Global Ecology and Conservation最新文献

{"title":"Amphibian hotspots in Iran: Effectiveness of current protected area and priorities for conservation planning","authors":"Hanyeh Ghaffari, Barbod Safaei-Mahroo, Aidin Niamir","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03178","url":null,"abstract":"The identification of conservation priority areas for amphibians in Iran remains unexplored. Although protected areas play a vital role in biodiversity conservation, 40 percent of amphibians are at risk of extinction. The present study aimed to identify the priority areas for amphibian conservation and assess the effectiveness of the current protected conservation areas. 2192 species occurrence points for 23 amphibians, including 16 species of Anura and 7 species of Caudata, were curated. These occurrence points in addition to bioclimatic, anthropogenic, and geographical variables were used to model the species distribution. Then, the richness and rarity maps of amphibians were determined and hotspots identified based on the top 10 % area of the country with the highest richness and rarity values. Finally, Iran's protected areas were overlaid to evaluate the current coverage of hotspots and identify future conservation priorities. Although approximately 12 % of Iran is currently protected, the present study findings indicate that the current network of protected areas is ineffective for amphibian conservation; over 90 % of hotspots for amphibians lie outside the current national protected area network. The most important hotspots are located in the Caspian Hyrcanian Mixed Forest, the western margin of the North Zagros, and the Central Zagros Mountains Forest-Steppe ecoregions of the country. Among different types of protected areas that overlap with amphibian hotspots, protected areas and wildlife refuges respectively ranked the highest in quantity and size, while national parks ranked the lowest. In the current study, a baseline of top candidate areas for expanding protected areas where habitats can be managed to protect amphibians in Iran was provided. To further improve protected areas' coverage, priority conservation areas in the Zagros Mountains Forest-Steppe hotspots were recommended.","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term anthropogenic drivers of diet composition and niche breadth in an endangered avian scavenger: The scant role of sanitary regulations","authors":"C. De Tena, I. Donázar-Aramendía, O. Ceballos, E. Arrondo, A. Cortés-Avizanda, J.A. Donázar","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03189","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03189","url":null,"abstract":"The widespread and accelerated transformation experienced by our planet results in populations of endangered species having to survive in highly-altered environments and increasingly relying on resources provided by human subsidies. Presently, vultures rank among the most imperiled functional groups of large vertebrates globally, a situation that is largely attributed to the rapid intensification of agriculture and the subsequent transformation of farming practices and agro-grazing landscapes. Hence, documenting the long-term fluctuations in the vultures’ dietary patterns in response to environmental changes, particularly in livestock management, is of utmost significance. Here, by means of bulk stable isotope analysis (δC and δN), we examined long-term variations in diet composition and niche breadth in a population of the endangered Egyptian vulture () in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. We specifically focused on the effect of European sanitary regulations enacted in 2014, which allow sheep farmers to abandon livestock remains for consumption by scavenging birds, except for pig carcasses. We found that the implementation of these new regulations did not cause a change in the diet of vultures. Changes were only detected in scrubland areas and were driven by an increase in the consumption of wild rabbit which, in turn, lead to expansion of the trophic niche. These results indicate that these endangered vultures are heavily dependent on food sources derived from intensive farming, mostly of pigs illegally disposed in the wild, and moreover, highlight the importance of carcasses of small vertebrates, often disregarded in conservation programs in favor of the contribution of livestock remains. Our research provides valuable insights into the spatiotemporal dynamics of trophic strategies among avian scavengers, specifically in the context of changes resulting from intensified human-pressures on agro-grazing Mediterranean landscapes.","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142181598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating fine-scale habitat suitability and hydrological structures to assess population connectivity for the Kaiser's mountain newt (Neurergus kaiseri) in southwest of Iran","authors":"Peyman Karami, Sajad Tavakoli, Mina Esmaeili","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03194","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03194","url":null,"abstract":"The unique life cycle of amphibians, encompassing both aquatic and terrestrial stages, poses challenges for examining landscape connectivity within meta-populations. Their heavy reliance on water and limited mobility exacerbate these challenges. Fine-scale investigations of environmental factors contribute to understanding the distribution range and landscape connectivity of amphibian meta-populations. The present study examines the habitat suitability and connectivity among population cores of the Luristan newt (<ce:italic>Neurergus kaiseri</ce:italic>), a vulnerable (VU) species in southwest Iran. Using the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and hydrological tools, the boundary of the study area was defined based on