Biological Conservation最新文献

{"title":"Vertebrate scavenger assemblages and their functioning differ between artificial and natural wetlands: Implications for ecosystem management","authors":"Adrian Orihuela-Torres ,&nbsp;Juan Manuel Pérez-García ,&nbsp;Eneko Arrondo ,&nbsp;Tatiana Pessano-Serrat ,&nbsp;Andy J. Green ,&nbsp;Lara Naves-Alegre ,&nbsp;Francisco Botella ,&nbsp;Nuria Selva ,&nbsp;José Antonio Sánchez-Zapata ,&nbsp;Esther Sebastián-González","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110929","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110929","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural wetlands perform essential ecological functions, but their area has dramatically decreased. Partly to counteract this loss, artificial wetlands have been created. While studies comparing animal communities between artificial and natural wetlands abound, research on their comparative ecological functions is scarce. In particular, vertebrate scavengers in aquatic ecosystems have been little studied despite their critical role in nutrient cycling. This study compared vertebrate scavenger assemblages and their consumption patterns in natural and artificial wetlands in Doñana, Spain, to evaluate the effects of wetland management (natural vs. artificial hydrology) across different seasons. We placed 120 carcasses (carp and chicken) in natural and artificial wetlands. We recorded 22 vertebrate scavenger species efficiently consuming 100 % of carrion in an average of less than two days, highlighting their role in nutrient recycling. Carrion of aquatic-origin was consumed faster and by a greater variety of species than that of terrestrial-origin, facilitating the transport of essential nutrients from water to land. Artificial wetlands exhibited higher efficiency in carrion removal (twice as fast as natural wetlands). However, they hosted less diverse assemblages, dominated by opportunistic and non-native species. This suggests that artificial wetlands are not replacing natural wetlands in terms of biodiversity, despite sustaining water levels and functions. Importantly, ‘kidnapping’ water for irrigation reduces the ability of natural wetlands to maintain ecological functions provided by scavengers. Urgent regulation of water abstraction from aquifers, especially for crop irrigation, is necessary to maintain minimum groundwater levels, preserving the functionality and ecological processes of this critical wetland complex.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 110929"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143145846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Comments on: “Rewilding a vanishing taxon–Restoring aquatic ecosystems using amphibians”. Stark and Schwarz 2024. Biological Conservation 292, 110559","authors":"Erin Muths ,&nbsp;Benedikt R. Schmidt ,&nbsp;Evan H. Grant","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110940","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110940","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 110940"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143146140","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":"Addressing the urgent climate and biodiversity crisis through strategic ecosystem restoration in Brazil","authors":"Luisa Fernanda Liévano-Latorre ,&nbsp;Juliana M. de Almeida-Rocha ,&nbsp;Alberto Akama ,&nbsp;Hernani Alves Almeida ,&nbsp;Ricardo Teixeira Gregório Andrade ,&nbsp;Marcelo Rodrigues dos Anjos ,&nbsp;Yasmine Antonini ,&nbsp;Thaise de Oliveira Bahia ,&nbsp;Flavia Rodrigues Barbosa ,&nbsp;Reinaldo Imbrozio Barbosa ,&nbsp;Claudia Franca Barros ,&nbsp;Helena Godoy Bergallo ,&nbsp;Liliane Souza Brabo ,&nbsp;Andre Restel Camilo ,&nbsp;Renata Capellão ,&nbsp;Rainiellen de Sá Carpanedo ,&nbsp;Carolina Volkmer Castilho ,&nbsp;Larissa Cavalheiro ,&nbsp;Rui Cerqueira ,&nbsp;Carlos Leandro Cordeiro ,&nbsp;Rafael Loyola","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.110972","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.110972","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ecosystem restoration is crucial worldwide to address environmental challenges. Many countries, including Brazil, have committed to restoring degraded landscapes at national and international levels. Brazil aims to restore twelve million hectares of degraded areas by 2030, which requires strategic decision-making to allocate resources effectively and balance biodiversity gains with societal benefits. Our modeling approach uses extensive biodiversity field data to identify priority areas for restoration across Brazil's diverse phytogeographic domains. By focusing on expanding native species habitats and enhancing connectivity, we aim to maximize ecological returns. Precisely, we pinpoint areas within each Brazilian phytogeographic domain with the greatest potential for habitat enhancement, including the Amazon's arc of deforestation, central Cerrado, the limits of Caatinga, Pampa, and Pantanal, and the coastal areas of the Atlantic Forest. Restoring 30 % of these areas—approximately 76 million hectares—could significantly benefit 11,028 species by increasing available habitat by up to 10 % and improving landscape functional connectivity by 60 %. Moreover, this restoration effort would capture up to 9.8 million tons of atmospheric carbon, contributing to global climate goals. As