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Yuan R, Zhang N, Zhang Q. The impact of habitat loss and fragmentation on biodiversity in global protected areas. Sci Total Environ 2024; 931:173004. [PMID: 38710390 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) serve as effective means for biodiversity conservation but face threats from habitat loss and fragmentation. Current research on the impact of habitat loss or habitat fragmentation on biodiversity in PAs mostly focuses on individual PA or regional scales. At the global scale, the extent of habitat loss and fragmentation in PAs and their effects on biodiversity remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the degree of habitat loss and fragmentation in global PAs from 2000 to 2020, analyzed the impact of habitat loss and fragmentation on biodiversity in PAs, identified hotspot PAs of severe habitat loss or fragmentation, and highlighted critically endangered species within these PAs. Our study reveals that, between 2000 and 2020, 19 % of global PAs experienced habitat loss, and 34 % experienced habitat fragmentation, with large PAs and South American tropical PAs exhibiting the most severe levels of habitat loss and fragmentation. The impact of habitat loss and fragmentation on biodiversity was most significant in small PAs and African tropical PAs. There are 10 global hotspot PAs of habitat loss or fragmentation, posing a serious threat to the survival of endangered species within PAs. Biodiversity conservation remains a prominent research focus globally, and the issues of habitat loss and fragmentation in PAs may impact the achievement of the COP15 biodiversity conservation goals. Therefore, this study aims to provide data support and scientific guidance for the management and development of global PAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongyan Yuan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security (Jointly Supported by the Ministry of Education of China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), Hohhot 010021, China.
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Séguigne M, Leroy C, Carrias JF, Corbara B, Lafont Rapnouil T, Céréghino R. Interactive effects of drought and deforestation on multitrophic communities and aquatic ecosystem functions in the Neotropics-a test using tank bromeliads. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17346. [PMID: 38737739 PMCID: PMC11088369 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Together with the intensification of dry seasons in Neotropical regions, increasing deforestation is expected to exacerbate species extinctions, something that could lead to dramatic shifts in multitrophic communities and ecosystem functions. Recent studies suggest that the effects of habitat loss are greater where precipitation has decreased. Yet, experimental studies of the pure and interactive effects of drought and deforestation at ecosystem level remain scarce. Methods Here, we used rainshelters and transplantation from rainforest to open areas of natural microcosms (the aquatic ecosystem and microbial-faunal food web found within the rainwater-filled leaves of tank bromeliads) to emulate drought and deforestation in a full factorial experimental design. We analysed the pure and interactive effects of our treatments on functional community structure (including microorganisms, detritivore and predatory invertebrates), and on leaf litter decomposition in tank bromeliad ecosystems. Results Drought or deforestation alone had a moderate impact on biomass at the various trophic level, but did not eliminate species. However, their interaction synergistically reduced the biomass of all invertebrate functional groups and bacteria. Predators were the most impacted trophic group as they were totally eliminated, while detritivore biomass was reduced by about 95%. Fungal biomass was either unaffected or boosted by our treatments. Decomposition was essentially driven by microbial activity, and did not change across treatments involving deforestation and/or drought. Conclusions Our results suggest that highly resistant microorganisms such as fungi (plus a few detritivores) maintain key ecosystem functions in the face of drought and habitat change. We conclude that habitat destruction compounds the problems of climate change, that the impacts of the two phenomena on food webs are mutually reinforcing, and that the stability of ecosystem functions depends on the resistance of a core group of organisms. Assuming that taking global action is more challenging than taking local-regional actions, policy-makers should be encouraged to implement environmental action plans that will halt habitat destruction, to dampen any detrimental interactive effect with the impacts of global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Séguigne
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l’Environnement (CRBE), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3—Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Céline Leroy
- AMAP, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Campus agronomique, Kourou, France
| | - Jean-François Carrias
- Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement (LMGE), Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Bruno Corbara
- Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement (LMGE), Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Tristan Lafont Rapnouil
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l’Environnement (CRBE), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3—Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
- AMAP, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Campus agronomique, Kourou, France
| | - Régis Céréghino
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l’Environnement (CRBE), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3—Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
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Lisovski S, Hoye BJ, Conklin JR, Battley PF, Fuller RA, Gosbell KB, Klaassen M, Benjamin Lee C, Murray NJ, Bauer S. Predicting resilience of migratory birds to environmental change. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311146121. [PMID: 38648469 PMCID: PMC11087779 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311146121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The pace and scale of environmental change represent major challenges to many organisms. Animals that move long distances, such as migratory birds, are especially vulnerable to change since they need chains of intact habitat along their migratory routes. Estimating the resilience of such species to environmental changes assists in targeting conservation efforts. We developed a migration modeling framework to predict past (1960s), present (2010s), and future (2060s) optimal migration strategies across five shorebird species (Scolopacidae) within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, which has seen major habitat deterioration and loss over the last century, and compared these predictions to empirical tracks from the present. Our model captured the migration strategies of the five species and identified the changes in migrations needed to respond to habitat deterioration and climate change. Notably, the larger species, with single or few major stopover sites, need to establish new migration routes and strategies, while smaller species can buffer habitat loss by redistributing their stopover areas to novel or less-used sites. Comparing model predictions with empirical tracks also indicates that larger species with the stronger need for adaptations continue to migrate closer to the optimal routes of the past, before habitat deterioration accelerated. Our study not only quantifies the vulnerability of species in the face of global change but also explicitly reveals the extent of adaptations required to sustain their migrations. This modeling framework provides a tool for conservation planning that can accommodate the future needs of migratory species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simeon Lisovski
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Section Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems, Potsdam14473, Germany
| | - Bethany J. Hoye
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW2522, Australia
| | - Jesse R. Conklin
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen9700, The Netherlands
| | - Phil F. Battley
- Zoology and Ecology Group, Massey University, Palmerston North4442, New Zealand
| | - Richard A. Fuller
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD4072, Australia
| | - Ken B. Gosbell
- Victorian Wader Study Group, Blackburn, VIC3130, Australia
| | - Marcel Klaassen
- Victorian Wader Study Group, Blackburn, VIC3130, Australia
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, VIC3217, Australia
| | - Chengfa Benjamin Lee
- German Aerospace Center, The Remote Sensing Technology Institute, Berlin12489, Germany
- Department of Remote Sensing, EAGLE M. Sc. Program, University of Würzburg, Würzburg97074, Germany
| | - Nicholas J. Murray
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD4811, Australia
| | - Silke Bauer
- Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf8903, Switzerland
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach6204, Switzerland
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1090 GE, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich8902, Switzerland
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Carroll D, Ahola MP, Carlsson AM, Sköld M, Harding KC. 120-years of ecological monitoring data shows that the risk of overhunting is increased by environmental degradation for an isolated marine mammal population: The Baltic grey seal. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:525-539. [PMID: 38532307 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The Baltic Sea is home to a genetically isolated and morphologically distinct grey seal population. This population has been the subject of 120-years of careful documentation, from detailed records of bounty statistics to annual monitoring of health and abundance. It has also been exposed to a range of well-documented stressors, including hunting, pollution and climate change. To investigate the vulnerability of marine mammal populations to multiple stressors, data series relating to the Baltic grey seal population size, hunt and health were compiled, vital demographic rates were estimated, and a detailed population model was constructed. The Baltic grey seal population fell from approximately 90,000 to as few as 3000 individuals during the 1900s as the result of hunting and pollution. Subsequently, the population has recovered to approximately 55,000 individuals. Fertility levels for mature females have increased from 9% in the 1970s to 86% at present. The recovery of the population has led to demands for increased hunting, resulting in a sudden increase in annual quotas from a few hundred to 3550 in 2020. Simultaneously, environmental changes, such as warmer winters and reduced prey availability due to overfishing, are likely impacting fecundity and health. Future population development is projected for a range of hunting and environmental stress scenarios, illustrating how hunting, in combination with environmental degradation, can lead to population collapse. The current combined hunting quotas of all Baltic Nations caused a 10% population decline within three generations in 100% of simulations. To enable continued recovery of the population, combined annual quotas of less than 1900 are needed, although this quota should be re-evaluated annually as monitoring of population size and seal health continues. Sustainable management of long-lived slowly growing species requires an understanding of the drivers of population growth and the repercussions of management decisions over many decades. The case of the Baltic grey seal illustrates how long-term ecological time series are pivotal in establishing historical baselines in population abundance and demography to inform sustainable management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daire Carroll
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Markus P Ahola
- Department of Population Analysis and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anja M Carlsson
- Department of Population Analysis and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Sköld
- Department of Population Analysis and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Mathematics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin C Harding
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Peng Z, Qian X, Liu Y, Li X, Gao H, An Y, Qi J, Jiang L, Zhang Y, Chen S, Pan H, Chen B, Liang C, van der Heijden MGA, Wei G, Jiao S. Land conversion to agriculture induces taxonomic homogenization of soil microbial communities globally. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3624. [PMID: 38684659 PMCID: PMC11058813 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47348-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Agriculture contributes to a decline in local species diversity and to above- and below-ground biotic homogenization. Here, we conduct a continental survey using 1185 soil samples and compare microbial communities from natural ecosystems (forest, grassland, and wetland) with converted agricultural land. We combine our continental survey results with a global meta-analysis of available sequencing data that cover more than 2400 samples across six continents. Our combined results demonstrate that land conversion to agricultural land results in taxonomic and functional homogenization of soil bacteria, mainly driven by the increase in the geographic ranges of taxa in croplands. We find that 20% of phylotypes are decreased and 23% are increased by land conversion, with croplands enriched in Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadota, Planctomycetota, Myxcoccota and Latescibacterota. Although there is no significant difference in functional composition between natural ecosystems and agricultural land, functional genes involved in nitrogen fixation, phosphorus mineralization and transportation are depleted in cropland. Our results provide a global insight into the consequences of land-use change on soil microbial taxonomic and functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Xun Qian
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Yu Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Xiaomeng Li
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Hang Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Yining An
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Jiejun Qi
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Lan Jiang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Yiran Zhang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Shi Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Haibo Pan
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Beibei Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Chunling Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Marcel G A van der Heijden
- Plant-Soil Interactions Group, Agroscope, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gehong Wei
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China.
| | - Shuo Jiao
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China.
