Pub Date : 2024-08-24DOI: 10.1007/s10531-024-02925-7
Masoumeh Najibzadeh
The Hyrcanian forests have a diverse fauna and flora with many endemic species of plants and animals. The Iranian long-legged wood frog, Rana pseudodalmatina, is one of the endemic species in this forest. The phylogenetic and morphologic analysis indicates the existence of the western and the eastern clades in R. pseudodalmatina. Differences in the life history of the same species can attributed to different habitat quality or climate. The probability of encountering an Iranian long-legged wood frog, R. pseudodalmatina in the western half of the Hyrcanian forests of the southern shores of the Caspian Sea is much higher than in the forests of the eastern sea. This increase in the detection probability can be attributed to higher precipitation levels in the West of the Hyrcanian forests compared to the East. I observed that the Eastern populations tend to have larger sizes. In addition, the individuals of the western branch have a lower mean age (5.29 ± 0.74 years) than the eastern ones (8.36 ± 0.08 years). According to our results, females were larger (54.64 ± 0.53 mm) and older (7.68 ± 0.24 years) than males (48.13 ± 0.39 mm; 5.89 ± 0.39 years) in both eastern and western clades. So, the difference has been attributed to the variation in precipitation between the East and West of the sea, leading to different environmental conditions for R. pseudodalmatina. Hence, any conservation planning to protect this native species of the Hyrcanian forests must consider inter and intra-population differences in the East and West of the Hyrcanian forests.
{"title":"First detection probability, comparative analysis of ecological disparities and population dynamics of the Iranian long-legged wood frog in the Hyrcanian forests","authors":"Masoumeh Najibzadeh","doi":"10.1007/s10531-024-02925-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-024-02925-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Hyrcanian forests have a diverse fauna and flora with many endemic species of plants and animals. The Iranian long-legged wood frog, <i>Rana pseudodalmatina</i>, is one of the endemic species in this forest. The phylogenetic and morphologic analysis indicates the existence of the western and the eastern clades in <i>R. pseudodalmatina</i>. Differences in the life history of the same species can attributed to different habitat quality or climate. The probability of encountering an Iranian long-legged wood frog, <i>R. pseudodalmatina</i> in the western half of the Hyrcanian forests of the southern shores of the Caspian Sea is much higher than in the forests of the eastern sea. This increase in the detection probability can be attributed to higher precipitation levels in the West of the Hyrcanian forests compared to the East. I observed that the Eastern populations tend to have larger sizes. In addition, the individuals of the western branch have a lower mean age (5.29 ± 0.74 years) than the eastern ones (8.36 ± 0.08 years). According to our results, females were larger (54.64 ± 0.53 mm) and older (7.68 ± 0.24 years) than males (48.13 ± 0.39 mm; 5.89 ± 0.39 years) in both eastern and western clades. So, the difference has been attributed to the variation in precipitation between the East and West of the sea, leading to different environmental conditions for <i>R. pseudodalmatina</i>. Hence, any conservation planning to protect this native species of the Hyrcanian forests must consider inter and intra-population differences in the East and West of the Hyrcanian forests.</p>","PeriodicalId":8843,"journal":{"name":"Biodiversity and Conservation","volume":"125 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142191410","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 : 2024-08-23DOI: 10.1007/s10531-024-02920-y
César Isidro Carvajal-Hernández, Jorge Antonio Gómez-Díaz
The increasing threats to global biodiversity notably impact cycads, one of the most endangered organisms. Despite the importance of nature reserves, they only sometimes provide sufficient protection from habitat destruction and illegal harvesting. Identifying and prioritizing suitable Mexican tepezmaite (Ceratozamia) habitats is imperative for restoration and protection. This study uses distribution models to map habitats for C. brevifrons, C. delucana, C. morettii, and C. tenuis to highlight optimal conservation zones. The study area lies in the Sierra de Chiconquiaco, Veracruz, Mexico. All species occurrences were collected, and four sets of environmental predictors were selected as input variables for the model. An ensemble species distribution model was constructed for each species. When contrasting the habitat areas within established nature reserves, gaps in conservation coverage were discerned. We assessed its conservation status following the IUCN and Mexican legislation criteria. A further 4 km2 of highly suitable habitat is desired for a nature reserves expansion strategy. C. brevifrons and C. tenuis are deemed vulnerable per IUCN criteria, while C. delucana and C. morettii are considered Endangered. However, Mexican laws categorize C. brevifrons, C. morettii, and C. tenuis as Endangered and C. delucana as threatened. Models suggest that the distribution of the species is constrained primarily by soil composition and topographical features. Based on the results of the models, it is essential to implement the restoration of the species’ natural habitat. The tepezmaite cycads are a group of endangered species that may soon become extinct unless formal habitat protection is conducted.
