Biological Conservation最新文献

{"title":"Characterizing the illegal trade of carnivores on a social media platform in Iran","authors":"Pourya Sardari ,&nbsp;Nima Badelu ,&nbsp;Pardis Rajabipour ,&nbsp;Alireza Mohammadi ,&nbsp;David L. Roberts ,&nbsp;Gerard Kyle ,&nbsp;Mohammad S. Farhadinia","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111521","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Illegal wildlife trade threatens biodiversity globally and has become more accessible through social media, where traffickers reach buyers in minimally regulated spaces. Despite Iran's strategic location on major trade routes, little is known about its wildlife markets, particularly on online platforms and in Persian-language contexts. This study examines the illegal trade of native and non-native carnivores on Instagram in Iran using data from 293 public advertisements posted throughout 2022. Non-native species, such as lions, were more prevalent in the live animal trade, while native species, like red foxes, were more often advertised for their body parts. Trade in native species exhibited a significant seasonal peak in spring and summer, aligning with birthing seasons. In contrast, trade in non-native species showed no significant seasonal trend, suggesting sourcing through international or captive networks. To understand marketing strategies, we conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of Persian-language captions and photos. Four key themes emerged: commodification of wildlife, normalization of captivity, status signalling, and controlled access. Sellers emphasized tameness, luxury appeal, and exclusivity to attract consumers, while rarely mentioning biological traits. The advertisements portrayed wild animals as desirable consumer products, obscuring their conservation status and the ethical implications of using them. Our findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced monitoring in non-English contexts, targeted enforcement during peak seasons, and platform-level interventions to disrupt the online wildlife trade in underregulated regions, such as Iran.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111521"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145270826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Land use intensification transforms grassland arthropod communities: A few winners expand but most species disappear","authors":"J.P. Reinier de Vries ,&nbsp;José G. van Paassen ,&nbsp;Remco Ploeg ,&nbsp;Aart Noordam ,&nbsp;Koen Verhoogt ,&nbsp;David Kleijn","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111522","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111522","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Arthropod declines pose existential threats to terrestrial ecosystems but remain poorly understood. In human-dominated habitats such as managed grasslands, arthropod communities are thought to decline as a result of land-use intensification. However, studies that link land-use intensity to arthropod species richness, abundance and composition have found mixed results. These inconsistencies may stem from differences in the investigated intensification levels or arthropod communities, as different species may show different responses to land-use change. We show that effects of land-use intensification on arthropod communities can be understood better by examining the distributions of individual species along land-use intensity gradients. We sampled multiple arthropod groups along a wide gradient of grassland productivity as a proxy for land-use intensity. Species richness halved from low to high productivity levels, but overall abundance remained stable because increasing Diptera numbers counteracted strong declines in other orders. Dissimilarity metrics failed to reveal a substantial change in species composition that was shown in individual species' distributions. While low-productivity grasslands supported many species that were confined to narrow productivity ranges, high-productivity grasslands were dominated by a few widely occurring species. Overall, 56 % of all species declined or disappeared as land-use intensified at low-to-medium intensity levels (‘losers’); 35 % preferred intermediate intensities, and only 9 % profited from high-intensity management. These ‘winners’ probably sustain overall abundance levels in high-productivity grasslands. Such large changes in species composition could have significant consequences for ecosystem functioning, necessitating further experimental studies. The uneven distribution of biodiversity losses implies that ecological restoration should focus on low-intensity grasslands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111522"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145270824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 range shifts under climate change into the synchronous conservation of a critically endangered gibbon and its habitat trees","authors":"Xinran Li ,&nbsp;Yue Xu ,&nbsp;Zhidong Zhang ,&nbsp;Wenxing Long ,&nbsp;Runguo Zang","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111534","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111534","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Primates rely heavily on habitat trees (foraging and night lodging trees) for growth and reproduction, yet primates' and their habitat trees' spatial ranges often shift with environmental changes. Therefore, endangered primates are severely threatened by habitat degradation and climate change. Hainan gibbon (<em>Nomascus hainanus</em>) is the world's most endangered primate. Using 18 years (2000 to 2018) of gibbon activity observations and data from 186 plant plots within a tropical nature reserve, we assessed the suitable distributions of gibbon and its 95 associated habitat trees using MaxEnt model, incorporating climate, topography, anthropogenic disturbance, and soil (excluded for gibbon) as predictors. Priority conservation areas were delineated by integrating habitat tree hotspots with suitable gibbon ranges. We also used Partial Least Squares Path Modeling to assess the direct and indirect effects of key factors shaping their distributions. Results showed that the gibbon occur in the central and eastern reserve, while habitat trees are mainly in the central region, both occur between 500 and 1400 m elevation. Climate change led to an upward shift and contraction in gibbon and habitat trees, accompanied by fragmentation. Spatial overlap between gibbon distributions and habitat tree hotspots