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Fritsch C, Berny P, Crouzet O, Le Perchec S, Coeurdassier M. Wildlife ecotoxicology of plant protection products: knowns and unknowns about the impacts of currently used pesticides on terrestrial vertebrate biodiversity. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-33026-1. [PMID: 38639904 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33026-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Agricultural practices are a major cause of the current loss of biodiversity. Among postwar agricultural intensification practices, the use of plant protection products (PPPs) might be one of the prominent drivers of the loss of wildlife diversity in agroecosystems. A collective scientific assessment was performed upon the request of the French Ministries responsible for the Environment, for Agriculture and for Research to review the impacts of PPPs on biodiversity and ecosystem services based on the scientific literature. While the effects of legacy banned PPPs on ecosystems and the underlying mechanisms are well documented, the impacts of current use pesticides (CUPs) on biodiversity have rarely been reviewed. Here, we provide an overview of the available knowledge related to the impacts of PPPs, including biopesticides, on terrestrial vertebrates (i.e. herptiles, birds including raptors, bats and small and large mammals). We focused essentially on CUPs and on endpoints at the subindividual, individual, population and community levels, which ultimately linked with effects on biodiversity. We address both direct toxic effects and indirect effects related to ecological processes and review the existing knowledge about wildlife exposure to PPPs. The effects of PPPs on ecological functions and ecosystem services are discussed, as are the aggravating or mitigating factors. Finally, a synthesis of knowns and unknowns is provided, and we identify priorities to fill gaps in knowledge and perspectives for research and wildlife conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Fritsch
- Laboratoire Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249 CNRS/Université de Franche-Comté, 16 Route de Gray, F-25000, Besançon, France
| | - Philippe Berny
- UR-ICE, Vetagro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire, 69280, Marcy L'étoile, France
| | - Olivier Crouzet
- Direction de La Recherche Et de L'Appui Scientifique, Office Français de La Biodiversité, Site de St-Benoist, 78610, Auffargis, France
| | | | - Michael Coeurdassier
- Laboratoire Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249 CNRS/Université de Franche-Comté, 16 Route de Gray, F-25000, Besançon, France.
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Ridley FA, Rushton SP, Hickinbotham EJ, Suggitt AJ, McGowan PJK, Mair L. Global mismatches between threat mapping research effort and the potential of threat abatement actions to reduce extinction risk. Conserv Biol 2024:e14271. [PMID: 38623873 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Threat mapping is a necessary tool for identifying and abating direct threats to species in the ongoing extinction crisis. There are known gaps in the threat mapping literature for particular threats and geographic locations, and it remains unclear if the distribution of research effort is appropriately targeted relative to conservation need. We aimed to determine the drivers of threat mapping research effort and to quantify gaps that, if filled, could inform actions with the highest potential to reduce species' extinction risk. We used a negative binomial generalized linear model to analyze research effort as a function of threat abatement potential (quantified as the potential reduction in species extinction risk from abating threats), species richness, land area, and human pressure. The model showed that threat mapping research effort increased by 1.1 to 1.2 times per standardized unit change in threat abatement potential. However, species richness and land area were stronger predictors of research effort overall. The greatest areas of mismatch between research effort and threat abatement potential, receiving disproportionately low research effort, were related to the threats to species of agriculture, aquaculture, and biological resource use across the tropical regions of the Americas, Asia, and Madagascar. Conversely, the threat of linear infrastructure (e.g., roads and rails) across regions, the threat of biological resource use (e.g., hunting or collection) in sub-Saharan Africa, and overall threats in North America and Europe all received disproportionately high research effort. We discuss the range of methodological and sociopolitical factors that may be behind the overall trends and specific areas of mismatch we found. We urge a stronger emphasis on targeting research effort toward those threats and geographic locations where threat abatement activities could make the greatest contribution to reducing global species extinction risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca A Ridley
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Stephen P Rushton
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Emily J Hickinbotham
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Andrew J Suggitt
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Philip J K McGowan
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Louise Mair
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Hiller C, 't Sas-Rolfes M. Systematic review of the impact of restrictive wildlife trade measures on conservation of iconic species in southern Africa. Conserv Biol 2024:e14262. [PMID: 38578131 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Trade restrictions are often advocated and implemented as measures to protect wild species threatened by overexploitation. However, in some instances, their efficacy has been questioned, notably by governments in the southern African (SADC) region, which tend to favor a sustainable use approach to wildlife management. We conducted a systematic review of published literature guided by the PRISMA process to examine the effectiveness of trade restrictions and directly related control measures in addressing threats to species conservation in the SADC region, with a focus on elephants (Loxodonta sp.), rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum, Diceros bicornis), lions (Panthera leo), and pangolins (Manis sp.). We focused in particular on the direct conservation impact of trade restrictions at species or population level, indirect conservation impact at human behavior or attitude level, and socioeconomic impact on rural livelihoods and well-being and on national economies. Research on these topics was uneven and focused strongly on the effects of trade restrictions and law enforcement on crime-related behavior. Research gaps include socioeconomic impacts of trade restrictions, including effects of international restrictions on local livelihoods and consequent secondary conservation impacts, and evaluations of attempts to disrupt criminal networks. Based on the reviewed impact evidence, the effectiveness of international trade restrictions depends on a range of fully aligned measures in countries of origin, transit, and consumption. For example, our results suggest positive ecological short-term but negative or unknown long-term socioeconomic impacts of domestic restrictions. Based on these findings, key policy requirements include more nuanced approaches to incorporate a range of appropriate measures in range, transit, and consumer countries, that focus on capacity development for early detection and apprehension of incursions inside protected areas; measures for constructive engagement with relevant local communities outside protected areas; and future research to improve understanding of the socioeconomic contribution of wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Hiller
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Michael 't Sas-Rolfes
- Oxford Martin Program on Wildlife Trade, University of Oxford, United Kingdom and African Wildlife Economy Institute, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Bardales R, Boron V, Passos Viana DF, Sousa LL, Dröge E, Porfirio G, Jaramillo M, Payán E, Sillero-Zubiri C, Hyde M. Neotropical mammal responses to megafires in the Brazilian Pantanal. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17278. [PMID: 38655695 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The increasing frequency and severity of human-caused fires likely have deleterious effects on species distribution and persistence. In 2020, megafires in the Brazilian Pantanal burned 43% of the biome's unburned area and resulted in mass mortality of wildlife. We investigated changes in habitat use or occupancy for an assemblage of eight mammal species in Serra do Amolar, Brazil, following the 2020 fires using a pre- and post-fire camera trap dataset. Additionally, we estimated the density for two naturally marked species, jaguars Panthera onca and ocelots Leopardus pardalis. Of the eight species, six (ocelots, collared peccaries Dicotyles tajacu, giant armadillos Priodontes maximus, Azara's agouti Dasyprocta azarae, red brocket deer Mazama americana, and tapirs Tapirus terrestris) had declining occupancy following fires, and one had stable habitat use (pumas Puma concolor). Giant armadillo experienced the most precipitous decline in occupancy from 0.431 ± 0.171 to 0.077 ± 0.044 after the fires. Jaguars were the only species with increasing habitat use, from 0.393 ± 0.127 to 0.753 ± 0.085. Jaguar density remained stable across years (2.8 ± 1.3, 3.7 ± 1.3, 2.6 ± 0.85/100 km2), while ocelot density increased from 13.9 ± 3.2 to 16.1 ± 5.2/100 km2. However, the low number of both jaguars and ocelots recaptured after the fire period suggests that immigration may have sustained the population. Our results indicate that the megafires will have significant consequences for species occupancy and fitness in fire-affected areas. The scale of megafires may inhibit successful recolonization, thus wider studies are needed to investigate population trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Bardales
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK
- Panthera Cooperation, New York, New York, USA
| | - Valeria Boron
- Panthera Cooperation, New York, New York, USA
- The Living Planet Centre, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) UK, Woking, Surrey, UK
| | | | - Lara L Sousa
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK
| | - Egil Dröge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
| | | | | | - Esteban Payán
- Panthera Cooperation, New York, New York, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, New York, USA
| | - Claudio Sillero-Zubiri
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK
| | - Matthew Hyde
- Panthera Cooperation, New York, New York, USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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10
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Hawkins F, Beatty CR, Brooks TM, Church R, Elliott W, Kiss E, Macfarlane NBW, Pugliesi J, Schipper AM, Walsh M. Bottom-up global biodiversity metrics needed for businesses to assess and manage their impact. Conserv Biol 2024; 38:e14183. [PMID: 37700634 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Ensuring that companies can assess and manage their impacts on biodiversity will be crucial to solving the current biodiversity crisis, and regulatory and public pressure to disclose these impacts is increasing. Top-down intactness metrics (e.g., Mean Species Abundance) can be valuable for generating high-level or first-tier assessments of impact risk but do not provide sufficient precision or guidance for companies, regulators, or third-party assessors. New metrics based on bottom-up assessments of biodiversity (e.g., the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration metric) can accommodate spatial variation of biodiversity and provide more specific guidance for actions to avoid, reduce, remediate, and compensate for impacts and to identify positive opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas M Brooks
- IUCN, Gland, Switzerland
- World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Philippines
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | | | | | - Edit Kiss
- Integrity Global Partners, London, UK
| | | | | | - Aafke M Schipper
- Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague, The Netherlands
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11
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Sinclair T, Craig P, Maltby LL. Climate warming shifts riverine macroinvertebrate communities to be more sensitive to chemical pollutants. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17254. [PMID: 38556898 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Freshwaters are highly threatened ecosystems that are vulnerable to chemical pollution and climate change. Freshwater taxa vary in their sensitivity to chemicals and changes in species composition can potentially affect the sensitivity of assemblages to chemical exposure. Here we explore the potential consequences of future climate change on the composition and sensitivity of freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages to chemical stressors using the UK as a case study. Macroinvertebrate assemblages under end of century (2080-2100) and baseline (1980-2000) climate conditions were predicted for 608 UK sites for four climate scenarios corresponding to mean temperature changes of 1.28 to 3.78°C. Freshwater macroinvertebrate toxicity data were collated for 19 chemicals and the hierarchical species sensitivity distribution model was used to predict the sensitivity of untested taxa using relatedness within a Bayesian approach. All four future climate scenarios shifted assemblage compositions, increasing the prevalence of Mollusca, Crustacea and Oligochaeta species, and the insect taxa of Odonata, Chironomidae, and Baetidae species. Contrastingly, decreases were projected for Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera (except for Baetidae) and Coleoptera species. Shifts in taxonomic composition were associated with changes in the percentage of species at risk from chemical exposure. For the 3.78°C climate scenario, 76% of all assemblages became more sensitive to chemicals and for 18 of the 19 chemicals, the percentage of species at risk increased. Climate warming-induced increases in sensitivity were greatest for assemblages exposed to metals and were dependent on baseline assemblage composition, which varied spatially. Climate warming is predicted to result in changes in the use, environmental exposure and toxicity of chemicals. Here we show that, even in the absence of these climate-chemical interactions, shifts in species composition due to climate warming will increase chemical risk and that the impact of chemical pollution on freshwater macroinvertebrate biodiversity may double or quadruple by the end of the 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Sinclair
