Global biodiversity: indicators of recent declines

Evaluation of the Impact of Policymakers' Decisions in the Management Capacity of Protected Areas: Efficiency Evidence from Five Countries

Protected areas play an important role in biodiversity conservation and tourism. Significant efforts have been made to increase the amount of protected lands. A problem of increasing the amount of public protected areas is that governments and other institutions face difficulties in providing the necessary resources for effective management. Accordingly, managers must be as efficient as possible but the lack of comparative methods makes the evaluation of efficiency difficult. Using Data Envelopment Analysis, a non-stochastic and non-parametric approach, information from 29 protected areas in 5 countries was analyzed to compare management efficiency amongst them. The first result found is the level of management efficiency that each park has in comparison with the others parks. The other important result is a prediction of the changes in the outputs if there is a hypothetical budget change. These results allow the generation of information for decision making.

Challenges and opportunities for using natural history collections to estimate insect population trends

Natural history collections (NHC) provide a wealth of information that can be used to understand the impacts of global change on biodiversity. As such, there is growing interest in using NHC data to estimate changes in species' distributions and abundance trends over historic time horizons when contemporary survey data are limited or unavailable. However, museum specimens were not collected with the purpose of estimating population trends and thus can exhibit spatiotemporal and collector-specific biases that can impose severe limitations to using NHC data for evaluating population trajectories. Here we review the challenges associated with using museum records to track long-term insect population trends, including spatiotemporal biases in sampling effort and sparse temporal coverage within and across years. We highlight recent methodological advancements that aim to overcome these challenges and discuss emerging research opportunities. Specifically, we examine the potential of integrating museum records and other contemporary data sources (e.g. collected via structured, designed surveys and opportunistic citizen science programs) in a unified analytical framework that accounts for the sampling biases associated with each data source. The emerging field of integrated modelling provides a promising framework for leveraging the wealth of collections data to accurately estimate long-term trends of insect populations and identify cases where that is not possible using existing data sources.

Elevated alpha diversity in disturbed sites obscures regional decline and homogenization of amphibian taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity

Loss of natural habitat due to land-use change is one of the major threats to biodiversity worldwide. It not only affects the diversity of local species communities (alpha diversity) but can also lead to large-scale homogenization of community composition (reduced beta diversity) and loss of regional diversity (gamma diversity), but these effects are still rarely investigated. We assessed the impact of land-use change on taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of amphibians in Rwanda, both on the local (community-level) and regional scale (country-wide). Alpha diversity in local communities was higher in farmland than in natural habitats; however, species turnover among farmland sites was much lower than among natural sites, resulting in highly homogenized communities and reduced taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic gamma diversity in farmland across Rwanda. Amphibians found in farmland were mostly disturbance-tolerant species that are widespread in eastern Africa and beyond. In contrast, most of the regionally endemic frog species that make this region a continent-wide hotspot of amphibian diversity were found only in the natural habitats. Ongoing habitat conversion might result in further homogenization of amphibian communities across sub-Saharan Africa and the loss of regional endemism, unique evolutionary lineages, and multifunctionality.

Genetic and demographic consequences of range contraction patterns during biological annihilation

Species range contractions both contribute to, and result from, biological annihilation, yet do not receive the same attention as extinctions. Range contractions can lead to marked impacts on populations but are usually characterized only by reduction in extent of range. For effective conservation, it is critical to recognize that not all range contractions are the same. We propose three distinct patterns of range contraction: shrinkage, amputation, and fragmentation. We tested the impact of these patterns on populations of a generalist species using forward-time simulations. All three patterns caused 86-88% reduction in population abundance and significantly increased average relatedness, with differing patterns in declines of nucleotide diversity relative to the contraction pattern. The fragmentation pattern resulted in the strongest effects on post-contraction genetic diversity and structure. Defining and quantifying range contraction patterns and their consequences for Earth's biodiversity would provide useful and necessary information to combat biological annihilation.

Abundance and Population Structure of Small Rodents in Fruit and Berry Farms

Fruit and berry farms are anthropogenic habitats still inhabited by small mammals, though their presence is constantly affected by agricultural activities. Based on trapping data from 2018-2022, we analyzed the abundance and population structure of the dominant rodent species to assess changes in gender and age ratios by year and habitat, the annual and seasonal dynamics of relative abundance, and the relationship between breeding parameters and abundance. The relative abundance of the dominant species, common vole, yellow-necked mouse, striped field mouse, and bank vole, and their proportion in the investigated community varied according to year, season, and habitat. No outbreaks were recorded during the study period. The abundance of the striped field mouse exhibited a downward trend independently of habitat, while the abundance and proportions of the other three species were habitat-dependent. There was no consistent pattern between litter size and relative abundance in the same or following years. Given the ongoing conflict between biodiversity conservation in Europe and agriculture, the results contribute to a better understanding of the functioning and viability of rodent populations in fruit farms and may be used in agroecology and sustainable farming.

A Checklist of the Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) from the Middle and Lower Basins of Jinsha River, Southwestern China; Including One New Species and Nine New Records in China

A checklist of trichopteran species in the middle and lower basins of the Jinsha River (southwestern China) is compiled for the first time. upon collected materials. It recorded ten families, 13 genera, and 23 species were recorded. Among them, the male of a new species Cheumatopsyche latisecta Ge & Sun, sp. nov., which can be diagnosed by its genitalia, is described and illustrated. In addition, nine other species are recorded for the first time from China, six species and three ones are recorded for the first time for Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, respectively. This trichopteran species list can provide guidance for caddisfly identification of the river and the region.