was high (80.12 %–100 %). Priority conservation, primarily shaped by temperature and precipitation, were projected to become increasingly concentrated around two high-elevation hilltops. From current to future, climate remains the dominant driver of gibbon distribution, while the influence of habitat trees increases initially before declining. Our findings highlight the importance of integrating climate and habitat factors into conservation planning for endangered species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111534"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145271453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Sensory pollutants have negative but different effects on nestbox occupancy and breeding performance of a nocturnal raptor across Europe","authors":"Giuseppe Orlando ,&nbsp;Luca Nelli ,&nbsp;Paul Baker ,&nbsp;Patrik Karell ,&nbsp;Al Vrezec ,&nbsp;Rimgaudas Treinys ,&nbsp;Gian Luigi Bucciolini ,&nbsp;Karel Poprach ,&nbsp;David Anderson ,&nbsp;Katy Anderson ,&nbsp;Hugues Baudvin ,&nbsp;Gérard Olivier ,&nbsp;Deivis Dementavičius ,&nbsp;Peter Ericsson ,&nbsp;Lars-Ove Nilsson ,&nbsp;Ingar J. Øien ,&nbsp;Saulius Rumbutis ,&nbsp;Dani Studler ,&nbsp;Laurent Vallotton ,&nbsp;Maria I. Bogdanova ,&nbsp;Davide M. Dominoni","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111533","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111533","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night (ALAN) are expanding globally, acting as pervasive sensory pollutants that can disrupt wildlife behaviour and reproduction. While most research has focused on diurnal species, the effects of these pollutants on the ecological response of nocturnal predators remain poorly understood. Using data from nine European countries, we investigated the effects of traffic noise, ALAN, and road proximity on nestbox occupancy and reproduction in the Tawny Owl (<em>Strix aluco</em>), a nocturnal raptor widespread across Europe. Traffic noise consistently reduced both nestbox occupancy and reproductive success regardless of road proximity. ALAN also impaired occupancy and reproduction, but its negative effect on reproduction changed based on the proximity to roads. Interestingly, the negative effect of ALAN was stronger in sites further from roads, but it attenuated in their proximity, where owls' hatching success and brood size moderately improved. This finding suggests that near roads, where prey abundance and availability are also generally high, owls may either find the prey regardless of ALAN or they may exploit it to facilitate hunting and brood provisioning. However, vicinity to roads might enhance mortality by vehicle collisions, which represents one of the greatest threats for the conservation of owls. Our findings highlight that anthropogenic noise and the co-occurrence between ALAN and roads can affect settlement decisions and breeding performance in nocturnal raptors, with potential consequences across the food chain. Mitigating anthropogenic noise and promoting nighttime-lighting systems that minimize owls' presence close to roads will represent valuable actions to improve their conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111533"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145270818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Restoring the wild east: Predicting public support for cougar and red wolf reintroduction in the eastern United States","authors":"Benjamin Ghasemi ,&nbsp;Jeremy T. Bruskotter ,&nbsp;John A. Vucetich ,&nbsp;L. Mark Elbroch ,&nbsp;Robyn S. Wilson ,&nbsp;Neil H. Carter ,&nbsp;Axel Moehrenschlager ,&nbsp;Shelby Perry ,&nbsp;Joseph W. Hinton","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111532","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111532","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Restoring large carnivores to human-dominated landscapes remains ecologically and socially contentious, though reintroduction may offer important benefits where coexistence is possible. Yet, efforts to reintroduce cougars (<em>Puma concolor</em>) and red wolves (<em>Canis rufus</em>) in the Eastern U.S. face major challenges, largely due to human-caused mortality and opposition. We employed the hazard acceptance model and structural equation modeling to investigate the socio-psychological drivers of public support for reintroduction. Survey data were collected from residents of the Eastern U.S. for cougars (<em>n</em> = 2665) and red wolves (<em>n</em> = 3825). For both species, support was positively associated with perceived personal and societal benefits and negatively associated with perceived societal risks. Perceived personal risk significantly reduced support for cougars, but had no effect for red wolves. Positive affect toward each species strongly influenced support by shaping risk and benefit perceptions. Perceived control over risks also reduced risk perceptions and boosted support. These findings highlight species-specific concerns and suggest pathways for more effective outreach, conflict mitigation, and carnivore recovery planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111532"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145270825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Forest age influences freshwater biodiversity in temperate watersheds","authors":"Brooke E. Penaluna ,&nbsp;Ashley A. Coble ,&nbsp;Arif Jan ,&nbsp;Richard Cronn ,&nbsp;Laura L. Hauck ,&nbsp;Ivan Arismendi ,&nbsp;Jessica Homyack","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forests can affect stream structure and function, but evaluations linking freshwater biodiversity to watershed-scale forest-stand conditions are limited. We evaluated competing hypotheses about spatial patterns of freshwater biodiversity by combining species inventories of vertebrates and invertebrates from traditional and environmental DNA (eDNA) methods across 24 temperate watersheds of young to old forests (37 to 124 y old). Freshwater taxonomic and functional richness of invertebrates were, on average, 1.2-fold and 1.5-fold higher, respectively, in older forests (&gt;75 y) than in younger forests, consistent with the late-seral hypothesis. Vertebrate taxonomic and functional richness were 1.6-fold and 2.4-fold higher, respectively, in older forests, marginally supporting the late-seral hypothesis. Collectively, these findings suggest that heterogeneous habitat conditions of older forests support more rare, specialized, or intolerant freshwater species with diverse community roles. Evenness