Conservation Biology最新文献

{"title":"Shifting paradigms and creating space for Indigenous leadership in biosecurity management and decision-making","authors":"Tracey Godfery,&nbsp;John Kean,&nbsp;Daniel Hikuroa,&nbsp;Andrew Robinson,&nbsp;Nari Williams","doi":"10.1111/cobi.14399","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14399","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In New Zealand, awareness regarding protection, enhancement, and regeneration of landscapes and biodiversity is growing as the relationship between functioning and diverse ecosystems and society's health is acknowledged. This relationship is especially important for Indigenous people, who hold strong genealogical and familial ties with nature. Significant biodiversity loss from anthropogenic factors is exacerbated by climate change, ecosystem degradation, and invasive species. Invasive species and other biological threats, such as native pathogens, are concerning for Māori communities, who hold cultural responsibilities to care for nature. Despite acknowledgment of the value of Indigenous perspectives in environmental management in New Zealand and globally, Indigenous participation still largely occurs within Western non-Indigenous paradigms. We highlight the <i>value of</i> Indigenous participation in biosecurity management and propose a shift from Western-based paradigms to paradigms that reflect Indigenous worldviews and relationships with place. Recognizing and including the value of Indigenous participation elevates Indigenous voices to the level of decision-making and leadership in the management of Indigenous lands. Given the genealogical relationships that Māori hold with the natural world and the intertwining of their health and well-being with that of place (land) and nature, biosecurity threats to native species and ecosystems also pose serious risks to community well-being. A holistic biosecurity approach is needed that encompasses cultural, social, economic, and environmental factors at multiple scales. We examined the New Zealand biosecurity context relative to biological threats to native plants and ecosystems and proposed a paradigm shift toward Indigenous place-based biosecurity management. Biosecurity science and science-based tools remain an important component, underscoring the complementary aspects of science and (Indigenous) culture.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"38 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cobi.14399","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142714723","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":"Using positionality and reflexivity to support equity in partnership-driven research","authors":"Rachael Cadman,&nbsp;Alanna Syliboy,&nbsp;Michelle Saunders,&nbsp;Shelley Denny,&nbsp;Mary Denniston,&nbsp;Eleanor Barry,&nbsp;Breanna Bishop,&nbsp;Shannon Landovskis,&nbsp;Megan Bailey","doi":"10.1111/cobi.14396","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14396","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Social and economic position and power shape everyone, including scientists and researchers. The way researchers do conservation science and the voices centered in the process are a result of researcher upbringing, experiences, access to resources, and values and are a manifestation of positionality. Positionality is a concept that can help one think about one's position and power in one's work. Creating a successful research partnership requires careful thinking about how equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility are accounted for in the research environment. We drew on our own experiences as early career, mid-career, and Indigenous researchers to explore researcher positionality and how understanding one's positionality can bring to the fore power dynamics in conservation science and research. We focused on the use of reflexive practice to recognize diverse roles and responsibilities, build strong project governance, and enrich relationships. We considered 2 large research partnerships, Apoqnmatulti'k (Mi'kmaw for <i>we help each other</i>) and the SakKijânginnaniattut Nunatsiavut Sivunitsangit (Inuttitut for <i>Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures</i>) project, to examine moments of tension and interrogation of power and the ways in which this interrogation led to stronger relationships and better research. We advise that large transdisciplinary and cross-cultural research teams use positionality and reflexivity to explicitly make choices about power dynamics in the context of executing partnership-driven work. This can be accomplished through personal and collective interrogation of the power dynamics at play in project administration, research questions, and interpersonal relationships.