Pub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2025.04.002
Karina Gisell Rey Pulido , Santiago José Elías Velazco
Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) have recently been implemented in countries such as Colombia and, together with protected areas (PA), are crucial biodiversity conservation strategies. Assessing the contribution of different area-based conservation frameworks (i.e., PA and OECMs) involves evaluating the representation degree of species' geographic ranges, representation targets achievement (i.e., Gap analysis), priority areas for conservation, and their relationship with the remaining habitat. Snakes regulate prey populations, interfere with the behavior and diet of other species, can be bioindicators, and facilitate the transfer of energy and biomass between environments, making them a conservation priority. Currently, Colombia hosts > 300 snake species from nine families. Here, we explored the snake diversity pattern in Colombia and its relationship with remaining habitat. We also evaluated the degree of representation within PA and OECMs of species geographic distributions, species richness, and priority areas for conservation. Areas with the highest snake richness are in the Andean, Pacific, and Amazon regions; however, these are predominantly outside PA and OECMs. Representativeness of species ranges and representation targets within PA increased with the OECMs. The Caribbean and Andean regions have areas with the lowest remaining habitat. Our findings highlight that the OECMs contribute to the conservation of snakes in Colombia and complement PA. The Pacific, Orinoco, Amazon, and the northern Caribbean presented the highest concentration of priority areas for conservation and given the presence of indigenous people groups and large remaining habitat, these regions are most promising for creating new OECMs.
{"title":"On protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures to conserve biodiversity. Exploring their contribution to Colombian snakes","authors":"Karina Gisell Rey Pulido , Santiago José Elías Velazco","doi":"10.1016/j.pecon.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pecon.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) have recently been implemented in countries such as Colombia and, together with protected areas (PA), are crucial biodiversity conservation strategies. Assessing the contribution of different area-based conservation frameworks (i.e., PA and OECMs) involves evaluating the representation degree of species' geographic ranges, representation targets achievement (i.e., Gap analysis), priority areas for conservation, and their relationship with the remaining habitat. Snakes regulate prey populations, interfere with the behavior and diet of other species, can be bioindicators, and facilitate the transfer of energy and biomass between environments, making them a conservation priority. Currently, Colombia hosts > 300 snake species from nine families. Here, we explored the snake diversity pattern in Colombia and its relationship with remaining habitat. We also evaluated the degree of representation within PA and OECMs of species geographic distributions, species richness, and priority areas for conservation. Areas with the highest snake richness are in the Andean, Pacific, and Amazon regions; however, these are predominantly outside PA and OECMs. Representativeness of species ranges and representation targets within PA increased with the OECMs. The Caribbean and Andean regions have areas with the lowest remaining habitat. Our findings highlight that the OECMs contribute to the conservation of snakes in Colombia and complement PA. The Pacific, Orinoco, Amazon, and the northern Caribbean presented the highest concentration of priority areas for conservation and given the presence of indigenous people groups and large remaining habitat, these regions are most promising for creating new OECMs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56034,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"23 2","pages":"Pages 110-120"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144243407","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.001
Crislaine de Almeida , J. Leighton Reid , Renato A. Ferreira de Lima , Luis Fernando Guedes Pinto , Ricardo Augusto Gorne Viani
One goal of ecological restoration is species conservation, so selecting tree species from local floras in restoration plantings is important to restore native species populations and avoid biotic homogenization. We evaluated if species planted to restore the Brazilian Atlantic Forest adequately represent the tree flora from local reference forests, comparing the tree seedlings selected for 1,073 restoration plantings with inventory data from 268 forest remnants, for three different Atlantic Forest types. We compared the floristic composition between plantings and remnants and calculated the Jaccard dissimilarity index to assess beta diversity among plantings, among remnants, and between plantings and remnants. Overall, plantings have lower beta diversity and higher nestedness than remnants. Furthermore, plantings form a single floristic group while remnants are split into three forest types. Plantings are more floristically similar to one another than to regional remnant forest types. Tree species selected for Atlantic Forest restoration poorly represent local floras, which could favor biotic homogenization. Incentivizing greater representation of local floras and threatened and endemic species is needed for forest restoration to facilitate biodiversity recovery at large spatial scales.
