Nature Conservation Research最新文献

{"title":"Dynamics of spatial and ontogenetic structure of Cephalanthera rubra (Orchidaceae) populations in the east of European Russia (Middle Volga Region)","authors":"M. Fardeeva, N. Chizhikova","doi":"10.24189/ncr.2023.015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2023.015","url":null,"abstract":"The assessment of the spatial and functional features of rare species populations without considering the ontogenetic groups, which are being rarely distinguished at international literature, does not give a complete understanding of the current status of populations and prospects of their development under various management conditions. This paper is aimed to determine the status of a threatened orchid species, Cephalanthera rubra, at the eastern border of its range (Republic of Tatarstan, European Russia). For this purpose, a complex of various population parameters was used. Ontogenetic groups of C. rubra individuals have been reliably identified on the basis of morphometric traits of reproductive and vegetative organs. The obtained results showed that the fruit set is low, ranging at average from 24% for young reproductive individuals (g1) to 39% for mid-mature reproductive individuals (g2); it reflects prospects for seed reproduction of this species at the eastern edge of its range. The abundance dynamics of populations has a fluctuation type; it is related to climatic factors of the growing season. So, we found its significant positive correlations with air humidity (from r = 0.6 to r = 0.7) and precipitation (from r = 0.5 to r = 0.6), and a negative correlation with temperature (from r = -0.5 to r = -0.6). In the Republic of Tatarstan, the base spectrum of C. rubra populations is of the centred type, 1:10:51:38 (j:im:v:g); it corresponds to the general ontogenetic spectrum of rhizomatous orchids. The spatial-ontogenetic structure of populations, and especially its dynamics, reflects the intraspecific relationships of various ontogenetic groups involved in maintaining the stability of C. rubra population in space and time. Under optimal conditions, the spatial structure of all individuals and reproductive groups is characterised by a spatial randomness, which probably reduces intraspecific competition. In contrary, pre-reproductive groups form aggregations with 0.5–0.9-m radius in microloci, favourable for seed germination. A characteristic feature of the spatial structure is the formation of aggregations of reproductive and pre-reproductive individuals with a 0.7–1.0-m radius with a 0.2–0.4-m zone of the random spatial positioning of individuals, which aims to reduce intraspecific competition between them. The probability of meeting an individual of another ontogenetic group increases towards the periphery of the formed aggregation. In C. rubra populations, the abundance and density of individuals, and the fruit set decrease in pessimal conditions of landslides, soil erosion, and habitat shading. Under these conditions, pre-reproductive individuals do not form aggregations, nor aggregations with reproductive individuals. In general, the spatial structure of a population depends on the life-form type of the species, the mechanism of spatial growth of underground organs; it is considered a diagnostic sign of the population status.","PeriodicalId":54166,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88588983","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":"Will future extinctions occur at the same places where the past ones did? A review involving mammals and the IUCN Red List","authors":"M. C. Drago, D. Vrcibradic","doi":"10.24189/ncr.2023.021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2023.021","url":null,"abstract":"Eighty-five mammal species are classified worldwide as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. In this study, we aimed to assess to which Orders these species belong, when they became extinct and the factors that led to their extinction. We also compared the factors that threatened the survival of these species with the ones that are currently threatening the species classified as Critically Endangered, as well as the areas where the extinct species could be originally found with the areas where Critically Endangered species are currently found. Our review was conducted using the advanced search tool of the IUCN Red List database (Taxonomy, Red List Category, Threats and Land Regions filters). Rodentia was the mammal Order with the highest number of Extinct species, whereas Primates was the Order with the greatest proportion of Critically Endangered ones. The last two (19th and 20th) centuries were the periods in which the greatest number of species was lost. We found remarkable differences between the factors threatening species survival and between countries with the highest number of Extinct species and the ones that contain a greater number of Critically Endangered species. The threat category responsible for most of the extinctions overall