Pub Date : 2025-12-03DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111639
Natalia Muñoz Cassolis , Francisco Perera Rieder , Johana Herrera Montoya , Douglas MacMillan , Melissa Arias
Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a major driver of global biodiversity loss, supplying domestic and international markets with animals and their derivatives for food, medicine, luxury goods, and pets. While most felid trade studies have focused on big cats (Pantherinae) and their use in Asian traditional medicine and luxury markets, the trade in smaller species—particularly for the pet market—has been largely overlooked. In Colombia, research on felid threats and trafficking remains limited. This study addresses that gap by analysing law enforcement data on felid Seizures, Confiscations, Rescues, and Voluntary Surrenders from 2015 to 2021. We recorded 643 law enforcement events involving 708 individuals, the majority of which were live felids (80.1 %), particularly Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) (57.1 %). Voluntary Surrenders, where an individual relinquishes wildlife possession, were the most frequent event type (60.1 %), concentrated in Antioquia (23.3 %) and Córdoba (7.9 %). Law enforcement events increased significantly over time (β = 10.79, p < 0.05). These findings raise concerns about the legal status of Voluntary Surrenders and their potential to mask trafficking, underscoring the urgent need to address the underestimated trade in small felids in Colombia.
非法野生动物贸易（IWT）是全球生物多样性丧失的主要驱动因素，为国内和国际市场提供动物及其食品、药品、奢侈品和宠物的衍生物。虽然大多数猫科动物的贸易研究都集中在大型猫科动物（豹科）及其在亚洲传统医药和奢侈品市场上的用途上，但小型物种的贸易——尤其是宠物市场——在很大程度上被忽视了。在哥伦比亚，关于猫科动物威胁和贩运的研究仍然有限。本研究通过分析2015年至2021年实地缉获、没收、救援和自愿自首的执法数据，解决了这一差距。我们记录了643起执法事件，涉及708只个体，其中大多数是活的猫科动物（80.1%），特别是豹猫（Leopardus pardalis）（57.1%）。自愿投降，即个人放弃野生动物所有权，是最常见的事件类型（60.1%），集中在安蒂奥基亚（23.3%）和Córdoba（7.9%）。随着时间的推移，执法事件显著增加（β = 10.79, p < 0.05）。这些调查结果引起了人们对自愿投降者的法律地位及其掩盖贩运的可能性的关注，强调迫切需要解决哥伦比亚小块土地上被低估的贸易问题。
{"title":"Trafficking in silence: The overlooked illegal trade of small felids in Colombia","authors":"Natalia Muñoz Cassolis , Francisco Perera Rieder , Johana Herrera Montoya , Douglas MacMillan , Melissa Arias","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a major driver of global biodiversity loss, supplying domestic and international markets with animals and their derivatives for food, medicine, luxury goods, and pets. While most felid trade studies have focused on big cats (<em>Pantherinae</em>) and their use in Asian traditional medicine and luxury markets, the trade in smaller species—particularly for the pet market—has been largely overlooked. In Colombia, research on felid threats and trafficking remains limited. This study addresses that gap by analysing law enforcement data on felid Seizures, Confiscations, Rescues, and Voluntary Surrenders from 2015 to 2021. We recorded 643 law enforcement events involving 708 individuals, the majority of which were live felids (80.1 %), particularly Ocelots (<em>Leopardus pardalis</em>) (57.1 %). Voluntary Surrenders, where an individual relinquishes wildlife possession, were the most frequent event type (60.1 %), concentrated in Antioquia (23.3 %) and Córdoba (7.9 %). Law enforcement events increased significantly over time (β = 10.79, <em>p</em> < 0.05). These findings raise concerns about the legal status of Voluntary Surrenders and their potential to mask trafficking, underscoring the urgent need to address the underestimated trade in small felids in Colombia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"314 ","pages":"Article 111639"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145694453","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 : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111649
Gabriel Lopes Justino , Brooke Zanco , Laura Melissa Guzman , Alejandra Echeverri , Jorge Ari Noriega , Luis Fernando Fávaro , Juliano Morimoto
Insects are critical to the sustainability and productivity of ecosystems worldwide, yet up to 40 % of insects may face extinction in coming decades. Globally, Brazil is a major producer of agricultural commodities, but we lack robust studies to investigate policy gaps and biases that may threaten the sustainability of insect ecosystem services in this biodiversity-rich region. Our previous work in the UK and Ireland showed that conservation policies informed by species' red lists consistently underrepresent insect biodiversity. However, we still do not know whether similar patterns are present in biodiversity hotspots like Brazil, that rely proportionally more on insect ecosystem services for socioeconomic wealth. Here, we analyzed Brazil's three major red lists which influence national conservation policies: the IUCN Red List (2024), the Ministry of the Environment's official list (2022), and the Chico Mendes Institute's Red Book (2018). Nearly all insect orders are significantly underrepresented, except for Odonata. In contrast, vertebrate groups are consistently well-represented, underscoring a taxon-specific disparity rather than inherent limitations among all three lists. These findings highlight a key barrier to insect conservation in Brazil, where conservation biases threaten not only local biodiversity but also global food security. We argue for better methodologies and funding for more robust biodiversity assessments in underrepresented regions, such as Brazil. This is crucial for strengthening conservation policies to safeguard both ecological and socioeconomic systems against mounting anthropogenic pressures.
