{"title":"Global Conservation Status of Key Areas for Climate Diversity","authors":"Junjun Wang, Hui Liu, Ruidong Wu","doi":"10.1111/con4.70043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/con4.70043","url":null,"abstract":"Climate diversity significantly influences biodiversity by shaping climatic niches and buffering against climate fluctuations and represents a key indicator of biodiversity conservation values. Protecting climate diversity within protected areas (PAs) enhances the resilience to future climate change of PAs. However, the conservation status of global climate diversity remains unknown. Here, we quantitatively assessed the spatially continuous distribution of global climate diversity and identified key areas for climate diversity (KAs) as the top 30% of values, consistent with the Target of Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We found that only 10.26% of these KAs are protected globally. These KAs exhibit considerable overlap with global mountainous regions, with conservation coverage varying widely (1.35%–49.32%). Among biomes, tropical moist forests within KAs show the highest climate diversity and the largest area proportion, yet only 9.64% are protected. In contrast, tropical coniferous forests have the lowest protection (4.07%). Notably, mountainous developing countries, despite harboring high climate diversity, have limited conservation capacity and significant conservation gaps. Our results characterize the global conservation status of KAs, providing a novel perspective for formulating targeted strategies to strengthen global PA networks.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147739561","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}
Mariano Cabanillas‐Torpoco, Kerstin Forsberg, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Vinni Santos Thykjaer, Patricia Charvet
{"title":"The Forgotten International Trade of Sawfish Rostral Teeth in Latin America","authors":"Mariano Cabanillas‐Torpoco, Kerstin Forsberg, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Vinni Santos Thykjaer, Patricia Charvet","doi":"10.1111/con4.70053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/con4.70053","url":null,"abstract":"All sawfish species are critically endangered with overfishing and retention of highly valued fins, meat, rostra, and rostral teeth as the main threats. The illegal international trade in rostral teeth for use as cockfighting spurs remains poorly known and continues in South America, despite prohibitions of animal origin spurs by most cockfighting associations. Interviews with cockfighting association leaders from four Latin American countries and with Peruvian cockfighting practitioners ( <jats:italic>galleros</jats:italic> ) between 2016 and 2022 indicated that spur prices have varied over time and location, ranging from US$25 to 400 per pair, making them among the most valued wildlife trade products (per gram) in the world. Interviewees identified Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia as source countries for rostral teeth used in cockfighting. We recommend CITES engage in detection and enforcement strategies to curb this hidden illegal sawfish commercialization in the most valuable wildlife trade of the most threatened marine fish family.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"136 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147739562","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}
Charlotte Rigolot, Krishna Pavan Komanduri, Adam Smart, Kaya Klop‐Toker, Maxime Marini, Darren Southwell, Andrea S. Griffin, Chad Beranek, Stephen Bell, Natalie E. Calatayud, Alex Callen, Lachlan Campbell, John Clulow, Finella Dawlings, John Gould, Ashton Goronga, Matt W. Hayward, Anne Ibbotson, Colin McHenry, Caitlin Potts, Amy Stephens, Michelle Stockwell, Rose Upton, Ryan R. Witt, Brooke A. Williams
{"title":"Avoid Sacrificing Nature to Truly Achieve Net Zero","authors":"Charlotte Rigolot, Krishna Pavan Komanduri, Adam Smart, Kaya Klop‐Toker, Maxime Marini, Darren Southwell, Andrea S. Griffin, Chad Beranek, Stephen Bell, Natalie E. Calatayud, Alex Callen, Lachlan Campbell, John Clulow, Finella Dawlings, John Gould, Ashton Goronga, Matt W. Hayward, Anne Ibbotson, Colin McHenry, Caitlin Potts, Amy Stephens, Michelle Stockwell, Rose Upton, Ryan R. Witt, Brooke A. Williams","doi":"10.1111/con4.70046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/con4.70046","url":null,"abstract":"Governments globally have committed to Nature Positive, measurable gains in ecosystem health, and Net Zero, a balance