全球生物多样性面临的威胁与日俱增,苏铁作为最濒危的生物之一,受到的影响尤为显著。尽管自然保护区非常重要,但它们有时只能提供足够的保护,使栖息地免遭破坏和非法采伐。要恢复和保护墨西哥苏铁(Ceratozamia)的栖息地,就必须确定合适的栖息地并确定其优先次序。本研究利用分布模型绘制了 C. brevifrons、C. delucana、C. morettii 和 C. tenuis 的栖息地地图,以突出最佳保护区。研究区域位于墨西哥韦拉克鲁斯州的奇孔基亚科山脉。收集了所有物种的出现情况,并选择了四组环境预测因子作为模型的输入变量。为每个物种构建了一个集合物种分布模型。在对已建立的自然保护区内的栖息地进行对比时,发现了保护覆盖范围的差距。我们根据世界自然保护联盟(IUCN)和墨西哥法律标准对其保护状况进行了评估。我们希望再增加 4 平方公里的高适宜栖息地,以实施自然保护区扩展战略。根据 IUCN 标准,C. brevifrons 和 C. tenuis 被视为易危物种,而 C. delucana 和 C. morettii 被视为濒危物种。然而,墨西哥法律将 C. brevifrons、C. morettii 和 C. tenuis 列为濒危物种,将 C. delucana 列为受威胁物种。模型显示,该物种的分布主要受到土壤成分和地形特征的限制。根据模型结果,必须恢复该物种的自然栖息地。苏铁是一类濒危物种,如果不对其栖息地进行正式保护,它们可能很快就会灭绝。
{"title":"Distribution and conservation of Mexican tepezmaite cycads","authors":"César Isidro Carvajal-Hernández, Jorge Antonio Gómez-Díaz","doi":"10.1007/s10531-024-02920-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-024-02920-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The increasing threats to global biodiversity notably impact cycads, one of the most endangered organisms. Despite the importance of nature reserves, they only sometimes provide sufficient protection from habitat destruction and illegal harvesting. Identifying and prioritizing suitable Mexican tepezmaite (<i>Ceratozamia</i>) habitats is imperative for restoration and protection. This study uses distribution models to map habitats for <i>C</i>. <i>brevifrons</i>, <i>C</i>. <i>delucana</i>, <i>C</i>. <i>morettii</i>, and <i>C</i>. <i>tenuis</i> to highlight optimal conservation zones. The study area lies in the Sierra de Chiconquiaco, Veracruz, Mexico. All species occurrences were collected, and four sets of environmental predictors were selected as input variables for the model. An ensemble species distribution model was constructed for each species. When contrasting the habitat areas within established nature reserves, gaps in conservation coverage were discerned. We assessed its conservation status following the IUCN and Mexican legislation criteria. A further 4 km<sup>2</sup> of highly suitable habitat is desired for a nature reserves expansion strategy. <i>C. brevifrons</i> and <i>C. tenuis</i> are deemed vulnerable per IUCN criteria, while <i>C. delucana</i> and <i>C. morettii</i> are considered Endangered. However, Mexican laws categorize <i>C. brevifrons</i>,<i> C. morettii</i>, and <i>C. tenuis</i> as Endangered and <i>C. delucana</i> as threatened. Models suggest that the distribution of the species is constrained primarily by soil composition and topographical features. Based on the results of the models, it is essential to implement the restoration of the species’ natural habitat. The tepezmaite cycads are a group of endangered species that may soon become extinct unless formal habitat protection is conducted.</p>","PeriodicalId":8843,"journal":{"name":"Biodiversity and Conservation","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142191406","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 : 2024-08-20DOI: 10.1007/s10531-024-02921-x
Dariusz Halabowski, Ronaldo Sousa, Manuel Lopes-Lima, Ian Killeen, David C Aldridge, Katarzyna Zając, Jon Hamner Mageroy, Daniel Alan Cossey, Maria Urbańska, Martin Österling, Vincent Prié
This study highlights the conservation problems faced by the tiny freshwater bivalves of the family Sphaeriidae, also known as pea, pill, or fingernail clams (or mussels) in Europe. Despite their global distribution, assumed ecological importance, and potential uses, basic knowledge about their taxonomy, biology, and ecology is very limited and much lower than for the larger freshwater bivalve taxa. Immediate scientific priorities are required to fill knowledge gaps regarding their taxonomy, genetic diversity, distribution, reproductive cycle, ecosystem functions, and population trends. Such fundamental knowledge is necessary to identify specific threats and develop appropriate conservation actions. Deploying environmental DNA analysis at a large scale could be a valuable way to fill gaps in distribution and strengthen monitoring in areas where local taxonomic knowledge is lacking. Until taxon-specific management plans can be developed, we recommend that efforts concentrate on the general protection and restoration of wetland habitats, implementing pollution control measures, and managing invasive species. These actions should be complemented by community engagement through citizen science initiatives. Additionally, prioritising data collection to fill existing knowledge gaps and updating conservation statuses (Red Lists) based on comprehensive assessments will be crucial. Implementing these actions will provide a starting point for the broader protection of freshwater ecosystems, thus benefiting pea clams and other interconnected species within these habitats.
