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}
Pub Date : 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111642
Chi Ma , Yuxin Wang , Haigang Ma , Pengfei Fan
Various human disturbances are displacing animals from suitable lowlands to high-altitude refuges worldwide. However, the mechanisms underlying this upward shift remain poorly understood, limiting the development of effective conservation strategies. Studying how animals adjust their habitat selection and utilization patterns in response to human disturbances offer critical insights into the ecological processes shaping their distribution in human-dominated environments. We investigated altitudinal ranging patterns of endangered Indochinese gray langurs (Trachypithecus crepusculus) in Wuliangshan National Nature Reserve (WNNR), China, from 2010 to 2019, across early, middle, and late habituation stages. Although vegetation surveys showed substantially higher food availability at 1750 m than at 2150 m and 2550 m, langurs preferred higher altitudes (2000–2600 m) farther from human settlements during early and middle stages. This vertical refuge selection reversed dramatically in the late habituation stage, with langurs shifted to lower altitudes, increased feeding activities there, and exhibited preference for areas below 2000 m outside the WNNR. This downward shift was associated with an increased intake of high-quality food resources (fruits and seeds). Our findings indicate that human activity initially displaced langurs to high-altitude refuges, and that continued habituation by researchers may have facilitated the reoccupation of resource-rich low-altitude habitats. These results underscore that species distribution models and resource selection functions relying solely on species occurrence data risks prioritizing refuges over ecologically superior habitats. We call for more field studies to document the behavioral shifts of study subjects in human-dominated habitats and their cascading impacts on local ecological communities and human societies.
{"title":"Research-driven habituation linked to abandonment of high-altitude refuge in Indochinese gray langurs","authors":"Chi Ma , Yuxin Wang , Haigang Ma , Pengfei Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111642","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111642","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Various human disturbances are displacing animals from suitable lowlands to high-altitude refuges worldwide. However, the mechanisms underlying this upward shift remain poorly understood, limiting the development of effective conservation strategies. Studying how animals adjust their habitat selection and utilization patterns in response to human disturbances offer critical insights into the ecological processes shaping their distribution in human-dominated environments. We investigated altitudinal ranging patterns of endangered Indochinese gray langurs (<em>Trachypithecus crepusculus</em>) in Wuliangshan National Nature Reserve (WNNR), China, from 2010 to 2019, across early, middle, and late habituation stages. Although vegetation surveys showed substantially higher food availability at 1750 m than at 2150 m and 2550 m, langurs preferred higher altitudes (2000–2600 m) farther from human settlements during early and middle stages. This vertical refuge selection reversed dramatically in the late habituation stage, with langurs shifted to lower altitudes, increased feeding activities there, and exhibited preference for areas below 2000 m outside the WNNR. This downward shift was associated with an increased intake of high-quality food resources (fruits and seeds). Our findings indicate that human activity initially displaced langurs to high-altitude refuges, and that continued habituation by researchers may have facilitated the reoccupation of resource-rich low-altitude habitats. These results underscore that species distribution models and resource selection functions relying solely on species occurrence data risks prioritizing refuges over ecologically superior habitats. We call for more field studies to document the behavioral shifts of study subjects in human-dominated habitats and their cascading impacts on local ecological communities and human societies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111642"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145623868","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 : 2025-11-24DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111625
Esteban I. Cortés , Viviana Vásquez-Ibarra , Ariel A. Farías , Eduardo A. Silva-Rodríguez
The high abundance and free-ranging behavior of domestic dogs facilitate frequent interactions with wildlife through both lethal and non-lethal mechanisms, potentially altering wildlife space and time use. While previous studies have focused on habitat-scale effects, landscape-level occupancy impacts remain less explored. We investigated whether dog abundance and activity influence the spatial and temporal use of wild mammals at multiple scales across 253 sites nested within 57 landscapes in southern Chile. Dog metrics were estimated using N-mixture models and detection rates, while wild mammal responses were assessed using multi-scale occupancy and generalized linear models. Dog abundance increased with housing density and decreased with distance from houses. At the landscape scale, southern pudu (Pudu puda) occupancy declined with increasing dog activity, whereas space use at finer scales was driven by habitat variables. Chilla (Lycalopex griseus) and Darwin's foxes (Lycalopex fulvipes) responded mainly to habitat features; chillas were associated with human-modified areas and thus positively correlated with dogs, while Darwin's foxes were strongly associated with native forest. Guignas (Leopardus guigna) were present in all landscapes regardless of dog or habitat characteristics. Temporal overlap between pudus and dogs was lower than expected when co-occurring, while chilla foxes and guignas showed no temporal shifts. Our findings suggest that dog-wildlife interactions are shaped by human presence and habitat availability. Species like the southern pudu appear highly vulnerable to dog presence, whereas others, such as guignas and chillas, persist through behavioral adaptations. We highlight dog confinement as a critical conservation strategy for vulnerable species.