where greenhouse gas emissions are equal to the emissions removed from the atmosphere, thereby addressing the interconnected crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. However, the pathways through which governments are choosing to achieve these goals are increasingly placing climate objectives and biodiversity conservation at odds. While the renewable energy transition is necessary for mitigating climate change and benefits biodiversity indirectly by doing so, these benefits have the potential to be in part offset by the direct impact of renewable energy's infrastructure itself. Here, we use Australia's recent environmental law reforms, which may allow renewable energy projects to be prioritized over biodiversity conservation, as a “lesson learned” for nations grappling with how to reconcile rapid renewable energy deployment with biodiversity integrity. We explore case studies where Net Zero does not compromise Nature Positive initiatives, and propose five key principles that must be adhered to truly achieve Net Zero: (i) plan early and strategically; (ii) adhere to the mitigation hierarchy; (iii) design for biodiversity and monitor adaptively; (iv) engage communities and custodians; and (v) align finance and policy with ecological performance.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147733610","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}
HyeJin Kim, Balint Czúcz, Patricia Balvanera, Simon Ferrier, Michael J. Gill, Frank E. Muller‐Karger, Jillian Campbell, Rebecca Chaplin‐Kramer, Matthew Child, Gary N. Geller, Henrique M. Pereira, Laetitia M. Navarro
{"title":"From Data to Decision: Leveraging Essential Variables in Standardizing Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Monitoring and Reporting","authors":"HyeJin Kim, Balint Czúcz, Patricia Balvanera, Simon Ferrier, Michael J. Gill, Frank E. Muller‐Karger, Jillian Campbell, Rebecca Chaplin‐Kramer, Matthew Child, Gary N. Geller, Henrique M. Pereira, Laetitia M. Navarro","doi":"10.1111/con4.70042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/con4.70042","url":null,"abstract":"Fragmented systems for monitoring and assessing biodiversity and ecosystem services limit the ability to track progress at local and national scales in international multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). This greatly challenges coordinated actions to meet agreed‐upon global commitments. Filling this gap requires integrated and concerted design of data‐to‐decision workflows. The Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) and Essential Ecosystem Service Variables (EESVs) are tools that can coordinate structured and consistent monitoring, generate harmonized and scalable data products, and facilitate reporting that is useful for multiple purposes. Specifically, EBV/EESV data products are intended to synthesize information to serve the needs of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the System of Environmental‐Economic Accounts Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA‐EA), and assessments of the Intergovernmental Science‐Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) while also informing regional, national, and sub‐national conservation policy. This integrative approach works if local data collection is designed to be interoperable, and it is fundamental to improve models, forecasts, and indicators required in key policy and decision processes. Through application cases, we demonstrate the use of EBVs and EESVs in national assessments and scenario analyses for strategic policy and spatial planning with scalable and repeatable workflows from primary data to indicators for decision support.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147733612","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}
Tadeusz Zając, David C. Aldridge, Manuel Lopes-Lima, Katarzyna Zając, Paz Ondina, Marina Piria, Ioan Sîrbu, Juergen Geist, Evelyn Moorkens, Vincent Prié, Sebnem Atasaral, Frank Collas, Karel Douda, Clemens Gumpinger, Ioannis Karaouzas, Amra Kazić, Bjørn Mejdell Larsen, Tatsiana Lipinskaya, Gregory Motte, Martin Österling, Vladimir Pešić, Nicoletta Riccardi, Larisa Shevchuk, Spase Shumka, Stojmir Stojanovski, Virmantas Stunžėnas, Jouni Taskinen, Frankie Thielen, Henn Timm, Milcho Todorov, Teodora Trichkova, Gorazd Urbanič, Alexandra Weber, Niklas Wengström, Ronaldo Sousa
