Conservation Science and Practice最新文献

{"title":"Ecosystem service assessment of coyote stories reveals tradeoffs from human–coyote interactions in rural Vermont, United States","authors":"Joshua W. Morse,&nbsp;Cheryl E. Morse,&nbsp;Rachelle K. Gould","doi":"10.1111/csp2.13235","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13235","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The ecosystem system services framework has potential to help clarify wildlife management challenges at the single species scale, but existing methods struggle to capture the complex values and tradeoffs at play in human–wildlife interactions. We worked with community scientists to gather and use stories (<i>n</i> = 150) as a source of ecosystem services data about living alongside eastern coyotes (<i>Canis latrans</i> var) in rural Vermont, United States. Our <i>a priori</i> ecosystem service assessment showed that human–coyote interactions can have simultaneous positive and negative human well-being impacts at both the sample scale and for individual interviewees. Our research identified emergent themes that lent insight into how interviewees justified different kinds of relationships with coyotes. We applied a tradeoffs lens to evaluate three policy options based on their potential to mitigate ecosystem disservices and maximize ecosystem services from human–coyote interactions. We found that ecosystem services assessment rooted in a dataset of stories revealed policy-relevant understanding of value conflicts and alignments at the sample scale without overshadowing the nuances of individual interviewees' experiences.</p>","PeriodicalId":51337,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Science and Practice","volume":"6 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.13235","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142642246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Attitudes towards causes of and solutions to conflict between humans and Asian elephants","authors":"Surendranie J. Cabral de Mel,&nbsp;Saman Seneweera,&nbsp;Ashoka Dangolla,&nbsp;Devaka K. Weerakoon,&nbsp;Rachel King,&nbsp;Tek Maraseni,&nbsp;Benjamin L. Allen","doi":"10.1111/csp2.13238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13238","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Many Asian elephant populations inhabit fragmented human-dominated landscapes. Human–elephant conflict (HEC) has intensified in such regions, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people and elephants each year. Controversy between stakeholders then arises as people debate the merits of HEC mitigation approaches, stifling progress. We conducted a survey to evaluate the opinions of experts, farmers and others who have and have not experienced HEC (<i>n</i> = 611), on the causes of HEC, the importance of, conservation of and co-existence with elephants, and on the acceptability and effectiveness of potential HEC mitigation methods. Analysis of variance and the Potential for Conflict Index showed that all groups agreed with nine of the 10 causes of HEC assessed, on average. All respondent groups had mostly positive attitudes towards the importance and conservation of elephants. However, farmers exposed to HEC disagreed that people should co-exist with elephants and supported the view that elephants should be removed from human habitats. All groups agreed on the acceptability and effectiveness of electric fencing, early warning systems with infrasonic call detectors, Global Positioning System collars and geophones. However, there was disparity in views between the experts and other stakeholder groups on the acceptability and effectiveness of restricting elephants to protected areas, and translocation of problem elephants to protected areas away from their capture site or to wild elephant holding grounds. While similar views between stakeholders on many subjects are encouraging for elephant conservation, the disparities identified should be given greater attention when planning HEC management programs to minimize conflict between stakeholders.</p>","PeriodicalId":51337,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Science and Practice","volume":"6 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.13238","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142642245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using key and critical biodiversity areas to identify gaps in the protected area network in the Limpopo Province, South Africa","authors":"Alexandra Dalziel,&nbsp;Mary Evans","doi":"10.1111/csp2.13244","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13244","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) commits signatories to expand the global protection of land and sea by 30% in 2030. Additionally, in South Africa, a local target set in 2016 aims to conserve 16% of terrestrial areas using protected areas within a two-decade time frame. Concurrently, it is crucial to recognize and prioritize sites where biodiversity must be protected immediately. This recognition has given rise to global Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and South Africa's Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs). KBAs are sites of significance for the global persistence of biodiversity. In South Africa, CBAs delineate primarily or partially natural areas needing management. Despite their significance, an assessment of KBAs and CBAs in South Africa's Limpopo province, specifically the Vhembe District, is lacking. Employing GIS techniques, our evaluation focused on the coverage, size, and distribution of protected areas in the Vhembe District. Our analysis revealed that protected areas cover an impressive 38% of the Vhembe