本研究强调了 Sphaeriidae 科微小淡水双壳类动物面临的保护问题,它们在欧洲也被称为豌豆蛤、丸子蛤或指甲蛤(或贻贝)。尽管它们分布在全球各地,具有重要的生态意义和潜在用途,但有关其分类学、生物学和生态学的基础知识却非常有限,远远低于较大的淡水双壳类群。当务之急是开展科学研究,填补有关其分类、遗传多样性、分布、繁殖周期、生态系统功能和种群趋势的知识空白。这些基础知识对于确定具体的威胁和制定适当的保护措施十分必要。在缺乏当地分类知识的地区,大规模部署环境 DNA 分析是填补分布空白和加强监测的重要方法。在制定具体的分类管理计划之前,我们建议将工作重点放在湿地栖息地的总体保护和恢复、污染控制措施的实施以及入侵物种的管理上。在采取这些行动的同时,还应该通过公民科学活动让社区参与进来。此外,优先收集数据以填补现有的知识空白以及根据全面评估更新保护状况(红色名录)也至关重要。实施这些行动将为更广泛地保护淡水生态系统提供一个起点,从而使豌豆蛤和这些栖息地中其他相互关联的物种受益。
{"title":"Off the conservation radar: the hidden story of Europe's tiny pea clams (Bivalvia: Sphaeriidae)","authors":"Dariusz Halabowski, Ronaldo Sousa, Manuel Lopes-Lima, Ian Killeen, David C Aldridge, Katarzyna Zając, Jon Hamner Mageroy, Daniel Alan Cossey, Maria Urbańska, Martin Österling, Vincent Prié","doi":"10.1007/s10531-024-02921-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-024-02921-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study highlights the conservation problems faced by the tiny freshwater bivalves of the family Sphaeriidae, also known as pea, pill, or fingernail clams (or mussels) in Europe. Despite their global distribution, assumed ecological importance, and potential uses, basic knowledge about their taxonomy, biology, and ecology is very limited and much lower than for the larger freshwater bivalve taxa. Immediate scientific priorities are required to fill knowledge gaps regarding their taxonomy, genetic diversity, distribution, reproductive cycle, ecosystem functions, and population trends. Such fundamental knowledge is necessary to identify specific threats and develop appropriate conservation actions. Deploying environmental DNA analysis at a large scale could be a valuable way to fill gaps in distribution and strengthen monitoring in areas where local taxonomic knowledge is lacking. Until taxon-specific management plans can be developed, we recommend that efforts concentrate on the general protection and restoration of wetland habitats, implementing pollution control measures, and managing invasive species. These actions should be complemented by community engagement through citizen science initiatives. Additionally, prioritising data collection to fill existing knowledge gaps and updating conservation statuses (Red Lists) based on comprehensive assessments will be crucial. Implementing these actions will provide a starting point for the broader protection of freshwater ecosystems, thus benefiting pea clams and other interconnected species within these habitats.</p>","PeriodicalId":8843,"journal":{"name":"Biodiversity and Conservation","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142191405","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}
Insects and plants share a close relationship; plants provide feeding opportunities, ecological niches, and shelters for insects, while insects, in turn, facilitate pollination for plants. Management actions might positively or negatively affect insect species richness and/or abundance, in particular, forest practices can significantly influence insect communities. In this study, we investigated the effects on plant and moth communities following the realization of an ecological corridor (composed of 10 clearings) in forest in NW of Italy. Specifically, through plant surveys and moth light traps, we investigated plant and moth communities and their relationship in newly shaped clearings and their surrounding forest. We found that plants responded quickly to clearing formation, presenting differentiated plant communities between xero-thermophile clearings, mesophile clearings and forest. These differences reflected on moth communities as well, allowing to find indicator species for each ecosystem. Structural variables (i.e. openness) and topography (i.e. elevation) were key factors affecting the differentiation of moth communities. On the other hand, plants explained most of the variance in moth communities, so, through plants, we differentiated moth communities into those typical of xero-thermophile clearings, mesophile clearings and forest. In conclusion, forest management significantly affects plant and moth communities. Newly shaped clearings support higher species richness (including specialist species) and abundance than closed canopy forest. To increase species richness and abundance for both plants and moths, we suggest conservation measures that include creating open habitats within forests at medium elevation (650–950 m a.s.l.).