{"title":"Human presence and habitat availability modulate dog-wildlife interactions","authors":"Esteban I. Cortés , Viviana Vásquez-Ibarra , Ariel A. Farías , Eduardo A. Silva-Rodríguez","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The high abundance and free-ranging behavior of domestic dogs facilitate frequent interactions with wildlife through both lethal and non-lethal mechanisms, potentially altering wildlife space and time use. While previous studies have focused on habitat-scale effects, landscape-level occupancy impacts remain less explored. We investigated whether dog abundance and activity influence the spatial and temporal use of wild mammals at multiple scales across 253 sites nested within 57 landscapes in southern Chile. Dog metrics were estimated using N-mixture models and detection rates, while wild mammal responses were assessed using multi-scale occupancy and generalized linear models. Dog abundance increased with housing density and decreased with distance from houses. At the landscape scale, southern pudu (<em>Pudu puda</em>) occupancy declined with increasing dog activity, whereas space use at finer scales was driven by habitat variables. Chilla (<em>Lycalopex griseus</em>) and Darwin's foxes (<em>Lycalopex fulvipes</em>) responded mainly to habitat features; chillas were associated with human-modified areas and thus positively correlated with dogs, while Darwin's foxes were strongly associated with native forest. Guignas (<em>Leopardus guigna</em>) were present in all landscapes regardless of dog or habitat characteristics. Temporal overlap between pudus and dogs was lower than expected when co-occurring, while chilla foxes and guignas showed no temporal shifts. Our findings suggest that dog-wildlife interactions are shaped by human presence and habitat availability. Species like the southern pudu appear highly vulnerable to dog presence, whereas others, such as guignas and chillas, persist through behavioral adaptations. We highlight dog confinement as a critical conservation strategy for vulnerable species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111625"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145623870","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 : 2025-11-22DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111640
Rachel N. Larson , Heather A. Sander , Mason Fidino
Urbanization alters biodiversity, contributing to habitat loss and fragmentation and non-native species introductions. Despite these changes, urban environments provide habitat for many species and could be managed to support diverse wildlife communities. However, we do not fully understand species' responses to urban environments or the mechanisms that drive them, particularly how species interactions (e.g., predation) affect urban populations. This lack of understanding restricts our ability to manage urban habitats to support wildlife communities rather than individual species. We sought to understand how urbanization affects and interacts with predator distributions to influence the abundance of small mammalian prey. We identified the impacts of urban land cover and predator occurrence on population persistence and recruitment of deer mice (Peromyscus spp.) using a hierarchical Bayesian abundance model. Mouse population persistence was lower when domestic cat (Felis catus) occupancy was high. However, persistence probabilities increased as native vegetation cover increased, even when cat occupancy was high at those naturally-vegetated sites. In contrast, mouse persistence was unrelated to red fox (Vulpes vulpes) occupancy. Our results strengthen mounting evidence that free-ranging cats negatively affect native prey populations, especially where human-modified land cover is high, and demonstrate a loss of prey population regulation for urban native mammalian predators. We further provide the first evidence that urban mouse populations exhibit low persistence and high recruitment, and thus are spatially and temporally dynamic. Managing free-ranging cats and providing structural heterogeneity in vegetation are critical for maintaining urban small mammalian prey and trophic systems in cities.
