Biological Conservation最新文献

{"title":"Marine monitors: Land-based citizen science observations show AIS data underrepresents coastal vessel traffic co-occurring with marine mammals","authors":"Emily Hague ,&nbsp;Alice Walters ,&nbsp;Anna Moscrop ,&nbsp;Emma Steel ,&nbsp;Katie Dyke ,&nbsp;Carole Davis ,&nbsp;Bernard Siddle ,&nbsp;Debbie Cole ,&nbsp;Sarah MacDonald-Taylor ,&nbsp;Peter Gulliver ,&nbsp;Rebecca Olaleye ,&nbsp;Juliane Lehmann ,&nbsp;Sebastian Olias ,&nbsp;Carsten Hilgenfeld ,&nbsp;Julie Tozer ,&nbsp;Wendy Kilroe ,&nbsp;Áine Purcell-Milton ,&nbsp;Kathryn Allan ,&nbsp;Tim Stenton ,&nbsp;Lauren McWhinnie","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111284","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111284","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Marine mammals are vulnerable to a variety of impacts from vessels, including underwater noise disturbance and injury from collision. To quantify this risk, AIS (Automatic Identification System) vessel tracking data is often used as a proxy of vessel presence. However, many vessels do not appear within AIS datasets, meaning evaluating impacts using AIS alone will likely underestimate the potential for effects to occur. To understand the scale of underestimation and the types of vessels co-occurring with marine mammals, 3-yrs of land-based surveys recorded all vessels (sighted within ∼10 km of shore) that were observed concurrently with whales, dolphins and seals (sighted within ∼3 km of shore). Surveys were conducted from multiple sites within five Scottish Marine Regions. Observations of responses to vessels were also recorded opportunistically.</div><div>AIS data accurately reflected coastal vessel traffic co-occurring with marine mammals during 30 % of the surveyed period. 59 % of vessels seen were not broadcasting AIS, with seasonal and spatial variation in AIS transmission rates, with lowest AIS transmission rates in summer (when 38 % of co-occurring vessels were broadcasting AIS). Non-AIS vessels were more frequently observed travelling at speeds that may pose an elevated risk to marine mammals, and were also more frequently recorded to elicit a response. 45 % of responses to vessels involved non-AIS powered vessels, and 33 % were in relation to human-powered vessels (e.g. kayaks). The results show that the majority of vessels that co-occur with marine mammals are non-AIS, and as such AIS data alone is insufficient to represent vessel-related impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"309 ","pages":"Article 111284"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144254400","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":"Movement ecology and conservation of capuchin monkeys in pine plantation landscapes","authors":"V. Zárate ,&nbsp;I. Torge ,&nbsp;M.P. Tujague ,&nbsp;M.C. Baldovino ,&nbsp;J.P. Arrabal ,&nbsp;E.A. Vanderhoeven ,&nbsp;I. Agostini ,&nbsp;M.S. Di Bitetti","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111304","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111304","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pine plantations significantly alter wildlife spatial ecology, yet some arboreal mammals, particularly primates, persist in these landscapes. Some primates may bark-strip pines, generating conflicts with producers, further threatening their populations. Black capuchin monkeys (<em>Sapajus nigritus</em>), endemic to the Atlantic Forest, inhabit both native forests and plantation-dominated landscapes. Here we studied the effect of pine plantations on movement and space use pattern of capuchins. Using data from 2008 to 2024, we applied Hidden Markov Models and Auto-correlated Kernel Density Estimators to study movements and space use of 11 capuchin groups in northeastern Argentina, comparing pine plantations and protected forests. Capuchins in plantations traveled longer daily distances. In plantations, stationary movement state, linked to resting and feeding, were more frequent in forest fragments, while rapid directional movements prevailed in pine stands. Stationary movements increased in pine stands during peak bark-stripping periods. Home ranges in plantations nearly tripled those in protected forests. Core areas in plantation landscapes were highly concentrated in native forest fragments. Despite fragments constituting only 22 % of the plantation landscape, they concentrated 95 % of sleeping sites, shaping capuchins' daily movements. Resource scarcity and fragmentation increase capuchins' daily trajectories, home ranges, and core areas, likely reducing carrying capacity. Preserving forest fragments and ensuring their connectivity is essential to maintaining habitat quality for primates in plantation landscapes. Movement ecology insights from capuchins in pine plantations are key for conservation planning with the aim of developing primate-friendly production landscapes, and mitigating conflicts between primates and foresters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"309 ","pages":"Article 111304"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144254401","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":"Between hype and hope: De-extinction is a tool, not a panacea for the biodiversity crisis","authors":"Rodrigo Béllo Carvalho","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111307","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111307","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With recent claims of dire wolf resurrection, de-extinction has refueled public imagination and scientific controversy. This piece critically examines the promises and pitfalls of de-extinction, aiming to disentangle genuine advancements from inflated expectations. While substantial obstacles remain for de-extinction to move from lab breakthroughs to functional wild populations, the technologies behind it have catalyzed substantial and transferable advances in biotechnology, conservation biology, and public engagement, provocatively positioning de-extinction as a new era in conservation. However, scientific, ethical, and practical concerns remain. Chief among these concerns are media distortion, potential diversion of funding from urgent conservation needs, animal welfare risks, and unresolved legal frameworks. Rather than a panacea for the biodiversity crisis, de-extinction should be seen as a supplementary tool for conservation—valuable when used with responsibility and ecological purposefulness. Between hype and hope, there is room for thoughtful progress, one that recognizes limitations, reinforces urgent conservation priorities, and reimagines what future biodiversity stewardship looks like.