Conservation Biology最新文献

{"title":"Identifying priority areas for conservation to promote connectivity and mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance.","authors":"Edmond Sacre, Ulf Bergström, Charlotte Berkström","doi":"10.1111/cobi.70083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.70083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As nations seek to expand protected area (PA) networks to cover 30% of land and seas by 2030 (30×30), there is an urgent need for systematic conservation planning and spatial prioritization that considers the broad range of ecological and socioeconomic factors influencing the persistence of biodiversity. A remaining challenge in spatial prioritization is identifying areas that not only contribute to ecological connectivity but also are vulnerable to isolation and connectivity decline caused by anthropogenic disturbance. We devised an approach to assess PA networks and prioritize areas for conservation action and applied it to the Swedish coastal Baltic Sea area as an example. We developed connectivity models for 16 key fish species to identify habitats that provide the greatest contributions to maintaining network connectivity. We then incorporated spatial data on anthropogenic disturbance into the connectivity models to identify habitats for which human activities may hinder dispersal and recruitment, making them vulnerable to local population declines. We assessed the adequacy of the marine protected area (MPA) network in protecting these biodiversity features. Using spatial prioritization with explicit objectives to protect these biodiversity features, we then identified important areas for future protection. Although the Swedish MPA network provided a reasonable level of protection for these key habitats, their protection in stricter MPA categories (International Union for Conservation of Nature categories Ia, Ib, and II) was poor. Expanding the MPA network from its current coverage (10.5% of the study area) to 11%, the mean protection level across features increased from 25% to 48%. Expanding to 15% coverage increased mean protection across features to over 90%. Our approach to conservation planning incorporated not only biodiversity data (e.g., habitats and connectivity) but also the pressures these elements of biodiversity are susceptible to from human activities.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":" ","pages":"e70083"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144224612","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}

{"title":"Impacts of bat use of anthropogenic structures on bats and humans.","authors":"Ella A Sippola, Joseph S Johnson, Stefano Mammola, Grzegorz Apoznański, Ilze Brila, Ignacio Fernández Latapiat, Piia Lundberg, Mariia Matlova, Veronica Nanni, Reilly T Jackson, Janette Perez-Jimenez, Sonia Sánchez-Navarro, Elena Tena, Tanya S Troitsky, Thomas M Lilley, Melissa B Meierhofer","doi":"10.1111/cobi.70037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.70037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human-induced landscape modifications and climate change are forcing wildlife into closer contact with humans as the availability of natural habitats decreases. Although the importance of anthropogenic structures for the conservation of species is widely recognized, negative narratives surrounding bats may impede conservation efforts in human-dominated landscapes. We conducted a global systematic literature review to summarize research pertaining to bats in anthropogenic structures and analyze the impacts of occupancy of these structures on bats and humans. We extracted data from 735 publications and included 8 that provided a total of 29 quantitative estimates in meta-analyses assessing the consequences of roost selection by bats in anthropogenic and natural habitats. Additionally, information from all 735 publications was used for summaries. Research focused on the Northern Hemisphere, despite the highest diversity of bat species occurring near the equator. Of the 13 identified impacts on bats from the use of anthropogenic structures, disturbance (caused by, e.g., visitation, renovations, artificial lighting) was the most frequently reported. Effects of bat presence on humans were primarily associated with pathogens or other microorganisms of zoonotic interest. Buildings were the most frequently identified anthropogenic roost, and the use of buildings differed across biogeographic realms. Although impacts varied across realms and structures, the Nearctic and Palearctic had the highest incidence of impacts. Few studies compared anthropogenic roosts with natural roosts, but our meta-analyses broadly identified differences in the effects of artificial versus natural roosts on bat behavior, roost temperature, and bat health and occupancy. We found that research is not focused currently on areas where bat-human interactions are most likely to intensify with the growing rate of urbanization. Although many effects on bats from roosting in anthropogenic structures were documented or mentioned, most studies did not measure these effects and few compared them with natural roosts. Quantifying impacts could help in the design of management practices that would benefit bats and humans.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":" ","pages":"e70037"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144224613","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}