{"title":"An Urgent Call for the Coordinated Monitoring of European Freshwater Mussels","authors":"Tadeusz Zając, David C. Aldridge, Manuel Lopes-Lima, Katarzyna Zając, Paz Ondina, Marina Piria, Ioan Sîrbu, Juergen Geist, Evelyn Moorkens, Vincent Prié, Sebnem Atasaral, Frank Collas, Karel Douda, Clemens Gumpinger, Ioannis Karaouzas, Amra Kazić, Bjørn Mejdell Larsen, Tatsiana Lipinskaya, Gregory Motte, Martin Österling, Vladimir Pešić, Nicoletta Riccardi, Larisa Shevchuk, Spase Shumka, Stojmir Stojanovski, Virmantas Stunžėnas, Jouni Taskinen, Frankie Thielen, Henn Timm, Milcho Todorov, Teodora Trichkova, Gorazd Urbanič, Alexandra Weber, Niklas Wengström, Ronaldo Sousa","doi":"10.1111/con4.70040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/con4.70040","url":null,"abstract":"Large freshwater mussels, also known as naiads, are important organisms that provide crucial ecosystem functions and services but are experiencing significant declines across Europe. To ensure effective conservation, it is essential to have a well-coordinated monitoring scheme. Therefore, we analyzed the functioning of naiad monitoring systems in 31 European countries. Monitoring of naiad populations is not coordinated in Europe, is largely unrelated to monitoring of water quality or host fish species, and receives irregular funding. Raw data on monitored species are typically unavailable, which hampers independent and/or large-scale analyses. The quality of EU monitoring schemes according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive is poor for the most threatened species. To improve this, a new scheme is recommended with raw data stored in publicly available repositories to enable instant analysis and rapid, appropriate, evidence-based responses that can support the conservation of this imperilled taxon.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147708793","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}
Alexander Dhond, Sophus zu Ermgassen, Thomas Swinfield, Morgan Robertson, Andreas Heinemeyer, Stewart Owen, Joseph William Bull
{"title":"Permanence Risks to Biodiversity and Nature‐Based Carbon Offsets","authors":"Alexander Dhond, Sophus zu Ermgassen, Thomas Swinfield, Morgan Robertson, Andreas Heinemeyer, Stewart Owen, Joseph William Bull","doi":"10.1111/con4.70044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/con4.70044","url":null,"abstract":"Biodiversity and nature‐based carbon offsets are central to strategies addressing biodiversity loss and climate change. Their credibility depends on permanence—the expectation that biodiversity gains or sequestered carbon persist at least as long as the impacts they compensate for, or in perpetuity. Yet ecosystems are dynamic and increasingly exposed to disturbance, making perpetual outcomes difficult to guarantee. Despite this, many offset programs rely on fixed durations and static assumptions ill‐suited to managing long‐term risks, creating a structural misalignment between ecological permanence and the safeguards intended to secure it. To assess this misalignment, we reviewed three decades of literature to identify risks to long‐term durability and strategies for managing them. We developed a typology spanning three domains. Non‐physical risks, such as weak governance and limited data transparency, were most frequently reported, often co‐occurred, and enabled other failures. Physical risks such as fire, storms, or flooding cause material damage and are intensifying with climate change. Methodological risks, including oversimplified metrics and flawed design, expose structural weaknesses in offset systems. Our typology provides a framework for assessing permanence risks and strengthening offset governance. Credible, enduring offsets are achievable, provided robust risk management and adaptive governance are aligned with ecological realities.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147695438","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":"From Alerts to Action: Operationalizing Real‐Time Mortality Monitoring for Vultures","authors":"Corinne J. Kendall, Gareth Tate, Jes Lefcourt, Claire Bracebridge, Storm Crews","doi":"10.1111/con4.70048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/con4.70048","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In a recent Viewpoint, Santangeli (<span>2026</span>) calls for integrating real-time mortality alerts into telemetry programs for vultures and other scavengers to combat the elevated poisoning crisis. We strongly support this call and highlight that such an approach is already being implemented at scale. Over the past decade, Endangered Wildlife Trust, The Peregrine Fund, and North Carolina Zoo have operationalized such an approach for African vultures through our <i>Eye in the Sky</i> program (EITS), a near-real-time mortality monitoring network spanning 15 countries, more than 400 tagged birds, and more than 30 partner organizations. Since mid-2023, EITS has detected 46 wildlife poisoning events and 30 poison baits/sources across our southern African project sites, enabling reduced mortality, site decontamination, rescue of animals, and improved opportunities for evidence collection and enforcement. This has contributed to the prevention of substantial secondary mortalities, with a conservative calculation of ∼2500 vultures saved since inception. Building on this experience, we outline key operational challenges and solutions to translate alerts into effective action.</p>\u0000<p>First, large-scale, long-term, partner-driven programs inevitably require working across multiple tag manufacturers. Tags can differ in transmission frequency, download structure, accessory sensors, and battery characteristics and alerts must account for these differences to function reliably. Freely available cloud-based databases and analysis platforms such as EarthRanger (ER) and Movebank provide important infrastructure to integrate and customize needs by tag type (Wall et al. <span>2024</span>).</p>\u0000<p>Second, alerts must be automated and multi-metric to ensure accuracy and use. Standard mortality alerts based on displacement can generate high false-positive rates. EITS incorporates additional tag data from accessory sensors into alert metrics. ER allows near-real-time alerts to be delivered via web interface, email, or WhatsApp.</p>\u0000<p>Third, technological solutions are only effective if alerts reach the right people. With African vultures ranging widely, EITS depends on a broad network of over 30 partners spanning approximately 9 million km<sup>2</sup> of southern and eastern Africa (Kane et al. <span>2022</span>). Geographic alert-sharing capabilities allow mortality alerts to be shared directly with appropriate partners based on geographic proximity, regardless of where an animal was originally tagged.</p>\u0000<p>Finally, the ability to reach a mortality site quickly can be as important as its detection. Models demonstrate that intervention within hours is necessary to reduce mortality during poisoning events (Murn and Botha <span>2018</span>; Curk et al. <span>2025</span>). Our program's success illustrates how near-real-time alerts, paired with coordinated response capacity, translate directly into conservation impact. While staffing, vehicles, terrain, weather, ","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147695439","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}
Martin C. Arostegui, Thomas P. Quinn, Mikhail Skopets, Matthew R. Sloat
{"title":"Marine Subsidies Fortify a Stronghold for a Freshwater Megafish (Hucho taimen)","authors":"Martin C. Arostegui, Thomas P. Quinn, Mikhail Skopets, Matthew R. Sloat","doi":"10.1111/con4.70045","DOIUrl":"10.1111/con4.70045","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Taimen—the largest salmonids in the world—are among the most at-risk groups of freshwater megafish. The Tugur River in the Russian Far East is perhaps the greatest stronghold of Siberian taimen (<i>Hucho taimen</i>) and large runs of anadromous chum salmon (<i>Oncorhynchus keta</i>) to this ecosystem may contribute to this conservation success. We combined analyses of stable isotopes, allometry, and body condition to assess the role of nutrient subsidies from salmon in sustaining this megafish stronghold. Siberian taimen relied on marine-derived nutrients throughout ontogeny, but the assimilation rate increased by a factor of > 5.5 once they grew large enough to consume adult salmon whole. This marine resource constituted up to nearly 60% of the lifetime diet and 97% of the seasonal diet for large taimen. Salmon provided episodic pulses of direct nutrition and year-round ecosystem-wide benefits (including taimen prey that also assimilated marine-derived nutrients), enabling taimen to persistently maintain high body condition. Our findings underline key conservation lessons regarding the role of prey to guide conservation of freshwater megafish and other imperiled megafauna elsewhere.</p>","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"19 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/con4.70045","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147642154","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}
Susana P. Cunha, Susana C. Gonçalves, Steven P. Bachman, Eimear Nic Lughadha, James R. S. Westrip, Cátia Canteiro, Greg M. Mueller
