Kristopher M. Smith, Anne C. Pisor, Bertha Aron, Kasambo Bernard, Paschal Fimbo, Haji Machano, Rose Kimesera, Jason Rubens, Lorna Slade, Jumanne Sobo, Ali Thani, Monique Borgerhoff Mulder
{"title":"Long-distance Friends and Collective Action in Fisheries Management","authors":"Kristopher M. Smith, Anne C. Pisor, Bertha Aron, Kasambo Bernard, Paschal Fimbo, Haji Machano, Rose Kimesera, Jason Rubens, Lorna Slade, Jumanne Sobo, Ali Thani, Monique Borgerhoff Mulder","doi":"10.1111/conl.13073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13073","url":null,"abstract":"Much received wisdom in the conservation literature is that individual connections across community boundaries undercut natural resource management. However, when multiple communities access the same resource, these long-distance relationships could generate interdependence and trust to motivate engagement in collective action to manage the resource. To test this, we interviewed 1317 people in 28 fishing villages in Tanzania about their participation in managing open-access fisheries and their social relationships in each village accessing the fishery. People with more friends in other villages trusted more people in those villages and were more likely to participate in collective action to manage the shared fishery, such as reporting others for destructive fishing practices. These results show that long-distance relationships may be a useful foundation upon which to build conservation efforts that cross community boundaries and bolster sustainable resource use.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142777439","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}
Philine S. E. zu Ermgassen, Hannah McCormick, Alison Debney, José M. Fariñas‐Franco, Celine Gamble, Chris Gillies, Boze Hancock, Ane T. Laugen, Stéphane Pouvreau, Joanne Preston, William G. Sanderson, Åsa Strand, Ruth H. Thurstan
{"title":"European Native Oyster Reef Ecosystems Are Universally Collapsed","authors":"Philine S. E. zu Ermgassen, Hannah McCormick, Alison Debney, José M. Fariñas‐Franco, Celine Gamble, Chris Gillies, Boze Hancock, Ane T. Laugen, Stéphane Pouvreau, Joanne Preston, William G. Sanderson, Åsa Strand, Ruth H. Thurstan","doi":"10.1111/conl.13068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13068","url":null,"abstract":"Oyster reefs are often referred to as the temperate functional equivalent of coral reefs. Yet evidence for this analogy was lacking for the European native species <jats:italic>Ostrea edulis</jats:italic>. Historical data provide a unique opportunity to develop a robust definition for this ecosystem type, confirm that <jats:italic>O. edulis</jats:italic> are large‐scale biogenic reef builders, and assess its current conservation status. Today, <jats:italic>O. edulis</jats:italic> occur as scattered individuals or, rarely, as dense clumps over a few m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>. Yet historically, <jats:italic>O. edulis</jats:italic> reef ecosystems persisted at large scales (several km<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>), with individual reefs within the ecosystems present at the scale of several hectares. Using the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Framework, we conclude the European native oyster reef ecosystem type is collapsed under three of five criteria (A: reduction in geographic distribution, B: restricted geographic range, and D: disruption of biotic processes and interactions). Criterion C (environmental degradation) was data deficient, and Criterion E (quantitative risk analysis) was not completed as the ecosystem was already deemed collapsed. Our assessment has important implications for conservation policy and action, highlighting that the habitat definitions on which conservation policies are currently based reflect a highly shifted baseline, and that the scale of current restoration efforts falls far short of what is necessary for ecosystem recovery.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142776671","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}
Lisa Tedeschi, Bernd Lenzner, Anna Schertler, Dino Biancolini, Franz Essl, Carlo Rondinini
{"title":"Threatened Mammals With Alien Populations: Distribution, Causes, and Conservation","authors":"Lisa Tedeschi, Bernd Lenzner, Anna Schertler, Dino Biancolini, Franz Essl, Carlo Rondinini","doi":"10.1111/conl.13069","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13069","url":null,"abstract":"Many alien species are safe in their native ranges, but some are threatened. This creates a conundrum for conservation and invasion science. We analyzed the distributions, introduction pathways, threats, and conservation strategies of threatened mammals with alien populations globally. We reassessed their hypothetical IUCN Red List category including the alien part of the range. Among 230 alien mammals, 36 are threatened in their native range, either critically endangered (17%), endangered (25%), or vulnerable (58%). These species were mainly introduced for hunting and exchanged within Asia, with introduced ranges concentrated in south-eastern Asia and eastern Australia. They face multiple threats, particularly from biological resource use. Conservation strategies are mainly related to species management. Including alien populations in the assessments reduces extinction risk of 22% of the species. Although some of these alien populations may have conservation value, conservation managers should carefully consider them on a case-by-case basis to avoid negative impacts on biodiversity.