{"title":"Reconstructing historical catch trends of threatened sharks and rays based on fisher ecological knowledge","authors":"Guido Leurs,&nbsp;Rima W. Jabado,&nbsp;Assana Camará,&nbsp;Lilísio Dos Santos,&nbsp;Diosnes Manuel Nonque,&nbsp;Thije J. Zuidewind,&nbsp;Iça Barry,&nbsp;Pierre Campredon,&nbsp;Benja Blaschke,&nbsp;Karin de Boer,&nbsp;Nadia Hijner,&nbsp;Han Olff,&nbsp;Samuel Ledo Pontes,&nbsp;Aissa Regalla,&nbsp;Matthew Bjerregaard Walsh,&nbsp;Laura L. Govers","doi":"10.1111/cobi.70059","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.70059","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Small-scale fisheries often lack historical shark and ray catch information, hampering their management. We reconstructed historical catch trends and current fishing pressure by combining local ecological knowledge, satellite-based vessel counts, and a short-term landing-site survey. To test the effectiveness of this method, we focused on the Bijagós Archipelago (Guinea-Bissau, West Africa), where historical fisheries data are lacking. Benthic rays (stingrays [Dasyatidae] and butterfly rays [<i>Gymnura</i> spp.]), benthopelagic rays (duckbill eagle rays [<i>Aetomylaeus bovinus</i>] and cownose rays [<i>Rhinoptera marginata</i>]), guitarfish (<i>Glaucostegus</i> and <i>Rhinobatos</i> spp.), requiem sharks (Carcharhinidae), and hammerhead sharks (<i>Sphyrna</i> spp.) declined in abundance by 81.5–96.7% (species dependent) from 1960 to 2020. Fishing effort increased annually: fishing trip duration by 42.0% (SE 3.4), numbers of fishing vessels at sea as perceived by fishers by 36.3% (1.0) (1960–2020), and number of vessels by 12.0% (1.1) (2007–2022). We estimated that in 2020, fishing vessels collectively captured 61–264 sharks and 522–2194 rays per day in the archipelago, depending on the proportion of the fishing fleet that was active (i.e., low fleet activity of 18% and high fleet activity of 80%). We advocate for reducing shark and ray catches by regulating fleet size, reinforcing boundaries of protected areas, and collecting fisher-dependent information on shark and ray landings to safeguard these vulnerable species and coastal livelihoods. We demonstrated the effectiveness of using this 3-pronged approach to provide baseline data on shark fisheries, a common challenge in areas with small-scale fisheries and limited research capacity.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cobi.70059","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144224617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}

{"title":"Assessing limits of sustainable seed harvest in wild plant populations","authors":"Anna Bucharova,&nbsp;Oliver Bossdorf,&nbsp;J. F. Scheepens,&nbsp;Roberto Salguero-Gómez","doi":"10.1111/cobi.70075","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.70075","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Seed harvesting from wild plant populations is key for ecological restoration, but it may threaten the persistence of the source populations. Consequently, several countries have set guidelines limiting the proportions of harvestable seeds. However, these guidelines are inconsistent and lack a solid empirical basis. We used matrix population models based on 280 wild plant species, stored in he COMPADRE Plant Matrix Database, to model the demographic consequences of seed harvesting. Current guidelines do not protect populations of annuals and short-lived perennials because maximal allowed harvest drew all annual species included in our study to extinction. In contrast, current guidelines are overly restrictive for long-lived plants because these plants could tolerate even higher seed removal than currently allowed. The maximum possible fraction of seed production that can be harvested without compromising the long-term persistence of populations was strongly related to generation time of the target species. When harvesting seeds every year, the fraction of seeds that was safe to harvest (safe seed fraction) ranged from 80% in long-lived species to 2% in most annuals. Less frequent seed harvesting substantially increased the safe seed fraction. In the most vulnerable annual species, it was safe to harvest 5%, 10%, or 30% of a population's seed production when harvesting every 2, 5, or 10 years, respectively. Our results provide a quantitative basis for seed harvesting legislation, based on the generation times of species and harvesting regime.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cobi.70075","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144224596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}

