Nature Conservation最新文献

{"title":"The greater the proportion of Robinia pseudoacacia in a stand the greater its effect on the population characteristics of Erythronium dens-canis","authors":"B. Pacsai, Emese Anna Bognár, Bence Fülöp, Vivien Lábadi, J. Bódis","doi":"10.3897/natureconservation.55.112272","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.55.112272","url":null,"abstract":"Management of invasive alien plants is an increasing problem throughout the world. In some cases native rare or protected species can appear or even prefer habitats dominated by invasive alien plants, which raises questions about the optimal treatment of such areas. Erythronium dens-canis in Hungary is a protected species which only have several occurrences in the country and a number of these populations situated in Robinia pseudoacacia stands developed after harvesting native forests. In this study a total of five populations of E. dens-canis were surveyed between 2020 and 2022 in southwestern Hungary examining and comparing the ongoing demographic changes under native and Robinia stands by monitoring individual plants. Two populations were situated in forests composed of native tree species, two in Robinia pseudoacacia-dominated stands and one in a Robinia-native tree species mixed stand. We categorized the plants into five age-state categories: dormant, seedling, juvenile, vegetative adult, and reproductive adult. We found some considerable differences (e.g. leaf size, reproduction rate) between the populations situated in native and in Robinia stands, whereas the population in mixed forest showed intermediate character in most examined factors. Based on our results, R. pseudoacacia have a significant effect on the phenology and life history of E. dens-canis, and this effect is greater with higher proportion of R. pseudoacacia in a forest stand where the E. dens-canis occurs.","PeriodicalId":501054,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140730293","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":"Linking sufficiency and the protection of biodiversity: An issue of political implications, framing, descriptiveness and interdisciplinarity?","authors":"Marianne Hachtmann","doi":"10.3897/natureconservation.55.118243","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.55.118243","url":null,"abstract":"The dramatic loss of biodiversity is caused by the use of resources and land. One strategy aiming at reducing the use of resources and land is sufficiency, which consequently could be a strategy for protecting biodiversity. This article therefore examines the extent to which sufficiency in the context of biodiversity conservation is already being addressed by nature conservation associations and the scientific community. To this end, publications were analysed firstly with regards to the understanding of sufficiency, secondly with regards to the considered links between sufficiency and biodiversity as well as thirdly with regards to the considered fields of action. The systematic identification and evaluation of scientific publications (for the years 2017–2021) and publications by German and international nature conservation associations shows that few publications address the link between sufficiency and biodiversity. And when they do, the link often remains unspecific. Possible reasons are that sufficiency potentially has broader political implications, that the term is not descriptive and that other terms are used to describe similar strategies. Other potential explanations are that several framings for the need for sufficiency are possible and that linking sufficiency and biodiversity requires interdisciplinarity. Drawing on the results and the discussion, an argument in favour of using the term ‘sufficiency’ and further research is presented. Moreover, a sufficiency typology is developed and questions are raised that could form the basis for future research on linking biodiversity conservation and the various aspects of sufficiency.","PeriodicalId":501054,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140371721","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":"Effects of management, habitat and landscape characteristics on biodiversity of orchard meadows in Central Europe: A brief review","authors":"Cornelia Sattler, Julian Schrader, Marie-Luise Hüttner, Klaus Henle","doi":"10.3897/natureconservation.55.108688","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.55.108688","url":null,"abstract":"Increasing agricultural intensification, combined with land transformation and fragmentation, poses significant threats to biodiversity. While extensively cultivated landscapes serve as vital refuges against biodiversity loss, they are modified by land abandonment and intensification. Orchard meadows in Central Europe represent traditional extensive land management systems, exhibiting high biodiversity. Comprising cultivated grasslands and scattered fruit trees, orchard meadows feature structures rich in different habitats supporting a diverse flora and fauna. However, their decreasing economic importance in recent decades has resulted in severe degradation or abandonment. Despite their importance for biodiversity conservation, there remains no comprehensive overview of orchard meadow biodiversity and management in Central Europe. This review aims to summarize existing knowledge on orchard meadows’ role in biodiversity conservation and the effects of management practices on habitat diversity and quality at both smaller (structure and microhabitats, local scale) and larger scales (surrounding landscape, regional scale). The first part focuses