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"38 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cobi.14396","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142714724","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":"Embedding equity and inclusion in universities through motivational theory and community-based conservation approaches","authors":"Maï Yasué,&nbsp;Netta Weinstein,&nbsp;Sara E. Harris,&nbsp;I-Chant A. Chiang,&nbsp;Nicole Legate,&nbsp;Ashley J. Moore,&nbsp;Nadia Joe (Gä̀gala-ƛ̓iƛ̓ətko)","doi":"10.1111/cobi.14384","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14384","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite widespread plans to embed justice, equity, decolonization, indigenization, and inclusion (JEDII) into universities, progress toward deeper, systemic change is slow. Given that many community-based conservation (CBC) scholars have experience creating enduring social change in diverse communities, they have transferable skills that could help embed JEDII in universities. We synthesized the literature from CBC and examined it through the lens of self-determination theory to help identify generalizable approaches to create resilient sociocultural change toward JEDII in universities. Fostering autonomous motivation (i.e., behaving because one truly values and identifies with the behavior or finds behavior inherently satisfying) is critical to inspiring enduring change in both CBC and JEDII. Based on theory and our examination of CBC, we provide 5 broad recommendations that helped motivate behavioral change in a way that was self-sustained (i.e., even without external rewards or pressure). Guiding principles support autonomy by creating meaningful choice and different entry points for JEDII; prioritising relationships; designing payment programs that enhance autonomous motivation; developing meaningful educational opportunities that are relevant, timely, relational, and authentic; and creating institutional change by focusing efforts on critical moments.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"38 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cobi.14384","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142714702","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":"M̓ṇúxvʔit model for centering Indigenous knowledge and governance","authors":"Elroy White (Q̓íx̌itasu),&nbsp;Kyle A. Artelle,&nbsp;Ed Brown (H̓úṃpas ƛ̓úx̌v),&nbsp;Kelly Brown (ƛ̓áqvamut),&nbsp;Diana E. Chan,&nbsp;William Housty (Dúqva̓ísḷa)","doi":"10.1111/cobi.14398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14398","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The importance of Indigenous (and local) knowledge and governance systems for addressing social and ecological crises is increasingly recognized. Unfortunately, attempts to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into Western approaches, often without the full leadership, consent, and participation of the peoples holding those knowledges, can cause harm and can constitute extractive activities. However, there remains considerable potential in collaborations bringing together multiple perspectives and knowledges. We introduce the M̓ṇúxvʔit model, which centers Indigenous governance systems as the natural starting point for respectful, cross-knowledge system collaborations. M̓ṇúxvʔit means “to become one” in Haíɫzaqvḷa, the language of the Haíɫzaqv Nation from which this model originates, in this case referring to outside knowledges being incorporated into Indigenous systems (not vice versa). In collaborations following this model, Indigenous communities and governments lead the overall direction, Indigenous knowledge systems are foundational, local protocols are followed, benefits flow at least as much to communities as to collaborators, and collaborations are authentic and transparent. M̓ṇúxvʔit can occur at scales including a single person, such as Q̓íx̌itasu (Elroy White) complementing his Haíɫzaqv knowledge with Western archeology; a project, such as the Xvíɫm̓ístaƛ Hákq̓áṃ Qṇtxv Bákvḷásu (our foods will return) multispecies restoration program led by the Haíɫzaqv Nation and supported by invited collaborators; and a community, exemplified by the Heiltsuk (Haíɫzaqv) Integrated Resource Management Department leading resource stewardship collaborations across Haíɫzaqv Territory. Collaborations following the model uphold Indigenous and local sovereignty while avoiding superficial or tokenistic approaches. We share this model as a successful, locally born approach that we hope provides inspiration elsewhere and as a contribution to the conversation about how Western actors can work with local and Indigenous systems such that their collaborations constructively add to, not harmfully extract from, those systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"38 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cobi.14398","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142714722","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":"Unexpected soundscape response to insecticide application in oak forests.","authors":"Oliver Mitesser, Sophia Hochrein, Zuzana Burivalova, Sandra Müller, Christian Strätz, Andrew