{"title":"Two approaches to transform evolutionary biology","authors":"Marco Ferrante","doi":"10.1111/cobi.70082","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.70082","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Radical by nature: The revolutionary life of Alfred Russel Wallace&lt;/b&gt;. Costa, J. T. 2023. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. xviii+515 pp. US$39.95 (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-691-23379-6.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Enchanted by Daphne: The life of an evolutionary naturalist&lt;/b&gt;. Grant, P. R. 2023. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. xii+ 345 pp. US$35.00 (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-691-24624-6.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Alfred Russell Wallace and Peter Raymond Grant are two biologists who marked evolutionary biology, each in their own distinct way. Wallace is the father of biogeography and, alongside Charles Darwin, the coauthor of the theory of evolution. Grant discovered that evolution can occur over relatively short periods (not just over geological time as Darwin posited); that evolution is unpredictable because selection pressures fluctuate with environmental conditions; and that hybridization can produce new species. While reading these books, I was struck by the many contrasts between the lives of the two figures. Wallace uncovered and understood the mechanisms of evolution in a world where thought was dominated by religious beliefs, whereas Grant looked for evidence of natural selection at a time when most societies had already accepted the theory of evolution.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are more contrasts. Wallace was raised in a large, poor family in the early 19th century and was a self-taught scientist. A kaleidoscopic naturalist, his interests ranged from geology and astronomy to botany and entomology. His passion for insects (especially beetles) was kindled at age 21, partly through his friendship with Henry Bates, another naturalist who left a lasting legacy in ecology. Except for meeting Bates in his early career, Wallace was essentially working alone, an outsider to the main scientific circles of the time. His correspondence with prominent scientists started only later in his life. Grant grew up more than a century later in a small family affected by his parents’ early divorce. He studied at Cambridge, and throughout his career, he met eminent colleagues, which makes me think he was part of a vibrant scientific community. Grant was mainly interested in birds during his career, a passion he developed when he was 14 years old—although he occasionally studied other vertebrates. This high degree of specialization contrasts sharply with the broader approach of past naturalists, such as Wallace. Although modern scientists are often very specialized, it is worth questioning whether a multidisciplinary approach is more beneficial. My impression, also from reading Costa's book, is that Wallace's broad expertise may have been instrumental in his groundbreaking insights. Contrastingly, Grant's acute observations, such as documenting the hybridization between finch species, may have been the result of a good eye (and ear, given that bird songs played a role) for details and his focus on a single natural laboratory, the Galápagos.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There is, however, an essential aspect unit","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"39 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cobi.70082","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144740501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}

{"title":"Quantifying exposure of amphibian species to heat waves, cold spells, and droughts","authors":"Evan Twomey,&nbsp;Francisco Sylvester,&nbsp;Jonas Jourdan,&nbsp;Henner Hollert,&nbsp;Lisa M. Schulte","doi":"10.1111/cobi.70074","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.70074","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Globally, amphibians face severe threats, such as climate change and associated extreme events. Our goal was to quantify global amphibian exposure to 3 classes of extreme events: heat waves, cold spells, and droughts. We used the MERRA-2 extreme climate events data and the standardized precipitation–evapotranspiration index database to investigate where these events have increased over the last 40 years. We used the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) database of global amphibian distributions (7202 species) to calculate the level of exposure to extreme events for each species, classifying species as exposed if their distribution had ≥50% overlap with areas experiencing substantial increases of extreme events. To assess whether exposure is associated with amphibian declines, we used logistic regression to analyze the relationship between extreme event exposure and status changes on the IUCN Red List. Heat waves and droughts increased notably in Amazonia, Madagascar, and Europe. Among the 3 classes of events, exposure was highest to heat waves (40% of species exposed), followed by droughts (16% exposed). Exposure to different event classes was uneven with respect to geography and taxonomy. Some areas (e.g., Amazonia, Madagascar) and families (e.g., Mantellidae, Rhinodermatidae) had nearly 100% of constituent species classified as exposed to at least one event class. Exposure to heat waves (odds ratio 1.8) and droughts (odds ratio 1.7) was associated with status deteriorations since 2004. Our findings provide insight into amphibian biodiversity hotspots and taxonomic groups that may be particularly susceptible to extreme climate events, suggesting that these events play a causative role in ongoing declines. Understanding the aspects of species biology that influence susceptibility to extreme events, as well as interactions with other factors (e.g., disease), will be important for understanding the role of climate change in driving amphibian declines.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cobi.70074","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144224615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}