{"title":"Short-term effects of clearing restoration on the relationship of plant and moth communities","authors":"Irene Piccini, Marco Pittarello, Davide Barberis, Michele Lonati, Simona Bonelli, Stefano Scalercio","doi":"10.1007/s10531-024-02917-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-024-02917-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Insects and plants share a close relationship; plants provide feeding opportunities, ecological niches, and shelters for insects, while insects, in turn, facilitate pollination for plants. Management actions might positively or negatively affect insect species richness and/or abundance, in particular, forest practices can significantly influence insect communities. In this study, we investigated the effects on plant and moth communities following the realization of an ecological corridor (composed of 10 clearings) in forest in NW of Italy. Specifically, through plant surveys and moth light traps, we investigated plant and moth communities and their relationship in newly shaped clearings and their surrounding forest. We found that plants responded quickly to clearing formation, presenting differentiated plant communities between xero-thermophile clearings, mesophile clearings and forest. These differences reflected on moth communities as well, allowing to find indicator species for each ecosystem. Structural variables (i.e. openness) and topography (i.e. elevation) were key factors affecting the differentiation of moth communities. On the other hand, plants explained most of the variance in moth communities, so, through plants, we differentiated moth communities into those typical of xero-thermophile clearings, mesophile clearings and forest. In conclusion, forest management significantly affects plant and moth communities. Newly shaped clearings support higher species richness (including specialist species) and abundance than closed canopy forest. To increase species richness and abundance for both plants and moths, we suggest conservation measures that include creating open habitats within forests at medium elevation (650–950 m a.s.l.).</p>","PeriodicalId":8843,"journal":{"name":"Biodiversity and Conservation","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142191407","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 : 2024-08-16DOI: 10.1007/s10531-024-02914-w
Micaela del Valle Rasino, Simone Fattorini, Andrea Sciarretta, Marco Colacci, Angela Stanisci, Maria Laura Carranza
Butterflies and plant species are widely used as model systems in biodiversity and conservation research. However, little is known about spatial patterns of butterfly diversity linked to plant communities across coastal dune ecotones. We explored the relation between butterfly and vegetation diversity in a Mediterranean protected dune system in Central Italy. We sampled butterfly and plant communities on shifting and fixed dunes and investigated their distribution patterns by diversity indexes and Species Abundance Diversity models (SADs). We also computed species beta-diversity and analyzed the relation between butterfly communities and vegetation by correlation analyses. Cross-taxon congruence in species richness, composition and abundance was assessed using Mantel correlation tests. Both butterfly and plant diversity were higher on the fixed dunes than on the shifting dunes. In both communities, SADs were adequately described by the geometric series model, which is typical of harsh environments with simple communities dominated by few species. Among both butterflies and plants, we identified species found only on either the shifting or the fixed dunes. Correlation between plant and butterfly diversity was higher for entomophilous plant species than for the more abundant anemophilous ones. Our results indicate that both plant and butterfly communities respond to the sea-inland environmental gradient, forming distinct communities with specialized taxa. Our findings also provide evidence of the importance of butterfly-plant relations for preserving biological diversity and ecosystem functioning in Mediterranean coastal areas.