{"title":"Insects are underrepresented across red lists of threatened biodiversity in the Neotropics","authors":"Gabriel Lopes Justino , Brooke Zanco , Laura Melissa Guzman , Alejandra Echeverri , Jorge Ari Noriega , Luis Fernando Fávaro , Juliano Morimoto","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111649","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111649","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Insects are critical to the sustainability and productivity of ecosystems worldwide, yet up to 40 % of insects may face extinction in coming decades. Globally, Brazil is a major producer of agricultural commodities, but we lack robust studies to investigate policy gaps and biases that may threaten the sustainability of insect ecosystem services in this biodiversity-rich region. Our previous work in the UK and Ireland showed that conservation policies informed by species' red lists consistently underrepresent insect biodiversity. However, we still do not know whether similar patterns are present in biodiversity hotspots like Brazil, that rely proportionally more on insect ecosystem services for socioeconomic wealth. Here, we analyzed Brazil's three major red lists which influence national conservation policies: the IUCN Red List (2024), the Ministry of the Environment's official list (2022), and the Chico Mendes Institute's Red Book (2018). Nearly all insect orders are significantly underrepresented, except for Odonata. In contrast, vertebrate groups are consistently well-represented, underscoring a taxon-specific disparity rather than inherent limitations among all three lists. These findings highlight a key barrier to insect conservation in Brazil, where conservation biases threaten not only local biodiversity but also global food security. We argue for better methodologies and funding for more robust biodiversity assessments in underrepresented regions, such as Brazil. This is crucial for strengthening conservation policies to safeguard both ecological and socioeconomic systems against mounting anthropogenic pressures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"314 ","pages":"Article 111649"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145651745","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}
Forests across Europe are experiencing higher rates of tree mortality while many insect populations are declining, but the links between these two ecological changes are not well understood. While pulses of tree mortality from natural disturbances can enhance structural complexity through canopy openings and deadwood accumulation – both key elements for high value insect habitats – post-disturbance tree removal may reduce habitat quality. We systematically investigated the impact of natural disturbances and post-disturbance logging on total insect diversity across major European forest types, comparing triplets of undisturbed, disturbed, and cleared forest patches. Using metabarcoding and a newly developed phylogeny, we quantified taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity (standardized by sample coverage along Hill numbers) for 21,218 insect OTUs from 347 families and 19 orders. Disturbances and post-disturbance clearing increased taxonomic diversity by up to 12 % in disturbed and 26 % in cleared patches compared to undisturbed patches. However, phylogenetic diversity increased only for rare species. Spaceborne data identified canopy openness as the primary driver of this increase, but responses varied by feeding guilds, with parasitoids and fungivores showing the strongest diversity increase. Overall, our findings show that current post-disturbance logging of small-scale disturbances in Central Europe amplifies canopy openings created by natural disturbances. This leads to a positive response of insect diversity shortly after disturbance, yet effects vary among feeding guilds and phylogenetic lineages. Our combination of innovative spaceborne and metabarcoding information provides new insights into the complex impacts of increasing tree mortality on insect diversity in Central European forests.