Distribution patterns of established alien land snail species in the Western Palaearctic Region

Established alien land snail species that were introduced into the Western Palaearctic Region from other regions and their spread in the Western Palaearctic are reviewed. Thirteen of the 22 species came from North America, three from Sub-Saharan Africa, two from the Australian region, three probably from the Oriental Region and one from South America. The establishment of outdoor populations of these species was usually first seen at the western or southern rims of the Western Palearctic. Within Europe, the alien species usually spread from south to north and from west to east. The latitudinal ranges of the alien species significantly increased with increasing time since the first record of introduction to the Western Palearctic. The latitudinal mid-points of the Western Palaearctic and native ranges of the species are significantly correlated when one outlier is omitted. There is a general trend of poleward shifts of the ranges of the species in the Western Palaearctic compared to their native ranges. There are three reasons for these shifts: (1) the northward expansion of some species in Western Europe facilitated by the oceanic climate, (2) the impediment to the colonisation of southern latitudes in the Western Palaearctic due to their aridity and (3) the establishment of tropical species in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Most of the species are small, not carnivorous and unlikely to cause serious ecological or economic damage. In contrast, the recently introduced large veronicellid slugs from Sub-Saharan Africa and the giant African snail Lissachatina fulica could cause economic damage in irrigated agricultural areas or greenhouses in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Half a century of rising extinction risk of coral reef sharks and rays

Sharks and rays are key functional components of coral reef ecosystems, yet many populations of a few species exhibit signs of depletion and local extinctions. The question is whether these declines forewarn of a global extinction crisis. We use IUCN Red List to quantify the status, trajectory, and threats to all coral reef sharks and rays worldwide. Here, we show that nearly two-thirds (59%) of the 134 coral-reef associated shark and ray species are threatened with extinction. Alongside marine mammals, sharks and rays are among the most threatened groups found on coral reefs. Overfishing is the main cause of elevated extinction risk, compounded by climate change and habitat degradation. Risk is greatest for species that are larger-bodied (less resilient and higher trophic level), widely distributed across several national jurisdictions (subject to a patchwork of management), and in nations with greater fishing pressure and weaker governance. Population declines have occurred over more than half a century, with greatest declines prior to 2005. Immediate action through local protections, combined with broad-scale fisheries management and Marine Protected Areas, is required to avoid extinctions and the loss of critical ecosystem function condemning reefs to a loss of shark and ray biodiversity and ecosystem services, limiting livelihoods and food security.

Testing the environmental buffering hypothesis of cooperative breeding in the Seychelles warbler

Species are facing environmental challenges caused by rapidly changing environments. Globally, extreme weather events, like droughts or extreme rainfall, are increasing in frequency. Natural selection usually acts slowly, while adaptations through phenotypic plasticity are limited. Therefore, organisms may utilise other mechanisms to cope with such rapid change. Cooperative breeding is hypothesised to be one such mechanism, as helpers could increase survival probabilities of offspring, especially in harsh years. Rainfall is a cue for onset of breeding in many tropical species, to ensure young are born when food abundance is highest. Using 21 years of data, we investigate the effect of rainfall on social behaviour and life history in the insectivorous Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), a facultative cooperative breeder. We found that low rainfall is associated with reduced reproductive output and possibly with decreased survival. However, there were no statistical differences in response between groups with helpers, groups with only non-helping subordinates, and breeding pairs without subordinates. With low rainfall, more sons (the sex less likely to help) were produced, and those subordinate males already present were less likely to help. Thus, in contrast to expectations, cooperative breeding does not seem to buffer against harsh environments in Seychelles warblers, indicating that group living may be costly and thus not a mechanism for coping with changing environments. Our study showed that the interaction between the environment and life histories, including social behaviour, is complex, but that this interaction is important to consider when studying the impact of changing environments on species survival.

Environmental and topographic drivers of amphibian phylogenetic diversity and endemism in the Iberian Peninsula

Understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes driving biodiversity patterns and allowing their persistence is of utmost importance. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain spatial diversity patterns, including water-energy availability, habitat heterogeneity, and historical climatic refugia. The main goal of this study is to identify if general spatial drivers of species diversity patterns of phylogenetic diversity (PD) and phylogenetic endemism (PE) at the global scale are also predictive of PD and PE at regional scales, using Iberian amphibians as a case study. Our main hypothesis assumes that topography along with contemporary and historical climate are drivers of phylogenetic diversity and endemism, but that the strength of these predictors may be weaker at the regional scale than it tends to be at the global scale. We mapped spatial patterns of Iberian amphibians' phylogenetic diversity and endemism, using previously published phylogenetic and distribution data. Furthermore, we compiled spatial data on topographic and climatic variables related to the water-energy availability, topography, and historical climatic instability hypotheses. To test our hypotheses, we used Spatial Autoregressive Models and selected the best model to explain diversity patterns based on Akaike Information Criterion. Our results show that, out of the variables tested in our study, water-energy availability and historical climate instability are the most important drivers of amphibian diversity in Iberia. However, as predicted, the strength of these predictors in our case study is weaker than it tends to be at global scales. Thus, additional drivers should also be investigated and we suggest caution when interpreting these predictors as surrogates for different components of diversity.