{"title":"Cross-taxon analysis in the highly threatened Mediterranean dunes reveals consistent diversity patterns in butterfly and plant communities","authors":"Micaela del Valle Rasino, Simone Fattorini, Andrea Sciarretta, Marco Colacci, Angela Stanisci, Maria Laura Carranza","doi":"10.1007/s10531-024-02914-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-024-02914-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Butterflies and plant species are widely used as model systems in biodiversity and conservation research. However, little is known about spatial patterns of butterfly diversity linked to plant communities across coastal dune ecotones. We explored the relation between butterfly and vegetation diversity in a Mediterranean protected dune system in Central Italy. We sampled butterfly and plant communities on shifting and fixed dunes and investigated their distribution patterns by diversity indexes and Species Abundance Diversity models (SADs). We also computed species beta-diversity and analyzed the relation between butterfly communities and vegetation by correlation analyses. Cross-taxon congruence in species richness, composition and abundance was assessed using Mantel correlation tests. Both butterfly and plant diversity were higher on the fixed dunes than on the shifting dunes. In both communities, SADs were adequately described by the geometric series model, which is typical of harsh environments with simple communities dominated by few species. Among both butterflies and plants, we identified species found only on either the shifting or the fixed dunes. Correlation between plant and butterfly diversity was higher for entomophilous plant species than for the more abundant anemophilous ones. Our results indicate that both plant and butterfly communities respond to the sea-inland environmental gradient, forming distinct communities with specialized taxa. Our findings also provide evidence of the importance of butterfly-plant relations for preserving biological diversity and ecosystem functioning in Mediterranean coastal areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":8843,"journal":{"name":"Biodiversity and Conservation","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142191409","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 : 2024-08-14DOI: 10.1007/s10531-024-02878-x
Britta Uhl, Peter Schall, Claus Bässler
The European Biodiversity Strategy has set the key goal to maintain and promote biodiversity. Managed forests here play a key role, as they are among the most diverse ecosystems. To create biodiversity rich managed forest landscapes, we need a deep understanding on how management affects forest structure and subsequently habitat quality on the local and landscape level. However, to date a confusingly large amount of different terms for various management systems exist and it remains unclear how forest structure and composition affected by specific management systems affect biodiversity. Here, we first aim to clarify forest management systems terminology. Second, we link existing management systems with forest structure and review at European level how these structures affect local α-, as well as landscape-scale β- and γ-biodiversity. We found that research and derived management guidelines have a strong focus on local forest stand heterogeneity and related α-diversity, while ignoring the importance of landscape-scale heterogeneity and therefore β- and γ-diversity. Instead of promoting one management system as an all-in-one-solution, a diversity of different forest management systems seems the most promising way to create biodiversity rich forest landscapes. We finally discuss how a combination of different management systems might help to create structurally rich forest habitats and landscapes, simulating different successional stages and promoting species rich communities.
{"title":"Achieving structural heterogeneity and high multi-taxon biodiversity in managed forest ecosystems: a European review","authors":"Britta Uhl, Peter Schall, Claus Bässler","doi":"10.1007/s10531-024-02878-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-024-02878-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The European Biodiversity Strategy has set the key goal to maintain and promote biodiversity. Managed forests here play a key role, as they are among the most diverse ecosystems. To create biodiversity rich managed forest landscapes, we need a deep understanding on how management affects forest structure and subsequently habitat quality on the local and landscape level. However, to date a confusingly large amount of different terms for various management systems exist and it remains unclear how forest structure and composition affected by specific management systems affect biodiversity. Here, we first aim to clarify forest management systems terminology. Second, we link existing management systems with forest structure and review at European level how these structures affect local α-, as well as landscape-scale β- and γ-biodiversity. We found that research and derived management guidelines have a strong focus on local forest stand heterogeneity and related α-diversity, while ignoring the importance of landscape-scale heterogeneity and therefore β- and γ-diversity. Instead of promoting one management system as an all-in-one-solution, a diversity of different forest management systems seems the most promising way to create biodiversity rich forest landscapes. We finally discuss how a combination of different management systems might help to create structurally rich forest habitats and landscapes, simulating different successional stages and promoting species rich communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":8843,"journal":{"name":"Biodiversity and Conservation","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142191408","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 : 2024-08-06DOI: 10.1007/s10531-024-02894-x
Carlos A. Rivas, Rafael M. Navarro-Cerrillo
Tropical dry forests are the most threatened of all the major tropical forest types and less than 25% of TDF currently remain worldwide. They are located mostly in South America. Parameters such as habitat loss, fragmentation and loss of connectivity have been identified as the main threats to biodiversity. This research aims to discover the forests changes, the evolution of connectivity and fragmentation of the South American tropical dry forest between 1992 and 2020. Land uses layers provided by the Copernicus program were employed, and land uses change, fragmentation and structural connectivity were analyzed in GIS systems. To calculate the functional connectivity, the Graphab software was used. The results showed a loss of forest surface, where fragmentation increased and a loss of functional connectivity between 25% and 49% occurs depended on the parameter analysed. On the other hand, some areas were recovered. Brazil is the country that recovered the most forest area and Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia those that lost the most area. Only 31% of the area was not altered between 1992 and 2020. Human activities such as deforestation, agriculture expansion, and urbanization have led these forests to become increasingly fragmented and worse connected impacting on both ecological and socio-economic aspects. Supranational measures must be taken to mitigate the negative impacts of fragmentation and the loss of connectivity.