drainage basins and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt), incorporating eight habitat variables to investigate the distribution range. Given that amphibians rely on moisture to move, DEM was used to calculate the Sediment Transport Index (STI) as a surrogate for suitable movement contexts. Using this index, the potential movement of sediment within streams across the landscape will be assessed. A high STI value can limit amphibian movement and shelter and therefore threaten the survival of larvae. Here, the STI was fuzzified based on the presence points using the s-shaped method and the symmetric membership function. The fuzzy overlay technique was employed using the habitat suitability map and OR logic, and finally, the inverse of the fuzzy map was used as landscape resistance. Sub-basins with at least two population cores in the drainage basin were identified and their linkage was established using the Linkage Mapper. Also, the depth and number of sinks along the linkage path of the population cores in each sub-basin were identified. The MaxEnt analysis highlighted the variables of elevation, distance from streams, and proximity to the forest as the most important factors influencing <ce:italic>N. kaiseri</ce:italic>. All Iranian populations of <ce:italic>N. kaiseri</ce:italic> were located within a single drainage basin. In this drainage basin, there were five sub-basins with more than two populations. Sub-basin 4 encompassed the largest population and exhibited the highest connectivity quality (29 flow rate). The maximum depth of the links between the population cores in this sub-basin reached 100 m from the surface, and a large segment of the population was located in the upper part of the sub-basin. 432 sinks were located between the population cores that helped conserve water, create microclimates, and supply moisture.The arrangement of the populations within the sub-basin, along with the presence of sinks and variations in linkage path depths created distinct conditions for population cores. These conditions significantly influenced the quality of the linkages. The results of the present study can serve as a valuable tool to identify and prioritize population cores and sub-basins for targeted conservation efforts.","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tilia trees are preferred hosts of several ectomycorrhizal Ascomycota – New insights supported by the first community study of the endemic Tilia kiusiana","authors":"Daniel Janowski, Kazuhide Nara","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03187","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03187","url":null,"abstract":"Asia is the center of <ce:italic>Tilia</ce:italic> (Malvaceae) species diversity. However, the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) relations of Asian <ce:italic>Tilia</ce:italic> are scarcely studied. This study provides the first description of ECM communities of <ce:italic>Tilia kiusiana</ce:italic>, a rare tree endemic to southwestern Japan. Across the natural distribution of <ce:italic>T. kiusiana,</ce:italic> ECM fungal communities hosted by the species were investigated in three study sites: Hyōgo (H) and Yamaguchi (Y) on Honshu Island, and Ōita (O) on Kyushu Island. Using molecular methods, <ce:italic>T. kiusiana</ce:italic> was revealed to host a high diversity of fungi belonging to 25 ECM lineages (16, 17, and 14 lineages on sites H, Y, and O, respectively). The ECM communities of <ce:italic>T. kiusiana</ce:italic> and the previously studied endemic <ce:italic>T. japonica</ce:italic> were compared to the available data on other ECM tree genera in Japan, revealing that three Ascomycota ECM lineages (/genea-humaria, marcelleina-peziza gerardii, /tuber-helvella) show a preference towards <ce:italic>Tilia</ce:italic> hosts. While the total lineage richness did not differ among the compared host tree genera, <ce:italic>Tilia</ce:italic> communities exhibited higher effective lineage richness at higher (less sensitive to rare taxa) diversity orders. Despite their relative rarity, <ce:italic>Tilia</ce:italic> trees might play an important role in mixed forests: maintaining the diversity of ECM Ascomycota and potentially buffering the ECM fungal biodiversity loss in cases of ECM tree host diversity decline.","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Large carnivore management at odds: Science or prejudice?","authors":"A. Ordiz, D. Canestrari, J. Echegaray","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03202","url":null,"abstract":"Large terrestrial carnivores are now widely recognized as essential components of ecosystems. However, the management of large carnivores varies greatly at national and international scales, and some management decision processes do not seem to be informed by scientific evidence. We discuss the ongoing debate on wolf management in Europe, the recent development of wolf management in Spain, and some controversial issues affecting the management of several large carnivores in North America. In Europe, the level of wolf protection may be reduced by the European Commission without robust scientific evidence. In Spain, the debate over wolf conservation continues in the courts, rather than on the basis of scientific arguments, and in several North American areas, intensive management killing has continued for decades, despite its failure to meet intended goals. Overall, we argue that decision-making processes for reducing wolf protection at the international level are less restrictive than those for increasing it, and that such processes would be more defensible if they were scientifically informed and if they applied the precautionary principle. This issue applies to wildlife management of several species on different continents and urges agencies to make responsible decisions that typically affect