was «Invasive and other problematic species, genes and diseases». Nonetheless, factors associated with habitat loss and degradation seem to have become more important nowadays and, in addition, some «new» factors, such as «Energy production and mining», «Human intrusions and disturbance», «Pollution», and «Transportation and service corridors», which have not had much relevance for past extinctions, now appear as important threats to Critically Endangered species. Australia was the country that has lost the most mammal species (n = 26), followed by Haiti (n = 9), the Dominican Republic (n = 8), and Cuba (n = 6). On the other hand, when we evaluated the amount of species classified as Critically Endangered, Madagascar (n = 33), Mexico (n = 27), and Indonesia (n = 26) are the countries that concentrate the highest number of them. Thus, future extinctions are unlikely to occur in the same places as in the past because the human society's relationship with the environment has changed over time: human population has grown, habitat loss has become the predominant threat to many species and new threat factors have emerged.","PeriodicalId":54166,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79958131","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":"Dynamics of Picea abies mortality and CO2 and CH4 fluxes from spruce trees decomposition in the southwest of the Valdai Upland, Russia","authors":"D. Ivanov, J. Kurbatova","doi":"10.24189/ncr.2023.013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2023.013","url":null,"abstract":"A mass decline of Picea abies (hereinafter – spruce), often associated with outbreaks of Ips typographus, is one of the main reasons for the reduction of spruce forests. In turn, dry and fallen trees can be both stock and source of greenhouse gases at various stages of decomposition. In our study, using an unmanned aerial vehicle, we evaluated the dynamics of spruce decline in two forest types in the southwest of the Valdai Upland (Central Forest State Nature Reserve, Russia), namely Sphagnum-bilberry forests and nemoral spruce forests. It was found that the rate of decline in Sphagnum-bilberry spruce forest was much higher than in nemoral spruce forest. By the fourth year after a windfall on 0.13 km2, 913 spruce individuals had withered in Sphagnum-bilberry forest and 66 ones in the nemoral spruce forest. Based on direct measurements of greenhouse gas fluxes by chamber method on dead trunks and coarse woody debris, it was found that in relative values the highest amount of CO2 is emitted by coarse woody debris of the decay classes 3–4 (800–1800 mg CO2 × m-2 × h-1). Deadwood and coarse woody debris from the first decay classes are assumed to be a source of CH4 (0.0008–0.0070 mg CO2 × m-2 × h-1), and from classes 3–5 they are a stock (from -0.0070 mg CO2 × m-2 × h-1 to -0.0009 mg CO2 × m-2 × h-1). When converted to the total surface areas of deadwood and coarse woody debris of the study sites, it was found that coarse woody debris of the decay classes 3–5 (2.3–13.6 kg CO2 × h-1) made the highest contribution to the integral CO2 emission, and deadwood (67 mg CH4 × h-1) made the highest contribution to the CH4 emission. Significant differences in greenhouse gas fluxes were found both between deadwood and decay classes of coarse woody debris, and between fluxes from deadwood and coarse woody debris of individual decay classes in various forest types. The results have shown the importance of considering deadwood and all available decay classes of coarse woody debris when estimating greenhouse gas fluxes from dead timber and the contribution of debris to the carbon cycle in forest ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":54166,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75985439","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":"Coupled variation of red-backed vole species in biotopes disturbed by windfall and fire in the Visim State Nature Reserve (the Middle Urals)","authors":"Alexei G. Vasilyev, L. Lukyanova, Yu. V. Gorodilova","doi":"10.24189/ncr.2023.020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2023.020","url":null,"abstract":"The use of morphogenetic characteristics and functionally important morphological structures in monitoring natural populations and communities is one of the modern directions in developing approaches to eco-morphology and functional synecology. New approaches make it possible to test the hypothesis of a similar spectrum of morphogenetic modifications of sympatric species during their development in disturbed biotopes. In this study, the coupled variability of the size and shape of the mandible was studied for the first time using geometric morphometrics to assess the resistance of the rodent community to two natural catastrophic phenomena (windfall and wildfire) for three sympatric red-backed vole species in the Visim State Nature Reserve (Middle Urals). Samples of Clethrionomys glareolus, Clethrionomys rutilus and Craseomys rufocanus young-of-the-years