{"title":"Forest fragmentation and connectivity in South American dry forests","authors":"Carlos A. Rivas, Rafael M. Navarro-Cerrillo","doi":"10.1007/s10531-024-02894-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-024-02894-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Tropical dry forests are the most threatened of all the major tropical forest types and less than 25% of TDF currently remain worldwide. They are located mostly in South America. Parameters such as habitat loss, fragmentation and loss of connectivity have been identified as the main threats to biodiversity. This research aims to discover the forests changes, the evolution of connectivity and fragmentation of the South American tropical dry forest between 1992 and 2020. Land uses layers provided by the Copernicus program were employed, and land uses change, fragmentation and structural connectivity were analyzed in GIS systems. To calculate the functional connectivity, the Graphab software was used. The results showed a loss of forest surface, where fragmentation increased and a loss of functional connectivity between 25% and 49% occurs depended on the parameter analysed. On the other hand, some areas were recovered. Brazil is the country that recovered the most forest area and Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia those that lost the most area. Only 31% of the area was not altered between 1992 and 2020. Human activities such as deforestation, agriculture expansion, and urbanization have led these forests to become increasingly fragmented and worse connected impacting on both ecological and socio-economic aspects. Supranational measures must be taken to mitigate the negative impacts of fragmentation and the loss of connectivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":8843,"journal":{"name":"Biodiversity and Conservation","volume":"87 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141935487","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 : 2024-08-05DOI: 10.1007/s10531-024-02912-y
Christoph Leuschner, Sally Lott, Anja Schmitz, Julia Wellinghoff, Martin Komainda, Johannes Isselstein
This study investigates within-site variation in the diversity and composition of aboveground vegetation and seed bank in intensively managed wet grasslands of north-western Germany, comparing field edges, field margins and field interiors. We tested the hypothesis that unfertilized buffer strips at field edges function as refugia of characteristic species even in grasslands that are managed intensively for silage production. In 55 grassland sites on each marsh and moor soils, respectively, we conducted vegetation surveys, seed bank analyses and soil chemical measurements in field edge, margin and interior plots, and searched for the factors causing within-site variation in vegetation composition. The total species pool was small at the 110 sites, i.e. 148 species in the aboveground vegetation and 107 species in the seed bank, demonstrating severe impoverishment. The α-diversity decreased from 23 species (median) per 200 m2 at the edge to 15 species in the interior, with 38 species occurring only at field edges. The number of species with conservation value was very low in aboveground vegetation and seed bank and was only slightly higher at the edge than in the interior. Soil P availability was ca. 30% lower at the unfertilized edges than in the interior. We conclude that unfertilized buffer strips at grassland edges may help reducing nutrient leaching from high-input grassland systems, but they have mostly lost their refugial function for phytodiversity after decades of intensive management. Restoration efforts with seed or green hay transfer from richer source habitats are needed to promote biodiversity in field-edge buffer strips.