District. Critical Biodiversity Areas cover 9465 km² (36%) of the region. Alarmingly, 70% (6809 km²) of these CBA sites lack protection. Additionally, KBAs cover 30% of the region, with 39% of sites covering approximately 3273 km² and laying outside the protected area network, rendering them entirely unprotected. Sluggish protected areas establishment rates and a deficiency in the strategic targeting of significant sites have resulted in over 10,000 km² of land warranting protection, particularly along the Soutpansberg Mountain Range. Moreover, South Africa's national target, established in 2016, which aims to protect a mere 16% of terrestrial areas by 2036, falls short of the global KMGBF target, reinforcing the urgency for an update in national policy and embracing other conservation methods. These findings suggest that, despite the commendable 38% protection of the district, setting a precedent for the rest of the country, there is a crucial need for municipalities, districts, and provinces to draw insights from the shortfalls of the Vhembe District.</p>","PeriodicalId":51337,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Science and Practice","volume":"6 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.13244","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142642017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving theories of change in conservation projects","authors":"Craig Leisher,&nbsp;Richard Bugan,&nbsp;Sarah Ngo","doi":"10.1111/csp2.13248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13248","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Theory of change has become a common tool in project design because it helps teams agree on hypothesized causal pathways to a desired goal and examine their underlying assumptions. Yet, a consensus has not emerged on the specific steps and components of a theory of change. What constitutes a theory of change? Using 22 theory of change publications, we did a structured analysis of the components of a theory of change. Where there was substantial agreement among the publications on a specific component of a theory of change, we included it in the first iteration of our approach. We then ordered the components in a logical sequence, developed guidance for each component, tested them with project teams, and revised them in an iterative process. We tested and refined our guidance over 3 years with 73 teams from 18 countries. Here, we share our learning and recommendations for those interested in developing a robust theory of change for a conservation project.</p>","PeriodicalId":51337,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Science and Practice","volume":"6 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.13248","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142642047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multidecadal underwater surveys reveal declines in marine turtles","authors":"Julia Saltzman,&nbsp;Alex R. Hearn,&nbsp;Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes,&nbsp;Todd Steiner,&nbsp;Randall Arauz,&nbsp;Catherine Macdonald,&nbsp;Maike Heidemeyer,&nbsp;Easton R. White","doi":"10.1111/csp2.13249","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13249","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Marine turtles are a group of imperiled marine megafauna particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors. Most long-term studies of marine turtles are based on nesting surveys which focus on numbers of eggs, hatchlings, and nesting females. However, we know less about long-term abundance trends of immature and adult turtles in the marine environment. To address this data gap, we examined records from 35,000 underwater visual census (UVC) dives (1993–2019) and short-term in-water turtle survey data (2009–2014) at Cocos Island, Costa Rica. During UVCs, trained divemasters from UnderSea Hunter recorded observations of two species of marine turtles—green <i>Chelonia mydas</i> and hawksbill <i>Eretmochelys imbricata</i>. Our short-term in-water surveys revealed that most turtles at Cocos are greens, but both immature and mature greens occur at Cocos. We analyzed long-term UVC data using a hierarchical modeling approach and we modeled a 26% decrease in the relative abundance of turtles observed on dives each year. Our model also revealed potential interactions between tiger sharks and turtles, finding that for each additional tiger shark present during a dive, the predicted relative abundance of turtles decreased by 43%. Lastly, our model suggested the influence of environmental variation on marine turtle relative abundance; a 1°C increase in sea surface temperature (SST) decreased the predicted relative abundance of turtles by 7%. Our results suggest that marine turtles are sensitive to long-term environmental and oceanographic changes, and potentially avoid certain areas to reduce exposure to tiger sharks. Given our study area is already protected, there needs to be more focus on protecting adult turtles during their movements across the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Our work also highlights the importance of long-term underwater surveys to monitor adult turtles.