{"title":"The positive effects of canopy openness across post-disturbance management on insect diversity","authors":"Mareike Kortmann , Rupert Seidl , Niklas Jaggy , Patrick Kacic , Jérôme Morinière , Jörg Müller","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forests across Europe are experiencing higher rates of tree mortality while many insect populations are declining, but the links between these two ecological changes are not well understood. While pulses of tree mortality from natural disturbances can enhance structural complexity through canopy openings and deadwood accumulation – both key elements for high value insect habitats – post-disturbance tree removal may reduce habitat quality. We systematically investigated the impact of natural disturbances and post-disturbance logging on total insect diversity across major European forest types, comparing triplets of undisturbed, disturbed, and cleared forest patches. Using metabarcoding and a newly developed phylogeny, we quantified taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity (standardized by sample coverage along Hill numbers) for 21,218 insect OTUs from 347 families and 19 orders. Disturbances and post-disturbance clearing increased taxonomic diversity by up to 12 % in disturbed and 26 % in cleared patches compared to undisturbed patches. However, phylogenetic diversity increased only for rare species. Spaceborne data identified canopy openness as the primary driver of this increase, but responses varied by feeding guilds, with parasitoids and fungivores showing the strongest diversity increase. Overall, our findings show that current post-disturbance logging of small-scale disturbances in Central Europe amplifies canopy openings created by natural disturbances. This leads to a positive response of insect diversity shortly after disturbance, yet effects vary among feeding guilds and phylogenetic lineages. Our combination of innovative spaceborne and metabarcoding information provides new insights into the complex impacts of increasing tree mortality on insect diversity in Central European forests.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111647"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693597","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}
Freshwater ecosystems face severe anthropogenic threats, making historical data invaluable for damage assessment and conservation planning. We reconstructed spatial distributions of four culturally significant freshwater fish species, eel, ayu, bitterling, and catfish, across 1950s Japan. To obtain 1950s fish occurrence data, elderly citizens contributed childhood recollections through a national survey, while historical land cover maps from 1950 and topographical factors provided habitat information. Species Distribution Models accurately mapped distributions across the nation for all species examined. Occurrence patterns across the four taxa revealed lowland rivers and coastal corridors as bottlenecks that constrain distributions. Land cover composition determines the permeability of the corridors. Urban development consistently degraded habitat suitability, whereas agricultural wetlands enhanced probability at low-to-moderate landscape proportions. Land-cover analysis revealed species-specific preferences: undeveloped areas benefited ayu, agricultural paddies increased bitterling and catfish occurrence, while forests negatively affected catfish population. Projections to 1985 showed declining habitat suitability, particularly in coastal plains where farmland mosaics gave way to urban development. Contemporary occurrence records diverged from predictions based solely on land cover changes, suggesting that river fragmentation and other factors influence connectivity limitations in lowland areas. Our study captures valuable ecological knowledge before Japan's major environmental transformations, providing a quantitative baseline. Reconstructing ecological conditions from before major environmental disruptions establishes baseline species-environment relationships, which subsequently facilitate both the evaluation of anthropogenic effects and the development of evidence-based restoration approaches.