were studied in two biotopes modified by windfall and fire impacts under different weather conditions (2003 vs. 2004). It was found that Clethrionomys glareolus preferred the overgrown fire-damaged site, Craseomys rufocanus the windfall zone, and Clethrionomys rutilus did not express a pronounced preference. Interannual and biotopic differences in the variation of the size and shape of the mandible have been revealed for all species. Weather conditions affected the species variability more than biotopic ones. Based on functional mandibular indices, it was found that the shape of the mandible of the species, as a biological tool for foraging and its primary processing, depends more on weather factors than on the biotope characteristics. A similar morphofunctional reaction of sympatric species populations to similar biotopes was expressed. This fact reflects the parallelism of modifications of the morphogenesis of mandibles of the studied species in disturbed biotopes, confirming the hypothesis. In particular, in the fire-damaged site, the tendency to longitudinal grinding of feed was revealed for all species, while in the windfall zone, the tendency to gnawing of forage objects (possibly, seeds of coniferous plants) was revealed. It is assumed that weather factors indirectly affect the morphogenesis of species through the change of plant communities, which, in turn, changes the diet of animals and the mechanics of the load on the musculoskeletal apparatus of mandibles. The within-group morphological disparity (MNND), which reflects the measure of destabilisation of development, was small in Clethrionomys glareolus, indicating the stability of its morphogenesis in both biotopes; the development of Craseomys rufocanus was stable only on the windfall site; in Clethrionomys rutilus, MNND was unstable in both biotopes. The MNND development stability estimates are consistent with the species abundance. They are recommended for monitoring the population status of sympatric species of the red-backed voles and other rodents in Protected Areas.","PeriodicalId":54166,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90783310","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":"Tree attribute assessment in urban greenwood using ground-based LiDAR and multiseasonal aerial photography data","authors":"A. Kabonen, N. Ivanova","doi":"10.24189/ncr.2023.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2023.005","url":null,"abstract":"Advances in LiDAR and unmanned aerial vehicle technology have made high-resolution data available, which can be used for individual tree detection and assessing tree attributes. The accuracy of these assessments is still not clear for stands with high tree species diversity as well as leaf-off and leaf-on conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of tree top detection and individual tree heights extracted from photogrammetric point clouds and canopy height models as well as ground-based LiDAR clouds in mixed and coniferous forest stands depending on the phenological stage. The study has been carried out in the Botanical Garden of the Petrozavodsk State University (Republic of Karelia, Russia). Four flight missions (in 2019–2021) using Phantom 4 Pro quadcopter were conducted in the arboretum (> 200 tree species) during periods of leafless, leaf biomass growth, full foliage and autumn leaf colouration. A single ground-based laser scanning was performed using a Leica BLK 360. Multiseasonal ultra-high resolution orthophoto mosaics (1.1–2.8 cm/pixel), photogrammetric point clouds (average density is 4200 points/m2), as well as LiDAR clouds (11 600 points/m2) were obtained. Further analysis was performed on three sites differing in tree species composition, tree density and site area. Tree tops were automatically detected from photogrammetric point clouds and their heights were estimated using R environment software. We found that most of the trees (78.9%) were correctly detected by algorithms based on photogrammetric data collected in periods of full foliage and autumn colouration. We also found that the number of false positive (FP) and false negative (FN) cases increased with decreasing in green biomass on deciduous trees. Compared with an average value, tree detection quality increased by 9.4% for coniferous trees with cone-shaped crowns (Abies sibirica, A. balsamea, A. fraseri, Picea abies, P. pungens, P. omorika, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Larix sibirica) regardless of the tree density, and tree detection quality decreased by 10% for coniferous trees with an ellipsoidal-shaped crowns (e.g. Thuja occidentalis, genus Pinus) or in cases for broad-leaved trees with high tree density. The lowest value of tree detection quality (F = 0.49) was found for the leafless period. High values (F = 0.84) obtained for periods of full foliage and autumn colouration indicates that tree detection quality was well in general. For the biomass growth period, this value (F = 0.69) also indicates