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"309 ","pages":"Article 111307"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144242374","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":"Nest-box provisioning as an offset or greenwashing practice in renewables projects","authors":"Jesús M. Avilés ,&nbsp;Deseada Parejo ,&nbsp;Juan A. Fargallo ,&nbsp;Guillermo Blanco ,&nbsp;Airam Rodríguez ,&nbsp;Julián Cabello-Vergel","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111306","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111306","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global expansion of renewable energy, particularly photovoltaic plants (PV), aims to meet rising energy demands while lowering carbon emissions and addressing climate change. In Spain, these projects threaten biodiversity, especially in steppe environments. Spanish law encourages energy companies to implement biodiversity offsets, such as nest-box installation, which is a vastly applied measure (in up to 85.6 % of photovoltaic plants). This study critically examines the ecological suitability of nest-box installation in PV developments and assesses its effectiveness in biodiversity conservation. Through a comprehensive review of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for PV plants across Spain, the most biodiverse country and one where more renewables projects are planned in the EU, we identify recurring flaws in their design and implementation, including the inappropriate application of nest-boxes in areas where target species do not reside, poor nest-box placement, and lack of post-installation monitoring. Furthermore, the use of nest-boxes often bypasses the IUCN mitigation hierarchy, contributing to misleading perceptions of environmental responsibility—known as greenwashing—while failing to address the true ecological consequences of PV infrastructure. We argue that a more scientifically rigorous approach is needed, including compliance with the mitigation hierarchy, fitness assessments for species using nest-boxes, and regulation of their installation. A national coordination and advisory center should be established to standardize practices, ensure effective monitoring, and provide scientific oversight of nest-box use in PV projects. This will help optimize biodiversity conservation efforts and reduce the risk of ecological harm.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"309 ","pages":"Article 111306"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144242375","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":"Exploring the relationships between landscape connectivity and urban biodiversity: Insights from citizen science on pollinators and birds in Paris, France","authors":"Tanguy Louis-Lucas ,&nbsp;Joanne Clavel ,&nbsp;Sarah Bortolamiol ,&nbsp;Nathalie Blanc ,&nbsp;Etienne Grésillon ,&nbsp;Céline Clauzel","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111271","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111271","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban greening has emerged as a vital strategy to address biodiversity loss and promote sustainability. Enhancing landscape connectivity in cities is often cited as essential for facilitating species movement and supporting biodiversity. However, empirical validation remains scarce, particularly regarding the relative roles of habitat quantity and connectivity.</div><div>This study investigates the effects of landscape connectivity and vegetation amount on urban biodiversity in Paris, France, using citizen science data on passerine birds and pollinators. Using citizen science data, we modeled ecological networks with graph theory to test three hypotheses: (H1) increased connectivity positively correlates with species richness and abundance, (H2) the connectivity-abundance relationship depends on species specialization, and (H3) connectivity influences bird community composition, favoring specialists in highly connected areas.</div><div>Our results show that pollinator and bird richness is positively influenced by functional connectivity and vegetation cover. However, bird abundance is driven primarily by vegetation cover, with no overall effect of connectivity. Importantly, functional connectivity only has a significant positive effect when habitat patch size is considered; otherwise, its impact disappears or becomes negative. Species-level analyses revealed that some urban-adapted birds respond negatively to high connectivity, suggesting fragmentation may favor them.</div><div>These findings underline the complexity of biodiversity responses to urban landscapes and the need to clarify connectivity estimation methods. The study highlights the importance of integrating habitat amount and species-specific ecology in urban planning to optimize green infrastructure for biodiversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"309 ","pages":"Article 111271"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144242370","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":"Functional recovery of tropical forests: The role of restoration methods and environmental conditions","authors":"Rens Brouwer ,&nbsp;Marielos Peña-Claros ,&nbsp;Frans Bongers ,&nbsp;Lourens Poorter ,&nbsp;Joannès Guillemot ,&nbsp;Danilo R.A. Almeida ,&nbsp;Catherine Torres de Almeida ,&nbsp;Angélica F. Resende ,&nbsp;Laura H.P. Simões ,&nbsp;Natália M. Ivanauskas ,&nbsp;Renato A. Ferreira de Lima ,&nbsp;Vinicius Castro Souza ,&nbsp;Cássio A.P. Toledo ,&nbsp;Miguel Cooper ,&nbsp;José Guedes Fernandes Neto ,&nbsp;Mathieu Decuyper ,&nbsp;Paulo G. Molin ,&nbsp;Ricardo R. Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Pedro H.S. Brancalion","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forest and landscape restoration strategies influence the recovery of plant functional traits, which in turn shape ecosystem processes. To understand how traits respond to restoration and environmental conditions, we assessed the functional recovery of three forest restoration types in Brazil's Atlantic Forest: natural regeneration, high-diversity restoration plantations (20–60 species), and unmanaged tree monocultures. Across 285 plots aged 1–76 years, we quantified seven leaf and stem traits for over 500 species. For each plot, we calculated community mean trait values and three functional diversity indices. The three restoration types showed contrasting successional patterns. Natural regeneration and restoration plantations shifted from acquisitive to conservative resource-use strategies with site age, while monocultures moved in the opposite direction. Restoration plantations exhibited the highest functional richness. Soil conditions (sand content and sum of bases) influenced trait composition and diversity, whereas climate and landscape context had smaller effects. In 20-year old sites, most traits in natural regeneration and restoration plantations approached 90 % of forest remnants values. In contrast, unmanaged monocultures recovered slowly, with only half of the traits reaching this threshold in 40-year old sites. Our findings show that restoration methods and site conditions jointly shape functional recovery. Natural regeneration tends to align with forest remnant traits, restoration plantations speed up early recovery but may diverge over time, and monocultures require active interventions to enhance outcomes. Recognizing these functional trajectories is key to improving biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience in tropical forest restoration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"309 ","pages":"Article 111269"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144242372","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":"Both pond creation and restoration provide long term biodiversity gains in agricultural landscapes: implications for conservation","authors":"Matthew J. Hill ,&nbsp;James C. White ,&nbsp;Juliet Hawkins ,&nbsp;Neema Binu ,&nbsp;Eleanor Baker ,&nbsp;Helen M. Greaves ,&nbsp;Carl D. Sayer","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111279","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111279","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ponds are globally recognised for their unique contribution to freshwater biodiversity. However, due to agricultural intensification and urban development, many ponds within human-dominated landscapes have been lost, while many remaining ponds in such environments have become heavily terrestrialised, which has significantly reduced landscape-scale freshwater biodiversity. To reverse such trends, two main conservation approaches have been employed: pond creation and pond restoration. However, there remains a limited understanding on the longer-term effectiveness of these conservation techniques. This study aimed to quantify and compare long term responses of aquatic macrophyte communities among 56 created (28) and restored (28) ponds across an agricultural landscape in eastern England (United Kingdom). For both approaches, alpha and gamma richness were significantly higher 11+ years after intervention compared to 1–2 years following intervention, but their temporal trajectories differed. Plant colonisation was faster at restored compared to created ponds, with the former displaying a significantly higher taxonomic richness 1–2 and 3–6 years post-intervention. At 11+ years after pond creation or restoration, similar alpha and gamma diversity was recorded for the two conservation approaches. Successive time periods generally demonstrated more similar macrophyte communities within restored and created ponds, and macrophyte compositional differences between created and restored ponds decreased with time. Pond restoration and creation should be used as complementary approaches to create broader abiotic and biotic gradients, in turn supporting different species and community compositions across the landscape. Both approaches are urgently needed to bend the curve on global freshwater biodiversity losses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"309 ","pages":"Article 111279"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144242371","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":"Defining optimal small woody features and water densities to maximize European turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur) occurrence in French agricultural landscapes","authors":"Yuping Ren ,&nbsp;Karine Princé ,&nbsp;Pierrick Bocher ,&nbsp;Jocelyn Champagnon ,&nbsp;Olivier Duriez ,&nbsp;Frédéric Jiguet","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111302","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111302","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The European turtle-dove is globally threatened, suffering a widespread and sustained decline in numbers across its breeding range, partly driven by habitat loss. Although the effects of certain habitat features are recognized, questions remain as to which landscape elements should be given priority and in what proportions. We assess how different habitat elements influence the occurrence density of turtle-dove at two management scales (25 and 100 ha), using fine-scale GPS tracking data from 38 turtle doves in France during the breeding season. We found some non-linear responses, with a steeper increase in occurrence density up to at least 25 % small woody features (SWF) density