M Liebhold, Benjamin M L Leroy, Torben Hilmers, Kostadin B Georgiev, Soyeon Bae, Wolfgang Weisser, Jörg Müller","doi":"10.1111/cobi.14422","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14422","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rachel Carson's warning of a silent spring directed attention to unwanted side effects of pesticide application. Though her work led to policies restricting insecticide use, various insecticides currently in use affect nontarget organisms and may contribute to population declines. The insecticide tebufenozide is used to control defoliating Lepidoptera in oak forests harboring rich insect faunas. Over 3 years, we tested the effect of its aerial application on bird populations with autonomous sound recorders in a large, replicated, full factorial field experiment during a spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) outbreak. The soundscape analysis combined automated aggregation of recordings into sound indices with species identification by experts. After pesticide application in the year of the outbreak, acoustic complexity in early summer was significantly reduced. The soundscape analysis showed that the reduction was not related to birds, but instead to the large reduction in caterpillar feeding and frass dropping. Effects on the vocal activity of birds were smaller than originally expected from a related study demonstrating tebufenozide's negative effect on bird breeding success. The legacy of the pesticide treatment, in terms of soundscape variation, was not present in the second year when the outbreak had ended. Our results showed a dimension of insecticide-induced acoustic variation not immediately accessible to the human ear. It also illustrated how a multifaceted soundscape analysis can be used as a generic approach to quantify the impact of anthropogenic stressors in novel ways by providing an example of remote and continuous sound monitoring not possible in conventional field surveys.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":" ","pages":"e14422"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142681261","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":"Effects of deforestation on multitaxa community similarity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest","authors":"Daniel Maurenza,&nbsp;Renato Crouzeilles,&nbsp;Jayme Augusto Prevedello,&nbsp;Mauricio Almeida-Gomes,&nbsp;Marina Schmoeler,&nbsp;Renata Pardini,&nbsp;Cristina Banks-Leite,&nbsp;Marcus Vinicius Vieira,&nbsp;Jean Paul Metzger,&nbsp;Carlos Roberto Fonseca,&nbsp;Marina Zanin,&nbsp;Alex Fernando Mendes,&nbsp;Andrea Larissa Boesing,&nbsp;Andréia Alves Rezende,&nbsp;Bruno Karol Cordeiro Filgueiras,&nbsp;Camila dos Santos de Barros,&nbsp;Candelaria Estavillo,&nbsp;Carlos A. Peres,&nbsp;Carolina Franco Esteves,&nbsp;Dary Rigueira,&nbsp;Deborah Faria,&nbsp;Eduardo Mariano-Neto,&nbsp;Eliana Cazetta,&nbsp;Elivane Salete Capellesso,&nbsp;Emerson Monteiro Vieira,&nbsp;Erica Hasui,&nbsp;Euvaldo Marciano Santos Silva Júnior,&nbsp;Flavio Nunes Ramos,&nbsp;Francisco Sanches Gomes,&nbsp;Gabriela Paise,&nbsp;Inara Roberta Leal,&nbsp;José Carlos Morante-Filho,&nbsp;Juliano André Bogoni,&nbsp;Katia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi de Barros Ferraz,&nbsp;Larissa Rocha-Santos,&nbsp;Luciana Carvalho dos Reis,&nbsp;Luciano Carramaschi de Alagão Querido,&nbsp;Luiz Fernando Silva Magnago,&nbsp;Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues Oliveira Santos,&nbsp;Marcelo Passamani,&nbsp;Marcelo Tabarelli,&nbsp;Marcia Cristina Mendes Marques,&nbsp;Marilia Mascarenhas Lima,&nbsp;Marlla Alves Matos,&nbsp;Maurício Eduardo Graipel,&nbsp;Maxwell Souza Silveira,&nbsp;Michaele de Souza Pessoa,&nbsp;Nathália Vieira Hissa Safar,&nbsp;Pedro Henrique Santin Brancalion,&nbsp;Tiago Jordão Porto,&nbsp;Thomas Püttker","doi":"10.1111/cobi.14419","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.14419","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Habitat loss can lead to biotic homogenization (decrease in β diversity) or differentiation (increase in β diversity) of biological communities. However, it is unclear which of these ecological processes predominates in human-modified landscapes. We used data on vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants to quantify β diversity based on species occurrence and abundance among communities in 1367 landscapes with varying amounts of habitat (&lt;30%, 30−60%, or &gt;60% of forest cover) throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Decreases in habitat amount below 30% led to increased compositional similarity of vertebrate and invertebrate communities, which may indicate a process of biotic homogenization throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. No pattern was detected in plant communities. We found that habitat loss was associated with a deterministic increase in faunal community similarity, which is consistent with a selected subset of species being capable of thriving in