generally did not vary with mean watershed stand age, thus the diversity of habitats within a watershed may be shaped by other factors, such as disturbance history, watershed characteristics, and landscape heterogeneity. However, as measured by traditional sampling, invertebrate taxonomic evenness declined with increasing mean watershed stand age, slightly supporting the early-seral hypothesis, as younger forests may promote more evenly distributed assemblages. Ultimately, although greater freshwater richness is supported by older forests, evenness may depend more heavily on other factors in forested watersheds. Our findings provide empirical support for long-held ideas about the tight relationship between forests and freshwater biodiversity, emphasizing the interconnectedness between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the importance of considering forests in watershed-scale conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111530"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145271452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Replacing the natural savanna matrix with eucalyptus plantations and soybean fields changes the seed rain promoted by bats in Amazonian savannas","authors":"Bruna S. Xavier ,&nbsp;Jeferson Vizentin-Bugoni ,&nbsp;Marcelo M. Ferreira ,&nbsp;Tiago M. Marques ,&nbsp;Renato R. Hilário ,&nbsp;José J. Toledo ,&nbsp;Isaí J. Castro ,&nbsp;Karen Mustin ,&nbsp;Jorge M. Palmeirim ,&nbsp;Marcus V. Vieira ,&nbsp;William D. Carvalho","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The advance of plantations and croplands into natural areas has catalysed the loss of species and ecosystem functions worldwide. This loss appears to be more intense in tropical regions and may strongly impact groups essential for maintaining forests, such as bats. We evaluated the consequences of land-use changes on seed dispersal carried out by bats in the Savannas of Amapá, northeast of the Brazilian Amazon. More specifically, we compared the metrics of seed dispersal networks of the natural savanna matrix in relation to soybean or eucalyptus matrix, as well as between forest patches inserted in the natural savanna matrix in relation to forest patches inserted in soybean or eucalyptus matrix. Replacing the natural savanna matrix with croplands and plantations in the Savannas of Amapá causes the near disappearance of seed dispersal interactions and a collapse of the network structure in croplands. In addition, the seed dispersal networks in cultivated landscapes were more centered on a few, more abundant and generalist dispersers, which were more linked to pioneer plant species. Our results show that changes in the natural savanna matrix have drastic consequences on the seed rain promoted by bats, which can directly impact the ecological dynamics of the different habitats that comprise this Amazonian ecosystem. Maintaining natural habitats, such as forest and savanna, in cultivated landscapes is crucial and would reduce this negative impact. Savanna remnants can help maintain the original dynamics of bat communities in the landscape and the integrity and robustness of seed dispersal networks promoted by bats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111510"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145271454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"M. Acha, O. Iribarne, A. Piola. (Eds.), The Patagonian Shelfbreak Front: Ecology, Fisheries, Wildlife Conservation, Springer International Publishing (2025). 292 pp. ISBN: 978-3-031-71190-9 (Ebook)","authors":"Ali Reza Radkhah,&nbsp;Soheil Eagderi","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111523","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111523","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111523"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145271457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Challenges and solutions in managing semi-natural grasslands: Insights from Estonia","authors":"Liis Kasari-Toussaint ,&nbsp;Rufus Trepp ,&nbsp;Krista Takkis ,&nbsp;Aveliina Helm ,&nbsp;Annely Holm ,&nbsp;Bert Holm ,&nbsp;Triin Reitalu","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111520","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111520","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Semi-natural grasslands (SNGs) are among Europe's most diverse ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and cultural heritage. Yet, around 90 % of their area has been lost in the past century due to intensification, urbanization, and abandonment, making effective management and restoration a conservation priority.</div><div>This study examines the perspectives of Estonian SNG managers within the context of existing practices and policies. Data were collected through 280 online questionnaires and 91 structured interviews. While farmers are generally motivated to continue management, driven by values such as tradition, biodiversity, and landscape aesthetics, they face multiple barriers. These include low cost-effectiveness, rigid regulations (e.g., fixed mowing dates), limited access to biodiversity advisory services, and challenges linked to administration and land rental.</div><div>Our findings highlight several shortcomings in current support schemes. Action-based subsidies often fail to reflect local ecological and socio-economic realities, reducing both efficiency and farmer engagement. To ensure long-term SNG viability, policies should become more flexible, cost-effective, and outcome-oriented. This includes adopting results-based payments, expanding advisory services, and strengthening collaboration between land managers, authorities, and conservation experts.</div><div>By centering on farmers' perspectives, this study provides insights into how policy design can better align ecological objectives with practical land management. Addressing the identified gaps could enhance the sustainability of SNG management in Estonia and offer lessons for similar landscapes across Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111520"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145271451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"","authors":"Mukhlis Ibrahim ,&nbsp;Syarifuddin","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111531","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111531","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111531"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145270827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}