transboundary populations.","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142268211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diversity pattern of Symplocos tree species in China under climate change scenarios: Toward conservation planning","authors":"Mohammed A. Dakhil, Lin Zhang, Reham F. El-Barougy, Heba Bedair, Zhanqing Hao, Zuoqiang Yuan, Yi Feng, Marwa Waseem A. Halmy","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03198","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03198","url":null,"abstract":"Symplocos, a genus rich in endemic and keystone species in China's subtropical forests, plays a vital role in maintaining biodiversity. Climate change impacts on Symplocos trees affect ecosystem composition, dynamics, and functions. This study delves into the potential ramifications of climate change on the distribution and richness of <ce:italic>Symplocos</ce:italic> species across China under different climatic conditions. A comprehensive analysis was conducted using occurrence records of 29 species of <ce:italic>Symplocos</ce:italic>, focusing on habitat suitability modeling and spatial analysis, to demonstrate the possible effects of climate change on the distribution and diversity patterns of <ce:italic>Symplocos</ce:italic> species in China. Environmental data, including bioclimatic variables, were collected, and the future climate scenarios were projected using the combined average of the two global climate models. Four modeling algorithms were applied in an ensemble species distribution models to assess the distribution of <ce:italic>Symplocos</ce:italic> species and decipher the pattern of species richness and endemism. The results indicate high accuracy and performance of the models with a mean AUC of 0.94 and TSS of 0.77, particularly the random forest. The analysis identified key bioclimatic variables influencing <ce:italic>Symplocos</ce:italic> species distribution, with precipitation patterns (precipitation of driest month and precipitation of warmest quarter) and temperature variability (temperature mean diurnal range) playing significant roles. Predictions suggest a reduction in <ce:italic>Symplocos</ce:italic> species richness over the next six decades, particularly in southern and southwestern China, with potential gains in other regions. Overall, this study highlights the vulnerability of <ce:italic>Symplocos</ce:italic> species to climate change and underscores the importance of proactive conservation efforts and forest plantations to mitigate future loss in <ce:italic>Symplocos</ce:italic> species diversity.","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142268258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microbial community structure of decayed trunks of Populus euphratica desert riparian forests in the lower Tarim River, Xinjiang, China","authors":"Wen Jiang, Tayierjiang Aishan, Qugula Duishan, Amanula Yimingniyazi, Saiyaremu Halifu, Xuemin He","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03199","url":null,"abstract":"Rich microbial communities are associated with tree decay, and they markedly impact the degradation of tree species and material cycling within ecosystems. The native <ce:italic>Populus euphratica</ce:italic> forests along the lower Tarim River of China are mostly mature or over-mature, with many tree trunks exhibiting features of extensive cavity decay and slow regeneration. In this study, a growth cone was used to drill a wood core at varying degrees of decay, and 16S and internal transcribed spacer techniques were used to identify the microbial structure (fungi and bacteria) within the wood core. Changes in the trunk microbial community under varying decay conditions were also examined. For healthy, lightly decayed, and heavily decayed trunk, the dominant bacterial and fungal phyla were Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota, respectively. As decay progressed, the alpha diversity index of the microbial community tended to decline. The maximum number of differential species was found in healthy trunks, where leaner discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) of fungi and bacteria revealed 1 and 15 different species, respectively. Species network analysis showed that interspecific linkages were more complex within bacterial communities than within fungal communities, with the complexity of fungal interspecific relationship increasing as decay progressed. The microbial communities of <ce:italic>P. euphratica</ce:italic> trunks differed significantly with the varying degrees of decay. Microbes such as <ce:italic>Ralstonia</ce:italic> may also play key roles in the decay process. In addition to providing a foundation for the sustainable management of desert riparian forests, investigating the mechanisms through which microbial communities influence the deterioration of <ce:italic>P. euphratica</ce:italic> trunks provides information about the general health of <ce:italic>P. euphratica</ce:italic> forests.","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Who pollinates exotic plants? A global assessment across native and exotic ranges","authors":"Natthaphong Chitchak, Piriya Hassa, Paweena Traiperm, Alyssa B. Stewart","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03185","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03185","url":null,"abstract":"The spread of exotic plant species is a global issue with substantial ecological and economic costs. One factor that can contribute to their capacity to establish and spread beyond their native range is their ability to attract novel pollinators (i.e., pollination flexibility). Humans have contributed to the spread of plant species across different continents, where they may encounter completely different pollinator families or even orders. While interest in exotic plants has grown considerably in