overlooked in International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List assessments. We quantified the exposure of Red Listed plant species to future drought regimes by intersecting species' geographic ranges with global projections of drought duration and frequency. Across climate scenarios (SSP2–4.5, SSP5–8.5) 96 % of threatened species examined were projected to experience increases in drought frequency and duration in at least part of their range. On average, drought duration is projected to increase by 2–4 weeks, with one additional drought every 25–30 years across species ranges. The most exposed species include 28 threatened palms, 20 of which are Critically endangered, and 454 Proteaceae species, including four Critically endangered proteas (Protea holosericea, P. inopina, P. odorata, P. namaquana). Trees, shrubs and geophytes are most exposed of all plant growth forms to drought regime shifts. In threatened trees and shrubs species, data on hydraulic measures of sensitivity to drought are scarce, with key data available for only six species assessed for expsoure. Of these, three Endangered species (Coffea arabica, Eucalyptus albida, Isopogon gardneri) exhibit sensitivity to changing drought regimes. Our findings highlight the substantial risk to threatened plants posed by increased drought exposure, with important implications for conservation planning. Incorporating drought-regime shifts into future threat assessments will more accurately capturing emerging climate-related extinction risk.
气候变化正在对植物产生重大影响，包括干旱频率、持续时间和强度的普遍增加。干旱制度中这些因素的变化可能会提高植物死亡率和灭绝风险，但在国际自然保护联盟（IUCN）的红色名录评估中，它们在很大程度上被忽视了。我们通过将物种的地理范围与全球干旱持续时间和频率预测相交叉，量化了红色名录植物物种对未来干旱制度的暴露程度。在不同的气候情景（SSP2-4.5、SSP5-8.5）中，预计96%的受威胁物种至少在其部分范围内经历干旱频率和持续时间的增加。平均而言，干旱持续时间预计将增加2-4周，在物种范围内每25-30年增加一次干旱。暴露最多的物种包括28种受威胁的棕榈树，其中20种为极度濒危物种；454种变形科植物，包括4种极度濒危的变形科植物（变形科）（holosericea， P. inopina， P. odorata， P. namaquana）。在所有植物生长形式中，树木、灌木和地生植物最容易受到干旱变化的影响。在受威胁的树木和灌木物种中，关于干旱敏感性的水力测量数据很少，只有六种物种的关键数据可供评估。其中，三种濒危物种（阿拉比卡咖啡、蓝桉、加特纳等）对不断变化的干旱状况表现出敏感。我们的发现强调了干旱增加对受威胁植物造成的巨大风险，对保护规划具有重要意义。将干旱变化纳入未来的威胁评估将更准确地捕捉与气候相关的新灭绝风险。
{"title":"Exposure and sensitivity of threatened plant species to changing drought regimes: A global analysis","authors":"Susan E. Everingham , Ian J. Wright , Lina Teckentrup , Stuart Allen , Rachael V. Gallagher","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111684","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111684","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change is driving substantial impacts on plants, including widespread increases in drought frequency, duration, and intensity. Changes to these elements of the drought regime can elevate plant mortality and extinction risk, yet they remain largely overlooked in International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List assessments. We quantified the exposure of Red Listed plant species to future drought regimes by intersecting species' geographic ranges with global projections of drought duration and frequency. Across climate scenarios (SSP2–4.5, SSP5–8.5) 96 % of threatened species examined were projected to experience increases in drought frequency and duration in at least part of their range. On average, drought duration is projected to increase by 2–4 weeks, with one additional drought every 25–30 years across species ranges. The most exposed species include 28 threatened palms, 20 of which are Critically endangered, and 454 Proteaceae species, including four Critically endangered proteas (<em>Protea holosericea</em>, <em>P. inopina</em>, <em>P. odorata</em>, <em>P. namaquana</em>). Trees, shrubs and geophytes are most exposed of all plant growth forms to drought regime shifts. In threatened trees and shrubs species, data on hydraulic measures of sensitivity to drought are scarce, with key data available for only six species assessed for expsoure. Of these, three Endangered species (<em>Coffea arabica</em>, <em>Eucalyptus albida</em>, <em>Isopogon gardneri</em>) exhibit sensitivity to changing drought regimes. Our findings highlight the substantial risk to threatened plants posed by increased drought exposure, with important implications for conservation planning. Incorporating drought-regime shifts into future threat assessments will more accurately capturing emerging climate-related extinction risk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111684"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928879","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 : 2026-01-05DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111690
Mônica da Costa Lima , Carlos A. Peres , Helder Farias P. Araujo