{"title":"Prevalence of Red List DD Species Limits the Application of the EDGE Approach for Fungi","authors":"Susana P. Cunha, Susana C. Gonçalves, Steven P. Bachman, Eimear Nic Lughadha, James R. S. Westrip, Cátia Canteiro, Greg M. Mueller","doi":"10.1111/con4.70041","DOIUrl":"10.1111/con4.70041","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite their importance, fungi remain underrepresented in global conservation priorities and largely absent from indicators established for monitoring progress within the Global Biodiversity Framework. One indicator, the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) Index, tracks the conservation status of evolutionarily distinct species, but no EDGE list exists for fungi. To help address this gap, we assessed the extinction risk of 94 fungal species in monotypic genera, expected to have high evolutionary distinctiveness. Using IUCN Red List Criteria, most species were categorized as Data Deficient (56), 28 as Least Concern, with only nine assigned to threatened or near threatened categories, and one Not Evaluated. The prevalent data deficiency reflects severe knowledge gaps in fungal distribution, ecology, and taxonomy that impede evidence-based policy-making. We discuss challenges constraining fungal Red Listing and emphasize how basic mycological research is crucial to capture phylogenetic diversity in conservation priorities and ensure adequate representation of fungi in biodiversity policy and conservation.</p>","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"19 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/con4.70041","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147630681","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}
F. Riva, R. Schmucki, R. Cooke, M. Balalaikins, J. M. Barea-Azcón, D. N. Basu, M. Böhm, T. C. Bonebrake, S. Chowdhury, O. Comray, A. O. Debrot, A. J. Dolezal, E. E. Dyer, B. Fontaine, Z. F. Fric, R. Girotra, N. J. B. Isaac, K. R. Nagesh, E. Kühn, K. Kunte, A. S. Kutt, M. Kuussaari, M. Larivee, N. Legall, V. V. Lien, H. M. Madden, D. Maes, S. P. McGaffin, L. McRae, X. Mestdagh, M. L. Munguira, M. Musche, H. I. Mynott, V. Nawge, G. Peer, L. B. Pettersson, J. Pippen, L. Reis, T. Roth, M. Šašić, J. Settele, C. Sevilleja, S. Sheikh, M. Sielezniew, R. Solis, C. Stefanescu, N. Titeux, E. Tzirkalli, A. Ubach, C. A. M. van Swaay, A. Walker, B. A. Woodcock, David B. Roy
{"title":"Addressing Gaps in Butterfly Population Monitoring to Catalyze Global Insect Conservation","authors":"F. Riva, R. Schmucki, R. Cooke, M. Balalaikins, J. M. Barea-Azcón, D. N. Basu, M. Böhm, T. C. Bonebrake, S. Chowdhury, O. Comray, A. O. Debrot, A. J. Dolezal, E. E. Dyer, B. Fontaine, Z. F. Fric, R. Girotra, N. J. B. Isaac, K. R. Nagesh, E. Kühn, K. Kunte, A. S. Kutt, M. Kuussaari, M. Larivee, N. Legall, V. V. Lien, H. M. Madden, D. Maes, S. P. McGaffin, L. McRae, X. Mestdagh, M. L. Munguira, M. Musche, H. I. Mynott, V. Nawge, G. Peer, L. B. Pettersson, J. Pippen, L. Reis, T. Roth, M. Šašić, J. Settele, C. Sevilleja, S. Sheikh, M. Sielezniew, R. Solis, C. Stefanescu, N. Titeux, E. Tzirkalli, A. Ubach, C. A. M. van Swaay, A. Walker, B. A. Woodcock, David B. Roy","doi":"10.1111/con4.70037","DOIUrl":"10.1111/con4.70037","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The conservation community sorely lacks a global indicator of change in insect populations. Given widespread insect declines, addressing this gap is key for conservation and policy targets. We suggest that butterfly monitoring programs can serve as the foundation for an effective global network of insect monitoring. To assess this potential, we bring together an international consortium and calculate a “Global Butterfly Index” using the Living Planet Index approach. Based on 10,386 population trends of 213 univoltine species, we found that overall declines in butterfly populations are predictable based on species traits. Our effort should pave the way for the development of a global network of butterfly population monitoring schemes. Since butterflies are the best monitored insects and have strong emotional value for the public, a global infrastructure for butterfly monitoring can be a flagship for insect conservation, informing policymaking and spurring societal transitions towards sustainable futures.</p>","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"19 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/con4.70037","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147496547","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}