a high quality of tree detection results. We also found that tree heights estimated using photogrammetric data well matched with tree heights measured on LiDAR clouds (R2 = 0.99). The highest accuracy was obtained for coniferous trees with cone-shaped crowns. We also estimated the height increments of different tree species between 2019 and 2021 based on photogrammetric point clouds. The highest annual height increment was obtained for Pinus sibirica (52 cm), and ","PeriodicalId":54166,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91151319","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":"Mammal population density estimation using camera traps based on a random encounter model: theoretical basis and practical recommendations","authors":"S. Ogurtsov","doi":"10.24189/ncr.2023.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2023.007","url":null,"abstract":"Estimating the population density of mammals has long been one of the problematic tasks of both fundamental population ecology and practical programmes for their conservation and management. The majority of methods for population density estimation using camera traps are focused on individually marked species. This review paper presents the theoretical and practical foundations of a method, Random Encounter Model (REM), used for estimating the population density of unmarked mammal species using camera traps. Based on an extensive analysis of the literature and our personal practical experience, we discussed the theory and practice for the application of this method, as well as its strengths and weaknesses. In this method, if we know parameters of the effective detection zone of a camera trap (radius and angle), and the length of the day range, it is possible to correct the trapping rate (i.e. the number of independent trap events per total number of camera traps-nights) in order to calculate the population density of species. The effective detection zone of a camera trap is determined through modelling using computer vision algorithms. The mammal day range is calculated based on its activity level and travel speed, taking into account behavioural patterns based on machine learning models. For REM, a random or systematic design for the camera trap placements should be used. If camera traps are installed against trails or roads, appropriate correction factors must be applied. The effectiveness and reliability of REM has been confirmed by many independent population density estimates, including capture-recapture analyses, visual transect counts, and scat counts. To date, the implementation of REM and its extensions is presented in the R programming environment. It has been established that the main difficulties in the use of the REM are technical imperfections of the camera traps themselves, the relatively large required number of their stations (at least 50 or more), as well as long calibration work. For all these difficulties, possible solutions are proposed. In conclusion, practical recommendations are provided for the use of REM in studies in Protected Areas.","PeriodicalId":54166,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90209606","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":"Fauna and biotopic distribution of Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) in the Zhiguli State Nature Reserve, Russia","authors":"S. V. Dedyukhin","doi":"10.24189/ncr.2023.025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2023.025","url":null,"abstract":"Chrysomelidae (hereinafter – leaf beetles) forms one of the largest families of trophically specialised phytophagous beetles. Therefore, a detailed study of leaf beetles is an important component of research aiming to assess the diversity and specificity of biota in Protected Areas. Based on the results of original studies (2011, 2013, 2014, 2021) and a critical review of the literature, this paper presents the species composition and analyses the fauna of leaf beetles in the Zhiguli State Nature Reserve, Russia. It was found that the studied fauna belongs to the richest local faunas of leaf beetles in the Middle Volga Region, and it has a considerable originality. In total, 230 leaf beetle species have been recorded in the study aera. Of them, 47 species were recorded for the first time in the Zhiguli State Nature Reserve, including 23 species recorded for the first time for the fauna of the Samara Region. The leaf beetle fauna is characterised by a complex composition, including species of European, Siberian and Kazakh-Turanian faunas, and it includes a relict endemic of Eastern Europe, Chrysolina roddi. An analysis of the biotopic distribution of leaf beetles showed that the highest number of species (116) is represented in the forb and petrophytic steppes of the Zhiguli Mountains. It also includes quite rich complexes of semi-aquatic and meadow biotopes of the floodplain and islands of the River Volga (98 species), as well as upland forest (93 species) (including broad-leaved forests and pine