{"title":"Historical data to recover the distribution of freshwater fishes across 1950s Japan","authors":"Kosei Ogawa , Takumi Moriyama , Naohisa Nakashima , Tomomichi Kato , Shinji Fukuda","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Freshwater ecosystems face severe anthropogenic threats, making historical data invaluable for damage assessment and conservation planning. We reconstructed spatial distributions of four culturally significant freshwater fish species, eel, ayu, bitterling, and catfish, across 1950s Japan. To obtain 1950s fish occurrence data, elderly citizens contributed childhood recollections through a national survey, while historical land cover maps from 1950 and topographical factors provided habitat information. Species Distribution Models accurately mapped distributions across the nation for all species examined. Occurrence patterns across the four taxa revealed lowland rivers and coastal corridors as bottlenecks that constrain distributions. Land cover composition determines the permeability of the corridors. Urban development consistently degraded habitat suitability, whereas agricultural wetlands enhanced probability at low-to-moderate landscape proportions. Land-cover analysis revealed species-specific preferences: undeveloped areas benefited ayu, agricultural paddies increased bitterling and catfish occurrence, while forests negatively affected catfish population. Projections to 1985 showed declining habitat suitability, particularly in coastal plains where farmland mosaics gave way to urban development. Contemporary occurrence records diverged from predictions based solely on land cover changes, suggesting that river fragmentation and other factors influence connectivity limitations in lowland areas. Our study captures valuable ecological knowledge before Japan's major environmental transformations, providing a quantitative baseline. Reconstructing ecological conditions from before major environmental disruptions establishes baseline species-environment relationships, which subsequently facilitate both the evaluation of anthropogenic effects and the development of evidence-based restoration approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111644"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693599","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 : 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111641
Alice Michel , Jackson Kabuyaya Mbeke , Benezeth Kambale Visando , Sonya Kahlenberg , Katie Fawcett , Damien Caillaud
The Albertine Rift Hotspot in east-central Africa is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. It hosts a number of conservation-priority species, including Critically Endangered Grauer's gorillas and Endangered eastern chimpanzees. Yet, prolonged insecurity in the region has made wildlife monitoring and conservation challenging. This is particularly true of the northeastern limits of the range of Grauer's gorillas, where wide stretches of unprotected forest could harbor behaviorally and genetically unique peripheral populations of great apes and other species. Here, we developed a rapid wildlife survey method to map population distributions and monitor the impact of various human activities in the Tayna Nature Reserve in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite a lack of surveys since the early 2000s, we find that Grauer's gorillas and eastern chimpanzees, as well as a number of smaller-bodied species, have persisted in Tayna. Observations of gorilla and chimpanzee signs were highly heterogeneous. They were less dense near human settlements and artisanal mines and peaked in areas with rugged terrain. The association with rugged terrain may be a result of historical anthropogenic pressure, behavioral avoidance of human activities, and/or ecological preference. Maintaining connectivity between patches of suitable great ape habitat will be critical for long-term conservation in the Albertine Rift region. Our findings also demonstrate the utility of priority species monitoring driven by local communities for conservation initiatives.