on orchard meadow biodiversity, including both plants and animals and their link to landscape-scale factors. Biodiversity in orchard meadows is predominantly affected by patch size, determining species richness and composition, and connectivity to neighbouring orchard meadows, influencing species migration and recolonization success. The second part evaluates management impacts, illustrating differences in the benefits of mowing versus grazing across taxonomic groups. An intermediate management intensity for orchard meadows determines their conservation value in terms of species composition, varying among different taxonomic groups. To prevent area loss and abandonment of orchard meadows, we advocate for political and public support, along with incentives for farmers to maintain their biodiversity.","PeriodicalId":501054,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140372602","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":"Climatic niche modelling and genetic analyses highlight conservation priorities for the Spotted Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus variegatus)","authors":"M. Le, Dennis Rödder, T. Nguyen, Cuong The Pham, T. Nguyen, A. Ong, Timothy E. M. McCormack, Thang Tai Nguyen, Mai Huyen Le, H. T. Ngo, Thomas Ziegler","doi":"10.3897/natureconservation.55.114746","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.55.114746","url":null,"abstract":"The Spotted Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus variegatus) has been recognised since 2019 from Vietnam and Hainan Island, China, but little information about its population status and distribution range is currently available. The species has been provisionally listed as Critically Endangered by the Turtle and Tortoise Working Group, although the status has not been officially accepted by the IUCN, due to the threats the species is facing, including habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation for food, competition with other non-native softshell turtles and pollution. To identify conservation priority sites for P. variegatus in mainland Indochina, this study combines molecular analyses and species distribution modelling. Our results show that, in Vietnam, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has the largest suitable area and high probability of species occurrence, followed by Vu Quang National Park and Song Thanh and Ke Go Nature Reserves. In addition, the central provinces, from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien Hue in Vietnam, constitute a key part of the species distribution and should be prioritised for conservation actions. According to the study’s findings, although P. variegatus is possibly found in Laos, the probability decreases sharply at the border between both countries and there is also a gap in the occurrence of wetlands, arguing for strong natural barriers. Unfortunately, to date, only part of the species potential distribution is protected, while no records are known from protected areas, highlighting the need for extended or even new reserves. To recover natural populations of the species and following the IUCN’s One Plan Approach to Conservation, breeding programmes have been established in Vietnam with a potential to expand to other facilities in the country and abroad. Once suitable sites are identified, offspring can be released into the protected areas to improve the current conservation status of this highly-threatened softshell turtle.","PeriodicalId":501054,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140430968","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":"A detailed assessment of the land cover development in a territory with dispersed settlement area (case study Hriňová – Snohy, Slovakia)","authors":"Katarína Švoňavová, V. Falťan, Veronika Piscová, Vladimír Šagát, František Petrovič","doi":"10.3897/natureconservation.55.111246","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.55.111246","url":null,"abstract":"This study focuses on the development of the landscape during a period of significant social changes in Central Europe from the middle of the 20th century, and evaluates the impact of the selected natural factors on landscape dynamics in the Snohy dispersed settlement area (cadaster of Hriňová, Slovakia). During the periods of feudalism and the democratic Czechoslovak Republic after 1918, private ownership of land prevailed on the territory of Slovakia. After 1948, in the period of the socialist establishment, the municipality was one of the few localities without collectivisation. We focused on the state and changes to the landscape structure based on remote sensing data analysis (1949, 2003, and 2018), as well as field research and archive photographs inspection. The study area is a part of the proposed Special Area of Conservation SKUEV4026 Meadows of Poľana and is situated near the border between the transition and buffer zones of the Poľana Biosphere Reserve. The state of land cover and its changes have been evaluated using a CORINE Land Cover modification at the 5th level. Results showed that the influence of the slope on agricultural extensification, deforestation, and afforestation, was the most pronounced. Since 1949, more than half of the land cover has changed across the study area. The most extensive changes were recorded in the spatial structure and composition of forest communities.","PeriodicalId":501054,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139779400","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":"A detailed assessment of the land cover development in a territory with dispersed settlement area (case study