{"title":"High-diversity Atlantic Forest restoration plantings fail to represent local floras","authors":"Crislaine de Almeida , J. Leighton Reid , Renato A. Ferreira de Lima , Luis Fernando Guedes Pinto , Ricardo Augusto Gorne Viani","doi":"10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>One goal of ecological restoration is species conservation, so selecting tree species from local floras in restoration plantings is important to restore native species populations and avoid biotic homogenization. We evaluated if species planted to restore the Brazilian Atlantic Forest adequately represent the tree flora from local reference forests, comparing the tree seedlings selected for 1,073 restoration plantings with inventory data from 268 forest remnants, for three different Atlantic Forest types. We compared the floristic composition between plantings and remnants and calculated the Jaccard dissimilarity index to assess beta diversity among plantings, among remnants, and between plantings and remnants. Overall, plantings have lower beta diversity and higher nestedness than remnants. Furthermore, plantings form a single floristic group while remnants are split into three forest types. Plantings are more floristically similar to one another than to regional remnant forest types. Tree species selected for Atlantic Forest restoration poorly represent local floras, which could favor biotic homogenization. Incentivizing greater representation of local floras and threatened and endemic species is needed for forest restoration to facilitate biodiversity recovery at large spatial scales.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56034,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"23 1","pages":"Pages 6-11"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2025.01.001
Domingos de Jesus Rodrigues , Thadeu Sobral-Souza , Tiago Shizen Pacheco Toma , Aretha Franklin Guimaraes , Thiago Junqueira Izzo , Marcos Penhacek , Flávia Rodrigues Barbosa , Neucir Szinwelski , Afonso Kempner , Willian Schornobay Bochenski , Milton Omar Cordova Neyra , Helena Streit , Gerhard Ernst Overbeck , Fabio de Oliveira Roque , Geraldo Wilson Fernandes , Cássio Cardoso Pereira , Philip Martin Fearnside
This article addresses the reduction and elimination of protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon. This impacts Brazil's conservation efforts, ecosystem processes, and climate change mitigation. The phrase “Passando a boiada” (Passing the herd through) originated from a statement by Brazil's then-Minister of the Environment, Ricardo Salles in a 2020 ministerial meeting and reflects the 2019–2022 Jair Bolsonaro presidential administration`s dismantling of environmental policies. Despite the current President's efforts to restore environmental protections, the Ruralist Front's control of the National Congress continues to threaten protected areas. Cristalino II State Park, located in the southern Amazon in Mato Grosso state, is facing elimination due to fraudulent land claims. Reducing protected areas undermines biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation. Maintaining these areas is crucial for Brazil to fulfill its COP 15 commitment to achieve zero deforestation by 2030. The situation demands urgent global attention to uphold conservation commitments and to prevent further ecosystem degradation.