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Peter Craig
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
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12
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Kirk DA, Martínez-Lanfranco JA, Forsyth DJ, Martin AE. Farm management and landscape context shape plant diversity at wetland edges in the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada. Ecol Appl 2024:e2943. [PMID: 38504599 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Evaluating the impacts of farming systems on biodiversity is increasingly important given the need to stem biodiversity loss, decrease fossil fuel dependency, and maintain ecosystem services benefiting farmers. We recorded woody and herbaceous plant species diversity, composition, and abundance in 43 wetland-adjacent prairie remnants beside crop fields managed using conventional, minimum tillage, organic, or perennial cover (wildlife-friendly) land management in the Prairie Pothole Region. We used a hierarchical framework to estimate diversity at regional and local scales (gamma, alpha), and how these are related through species turnover (beta diversity). We tested the expectation that gamma richness/evenness and beta diversity of all plants would be higher in remnants adjacent to perennial cover and organic fields than in conventional and minimum tillage fields. We expected the same findings for plants providing ecosystem services (bee-pollinated species) and disservices (introduced species). We predicted similar relative effects of land management on alpha diversity, but with the expectation that the benefits of organic farming would decrease with increasing grassland in surrounding landscapes. Gamma richness and evenness of all plants were highest for perennial cover, followed by minimum tillage, organic, and conventional sites. Bee-pollinated species followed a similar pattern for richness, but for evenness organic farming came second, after perennial cover sites, followed by minimum tillage and conventional. For introduced species, organic sites had the highest gamma richness and evenness. Grassland amount moderated the effect of land management type on all plants and bee-pollinated plant richness, but not as expected. The richness of organic sites increased with the amount of grassland in the surrounding landscape. Conversely, for conventional sites, richness increased as the amount of grassland in the landscape declined. Our results are consistent with the expectation that adopting wildlife-friendly land management practices can benefit biodiversity at regional and local scales, in particular the use of perennial cover to benefit plant diversity at regional scales. At more local extents, organic farming increased plant richness, but only when sufficient grassland was available in the surrounding landscape; organic farms also had the highest beta diversity for all plants and bee-pollinated plants. Maintaining native cover in agroecosystems, in addition to low-intensity farming practices, could sustain plant biodiversity and facilitate important ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Andrés Martínez-Lanfranco
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Centennial Center for Interdisciplinary Science Bldg, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Douglas J Forsyth
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Amanda E Martin
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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13
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Yan Y, Jarvie S, Zhang Q. Habitat loss weakens the positive relationship between grassland plant richness and above-ground biomass. eLife 2024; 12:RP91193. [PMID: 38497752 PMCID: PMC10948147 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss and fragmentation per se have been shown to be a major threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, little is known about how habitat loss and fragmentation per se alters the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF relationship) in the natural landscape context. Based on 130 landscapes identified by a stratified random sampling in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China, we investigated the effects of landscape context (habitat loss and fragmentation per se) on plant richness, above-ground biomass, and the relationship between them in grassland communities using a structural equation model. We found that habitat loss directly decreased plant richness and hence decreased above-ground biomass, while fragmentation per se directly increased plant richness and hence increased above-ground biomass. Fragmentation per se also directly decreased soil water content and hence decreased above-ground biomass. Meanwhile, habitat loss decreased the magnitude of the positive relationship between plant richness and above-ground biomass by reducing the percentage of grassland specialists in the community, while fragmentation per se had no significant modulating effect on this relationship. These results demonstrate that habitat loss and fragmentation per se have inconsistent effects on BEF, with the BEF relationship being modulated by landscape context. Our findings emphasise that habitat loss rather than fragmentation per se can weaken the positive BEF relationship by decreasing the degree of habitat specialisation of the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongzhi Yan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
| | | | - Qing Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security (Jointly Supported by the Ministry of Education of China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region)HohhotChina
- Autonomous Region Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow RiverHohhotChina
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14
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Barnas AF, Ladle A, Burgar JM, Burton AC, Boyce MS, Eliuk L, Grey F, Heim N, Paczkowski J, Stewart FEC, Tattersall E, Fisher JT. How landscape traits affect boreal mammal responses to anthropogenic disturbance. Sci Total Environ 2024; 915:169285. [PMID: 38103612 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Understanding mammalian responses to anthropogenic disturbance is challenging, as ecological processes and the patterns arising therefrom notoriously change across spatial and temporal scales, and among different landscape contexts. Responses to local scale disturbances are likely influenced by landscape context (e.g., overall landscape-level disturbance, landscape-level productivity). Hierarchical approaches considering small-scale sampling sites as nested holons within larger-scale landscapes, which constrain processes in lower-level holons, can potentially explain differences in ecological processes between multiple locations. We tested hypotheses about mammal responses to disturbance and interactions among holons using collected images from 957 camera sites across 9 landscapes in Alberta from 2007 to 2020 and examined occurrence for 11 mammal species using generalized linear mixed models. White-tailed deer occurred more in higher disturbed sites within lower disturbed landscapes (β = -0.30 [-0.4 to -0.15]), whereas occurrence was greater in highly disturbed sites within highly disturbed landscapes for moose (β = 0.20 [0.09-0.31]), coyote (β = 0.20 [0.08-0.26]), and lynx (β = 0.20 [0.07-0.26]). High disturbance sites in high productivity landscapes had higher occurrence of black bears (β = -0.20 [-0.46 to -0.01]), lynx (β = -0.70 [-0.97 to -0.34]), and wolves (β = -0.50 [-0.73 to -0.21]). Conversely, we found higher probability of occurrence in low productivity landscapes with increasing site disturbance for mule deer (β = 0.80 [0.39-1.14]), and white-tailed deer (β = 0.20 [0.01-0.47]). We found the ecological context created by aggregate sums (high overall landscape disturbance), and by subcontinental hydrogeological processes in which that landscape is embedded (high landscape productivity), alter mammalian responses to anthropogenic disturbance at local scales. These responses also vary by species, which has implications for large-scale conservation planning. Management interventions must consider large-scale geoclimatic processes and geographic location of a landscape when assessing wildlife responses to disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F Barnas
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada.
| | - Andrew Ladle
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Joanna M Burgar
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada; Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - A Cole Burton
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Mark S Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Laura Eliuk
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Fabian Grey
- Whitefish Lake First Nation #459, Atikameg, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicole Heim
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - John Paczkowski
- Government of Alberta, Forests, Parks, and Tourism, Canmore, Alberta, Canada
| | - Frances E C Stewart
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada; Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario (Haldimand Tract), Canada
| | - Erin Tattersall
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jason T Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
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15
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Negret PJ, Venegas R, Sonter LJ, Possingham HP, Maron M. Conservation planning for retention, not just protection. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17211. [PMID: 38439736 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Most protected area (PA) planning aims to improve biota representation within the PA system, but this does not necessarily achieve the best outcomes for biota retention across regions when we also consider habitat loss in areas outside the PA system. Here, we assess the implications that different PA expansion strategies can have on the retention of species habitat across an entire region. Using retention of forest habitat for Colombia's 550 forest-dependent bird species as our outcome variable, we found that when a minimum of 30% of each species' habitat was included in the PA system, a pattern of PA expansion targeting areas at highest deforestation risk (risk-prevention) led to the retention, on average, of 7.2% more forest habitat per species by 2050 than did a pattern that targeted areas at lowest risk (risk-avoidance). The risk-prevention approach cost more per km2 of land conserved, but it was more cost-effective in retaining habitat in the landscape (50%-69% lower cost per km2 of avoided deforestation). To have the same effectiveness preventing habitat loss in Colombia, the risk-avoidance approach would require more than twice as much protected area, costing three times more in the process. Protected area expansion should focus on the contributions of PAs to outcomes not only within PA systems themselves, but across entire regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Jose Negret
- Centre for Development and Environment, Institute of Geography, Wyss Academy for Nature, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ruben Venegas
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Laura J Sonter
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hugh P Possingham
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Martine Maron
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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16
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O'Connor LMJ, Cosentino F, Harfoot MBJ, Maiorano L, Mancino C, Pollock LJ, Thuiller W. Vulnerability of terrestrial vertebrate food webs to anthropogenic threats in Europe. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17253. [PMID: 38519878 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Vertebrate species worldwide are currently facing significant declines in many populations. Although we have gained substantial knowledge about the direct threats that affect individual species, these threats only represent a fraction of the broader vertebrate threat profile, which is also shaped by species interactions. For example, threats faced by prey species can jeopardize the survival of their predators due to food resource scarcity. Yet, indirect threats arising from species interactions have received limited investigation thus far. In this study, we investigate the indirect consequences of anthropogenic threats on biodiversity in the context of European vertebrate food webs. We integrated data on trophic interactions among over 800 terrestrial vertebrates, along with their associated human-induced threats. We quantified and mapped the vulnerability of various components of the food web, including species, interactions, and trophic groups to six major threats: pollution, agricultural intensification, climate change, direct exploitation, urbanization, and invasive alien species and diseases. Direct exploitation and agricultural intensification were two major threats for terrestrial vertebrate food webs: affecting 34% and 31% of species, respectively, they threaten 85% and 69% of interactions in Europe. By integrating network ecology with threat impact assessments, our study contributes to a better understanding of the magnitude of anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise M J O'Connor
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
- Biodiversity and Natural Resources Programme, International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Francesca Cosentino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Michael B J Harfoot
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK
- Vizzuality, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luigi Maiorano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Mancino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Laura J Pollock
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