{"title":"Terrain ruggedness and human activities influence the distribution of Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) and eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Tayna Nature Reserve, Democratic Republic of Congo","authors":"Alice Michel , Jackson Kabuyaya Mbeke , Benezeth Kambale Visando , Sonya Kahlenberg , Katie Fawcett , Damien Caillaud","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111641","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Albertine Rift Hotspot in east-central Africa is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. It hosts a number of conservation-priority species, including Critically Endangered Grauer's gorillas and Endangered eastern chimpanzees. Yet, prolonged insecurity in the region has made wildlife monitoring and conservation challenging. This is particularly true of the northeastern limits of the range of Grauer's gorillas, where wide stretches of unprotected forest could harbor behaviorally and genetically unique peripheral populations of great apes and other species. Here, we developed a rapid wildlife survey method to map population distributions and monitor the impact of various human activities in the Tayna Nature Reserve in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite a lack of surveys since the early 2000s, we find that Grauer's gorillas and eastern chimpanzees, as well as a number of smaller-bodied species, have persisted in Tayna. Observations of gorilla and chimpanzee signs were highly heterogeneous. They were less dense near human settlements and artisanal mines and peaked in areas with rugged terrain. The association with rugged terrain may be a result of historical anthropogenic pressure, behavioral avoidance of human activities, and/or ecological preference. Maintaining connectivity between patches of suitable great ape habitat will be critical for long-term conservation in the Albertine Rift region. Our findings also demonstrate the utility of priority species monitoring driven by local communities for conservation initiatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111641"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693598","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 : 2025-11-27DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111626
Amparo Lázaro , Anastasia Stefanaki , Martha Charitonidou , Joana Cursach , Maria Panitsa , Ioannis Bazos , Rosa Ranalli , Mauro Fois , Marta Galloni , Gianluigi Bacchetta , Sílvia Castro , João Loureiro , Katerina Goula , Luis Navarro , Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat , Rhea Kahale , Nathalie Machon , Gabrielle Martin , Udayangani Liu , Giovanna Aronne , Theodora Petanidou
Plants with complex floral morphologies are adapted to be pollinated by restricted pollinator assemblages and may suffer pollinator limitation. Understanding how floral traits and other variables relate to plant vulnerability can provide a powerful tool for predicting the conservation status and prioritizing the assessment of plants with scarce field data. Using circa 3000 records of rare and threatened (sensu IUCN) entomophilous plant taxa from seven Mediterranean countries, we evaluated how six floral traits and other eight intrinsic and extrinsic variables were related to plant vulnerability (less vs. more threatened plants). Besides, we analyzed 29 experts' opinions regarding the floral traits most related to floral complexity. Floral shape, reproductive unit, and flowering duration were good vulnerability indicators. Taxa with lip- and flag-shaped flowers were the most threatened, which agrees with the opinion of experts who considered lip- and flag-shaped flowers to have more complex morphologies. Also, plants with cylindrical inflorescences or solitary flowers were more threatened than those with flat-spherical inflorescences; and longer flowering durations reduced the probability of being threatened. Regarding extrinsic variables, coastal and freshwater habitats, i.e. habitats heavily impacted by human activities, had the highest percentage of highly threatened taxa. Yet, plant vulnerability decreased with maximum elevation and total distribution range. These results may serve as a basis for managers and practitioners when field data are scarce or unavailable, so that, depending on their traits, species could be provisionally listed in Red Lists as deserving priority for assessment to ascertain conservation status and actions.
{"title":"Plants in danger: Floral and other plant traits as drivers of vulnerability in Mediterranean countries","authors":"Amparo Lázaro , Anastasia Stefanaki , Martha Charitonidou , Joana Cursach , Maria Panitsa , Ioannis Bazos , Rosa Ranalli , Mauro Fois , Marta Galloni , Gianluigi Bacchetta , Sílvia Castro , João Loureiro , Katerina Goula , Luis Navarro , Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat , Rhea Kahale , Nathalie Machon , Gabrielle Martin , Udayangani Liu , Giovanna Aronne , Theodora Petanidou","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111626","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111626","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plants with complex floral morphologies are adapted to be pollinated by restricted pollinator assemblages and may suffer pollinator limitation. Understanding how floral traits and other variables relate to plant vulnerability can provide a powerful tool for predicting the conservation status and prioritizing the assessment of plants with scarce field data. Using circa 3000 records of rare and threatened (sensu IUCN) entomophilous plant taxa from seven Mediterranean countries, we evaluated how six floral traits and other eight intrinsic and extrinsic variables were related to plant vulnerability (less vs. more threatened plants). Besides, we analyzed 29 experts' opinions regarding the floral traits most related to floral complexity. Floral shape, reproductive unit, and flowering duration were good vulnerability indicators. Taxa with lip- and flag-shaped flowers were the most threatened, which agrees with the opinion of experts who considered lip- and flag-shaped flowers to have more complex morphologies. Also, plants with cylindrical inflorescences or solitary flowers were more threatened than those with flat-spherical inflorescences; and longer flowering durations reduced the probability of being threatened. Regarding extrinsic variables, coastal and freshwater habitats, i.e. habitats heavily impacted by human activities, had the highest percentage of highly threatened taxa. Yet, plant vulnerability decreased with maximum elevation and total distribution range. These results may serve as a basis for managers and practitioners when field data are scarce or unavailable, so that, depending on their traits, species could be provisionally listed in Red Lists as deserving priority for assessment to ascertain conservation status and actions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111626"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145623874","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 : 2025-11-27DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111632