Predicting the changes in suitable habitats for six common woody species in Central Asia

Climate change over the past decades has significantly altered global hydrothermal conditions and caused an evident shift in species distribution. Predicting species distribution patterns and identifying their influencing factors will be essential in developing coping strategies to prevent species extirpation and extinction. Yet, environmental factors affecting the distribution of woody species in Central Asia remain largely unknown. Here, I used the MaxEnt model to predict the current distributions and future distribution under three SSP-RCP scenarios of six common woody species in Central Asia. The results indicated a good performance of the MaxEnt model. Precipitation of driest month and annual mean temperature were the dominant factors affecting species distribution. For the species with wide ecological niches, i.e., Acer negundo and Rosa chinensis, the suitable areas showed an evident expansion trend under future scenarios. In addition, a trend toward higher elevation was found for the species that grew at high altitudes (1600-3200 m). However, the average elevation of suitable area for A. negundo and R. chinensis firstly increased but then decreased under future scenarios. Even though the areas with high species diversity increased from 0.59% under the current situation to 0.82% and 0.81% under ssp245 in 2021-2040 and 2041-2060, respectively, species diversity showed an apparent loss in parts of the northwest and southeast areas under ssp370 and ssp585. This study can guide susceptible habitat protections under climate change.

Research trends in biodiversity loss: a bibliometric analysis

Although increased attempts to preserve biodiversity ecosystems have been widely publicized, bibliometric research of biodiversity loss remains limited. Using VOSviewer, we hope to provide a bibliometric assessment of global research trends on biodiversity loss from 1990 to 2021. Document type, language, publication trend, countries, institutions, Author Keywords, and Keywords Plus were all examined. This study recorded a total of 6599 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection database. According to the findings, biodiversity loss research is expected to rise dramatically in the near future. However, the role of social sciences and economics in biodiversity loss studies has received little attention. The USA made the most significant contribution in this field. Biological Conservation was the most productive journal, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America was the most influential journal in biodiversity loss literature. Eisenhauer, N was the most prolific author, and Collen, B was the most referenced. Biodiversity, biodiversity loss mechanisms, biodiversity loss drivers, conservation, and climate change have been the topic of previous research. Possible future research hotspots may include species diversity and many elements of biodiversity. Lastly, the outcomes of this study suggest that existing socio-economic concerns can be integrated into decision-making processes to improve biodiversity conservation.

The dominance-diversity dilemma in animal conservation biology

The alteration of environmental conditions has two major outcomes on the demographics of living organisms: population decline of the common species and extinction of the rarest ones. Halting the decline of abundant species as well as the erosion of biodiversity require solutions that may be mismatched, despite being rooted in similar causes. In this study, we demonstrate how rank abundance distribution (RAD) models are mathematical representations of a dominance-diversity dilemma. Across 4,375 animal communities from a range of taxonomic groups, we found that a reversed RAD model correctly predicts species richness, based solely on the relative dominance of the most abundant species in a community and the total number of individuals. Overall, predictions from this RAD model explained 69% of the variance in species richness, compared to 20% explained by simply regressing species richness on the relative dominance of the most abundant species. Using the reversed RAD model, we illustrate how species richness is co-limited by the total abundance of a community and the relative dominance of the most common species. Our results highlight an intrinsic trade-off between species richness and dominance that is present in the structure of RAD models and real-world animal community data. This dominance-diversity dilemma suggests that withdrawing individuals from abundant populations might contribute to the conservation of species richness. However, we posit that the positive effect of harvesting on biodiversity is often offset by exploitation practices with negative collateral consequences, such as habitat destruction or species bycatches.

Complexity and diversity of nexuses: A review of the nexus approach in the sustainability context

Achieving global sustainability is a coupled human-environment system issue that requires resource planning and management that goes beyond siloed thinking. As such, there has been a growing interest in nexus thinking as a way to address global sustainability challenges in an integrated manner. In general, the nexus approach serves as a tool for systems integration, a platform for stakeholder engagement, and a method for exploring development pathways. This review traces the historical origin and progress of the nexus approach and examines the changes in the complexity and diversity of nexuses over time. Since its emergence in the early 1980s, the nexus approach has undergone several phases of development, resulting in more complex and diverse nexuses, whose components can be resource sectors/systems and/or specific social-ecological issues. This progress is favorable for the sustainable development agenda because the more components involved in a nexus, the greater the reality that can be potentially captured. Currently, however, there is still no consensus with regards to the key nexus components that could potentially cover all of the sustainable development goals. The development of frameworks for implementing the nexus approach and the identification of relevant indicators and target values to be used for assessing trade-offs and synergies are among the current issues with regards to the use of the nexus approach in the sustainability context.

Dynamics of microbial communities during biotransformation of nitrofurantoin

The purpose of this research was to investigate the biodegradation of nitrofurantoin (NFT), a typical nitrofuran antibiotic of potential carcinogenic properties, by two microbial communities derived from distinct environmental niches - mountain stream (NW) and seaport water (SS). The collected environmental samples represent the reserve of the protected area with no human intervention and the contaminated area that concentrates intense human activities. The structure, composition, and diversity of the communities were analyzed at three timepoints during NFT biodegradation. Comamonadaceae (43.2%) and Pseudomonadaceae (19.6%) were the most abundant families in the initial NW sample. The top families in the initial SS sample included Aeromonadaceae (31.4%) and Vibrionaceae (25.3%). The proportion of the most abundant families in both consortia was remarkably reduced in all samples treated with NFT. The biodiversity significantly increased in both consortia treated with NFT suggesting that NFT significantly alters community structure in the aquatic systems. In this study, NFT removal efficiency and transformation products were also studied. The biodegradation rate decreased with the increasing initial NFT concentration. Biodegradation followed similar pathways for both consortia and led to the formation of transformation products: 1-aminohydantoin, semicarbazide (SEM), and hydrazine (HYD). SEM and HYD were detected for the first time as NFT biotransformation products. This study demonstrates that the structure of the microbial community may be directly correlated with the presence of NFT. Enchanced biodiversity of the microbial community does not have to be correlated with increase in functional capacity, such as the ability to biodegradation because higher biodiversity corresponded to lower biodegradation. Our findings provide new insights into the effect of NFT contamination on aquatic microbiomes. The study also increases our understanding of the environmental impact of nitrofuran residues and their biodegradation.