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142777437","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":"High Fish Biomass and Low Nutrient Enrichment Synergistically Enhance Stability in a Seagrass Meta-Ecosystem","authors":"Maximilian H. K. Hesselbarth, Jacob E. Allgeier","doi":"10.1111/conl.13071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13071","url":null,"abstract":"Tropical seagrass ecosystems are globally imperiled due to overfishing and anthropogenic disturbances. Sustaining the services they provide will require managing resilience, particularly with increased volatility from climate change. Portfolio theory is touted as a mechanism to increase resilience in ecosystems because it takes advantage of temporal volatility in local production dynamics to increase stability at larger spatial scales. Using an individual-based model of a network of artificial reefs across multiple seagrass ecosystems that is parameterized with 15 years of field data, we demonstrate that (1) the large fish populations and the low enrichment synergistically increase portfolio effects; (2) the mechanism was via reduced local and increased meta-ecosystem stability in primary production; and (3) stability was greatest under intermediate production because nutrient enrichment reduces and fish, which have less influence on the amount of production, promote stability. Integrating common-sense management with portfolio theory can stabilize the services provided by seagrass ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142684495","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}
Ryan J. Almeida, Mary Cate Hyde, Julie L. Lockwood
{"title":"How Do We Identify Anthropogenic Allee Effects in the Wildlife Trade?","authors":"Ryan J. Almeida, Mary Cate Hyde, Julie L. Lockwood","doi":"10.1111/conl.13070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13070","url":null,"abstract":"The harvest and sale of wildlife can drive species to extinction when consumers are willing to pay high prices for the last harvested individuals of a very rare species, a phenomenon known as the anthropogenic Allee effect (AAE). Because demand for rarity is an inherent human desire, the AAE has the potential to affect a wide range of exploited species across several geographic regions. Here, we assess the current extent of empirical evidence for the AAE, how such evidence has been measured, and how this evidence interfaces with existing models of the AAE. We find substantial gaps in the empirical evidence base for the AAE and suggest that this deficit prevents assessment of the AAE in species extinctions. We provide a framework for generating empirical evidence that can identify when the AAE is likely occurring or has the potential to occur in the future, and recommend directions for both empirical and theoretical modeling research designed to strengthen our ability to forecast the ecological and market conditions that result in an AAE.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"75 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142637893","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}
Michael S. Esbach, Carlos Urgilés-Verdugo, Wendy R. Townsend, Carlos Yiyoguaje
{"title":"Hunting for Sustainability: Indigenous Stewardship in the Cofán Territory of Zábalo","authors":"Michael S. Esbach, Carlos Urgilés-Verdugo, Wendy R. Townsend, Carlos Yiyoguaje","doi":"10.1111/conl.13065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13065","url":null,"abstract":"Indigenous lands are increasingly recognized for their critical role in biodiversity conservation. However, concerns persist about the sustainability of hunting practices within these territories. This study investigates the long-term impact of Indigenous hunting practices on wildlife populations in the Cofán territory of Zábalo, Ecuador. We employed line transect surveys to estimate wildlife densities over three periods (2001–2003, 2006–2009, and 2018), focusing on 16 species that are integral to local livelihoods and subject to community management. Our results indicate generally stable or increasing populations for most species, particularly in nonhunted areas, where spatial restrictions are enforced. The Cofán's ability to sustainably manage relations between humans and wildlife is largely attributable to their adaptive management system, which includes species-specific regulations and spatial zoning, and is realized through community decision-making, knowledge sharing, and an ethos of care. These findings demonstrate that Indigenous stewardship can effectively sustain biodiversity in complex biocultural systems. The study underscores the importance of integrating Indigenous knowledge with scientific approaches to achieve long-term conservation goals.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"95 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142599953","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}
Tara Grillos, Nathan J. Cook, Krister P. Andersson
{"title":"Collective PES Contracts Can Motivate Institutional Creation to Conserve Forests: Experimental Evidence","authors":"Tara Grillos, Nathan J. Cook, Krister P. Andersson","doi":"10.1111/conl.13066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13066","url":null,"abstract":"Incentives are a widely used tool for addressing deforestation and are often implemented as collective contracts. Local institutions are crucial to the solution of collective action problems associated with forest conservation, but we still have little knowledge of how to encourage institutional creation through policy. Since collective contracts do not eliminate freeriding incentives, we argue that their success hinges on their ability to stimulate the creation of institutions for collective action. To test these ideas, we analyze data from an incentivized lab‐in‐the‐field experimental collective action game played with natural resource users in four developing countries. The experiment simulates management of a common forest, and groups were randomly assigned to a conservation incentive payment condition. We observe how much group members attempt to coordinate on the creation of institutional rules and find experimental evidence that an external incentive program can stimulate the endogenous creation of informal institutions.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142596636","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}