{"title":"Plant species richness in intensively managed temperate wet grasslands: current state and the importance of edge habitats","authors":"Christoph Leuschner, Sally Lott, Anja Schmitz, Julia Wellinghoff, Martin Komainda, Johannes Isselstein","doi":"10.1007/s10531-024-02912-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-024-02912-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study investigates within-site variation in the diversity and composition of aboveground vegetation and seed bank in intensively managed wet grasslands of north-western Germany, comparing field edges, field margins and field interiors. We tested the hypothesis that unfertilized buffer strips at field edges function as refugia of characteristic species even in grasslands that are managed intensively for silage production. In 55 grassland sites on each marsh and moor soils, respectively, we conducted vegetation surveys, seed bank analyses and soil chemical measurements in field edge, margin and interior plots, and searched for the factors causing within-site variation in vegetation composition. The total species pool was small at the 110 sites, i.e. 148 species in the aboveground vegetation and 107 species in the seed bank, demonstrating severe impoverishment. The α-diversity decreased from 23 species (median) per 200 m<sup>2</sup> at the edge to 15 species in the interior, with 38 species occurring only at field edges. The number of species with conservation value was very low in aboveground vegetation and seed bank and was only slightly higher at the edge than in the interior. Soil P availability was ca. 30% lower at the unfertilized edges than in the interior. We conclude that unfertilized buffer strips at grassland edges may help reducing nutrient leaching from high-input grassland systems, but they have mostly lost their refugial function for phytodiversity after decades of intensive management. Restoration efforts with seed or green hay transfer from richer source habitats are needed to promote biodiversity in field-edge buffer strips.</p>","PeriodicalId":8843,"journal":{"name":"Biodiversity and Conservation","volume":"116 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141935569","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}
Studies on human-elephant interactions are typically confined to a single country. Since elephants traverse international boundaries, it is critical to comprehend human-elephant interactions along their migration routes and recognize the significance of conserving these animals. A rapid appraisal was conducted to primarily understand the human-elephant dynamics in the transboundary lowlands of the Kangchenjunga landscape, encompassing regions of Bhutan, India, and Nepal, and highlight community-identified options for coexistence between humans and elephants in the shared landscape. Elephant populations in the transboundary landscape faced significant threats due to habitat loss and fragmentation as a result of increasing human settlements, agriculture, and infrastructure development. Habitat reduction and dietary changes were common reasons for the increased raids by elephants on human settlements for food. Conflict prevention and mitigation were hindered by inadequate resources, while waste mismanagement aggravated human-elephant conflicts. Limited expertise among forest personnel and ineffective compensation systems further challenged wildlife conservation. Some potential options identified by communities as vital for human-elephant coexistence included habitat restoration, capacity building, livelihood diversification, cultivation of non-palatable crops, financial incentives for recultivating fallow land, standardization of compensation and insurance practices, transboundary cooperation, and building tolerance through alternative techniques. These strategies were aimed at mitigating conflicts, promoting understanding, ensuring sustainable cohabitation, and emphasizing the importance of collaboration between governments, conservation organizations, and local communities to safeguard elephants and enhance conservation efforts.
{"title":"Living with jungle giants: human-elephant dynamics and coexistence alternatives in the transboundary Landscape of Kangchenjunga","authors":"Kesang Wangchuk, Janita Gurung, Sanjeeb Pradhan, Namgay Wangchuk, Kencho Rigzin, Sarala Khaling","doi":"10.1007/s10531-024-02918-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-024-02918-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Studies on human-elephant interactions are typically confined to a single country. Since elephants traverse international boundaries, it is critical to comprehend human-elephant interactions along their migration routes and recognize the significance of conserving these animals. A rapid appraisal was conducted to primarily understand the human-elephant dynamics in the transboundary lowlands of the Kangchenjunga landscape, encompassing regions of Bhutan, India, and Nepal, and highlight community-identified options for coexistence between humans and elephants in the shared landscape. Elephant populations in the transboundary landscape faced significant threats due to habitat loss and fragmentation as a result of increasing human settlements, agriculture, and infrastructure development. Habitat reduction and dietary changes were common reasons for the increased raids by elephants on human settlements for food. Conflict prevention and mitigation were hindered by inadequate resources, while waste mismanagement aggravated human-elephant conflicts. Limited expertise among forest personnel and ineffective compensation systems further challenged wildlife conservation. Some potential options identified by communities as vital for human-elephant coexistence included habitat restoration, capacity building, livelihood diversification, cultivation of non-palatable crops, financial incentives for recultivating fallow land, standardization of compensation and insurance practices, transboundary cooperation, and building tolerance through alternative techniques. These strategies were aimed at mitigating conflicts, promoting understanding, ensuring sustainable cohabitation, and emphasizing the importance of collaboration between governments, conservation organizations, and local communities to safeguard elephants and enhance conservation efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":8843,"journal":{"name":"Biodiversity and Conservation","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141882968","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 : 2024-08-02DOI: 10.1007/s10531-024-02908-8
Wenji Luo, Ralph Sedricke Lapuz, Alison K.S. Wee
Protecting rare and endangered species from habitat loss caused by climate and land use changes is crucial for stopping unprecedented biodiversity loss. Data on species’ future range shifts is crucial in protected area management planning to establish proper refuges. This study focused on identifying the suitable habitat, vulnerabilities, and conservation gaps of Vatica guangxiensis—a canopy tree species endemic to the subtropical forests of southwest China and listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List— through Maxent species distribution modeling using current and future climate data. Results showed that the predicted suitable habitats for V. guangxiensis under current climate were more extensive than its known range, encompassing parts of China, northern Laos, northern Vietnam, and eastern Myanmar. They are most likely to be in wetter regions with acidic soils. However, these habitats were predicted to decrease by 90% and shift to lower latitudes and higher elevations by 2081–2100 due to climate change, which leads to habitat loss for five out of twelve current wild populations, as well as severe fragmentation and reduced protected area coverage. Our findings demonstrate the potential for new field discoveries of V. guangxiensis based on its predicted distribution under current climate, but also show the vulnerability of its habitats under future climate change. We present a dire outlook for V. guangxiensis and highlight the need for field discovery of new populations and the establishment of ex situ populations that are explicitly guided by suitable habitat predictions. Furthermore, this study can contribute to the expansion of climate-informed protected areas in the Indochina region, to support the flagship ‘30 × 30’ target for protected areas under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Lastly, our findings elucidate the importance of transboundary conservation efforts, such as the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Five-Year Action Plan, in preserving biodiversity and achieving global conservation goals.