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17
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Grzegorczyk E, Caizergues A, Eraud C, Francesiaz C, Le Rest K, Guillemain M. Demographic and evolutionary consequences of hunting of wild birds. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38409953 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Hunting has a long tradition in human evolutionary history and remains a common leisure activity or an important source of food. Herein, we first briefly review the literature on the demographic consequences of hunting and associated analytical methods. We then address the question of potential selective hunting and its possible genetic/evolutionary consequences. Birds have historically been popular models for demographic studies, and the huge amount of census and ringing data accumulated over the last century has paved the way for research about the demographic effects of harvesting. By contrast, the literature on the evolutionary consequences of harvesting is dominated by studies on mammals (especially ungulates) and fish. In these taxa, individuals selected for harvest often have particular traits such as large body size or extravagant secondary sexual characters (e.g. antlers, horns, etc.). Our review shows that targeting individuals according to such genetically heritable traits can exert strong selective pressures and alter the evolutionary trajectory of populations for these or correlated traits. Studies focusing on the evolutionary consequences of hunting in birds are extremely rare, likely because birds within populations appear much more similar, and do not display individual differences to the same extent as many mammals and fishes. Nevertheless, even without conscious choice by hunters, there remains the potential for selection through hunting in birds, for example by genetically inherited traits such as personality or pace-of-life. We emphasise that because so many bird species experience high hunting pressure, the possible selective effect of harvest in birds and its evolutionary consequences deserves far more attention, and that hunting may be one major driver of bird evolutionary trajectories that should be carefully considered in wildlife management schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilienne Grzegorczyk
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Conservation et Gestion Durable des Espèces Exploitées, 405 Route de Prissé-la-Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Alain Caizergues
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Conservation et Gestion Durable des Espèces Exploitées, 08 Bd A. Einstein, CS42355, Nantes Cedex 3, 44323, France
| | - Cyril Eraud
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Conservation et Gestion des Espèces à Enjeux, 405 Route de Prissé-la-Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Charlotte Francesiaz
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Conservation et Gestion Durable des Espèces Exploitées, 147 Avenue de Lodève, Juvignac, 34990, France
| | - Kévin Le Rest
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Conservation et Gestion Durable des Espèces Exploitées, 08 Bd A. Einstein, CS42355, Nantes Cedex 3, 44323, France
| | - Matthieu Guillemain
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Conservation et Gestion Durable des Espèces Exploitées, La Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, Arles, 13200, France
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18
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Cheng EMY, Cheng CML, Choo J, Yan Y, Carrasco LR. Biodiversity footprints of 151 popular dishes from around the world. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296492. [PMID: 38381742 PMCID: PMC10880993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss for food production is a key threat to global biodiversity. Despite the importance of dietary choices on our capacity to mitigate the on-going biodiversity crisis, unlike with specific ingredients or products, consumers have limited information on the biodiversity implications of choosing to eat a certain popular dish. Here we estimated the biodiversity footprints of 151 popular local dishes from around the world when globally and locally produced and after calorical content standardization. We find that specific ingredients (beef, legumes, rice) encroaching on biodiversity hotspots with already very high agricultural pressure (e.g. India) lead to high biodiversity footprint in the dishes. Examples of high-biodiversity-footprint popular dishes were beef dishes such as fraldinha (beef cut dish) originating from Brazil and legume dishes such as chana masala (chickpea curry) from India. Regardless of assuming locally or globally produced, feedlot or pasture livestock production, vegan and vegetarian dishes presented lower biodiversity footprints than dishes containing meat. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of analysing biodiversity footprint at the dish level across multiple countries, making sustainable eating decisions more accessible to consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa M. Y. Cheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Carina M. L. Cheng
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jacqueline Choo
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yanyun Yan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Luis Roman Carrasco
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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19
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Farner JE, Howard M, Smith JR, Anderson CB, Mordecai EA. Local tree cover predicts mosquito species richness and disease vector presence in a tropical countryside landscape. Res Sq 2024:rs.3.rs-3954302. [PMID: 38464276 PMCID: PMC10925468 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3954302/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Context Land use change drives both biodiversity loss and zoonotic disease transmission in tropical countryside landscapes. Developing solutions for protecting countryside biodiversity, public health, and livelihoods requires understanding the scales at which habitat characteristics such as land cover shape biodiversity, especially for arthropods that transmit pathogens. Evidence increasingly shows that species richness for many taxa correlates with local tree cover. Objectives We investigated whether mosquito species richness, community composition, and presence of disease vector species responded to land use and tree cover - and if so, whether at spatial scales similar to other taxa. Methods We paired a field survey of mosquito communities in agricultural, residential, and forested lands in rural southern Costa Rica with remotely sensed tree cover data. We compared mosquito community responses to tree cover surrounding survey sites measured across scales, and analyzed community responses to land use and environmental gradients. Results Tree cover was positively correlated with mosquito species richness, and negatively correlated with the presence of the common invasive dengue vector Aedes albopictus, particularly at small spatial scales of 80 - 200m. Land use predicted community composition and Ae. albopictus presence. Environmental gradients of tree cover, temperature, and elevation explained 7% of species turnover among survey sites. Conclusions The results suggest that preservation and expansion of tree cover at local scales can protect biodiversity for a wide range of taxa, including arthropods, and also confer protection against disease vector occurrence. The identified spatial range of tree cover benefits can inform land management for conservation and public health protection.
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20
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Pla M, Burgas A, Carrion G, Hermoso V, Feliu P, Romero S, Casanovas P, Sainz de la Maza P, Arnau P, Pino J, Brotons L. Mapping drivers of change for biodiversity risk assessment to target conservation actions: Human frequentation in protected areas. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25312. [PMID: 38322964 PMCID: PMC10844254 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Mapping the drivers of change that pose negative pressures or threats to biodiversity can help to identify where biodiversity is most threatened and can be used to determine priority sites to target conservation actions. Overlapping drivers of change maps with distribution maps of sensitive species provides valuable information to identify where and when it would be better to target actions to minimize the risk. The overall aim of this study was to develop a methodology for the integration of risk mapping associated with high human frequentation to guide conservation actions in two case study: the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) and Posidonia meadows (Posidonia oceanica), both sensitive to human frequentation. To achieve this, we used two types of geolocated mobile phone information from the STRAVA platform: mapped paths and roads number of visitors at hourly precisions and a sporting activities heatmap representative of a wider period, together with species ecological information and complementary human frequentation data. The final, monthly risk maps identified the areas for Kentish plover with null, low, moderate, high, very high risk attributed to different aspects of the breeding biology of the species, nests, nestlings, and adults. The risk thresholds for nests are lower than for nestlings and adults, thought nestlings were generally less sensitive to human frequentation than adults. Visitors number ranges between 250 and 700 approximately suppose a moderate risk for the three assessed periods, and more than 1200 visitors appeared to prevent the nesting of the species completely. The final risk maps for Posidonia meadows determine the areas with low, moderate, hight and very high risk for human marine activities. Human frequentation values in this case study are scaled between 0 and 1, the results shows that values above 0.1 imply a high risk for the species. Both types of information can be used to target concrete, spatially explicit actions to minimize the risk caused by human frequentation. Furthermore, the first case study would allow to adapt the target actions to the species breeding phenology. The proposed risk assessment workflow is flexible and may be adjusted to match the available information and eventually could be adapted to other conservation objectives arising from different threats. In addition, data gathered from mobile mobility applications show great potential to accurately identify human frequentation, both spatially and temporally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Pla
- CREAF, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Forest Sciences and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), 25280 Solsona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Albert Burgas
- Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park, 17486 Castelló d'Empúries, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Gerard Carrion
- Cap de Creus Natural Park, 17489 El Port de la Selva, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, 41011 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ponç Feliu
- Cap de Creus Natural Park, 17489 El Port de la Selva, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sergi Romero
- Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park, 17486 Castelló d'Empúries, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pilar Casanovas
- Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, Catalan Government, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pau Sainz de la Maza
- Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, Catalan Government, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pedro Arnau
- International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE-UPC), 08860 Castelldefels, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joan Pino
- CREAF, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Lluís Brotons
- CREAF, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Forest Sciences and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), 25280 Solsona, Catalonia, Spain
- CSIC, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
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Farner JE, Howard M, Smith JR, Anderson CB, Mordecai EA. Local tree cover predicts mosquito species richness and disease vector presence in a tropical countryside landscape. bioRxiv 2024:2023.12.05.570170. [PMID: 38105954 PMCID: PMC10723306 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.570170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Context Land use change drives both biodiversity loss and zoonotic disease transmission in tropical countryside landscapes. Developing solutions for protecting countryside biodiversity, public health, and livelihoods requires understanding the scales at which habitat characteristics such as land cover shape biodiversity, especially for arthropods that transmit pathogens. Evidence increasingly shows that species richness for many taxa correlates with local tree cover. Objectives We investigated whether mosquito species richness, community composition, and presence of disease vector species responded to land use and tree cover - and if so, whether at spatial scales similar to other taxa. Methods We paired a field survey of mosquito communities in agricultural, residential, and forested lands in rural southern Costa Rica with remotely sensed tree cover data. We compared mosquito community responses to tree cover surrounding survey sites measured across scales, and analyzed community responses to land use and environmental gradients. Results Tree cover was positively correlated with mosquito species richness, and negatively correlated with the presence of the common invasive dengue vector Aedes albopictus , particularly at small spatial scales of 80 - 200m. Land use predicted community composition and Ae. albopictus presence. Environmental gradients of tree cover, temperature, and elevation explained 7% of species turnover among survey sites. Conclusions The results suggest that preservation and expansion of tree cover at local scales can protect biodiversity for a wide range of taxa, including arthropods, and also confer protection against disease vector occurrence. The identified spatial range of tree cover benefits can inform land management for conservation and public health protection.
