{"title":"Privately protected areas in Mexico, a 2012–2023 update","authors":"Juan E. Bezaury-Creel","doi":"10.3389/fcosc.2023.1304771","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2023.1304771","url":null,"abstract":"In 2002, the first privately protected area (PPA) was legally “certified” by the Mexican government. The last PPA country review used data from 2012, so a decadal update is considered to be timely. By June 2023, 546 land parcels within 27 states held valid certificates as PPAs or ICCAs, for a total of 718,526 ha. PPAs include 175,006 ha of private lands plus 9,860 ha of public property, which jointly represent a 44% increase from their 2012 coverage of 128,369 ha, while community lands or “territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities” (ICCAs) now comprise 486,082 ha. No new uncertified PPA inventory has been developed to date, but their number and territorial coverage have increased. After more than 20 years of use of the certified “voluntary conservation use areas” (ADVCs) mechanism, this review gives us a clearer and more mature picture of the benefits and limitations of using this legal tool. For example, no 10-year—the initial minimum required by law—certificates remain. Meanwhile, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30x30 target, with emphasis on effectively conserved and managed areas, has resulted in the development of an ADVC assessment tool, while advances toward the establishment of a legal “easement in gross” mechanism, through contractual means, have been developed for one Mexican state, which will serve as a proof-of-concept precedent for other states. Overall, certification of ADVCs has proved to be a useful tool for conservation of biodiversity and environmental services, which certainly needs to evolve to become more effective and efficient, in order to be a more widely used tool and increase its contribution for achieving Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework for Mexico.","PeriodicalId":484005,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in conservation science","volume":"47 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139777950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Privately protected areas in Mexico, a 2012–2023 update","authors":"Juan E. Bezaury-Creel","doi":"10.3389/fcosc.2023.1304771","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2023.1304771","url":null,"abstract":"In 2002, the first privately protected area (PPA) was legally “certified” by the Mexican government. The last PPA country review used data from 2012, so a decadal update is considered to be timely. By June 2023, 546 land parcels within 27 states held valid certificates as PPAs or ICCAs, for a total of 718,526 ha. PPAs include 175,006 ha of private lands plus 9,860 ha of public property, which jointly represent a 44% increase from their 2012 coverage of 128,369 ha, while community lands or “territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities” (ICCAs) now comprise 486,082 ha. No new uncertified PPA inventory has been developed to date, but their number and territorial coverage have increased. After more than 20 years of use of the certified “voluntary conservation use areas” (ADVCs) mechanism, this review gives us a clearer and more mature picture of the benefits and limitations of using this legal tool. For example, no 10-year—the initial minimum required by law—certificates remain. Meanwhile, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30x30 target, with emphasis on effectively conserved and managed areas, has resulted in the development of an ADVC assessment tool, while advances toward the establishment of a legal “easement in gross” mechanism, through contractual means, have been developed for one Mexican state, which will serve as a proof-of-concept precedent for other states. Overall, certification of ADVCs has proved to be a useful tool for conservation of biodiversity and environmental services, which certainly needs to evolve to become more effective and efficient, in order to be a more widely used tool and increase its contribution for achieving Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework for Mexico.","PeriodicalId":484005,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in conservation science","volume":"74 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139837804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
E. VanderWerf, Nick D. Holmes, Scott A. Morrison, C. R. Kohley, Alex Wegmann, L. Young
{"title":"Assisted colonization of albatrosses in the California Channel Islands: conservation basis and suitability assessment","authors":"E. VanderWerf, Nick D. Holmes, Scott A. Morrison, C. R. Kohley, Alex Wegmann, L. Young","doi":"10.3389/fcosc.2023.1279373","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2023.1279373","url":null,"abstract":"Laysan (Phoebastria immutabilis) and Black-footed Albatrosses (P. nigripes) nest primarily on low-lying atolls in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands that are threatened by inundation from sea level rise and increasing storm surge associated with climate change. Restoration or creation of breeding colonies on higher islands is among the highest priority conservation actions for these species. A previous structured decision-making analysis identified the California Channel Islands as a possible restoration site for Black-footed Albatross. The California Current is part of the natural foraging ranges of Laysan and Black-footed albatrosses. Archaeological evidence indicates both species