Eric E. G. Clua, Carl G. Meyer, Mark Freeman, Sandra Baksay, Hadrien Bidenbach, Anne Haguenauer, John D. C. Linnell, Clémentine Séguigne, Steven Surina, Michel Vely, Thomas Vignaud, Serge Planes
{"title":"First Evidence of Individual Sharks Involved in Multiple Predatory Bites on People","authors":"Eric E. G. Clua, Carl G. Meyer, Mark Freeman, Sandra Baksay, Hadrien Bidenbach, Anne Haguenauer, John D. C. Linnell, Clémentine Séguigne, Steven Surina, Michel Vely, Thomas Vignaud, Serge Planes","doi":"10.1111/conl.13067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13067","url":null,"abstract":"It is widely accepted that populations of terrestrial predators sometimes contain “problem individuals” that repeatedly attack humans, yet this phenomenon has never been demonstrated in sharks. Here, we present photographic and genetic evidence of individuals in populations of tiger <jats:italic>Galeocerdo cuvier</jats:italic> and oceanic whitetip <jats:italic>Carcharhinus longimanus</jats:italic> sharks that (1) demonstrated atypical behavior compared to the rest of the population, (2) engaged in repeated agonistic behavior directed toward humans, and (3) bit, or attempted to bite humans in probable foraging attempts. These case studies provide some of the first evidence for the existence of “problem individuals” among sharks. The percentage of fatalities due to the same shark individual are not known, so we recommend systematic swabbing of shark bite victims wounds to better understand the importance of this phenomenon and the possibility of identifying these animals. Environmentally conscientious management options for problem individuals range from prohibiting ocean activities (e.g., swimming and surfing) in their habitats to selectively removing the individual, although the latter would be challenging in the marine environment.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"215 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142596637","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}
Carles Carboneras, Eva Šilarová, Jana Škorpilová, Beatriz Arroyo
{"title":"Rapid population response to a hunting ban in a previously overharvested, threatened landbird","authors":"Carles Carboneras, Eva Šilarová, Jana Škorpilová, Beatriz Arroyo","doi":"10.1111/conl.13057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13057","url":null,"abstract":"Empirical data are essential to assess the outcomes of management decisions in the context of adaptive management. We used flyway-level population indices of a declining game bird to assess population changes after introducing hunting management measures as part of the European Union (EU)-wide Adaptive Harvest Management mechanism (AHMM). In one flyway, a full hunting ban led to the start of population recovery; numbers increased by 25% in 2 years and the 10-year population trend improved from “moderate decline” to “stable.” In the other flyway, harvest was only reduced (allegedly by 60% although statistics from key countries were incomplete), and numbers continued to fall (−15% decline). Our study shows positive results of the leading AHMM for a landbird in Europe and provides empirical evidence of the speed of population response and the timeframe needed for change to occur and to be detected. It showcases the successful application of policy mechanisms underpinned by science.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142487699","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}
Eric J. Buenz, Myra Finkelstein, Ellen Cieraad, Pauline Howard, Gareth J. Parry, Simon Hunter, Jordan O. Hampton, Victoria J. Bakker, Fiona Sloan, Ben Hodgson, Kerry A. Weston
{"title":"Lead-based ammunition is a threat to the endangered New Zealand Kea (Nestor notabilis)","authors":"Eric J. Buenz, Myra Finkelstein, Ellen Cieraad, Pauline Howard, Gareth J. Parry, Simon Hunter, Jordan O. Hampton, Victoria J. Bakker, Fiona Sloan, Ben Hodgson, Kerry A. Weston","doi":"10.1111/conl.13059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13059","url":null,"abstract":"Lead (Pb) poisoning is a significant threat to Aotearoa New Zealand's endangered kea (<i>Nestor notabilis</i>), an avian species important to Māori. Historically, exposure was thought to be from lead-containing building materials; however, recent field observations suggest lead-based ammunition as an additional source. We used stable lead isotopes to investigate the sources of lead to kea. Comparing <sup>207</sup> Pb/<sup>206 </sup>Pb ratios in kea blood (<i>n</i> = 91) to both ammunition and building materials, we found approximately one-third of exposed kea (blood lead > 10 µg/dL) had lead isotope ratios consistent with exposure to lead-based ammunition. As lead ammunition is still used, including in government-sponsored culling programs, our data indicate an urgent need to shift toward non-lead ammunition use to prevent further poisoning and aid conservation efforts. Collaborating with <i>tangata whenua</i>/Māori guardians, we advocate for immediate policy changes to eliminate lead-based ammunition in kea habitat to safeguard this endangered culturally treasured species from extinction.","PeriodicalId":157,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Letters","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142488884","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}