human-modified landscapes. The lack of pattern found in plants was consistent with known variation between taxa in community responses to habitat amount. Brazilian legislation requiring the preservation of 20% of Atlantic Forest native vegetation may be insufficient to prevent the biotic homogenization of faunal communities. Our results highlight the importance of preserving large amounts of habitat, providing source areas for the recolonization of deforested landscapes, and avoiding large-scale impacts of homogenization of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"39 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142675018","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":"Advancing at-risk species recovery planning in an era of rapid ecological change with a transparent, flexible, and expert-engaged approach.","authors":"Lucas Berio Fortini, Christina R Leopold, Fred Amidon, Devin R Leopold, J Scott Fretz, James D Jacobi, Loyal Mehrhoff, Jonathan P Price, Fern Duvall, Matthew Keir, Hank Oppenheimer, Lauren Weisenberger, Robert Sutter","doi":"10.1111/cobi.14421","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.14421","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the face of unprecedented ecological changes, the conservation community needs strategies to recover species at risk of extinction. On the Island of Maui, we collaborated with species experts and managers to assist with climate-resilient recovery planning for 36 at-risk native plant species by identifying priority areas for the management of recovery populations. To do this, we developed a tailored spatial conservation prioritization (SCP) approach distinguished by its emphasis on transparency, flexibility, and expert (TFE) engagement. Our TFE SCP approach consisted of 2 iterative steps: first, the generation of multiple candidate conservation footprints (i.e., prioritization solutions) with a flexible greedy algorithm that reflects conservation practitioners' priorities and, second, the selection of an optimal conservation footprint based on the consideration of trade-offs in expert-agreed criteria among footprints. This process maximized buy-in by involving conservation practitioners and experts throughout, from setting goals to reviewing optimization data, defining optimization rules, and designating planning units meaningful to practitioners. We minimized the conservation footprint area necessary to meet recovery goals while incorporating species-specific measures of habitat suitability and climate resilience and retaining species-specific information for guiding recovery efforts. Our approach reduced the overall necessary conservation area by 36%, compared with selecting optimal recovery habitats for each species separately, and still identified high-quality habitat for individual species. Compared with prioritizr (an existing SCP tool), our approach identified a conservation area of equal size but with higher quality habitat. By integrating the strengths of existing techniques in a flexible and transparent design, our approach can address natural resource management constraints and provide outputs suitable for local recovery planning, consequently enhancing engagement and buy-in from conservation practitioners and experts. It demonstrates a step forward in making conservation planning more responsive to real-world complexities and helps reduce barriers to implementation for local conservation practitioners.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":" ","pages":"e14421"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142667170","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":"Lessons from a Rubik's Cube to solve the biodiversity crisis.","authors":"Ana M M Sequeira, Erika J E Techera","doi":"10.1111/cobi.14416","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.14416","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Global biodiversity is facing unprecedented pressures, calling into question the effectiveness of existing governance systems aimed at halting extinctions. Renewed hope arose with the recent Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15 December 2022) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (COP19 November 2022). Yet, barriers remain that hamper biodiversity conservation. Identifying and overcoming these barriers is crucial for success. We considered previous lessons learned to show that current barriers to conservation are centered on a multidimensional array of mismatches among legal (law), ecological (science), and sociocultural (human) dimensions across the short, medium, and long term. Focusing on highly migratory marine megafauna (whales, sharks, and turtles), we used the Rubik's cube as a metaphor to conceptualize the multidimensional mismatches and devised a pathway for solutions that is highly dependent on strict alignment across all dimensions. We recommend the continuous cycling across all dimension interfaces to align the use (and update) of regulations and processes in law, improve data and experimentation methods in science, and develop education and engagement actions in the human dimension. This timely alignment across all dimensions is key to achieving biodiversity targets and avoiding further extinctions.