Georg Bieringer , Erwin Nemeth , Bernhard Kohler
Changes in hydrology pose one of the greatest threats to continental wetlands. As global climate warming can affect hydrology by directly altering the hydrological cycle or by increasing agricultural water demand, it is generally difficult to correctly attribute the effects observed at site-level to either driver. We attempted to disentangle the effects of local and global factors on the regional population trends of bird species that act as indicators of semi-natural wet grasslands. Using long-term bird survey data from Lake Neusiedl – Seewinkel National Park, we analysed the effects of near-surface air temperature, spring precipitation, groundwater levels and European population trends on breeding abundance. We found that groundwater levels were the strongest predictor of Northern Lapwing and Common Redshank abundance, while Black-tailed Godwit abundance was more closely correlated with its European population trend. During the study period, groundwater levels declined significantly, a trend that could not be attributed to changes in precipitation or the climatic water balance. This strongly suggests that anthropogenic water abstraction is the actual cause. High plot-level habitat quality mitigated the effects of groundwater levels on Lapwings and Redshanks, but not the effects of European population trends on Godwits. This study demonstrates that local factors can outweigh the effects of global warming in the conservation of wet grasslands. High habitat quality can buffer periods of temporarily unfavourable conditions, and this will become increasingly important as weather extremes become more frequent. Our findings emphasise the crucial role of effective governance in wet grassland conservation.
{"title":"Anthropogenic water depletion outweighs climate change as a cause of wet grassland bird decline in Lake Neusiedl – Seewinkel National Park","authors":"Georg Bieringer , Erwin Nemeth , Bernhard Kohler","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111632","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111632","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Changes in hydrology pose one of the greatest threats to continental wetlands. As global climate warming can affect hydrology by directly altering the hydrological cycle or by increasing agricultural water demand, it is generally difficult to correctly attribute the effects observed at site-level to either driver. We attempted to disentangle the effects of local and global factors on the regional population trends of bird species that act as indicators of semi-natural wet grasslands. Using long-term bird survey data from Lake Neusiedl – Seewinkel National Park, we analysed the effects of near-surface air temperature, spring precipitation, groundwater levels and European population trends on breeding abundance. We found that groundwater levels were the strongest predictor of Northern Lapwing and Common Redshank abundance, while Black-tailed Godwit abundance was more closely correlated with its European population trend. During the study period, groundwater levels declined significantly, a trend that could not be attributed to changes in precipitation or the climatic water balance. This strongly suggests that anthropogenic water abstraction is the actual cause. High plot-level habitat quality mitigated the effects of groundwater levels on Lapwings and Redshanks, but not the effects of European population trends on Godwits. This study demonstrates that local factors can outweigh the effects of global warming in the conservation of wet grasslands. High habitat quality can buffer periods of temporarily unfavourable conditions, and this will become increasingly important as weather extremes become more frequent. Our findings emphasise the crucial role of effective governance in wet grassland conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111632"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145623871","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 : 2025-11-26DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111636
Sara K. Steel , Jérémie Gravel , Dalal E.L. Hanna
Effective ecological integrity monitoring is beneficial for conservation management, yet many parks and recreation areas outside formal protection networks face major resource constraints that limit their ability to implement robust monitoring programs. To address this challenge, we developed a six-step framework to implement new monitoring programs designed for parks with limited resources specifically dedicated to maintaining ecological integrity. This framework has been iteratively co-developed by academics and staff from a regional park in Quebec, Canada. It offers an accessible alternative to existing large-scale monitoring approaches, focused on supporting small parks that are not formally protected. By balancing scientific rigor with practical constraints, the framework provides a structured yet adaptable approach to ecological monitoring suitable for small parks and recreation areas with limited staffing and funding dedicated to monitoring. Our approach prioritizes practical implementation by combining methods from the scientific literature with local knowledge, drawing on evidence that co-developing monitoring programs with practitioners produces more effective outcomes. We outline each step of the framework while discussing its application in Poisson Blanc Regional Park (Quebec, Canada). Outcomes from this case study demonstrate the framework's effectiveness and highlight the value of engaging park staff to support program design and data collection. By incorporating local expertise and fostering affordable partnerships with academic institutions and non-governmental organizations, even parks with minimal levels of protection can establish sustainable monitoring programs that inform management decisions and support long-term conservation goals.