Brazil strives to meet national and international targets, we also advocate for economic incentives to support restoration practices within each phytogeographic domain. Integrating prioritization modeling into decision-making ensures optimal biodiversity and carbon stock outcomes to guide more effective restoration efforts. This comprehensive strategy helps advance restoration goals and underscores the vital role of science-based planning in safeguarding our planet's natural heritage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 110972"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143146416","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":"Does artificial light interfere with the activity of nocturnal mammals? An experimental study using road underpasses","authors":"Romain Sordello ,&nbsp;Dakis-Yaoba Ouédraogo ,&nbsp;Clotilde Chassoulier ,&nbsp;Stéphane Aulagnier ,&nbsp;Aurélie Coulon ,&nbsp;Yorick Reyjol","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110960","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110960","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The emission of artificial light at night (ALAN) generates a light pollution. The impacts on fauna, flora and ecosystems have been increasingly studied in recent decades. However, mammals - except bats or rodents - remain under-studied, particularly in terms of space use. Here, we implemented a three-year in-situ before–during–after exposure protocol to assess the effect of artificial light at night at five underpasses of a motorway in a French regional natural park. Using camera traps, we recorded movements of medium-sized wild mammals and collected data on 12 species, especially European badger <em>Meles meles</em>, red fox <em>Vulpes vulpes</em> and martens (<em>Martes martes</em> and <em>M. foina</em>). Our results showed that lighting significantly decreased the probability to cross the underpasses for European badger in spring and autumn and for red fox in spring, while there was no significant effect of lighting for martens. Lighting also reduced crossing speed for badgers. We can conclude that, for some medium-sized wild mammals, ALAN triggers an avoidance behaviour that prevents them from crossing lit underpasses during certain seasons. This suggests that ALAN can act as a nightscape fragmentation, which is in line with previous studies on other taxa - as bats, insects, amphibians or eels. This additional barrier effect confirms the value of dark infrastructure; i.e. ecological network policies to preserve dark habitat patches and dark corridors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 110960"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143146420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Stochastic wind-driven migration likely maintains panmixia in the endangered bogong moth, Agrotis infusa","authors":"Collin W. Ahrens ,&nbsp;Alex Slavenko ,&nbsp;Peter Kriesner ,&nbsp;Anthony van Rooyen ,&nbsp;Dean Heinze ,&nbsp;Nenad Bartonicek ,&nbsp;Andrew R. Weeks","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.110993","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.110993","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The bogong moth, <em>Agrotis infusa</em>, is critically important for the function of the Australian alpine ecological community. However, anecdotal rapid variability in census size appear to be directly related to climate fluctuations, with long periods of drought in their winter breeding areas leading to large declines in migrating adults. These fluctuations are compounded by basic knowledge gaps regarding their genetic structure and dispersal mechanisms between winter breeding sites and alpine aestivation areas, which hinders conservation efforts and has impacts on threatened animal species that rely upon them. We use thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 349 adult samples collected from 19 locations in southeastern Australia to determine genetic diversity and population structure. We then model wind patterns to determine if prevailing winds can explain measured genetic diversity and how long migrations might take to reach their aestivation sites and return to breeding grounds. We find that the moths have high levels of genetic diversity reflecting a large effective population size and that there is no significant population structuring (e.g., panmixia). The wind modelling indicates that wind patterns could explain random migratory patterns that lead to the observed panmixia, and that adult moths can migrate to, and from, alpine areas in as little as a single night from their winter breeding areas. Taking these data together, we suggest that conservation strategies need to occur range-wide and, in particular, protect breeding sites from land-use change in order to maintain moth migration rates that support the alpine ecosystem each year.