{"title":"Land cover mediates predator effects on urban deer mouse abundance","authors":"Rachel N. Larson , Heather A. Sander , Mason Fidino","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111640","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111640","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urbanization alters biodiversity, contributing to habitat loss and fragmentation and non-native species introductions. Despite these changes, urban environments provide habitat for many species and could be managed to support diverse wildlife communities. However, we do not fully understand species' responses to urban environments or the mechanisms that drive them, particularly how species interactions (e.g., predation) affect urban populations. This lack of understanding restricts our ability to manage urban habitats to support wildlife communities rather than individual species. We sought to understand how urbanization affects and interacts with predator distributions to influence the abundance of small mammalian prey. We identified the impacts of urban land cover and predator occurrence on population persistence and recruitment of deer mice (<em>Peromyscus</em> spp.) using a hierarchical Bayesian abundance model. Mouse population persistence was lower when domestic cat (<em>Felis catus</em>) occupancy was high. However, persistence probabilities increased as native vegetation cover increased, even when cat occupancy was high at those naturally-vegetated sites. In contrast, mouse persistence was unrelated to red fox (<em>Vulpes vulpes</em>) occupancy. Our results strengthen mounting evidence that free-ranging cats negatively affect native prey populations, especially where human-modified land cover is high, and demonstrate a loss of prey population regulation for urban native mammalian predators. We further provide the first evidence that urban mouse populations exhibit low persistence and high recruitment, and thus are spatially and temporally dynamic. Managing free-ranging cats and providing structural heterogeneity in vegetation are critical for maintaining urban small mammalian prey and trophic systems in cities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111640"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579323","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 : 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111613
Valentin Schlecht , David Becker , Jan Lask , Jan Weik , Luca Pollozek , Moritz von Cossel , Iris Lewandowski , Ann-Catrin Fender
The loss of biodiversity threatens global environmental stability and socio-economic resilience. The protection of ecosystems and their services through habitat conservation and species preservation requires all stakeholders to assess and disclose their impacts on biodiversity. Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a critical role in this, acting as research centres, educators, sustainability leaders, and stewards of local ecosystems. Although many organizations monitor their carbon footprints, biodiversity and habitat assessments remain underutilized in decision-making, despite their importance in identifying conservation priorities and supporting nature-positive strategies.
This study compares insights from a direct, campus-level biodiversity survey (BioBlitz) with those of an indirect, consumption-based, environmentally extended input–output life cycle assessment (EEIO-LCA). While local surveys yield site-specific, actionable data, they often lack systematic coverage and baseline reference conditions. By contrast, EEIO-LCA identifies procurement-related biodiversity pressures but suffers from aggregation and limited ecological interpretability. Integrating these complementary perspectives remains challenging due to mismatches in scale and metrics.
We discuss a pathway towards integration through harmonized habitat baselines, improved supplier and regional data granularity, regionalized characterization factors, and hybrid LCA approaches. A staged roadmap that strengthens each method independently, standardizes uncertainty translation, and cautiously tests bridging indicators can guide HEIs towards robust, integrated biodiversity accounting. By contributing our baseline and discussion to the Nature Positive Universities Alliance's common repository of methods and case studies, we can benchmark progress, harmonize data standards (e.g. supplier origin disclosure, monitoring design) and co-create scalable interventions.