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":" ","pages":"e14416"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142667187","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 disturbances in surviving primary forests of Europe","authors":"José I. Barredo,&nbsp;Inés Marí Rivero,&nbsp;Klára Janoušková","doi":"10.1111/cobi.14404","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cobi.14404","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Primary forests are of paramount importance for biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services. In Europe, these forests are scarce and threatened by human activities. However, a comprehensive assessment of the magnitude of disturbances in these forests is lacking, due in part to their incomplete mapping. We sought to provide a systematic assessment of disturbances in primary forests in Europe based on remotely sensed imagery from 1986 to 2020. We assessed the total area disturbed, rate of area disturbed, and disturbance severity, at the country, biogeographical, and continental level. Maps of potential primary forests were used to mitigate gaps in maps of documented primary forests. We found a widespread and significant increase in primary forest disturbance rates across Europe and heightened disturbance severity in many biogeographical regions. These findings are consistent with current evidence and associate the ongoing decline of primary forests in Europe with human activity in many jurisdictions. Considering the limited extent of primary forests in Europe and the high risk of their further loss, urgent and decisive measures are imperative to ensure the strict protection of remnants of these invaluable forests. This includes the establishment of protected areas around primary forests, expansion of old-growth zones around small primary forest fragments, and rewilding efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":"39 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cobi.14404","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142667184","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":"Effectiveness of protected areas in the Caucasus Mountains in preventing rangeland degradation.","authors":"Arash Ghoddousi, Marie Pratzer, Katarzyna E Lewinska, Juliana Eggers, Benjamin Bleyhl, Hüseyin Ambarli, Marine Arakelyan, Elshad Askerov, Van Butsic, Astghik Ghazaryan, Bejan Lortkipanidze, Volker C Radeloff, Tobias Kuemmerle","doi":"10.1111/cobi.14415","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14415","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As land use intensifies globally, it increasingly exerts pressure on protected areas. Despite open, nonforested landscapes comprising up to 40% of protected areas globally, assessments have predominately focused on forests, overlooking the major pressures on rangelands from livestock overgrazing and land conversion. Across the southern Caucasus, a biodiversity hotspot extending over 5 countries, we conducted a broadscale assessment of the extent to which protected areas mitigate land-use pressure on rangelands in them. Using satellite-based indicators of rangeland vegetation greenness from 1988 to 2019, we assessed the effectiveness of 52 protected areas. This period encompassed the collapse of the Soviet Union, economic crises, armed conflicts, and a major expansion of the protected area network. We applied matching statistics combined with fixed-effects panel regressions to quantify the effectiveness of protected areas in curbing degradation as indicated by green vegetation loss. Protected areas were, overall, largely ineffective. Green vegetation loss was higher inside than outside protected areas in most countries, except for Georgia and Turkey. Multiple-use protected areas (IUCN categories IV-VI) were even more ineffective in reducing vegetation loss than strictly protected areas (I & II), highlighting the need for better aligning conservation and development targets in these areas. Mapping >10,000 livestock corrals from satellite images showed that protected areas with a relatively high density of livestock corrals had markedly high green vegetation loss. Ineffectiveness appeared driven by livestock overgrazing. Our key finding was that protected areas did not curb rangeland degradation in the Caucasus. This situation is likely emblematic of many regions worldwide, which highlights the need to incorporate degradation and nonforest ecosystems into effectiveness assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":10689,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Biology","volume":" ","pages":"e14415"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142616313","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}