forests). In the Zhiguli State Nature Reserve, trophically specialised leaf beetle species are associated with plants from 38 families. Their most numerous groups are related with Asteraceae (28 species), Salicaceae (23 species), Brassicaceae (17 species), and Lamiaceae (15 species). The leaf beetle fauna of the Zhiguli State Nature Reserve can be considered one of a reference group in the forest-steppe of the Volga Upland. This confirms its great importance for the preservation of the original natural ecosystems in the Middle Volga Region.","PeriodicalId":54166,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73637854","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":"Activity in post-pyrogenic soils in the Utrish State Nature Reserve (Russia) in the early succession stages","authors":"V. Vilkova, K. Kazeev, Dariya A. Privizentseva, M. Nizhelsky, S. Kolesnikov","doi":"10.24189/ncr.2023.019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2023.019","url":null,"abstract":"Due to the increasing frequency of fires, the study of the influence of the pyrogenic factor on the state of forest ecosystems is becoming an increasingly relevant research topic for scientists around the world. Of particular interest in the study is not only the direct wildfire impact, but also its indirect influence, which manifests itself in the early stages of succession. The study has been conducted in the Utrish State Nature Reserve, located on the Abrau Peninsula, northwestern part of the Black Sea coast of the Western Caucasus. The area of the State Nature Reserve «Utrish» is similar to the territory of the entire zone of the Mediterranean climate. The wildfire of 2020 has destroyed 4800 trees, and considerably changed biological properties of brown soils that led to a violation of their ecological functions. Changes in soil properties in the first few years after the wildfire impact are studied insufficiently compared to long-term changes. This study was aimed to investigate the activity of soil enzymes from the oxidase and hydrolase classes in the Utrish State Nature Reserve, immediately after the fire impact (2020), one year later (2021), and two years later (2022). During the field surveys, nine monitoring plots were established, i.e. three plots on each site under weak, medium, and strong degrees of the fire-induced damage. During the study, 81 soil samples were collected, i.e. three soil samples from each monitoring plot. Such enzymes as catalase, peroxidase, invertase, urease, and phosphatase were investigated. To assess the ecological condition of soils, we calculated the Integral Indicator of Biological State (IIBS), and determined the content of organic carbon. The results obtained were compared with the control values, typical for the background area of the forest. A correlation and factor analysis have been carried out. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to assess the reliability of the data obtained. The enzyme response depends on the type of enzyme and the degree of fire-induced damage. Immediately after the fire impact (2020), a significant decrease (by 53% in average) in catalase, urease, and invertase activity was found on the sites under weak, medium, and strong degrees of damage. Phosphatase activity did not change significantly, while peroxidase activity increased on average by 47%. In 2020, the ecological condition of soils was determined as unfavourable, with the IIBS equal to 82–90%. The activity of catalase, invertase, urease, and phosphatase increased by an average of 31% for soils with a weak degree of fire-induced damage. In 2021, a decrease in activity of the studied enzymes was noted in post-pyrogenic soils under medium and strong damage degree, but to a lesser extent than in 2020. The activity of catalase and urease decreased for all investigated impacts by 47%. The activity of peroxidase and phosphatase was higher in relation to the control values by 55%. For the weak degree of fire-induced damage, a decrease ","PeriodicalId":54166,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88501951","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":"Biodiversity conservation and rural development: inseparable options for Protected Area management. a case study of four Nigerian national parks","authors":"I. Osunsina, O. Osunsina, A. A. Ogunjinmi, O. Oduntan, Muideen A. Yisau, Mathias O. Umunna","doi":"10.24189/ncr.2023.