Mitochondrial DNA and Distribution Modelling Evidenced the Lost Genetic Diversity and Wild-Residence of Star Tortoise, Geochelone elegans (Testudines: Testudinidae) in India

The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) is a massively traded animal in South Asia. To mitigate this risk, the conservation agencies recommended guidelines to safeguard this charismatic species in nature. We adopted mitochondrial DNA-based investigation and performed species distribution modeling of G. elegans throughout its distribution range in the Indian subcontinent. The genetic analyses revealed weak genetic landscape shape interpolations, low intraspecific distances (0% to 1.5%) with mixed haplotype diversity, and a single molecular operational taxonomic unit (MOTU) in the cytochrome b gene dataset. The star tortoise, G. elegans, and its sister species Geochelone platynota showed a monophyletic clustering in the Bayesian (BA) phylogeny. We also attempt to understand the habitat suitability and quality of G. elegans in its distribution range. Our results suggest that, out of the extant area, only 56,495 km² (9.90%) is suitable for this species, with regions of highest suitability in Sri Lanka. Comparative habitat quality estimation suggests the patch shape complexity and habitat fragmentation are greater in the western and southern ranges of India, which have been greatly influenced by an increased level of urbanization and agriculture practices. We have also provided a retrospect on the potential threat to G. elegans related to the wildlife trade on the regional and international spectrum. Our results detected multiple trading hubs and junctions overlying within the suitable ranges which need special attention in the vicinity. The present study calls for a proper conservation strategy to combat the fragmented distribution and explicitly recommends intensive genetic screening of founder individuals or isolated adult colonies, implementing scientific breeding, and subsequent wild release to restore the lost genetic diversity of star tortoises.

Seasonal land use/land cover change and the drivers in Kafta Sheraro national park, Tigray, Ethiopia

Kafta Sheraro National Park (KSNP) has experienced rapid and consecutive destruction of dry woodland vegetation due to the influence of anthropogenic activities in the past three decades. However, to date, the change in woodland cover and its driving factors have not been addressed. This study aims to assess the spatial and temporal trends of land use/land cover change, seasonal vegetation cover change via the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and human-induced drivers of change that occurred in the KSNP between 1988 and 2018 by using satellite imagery sensors (TM, ETM^+, OLI), field observations, and local community interview data. The 2018 image results showed kappa coefficients of the dry season and wet season of 0.90 and 0.845, respectively. There was a continuous decline in woodland (29.38%) and riparian vegetation (47.11%) and an increasing trend in shrub bush land (35.28%), grassland (43.47%), bare land (27.52%), and cultivated land (118.36 km²) over the thirty-year period. Moreover, the results showed that bare land expanded from wet to drier months, while cultivated land and grazing land increased from dry to wet months. Based on the NDVI results, high to moderate vegetation was decreased by 21.47%, while sparse and non-vegetation expanded by 19.8% and 1.7%, respectively. Settlement and agricultural expansion, human-induced fire, firewood collection, gold mining, and charcoal production were the major proximate drivers that negatively affected park resources. Around KSNP, the local communities' livelihood depends on farming (crop and livestock production). This expansion of farming is the main driver of woodland depletion, which leads to increased resource competition and a challenge for the survival of wildlife. Therefore, urgent sustainable conservation of park biodiversity by encouraging community participation in conservation practices and preparing awareness creation programs should be mandatory.

Mobile animals and immobile protected areas: improving the coverage of nature reserves for Asian elephant conservation in China

Many protected areas worldwide have been established to protect the last natural refuges of flagship animal species. However, long-established protected areas do not always match the current distributions of target species under changing environmental conditions. Here we present a case study of the Asian elephant Elephas maximus in Xishuangbanna, south-west China, to evaluate whether the established protected areas match the species’ current distribution and to identify key habitat patches for Asian elephant conservation. Our results show that currently only 24.5% of the predicted Asian elephant distribution in Xishuangbanna is located within Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, which was established for elephant conservation. Based on the predicted Asian elephant distribution, we identified the most important habitat patches for elephant conservation in Xishuangbanna. The three most important patches were outside Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve and together they contained 43.3% of the estimated food resources for Asian elephants in all patches in Xishuangbanna. Thus, we identified a spatial mismatch between immobile protected areas and mobile animals. We recommend the inclusion of the three identified key habitat patches in a new national park currently being planned by the Chinese authorities for the conservation of the Asian elephant.

Plant Diversity along an Urbanization Gradient of a Tropical City

This study aimed to investigate the plant diversity, plant traits, and environmental variables along the tropical urbanization gradient in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. The study areas comprised 12 sampling plots sized 1 km2 that represented different urbanization intensities. Urbanization intensity was quantified as the percentage of the built-up area within a 1 km2 area. A total of 96 woody plant species belonging to 71 genera and 42 families were found in the study areas. In general, species diversity, richness, and evenness declined significantly as urbanization intensity increased. The number of native species reduced by 67.6% when urbanization intensity increased from wildland to suburban while the non-native species remained stable along the urbanization gradient. Regarding the plant traits, tree height decreased with increasing urbanization intensity, while no significant result was found for specific leaf areas. All environmental factors were significantly associated with urbanization where air temperature and light intensity showed a positive relationship with increasing urbanization intensity while the opposite trend was found for air humidity. This study emphasizes the importance of built-up areas as the predictor of native species in the tropics. The findings of this study may help town planners and policymakers to create more sustainable urban development in the future.