{"title":"Distribution pattern of cetaceans in the northern South China Sea based on visual surveys and environmental DNA metabarcoding","authors":"Shengming Deng,&nbsp;Xiang Zhang,&nbsp;Min Liu,&nbsp;Bai-An Lin,&nbsp;Yongcan Zhou,&nbsp;Mingming Liu,&nbsp;Wenzhi Lin,&nbsp;Mingli Lin,&nbsp;Lijun Dong,&nbsp;Hui Kang,&nbsp;Binshuai Liu,&nbsp;Shenglan Chen,&nbsp;Mingyue Ouyang,&nbsp;Shousong Jiang,&nbsp;Jianlong Li,&nbsp;Songhai Li","doi":"10.1111/cobi.70060","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.70060","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The South China Sea (SCS) is vital habitat and potential nursery and feeding grounds for large cetaceans, such as the sperm whale (<i>Physeter macrocephalus</i>), making understanding of the temporal and spatial patterns of cetaceans in this region essential. We examined the accuracy of environmental DNA (eDNA) in detecting cetacean species diversity and determine the spatial and temporal distribution of cetaceans in the northern SCS. We conducted 5 ship-based visual surveys for cetaceans in 3 summers and 2 springs from 2020 to 2023 and used eDNA metabarcoding to determine the relative abundance and spatial and temporal distribution of cetaceans in offshore and abyssal areas of the northern SCS. We detected 18 cetacean species through visual observations and eDNA metabarcoding. Both methods identified 12 species in common. Cetaceans’ presence varied temporally. We detected 7 species in the springs and 17 species in the summers. Expedition route design, meteorological conditions, and sea conditions between the 2 seasons partly explained the seasonal differences. The species of Ziphiidae, Physeteridae, and Kogiidae tended to occupy regions with high bathymetric drop gradients, particularly those situated on continental slopes and seamounts. The Delphinidae were more widely distributed and relatively more abundant. Of the cetaceans successfully identified by eDNA metabarcoding, species with relatively large group sizes and that were relatively close to the sampling sites tended to be more easily detected. Our results provide new information on the relative abundance and spatial and temporal distribution of cetaceans and indicate that eDNA techniques can provide additional information and serve as a complementary tool for cetacean monitoring and conservation.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144224599","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}

{"title":"Assessing multiple benefits of people-centered biocultural restoration","authors":"Hudson Toscano da Silva,&nbsp;Felipe P. L. Melo,&nbsp;Gabriel da Costa Ferreira,&nbsp;Cristina Baldauf","doi":"10.1111/cobi.70036","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.70036","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Restoration is currently among the most important tools for conserving biodiversity, but participation in restoration by local communities in its planning and design must be improved. We devised a people-centered biocultural approach to restoration that combines Indigenous local knowledge and scientific methods to select species for restoration such that human welfare and biodiversity conservation are considered. We applied the approach to the Caatinga dry forest, for which we simulated agroforestry productive systems based on plant species previously selected by locals for use in restoration, given their importance for water, energy, and food security. We compared functional diversity in the simulated systems with functional diversity in natural systems. Common native and some non-native species with low invasive potential dominated the average productive system. These species had functional diversity similar to that of natural vegetation but had a slightly different functional profile. Simulated systems were dominated by plant species with more acquisitive functional strategies than native flora. The adoption of our biocultural approach to restoration programs in the region illustrates the importance of local participation; local selection of species for restoration had little effect on ecosystem functional diversity. Our framework can be readily adapted to various contexts for evaluating cultural preferences and the ecological efficacy of biocultural restoration initiatives globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"39 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144171228","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}