保护稀有和濒危物种免受气候和土地利用变化造成的栖息地丧失,对于阻止前所未有的生物多样性丧失至关重要。在保护区管理规划中,有关物种未来分布范围变化的数据对于建立适当的保护区至关重要。本研究利用当前和未来的气候数据,通过 Maxent 物种分布建模,重点识别了中国西南亚热带森林中特有的树冠树种--广西梵蒂迦(Vatica guangxiensis)的适宜栖息地、脆弱性和保护缺口,该物种已被列入世界自然保护联盟红色名录(IUCN Red List)中的濒危物种。结果表明,在当前气候条件下,广西鹅掌楸的预测适宜栖息地比其已知分布范围更广,包括中国部分地区、老挝北部、越南北部和缅甸东部。它们最有可能生活在土壤偏酸的潮湿地区。然而,据预测,由于气候变化,到2081-2100年,这些栖息地将减少90%,并向低纬度和高海拔地区转移,这将导致目前12个野生种群中的5个丧失栖息地,并导致严重的破碎化和保护区覆盖率降低。我们的研究结果表明,根据目前气候条件下的预测分布,广西蛙有可能获得新的野外发现,但同时也显示了其栖息地在未来气候变化下的脆弱性。我们为广西蛙提出了一个严峻的前景,并强调了野外发现新种群和建立以适宜栖息地预测为明确指导的异地种群的必要性。此外,这项研究还有助于在印度支那地区扩大气候信息保护区,以支持昆明-蒙特利尔全球生物多样性框架下保护区 "30 × 30 "的旗舰目标。最后,我们的研究结果阐明了《澜沧江-湄公河合作五年行动计划》等跨界保护工作在保护生物多样性和实现全球保护目标方面的重要性。
{"title":"Large-scale changes in the distribution of suitable habitat of the endangered subtropical canopy tree species Vatica guangxiensis under climate change","authors":"Wenji Luo, Ralph Sedricke Lapuz, Alison K.S. Wee","doi":"10.1007/s10531-024-02908-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-024-02908-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Protecting rare and endangered species from habitat loss caused by climate and land use changes is crucial for stopping unprecedented biodiversity loss. Data on species’ future range shifts is crucial in protected area management planning to establish proper refuges. This study focused on identifying the suitable habitat, vulnerabilities, and conservation gaps of <i>Vatica guangxiensis</i>—a canopy tree species endemic to the subtropical forests of southwest China and listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List— through Maxent species distribution modeling using current and future climate data. Results showed that the predicted suitable habitats for <i>V. guangxiensis</i> under current climate were more extensive than its known range, encompassing parts of China, northern Laos, northern Vietnam, and eastern Myanmar. They are most likely to be in wetter regions with acidic soils. However, these habitats were predicted to decrease by 90% and shift to lower latitudes and higher elevations by 2081–2100 due to climate change, which leads to habitat loss for five out of twelve current wild populations, as well as severe fragmentation and reduced protected area coverage. Our findings demonstrate the potential for new field discoveries of <i>V. guangxiensis</i> based on its predicted distribution under current climate, but also show the vulnerability of its habitats under future climate change. We present a dire outlook for <i>V. guangxiensis</i> and highlight the need for field discovery of new populations and the establishment of ex situ populations that are explicitly guided by suitable habitat predictions. Furthermore, this study can contribute to the expansion of climate-informed protected areas in the Indochina region, to support the flagship ‘30 × 30’ target for protected areas under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Lastly, our findings elucidate the importance of transboundary conservation efforts, such as the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Five-Year Action Plan, in preserving biodiversity and achieving global conservation goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":8843,"journal":{"name":"Biodiversity and Conservation","volume":"216 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141882733","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}