Power Lines and Birds: Drivers of Conflict-Prone Use of Pylons by Nesting White Storks (Ciconia ciconia)

Energy infrastructure is expanding at a global scale and can represent a major threat to wildlife populations. Power lines are one of the main sources of human-induced avian mortality due to electrocution or collision, but many species use electricity pylons as a structure for nesting. Pylon nesting results in human-wildlife conflict because it can cause power outages and structural damage to power lines. The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a large-size semicolonial species that increasingly nests on pylons, causing growing operational and economic issues to power companies and energy consumers. In this study, the likelihood of problematic pylon use by nesting storks was predicted using a suite of explanatory variables related to the availability of foraging habitat and human disturbance. During a five-year period (2015–2019), we assessed the distribution of stork nests removed from the highly-risky top part of transmission pylons (220–400 kV) by power company technicians in South western Spain. A total of 839 nests were removed from 11% of the transmission pylons (n = 1196) during the study period. Pylon use intensified on pylons located near to landfills, surrounded by high proportion of grassland, and when close to freshwater sources (water body or river) and other occupied pylons. Human disturbance was unlikely to deter storks from using pylons and pylon use increased in urban areas. The approach used here to predict pylon use by nesting birds has applications for both human-wildlife conflict mitigation and conservation purposes where endangered species use human infrastructure. Power companies may use this kind of information to install anti-nesting devices (to reduce power outages and avian mortality or nesting platforms on suitable pylons (to promote pylons use by endangered species), and to account for the likelihood of conflict-prone use of pylons when siting future power lines.

Phytochemical and biological studies on rare and endangered plants endemic to China. Part XXV. Structurally diverse triterpenoids and diterpenoids from two endangered Pinaceae plants endemic to the Chinese Qinling Mountains and their bioactivities

A joint phytochemical investigation on the MeOH extracts of the twigs and needles of two endangered Pinaceae plants endemic to the Chinese Qinling Mountains, Picea neoveitchii (an evergreen spruce) and Larix potaninii var. chinensis (a deciduous larch), led to the isolation and characterization of 34 and 24 structurally diverse terpenoids, respectively. Among them, seven are previously undescribed, including a picane-type [i.e., 14(13 → 12)abeo-12αH-serratane] (neoveitchin A) and a serratane-type (neoveitchin B) triterpenoids, and an abietane-type (neoveitchin C) as well as four labdane-type (potalarxins A-D) diterpenoids. Their structures and absolute configurations were established by extensive spectroscopic methods and/or X-ray diffraction analyses. All isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against the human protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). Serrat-14-en-3α,21β-diol, betulinic acid, 3β-hydroxy-11-ursen-13(28)-olide, ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid were found to have considerable inhibitory effects against PTP1B, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 1.1 to 18.1 μM. The interactions of the bioactive triterpenoids with PTP1B were thereafter performed by employing molecular docking studies. In addition, 7-oxo-dehydroabietic acid (an abietane-type diterpenoid) and mangiferonic acid (a cycloartane-type triterpenoid) inhibited acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase 1 (ACC1), with IC₅₀ values of 3.4 and 6.6 μM, respectively.

Comparison of ecosystem services provided by an urban and a riverine wetland: a multi-scale evaluation from lower Gangetic plain, Eastern India

Wetland ecosystems (WE) are considered the most productive ecosystems on the globe which provide a range of basic and critical ecosystem services (ES) to humans. However, WE are constantly being degraded because of a poor understanding of social benefits at a local level and the lack of recognition of economic values for ES at sub-national and national levels. This study aims to compare a peri-urban wetland with a riverine wetland from lower Gangetic plain, Eastern India, to identify the bundle of ES based on its perceived importance from multiple perspectives at a local level. Participatory research tools have been employed (i.e., key informant interviews, household survey, and field observation) for data collection. Based on rapid assessment of wetland ecosystem services (RAWES) approach, a priority ranking analysis was used to examine ES. A Mann-Whitney U test was performed to find out significant differences in RAWES approach between riverine and peri-urban wetlands. Multiple regression model (MRM) was also performed to explore the impact of socio-demographic factors towards the perception of WES. Results showed that (i) the utilizations of WES largely vary between riverine and peri-urban wetland; (ii) provisioning and regulating ES were attributed relatively higher importance by the people of riverine and peri-urban wetlands in comparison to other ES; (iii) as per RAWES approach, the ESI value for riverine wetland was higher (0.58) than the peri-urban wetland (0.44) indicating the higher importance and dependence on WES; and (iv) population growth, expansion of settlement, climate change, and agricultural expansion were attributed as significant drivers of WE change (particularly for urban wetland). This study suggests the much-needed policy interventions and future pathways of research for developing effective measures to ensure livelihood sustainability of the dependent communities and to sustain (active) the ecosystem health of riverine and peri-urban wetlands.

Learning takes time: Biotic resistance by native herbivores increases through the invasion process

As invasive species spread, the ability of local communities to resist invasion depends on the strength of biotic interactions. Evolutionarily unused to the invader, native predators or herbivores may be initially wary of consuming newcomers, allowing them to proliferate. However, these relationships may be highly dynamic, and novel consumer-resource interactions could form as familiarity grows. Here, we explore the development of effective biotic resistance towards a highly invasive alga using multiple space-for-time approaches. We show that the principal native Mediterranean herbivore learns to consume the invader within less than a decade. At recently invaded sites, the herbivore actively avoided the alga, shifting to distinct preference and high consumptions at older sites. This rapid strengthening of the interaction contributed to the eventual collapse of the alga after an initial dominance. Therefore, our results stress the importance of conserving key native populations to allow communities to develop effective resistance mechanisms against invaders.