{"title":"A practical framework for ecological integrity monitoring in resource-limited parks","authors":"Sara K. Steel , Jérémie Gravel , Dalal E.L. Hanna","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111636","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective ecological integrity monitoring is beneficial for conservation management, yet many parks and recreation areas outside formal protection networks face major resource constraints that limit their ability to implement robust monitoring programs. To address this challenge, we developed a six-step framework to implement new monitoring programs designed for parks with limited resources specifically dedicated to maintaining ecological integrity. This framework has been iteratively co-developed by academics and staff from a regional park in Quebec, Canada. It offers an accessible alternative to existing large-scale monitoring approaches, focused on supporting small parks that are not formally protected. By balancing scientific rigor with practical constraints, the framework provides a structured yet adaptable approach to ecological monitoring suitable for small parks and recreation areas with limited staffing and funding dedicated to monitoring. Our approach prioritizes practical implementation by combining methods from the scientific literature with local knowledge, drawing on evidence that co-developing monitoring programs with practitioners produces more effective outcomes. We outline each step of the framework while discussing its application in Poisson Blanc Regional Park (Quebec, Canada). Outcomes from this case study demonstrate the framework's effectiveness and highlight the value of engaging park staff to support program design and data collection. By incorporating local expertise and fostering affordable partnerships with academic institutions and non-governmental organizations, even parks with minimal levels of protection can establish sustainable monitoring programs that inform management decisions and support long-term conservation goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111636"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145623873","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 : 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111637
Christopher H. Lean , Andrew J. Latham , Annie Sandrussi , Wendy A. Rogers
Moral hazard occurs when the presence or promise of a new technology or policy reduces incentives for responsible behaviour, because the consequences of risky behaviour are perceived to be reduced, transferred, or mitigated. Moral hazard risk has been widely empirically investigated in the case of geoengineering for climate change, but other novel technologies have not been subject to such scrutiny. Ever since de-extinction was announced to the public as a viable possibility with modern biotechnology, a series of commentators have argued that the promise of de-extinction will create a moral hazard. The thought is that extinction has been perceived as permanent. Any change in this belief, such as the idea that species can be brought back, potentially undermines the motivation for current conservation efforts. This is an empirical claim that we investigate. Our study assesses the public's support for conservation in scenarios that promise the use of de-extinction to address actions that are likely to cause extinction. We did not find that people were more likely to accept the extinction of a species if its de-extinction was promised in the future. We did, however, find an association between extinction acceptance and judgments that de-extinction could successfully resurrect species. The findings of this study represent a crucial step in assessing the risks novel biotechnology creates.