recent years, we lack a global assessment of the common pollinator taxa that visit exotic plants, as well as comparisons of pollinator similarity across native and exotic ranges. This systematic review explores the diversity of floral visitors observed at exotic plants worldwide while also assessing whether these plants tend to attract native or exotic animals. We further quantified the taxonomic similarity of floral visitors in the native versus exotic range. Additionally, we tested the hypothesis that floral visitor similarity is negatively correlated with geographic distance. The data compiled in this review show that exotic plants exhibit pollination flexibility at multiple levels. Most floral visitors were bees, but at least 964 animal species (94 families, 12 orders) were found to visit the 201 exotic plant species (59 families, 29 orders) compiled in this review. Such visitors are typically generalists that forage from diverse plant species. Moreover, exotic plants attract both native and exotic floral visitors, however, the proportion of native visits was found to vary by geographic region (highest in Europe, moderate in North America, and lowest in Oceania). Exotic plants generally attract taxonomically similar floral visitors throughout their global distribution, but can attract novel visitors in regions far from their native range, as predicted. This review synthesizes the currently available data and improves our understanding of plant-pollinator interactions at exotic plants, which is important for restricting the spread of invasive plant species and mitigating their negative effects on native biodiversity worldwide.","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geographic patterns and ecological adaptations of Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) along the Chinese coast: Insights from migration dynamics and gene flow","authors":"Yue Tan, Li-Jun Liu, Yi-Xiang Zhang, Lei Fang, Yang Liu, Zhong-Ming Huo","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03192","url":null,"abstract":"The Manila Clam (<ce:italic>Ruditapes Philippinarum</ce:italic>) is one of the most economically significant marine bivalves along the China coast. In recent years, due to the escalating scale of aquaculture, the artificial activities of \"cross-regional introduction\" have to some extent exerted an influence on the genetic diversity and structure of clam larvae, leading to an ongoing occurrence of genetically mixed clam larvae populations and ambiguous genetic foundation of germplasm resources in China. Therefore, there is an imperative need to gain profound insights into the lineage, genetic structure, and assess the adaptability potential of clams originating from both northern and southern regions. We use Specific Locus Amplified Framents technology to simplify genome sequencing of wild clams along the coast of China. Through genetic diversity, genetic structure, gene flow, and selection elimination analysis, the results show that clams can be divided into distinct north-south lineages, with Wafangdian in Liaoning (RPLW), Zhangzi Island in Liaoning (RPLZ), and Laizhou in Shandong (RPSL) comprise the northern lineage, while Lianjiang in Fujian (RPFL) constitutes the southern lineage. The artificial relocation of clams in China has resulted in a blended population structure among local clams. The genetic functional differences between clams from the north and south are primarily manifest in energy metabolism, and the adaptive evolution of clams is mainly associated with temperature. This integrative research not only furnishes valuable insights into the genetic structure of clam populations, thereby contributing to the advancement of natural conservation and genetic breeding efforts for clams but also establishes the groundwork for a comprehensive exploration of clam adaptive evolution.","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of habitat fragmentation on Malay tapir abundances in Thailand’s protected areas","authors":"Thanaphon Suwannaphong, Volker C. Radeloff, Wanida Limmun, Naparat Suttidate","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03186","url":null,"abstract":"Habitat loss and fragmentation in tropical regions are major threats to the persistence of endangered Malay tapir (<ce:italic>Tapirus indicus</ce:italic>). The Malay tapir distribution is largely constrained to fragmented habitats inside protected areas. However, it is unclear how the spatial patterns of habitat fragmentation affect its relative abundance. Here, we investigated the effects of habitat fragmentation on Malay tapir relative abundance in Thailand. We first quantified the spatial patterns of habitat fragmentation within nine of Thailand’s protected areas. Second, we assessed the relationship of fragmentation metrics and relative abundance of Malay tapirs. Third, we identified the relative importance of the fragmentation metrics in explaining relative abundance. We found that tapir abundance remained unexpectedly high in the Southern forest complex despite the fact that tapir habitats were significantly more fragmented there than in the protected area in the western forest complex (<ce:italic>p</ce:italic> &lt; 0.05). Additionally, we found a significantly negative relation with clumpiness index (<ce:italic>R</ce:italic><ce:sup loc=\"post\"><ce:italic>2</ce:italic></ce:sup> = 0.51, <ce:italic>p &lt;</ce:italic> 0.05). This suggests that other factors may also be influencing their populations, so that the Southern protected areas provide preferred habitat with higher relative proportions of moist evergreen forest, large habitat patch size, precipitation, and elevation. It highlights the importance of interconnected habitat for tapirs, and the benefit of conservation efforts in small, less recognized protected areas.","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}