Biodiversity loss is a hallmark of human impacts on natural landscapes worldwide, particularly in dry tropical forest regions which have been historically neglected by ecological and conservation science, concealing the true history of local extinctions. Here, we (1) assess the magnitude and spatial extent of local extinctions of the endemic forest birds of the Caatinga dry forest domain of northeastern Brazil, one of the most biodiverse and densely populated semi-arid regions on Earth; and (2) explore the drivers of local extinctions of these species. We quantified differences between the contemporary and reconstructed historical distributions of these species using species distribution models to estimate the regional-scale spatial extent of local extinctions. We also assessed the importance of positive and negative environmental predictors of local extinctions using gradient boosting machine models, which are algorithms that combine multiple decision trees to improve predictive performance. Most of these species lost over 50 % of their historical range, which exacerbates regional scale extinction threat. Ten of the 13 endemic species considered are likely far more threatened than suggested in previous Red List assessments. Additionally, 88 % of the Caatinga domain has already recorded local extinctions of endemic forest birds. We show this is attributed to loss of aboveground phytomass, causing irreversible damage to dry forest habitats. Unexpectedly, local persistence of endemic forest birds was not positively affected by protected areas, likely because the historical regional-scale extinction filter predates their creation and establishment. Due to reduced ranges, these species have become more susceptible to global extinctions. Therefore, integrated conservation measures should be adopted, including natural resource management and forest restoration, to avert further historical losses of this unique biodiversity.
{"title":"Endemic bird species are far more threatened than previously thought across the semiarid Caatinga dry forest domain","authors":"Mônica da Costa Lima , Carlos A. Peres , Helder Farias P. Araujo","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111690","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111690","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biodiversity loss is a hallmark of human impacts on natural landscapes worldwide, particularly in dry tropical forest regions which have been historically neglected by ecological and conservation science, concealing the true history of local extinctions. Here, we (1) assess the magnitude and spatial extent of local extinctions of the endemic forest birds of the Caatinga dry forest domain of northeastern Brazil, one of the most biodiverse and densely populated semi-arid regions on Earth; and (2) explore the drivers of local extinctions of these species. We quantified differences between the contemporary and reconstructed historical distributions of these species using species distribution models to estimate the regional-scale spatial extent of local extinctions. We also assessed the importance of positive and negative environmental predictors of local extinctions using gradient boosting machine models, which are algorithms that combine multiple decision trees to improve predictive performance. Most of these species lost over 50 % of their historical range, which exacerbates regional scale extinction threat. Ten of the 13 endemic species considered are likely far more threatened than suggested in previous Red List assessments. Additionally, 88 % of the Caatinga domain has already recorded local extinctions of endemic forest birds. We show this is attributed to loss of aboveground phytomass, causing irreversible damage to dry forest habitats. Unexpectedly, local persistence of endemic forest birds was not positively affected by protected areas, likely because the historical regional-scale extinction filter predates their creation and establishment. Due to reduced ranges, these species have become more susceptible to global extinctions. Therefore, integrated conservation measures should be adopted, including natural resource management and forest restoration, to avert further historical losses of this unique biodiversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111690"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928877","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 : 2026-01-05DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111680
Costanza Geppert , Andree Cappellari , Maurizio Mei , Dino Paniccia , Lorenzo Marini
As more people live in cities, research on the ecological role of urban green for pollinators is accumulating. However, most studies have focused on the diversity patterns at the local scale, while an urgent question is to understand how to manage whole cities to maximise pollinator conservation.