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 110993"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143146601","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":"A case for occupancy as a state variable for wild bee monitoring","authors":"Clint R.V. Otto ,&nbsp;S. Hollis Woodard ,&nbsp;Larissa L. Bailey","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110932","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110932","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reports of widespread pollinator declines, data deficiencies, and inabilities to assess status and trends underscore the need for wild bee monitoring. Chief among the challenges with wild bee monitoring is identifying monitoring objectives and state variables. Here we make the case for considering occupancy, the proportion of area occupied, as a primary state variable of interest for monitoring wild bee populations. A focus on occupancy can help to resolve some of the current complications arising from population monitoring of bees. We highlight the strengths of occupancy specifically in the context of wild bee monitoring, drawing from achievements of current monitoring programs of other taxa. We provide guidance for incorporating occupancy models into the design of current and future wild bee monitoring efforts and address important sampling biases to consider when monitoring bee populations. We also stress the importance of developing bee monitoring objectives that result in actionable conservation or improved scientific understanding. Our viewpoint provides a framework for kickstarting monitoring efforts that will better lead to effective conservation actions for wild bees.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 110932"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143146609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Climate and land use change through the eyes of two endemic amphibians: Temporal trajectories of suitability and connectivity reveal differential responses","authors":"Marco Mangiacotti ,&nbsp;Martino Flego ,&nbsp;Fabrizio Oneto ,&nbsp;Dario Ottonello ,&nbsp;Renato Cottalasso ,&nbsp;Giacomo Ferraro ,&nbsp;Roberto Sacchi","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.110971","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.110971","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate and land-use change are expected to cause habitat loss and fragmentation, conditioning the ability of a species to ultimately persist in a territory. Amphibians are particularly sensitive to such threats due to their life-history traits and small-ranged distributions. Reconstructing how each factor has contributed to the historical trajectories of change in landscape suitability and connectivity, and which process is prevailing (loss or fragmentation) becomes pivotal to plan conservation and mitigation actions at local scale. By combining habitat suitability modelling and circuit- and graph-theory, we determined the temporal change in habitat suitability, functional connectivity, and spatial ecological network functionality for two Italian endemic amphibian taxa, an urodele, the Italian alpine newt, and an anuran, the Apennine yellow-bellied toad. The temporal trajectories for the alpine newt showed a gradual loss of suitability and functional connectivity, which is predicted to continue in the future, but with a steep drop in the network functionality already occurred in the last thirty-year period. This suggests that restoring connectivity may be the key for conservation actions of this endemism. Differently, in the Apennine yellow bellied toad, we found that the spatial network has already collapsed, while future projections highlighted a huge habitat loss issue. Conservation efforts for this species should therefore be focused on preserving current suitable areas and identifying possible translocation sites where to settle new populations. The approach we proposed is highly generalizable and can be updated to include alternative scenarios and simulated conservation actions, providing stakeholders with a target-defined prioritization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 110971"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147092","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":"Using GPS tracking data to validate the conservation value of bird migration counts","authors":"Ron Efrat ,&nbsp;Yael Lehnardt ,&nbsp;Daniel Berkowic ,&nbsp;Yossi Leshem ,&nbsp;Roi Dor ,&nbsp;Alexander Bragin ,&nbsp;Evgeny Bragin ,&nbsp;Todd Katzner ,&nbsp;Nir Sapir","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110959","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110959","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective conservation of migratory birds requires gathering of information about their population trends, often acquired using migratory bird counts. These schemes ideally operate at migratory bottlenecks, through which a significant portion of the counted migratory populations is funneled. Yet it is rare to validate the conservation value of the data from these counts. Here we perform this validation using GPS tracking data collected from two migratory species during their movement over two count schemes: the globally endangered steppe eagle counted in Eilat, Israel, and the black kite, counted in Batumi, Georgia. We use tracking data to answer two questions: which populations are counted and what affects the probability that a given individual will be counted. Our results illustrate variability in the effectiveness of these two migratory bird counting schemes. Considering the goal of estimating population trends, we show that Eilat does not represent a good location for understanding population trends of steppe eagles, while Batumi appears to provide better information on demographic