were present in the California Channel Islands prehistorically, yet neither currently nests in the Channel Islands. We assessed the feasibility of creating albatross breeding colonies in the Channel Islands using social attraction and translocation, and the suitability of each island. We used a risk analysis framework developed for the U.S. National Park Service to evaluate the potential ecological risks of this action. Creating an albatross colony in the Channel Islands is feasible using available methods. Santa Barbara and San Nicolas islands would be most suitable for albatross. Social attraction is less expensive and might be effective for creating a Laysan Albatross colony because that species is already visiting some islands. Translocation would be necessary to create a Black-footed Albatross colony. The risks associated with attempting to establish albatross breeding colonies in the Channel Islands were deemed to be generally low, but the risk of no action is high to these albatrosses. This can be a useful assisted colonization case study that can inform decisions by land managers and agencies regarding conservation of North Pacific albatrosses and other species.","PeriodicalId":484005,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in conservation science","volume":"273 18‐20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139799451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
E. VanderWerf, Nick D. Holmes, Scott A. Morrison, C. R. Kohley, Alex Wegmann, L. Young
{"title":"Assisted colonization of albatrosses in the California Channel Islands: conservation basis and suitability assessment","authors":"E. VanderWerf, Nick D. Holmes, Scott A. Morrison, C. R. Kohley, Alex Wegmann, L. Young","doi":"10.3389/fcosc.2023.1279373","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2023.1279373","url":null,"abstract":"Laysan (Phoebastria immutabilis) and Black-footed Albatrosses (P. nigripes) nest primarily on low-lying atolls in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands that are threatened by inundation from sea level rise and increasing storm surge associated with climate change. Restoration or creation of breeding colonies on higher islands is among the highest priority conservation actions for these species. A previous structured decision-making analysis identified the California Channel Islands as a possible restoration site for Black-footed Albatross. The California Current is part of the natural foraging ranges of Laysan and Black-footed albatrosses. Archaeological evidence indicates both species were present in the California Channel Islands prehistorically, yet neither currently nests in the Channel Islands. We assessed the feasibility of creating albatross breeding colonies in the Channel Islands using social attraction and translocation, and the suitability of each island. We used a risk analysis framework developed for the U.S. National Park Service to evaluate the potential ecological risks of this action. Creating an albatross colony in the Channel Islands is feasible using available methods. Santa Barbara and San Nicolas islands would be most suitable for albatross. Social attraction is less expensive and might be effective for creating a Laysan Albatross colony because that species is already visiting some islands. Translocation would be necessary to create a Black-footed Albatross colony. The risks associated with attempting to establish albatross breeding colonies in the Channel Islands were deemed to be generally low, but the risk of no action is high to these albatrosses. This can be a useful assisted colonization case study that can inform decisions by land managers and agencies regarding conservation of North Pacific albatrosses and other species.","PeriodicalId":484005,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in conservation science","volume":"4 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139859560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Benjamin J. Richardson, Sarah Brugler, James A. Fitzsimons, Phillipa C. McCormack, Afshin Akhtar-Khavari
{"title":"Conservation covenants for ecosystem restoration: adapting an old instrument to a new global conservation challenge?","authors":"Benjamin J. Richardson, Sarah Brugler, James A. Fitzsimons, Phillipa C. McCormack, Afshin Akhtar-Khavari","doi":"10.3389/fcosc.2024.1335988","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2024.1335988","url":null,"abstract":"Conservation covenants are an important legal tool for enabling private land conservation, whose significance to policymakers has recently grown in light of new global commitments to expand areas of land and water protected and restored. Covenants’ traditional focus on conservation of existing natural values rather than restoration of degraded land or active management of environments impacted by climate change pose significant challenges to the flexibility and efficacy of this legal instrument. In Australia, recent national legal reforms to incentivise private land conservation, notably the new Nature Repair Act 2023, will need to consider how it can align with conservation covenanted lands that are regulated by different laws with different criteria and goals. Here we identify some pathways for enabling conservation covenants to play an expanded role in the context of ecosystem restoration and climate adaptation.","PeriodicalId":484005,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in conservation science","volume":"383 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140473546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Research