Here, we selected 105 sites belonging to 6 habitat types (abandoned meadows, crop field margins, gardens, parks, parks managed with a pollinator friendly mowing regime, and road margins) in the city of Padua (Italy). We sampled bees and hoverflies using transect walks, from spring to late summer, and analysed species-habitat networks to understand how pollinator communities were organized across urban green areas.
We found that most pollinator species interacted with most habitat types in the city, creating a highly generalistic and robust network. Compared to all other habitats, road margins had a very small influence over the network and hosted the lowest pollinator abundance and species richness. Green areas in the landscape positively affected wild bees but local patch quality, in terms of flowers and low mowing regime, was key. Network robustness decreased when the patches with the highest quality were removed first, and pollinators depended on the patches with the highest flower cover and vegetation height.
Except for road margins, all habitat patches could support pollinator species. Therefore, urban planning strategies could be tailored without considering habitat identity, for example by increasing the overall amount of green areas and by implementing management practices that enhance the floral resources across all urban green spaces.
{"title":"Species-habitat networks inform pollinator conservation strategies in cities","authors":"Costanza Geppert , Andree Cappellari , Maurizio Mei , Dino Paniccia , Lorenzo Marini","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111680","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111680","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As more people live in cities, research on the ecological role of urban green for pollinators is accumulating. However, most studies have focused on the diversity patterns at the local scale, while an urgent question is to understand how to manage whole cities to maximise pollinator conservation.</div><div>Here, we selected 105 sites belonging to 6 habitat types (abandoned meadows, crop field margins, gardens, parks, parks managed with a pollinator friendly mowing regime, and road margins) in the city of Padua (Italy). We sampled bees and hoverflies using transect walks, from spring to late summer, and analysed species-habitat networks to understand how pollinator communities were organized across urban green areas.</div><div>We found that most pollinator species interacted with most habitat types in the city, creating a highly generalistic and robust network. Compared to all other habitats, road margins had a very small influence over the network and hosted the lowest pollinator abundance and species richness. Green areas in the landscape positively affected wild bees but local patch quality, in terms of flowers and low mowing regime, was key. Network robustness decreased when the patches with the highest quality were removed first, and pollinators depended on the patches with the highest flower cover and vegetation height.</div><div>Except for road margins, all habitat patches could support pollinator species. Therefore, urban planning strategies could be tailored without considering habitat identity, for example by increasing the overall amount of green areas and by implementing management practices that enhance the floral resources across all urban green spaces.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 111680"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145895859","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}
The alarming 2023–2024 fire season, with over 390 million hectares burned globally, reveals a pervasive environmental crisis affecting both fire sensitive and fire adapted ecosystems. We evaluated annual burned area trends in Brazil from 1985 to 2024 using a robust trajectory analysis, revealing complex and alarming patterns. Our findings highlight significant increasing and reversal trends in critical biomes like the Amazon and Cerrado, alongside record-breaking fire seasons in regions previously considered stable, with important ecological and human health implications. The fire dynamics is a consequence of a complex interplay of land use changes, climate extremes, and environmental policies adopted later than its corresponding problems emerge. The solutions for this global crisis demand an urgent, comprehensive Integrated Fire Management (IFM) approach and its effective implementation depends on robust multi-actor governance, substantial funding for agencies, and strong international cooperation. The upcoming COP 30 in Brazil presents a pivotal opportunity to elevate wildfire prevention and management as a global priority.