{"title":"Sociotechnical approach to protected areas and traditional communities","authors":"Carlos Sautchuk,&nbsp;Guilherme M. Fagundes,&nbsp;Henyo T. Barretto Filho","doi":"10.1111/cobi.70048","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.70048","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We explore the relationship between protected areas (PAs) and traditional communities to further the proposition of conservation as a sociotechnical phenomenon. To do this, we use an anthropological empirical approach based on long-term ethnographic studies conducted in Brazil by 2 different researchers who lived among local fishers on the Amazon and Quilombolas in the Cerrado (a savanna). Both studies related to the establishment of terms of commitment between PAs and traditional communities in the context of participatory management. In one case, an agreement between the staff of the Lago Piratuba Biological Reserve and pirarucu fish harpooners from Sucuriju village regarding fishing methods is examined. The other case explores the transformations related to the ban on firebreaks practiced by Quilombola communities in the Cerrado region of central Brazil and the efforts by the managers of the Serra Geral do Tocantins Ecological Station to rehabilitate cultural burns. We find there were benefits to a sociotechnical approach to understanding environmental conservation. The permanence of the harpoon in the Amazon and the rehabilitation of firebreaks in the Cerrado reconfigure conservation and local communities’ techniques. More generally, this perspective can help avoid a reified view of the traditional communities and an abstract perspective of conservation policies. We believe sociotechnical conservation is a transformative approach that can be used to improve conventional conservation perspectives.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"39 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144171734","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}

{"title":"Strengthening Amazon conservation through community-based voluntary patrolling","authors":"Caetano L. B. Franco,&nbsp;Thais Q. Morcatty,&nbsp;Helder L. Queiroz,&nbsp;Michael G. Sorice,&nbsp;Julia E. Fa,&nbsp;Paulo Roberto e Souza,&nbsp;Isabel S. Sousa,&nbsp;João Valsecchi,&nbsp;Hani R. El Bizri","doi":"10.1111/cobi.70045","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.70045","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Globally, environmental crimes are a major threat to biodiversity and the livelihood of local populations. Community-based protection of natural resources, which involves local people in surveillance and enforcement, is an important complement to the government-led command-and-control policing approach. We examined whether a community-based voluntary patrolling system deterred environmental crimes in Amazonia. We used data on environmental crimes recorded by patrollers over 11 years (2003–2013) in 12 independent territorial units in 2 large protected areas (PAs) in Amazonas, Brazil. For comparison, we also analyzed data from government-led enforcement operations outside these PAs from 2002 to 2012. In total, patrollers conducted almost 20,000 surveillance outings (around 150,000 h of activity) and recorded the occurrence of 1260 crimes. Of the 772 crimes for which we had data on seized items, most violations were related to fishing (78.24%), 19.04% to hunting, or 2.72% to logging. The occurrence of crimes per outing increased as the number of patrollers and time spent patrolling increased and was greater during outings that were informant led. There was a sharp decrease over time in the occurrence of crimes during patrols across 11 of the 12 territorial units examined. Overall, the occurrence of crimes declined by approximately 80% over the study period. In contrast, the number of crimes detected over time during government-led enforcement operations outside the PAs did not decline. Leadership of local communities in the planning and conducting of patrols contributed to rule conformity and enforcement in the PAs. Our results should be especially useful to managers of PAs and researchers in other parts of the tropics as a model for local patrolling and natural resource protection.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"39 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cobi.70045","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144171551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}