priorities for privately protected areas","authors":"James A. Fitzsimons, Brent A. Mitchell","doi":"10.3389/fcosc.2024.1340887","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2024.1340887","url":null,"abstract":"The important role of private land conservation, and particularly privately protected areas (PPAs), in contributing towards global conservation is increasingly recognised. With an increase in the extent of PPAs, under a variety of different legal regimes and governance types, comes an increasing number of ecological, social, governance and legal research questions. Research into various aspects of PPAs has been growing. In compiling the IUCN’s Guidelines for Privately Protected Areas, a range of research questions were posed. The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas Specialist Group on Privately Protected Areas and Nature Stewardship subsequently sought to gain the views of researchers and practitioners involved in PPAs regarding what they considered to be priorities for research. Responses were higher on enabling factors and mechanisms specific to PPAs and somewhat fewer on ecological and social outcomes. These results can be used to guide future research efforts that will be most meaningful to improve PPA take up, effectiveness and longevity, noting there is a need for researchers, practitioners, landowners and managers, and policymakers to collectively set the research agenda.","PeriodicalId":484005,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in conservation science","volume":"114 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140475547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Queen of the Andes: the ecology and conservation of Puya raimondii","authors":"Riley P. Fortier","doi":"10.3389/fcosc.2024.1349553","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2024.1349553","url":null,"abstract":"Puya raimondii is the world’s largest bromeliad and a prime example of a “charismatic megaflora”. Indeed, its grand stature and remarkable once-in-a-lifetime flowering event have earned it the name “Queen of the Andes”. Like many Puya species, it is one of the only large-statured plants in high Andean puna ecosystems and an important structural and ecological component throughout its native range, providing food and shelter to a variety of animals. However, its future is threatened by anthropogenic stressors such as climate change and land use. In this article, I provide a review of its life history, ecology, and the most important threats to the plant, including climate change and land use. Despite its importance, status as endangered, and the urgency of its threats, little is being done to forecast its future and protect its scattered populations. I finally call for its conservation through in- and ex-situ initiatives and argue that future intervention will be necessary to ensure its survival.","PeriodicalId":484005,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in conservation science","volume":"25 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140488041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lisa P. Barrett, A. M. Flanagan, B. Masuda, Ronald R. Swaisgood
{"title":"The influence of pair duration on reproductive success in the monogamous ‘Alalā (Hawaiian crow, Corvus hawaiiensis)","authors":"Lisa P. Barrett, A. M. Flanagan, B. Masuda, Ronald R. Swaisgood","doi":"10.3389/fcosc.2024.1303239","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2024.1303239","url":null,"abstract":"Conservation breeding program practitioners select potential mates in an attempt to maximize pair compatibility and maintain genetic diversity. Therefore, pair duration, or the number of breeding seasons that individuals retain the same mate, is practitioner-determined in these settings. There is a critical need to evaluate whether pair duration influences reproductive success in ex situ assurance populations, particularly for socially monogamous species. The ‘Alalā (Hawaiian crow, Corvus hawaiiensis) is a monogamous forest bird that is currently extinct in the wild. Today, ‘Alalā exist only in human care for intensive conservation breeding. We analyzed breeding program data from 2018-2021 to determine the effects of ‘Alalā pair duration and age on reproduction (nest building, egg laying, hatching, and fledging). We found that pair duration does not influence reproductive outcomes, and thus practitioners can be more proactive when re-pairing birds. Female and male age, on the other hand, influenced the probability of nest building, clutch production, and overall reproductive success. Nest building and clutch production probabilities were high (near 1) and stable as females aged from 2 to ~ 12 years old, declining sharply thereafter. In males, overall reproductive success (from building robust nests to rearing at least one nestling to fledge) increased with age from 2 to ~ 9 years old, peaked and reached an asymptote with males ≳ 9 to ~ 13 years old, and decreased in males ≳ 13 years old. Thus, integrating age into the pair selection process will increase the likelihood of achieving conservation goals. To our knowledge, we are the first to utilize empirical pair duration results to provide specific management recommendations for mate selection in an avian conservation breeding program. Our findings have critical utility for guiding ‘Alalā pairing decisions, and more broadly underscore the importance of evaluating mate retention and selection protocols in other conservation breeding programs.","PeriodicalId":484005,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in conservation science","volume":"1 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139598557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Swemmer, R. Lerm, Dave I. Thompson, Jan A. Graf, Lynne Stone, Mightyman Mashele