{"title":"Have we learned our lesson from fires of 2024 in Brazil?","authors":"Klécia Massi , Alessandra Fidelis , Nathália Nascimento , Vânia Pivello , Jerônimo Sansevero , Leandro Reverberi-Tambosi","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111691","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111691","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The alarming 2023–2024 fire season, with over 390 million hectares burned globally, reveals a pervasive environmental crisis affecting both fire sensitive and fire adapted ecosystems. We evaluated annual burned area trends in Brazil from 1985 to 2024 using a robust trajectory analysis, revealing complex and alarming patterns. Our findings highlight significant increasing and reversal trends in critical biomes like the Amazon and Cerrado, alongside record-breaking fire seasons in regions previously considered stable, with important ecological and human health implications. The fire dynamics is a consequence of a complex interplay of land use changes, climate extremes, and environmental policies adopted later than its corresponding problems emerge. The solutions for this global crisis demand an urgent, comprehensive Integrated Fire Management (IFM) approach and its effective implementation depends on robust multi-actor governance, substantial funding for agencies, and strong international cooperation. The upcoming COP 30 in Brazil presents a pivotal opportunity to elevate wildfire prevention and management as a global priority.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"314 ","pages":"Article 111691"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884340","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}
As global demand for seafood increases, reef fisheries expand with increasing mobility and market integration. Yet, many remain small-scale and informally regulated, where place-based knowledge shapes how fishing is distributed across space and between diverse resource users. These social geographies impact reef fish assemblages, with consequences for ecosystem function. However, this is challenging to document in data-poor fisheries. We used a mixed-methods approach with i. interview surveys to characterise perceptions of catch availability, spatial patterns and intensity of reef fishing and ii. in-water surveys to quantify the impact of fishing on fish communities, in the Lakshadweep archipelago (Indian Ocean). We found that although the fishery is nominally open access, subsistence fishing was limited to a distinct ‘home resource catchment’; confined to reefs proximate to inhabited islands. The recently emerged commercial reef fishery maintains profitability by focusing on distant, uninhabited atolls that have not experienced historical pressure and are perceived as richer fishing grounds. This represents a ‘spatial fix’, where problems of overaccumulation are solved by expanding or restructuring geographical space. Historically fished, proximate reefs are associated with significantly lower biomass (up to 69.8 %) and abundance (up to 97.14 %) of target predator species than reefs of distant, uninhabited atolls. The densely populated capital atoll shows the strongest fishing impacts with significant differences in size structure and community composition as well. Our approach reveals nuances in how subsistence and commercial fishers navigate shared resources and highlights a critical need for careful understanding of the social geographies of reef use.
{"title":"Fishing patterns shaped by history, place, and access leave lasting ecological signatures on coral reef fish assemblages","authors":"Radhika Nair , Siddhi Jaishankar , Mayukh Dey , Wenzel Pinto , B.T. Rajeswari Bhai , Teresa Alcoverro , Rohan Arthur","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111675","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111675","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As global demand for seafood increases, reef fisheries expand with increasing mobility and market integration. Yet, many remain small-scale and informally regulated, where place-based knowledge shapes how fishing is distributed across space and between diverse resource users. These social geographies impact reef fish assemblages, with consequences for ecosystem function. However, this is challenging to document in data-poor fisheries. We used a mixed-methods approach with i. interview surveys to characterise perceptions of catch availability, spatial patterns and intensity of reef fishing and ii. in-water surveys to quantify the impact of fishing on fish communities, in the Lakshadweep archipelago (Indian Ocean). We found that although the fishery is nominally open access, subsistence fishing was limited to a distinct ‘home resource catchment’; confined to reefs proximate to inhabited islands. The recently emerged commercial reef fishery maintains profitability by focusing on distant, uninhabited atolls that have not experienced historical pressure and are perceived as richer fishing grounds. This represents a ‘spatial fix’, where problems of overaccumulation are solved by expanding or restructuring geographical space. Historically fished, proximate reefs are associated with significantly lower biomass (up to 69.8 %) and abundance (up to 97.14 %) of target predator species than reefs of distant, uninhabited atolls. The densely populated capital atoll shows the strongest fishing impacts with significant differences in size structure and community composition as well. Our approach reveals nuances in how subsistence and commercial fishers navigate shared resources and highlights a critical need for careful understanding of the social geographies of reef use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"314 ","pages":"Article 111675"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884341","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 : 2026-01-02DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111677
Donovan A. Bell , Ryan P. Kovach , Zachary Robinson , Anthony Dangora , Jason Mullen , Alex Poole , Jim Olsen , Ronald Spoon , Coltan Pipinich , Lee Nelson , Andrew R. Whiteley
Genetic rescue—assisted translocation to reduce inbreeding and increase population viability—is a promising conservation strategy for mitigating the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation. Most empirical studies of genetic rescue conducted in the wild focus on single populations, where environmental variability and concurrent management actions confound results. Moreover, nearly all genetic rescue studies in wild populations rely on outbred sources, but inbred donor populations are often the only available option for imperiled species. We conducted a rare experimental test of genetic rescue using wild, isolated westslope cutthroat trout populations with severely elevated levels of inbreeding. A small number of fish were translocated from inbred sources into four isolated recipient populations spanning a gradient of genetic variation and inbreeding. To explicitly evaluate effects of genetic rescue, we developed an integrated population model (IPM) that incorporates Mendelian inheritance and ancestry-specific vital rates. Three recipient populations with the highest degrees of inbreeding showed increased genetic variation, aggregate fitness, and abundance. There was a scaling effect of genetic rescue, with the strongest responses in the most inbred populations. Importantly, we provide strong evidence that inbred donor populations can facilitate genetic rescue, providing critical empirical support for genetic rescue as a viable conservation strategy for many threatened taxa in which ideal (outbred) donor populations no longer exist.