{"title":"From local species monitoring to global value chain impacts: A starting point for assessing biodiversity impacts of higher education institutions","authors":"Valentin Schlecht , David Becker , Jan Lask , Jan Weik , Luca Pollozek , Moritz von Cossel , Iris Lewandowski , Ann-Catrin Fender","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111613","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111613","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The loss of biodiversity threatens global environmental stability and socio-economic resilience. The protection of ecosystems and their services through habitat conservation and species preservation requires all stakeholders to assess and disclose their impacts on biodiversity. Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a critical role in this, acting as research centres, educators, sustainability leaders, and stewards of local ecosystems. Although many organizations monitor their carbon footprints, biodiversity and habitat assessments remain underutilized in decision-making, despite their importance in identifying conservation priorities and supporting nature-positive strategies.</div><div>This study compares insights from a direct, campus-level biodiversity survey (BioBlitz) with those of an indirect, consumption-based, environmentally extended input–output life cycle assessment (EEIO-LCA). While local surveys yield site-specific, actionable data, they often lack systematic coverage and baseline reference conditions. By contrast, EEIO-LCA identifies procurement-related biodiversity pressures but suffers from aggregation and limited ecological interpretability. Integrating these complementary perspectives remains challenging due to mismatches in scale and metrics.</div><div>We discuss a pathway towards integration through harmonized habitat baselines, improved supplier and regional data granularity, regionalized characterization factors, and hybrid LCA approaches. A staged roadmap that strengthens each method independently, standardizes uncertainty translation, and cautiously tests bridging indicators can guide HEIs towards robust, integrated biodiversity accounting. By contributing our baseline and discussion to the Nature Positive Universities Alliance's common repository of methods and case studies, we can benchmark progress, harmonize data standards (e.g. supplier origin disclosure, monitoring design) and co-create scalable interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111613"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579321","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 : 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111624
Tom Grandjean , Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez , Juan Núñez-Farfán , Miguel Martínez-Ramos
Understanding the effects of landscape-scale forest loss on the regenerative potential of tropical rainforests—measured through the abundance, species diversity, and composition of infant and juvenile trees—is essential for biodiversity conservation in human-modified landscapes. However, this topic remains poorly understood, particularly with regard to ecological thresholds, i.e., levels of forest cover below which regenerative potential may collapse. We sampled infant (<130 cm in height), juvenile (≥130 cm height and <10 cm DBH), and adult (≥10 cm DBH) trees across fourteen 1-km2 landscapes spanning a gradient of ∼0 to 100% forest cover in a biodiverse tropical rainforest region of southeastern Mexico. We assessed the impact of forest loss on tree density, species diversity, compositional integrity—defined as the proportion of species shared between fully forested and increasingly deforested landscapes—for each life stage, and compositional differences between them. All community attributes declined with forest loss across life stages, with more pronounced decreases in highly degraded landscapes. Our results indicate that maintaining more than 30% forest cover is critical to preserving the forest's regenerative potential. Below this threshold, assemblage density and species composition in regenerating communities sharply decline and begin to diverge from adult assemblages. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating forest cover thresholds into conservation strategies in human-modified tropical rainforest landscapes.
{"title":"Forest-to-agriculture conversion drives collapse of regenerative and adult tropical tree communities","authors":"Tom Grandjean , Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez , Juan Núñez-Farfán , Miguel Martínez-Ramos","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the effects of landscape-scale forest loss on the regenerative potential of tropical rainforests—measured through the abundance, species diversity, and composition of infant and juvenile trees—is essential for biodiversity conservation in human-modified landscapes. However, this topic remains poorly understood, particularly with regard to ecological thresholds, i.e., levels of forest cover below which regenerative potential may collapse. We sampled infant (<130 cm in height), juvenile (≥130 cm height and <10 cm DBH), and adult (≥10 cm DBH) trees across fourteen 1-km2 landscapes spanning a gradient of ∼0 to 100% forest cover in a biodiverse tropical rainforest region of southeastern Mexico. We assessed the impact of forest loss on tree density, species diversity, compositional integrity—defined as the proportion of species shared between fully forested and increasingly deforested landscapes—for each life stage, and compositional differences between them. All community attributes declined with forest loss across life stages, with more pronounced decreases in highly degraded landscapes. Our results indicate that maintaining more than 30% forest cover is critical to preserving the forest's regenerative potential. Below this threshold, assemblage density and species composition in regenerating communities sharply decline and begin to diverge from adult assemblages. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating forest cover thresholds into conservation strategies in human-modified tropical rainforest landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111624"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579320","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 : 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111631
Alyona Koshkina , Ilya Smelansky , Aida Tabelinova , Genevieve Stephens , Sorrel Jones , Albert Salemgareev , Michele Bowe , Adam Devenish
The saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica), a keystone species of the Eurasian steppe biome, has recovered from near extinction in the early 2000s to a population of 2.8 million by 2024. This remarkable recovery has transformed the species into a global conservation success story. However rapidly increasing populations have also reshaped the nature of human-wildlife interactions and intensified conflicts in parts of their range, particularly in western Kazakhstan, which hosts over half of the global saiga population.