这篇文章讨论了巴西亚马逊保护区的减少和消除。这影响了巴西的保护工作、生态系统进程和减缓气候变化。“穿过牛群”(Passando a boiada)一词源于时任巴西环境部长里卡多·萨勒斯在2020年部长级会议上的发言,反映了2019-2022年博尔索纳罗政府对环境政策的拆解。尽管现任总统努力恢复环境保护,但乡村主义阵线对国民大会的控制继续威胁着保护区。Cristalino II州立公园位于马托格罗索州的亚马逊南部,由于欺诈性的土地索赔,该公园正面临被取消的危险。减少保护区破坏了生物多样性保护和减缓气候变化。维护这些地区对于巴西履行其到2030年实现零森林砍伐的缔约方会议第十五次会议承诺至关重要。这种情况迫切需要全球关注,以履行保护承诺,防止生态系统进一步退化。
{"title":"Passando a boiada: degazettement and downsizing threaten protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon","authors":"Domingos de Jesus Rodrigues , Thadeu Sobral-Souza , Tiago Shizen Pacheco Toma , Aretha Franklin Guimaraes , Thiago Junqueira Izzo , Marcos Penhacek , Flávia Rodrigues Barbosa , Neucir Szinwelski , Afonso Kempner , Willian Schornobay Bochenski , Milton Omar Cordova Neyra , Helena Streit , Gerhard Ernst Overbeck , Fabio de Oliveira Roque , Geraldo Wilson Fernandes , Cássio Cardoso Pereira , Philip Martin Fearnside","doi":"10.1016/j.pecon.2025.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pecon.2025.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article addresses the reduction and elimination of protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon. This impacts Brazil's conservation efforts, ecosystem processes, and climate change mitigation. The phrase “<em>Passando a boiada</em>” (Passing the herd through) originated from a statement by Brazil's then-Minister of the Environment, Ricardo Salles in a 2020 ministerial meeting and reflects the 2019–2022 Jair Bolsonaro presidential administration`s dismantling of environmental policies. Despite the current President's efforts to restore environmental protections, the Ruralist Front's control of the National Congress continues to threaten protected areas. Cristalino II State Park, located in the southern Amazon in Mato Grosso state, is facing elimination due to fraudulent land claims. Reducing protected areas undermines biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation. Maintaining these areas is crucial for Brazil to fulfill its COP 15 commitment to achieve zero deforestation by 2030. The situation demands urgent global attention to uphold conservation commitments and to prevent further ecosystem degradation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56034,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"23 1","pages":"Pages 1-5"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.004
Mônica da Costa Lima , Fredy Alvarado , Helder F.P. de Araujo
A research challenge for this century is the integration of highly productive and sustainable landscapes. This issue is crucial for semi-arid regions, where historical land management practices have led to habitat loss and desertification processes. In this study, we evaluated the relative effects of habitat amount (forest cover), landscape heterogeneity (landscape diversity) and spatial arrangement (forest fragmentation and edge density) on bird α and β-diversity in the Caatinga tropical dry forest of northeastern Brazil. We separately assessed the complete bird assemblage and three different ecological groups (forest specialist, habitat generalist and open-area specialist species). Our results indicate that habitat amount is the main positive driver of α and β-diversity of birds in the Caatinga landscapes. However, landscape heterogeneity emerged as an important positive driver for habitat generalist and open-area specialist species. Our results highlight the importance of landscape-scale forest cover and increasing landscape heterogeneity on productive lands as a strategy to balance food production and biodiversity conservation in dry forest regions such as the Caatinga.