trends of black kites. We further present differences in annual and individual variability, evidence regarding the breeding area origins of the counted populations and effects of environmental factors on the raptors' routes and, consequently, on the probabilities of being counted. Beyond the direct implications of our results, this study provides an example of using telemetry data to parameterize inference from bird counts. Further coupling of migratory bird count data and GPS data can improve our understanding of migration ecology and the conservation of migratory species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 110959"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143147093","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":"Supporting biocultural connections in conservation translocations","authors":"Finley Ngarangi Johnson ,&nbsp;Rachael C. Shaw ,&nbsp;Priscilla M. Wehi","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110937","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110937","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Translocation is an important tool to restore populations and safeguard species from anthropogenic climate change, habitat destruction and other threats. However, translocation decision-making rarely accounts for relationships of <em>place</em> between species and Indigenous Peoples. We aimed to investigate how archival and geographical sources related to mātauranga (Indigenous Māori knowledge) might inform conservation efforts such as translocations. In particular, we focused on the ecology of and human relationships with a forest-dwelling parrot, the kākā (<em>Nestor meridionalis</em>) in Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ). We mapped Māori place names associated with kākā, overlaying these with the current reported distribution for kākā from iNaturalist. Names often occurred in clusters, with some of the largest clusters in areas where kākā are considered regionally extinct. We also examined street names, but most were modern subdivision assignations, and not informative of place-based biocultural relationships. Our searches of historical print archives (newspapers, magazines and journals) from 1842 to 1984 revealed a range of kākā-related material. Early references to kākā in magazines and journals (1861–2017) focused on ecology, reflecting mātauranga, but later references focused on legislation. Taken together, these sources show temporal changes in both geographical distribution and the nature of discussion in historical written sources around kākā and Māori relationships in AoNZ. We argue that partnering with local communities is also critical to understanding these relationships. We recommend that future translocation decision-making should incorporate the relationships and place-based knowledge of Indigenous and other local communities. In doing so, translocations have the potential to revitalise diminished human-wildlife connections and restore species in and of themselves as well as biocultural connections and biodiversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 110937"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143145782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Conservation implications of sex-specific daily movements of leopards: A global perspective","authors":"Igor Khorozyan","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110928","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110928","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intraspecific variation in animal movements and its determinants may provide valuable knowledge about ecological and conservation needs of target species. Such studies are relevant to mammalian carnivores due to their wide-ranging behavior and high-profile conservation status. In this large-scale meta-analysis study, I explored the effects of various ecological and anthropogenic factors on daily distances moved by male and female leopards (<em>Panthera pardus</em>) across their global range in Africa and Asia. I tested eight hypotheses by running and ranking 35 linear regression models, separately for each sex. One best male model and two best female models, all statistically significant and having large effect sizes, were built upon 83 cases (45 cases of males and male groups and 38 cases of females and female groups) from 22 publications and 35 study areas. The analysis has shown that movements of male leopards are more intensive in less anthropogenically modified areas, and females move more actively in tropical and subtropical dry forests, shrublands, grasslands and open habitats. Designation and mapping of such areas may allow to delineate possible corridors, identify priority and most sensitive areas for linkages, and plan habitat restoration initiatives for leopard conservation. These results are particularly important for females whose lower mobility and philopatry are arguably among the most limiting factors of population connectivity in wild cats. Additionally, these results have implications for density estimation techniques, reduction of high mortality rates in males, and protection of even less suitable habitats for females.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 110928"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143145834","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}