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Morin E, Razafimbelo NT, Yengué JL, Guinard Y, Grandjean F, Bech N. Are human-induced changes good or bad to dynamic landscape connectivity? J Environ Manage 2024; 352:120009. [PMID: 38184871 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.120009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Land managers must find a compromise between rapidly changing landscapes and biodiversity conservation through ecological networks. Estimating ecological networks is a key approach to enhance or maintain functional connectivity by identifying the nodes and links of a graph, which represent habitats and their corresponding functional corridors, respectively. To understand the current state of biodiversity, it is necessary to consider dynamic landscape connectivity while relying on relevant land cover maps. Although a current land cover map is relatively easy to produce using existing data, this is challenging for past landscapes. Here we investigated the impact of changes in landscape connectivity in an urban landscape at a fine scale on the habitat availability of two bird species: the tree pipit Anthus trivialis and the short-toed treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla. These species, exhibiting different niche ecologies, have shown contrasting population trends at a medium-term scale. The occurrences of C. brachydactyla were better correlated with resistance values that maximise the use of corridors, whereas the occurrences of A. trivialis better fitted with intermediate resistance values. The statistical approach indirectly highlighted relevant information about the ecology the capacity of both species to use urban habitats. Landscape connectivity increased for both species over the 24-year study period and may have implications for local abundances, which could explain, at the national scale, the increase in populations of C. brachydactyla, but not the decrease in populations of A. trivialis. Thus, more attention must be paid on rural habitats and their associated species that are more impacted by human activities, but efforts could also be achieved in urban areas especially for highly corridor-dependent species. Studying dynamic landscape connectivity at a fine scale is essential for estimating past and future land cover changes and their associated impacts on ecological networks, to better reconcile human and biodiversity concerns in land management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elie Morin
- Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions (UMR CNRS 7267), 3 Rue Jacques Fort, 86000, Poitiers, France.
| | - Ny Tolotra Razafimbelo
- Université de Laval, Faculté de Foresterie et Géomatique Département des Sciences Géomatiques, 1055 Avenue Du Séminaire, Québec (Québec), G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Jean-Louis Yengué
- Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire RURALITES, UR13823, MSHS, Bâtiment A5, 5 Rue Théodore Lefèbvre, TSA 21103, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex 9, France
| | - Yvonnick Guinard
- Grand Poitiers Communauté Urbaine, Hôtel Communautaire, 84 Rue des Carmélites, 86000, Poitiers, France
| | - Frédéric Grandjean
- Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions (UMR CNRS 7267), 3 Rue Jacques Fort, 86000, Poitiers, France
| | - Nicolas Bech
- Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions (UMR CNRS 7267), 3 Rue Jacques Fort, 86000, Poitiers, France
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23
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Clements HS, Do Linh San E, Hempson G, Linden B, Maritz B, Monadjem A, Reynolds C, Siebert F, Stevens N, Biggs R, De Vos A, Blanchard R, Child M, Esler KJ, Hamann M, Loft T, Reyers B, Selomane O, Skowno AL, Tshoke T, Abdoulaye D, Aebischer T, Aguirre-Gutiérrez J, Alexander GJ, Ali AH, Allan DG, Amoako EE, Angedakin S, Aruna E, Avenant NL, Badjedjea G, Bakayoko A, Bamba-Kaya A, Bates MF, Bates PJJ, Belmain SR, Bennitt E, Bradley J, Brewster CA, Brown MB, Brown M, Bryja J, Butynski TM, Carvalho F, Channing A, Chapman CA, Cohen C, Cords M, Cramer JD, Cronk N, Cunneyworth PMK, Dalerum F, Danquah E, Davies-Mostert HT, de Blocq AD, De Jong YA, Demos TC, Denys C, Djagoun CAMS, Doherty-Bone TM, Drouilly M, du Toit JT, Ehlers Smith DA, Ehlers Smith YC, Eiseb SJ, Fashing PJ, Ferguson AW, Fernández-García JM, Finckh M, Fischer C, Gandiwa E, Gaubert P, Gaugris JY, Gibbs DJ, Gilchrist JS, Gil-Sánchez JM, Githitho AN, Goodman PS, Granjon L, Grobler JP, Gumbi BC, Gvozdik V, Harvey J, Hauptfleisch M, Hayder F, Hema EM, Herbst M, Houngbédji M, Huntley BJ, Hutterer R, Ivande ST, Jackson K, Jongsma GFM, Juste J, Kadjo B, Kaleme PK, Kamugisha E, Kaplin BA, Kato HN, Kiffner C, Kimuyu DM, Kityo RM, Kouamé NG, Kouete T M, le Roux A, Lee ATK, Lötter MC, Lykke AM, MacFadyen DN, Macharia GP, Madikiza ZJK, Mahlaba TAM, Mallon D, Mamba ML, Mande C, Marchant RA, Maritz RA, Markotter W, McIntyre T, Measey J, Mekonnen A, Meller P, Melville HI, Mganga KZ, Mills MGL, Minnie L, Missoup AD, Mohammad A, Moinde NN, Moise BFE, Monterroso P, Moore JF, Musila S, Nago SGA, Namoto MW, Niang F, Nicolas V, Nkenku JB, Nkrumah EE, Nono GL, Norbert MM, Nowak K, Obitte BC, Okoni-Williams AD, Onongo J, O'Riain MJ, Osinubi ST, Parker DM, Parrini F, Peel MJS, Penner J, Pietersen DW, Plumptre AJ, Ponsonby DW, Porembski S, Power RJ, Radloff FGT, Rambau RV, Ramesh T, Richards LR, Rödel MO, Rollinson DP, Rovero F, Saleh MA, Schmiedel U, Schoeman MC, Scholte P, Serfass TL, Shapiro JT, Shema S, Siebert SJ, Slingsby JA, Sliwa A, Smit-Robinson HA, Sogbohossou EA, Somers MJ, Spawls S, Streicher JP, Swanepoel L, Tanshi I, Taylor PJ, Taylor WA, Te Beest M, Telfer PT, Thompson DI, Tobi E, Tolley KA, Turner AA, Twine W, Van Cakenberghe V, Van de Perre F, van der Merwe H, van Niekerk CJG, van Wyk PCV, Venter JA, Verburgt L, Veron G, Vetter S, Vorontsova MS, Wagner TC, Webala PW, Weber N, Weier SM, White PA, Whitecross MA, Wigley BJ, Willems FJ, Winterbach CW, Woodhouse GM. The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africa's major land uses. Sci Data 2024; 11:191. [PMID: 38346970 PMCID: PMC10861571 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02832-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species' population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate 'intactness scores': the remaining proportion of an 'intact' reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region's major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley S Clements
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
- Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Emmanuel Do Linh San
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
| | - Gareth Hempson
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Institute of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Birthe Linden
- Chair in Biodiversity Value & Change, Faculty of Science, Engineering & Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
| | - Bryan Maritz
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Ara Monadjem
- Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Eswatini
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Chevonne Reynolds
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Frances Siebert
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Nicola Stevens
- Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Reinette Biggs
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alta De Vos
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Ryan Blanchard
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Fynbos Node of the South African Environmental Observation Network, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Matthew Child
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Karen J Esler
- Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Maike Hamann
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Centre for Geography and Environmental Science, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Ty Loft
- School of Geography and the Environment, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Belinda Reyers
- Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Odirilwe Selomane
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Andrew L Skowno
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Tshegofatso Tshoke
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | | | | | - Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Graham J Alexander
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - David G Allan
- Bird Department, Durban Natural Science Museum, Durban, South Africa
| | - Esther E Amoako
- Department of Environment and Sustainability Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Samuel Angedakin
- Department of Environmental Management, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Edward Aruna
- Biodiversity Conservation, Reptile and Amphibian Program - Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Nico L Avenant
- Department of Mammalogy, National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Gabriel Badjedjea
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Kisangani/Biodiversity Monitoring Center, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Adama Bakayoko
- UFR Sciences de la Nature, Universite NanguiI Abrogoua, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Abraham Bamba-Kaya
- Institut de Recherches Agronomiques et Forestières (IRAF), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CENAREST), Libreville, Gabon
| | - Michael F Bates
- Department of Animal and Plant Systematics, National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | | | - Steven R Belmain
- Agriculture, Health and Environment, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Maritime, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Bennitt
- Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana
| | - James Bradley
- Kalahari Research and Conservation, Botswana, Botswana
| | | | | | - Michelle Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Josef Bryja
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas M Butynski
- Eastern Africa Primate Diversity and Conservation Program, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Filipe Carvalho
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
- BIOPOLIS-CIBIO/InBIO, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Alan Channing
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | | | - Callan Cohen
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Marina Cords
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Nadine Cronk
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Fredrik Dalerum
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Biodiversity Research Institute (CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres, Spain
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emmanuel Danquah
- Department of Wildlife and Range Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Harriet T Davies-Mostert
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Conserve Global, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Yvonne A De Jong
- Eastern Africa Primate Diversity and Conservation Program, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Terrence C Demos
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, The Field Museum, Chicago, United States of America
| | - Christiane Denys
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Chabi A M S Djagoun
- Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, Laboratory of Applied Ecology, University of Abomey Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Thomas M Doherty-Bone
- Conservation Programs, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Marine Drouilly
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Social Science Research (CSSR), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Panthera, New York, USA
| | - Johan T du Toit
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - David A Ehlers Smith
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Yvette C Ehlers Smith
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Seth J Eiseb
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Science, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Peter J Fashing
- Anthropology Department & Environmental Studies Program, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, United States of America
| | - Adam W Ferguson
- Gantz Family Collection Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA
| | | | - Manfred Finckh
- Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Claude Fischer
- Nature Management, University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, Geneva, Jussy, Switzerland
| | - Edson Gandiwa
- Scientific Services, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Philippe Gaubert
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, IRD/CNRS/UPS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, cedex, 9, France
| | - Jerome Y Gaugris
- Flora Fauna & Man, Ecological Services Limited, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
| | | | - Jason S Gilchrist
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | | | | | | | - Laurent Granjon
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - J Paul Grobler
- Genetics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Bonginkosi C Gumbi
- Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Vaclav Gvozdik
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Morgan Hauptfleisch
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Firas Hayder
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
| | - Emmanuel M Hema
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences Appliquées et Technologies (UFR-SAT), Université de Dédougou, Dédougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Marna Herbst
- Conservation Services, South African National Parks, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Mariano Houngbédji
- Organisation pour le Développement Durable et la Biodiversité, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Brian J Huntley
- CIBIO-Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, University of Porto, Vairao, Portugal
| | | | - Samuel T Ivande
- A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI), University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria
| | - Kate Jackson
- Biology Department, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, USA
| | | | - Javier Juste
- Evolutionary Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Seville, Spain; CIBER, CIBERESP, Madrid, Spain
| | - Blaise Kadjo
- Natural habitats and biodiversity management, University Félix Houphouet-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Prince K Kaleme
- Department of Biology, CRSN/ LWIRO, DS Bukavu, DR Congo, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Beth A Kaplin
- Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management, University of Rwanda, Huye, Rwanda
| | - Humphrey N Kato
- Biology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Christian Kiffner
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Duncan M Kimuyu
- Department of Natural Resources, Karatina University, Karatina, Kenya
| | - Robert M Kityo
- Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - N'goran G Kouamé