Large-scale genetic investigation of nematode diversity and their phylogenetic patterns in New Zealand's marine animals

Nematodes constitute one of the most speciose metazoan groups on earth, and a significant proportion of them have parasitic life styles. Zooparasitic nematodes have zoonotic, commercial and ecological significance within natural systems. Due to their generally small size and hidden nature within their hosts, and the fact that species discrimination using traditional morphological characteristics is often challenging, their biodiversity is not well known, especially within marine ecosystems. For instance, the majority of New Zealand's marine animals have never been the subject of nematode studies, and many currently known nematodes in New Zealand await confirmation of their species identity with modern taxonomic techniques. In this study, we present the results of an extensive biodiversity survey and phylogenetic analyses of parasitic nematodes infecting New Zealand's marine animals. We used genetic data to differentiate nematodes to the lowest taxonomic level possible and present phylogenies of the dominant clades to illustrate their genetic diversity in New Zealand. Our findings reveal a high diversity of parasitic nematodes (23 taxa) infecting New Zealand's marine animals (62 of 94 free-living animal species investigated). The novel data collected here provide a solid baseline for future assessments of change in diversity and distribution of parasitic nematodes.

Research on land-use evolution and ecosystem services value response in mountainous counties based on the SD-PLUS model

Rapid urbanization has caused changes in climate and environment and threatened the ecosystem with multiple risks. The ecosystem services capacity has shown a downward trend accordingly. It is significant to explore the spatio‐temporal evolution of land use and ecosystem services value (ESV) in mountainous counties at small scales, as it coordinates economic growth and ecological protection, and promotes sustainable and high‐quality development. Based on the SD‐PLUS model, the study simulated three scenarios of land‐use change in Qianshan city from 2019 to 2035: high‐growth rate, medium‐growth rate, and low‐growth rate, and studied the impacts of land‐use change on the ESV. Results showed that: (1) Under the three scenarios, the construction land in the study area increased significantly, the forest and water have a decreasing trend, and the scale of gardens partly increased. (2) In the urban built‐up areas, a significant amount of construction land is centrally expanded, whereas, in mountainous regions, construction land exhibits sporadic point expansion. And among the various factors that influence land‐use change, the impact of roads at all levels is the most significant, followed by elevation. (3) The overall ESV shows a downward trend, with the low‐growth rate scenario dropping the least (4.91%). The value distribution changes little at the space scale, and different regions demonstrate different degrees of change. From the perspective of value type, the service values of water conservation and waste treatment are significantly reduced, while that of food production is relatively stable; from the perspective of various lands with their ESV, cultivated land and forest remain stable. The study results can provide technical ideas for the coordinated economic development and ecological protection of mountainous cities and boost the implementation of green development.

Tourist risk assessment of pollen allergy in tourism attractions: A case study in the Summer Palace, Beijing, China

Pollen allergy has already been an increasingly prominent ecosystem disservice in tourism attractions. However, few studies have assessed the tourist risk of pollen allergy through integrating multidisciplinary knowledge of ecology, medicine, phenology, and risk management. Basing on the conceptual framework of risk assessment proposed by UNISDR, we first established an index system of pollen-allergy risk for tourists in attractions and outlined assessment methods 18 available indexes were put forward to cover three aspects: hazard of plant allergen, tourist vulnerability, and resilience of assessment units. Subsequently, taking the Summer Palace as the case study area, we conducted a tourist risk assessment of pollen allergy. Values of nine available indexes were obtained via ecological investigation, phenological observation, and data mining of visitors' logs on Sina Weibo. Risk levels of spring pollen allergy for tourists in different assessment units were revealed by combining the green zone allergenicity index model and three-dimensional risk assessment matrix. The results showed that: (1) There were seven primary pollen-allergenic plants in the Summer Palace, including Platycladus orientalis, Sabina chinensis, Salix babylonica, Pinus tabulaeformis, Populus tomentosa Carr, Morus alba L. and Fraxinus chinesis, among which Platycladus orientalis and Salix babylonica were the highest allergenic. (2) Among 18 spots, tourists faced the highest risk level of pollen allergy in spring at three spots, namely the Hall of Serenity, Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, and Gallery of Literary and Prosperity. (3) The two routes of the Long Corridor and Longevity Hill scored high on the risk level. (4) Among four areas, risk levels of the Front-hill and Rear-hill areas were high. Given the increasing spatial-temporal uncertainty of pollen allergy and tourist behaviors under global warming and urbanization, the related monitoring should be strengthened in the future. Furthermore, the dynamic and improved assessment of pollen-allergy risk should be institutionalized and be integrated into the evaluation of tourism experience quality. Tourism administration should make full use of relevant assessment results and conduct more effective risk communication.

BiodivNERE: Gold standard corpora for named entity recognition and relation extraction in the biodiversity domain

Background

Biodiversity is the assortment of life on earth covering evolutionary, ecological, biological, and social forms. To preserve life in all its variety and richness, it is imperative to monitor the current state of biodiversity and its change over time and to understand the forces driving it. This need has resulted in numerous works being published in this field. With this, a large amount of textual data (publications) and metadata (e.g. dataset description) has been generated. To support the management and analysis of these data, two techniques from computer science are of interest, namely Named Entity Recognition (NER) and Relation Extraction (RE). While the former enables better content discovery and understanding, the latter fosters the analysis by detecting connections between entities and, thus, allows us to draw conclusions and answer relevant domain-specific questions. To automatically predict entities and their relations, machine/deep learning techniques could be used. The training and evaluation of those techniques require labelled corpora.

New information

In this paper, we present two gold-standard corpora for Named Entity Recognition (NER) and Relation Extraction (RE) generated from biodiversity datasets metadata and abstracts that can be used as evaluation benchmarks for the development of new computer-supported tools that require machine learning or deep learning techniques. These corpora are manually labelled and verified by biodiversity experts. In addition, we explain the detailed steps of constructing these datasets. Moreover, we demonstrate the underlying ontology for the classes and relations used to annotate such corpora.