To assess the extent, nature and drivers of this human-saiga conflict we conducted an interdisciplinary study combining semi-structured interviews (n = 112; thematically coded), participatory mapping, and geospatial analyses across four districts of the West Kazakhstan Province during 2022–23. We identified four main conflict drivers: (1) damage to haymaking lands, (2) competition with livestock over scarce freshwater resources, (3) competition for grazing lands and (4) the perceived risk of saiga spreading zoonotic diseases to livestock. Spatial mapping identified over 60 potential hotspots of water usage conflicts due to overlapping saiga-livestock densities, limited water availability, and intense grazing pressure. These conflicts are exacerbated during drought conditions and peak in seasons of heightened resource demand, such as saiga calving and winter grazing periods.
Our findings extend beyond the immediate context of saiga-human interactions. By combining spatial ecological data (saiga occurrence, livestock densities, and water availability) with local community perceptions, we identified areas of conflict and their underlying drivers, offering actionable insights into mitigation strategies. These include restoring water infrastructure, implementing participatory management approaches, and developing compensation mechanisms to offset resource losses. The study underscores the urgent need for adaptive conservation frameworks that balance the ecological imperatives of species recovery with the livelihoods of pastoralist communities. These insights are critical for addressing similar conservation challenges globally, particularly in comparable rangeland systems experiencing rapid ecological and socio-economic change.
{"title":"Drivers of human-saiga antelope conflict in semi-arid rangelands of West Kazakhstan","authors":"Alyona Koshkina , Ilya Smelansky , Aida Tabelinova , Genevieve Stephens , Sorrel Jones , Albert Salemgareev , Michele Bowe , Adam Devenish","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The saiga antelope (<em>Saiga tatarica</em>), a keystone species of the Eurasian steppe biome, has recovered from near extinction in the early 2000s to a population of 2.8 million by 2024. This remarkable recovery has transformed the species into a global conservation success story. However rapidly increasing populations have also reshaped the nature of human-wildlife interactions and intensified conflicts in parts of their range, particularly in western Kazakhstan, which hosts over half of the global saiga population.</div><div>To assess the extent, nature and drivers of this human-saiga conflict we conducted an interdisciplinary study combining semi-structured interviews (<em>n</em> = 112; thematically coded), participatory mapping, and geospatial analyses across four districts of the West Kazakhstan Province during 2022–23. We identified four main conflict drivers: (1) damage to haymaking lands, (2) competition with livestock over scarce freshwater resources, (3) competition for grazing lands and (4) the perceived risk of saiga spreading zoonotic diseases to livestock. Spatial mapping identified over 60 potential hotspots of water usage conflicts due to overlapping saiga-livestock densities, limited water availability, and intense grazing pressure. These conflicts are exacerbated during drought conditions and peak in seasons of heightened resource demand, such as saiga calving and winter grazing periods.</div><div>Our findings extend beyond the immediate context of saiga-human interactions. By combining spatial ecological data (saiga occurrence, livestock densities, and water availability) with local community perceptions, we identified areas of conflict and their underlying drivers, offering actionable insights into mitigation strategies. These include restoring water infrastructure, implementing participatory management approaches, and developing compensation mechanisms to offset resource losses. The study underscores the urgent need for adaptive conservation frameworks that balance the ecological imperatives of species recovery with the livelihoods of pastoralist communities. These insights are critical for addressing similar conservation challenges globally, particularly in comparable rangeland systems experiencing rapid ecological and socio-economic change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111631"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579387","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 : 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111622
Meagan Harper , Charlotte Carrier-Belleau , Trina Rytwinski , Brian Helmuth , Irena F. Creed , John P. Smol , Joseph R. Bennett , Dalal E.L. Hanna , Leonardo A. Saravia , Juan Rocha , Aubrey Foulk , Sam Dupont , Courtney Robichaud , Ana Hernández Martínez de la Riva , Angeli Sahdra , Steven J. Cooke
The concept of tipping points is increasingly being addressed in both fundamental and applied environmental contexts, and is particularly salient in the context of anthropogenic threats, including climate change. Most research on tipping points has been conducted through the lens of a single realm (i.e., freshwater, marine, or terrestrial). Yet, there is both the need and opportunity to learn and share across ecosystems, and to engage in coordinated and comparative research. We aimed to identify priority questions that are germane to freshwater, marine and terrestrial realms, and that, if answered, would improve our ability to understand what tipping points are, why they occur, where they occur, and what to do about them. To help enable such efforts, we assembled a team with diverse expertise to identify key research questions, supplemented by an outreach call distributed via various electronic outlets (e.g., email, websites, social media). The responses were then thematized, evaluated, aggregated or disaggregated, and prioritized. Through workshops, and using a modified Delphi approach, we developed a final list of 18 priority research questions. Key themes that emerged included questions of societal relevance (i.e., why questions), drivers, ecological processes, and sensitivity (i.e., what questions), scale and connectivity (i.e., where questions), and tools, techniques, and resources for implementation (i.e., how questions). These questions frame a research agenda intended to help guide future fundamental and applied research related to tipping points in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems.