{"title":"Inbred source populations result in genetic rescue of imperiled trout populations","authors":"Donovan A. Bell , Ryan P. Kovach , Zachary Robinson , Anthony Dangora , Jason Mullen , Alex Poole , Jim Olsen , Ronald Spoon , Coltan Pipinich , Lee Nelson , Andrew R. Whiteley","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111677","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111677","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Genetic rescue—assisted translocation to reduce inbreeding and increase population viability—is a promising conservation strategy for mitigating the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation. Most empirical studies of genetic rescue conducted in the wild focus on single populations, where environmental variability and concurrent management actions confound results. Moreover, nearly all genetic rescue studies in wild populations rely on outbred sources, but inbred donor populations are often the only available option for imperiled species. We conducted a rare experimental test of genetic rescue using wild, isolated westslope cutthroat trout populations with severely elevated levels of inbreeding. A small number of fish were translocated from inbred sources into four isolated recipient populations spanning a gradient of genetic variation and inbreeding. To explicitly evaluate effects of genetic rescue, we developed an integrated population model (IPM) that incorporates Mendelian inheritance and ancestry-specific vital rates. Three recipient populations with the highest degrees of inbreeding showed increased genetic variation, aggregate fitness, and abundance. There was a scaling effect of genetic rescue, with the strongest responses in the most inbred populations. Importantly, we provide strong evidence that inbred donor populations can facilitate genetic rescue, providing critical empirical support for genetic rescue as a viable conservation strategy for many threatened taxa in which ideal (outbred) donor populations no longer exist.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"314 ","pages":"Article 111677"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884342","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 : 2025-12-29DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111678
Alice Bernard , Nicolas Courbin , Jérémy Tornos , Tristan J.B. Martin , Mathilde Lejeune , Aurélien Prudor , Pascal Provost , Adrien Lambrechts , Chris P. Gaskin , Jérôme Cabelguen , Matthieu Bécot , Frédéric Jiguet , David Grémillet
Studying fine-scale movements of seabirds during migration is logistically challenging, but GPS technologies allow accurate tracking of individuals on their migratory journeys. Such data provide essential information in the context of offshore wind farm (OWF) developments, notably to anticipate spatial OWF overlap with migratory corridors and main foraging areas used along the routes of vulnerable species. Using high-precision GPS-GSM tags, we investigated the end of summer, southbound migration of two emblematic seabirds of French waters: Juvenile and adult Northern gannets Morus bassanus, and adult Balearic shearwaters Puffinus mauretanicus. Both species travel along the Southwestern European coast, between the Bay of Biscay and Western Africa, or the Mediterranean Sea. Adult gannets thereby migrate through the EEZ of up to 10 countries, six for juvenile gannet, and four for shearwaters. Combining behavioural segmentation based on hidden Markov models and utilization distribution modelling, we found that between two and 6 % of migration routes overlapped with proposed OWFs, with similar impacts on transit and foraging/resting areas. Studied seabirds were most at risk within Portuguese compared to Spanish waters, as they flew closest to OWFs (<10 km on average). While massive OWF developments are being planned within Western European coastal areas, our study suggests that offshore developments should be set >22 km away from the coast, to preserve transnational seabird migratory corridors.