Hriňová – Snohy, Slovakia)","authors":"Katarína Švoňavová, V. Falťan, Veronika Piscová, Vladimír Šagát, František Petrovič","doi":"10.3897/natureconservation.55.111246","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.55.111246","url":null,"abstract":"This study focuses on the development of the landscape during a period of significant social changes in Central Europe from the middle of the 20th century, and evaluates the impact of the selected natural factors on landscape dynamics in the Snohy dispersed settlement area (cadaster of Hriňová, Slovakia). During the periods of feudalism and the democratic Czechoslovak Republic after 1918, private ownership of land prevailed on the territory of Slovakia. After 1948, in the period of the socialist establishment, the municipality was one of the few localities without collectivisation. We focused on the state and changes to the landscape structure based on remote sensing data analysis (1949, 2003, and 2018), as well as field research and archive photographs inspection. The study area is a part of the proposed Special Area of Conservation SKUEV4026 Meadows of Poľana and is situated near the border between the transition and buffer zones of the Poľana Biosphere Reserve. The state of land cover and its changes have been evaluated using a CORINE Land Cover modification at the 5th level. Results showed that the influence of the slope on agricultural extensification, deforestation, and afforestation, was the most pronounced. Since 1949, more than half of the land cover has changed across the study area. The most extensive changes were recorded in the spatial structure and composition of forest communities.","PeriodicalId":501054,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139839250","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":"Environmental characteristics, including soil and vegetation composition, in relation to the occurrence patterns of an endangered lizard, Eremias argus, in a fluvial island, South Korea","authors":"Eunhee Cho, Deokjoo Son","doi":"10.3897/natureconservation.55.113483","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.55.113483","url":null,"abstract":"Eremias argus, known as the Mongolian racerunner, is a reptile that has been designated as a level II endangered species in South Korea since 2005 despite being listed as “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Particular vegetation and soil characteristics are critical components of the habitat of E. argus, which is an ectotherm. However, research on the environmental characteristics of E. argus living on a fluvial island is lacking. This study sought to characterize the soil environmental factors and vegetation composition of E. argus habitats on Doriseom Island, South Korea by dividing the island into an area in which E. argus occurred frequently (F zone) and an area in which E. argus occurred rarely (R zone). Both soil hardness and cobble cover were significantly higher in the R zone (soil hardness: 1.6 ± 0.2 kg‧cm-2, mean ± standard error; cobble cover: 40 ± 5%) than in the F zone (soil hardness: 0.9 ± 0.1 kg‧cm-2; cobble cover: 18 ± 3%). Plant litter cover did not differ significantly based on E. argus occurrence. The vegetation composition within F and R zones appeared distinct, though Coreopsis lanceolata dominated both zones. A sand dune sedge, Carex pumila, thrived in F zone sites, where soil hardness was low, while the endemic Aster danyangensis, which prefers cobble areas, was found largely in the R zone. In conclusion, E. argus was most commonly found in areas with low soil hardness dominated by dune vegetation. Understanding endangered species’ habitat requirements can provide important clues for establishing conservation plans and restoration measures.","PeriodicalId":501054,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140482667","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":"Effects of management complexity on the composition, plant functional dominance relationships and physiognomy of high nature value grasslands","authors":"Róbert Kun, Dániel Babai, András István Csathó, Arnold Erdélyi, Judit Hartdégen, Attila Lengyel, Nikoletta Kálmán, András Mártonffy, Alida Anna Hábenczyus, Zsófia Szegleti, Ákos Vig, András Máté, Ákos Malatinszky, Tímea Tóth, Csaba Vadász","doi":"10.3897/natureconservation.55.114385","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.55.114385","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000A significant proportion of Europe’s species-rich grasslands are semi-natural habitats. They have a long history of traditional management. Several studies have been carried out to conserve them, resulting in the establishment of subsidised conservation management schemes. On the other hand, many of these conservation management schemes have failed to provide locally adaptive solutions to maintain the diversity and functional status of species-rich grasslands. In addition, few studies have compared the conservation effectiveness of different levels of management complexity. The levels of management complexity in our study are based on how different management types (e.g. grazing and mowing etc.) and how different herbage removal intensities (e.g. lower and higher grazing intensities) are combined within and between years. To investigate this, we compared the overall effects of management complexity, herbage removal intensity and management type on plant diversity, plant functional type dominance relationships and plant physiognomy. Our field sampling was carried out in the sandy meso-xeric grasslands of the Turján Region of the Great Hungarian Plain (Central