{"title":"Gaps in tipping points research across freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems","authors":"Meagan Harper , Charlotte Carrier-Belleau , Trina Rytwinski , Brian Helmuth , Irena F. Creed , John P. Smol , Joseph R. Bennett , Dalal E.L. Hanna , Leonardo A. Saravia , Juan Rocha , Aubrey Foulk , Sam Dupont , Courtney Robichaud , Ana Hernández Martínez de la Riva , Angeli Sahdra , Steven J. Cooke","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111622","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The concept of tipping points is increasingly being addressed in both fundamental and applied environmental contexts, and is particularly salient in the context of anthropogenic threats, including climate change. Most research on tipping points has been conducted through the lens of a single realm (i.e., freshwater, marine, or terrestrial). Yet, there is both the need and opportunity to learn and share across ecosystems, and to engage in coordinated and comparative research. We aimed to identify priority questions that are germane to freshwater, marine and terrestrial realms, and that, if answered, would improve our ability to understand what tipping points are, why they occur, where they occur, and what to do about them. To help enable such efforts, we assembled a team with diverse expertise to identify key research questions, supplemented by an outreach call distributed via various electronic outlets (e.g., email, websites, social media). The responses were then thematized, evaluated, aggregated or disaggregated, and prioritized. Through workshops, and using a modified Delphi approach, we developed a final list of 18 priority research questions. Key themes that emerged included questions of societal relevance (i.e., why questions), drivers, ecological processes, and sensitivity (i.e., what questions), scale and connectivity (i.e., where questions), and tools, techniques, and resources for implementation (i.e., how questions). These questions frame a research agenda intended to help guide future fundamental and applied research related to tipping points in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111622"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579386","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 : 2025-11-20DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111623
Philip Erm , Matthew H. Holden , Gianluca Cerullo , Rhys E. Green , Andrew Balmford
Reducing the biodiversity impacts of production systems like agriculture, fisheries, and forestry is among humanity's most urgent challenges. Efforts typically focus on: (1) decreasing the area used for production; (2) reducing the direct impacts of production on biodiversity; or (3) lowering the demand for production. While such actions appear useful in isolation, neglecting to account for how elements of production systems interact with one another can see actions pursued that may risk biodiversity loss. Accordingly, we develop a generalised framework highlighting these interactions and their ubiquity across production contexts, and illustrate how it can be used to identify actions that can deliver overall benefits for biodiversity.
{"title":"Towards a unifying theory of conservation in production systems","authors":"Philip Erm , Matthew H. Holden , Gianluca Cerullo , Rhys E. Green , Andrew Balmford","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111623","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111623","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reducing the biodiversity impacts of production systems like agriculture, fisheries, and forestry is among humanity's most urgent challenges. Efforts typically focus on: (1) decreasing the area used for production; (2) reducing the direct impacts of production on biodiversity; or (3) lowering the demand for production. While such actions appear useful in isolation, neglecting to account for how elements of production systems interact with one another can see actions pursued that may risk biodiversity loss. Accordingly, we develop a generalised framework highlighting these interactions and their ubiquity across production contexts, and illustrate how it can be used to identify actions that can deliver overall benefits for biodiversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111623"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579384","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}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号