- UFR Environnement, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Tropicale, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Marcel Kouete T
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | - Aliza le Roux
- Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa campus, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa
| | - Alan T K Lee
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Mervyn C Lötter
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Duncan N MacFadyen
- Research and Conservation, Oppenheimer Generations, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Zimkitha J K Madikiza
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - David Mallon
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Mnqobi L Mamba
- Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Eswatini
| | - Claude Mande
- Department of Ecology and Wildlife Management, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Rob A Marchant
- York institute for Tropical Ecosystems, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Robin A Maritz
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
- Conservation Alpha, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Wanda Markotter
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Trevor McIntyre
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Roodepoort, South Africa
| | - John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, Yunnan University, Kunming, UMR7179, China
- MECADEV CNRS/MNHN, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'Anatomie Comparée, Paris, France
| | - Addisu Mekonnen
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Paulina Meller
- Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Haemish I Melville
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida, South Africa
| | - Kevin Z Mganga
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Michael G L Mills
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela, South Africa
| | - Liaan Minnie
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela, South Africa
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
| | - Alain Didier Missoup
- Faculty of Science, Laboratory of Biology and Physiology of Animal Organisms, Zoology Unit, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
| | - Abubakr Mohammad
- Researcher, Conflict and Environmental Observatory, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nancy N Moinde
- Conservation Biology, Institute of Primate Research-National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Pedro Monterroso
- Wildlife Conservation Ecology Research Group, CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairã, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- African Parks, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Simon Musila
- Mammalogy Section-Department of Zoology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sedjro Gilles A Nago
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie, de Botanique et de Biologie végétale, University of Parakou, Parakou, Benin
| | - Maganizo W Namoto
- Indigenous Woodland Strategy Area, Forestry Research Institute of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi
| | - Fatimata Niang
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Technology and Sciences, University Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Dakar, Sénégal
| | - Violaine Nicolas
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Jerry B Nkenku
- Departement of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Evans E Nkrumah
- Department of Wildlife and Range Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Gonwouo L Nono
- Department of Animal Biologie and Physiologie, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Mulavwa M Norbert
- Primatology, Center for Research in Ecology and Forestry (CREF), Bikoro, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Katarzyna Nowak
- Białowieża Geobotanical Station, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Benneth C Obitte
- Small Mammal Conservation Organization, Benin City, Nigeria
- Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, United States of America
| | | | | | - M Justin O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Samuel T Osinubi
- Białowieża Geobotanical Station, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Daniel M Parker
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela, South Africa
| | - Francesca Parrini
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mike J S Peel
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Animal Production Institute, Rangeland Ecology, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
- College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences: Department of Environmental Sciences (ABEERU), University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Johannes Penner
- Frogs & Friends, Berlin, Germany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology & Management, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Darren W Pietersen
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Andrew J Plumptre
- KBA Secretariat, c/o BirdLife International, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Damian W Ponsonby
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Stefan Porembski
- Institute of Biosciences, Department of Botany, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - R John Power
- Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation & Tourism, North West Provincial Government, Mahikeng, South Africa
| | - Frans G T Radloff
- Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ramugondo V Rambau
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Tharmalingam Ramesh
- Division of Conservation Ecology, Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, India
| | - Leigh R Richards
- Mammalogy Department, Durban Natural Science Museum, Durban, South Africa
| | - Mark-Oliver Rödel
- Herpetology, Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dominic P Rollinson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Francesco Rovero
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | | | - M Corrie Schoeman
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Paul Scholte
- Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Thomas L Serfass
- Department of Biology and Natural Resources, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, USA
| | - Julie Teresa Shapiro
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Sidney Shema
- Ornithology Section, Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Stefan J Siebert
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Jasper A Slingsby
- Fynbos Node of the South African Environmental Observation Network, Cape Town, South Africa
- Biological Sciences and Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Hanneline A Smit-Robinson
- Conservation Division, BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Applied Behavioural Ecological & Ecosystem Research Unit (ABEERU), University of South Africa, Florida, South Africa
| | | | - Michael J Somers
- Mammal Research Institute, Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Jarryd P Streicher
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Lourens Swanepoel
- Department of Biology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
| | - Iroro Tanshi
- Small Mammal Conservation Organization, Benin City, Nigeria
- Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Peter J Taylor
- Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa campus, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa
| | | | - Mariska Te Beest
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
- Grasslands-Forests-Wetlands Node of the South African Environmental Observation Network, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | | | - Dave I Thompson
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Ndlovu Node of the South African Environmental Observation Network, Phalaborwa, South Africa
| | - Elie Tobi
- Gabon Biodiversity Program, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Conservation and Sustainability, Gamba, Gabon
| | - Krystal A Tolley
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Andrew A Turner
- Biodiversity Capabilities Directorate, CapeNature, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Wayne Twine
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Victor Van Cakenberghe
- FunMorph Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- AfricanBats NPC, Centurion, South Africa
| | | | - Helga van der Merwe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Arid Lands Node of the South African Environmental Observation Network, Kimberley, South Africa
| | - Chris J G van Niekerk
- NWU Botanical Garden, School of Biological Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Pieter C V van Wyk
- Richtersveld Desert Botanical Gardens, Richtersveld National Park, SANParks, Sendelingsdrift, South Africa
| | - Jan A Venter
- Department of Conservation Management, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
| | - Luke Verburgt
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Geraldine Veron
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Susanne Vetter
- Department of Botany, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Maria S Vorontsova
- Accelerated Taxonomy, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas C Wagner
- Restoration Ecology, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Paul W Webala
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Maasai Mara University, Narok, Kenya
| | - Natalie Weber
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Ecological Consultant, Fürth, Germany
| | - Sina M Weier
- SARChI (NRF-DST) Research Chair on Biodiversity Value and Change, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
| | - Paula A White
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Melissa A Whitecross
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Landscape Conservation Programme, BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Benjamin J Wigley
- Plant Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- School of Natural Resource Management, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
- Scientific Services, South African National Parks, Skukuza, South Africa
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Hua F, Wang W, Nakagawa S, Liu S, Miao X, Yu L, Du Z, Abrahamczyk S, Arias-Sosa LA, Buda K, Budka M, Carrière SM, Chandler RB, Chiatante G, Chiawo DO, Cresswell W, Echeverri A, Goodale E, Huang G, Hulme MF, Hutto RL, Imboma TS, Jarrett C, Jiang Z, Kati VI, King DI, Kmecl P, Li N, Lövei GL, Macchi L, MacGregor-Fors I, Martin EA, Mira A, Morelli F, Ortega-Álvarez R, Quan RC, Salgueiro PA, Santos SM, Shahabuddin G, Socolar JB, Soh MCK, Sreekar R, Srinivasan U, Wilcove DS, Yamaura Y, Zhou L, Elsen PR. Ecological filtering shapes the impacts of agricultural deforestation on biodiversity. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:251-266. [PMID: 38182682 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02280-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
The biodiversity impacts of agricultural deforestation vary widely across regions. Previous efforts to explain this variation have focused exclusively on the landscape features and management regimes of agricultural systems, neglecting the potentially critical role of ecological filtering in shaping deforestation tolerance of extant species assemblages at large geographical scales via selection for functional traits. Here we provide a large-scale test of this role using a global database of species abundance ratios between matched agricultural and native forest sites that comprises 71 avian assemblages reported in 44 primary studies, and a companion database of 10 functional traits for all 2,647 species involved. Using meta-analytic, phylogenetic and multivariate methods, we show that beyond agricultural features, filtering by the extent of natural environmental variability and the severity of historical anthropogenic deforestation shapes the varying deforestation impacts across species assemblages. For assemblages under greater environmental variability-proxied by drier and more seasonal climates under a greater disturbance regime-and longer deforestation histories, filtering has attenuated the negative impacts of current deforestation by selecting for functional traits linked to stronger deforestation tolerance. Our study provides a previously largely missing piece of knowledge in understanding and managing the biodiversity consequences of deforestation by agricultural deforestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyuan Hua
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Weiyi Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shuangqi Liu
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinran Miao
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Le Yu
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Ministry of Education Ecological Field Station for East Asia Migratory Birds, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua University (Department of Earth System Science)-Xi'an Institute of Surveying and Mapping Joint Research Center for Next-Generation Smart Mapping, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenrong Du
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Stefan Abrahamczyk
- Department of Botany, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Luis Alejandro Arias-Sosa
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Organismos (GEO-UPTC), Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Tunja, Colombia
| | - Kinga Buda
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Michał Budka
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Stéphanie M Carrière
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR SENS, IRD, CIRAD, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - David O Chiawo
- Centre for Biodiversity Information Development, Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Will Cresswell
- Centre of Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
| | - Alejandra Echeverri
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Eben Goodale
- Department of Health and Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Guohualing Huang
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mark F Hulme
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
- British Trust for Ornithology, Norfolk, UK
| | - Richard L Hutto
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Titus S Imboma
- Ornithology Section, Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Crinan Jarrett
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Zhigang Jiang
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Vassiliki I Kati
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - David I King
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Primož Kmecl
- Group for Conservation Biology, DOPPS BirdLife Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Na Li
- Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Gábor L Lövei
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian University of Agriculture and Forestry, Fuzhou, China
- HUN-REN-DE Anthropocene Ecology Research Group, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Leandro Macchi