</p>","PeriodicalId":51337,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Science and Practice","volume":"6 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.13249","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142642019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Best management practices for bee conservation in forest openings","authors":"Michael J. Cunningham-Minnick,&nbsp;Joan Milam,&nbsp;Aliza Fassler,&nbsp;David I. King","doi":"10.1111/csp2.13231","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13231","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Native bees are an ecologically diverse group of pollinators in global decline due at least in part to invasive species, pesticides, and habitat loss. Although guidelines exist for land managers to restore pollinator habitat, these “best management practices” (BMPs) include other pollinator taxa that may have different requirements than bees, do not give particular attention to rare bee species, or describe practices that are impractical for land managers. Using co-production science, our team of land managers and researchers sampled bee communities in 100 wildlife openings on six National Forests (NF) within the Great Lakes Basin of the United States during 2017–2019. We found that bee communities responded to site factors and management practices, including prescribed fire, mechanical methods (e.g., felling, brushhogging, mowing), herbicides, and pollinator plantings. Bee abundance, diversity, and rarity were strongly related to soil properties, landscape context, and the plant community, including small-statured woody species, which collectively informed our BMPs. For instance, mechanical treatments were most beneficial for openings with clayey or organic soils while prescribed fire was most effective in openings with well-drained soils. Our BMPs highlight effects of treatment combinations, including negative effects on rare species when herbicides were combined with plantings and positive effects on abundance and rare species when prescribed fire was combined with mechanical treatments. Since our BMPs were generated in collaboration with land managers, they better conform to their needs and constraints, contributing to more effective native bee conservation.</p>","PeriodicalId":51337,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Science and Practice","volume":"6 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.13231","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142642087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Roost characteristics and fidelity of silver-haired bat maternity colonies in a floodplain cottonwood forest","authors":"Nathan A. Schwab,&nbsp;Tessa N. Chesonis,&nbsp;Kyle Doherty,&nbsp;Philip Ramsey","doi":"10.1111/csp2.13243","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13243","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The maternal roosting behavior of migratory, tree-dwelling bat species remains poorly understood. From 2016 to 2020 we radio-tagged 53 adult female silver-haired bats (<i>Lasionycteris noctivagans</i>) and tracked them to their day roosts to evaluate roosting habits in a cottonwood (Populus) forest in the floodplain of the Bitterroot River in western Montana. We investigated roost tree characteristics of maternity colonies such as canopy closure, tree size, and decay stage, as well as the daily roost fidelity of tagged bats. Additionally, we marked 55 bats with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to assess interannual fidelity to summer habitat. We tracked bats to 94 unique roost trees. Based on previous studies, we expected silver-haired bat maternity colonies to roost in tall, large diameter trees. We modeled roosting probability as a function of tree height, day of year, and the interaction of these terms. We found bats preferred taller trees earlier in the year, but overall roosting probability decreased throughout the season and tree height had lesser influence on roosting probability later in the year. Bats used tall trees with high canopy closure in early stages of decay during periods of pregnancy and lactation, while the effect of these tree attributes lessened later in the season, perhaps after lactation when energetic constraints were reduced for adult females to prepare for migration by entering torpor during the day. Bats used an average of 5.2 roost trees during the young rearing period and remained in the same roost for an average of 1.5 consecutive days. While daily roost fidelity was low, we documented interannual fidelity to summer habitat from nine individuals. We found silver-haired bat roosting preferences vary with time, are tree-specific, and policies targeting conservation of the species should manage flood regimes to promote cottonwood establishment, height growth, and a mosaic of riparian habitats.</p>","PeriodicalId":51337,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Science and Practice","volume":"6 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.13243","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142641752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A systematic approach for scoping potential key biodiversity areas","authors":"Dario Nania,&nbsp;Gentile Francesco Ficetola,&nbsp;Mattia Falaschi,&nbsp;Michela Pacifici,&nbsp;Maria Lumbierres,&nbsp;Carlo Rondinini","doi":"10.1111/csp2.13230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13230","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The new key biodiversity areas (KBA) standard is an important method for identifying regions of the planet-hosting unique biodiversity. KBAs are identified through the implementation of threshold-based criteria that can be applied to any target species and region. Current methods to rapidly assess the existence of potential KBAs in different areas of the planet still present important challenges, although they are needed to accelerate the KBA identification process for large numbers of species globally. We developed a methodology to scan geographical regions and detect potential KBAs under multiple criteria. We tested the methodology on 59 species of reptiles and amphibians in Italy through the application of selected KBA criteria. Potential