Spatial coalescent connectivity through multi-generation dispersal modelling predicts gene flow across marine phyla

Gene flow governs the contemporary spatial structure and dynamic of populations as well as their long-term evolution. For species that disperse using atmospheric or oceanic flows, biophysical models allow predicting the migratory component of gene flow, which facilitates the interpretation of broad-scale spatial structure inferred from observed allele frequencies among populations. However, frequent mismatches between dispersal estimates and observed genetic diversity prevent an operational synthesis for eco-evolutionary projections. Here we use an extensive compilation of 58 population genetic studies of 47 phylogenetically divergent marine sedentary species over the Mediterranean basin to assess how genetic differentiation is predicted by Isolation-By-Distance, single-generation dispersal and multi-generation dispersal models. Unlike previous approaches, the latter unveil explicit parents-to-offspring links (filial connectivity) and implicit links among siblings from a common ancestor (coalescent connectivity). We find that almost 70 % of observed variance in genetic differentiation is explained by coalescent connectivity over multiple generations, significantly outperforming other models. Our results offer great promises to untangle the eco-evolutionary forces that shape sedentary population structure and to anticipate climate-driven redistributions, altogether improving spatial conservation planning.

Changing climate may mitigate the invasiveness risk of non-native salmonids in the Danube and Adriatic basins of the Balkan Peninsula (south-eastern Europe)

Salmonids are an extensively hatchery-reared group of fishes that have been introduced worldwide mainly for their high commercial and recreational value. The Balkan Peninsula (south-eastern Europe) is characterised by an outstanding salmonid diversity that has become threatened by the introduction of non-native salmonids whose potential risk of invasiveness in the region remains unknown and especially so under predicted climate change conditions. In this study, 13 extant and four horizon non-native salmonid species were screened for their risk of invasiveness in the Danube and Adriatic basins of four Balkan countries. Overall, six (35%) of the screened species were ranked as carrying a high risk of invasiveness under current climate conditions, whereas under predicted conditions of global warming, this number decreased to three (17%). Under current climate conditions, the very high risk (‘top invasive’) species were rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and brown trout Salmo trutta (sensu stricto), whereas under predicted climate change, this was true only of O. mykiss. A high risk was also attributed to horizon vendace Coregonus albula and lake charr Salvelinus namaycush, and to extant Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis, whose risk of invasiveness, except for S. fontinalis, decreased to medium. For the other eleven medium-risk species, the risk score decreased under predicted climate change, but still remained medium. The outcomes of this study reveal that global warming will influence salmonids and that only species with wider temperature tolerance, such as O. mykiss will likely prevail. It is anticipated that the present results may contribute to the implementation of appropriate management plans to prevent the introduction and translocation of non-native salmonids across the Balkan Peninsula. Additionally, adequate measures should be developed for aquaculture facilities to prevent escapees of non-native salmonids with a high risk of invasiveness, especially into recipient areas of high conservation value.

Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago barcoded: Fish diversity in the remoteness and DNA barcodes reference library for metabarcoding monitoring

In order to monitor the effects of anthropogenic pressures in ecosystems, molecular techniques can be used to characterize species composition. Among molecular markers capable of identifying species, the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) is the most used. However, new possibilities of biodiversity profiling have become possible, in which molecular fragments of medium and short-length can now be analyzed in metabarcoding studies. Here, a survey of fishes from the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago was barcoded using the COI marker, which allowed the identification of 21 species. This paved the way to further investigate the fish biodiversity of the archipelago, transitioning from barcoding to metabarcoding analysis. As preparatory steps for future metabarcoding studies, the first extensive COI library of fishes listed for these islands was constructed and includes new data generated in this survey as well as previously available data, resulting in a final database with 9,183 sequences from 169 species and 63 families of fish. A new primer specifically designed for those fishes was tested in silico to amplify a region of 262 bp. The new approach should guarantee a reliable surveillance of the archipelago and can be used to generate policies that will enhance the archipelago’s protection.

The Microbially Extended Phenotype of Plants, a Keystone against Abiotic Stress

Background: Climate change affects every region across the globe with heterogeneous effects on local temperatures and precipitation patterns. In plants, sessile organisms, climate change imposes more drastic effects leading to loss of yield or even death. However, plants establish mutualistic interactions with microorganisms that boost plant tolerance against abiotic stresses or strengthen the plant immune system against pathogens, thus, enhancing their survival and fitness. Moreover, in the wild, microbial endophytes provide important ecosystem services.

Purpose and scope: Little we know about the mechanisms of response against the adverse effects of climate change on natural populations of wild plants and even less about the potential role played by microbial biostimulants. In this article, we review the effects of biostimulants on plant responses against abiotic stresses, with a particular focus on the role of mycorrhizas and leaf endophytes.

Results: We have reviewed the effects of the main abiotic stresses in plants, the mechanisms that plants use to face these abiotic challenges, and the interaction plant-biostimulant-abiotic stress, highlighting the primary responses and parameters to evaluate different plant responses.

Conclusion: Abiotic stresses can check the phenotypic plasticity of plants and also trigger a complex and heterogeneous array of responses to face different abiotic stresses, and beneficial microorganisms do play an essential role in enhancing such responses. Our laboratory has initiated a project to characterise microbial populations associated with plants from wild areas and analyse their potential role in aiding the plants to cope with abiotic stresses.