Hungary). We sampled nine 2 m × 2 m plots per grassland site (n = 12), recorded all the rooted plant species and estimated their percentage cover in each plot. High level of management complexity had significant positive effects on plant diversity, grazing had positive effects on plant diversity and phanerophyte density, while the studied levels of herbage removal intensity had no effect on diversity, plant functional types or plant physiognomy. In parallel, mowing and/or low levels of management complexity had some negative effects on conservation value (e.g. lower Shannon and Simpson diversity). In this landscape, the dominance of grazing and the more complex management is more optimal than relatively homogeneous mechanical mowing. The choice of management type and intensity is an important tool in the conservation management system of this landscape, but so too is its appropriate application in space and time. Through a detailed analysis of the effects of management complexity levels compared to management types and herbage removal intensity levels, we provide a new opportunity to make grassland management practices more effective for conserving biodiversity in this region, but it would be important to investigate these in different landscapes and conditions.","PeriodicalId":501054,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139411982","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":"Vegetation changes along an urbanisation and atmospheric pollution gradient in Mexico","authors":"Edmar Meléndez-Jaramillo, Laura Sánchez-Castillo, Ma. Teresa de Jesús Segura Martínez, Uriel Jeshua Sánchez-Reyes","doi":"10.3897/natureconservation.54.110257","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.54.110257","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Green areas are important places for biodiversity conservation within cities, but their vegetation is affected by various anthropogenic factors. This study used an exploratory approach to examine the influence of urbanisation and air pollution-related factors on the indicators for the composition and structure of vegetation in an urban area in northeast Mexico. Based on the spatial analysis of the major air pollutants, four sampling categories were delimited (rural, low, moderate and high urbanisation). The differences between categories, based on vegetation structure, were determined using non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis tests. The Importance Value was calculated for the species. The floristic similarity was compared using NMDS and PERMANOVA unidirectional. The relationship between environmental variables and abundance of species was evaluated using CCA. One hundred and ten plant species were collected, including ten alien species. The highest abundance and species richness were registered in the rural site. The general tendency of vegetation structure is to plants decreasing with respect to the increase in the levels of urbanisation and air pollution present in the study area. The association between the environmental variables and plant communities along the urbanisation gradient was significant, being the relative humidity, the particles lower than 2.5 μm, the dew point and the heat index as the most important variables. The understanding of the nature and variability of vegetation within green areas contributes to increasing our knowledge about the distribution of the environmental services they provide and the composition of the faunal communities that depend on them. For this reason, this study relates the plants of a specific area of northeast Mexico with the environmental quality present in an urban area.","PeriodicalId":501054,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138825950","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":"Lost in hostile lands: moths of conservation concern in cultivated and suburban areas of south Italy","authors":"Laura Bevacqua, Giada Zucco, Kevin Garofalo, Innocenzo Muzzalupo, Stefano Scalercio","doi":"10.3897/natureconservation.54.108425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.54.108425","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Cultivated and suburban areas are usually considered unfavourable to the vulnerable components of biodiversity and regarded as not interesting from a conservation point of view. However, remnants of semi-natural vegetation can be embedded in such areas, becoming possible refuges for wild biodiversity despite the high anthropogenic pressures. With the present study, we raise awareness that, in some cases, these areas can be regarded as biodiversity treasure chests, even when apparently poor and with low appeal for conservationists. We demonstrate the importance of urbanised and cultivated landscapes by providing new records of two lepidopteran species rare for the Italian Peninsula, namely Amphipyra (Pyrois) cinnamomea and Boudinotiana notha. The European range of A. cinnamomea has become strongly reduced, seeming extinct in some Central European regions and the few Italian records mostly date back several decades. B. notha has very few relict populations in Mediterranean Europe, some of which are in peninsular Italy, where it is threated by urbanisation and reduced precipitations expected in the next decades. Our findings confirm the importance of small and highly fragmented patches of semi-natural vegetation for biodiversity conservation, as they can allow species of conservation interest to persist in hostile lands.","PeriodicalId":501054,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138825909","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}