KBAs were identified for multiple species under most criteria, covering 1.4%–12% of the study area, depending on analytical settings. Cell size used to identify KBAs played an important role in shaping the distribution of potential KBAs, also affecting the overlap between areas triggered by different criteria. New potential KBAs identified in this study are only partially coincident with current KBAs in Italy (previously identified for birds) and within the national protected areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":51337,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Science and Practice","volume":"6 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.13230","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142641639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using digital mobile games to increase the support for nature conservation","authors":"Diogo Veríssimo,&nbsp;Sicily Fiennes,&nbsp;Matilda Dunn","doi":"10.1111/csp2.13236","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13236","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Digital games are an increasingly dominant form of digital entertainment with billions of players globally. While most of these games have a commercial focus, fields like public health and education have seen a growth of “serious games,” which aim to solve real world problems. In the context of biodiversity conservation, mobile games have been controversial, with some raising concerns around the way digital channels risk replacing the very nature they portray, therefore deepening a “nature-deficit disorder.” We ran a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of the mobile game “Kākāpō Run” on pro-environmental behaviors amongst a cohort of 200 participants in New Zealand. Kākāpō Run was developed by a UK conservation charity, and aims to increase the support for Kākāpō conservation, as well as to increase pro-environmental behaviors linked to Kākāpō conservation. Study participants completed a 10-minute questionnaire before spending 1 hour playing their assigned mobile game over seven days. This was monitored by asking participants to share screenshots of their app usage for the duration of the experiment. After this, all participants re-took the questionnaire. We found a positive impact across some knowledge and attitudes questions, behavioral intentions linked to willingness to volunteer time and support policies aiming to remove invasive predators, as well as manage pet cats actively. However, we found no change in willingness to donate or actual donations. This research showcases both the potential of mobile games for conservation outreach and marketing, and the importance of rigorous impact evaluation. We call for conservationists engaged in designing and promoting mobile games to approach game design and evaluation in a more research-centered way to help develop an evidence base around the intended and unintended consequences of game playing. This mainstreaming of gaming science across conservation will be critical to allow mobile games to realize their potential as a leading communication channel.</p>","PeriodicalId":51337,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Science and Practice","volume":"6 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.13236","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142641641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Translating science into actions to conserve Amazonian freshwaters","authors":"Thiago B. A. Couto,&nbsp;Clinton N. Jenkins,&nbsp;Claire F. Beveridge,&nbsp;Sebastian A. Heilpern,&nbsp;Guido A. Herrera-R,&nbsp;Natalia C. Piland,&nbsp;Cecilia Gontijo Leal,&nbsp;Jansen Zuanon,&nbsp;Carolina R. C. Doria,&nbsp;Mariana Montoya,&nbsp;Mariana Varese,&nbsp;Sandra B. Correa,&nbsp;Michael Goulding,&nbsp;Elizabeth P. Anderson","doi":"10.1111/csp2.13241","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13241","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite the importance of freshwater ecosystems to social-ecological systems of the Amazon, conservation in the region historically has focused on terrestrial ecosystems. Moreover, current information on pressing management and conservation needs specific to freshwaters is scattered across multiple disciplines and generally focused on particular threats, habitats, and taxa. This disparateness of information limits the ability of researchers and practitioners to set priorities and implement actions that comprehensively address challenges faced by freshwater ecosystems. To reduce this research-implementation gap, we reviewed the scientific literature on Amazon freshwater conservation to identify pressing actions to be taken and potential directions for their implementation. We identified 63 actions gleaned from 174 publications. These were classified into six major themes: (i) implement environmental flows, (ii) improve water quality, (iii) protect and restore critical habitats, (iv) manage exploitation of freshwater organisms, (v) prevent and control invasive species, and (vi) safeguard and restore freshwater connectivity. Although each action may face different implementation challenges, we propose three guiding principles to support action planning and decisions on-the-ground. We conclude with a reflection on potential future directions to place freshwaters into the center of policies and agreements that target the conservation of the Amazon.</p>","PeriodicalId":51337,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Science and Practice","volume":"6 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.13241","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142641640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}