{"title":"Birds in agroscapes: effects of forest cover and landscape heterogeneity on dryland bird diversity and composition","authors":"Mônica da Costa Lima , Fredy Alvarado , Helder F.P. de Araujo","doi":"10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A research challenge for this century is the integration of highly productive and sustainable landscapes. This issue is crucial for semi-arid regions, where historical land management practices have led to habitat loss and desertification processes. In this study, we evaluated the relative effects of habitat amount (forest cover), landscape heterogeneity (landscape diversity) and spatial arrangement (forest fragmentation and edge density) on bird α and β-diversity in the Caatinga tropical dry forest of northeastern Brazil. We separately assessed the complete bird assemblage and three different ecological groups (forest specialist, habitat generalist and open-area specialist species). Our results indicate that habitat amount is the main positive driver of α and β-diversity of birds in the Caatinga landscapes. However, landscape heterogeneity emerged as an important positive driver for habitat generalist and open-area specialist species. Our results highlight the importance of landscape-scale forest cover and increasing landscape heterogeneity on productive lands as a strategy to balance food production and biodiversity conservation in dry forest regions such as the Caatinga.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56034,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"23 1","pages":"Pages 12-18"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2025.03.001
Monize Altomare , Heraldo L. Vasconcelos , Vagner Santiago do Vale , Imma Oliveras Menor
Although vegetation along road verges might appear as marginal spaces, they can help mitigate the impact of roads and make a significant contribution to biodiversity conservation. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that these areas provide and maximize as many ecosystem services as possible. We analyzed the potential of road verges for preserving the biodiversity and ecological functions of the Cerrado ecosystems. We used a supervised land use classification to determine the current extent of native vegetation cover and habitat types along paved roads within the states of Minas Gerais and Goiás, including the Federal District, and the extent of vegetation cover change from 2017 to 2023. Additionally, we also estimated the current potential of these areas in terms of aboveground carbon stock. We found that approximately 32% of the road verges are covered with Cerrado native vegetation, storing more than 600,000 tons of carbon. However, 150,000 hectares have already been cleared before 2023, resulting in the release of nearly 3.8 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere. We also found that the amount of native vegetation cover along road verges remained relatively stable over the seven-year study period. Our study highlights the vital role of Cerrado road verges in maintaining native vegetation and storing carbon. Despite the challenges, conservation efforts must prioritize law enforcement to prevent occupation or modification of these areas, ensure the preservation of native vegetation, and implement strategic planning to maximize the ecological potential of Cerrado road verges.
{"title":"The conservation potential of road verges in the savannas of Brazil: Challenges and opportunities","authors":"Monize Altomare , Heraldo L. Vasconcelos , Vagner Santiago do Vale , Imma Oliveras Menor","doi":"10.1016/j.pecon.2025.03.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pecon.2025.03.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although vegetation along road verges might appear as marginal spaces, they can help mitigate the impact of roads and make a significant contribution to biodiversity conservation. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that these areas provide and maximize as many ecosystem services as possible. We analyzed the potential of road verges for preserving the biodiversity and ecological functions of the Cerrado ecosystems. We used a supervised land use classification to determine the current extent of native vegetation cover and habitat types along paved roads within the states of Minas Gerais and Goiás, including the Federal District, and the extent of vegetation cover change from 2017 to 2023. Additionally, we also estimated the current potential of these areas in terms of aboveground carbon stock. We found that approximately 32% of the road verges are covered with Cerrado native vegetation, storing more than 600,000 tons of carbon. However, 150,000 hectares have already been cleared before 2023, resulting in the release of nearly 3.8 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere. We also found that the amount of native vegetation cover along road verges remained relatively stable over the seven-year study period. Our study highlights the vital role of Cerrado road verges in maintaining native vegetation and storing carbon. Despite the challenges, conservation efforts must prioritize law enforcement to prevent occupation or modification of these areas, ensure the preservation of native vegetation, and implement strategic planning to maximize the ecological potential of Cerrado road verges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56034,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"23 1","pages":"Pages 19-25"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2025.02.001