{"title":"The responsibility of Western European coastal states for the conservation of two emblematic migratory seabirds in the context of offshore wind farms","authors":"Alice Bernard , Nicolas Courbin , Jérémy Tornos , Tristan J.B. Martin , Mathilde Lejeune , Aurélien Prudor , Pascal Provost , Adrien Lambrechts , Chris P. Gaskin , Jérôme Cabelguen , Matthieu Bécot , Frédéric Jiguet , David Grémillet","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111678","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111678","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studying fine-scale movements of seabirds during migration is logistically challenging, but GPS technologies allow accurate tracking of individuals on their migratory journeys. Such data provide essential information in the context of offshore wind farm (OWF) developments, notably to anticipate spatial OWF overlap with migratory corridors and main foraging areas used along the routes of vulnerable species. Using high-precision GPS-GSM tags, we investigated the end of summer, southbound migration of two emblematic seabirds of French waters: Juvenile and adult Northern gannets <em>Morus bassanus,</em> and adult Balearic shearwaters <em>Puffinus mauretanicus.</em> Both species travel along the Southwestern European coast, between the Bay of Biscay and Western Africa, or the Mediterranean Sea. Adult gannets thereby migrate through the EEZ of up to 10 countries, six for juvenile gannet, and four for shearwaters. Combining behavioural segmentation based on hidden Markov models and utilization distribution modelling, we found that between two and 6 % of migration routes overlapped with proposed OWFs, with similar impacts on transit and foraging/resting areas. Studied seabirds were most at risk within Portuguese compared to Spanish waters, as they flew closest to OWFs (<10 km on average). While massive OWF developments are being planned within Western European coastal areas, our study suggests that offshore developments should be set >22 km away from the coast, to preserve transnational seabird migratory corridors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"314 ","pages":"Article 111678"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884343","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 : 2025-12-26DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111682
Klara Leander Oh , Ivo Raemakers , Jeroen Scheper , Mats de Boer , Joan Díaz-Calafat , Anne Hage , Ruud van Kats , David Kingma , Hanna Keurhorst-van Krimpen , Thirza M. de Kruijff , Wouter G. Oe , Frank Rooijakkers , Maarten Frank van der Schee , Janneke Scheeres , David Kleijn
Collaborative multi-actor conservation has been heralded as an effective way to address historical biodiversity loss because it makes landscape-level multi-habitat management strategies possible. However, its ecological effectiveness is not well understood. We examine a multi-actor approach in which 11 organisations collaborated to enhance wild bees in a 30 km2 landscape in the south of the Netherlands. Using a novel study design for landscape-level conservation initiatives, we compared six-year trends in wild bee abundance and species richness and flower cover and species richness in 47 sites with bee-friendly management aimed at increasing the spatio-temporal availability of flowers in five habitats (extensive pastures, road verges, field margins, hedgerows, water retention sites) with trends in similar numbers of conventionally managed controls inside and outside the landscape. Overall, wild bee abundance and species richness increased in sites with bee-friendly management relative to controls, though effectiveness varied by habitat. Across all sites, bee-friendly management resulted in significantly more positive trends in flower cover than in control sites, yet trends in managed sites were stable rather than increasing and flower cover declined by approximately 46 % in control sites. The implementation success of bee-friendly management varied by habitat type and year, and was a key factor underlying the ecological effectiveness of said management. Our results suggest that coordinated collaborative approaches across complementary habitats can produce conservation benefits, but that success depends on effective communication with and consistent participation of actors, guidance by a coordinator, and continuous monitoring of management implementation and ecological outcomes.