{"title":"Plant diversity in secondary, montane grasslands – a case study of the abandoned plantations of Mariepskop Mountain, South Africa","authors":"A. Swemmer, R. Lerm, Dave I. Thompson, Jan A. Graf, Lynne Stone, Mightyman Mashele","doi":"10.3389/fcosc.2024.1297148","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2024.1297148","url":null,"abstract":"Grasslands are one of the most threatened terrestrial ecosystem types, and montane grasslands of particular conservation concern. Despite high rates of transformation in recent decades, croplands and plantations are being abandoned in parts of many countries, creating an opportunity for conservation of montane grasslands through restoration. We report on the changes in the cover of major vegetation types (indigenous forest, grassland, and plantations) between 1935 and 2022, in an area that was intensively afforested from 1930 to 1960 and abandoned in 2000. Montane grassland at the site declined from over 50% of all landcover to below 15%, but subsequently recovered to 30% within 20 years. Many former plantations developed into secondary grassland with estimated gamma plant species richness of 231 for herbaceous species and 45 for savanna species. These are high values considering the size of the study area (4000 ha), and comparable to estimates from primary grassland sites in the broader region. However, at the scale of 1 m2 sampling quadrats, richness in the secondary grasslands was below that recorded in the last remaining patches of primary grassland at the site (means of 2.6 versus 4.7 for graminoid species, and 1.9 versus 2.9 for forbs). Some of the former Eucalyptus plantations had transformed into novel savannas dominated by fire-tolerant, resprouting trees, and may require more active restoration. Secondary grasslands such as those reported on here could potentially make a significant contribution to the conservation of montane biodiversity over the coming decades, warranting further research (both socio-economic and ecological) on the factors that lead to abandonment and promote the emerge of secondary grasslands of high diversity.","PeriodicalId":484005,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in conservation science","volume":"21 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139595887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ugyen Penjor, Ż. Kaszta, David W. Macdonald, Samuel A. Cushman
{"title":"Identifying umbrella and indicator species to support multispecies population connectivity in a Himalayan biodiversity hotspot","authors":"Ugyen Penjor, Ż. Kaszta, David W. Macdonald, Samuel A. Cushman","doi":"10.3389/fcosc.2024.1306051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2024.1306051","url":null,"abstract":"Successful conservation hinges on the reliable prediction and prioritisation of population core habitats and dispersal corridors. However, reliance on single-species connectivity has produced mixed results and, in most cases, failed to protect other species under the appealing but often unfulfilled guise of umbrella protection. The main objectives of this study were: (1) to identify core habitats and dispersal corridors for population connectivity of 15 terrestrial mammal species across Bhutan, (2) to identify indicator species of wildlife connectivity, (3) to prioritise core areas and dispersal corridors for the focal umbrella and indicator species, (4) to develop composite multispecies connectivity maps and evaluate the effectiveness of the existing protected area network. We used kernel density (KD) to identify core habitat areas and factorial least-cost path (LCP) to map dispersal corridors. We used correlation and cluster analyses to identify umbrella and indicator species, and quantitative ranking to prioritise core areas and corridors for these focal species. Finally, we produced maps of multispecies core areas and corridors, and identified gaps in the existing protected area network (PAN). We found that ungulates were generally more effective than carnivores in serving as umbrella species for core habitat protection, with Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) emerging as the most effective umbrella for core habitats and muntjac (Muntiacus muntjac) for dispersal corridors. We identified six focal connectivity indicator species in Bhutan: tiger (Panthera tigris), dhole (Cuon alpinus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), Asian elephant, and sambar deer (Rusa unicolor). Most indicator species’ core areas and dispersal corridors outside the PAN were in southern Bhutan, indicating opportunities for increased multispecies connectivity through expanding protected area network in this region. A total of 40% of multispecies core areas and 24% of dispersal corridors were under PAN, with large parts of Bhutan offering suitable core areas and corridors for multispecies conservation. Core areas and corridors of the 15 considered species only partially overlapped, stressing the importance of multi-species consideration in designating wildlife corridors.","PeriodicalId":484005,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in conservation science","volume":"52 39","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139598769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}