A. Quaresma , G. Zuquim , L.O. Demarchi , C.C. Ribas , F. Wittmann , A.M. Assunção , C.C Carneiro , P.P. Ferreira , J.J.P. Juruna , R.T.V. da S. Juruna , M.S.S. Kleme , S.B. Lima , S.R. Lima , T.R. Mantovanelli , G.M. Martins , J. Muriel-Cunha , J.A. Nunes , H. Palmquist , T.J.C Pereira , J.C.B. Pezzuti , R. Cruz e Silva
The Amazonian river-floodplain systems face unprecedented threats from the construction of hydroelectric power plants aimed at meeting Brazil's energy demands. However, evidence suggests that the long-term economic, social, and environmental damages outweigh the hydroelectricity advantages. The Volta Grande do Xingu was dammed and its water diverted to energy production, resulting in habitat loss due to the altered hydrological regimes. Flooded environments are vital for ecosystem services, including food production, biogeochemical cycles, and climate regulation. The construction and operation of hydropower plants disrupt these services, affecting Indigenous populations and ribeirinhos communities. Environmental Impact Assessments often underestimate these impacts, and the responsibility for monitoring falls on the companies themselves, leading to conflicts of interest and inadequate reporting. This triggered an Independent Territorial Environmental Monitoring (MATI-VGX) initiative, led by Indigenous and ribeirinhos researchers in partnership with academics. MATI-VGX's observations reveal changes in flooded ecosystems, including increased seedling density and leaf-cutter ant colonies in the understory, changes in plant species composition, disruption of the phenological cycle, and vegetation mortality. Moreover, reduced fruit dispersion disrupts the aquatic food web and threatens Indigenous and ribeirinhos food sources. These changes indicate ecosystem decay and disruption of ecological processes. Importantly, these impacts are noticeable after a short period of water diversion, highlighting the urgency of mitigation efforts. A research agenda must quantify tree mortality, understand physiological mechanisms, and assess the cascade effects on wildlife and food security. Ultimately, restoring natural hydrological patterns is essential for preserving Amazonian biodiversity and the livelihoods of Indigenous and ribeirinhos communities.
{"title":"Belo Monte Dam impacts: Protagonism of local people in research and monitoring reveals ecosystem service decay in Amazonian flooded vegetation","authors":"A. Quaresma , G. Zuquim , L.O. Demarchi , C.C. Ribas , F. Wittmann , A.M. Assunção , C.C Carneiro , P.P. Ferreira , J.J.P. Juruna , R.T.V. da S. Juruna , M.S.S. Kleme , S.B. Lima , S.R. Lima , T.R. Mantovanelli , G.M. Martins , J. Muriel-Cunha , J.A. Nunes , H. Palmquist , T.J.C Pereira , J.C.B. Pezzuti , R. Cruz e Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.pecon.2025.02.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pecon.2025.02.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Amazonian river-floodplain systems face unprecedented threats from the construction of hydroelectric power plants aimed at meeting Brazil's energy demands. However, evidence suggests that the long-term economic, social, and environmental damages outweigh the hydroelectricity advantages. The Volta Grande do Xingu was dammed and its water diverted to energy production, resulting in habitat loss due to the altered hydrological regimes. Flooded environments are vital for ecosystem services, including food production, biogeochemical cycles, and climate regulation. The construction and operation of hydropower plants disrupt these services, affecting Indigenous populations and <em>ribeirinhos</em> communities. Environmental Impact Assessments often underestimate these impacts, and the responsibility for monitoring falls on the companies themselves, leading to conflicts of interest and inadequate reporting. This triggered an Independent Territorial Environmental Monitoring (MATI-VGX) initiative, led by Indigenous and <em>ribeirinhos</em> researchers in partnership with academics. MATI-VGX's observations reveal changes in flooded ecosystems, including increased seedling density and leaf-cutter ant colonies in the understory, changes in plant species composition, disruption of the phenological cycle, and vegetation mortality. Moreover, reduced fruit dispersion disrupts the aquatic food web and threatens Indigenous and <em>ribeirinhos</em> food sources. These changes indicate ecosystem decay and disruption of ecological processes. Importantly, these impacts are noticeable after a short period of water diversion, highlighting the urgency of mitigation efforts. A research agenda must quantify tree mortality, understand physiological mechanisms, and assess the cascade effects on wildlife and food security. Ultimately, restoring natural hydrological patterns is essential for preserving Amazonian biodiversity and the livelihoods of Indigenous and <em>ribeirinhos</em> communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56034,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"23 1","pages":"Pages 39-50"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2025.02.002
Francisco Navarro-Rosales , Chloë Strevens , Immaculada Oliveras Menor