or 10 % water density at a 100 ha scale, refining the proportion to nearly 50 % for SWF at a 25 ha scale. Additionally, at a 25 ha scale, broadleaved forest displayed a bell-shaped trend, indicating a positive effect up to 22 %, whereas vineyards showed a sharp initial decline at a 100 ha scale. Grassland was positively associated with occurrence at the 100 ha scale, whereas fodder, cereal, and broadleaved forest showed negative effects at the same scale, while fodder, build-up, and maize had negative effects at the 25 ha scale. Variable importance analysis revealed that water was the most influential factor at 100 ha, followed by SWF, while at 25 ha, SWF was dominant, followed by water, highlighting scale-dependent habitat preferences. Our study provides insights into the optimal densities of SWF and water resource required for effective conservation, offering valuable guidance for the management and restoration of turtle-dove breeding habitats in agricultural landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"309 ","pages":"Article 111302"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144242373","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":"Threats and conservation status of the endemic terrestrial arthropods of the Azores","authors":"Guilherme Oyarzabal ,&nbsp;Gabor Pozsgai ,&nbsp;Noelline Tsafack ,&nbsp;Pedro Cardoso ,&nbsp;François Rigal ,&nbsp;Mário Boieiro ,&nbsp;Ana M.C. Santos ,&nbsp;Isabel R. Amorim ,&nbsp;Jagoba Malumbres-Olarte ,&nbsp;Ricardo Costa ,&nbsp;Sébastien Lhoumeau ,&nbsp;Rosalina Gabriel ,&nbsp;Paulo A.V. Borges","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111282","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111282","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Insular ecosystems are disproportionately threatened by human activities, leading to an unprecedented decline in species diversity, particularly on remote archipelagos like the Azores. However, the impacts of humans on arthropods, which typically represent a big proportion of island biotas, remain poorly documented. We present an assessment of threats affecting different groups of species, examining the relationship between species occupancy, IUCN threat categories and trophic interactions for arthropods in the Azores (Macaronesia). We compiled data on endemic arthropods from published lists and IUCN assessments, including extinction risk, direct threats, and geographical ranges, to identify key pressures on species. Using network analyses, we examined the association between extinction risk and number of species, also estimating the IUCN Red List Index (RLI) for each island conservation status. We found that some of the Azorean endemic arthropod species have already gone extinct and more than half are classified as threatened by the IUCN Red List. Of these, predatory beetles (Coleoptera) and spiders (Araneae) have the highest numbers of threatened species, mainly due to habitat degradation, the spread of invasive plant species, and climate change. The RLI differs greatly among islands, being the lowest in Santa Maria, which concentrates a large number of critically endangered (CR) single-island endemic species, and higher in islands with larger and better-preserved native forest fragments, such as Terceira. A comprehensive approach integrating habitat protection, invasive species management and conservation measures is essential to ensure the long-term survival of Azorean arthropod endemic species in particular and island biota in general.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"309 ","pages":"Article 111282"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144229724","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":"From isolation to connectivity: A graph theory approach for optimising karst protected areas using an umbrella species","authors":"Mingxia Zhang ,&nbsp;Xuanyuan Liu ,&nbsp;Wenmin He ,&nbsp;Alice C. Hughes ,&nbsp;Wenqin Li ,&nbsp;Jiahao Sun ,&nbsp;Changyong Ma ,&nbsp;Qihai Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111295","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111295","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Karst Forest is a unique ecosystem hosting high levels of both biodiversity and endemism. However, karst ecosystems are threatened, both by forest loss and degradation. Developing frameworks to more effectively conserve karst ecosystems are essential to conserve these fragile ecosystems. The White-headed langur is an endangered primate restricted to karst forest, and provides a case-study of conservation of range-limited species and ecosystems. We analyzed the connectivity of natural forest patches based on white-headed langur's dispersal probabilities over different distances and resistance values estimated from habitat model. We then simulated the scenarios of transforming plantation and farmland to natural forest at different distances and identified the optimal restoration scale of langur's habitat with the enhancement of connectivity under different scenarios. In total 298 forest patches of 590 km² are the top 10 % of contributors to landscape connectivity across all dispersal distances, of which 53 (351 km²) are within nature reserves, and 11 of which are occupied by langurs. Simulation of restoration scenarios revealed that converting plantation and farmland to natural forest within 600-m buffer zones optimally enhanced habitat connectivity., and many small forest patches outside NR could act as OECMs to maintain landscape connectivity We recommend that habitat restoration be first conducted around patches with high density and isolation of langur populations, and all 298 patches should be protected and reconnected if possible. These conservation measures will benefit other karst endemic species, and improve local functional connectivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"309 ","pages":"Article 111295"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144229725","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}