- Instituto de Ecología Regional (IER), CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Ian MacGregor-Fors
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Lahti, Finland
| | - Emily A Martin
- Institute of Animal Ecology and Systematic Zoology, Justus Liebig University of Gießen, Giessen, Germany
| | - António Mira
- MED (Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development), CHANGE (Global Change and Sustainability Institute) and UBC (Conservation Biology Lab), Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Technology, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Federico Morelli
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
| | - Rubén Ortega-Álvarez
- Investigadoras e Investigadores por México del Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), Dirección Regional Occidente, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rui-Chang Quan
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, China
| | - Pedro A Salgueiro
- MED (Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development), CHANGE (Global Change and Sustainability Institute), Institute for Advanced Studies and Research and UBC (Conservation Biology Lab), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Sara M Santos
- MED (Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development), CHANGE (Global Change and Sustainability Institute), Institute for Advanced Studies and Research and UBC (Conservation Biology Lab), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | | | | | | | - Rachakonda Sreekar
- Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Umesh Srinivasan
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - David S Wilcove
- School of Public and International Affairs and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Yuichi Yamaura
- Shikoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Kochi, Japan
| | - Liping Zhou
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Paul R Elsen
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, USA
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Broekman MJE, Hilbers JP, Tucker MA, Huijbregts MAJ, Schipper AM. Impacts of existing and planned roads on terrestrial mammal habitat in New Guinea. Conserv Biol 2024; 38:e14152. [PMID: 37551763 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
New Guinea is one of the last regions in the world with vast pristine areas and is home to many endemic species. However, extensive road development plans threaten the island's biodiversity. We quantified habitat fragmentation due to existing and planned roads for 139 terrestrial mammal species in New Guinea. For each species, we calculated the equivalent connected area (ECA) of habitat, a metric that takes into account the area and connectivity of habitat patches in 3 situations: no roads (baseline situation), existing roads (current), and existing and planned roads combined (future). We assessed the effect of roads as the proportion of the ECA remaining in the current and future situations relative to the baseline. To examine whether there were patterns in these relative ECA values, we fitted beta-regression models relating these values to 4 species characteristics: taxonomic order, body mass, diet, and International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List status. On average across species, current ECA was 89% (SD 12) of baseline ECA. Shawmayer's coccymys (Coccymys shawmayeri) had the lowest amount of current ECA relative to the baseline (53%). In the future situation, the average remaining ECA was 71% (SD 20) of baseline ECA. Future remaining ECA was below 50% of the baseline for 28 species. The montane soft-furred paramelomys (Paramelomys mollis) had the lowest future ECA relative to the baseline (36%). In general, currently nonthreatened carnivorous species with a large body mass had the greatest reductions of ECA in the future situation. In conclusion, future road development plans imply extensive additional habitat fragmentation for a large number of terrestrial mammal species in New Guinea. It is therefore important to limit the impact of planned roads, for example, by reconsidering the location of planned roads that intersect habitat of the most threatened species, or by the implementation of mitigation measures such as underpasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten J E Broekman
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jelle P Hilbers
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marlee A Tucker
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A J Huijbregts
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Aafke M Schipper
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague, The Netherlands
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26
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Hebenstreitova K, Salaba O, Trubac J, Kufnerova J, Vanek D. The Influence of Tanning Chemical Agents on DNA Degradation: A Robust Procedure for the Analysis of Tanned Animal Hide-A Pilot Study. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:147. [PMID: 38276276 PMCID: PMC10817434 DOI: 10.3390/life14010147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Illegal wildlife trade is currently on the rise, and it is becoming one of the most lucrative crime sectors. The rarer the species, the higher the demand. Wildlife trade falls under international regulations, such as the CITES convention. Proving that this convention has been violated is a complex process and can be very difficult to do. DNA analysis methods remain (in many cases) the only way to determine whether a certain specimen originated from a protected animal species, a specific individual, or a species in which it is legal to trade. Tanned animal hides are a specific type of specimen. With this type of biological material, obtaining amplifiable DNA is often difficult. This pilot study aimed to map the effect of the chemicals used in the tanning process on the degradation of the DNA yielded from such samples. The DNA was quantified using two different approaches: qPCR and Qubit fluorometry. The degree of DNA fragmentation was assessed by determining the degradation index. The results indicate that reagents containing chromium have the greatest influence on DNA degradation. However, by using the presented protocol, enough amplifiable DNA can be obtained from hides treated with aluminum-based reagents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristyna Hebenstreitova
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Salaba
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Trubac
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Kufnerova
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
- CRL Radiocarbon Laboratory, Department of Radiation Dosimetry, Nuclear Physic Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Truhlářce 38, 180 86 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Vanek
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
- Forensic DNA Service, Budínova 2, 180 81 Prague, Czech Republic
- Bulovka University Hospital, Budínova 2, 180 81 Prague, Czech Republic
- 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, V Úvalu 84, 150 00 Prague, Czech Republic
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27
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Cowan MA, Dunlop JA, Gibson LA, Moore HA, Setterfield SA, Nimmo DG. Movement ecology of an endangered mesopredator in a mining landscape. Mov Ecol 2024; 12:5. [PMID: 38233871 PMCID: PMC10795371 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00439-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efficient movement and energy expenditure are vital for animal survival. Human disturbance can alter animal movement due to changes in resource availability and threats. Some animals can exploit anthropogenic disturbances for more efficient movement, while others face restricted or inefficient movement due to fragmentation of high-resource habitats, and risks associated with disturbed habitats. Mining, a major anthropogenic disturbance, removes natural habitats, introduces new landscape features, and alters resource distribution in the landscape. This study investigates the effect of mining on the movement of an endangered mesopredator, the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus). Using GPS collars and accelerometers, we investigate their habitat selection and energy expenditure in an active mining landscape, to determine the effects of this disturbance on northern quolls. METHODS We fit northern quolls with GPS collars and accelerometers during breeding and non-breeding season at an active mine site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. We investigated broad-scale movement by calculating the movement ranges of quolls using utilisation distributions at the 95% isopleth, and compared habitat types and environmental characteristics within observed movement ranges to the available landscape. We investigated fine-scale movement by quolls with integrated step selection functions, assessing the relative selection strength for each habitat covariate. Finally, we used piecewise structural equation modelling to analyse the influence of each habitat covariate on northern quoll energy expenditure. RESULTS At the broad scale, northern quolls predominantly used rugged, rocky habitats, and used mining habitats in proportion to their availability. However, at the fine scale, habitat use varied between breeding and non-breeding seasons. During the breeding season, quolls notably avoided mining habitats, whereas in the non-breeding season, they frequented mining habitats equally to rocky and riparian habitats, albeit at a higher energetic cost. CONCLUSION Mining impacts northern quolls by fragmenting favoured rocky habitats, increasing energy expenditure, and potentially impacting breeding dispersal. While mining habitats might offer limited resource opportunities in the non-breeding season, conservation efforts during active mining, including the creation of movement corridors and progressive habitat restoration would likely be useful. However, prioritising the preservation of natural rocky and riparian habitats in mining landscapes is vital for northern quoll conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Cowan
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia.
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - J A Dunlop
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - L A Gibson
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - H A Moore
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - S A Setterfield
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - D G Nimmo
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia
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28
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Li F, Wu S, Liu H, Yan D. Biodiversity loss through cropland displacement for urban expansion in China. Sci Total Environ 2024; 907:167988. [PMID: 37875196 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
As a result of rapid economic development, urban expansion reduced the cropland in China. To secure the food supply, cropland displacement to maintain the quantity and quality of cropland has been implemented. Here, we quantified the biodiversity losses due to cropland displacement resulting from urban expansion from a telecoupling perspective in China from 1980 to 2020. A comprehensive multimodel assessment demonstrated that the indirect biodiversity losses due to cropland displacement resulting from urban expansion were approximately 2 to 3 times higher than its direct biodiversity losses, at a total loss of approximately 0.6 % to 1.0 %, as indicated by three biodiversity indicators. Displaced cropland with a higher biodiversity cost but lower cropland productivity is the main reason for the excessive indirect losses and suggests that socioecological processes may be detrimental to the synergistic benefits of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for food security and terrestrial biodiversity. This study also identified source-sink hotspots for indirect biodiversity losses, which can contribute to improving biodiversity conservation, optimizing the spatial distribution of cropland and thus enhancing socioecological system sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fufu Li
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, and PKU-Saihanba Station, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Shaohua Wu
- Institute of Land and Urban-Rural Development, Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics, 18 Xueyuan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China.
| | - Hongyan Liu
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, and PKU-Saihanba Station, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Daohao Yan
- School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China..
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29
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Kim KR, Sung MS, Hwang Y, Jeong JH, Yu JN. Assessment of the Genetic Diversity and Structure of the Korean Endemic Freshwater Fish Microphysogobio longidorsalis (Gobioninae) Using Microsatellite Markers: A First Glance from Population Genetics. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:69. [PMID: 38254959 PMCID: PMC10815670 DOI: 10.3390/genes15010069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Microphysogobio longidorsalis is endemic to South Korea and inhabits small areas of the Namhangang, Bukhangang, and Imjingang Rivers in the Hangang River water system. Endemic species usually are more vulnerable than species with a wide distribution. Notably, there is a lack of basic conservation data for M. longidorsalis. We analyzed 19 microsatellite loci in six populations of M. longidorsalis in South Korea to characterize their population structure and genetic diversity. The genetic diversity of the microsatellites was 0.741-0.779, which is lower than that of other freshwater fishes. The pairwise genetic differentiation of microsatellite (FST) values ranged from 0.007 to 0.041, suggesting low genetic differentiation between the populations. The Jojongicheon stream population (CP) had an effective population size of <100. Therefore, conservation efforts are required to prevent inbreeding depression in M. longidorsalis. Discriminant analysis of principal components showed that the Hangang River water system would be a single management unit (MU). Our findings provide fundamental genetic insights for the formulation of conservation strategies for M. longidorsalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-Rae Kim
- Animal & Plant Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju 37242, Republic of Korea; (K.-R.K.); (Y.H.); (J.H.J.)
| | - Mu-Sung Sung
- Muldeuli Research, Icheon 12607, Republic of Korea;
| | - Yujin Hwang
- Animal & Plant Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju 37242, Republic of Korea; (K.-R.K.); (Y.H.); (J.H.J.)
| | - Ju Hui Jeong
- Animal & Plant Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju 37242, Republic of Korea; (K.-R.K.); (Y.H.); (J.H.J.)
| | - Jeong-Nam Yu
- Animal & Plant Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju 37242, Republic of Korea; (K.-R.K.); (Y.H.); (J.H.J.)