Current conservation strategies must acknowledge the multifaceted role of fire as a key ecosystem process and a socioecological threat. Understanding the role of fire in the context of rewilding is critical due to the need to implement and scale-up nature recovery strategies in the face of altered fire regimes and other anthropogenic pressures. Despite the gradual incorporation of the concept of fire into the rewilding literature, views surrounding fire’s contribution to rewilding remain complex and unclear. We have therefore conducted a structured literature review in order to synthesise the main discourses surrounding the role of fire in rewilding so that researchers and practitioners are better aware of the opportunities and risks when considering fire as part of rewilding programmes. By classifying arguments based on their positive/supportive or negative/cautious perceptions towards fire and rewilding and extracting common themes, we were able to identify four broadly distinct discourses describing potential ways in which fire – or fire management – and rewilding could be considered within the landscape: A) fire as an ecosystem process to be introduced through rewilding, B) fire as a socioecological risk to be averted by rewilding, C) fire as a potential hazard brought by rewilding, requiring management, and D) fire as a beneficial management strategy which is put at risk by rewilding. We describe the main themes and common arguments presented by discourses A to D, outlining context and trends in occurrence of sources assigned to each discourse. Better integration of fire and rewilding will require clarifying differences in rewilding definitions and acknowledging strong context dependence of fire management options, decision-making processes and conservation outcomes. As rewilding strategies expand into areas with diverse fire dependencies, histories, and vulnerabilities, thematic commonalities across fire and rewilding discourses reveal strong potential for synergies between the use of fire and rewilding for conservation.
{"title":"What is the role of fire in rewilding? Synthesising peer-reviewed literature into four thematic discourses","authors":"Francisco Navarro-Rosales , Chloë Strevens , Immaculada Oliveras Menor","doi":"10.1016/j.pecon.2025.02.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pecon.2025.02.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Current conservation strategies must acknowledge the multifaceted role of fire as a key ecosystem process and a socioecological threat. Understanding the role of fire in the context of rewilding is critical due to the need to implement and scale-up nature recovery strategies in the face of altered fire regimes and other anthropogenic pressures. Despite the gradual incorporation of the concept of fire into the rewilding literature, views surrounding fire’s contribution to rewilding remain complex and unclear. We have therefore conducted a structured literature review in order to synthesise the main discourses surrounding the role of fire in rewilding so that researchers and practitioners are better aware of the opportunities and risks when considering fire as part of rewilding programmes. By classifying arguments based on their positive/supportive or negative/cautious perceptions towards fire and rewilding and extracting common themes, we were able to identify four broadly distinct discourses describing potential ways in which fire – or fire management – and rewilding could be considered within the landscape: A) fire as an ecosystem process to be introduced through rewilding, B) fire as a socioecological risk to be averted by rewilding, C) fire as a potential hazard brought by rewilding, requiring management, and D) fire as a beneficial management strategy which is put at risk by rewilding. We describe the main themes and common arguments presented by discourses A to D, outlining context and trends in occurrence of sources assigned to each discourse. Better integration of fire and rewilding will require clarifying differences in rewilding definitions and acknowledging strong context dependence of fire management options, decision-making processes and conservation outcomes. As rewilding strategies expand into areas with diverse fire dependencies, histories, and vulnerabilities, thematic commonalities across fire and rewilding discourses reveal strong potential for synergies between the use of fire and rewilding for conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56034,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"23 1","pages":"Pages 51-59"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.002
Alice J. Twomey , Jayden Hyman , Karlina Indraswari , Maximilian Kotz , Courtney L. Morgans , Kevin R. Bairos-Novak
Conservation challenges are often intertwined with complex geopolitical challenges such as climate change and economic development, that cannot be solved through traditional single-discipline approaches. Whilst the benefits of transdisciplinary approaches are widely acknowledged, the integration of such approaches in conservation research and practice remains limited, underscoring a significant gap in current efforts to address global biodiversity and sustainability challenges. Early career researchers (ECRs) are ideally positioned to embrace and advance such approaches; however, the transition to transdisciplinary research results in many challenges for ECRs, from navigating the complexities of interdisciplinary collaborations to establishing a transdisciplinary research career. Drawing on the insights from our own journeys as transdisciplinary researchers, we outline key obstacles we have encountered and propose a set of actionable recommendations. These guidelines aim to support ECRs in overcoming the barriers to transdisciplinary work, facilitating the broader application of these approaches in environmental conservation and beyond, and fostering a more integrated and effective response to global conservation challenges.