{"title":"Evaluating the ecological effectiveness of landscape-level collaborative conservation: A case study targeting wild bees","authors":"Klara Leander Oh , Ivo Raemakers , Jeroen Scheper , Mats de Boer , Joan Díaz-Calafat , Anne Hage , Ruud van Kats , David Kingma , Hanna Keurhorst-van Krimpen , Thirza M. de Kruijff , Wouter G. Oe , Frank Rooijakkers , Maarten Frank van der Schee , Janneke Scheeres , David Kleijn","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111682","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111682","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Collaborative multi-actor conservation has been heralded as an effective way to address historical biodiversity loss because it makes landscape-level multi-habitat management strategies possible. However, its ecological effectiveness is not well understood. We examine a multi-actor approach in which 11 organisations collaborated to enhance wild bees in a 30 km<sup>2</sup> landscape in the south of the Netherlands. Using a novel study design for landscape-level conservation initiatives, we compared six-year trends in wild bee abundance and species richness and flower cover and species richness in 47 sites with bee-friendly management aimed at increasing the spatio-temporal availability of flowers in five habitats (extensive pastures, road verges, field margins, hedgerows, water retention sites) with trends in similar numbers of conventionally managed controls inside and outside the landscape. Overall, wild bee abundance and species richness increased in sites with bee-friendly management relative to controls, though effectiveness varied by habitat. Across all sites, bee-friendly management resulted in significantly more positive trends in flower cover than in control sites, yet trends in managed sites were stable rather than increasing and flower cover declined by approximately 46 % in control sites. The implementation success of bee-friendly management varied by habitat type and year, and was a key factor underlying the ecological effectiveness of said management. Our results suggest that coordinated collaborative approaches across complementary habitats can produce conservation benefits, but that success depends on effective communication with and consistent participation of actors, guidance by a coordinator, and continuous monitoring of management implementation and ecological outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"314 ","pages":"Article 111682"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840755","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}
Proposed bans on the import of hunting trophies from African countries to Europe continue to spark international political tensions and public debate. Despite heated debates in Germany, Europe's largest and the world's second largest importer, empirical evidence on public perceptions is limited. Using an experimental vignette approach, we administered an online questionnaire to 882 rural and urban German participants and used ordinal regression to assess the acceptability of trophy hunting of African elephants and zebras. Overall acceptability was low, with 59.7–90.8 % of participants rating the hunting scenarios as unacceptable to a certain extent, but varied by context: while hunting a zebra was more acceptable than an elephant, participants showed consistency in whether they prioritised the need of people or that of wildlife, both in the usage of the hunted meat and the allocation of the revenue of the hunt. We did not find evidence for a rural-urban divide, while acceptability between zebra and elephant hunts was more pronounced among rural participants. Acceptability was higher among male participants, those who prioritised the interests of people over the interests of wild animals, and those who identified as hunters. Our findings emphasise the international complexities of public opinion on contentious issues in conservation and illuminate challenges decision-makers face when balancing the interests and perspectives of multiple publics.
{"title":"Context matters: German public perceptions of trophy hunting in sub-Saharan Africa","authors":"Emu-Felicitas Ostermann-Miyashita , Sophia Hibler , Lovemore Sibanda , Darragh Hare","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111681","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111681","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Proposed bans on the import of hunting trophies from African countries to Europe continue to spark international political tensions and public debate. Despite heated debates in Germany, Europe's largest and the world's second largest importer, empirical evidence on public perceptions is limited. Using an experimental vignette approach, we administered an online questionnaire to 882 rural and urban German participants and used ordinal regression to assess the acceptability of trophy hunting of African elephants and zebras. Overall acceptability was low, with 59.7–90.8 % of participants rating the hunting scenarios as unacceptable to a certain extent, but varied by context: while hunting a zebra was more acceptable than an elephant, participants showed consistency in whether they prioritised the need of people or that of wildlife, both in the usage of the hunted meat and the allocation of the revenue of the hunt. We did not find evidence for a rural-urban divide, while acceptability between zebra and elephant hunts was more pronounced among rural participants. Acceptability was higher among male participants, those who prioritised the interests of people over the interests of wild animals, and those who identified as hunters. Our findings emphasise the international complexities of public opinion on contentious issues in conservation and illuminate challenges decision-makers face when balancing the interests and perspectives of multiple publics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"314 ","pages":"Article 111681"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840754","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}
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