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2023.006","url":null,"abstract":"The establishment and management of Protected Areas have become the cornerstones of biodiversity conservation strategies. However, efforts aimed to manage these areas have paid little or no attention to livelihoods and needs of the surrounding communities. Therefore, this study assesses the socio-economic predictors of the local people's needs and also establishes the link between biodiversity conservation and rural development. A survey of villages around four Nigerian national parks has been carried out to determine available infrastructural facilities, the facilities mostly desired by villagers and the socio-economic predictors of the local people's needs and their dependence on the national park resources. The selection of the study areas was performed through multi-stage random sampling, with a focus on villages within a 10-km radius of each national park boundaries. Primary data were collected from 1500 respondents in 106 local communities around four national parks, i.e. 22 around the Cross River National Park (CRNP), 22 around the Gashaka Gumti National Park (GGNP), 27 around the Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP), and 35 around the Old Oyo National Park (OONP). The collected data were analysed and presented descriptively, while logistic regression was used to identify the socio-demographic predictors of needs by local people. Results of the demographic characteristics show that there were more male respondents interviewed (73.2%) than female respondents (26.8%) in all four national parks. In all the four studied national parks, farming has a predominant occupation: CRNP (99.3%), GGNP (93.9%), KLNP (90.5%), and OONP (85.2%). The major number of respondents is married: CRNP (77.0%), GGNP (70.0%), KLNP (84.4%), and OONP (79.6%), and is within the age group of 15–25 years: CRNP (43.0%), GGNP (30.0%), KLNP (36.2%) and OONP (25.2%). All of the respondents interviewed in CRNP were Christians (100%), while the majority of respondents in GGNP (87.3%), KLNP (99.2%), and OONP (53.1%) were Muslims. In terms of educational qualifications, there was a high level of illiteracy among the people living around the studied national parks as most of the respondents in CRNP had primary (45.3%) and secondary education (32.7%). However, for the other three national parks, we demonstrated a higher percentage of non-formal education: GGNP (61.5%), KLNP (63.1%) and OONP (68.1%). The obtained results show that the study area is characterised by a lack of infrastructures, such as roads (96.4%), electricity (97.7%) and limited provision of service, such as medicine (91.1%), potable water (96.5%), and education services (86.6%). The majority of the interviewed respondents in communities around the national parks indicated the provision of health care centres (78.5%), boreholes/portable water (77.7%), roads (68.6%), the establishment of schools (59.7%) and employment (56.2%). Our results show that the communities' expectation was for basic infrastructures, such as the p","PeriodicalId":54166,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86581073","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":"General patterns of macrozoobenthos distribution in two rivers basins of the Khabarovsky Krai (Far East of Russia)","authors":"Lada V. Vorobjeva, Elena S. Chertoprud","doi":"10.24189/ncr.2023.028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2023.028","url":null,"abstract":"This article analyses the distribution patterns of macrozoobenthos in watercourses of the basins of the River Bajal and River Anyuy (Khabarovsky Krai, Russia) on the territories of the Bajal Sanctuary and Anyuy National Park. The distance-based linear models (DistLM) method was used to estimate the proportion of distribution of macroinvertebrates explained by the factors considered in the study (river basin, current velocity, substrate, channel width, temperature, pH). All of these factors contributed significantly, together explaining about one-third of the variability of macroinvertebrate distribution. The main explanatory factors were river basin and substrate (9.3% and 10.5%, respectively), as well as the current velocity (5.7%). Based on the cluster analysis, eight statistically significant groups of samples on the basis of similarity of taxonomic composition were identified. A set of indicator taxa was determined for each group and their indicator values were found. Using the Kruskal-Wallis analysis, the environmental factors significantly differing between the obtained groups and subgroups were singled out. There are well-defined patterns in the confinement of taxonomic complexes to certain habitats. Local environmental factors are the strong filter influencing the formation of taxonomic communities. The factor of belonging to the river basin also plays a significant role in the formation of invertebrate communities, which should be considered in the planning of monitoring studies on a large spatial scale. However, the distinguished groups and subgroups are characterised by a low level of internal similarity. Only about a quarter of the total species number belongs to indicator taxa, and samples do not form discrete clusters with obvious hiatus on the ordination diagram. The longitudinal distribution of macroinvertebrates for each river can be characterised as a punctuated gradient.","PeriodicalId":54166,"journal":{"name":"Nature Conservation Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135649980","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}