{"title":"From silos to solutions: Navigating transdisciplinary conservation research for early career researchers","authors":"Alice J. Twomey , Jayden Hyman , Karlina Indraswari , Maximilian Kotz , Courtney L. Morgans , Kevin R. Bairos-Novak","doi":"10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conservation challenges are often intertwined with complex geopolitical challenges such as climate change and economic development, that cannot be solved through traditional single-discipline approaches. Whilst the benefits of transdisciplinary approaches are widely acknowledged, the integration of such approaches in conservation research and practice remains limited, underscoring a significant gap in current efforts to address global biodiversity and sustainability challenges. Early career researchers (ECRs) are ideally positioned to embrace and advance such approaches; however, the transition to transdisciplinary research results in many challenges for ECRs, from navigating the complexities of interdisciplinary collaborations to establishing a transdisciplinary research career. Drawing on the insights from our own journeys as transdisciplinary researchers, we outline key obstacles we have encountered and propose a set of actionable recommendations. These guidelines aim to support ECRs in overcoming the barriers to transdisciplinary work, facilitating the broader application of these approaches in environmental conservation and beyond, and fostering a more integrated and effective response to global conservation challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56034,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"23 1","pages":"Pages 26-31"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.003
Norma I. Díaz , Paulo Corti
Written historical sources are crucial for understanding wildlife species’ environmental requirements, spatial and temporal dynamics, and guiding conservation strategies. Such records include accounts from a diverse array of sources, including explorers, settlers, missionaries, naturalists, hunters, and military parties, along with manuscripts and gazettes. However, such data is affected by inherent gaps, biases, and limitations. Here we examine the weaknesses of such data that can lead to distorted interpretations of long-term changes in species distributions and their ecological requirements. Despite this awareness, efforts to document these weaknesses are limited. To prevent incorrect conclusions and misunderstandings, it is essential to critically assess and quantify the quality of the data before utilizing it. To bridge this gap and maximize utility, we present a seven-step process for data evaluation and use.
{"title":"Ensuring the quality of historical data for wildlife conservation: A methodological framework","authors":"Norma I. Díaz , Paulo Corti","doi":"10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Written historical sources are crucial for understanding wildlife species’ environmental requirements, spatial and temporal dynamics, and guiding conservation strategies. Such records include accounts from a diverse array of sources, including explorers, settlers, missionaries, naturalists, hunters, and military parties, along with manuscripts and gazettes. However, such data is affected by inherent gaps, biases, and limitations. Here we examine the weaknesses of such data that can lead to distorted interpretations of long-term changes in species distributions and their ecological requirements. Despite this awareness, efforts to document these weaknesses are limited. To prevent incorrect conclusions and misunderstandings, it is essential to critically assess and quantify the quality of the data before utilizing it. To bridge this gap and maximize utility, we present a seven-step process for data evaluation and use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56034,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"23 1","pages":"Pages 32-38"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2024.11.004
Jean Paul Metzger , Carlos Joly , Gerd Sparovek , Renata Pardini , Patricia Ruggiero , Gabriela di Giulio , Cristina Azevedo , Danilo Boscolo , Pedro H.S. Brancalion , Helena Carrascosa , Raquel Carvalho , Luciana Schwandner Ferreira , Alexandre Gerard , Camila Hohlenwerger , Alexandre Igari , Pedro Medrado Krainovic , Eduardo Freitas Moreira , Nathalia Nascimento , Juliana Ortega , Marco Aurelio Nalon , Rafael B. Chaves