{"title":"De-extinction and the risk of moral hazard","authors":"Christopher H. Lean , Andrew J. Latham , Annie Sandrussi , Wendy A. Rogers","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111637","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111637","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Moral hazard occurs when the presence or promise of a new technology or policy reduces incentives for responsible behaviour, because the consequences of risky behaviour are perceived to be reduced, transferred, or mitigated. Moral hazard risk has been widely empirically investigated in the case of geoengineering for climate change, but other novel technologies have not been subject to such scrutiny. Ever since de-extinction was announced to the public as a viable possibility with modern biotechnology, a series of commentators have argued that the promise of de-extinction will create a moral hazard. The thought is that extinction has been perceived as permanent. Any change in this belief, such as the idea that species can be brought back, potentially undermines the motivation for current conservation efforts. This is an empirical claim that we investigate. Our study assesses the public's support for conservation in scenarios that promise the use of de-extinction to address actions that are likely to cause extinction. We did not find that people were more likely to accept the extinction of a species if its de-extinction was promised in the future. We did, however, find an association between extinction acceptance and judgments that de-extinction could successfully resurrect species. The findings of this study represent a crucial step in assessing the risks novel biotechnology creates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111637"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145623869","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 : 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111634
Benjamin A. Belgrad , Nolan Cooper , Delbert L. Smee
Heatwaves are an increasingly common threat for many species, particularly those in intertidal regions. In terrestrial systems, shading by vegetation can provide beneficial microclimates for other organisms, and artificial shading is often used in agriculture, but has not been tested in a marine restoration context. We tested how increased shading affected the survival of a model foundation species, oysters (Crassostrea virginica). We conducted a field experiment to compare the relative effects of predators and sun exposure on oyster survival across tidal elevations. Juvenile oysters were planted at two tidal elevations in predator–exposed and predator–protected cages. Half the oysters in each cage were exposed to sunlight while the other half were shaded to reduce heat stress, and individual survivorship was assessed periodically over their first month of planting when oysters are most vulnerable to abiotic stressors and predation. Predators were the greatest source of mortality: uncaged oysters initially experienced twice the mortality rate of caged oysters and these survivorship differences intensified over the month. Nevertheless, shading significantly increased survivorship by 32–93 %, with shading benefits increasing with tidal elevation (i.e. aerial exposure time during low tide). Additionally, temperatures in the shaded treatments matched temperatures within the reef shell-matrix, which were up to 4.66 °C cooler than in direct sunlight. Thus, shading can be a valuable tool to improve the restoration success of marine species during vulnerable stages by mimicking natural thermal refuges from healthy, structured oyster reefs. These results highlight how habitat degradation can increase risk to climate change.
{"title":"Structured habitats provide thermal refuges and mitigate effects of heatwaves","authors":"Benjamin A. Belgrad , Nolan Cooper , Delbert L. Smee","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heatwaves are an increasingly common threat for many species, particularly those in intertidal regions. In terrestrial systems, shading by vegetation can provide beneficial microclimates for other organisms, and artificial shading is often used in agriculture, but has not been tested in a marine restoration context. We tested how increased shading affected the survival of a model foundation species, oysters (<em>Crassostrea virginica</em>). We conducted a field experiment to compare the relative effects of predators and sun exposure on oyster survival across tidal elevations. Juvenile oysters were planted at two tidal elevations in predator–exposed and predator–protected cages. Half the oysters in each cage were exposed to sunlight while the other half were shaded to reduce heat stress, and individual survivorship was assessed periodically over their first month of planting when oysters are most vulnerable to abiotic stressors and predation. Predators were the greatest source of mortality: uncaged oysters initially experienced twice the mortality rate of caged oysters and these survivorship differences intensified over the month. Nevertheless, shading significantly increased survivorship by 32–93 %, with shading benefits increasing with tidal elevation (i.e. aerial exposure time during low tide). Additionally, temperatures in the shaded treatments matched temperatures within the reef shell-matrix, which were up to 4.66 °C cooler than in direct sunlight. Thus, shading can be a valuable tool to improve the restoration success of marine species during vulnerable stages by mimicking natural thermal refuges from healthy, structured oyster reefs. These results highlight how habitat degradation can increase risk to climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111634"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145623872","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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