The IUCN Green Status of Species: A Call for Mediterranean Botanists to Contribute to This New Ambitious Effort

In the Mediterranean Basin, a critical focal point for the conservation of plant diversity, there has been a large increase in practical conservation actions for many plant species to prevent extinction and to improve their conservation status; quantifying the effectiveness of these initiatives in reversing species declines is urgently important. In 2021, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) launched a new tool that allows the impact of conservation actions on plant species to be assessed. The Green Status of Species is a new set of metrics under the Red List of Threatened Species that assigns species to recovery categories, complementary to the classic extinction risk categories. Crucially, the Green Status of Species provides methods to evaluate the impact of past conservation, and the potential for future conservation impact, on species status and recovery in a standardized way. Considering the efforts made so far for the conservation of Mediterranean threatened plants, using the Green Status of Species would be highly useful to direct future conservation policies. We, therefore, encourage botanists and practitioners working on threatened plants in the Mediterranean area to use this new assessment tool to inform conservation and recovery programs.

Proyecto Titi: Teaching children that cotton‐top tamarins ( Saguinus oedipus ) are not appropriate pets

Cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) are a critically endangered species found only in Colombia. Their survival is threatened by extensive habitat destruction and the illegal pet trade. Because many people in Colombia have a low level of awareness of cotton-top tamarins and even less understanding of the impacts that the illegal pet trade has on the species and its long-term survival, Proyecto Tití has developed a series of programs for children in rural elementary schools that introduce children to cotton-top tamarins. This study examines Proyecto Titi's efforts to reduce the desire to have a cotton-top tamarin as a pet with outcomes focused specifically on (1) creating an emotional connection between people and cotton-top tamarins, (2) identifying the feelings and understanding the challenges that cotton-top tamarin face when they are kept as pets, and (3) empowering students to make positive choices to help cotton-top tamarins. Both TITI KIDS and TITIRITIANDO programs helped students to (1) increase their knowledge of cotton-top tamarins, (2) understand the damage that the pet trade has on individual animals and the long-term survival of cotton-top tamarins and (3) provide practical actions that they can engage in to protect cotton-top tamarins for the future. Our hope is that students from our programs become advocates for conservation in their communities and assist in the long-term conservation activities to protect cotton-top tamarins in Colombia.

Species diversity and DNA barcode library of freshwater Molluscs of South Caucasus

This study provides the first attempt to investigate the molecular diversity of South Caucasian freshwater molluscs (Mollusca, Gastropoda) and lay down the first bricks to build up a DNA-barcode library. In total, 289 COI barcode sequences were obtained from 33 morpho-species belonging to 24 molluscan genera and 10 families that represent nearly 30% of known freshwater molluscan diversity of the South Caucasus region. DNA barcodes were analysed by means of the Barcode Index Number (BIN) and the other tools available in BOLD Systems. Results showed that the knowledge of freshwater molluscs diversity in the South Caucasus is far from comprehensive. For the studied 33 morpho-species, 289 barcodes were clustered into 40 BINs, from which unique BINs were defined for 12 species and five species were characterised with more than a single BIN. From the studied taxa, 60% were characterised larger than 2.2% sequence divergence indicating high genetic variation or cryptic diversity. Within our limited taxonomic coverage, we found one new species for the Republic of Georgia (Galbaschirazensis) and at least three undescribed species belonging to the genera Stagnicola, Segmentina and Anisus. Uniqueness and high molecular diversity of the studied species emphasise the need for further intensive morphological and molecular investigations of the South Caucasian freshwater molluscan fauna.

Habitat change and biodiversity loss in South and Southeast Asian countries

South and Southeast Asia is by far the most populous region in Asia, with the greatest number of threatened species. Changes in habitat are a major contributor to biodiversity loss and are more common as a result of land-use changes. As a result, the goal of this study is to use negative binomial regression models to investigate habitat change as one of the important drivers of biodiversity loss in South and Southeast Asian countries from 2013 to 2018. According to the negative binomial estimates, the findings for the habitat change measures are quantitatively similar for the impacts of agricultural land and arable land on biodiversity threats. Agricultural and arable land both have a positive impact on biodiversity loss. We found that, contrary to our expectations, the forest area appears to have an unexpected direct influence on the number of threatened species. A higher number of threatened species is associated with rising per capita income, human population and a low level of corruption control. Finally, the empirical findings are consistent across taxonomic groups, habitat change measures and Poisson-based specifications. Some policy implications that could mitigate biodiversity loss include educating and promoting good governance among the population and increase the conservation effort to sustain green area and national forest parks in each country.

The morphological effects of artificial light at night on amphibian predators and prey are masked at the community level

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a pervasive pollutant that influences wildlife at both the individual and community level. In this study, we tested the individual-level effects of ALAN on three species of tadpole prey and their newt predators by measuring prey pigmentation and predator and prey mass. Then we evaluated whether the individual-level effects of ALAN on pigmentation and mass had cascading community-level effects by assessing the outcome of predator-prey interactions. We found that spring peepers exposed to ALAN were significantly darker than those reared under control conditions. Additionally, wood frogs reared in ALAN conditions were significantly smaller than those reared in control conditions. In contrast, Eastern newts collected earlier in the spring that were exposed to ALAN were significantly larger than controls while those collected later in the spring were not affected by ALAN, suggesting phenological differences in the effect of ALAN. To understand how changes in pigmentation and size due to ALAN influence predation rates, we ran predation assays in both ALAN-polluted and ALAN-free outdoor environments. After the predation assay, the size disparity in wood frogs reared in ALAN was eliminated such that there was no longer a treatment difference in wood frog size, likely due to size-selective predation. This demonstrates the beneficial nature of predators' selective pressure on prey populations. Lastly, despite individual-level effects of ALAN on pigmentation and mass, we did not detect cascading community-level effects on predation rates. Overall, this study highlights important species-level distinctions in the effects of ALAN. It also emphasizes the need to incorporate ecological complexity to understand the net impact of ALAN.