Interdisciplinary synthesis research has been promoting significant advances in expanding academic knowledge. However, its application to address social-ecological problems poses challenges, typical of transdisciplinary research and co-production initiatives. Based on the experience of seven working groups from a Brazilian synthesis nucleus dedicated to co-producing social-ecological public policies, we present eight learnings to strengthen transdisciplinary syntheses. Those syntheses require flexibility in the working group dynamics to facilitate collaborative work, with frequent and short meetings held in easily accessible locations (1). They also require flexibility to shape different trajectories, depending on demand urgency, data and knowledge availability (2). Flexibility is also required to adjust to political circumstances, acknowledging that there are trade-offs between responding to urgent political needs and creating novel ideas, knowledge and outputs (3). In addition, the creation of formal institutions, particularly, formal engagement at the science-policy interface (4) and creating formal platforms for disseminating non-academic outputs (5) are key to stimulate the involvement of policy-makers and scientists in collaborative transdisciplinary syntheses. Symmetrical, horizontal interactions within a two-way science-policy linkage (6), alongside collective reflexivity on bridging diverse knowledge, skills, and authorities (7) are crucial for aligning academic knowledge with policy practices. Active involvement of individuals skilled in both scientific research and policy-making, who act as knowledge brokers, further strengthens this alignment. Finally, attention to create positive interactions and transparently communicating help to build trust among participants (8). These adjustments can enhance the potential of transdisciplinary syntheses to generate actionable knowledge at the science-policy interface.
{"title":"Guiding transdisciplinary synthesis processes for social-ecological policy decisions","authors":"Jean Paul Metzger , Carlos Joly , Gerd Sparovek , Renata Pardini , Patricia Ruggiero , Gabriela di Giulio , Cristina Azevedo , Danilo Boscolo , Pedro H.S. Brancalion , Helena Carrascosa , Raquel Carvalho , Luciana Schwandner Ferreira , Alexandre Gerard , Camila Hohlenwerger , Alexandre Igari , Pedro Medrado Krainovic , Eduardo Freitas Moreira , Nathalia Nascimento , Juliana Ortega , Marco Aurelio Nalon , Rafael B. Chaves","doi":"10.1016/j.pecon.2024.11.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pecon.2024.11.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interdisciplinary synthesis research has been promoting significant advances in expanding academic knowledge. However, its application to address social-ecological problems poses challenges, typical of transdisciplinary research and co-production initiatives. Based on the experience of seven working groups from a Brazilian synthesis nucleus dedicated to co-producing social-ecological public policies, we present eight learnings to strengthen transdisciplinary syntheses. Those syntheses require flexibility in the working group dynamics to facilitate collaborative work, with frequent and short meetings held in easily accessible locations (1). They also require flexibility to shape different trajectories, depending on demand urgency, data and knowledge availability (2). Flexibility is also required to adjust to political circumstances, acknowledging that there are trade-offs between responding to urgent political needs and creating novel ideas, knowledge and outputs (3). In addition, the creation of formal institutions, particularly, formal engagement at the science-policy interface (4) and creating formal platforms for disseminating non-academic outputs (5) are key to stimulate the involvement of policy-makers and scientists in collaborative transdisciplinary syntheses. Symmetrical, horizontal interactions within a two-way science-policy linkage (6), alongside collective reflexivity on bridging diverse knowledge, skills, and authorities (7) are crucial for aligning academic knowledge with policy practices. Active involvement of individuals skilled in both scientific research and policy-making, who act as knowledge brokers, further strengthens this alignment. Finally, attention to create positive interactions and transparently communicating help to build trust among participants (8). These adjustments can enhance the potential of transdisciplinary syntheses to generate actionable knowledge at the science-policy interface.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56034,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"22 4","pages":"Pages 315-327"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143268879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}