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Zhelev Z, Minchev D, Angelov M. Blood parameters of adult marsh frogs Pelophylax ridibundus (Amphibia: Ranidae) in rice paddies subjected to intense agrochemical use. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2024; 31:1368-1381. [PMID: 38036908 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30974-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
We present the results of an in situ study of a set of blood parameters in adult marsh frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus (Pallas 1771) from populations inhabiting the largest system of rice fields in Bulgaria, the Tsalapitsa rice fields (TRF), under chronic stress conditions. This study was conducted in spring 2022 to assess the health status of TRF frogs compared to that of frogs occupying a reference site (RS). Furthermore, this study also compared the results obtained for the TRF population with those obtained in a study conducted at the exact same location with P. ridibundus individuals in 2013 (Zhelev et al. 2018). This comparison highlights the potential effects of persistent use of agrochemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) on the marsh frogs of later generations. Our results suggest that the general health of marsh frogs in the polluted site (PS) in southern Bulgaria has severely deteriorated. Frogs of both sexes were anemic with weakened immune systems compared to those living in the RS. The long-term use of agrochemicals in the PS affected males to a greater extent than it did females. Statistically significant hypochromia was observed in males, combined with general leukopenia, neutrophilia, lymphopenia, monocytosis, eosinophilia, and higher neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhivko Zhelev
- Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Asen St, 4000, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Danail Minchev
- Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Asen St, 4000, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Mladen Angelov
- East Aegean River Basin Directorate, 35 Yanko Sakazov St, 4000, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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Comte A, Barreyre J, Monnier B, de Rafael R, Boudouresque CF, Pergent G, Ruitton S. Operationalizing blue carbon principles in France: Methodological developments for Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows and institutionalization. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 198:115822. [PMID: 38016206 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Conservation of ecosystems is an important tool for climate change mitigation. Seagrasses, mangroves, saltmarshes and other marine ecosystems have particularly high capacities to sequester and store organic carbon (blue carbon), and are being impacted by human activities. Calls have been made to mainstream blue carbon into policies, including carbon markets. Building on the scientific literature and the French voluntary carbon standard, the 'Label Bas-Carbone', we develop the first method for the conservation of Posidonia oceanica seagrasses using carbon finance. This methodology assesses the emission reduction potential of projects that reduce physical impacts from boating and anchoring. We show how this methodology was institutionalized thanks to a tiered approach on key parameters including carbon stocks, degradation rates, and decomposition rates. We discuss future needs regarding (i) how to strengthen the robustness of the method, and (ii) the expansion of the method to restoration of seagrasses and to other blue carbon ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Comte
- IRD, Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, LEMAR, 29280 Plouzané, France.
| | | | - Briac Monnier
- Université de Corse, UMR CNRS SPE 6134, Campus Grimaldi BP 52, Corte, France
| | | | - Charles-François Boudouresque
- Aix Marseille Université - Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110, Marseille, France
| | - Gérard Pergent
- Université de Corse, UMR CNRS SPE 6134, Campus Grimaldi BP 52, Corte, France
| | - Sandrine Ruitton
- Aix Marseille Université - Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110, Marseille, France
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Chan AHJ, Gardner MG, Linacre A. Visualisation and detection of latent DNA deposited by pangolin scales onto plastic packaging materials. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2024; 68:102975. [PMID: 37984157 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2023.102975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
We report on the detection and visualisation of latent DNA from pangolin scales deposited onto a plastic packaging material through the use of a nucleic acid staining dye. This latent DNA deposited by pangolin scales was subsequently isolated and analysed using DNA barcoding method. Pangolins are the most illegally traded mammalian species due to the demand for their scales and meat. The demand for their scales were mostly fuelled by its use in traditional medicines. The scales are usually packed into bags and transported globally via sea routes. This is the first report detailing the detection of trace latent DNA from processed wildlife products, on surfaces of bags that they were packaged in. Prior to this report, it was not known if the dried pangolin scales contained transferable quantities of biological material for DNA analyses. To address this, scales were removed from a roadkill Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), processed by drying and packaged into one of five plastic bags. The presence of pangolin latent DNA was detected on the surface of the plastic bags and visualised using Diamond™ nucleic acid dye. Swabs were then used to recover the stained biological material from various locations in the five bags. The DNA was isolated and quantified using a newly designed quantitative PCR (qPCR) specific to M. javanica to amplify a fragment of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene. There was a positive correlation between the number of stained particles and DNA quantity, and a greater number of stained particles were found at the bottom of the bag than were found at the top. Conventional PCR targeting part of the cyt b gene amplified a product from all 30 samples taken from the bags and in all cases, sequence data generated matched that of the Sunda pangolin, as expected. All negative controls yielded no results. The method described here is the very first use of a nucleic acid staining dye to detect latent DNA from a mammalian species, other than humans, and highlights the opportunity for further use of Diamond™ nucleic acid dye in wildlife forensic science. It is anticipated that this method will be invaluable in retrieving latent DNA deposited by wildlife products from the environment in which they were contained, to determine the presence of these illegal wildlife products even when previously hidden, inaccessible, or no longer present physically. Further research is required to understand if the use on non-human mammalian wildlife species is feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy H J Chan
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Centre of Wildlife Forensics, National Parks Board of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Michael G Gardner
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Adrian Linacre
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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Peng Z, Yang Y, Liu Y, Bu L, Qi J, Gao H, Chen S, Pan H, Chen B, Liang C, Li X, An Y, Wang S, Wei G, Jiao S. The neglected roles of adjacent natural ecosystems in maintaining bacterial diversity in agroecosystems. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e16996. [PMID: 37916454 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
A central aim of community ecology is to understand how local species diversity is shaped. Agricultural activities are reshaping and filtering soil biodiversity and communities; however, ecological processes that structure agricultural communities have often overlooked the role of the regional species pool, mainly owing to the lack of large datasets across several regions. Here, we conducted a soil survey of 941 plots of agricultural and adjacent natural ecosystems (e.g., forest, wetland, grassland, and desert) in 38 regions across diverse climatic and soil gradients to evaluate whether the regional species pool of soil microbes from adjacent natural ecosystems is important in shaping agricultural soil microbial diversity and completeness. Using a framework of multiscales community assembly, we revealed that the regional species pool was an important predictor of agricultural bacterial diversity and explained a unique variation that cannot be predicted by historical legacy, large-scale environmental factors, and local community assembly processes. Moreover, the species pool effects were associated with microbial dormancy potential, where taxa with higher dormancy potential exhibited stronger species pool effects. Bacterial diversity in regions with higher agricultural intensity was more influenced by species pool effects than that in regions with low intensity, indicating that the maintenance of agricultural biodiversity in high-intensity regions strongly depends on species present in the surrounding landscape. Models for community completeness indicated the positive effect of regional species pool, further implying the community unsaturation and increased potential in bacterial diversity of agricultural ecosystems. Overall, our study reveals the indubitable role of regional species pool from adjacent natural ecosystems in predicting bacterial diversity, which has useful implication for biodiversity management and conservation in agricultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziheng Peng
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yunfeng Yang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lianyan Bu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jiejun Qi
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hang Gao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shi Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Haibo Pan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Beibei Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chunling Liang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaomeng Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yining An
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Gehong Wei
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shuo Jiao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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Aragão Silva JA, Dos Santos Soares LM, Ferreira FS, da Silva AB, Souto WMS. Use of wild vertebrates for consumption and bushmeat trade in Brazil: a review. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2023; 19:64. [PMID: 38111028 PMCID: PMC10729539 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-023-00628-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bushmeat is a resource exploited by thousands of people around the world, especially in tropical and neotropical regions, constituting an important source of protein and income. But what is known, so far, about the consumption and trade of wild vertebrate meat (hereinafter "bushmeat") in a megadiverse country like Brazil? This question was answered through a systematic survey of publications on the consumption and trade of wild vertebrate meat made in Brazil between 2011 and 2021. METHODS We selected 63 scientific articles available on "Google Scholar," "Science Direct," "Scopus," " Web of Science" and "Portal de Periódico da CAPES." The articles were categorized as: exclusive to (1) consumption or (2) bushmeat trade, totals of 54 and three articles, respectively; both (3) consumption and trade bushmeat, totaling six articles. We applied a nonparametric Spearman's correlation analysis to verify the association between the number of papers and the species richness of wild vertebrates cited for consumption by Brazilian state. RESULTS The results revealed that the publications were concentrated in the Northeast (36), North (26) and Southeast (1) regions, distributed across 16 states of the federation. These data reinforce the need for more researches in states and other regions of the country. Our research hypothesis was confirmed, since the richness of species cited for meat consumption was positively associated with the amount of work carried out by the states of the federation. We identified a total of 321 species of wild vertebrates mentioned in the categories involving the consumption of bushmeat. We had a greater bird species richness mentioned for consumption (170) to the detriment of mammals (107), reptiles (40) and amphibians (4). Furthermore, in the articles involving the bushmeat trade categories we had 57 species of vertebrates mentioned, with mammals being the most representative in terms of species richness (29), to the detriment of birds (20) and reptiles (8). These data reinforce that birds and mammals have been the groups most used both for consumption and trade in bushmeat in the country's regions, and it is necessary to mitigate the hunting exploitation of these groups. We recorded that socioeconomic, biological, environmental and sociocultural factors were the most cited predictors of the consumption and trade of bushmeat in the articles. We identified that the bushmeat trade chain is dynamic and ramified, made up of several actors, including specialized and diversified hunters, intermediaries, market sellers, market vendors, restaurant owners and final customers. Public markets and open-air fairs were the most cited places for buying and selling wild meat in commerce. CONCLUSIONS In general, our results indicate that we have made significant advances in publications on the consumption and trade of bushmeat in Brazil over the last few years. However, we highlight the need to better understand the patterns of consumption and trade of bushmeat in different regions of the country, as well as the factors associated with the dynamics of the trade chain and uses of wildlife by local communities. We emphasized that a multidimensional understanding of hunting activities is important to face socio-ecological problems and improve the conservation of target species which have continually been explored for uses by populations in different regions of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Augusto Aragão Silva
- Development and Environment Graduated Program, Federal University of Piauí (UFPI), Teresina, Piauí, CEP: 64049-550, Brazil.
| | | | - Felipe Silva Ferreira
- Graduated Program in Health and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Vale de São Francisco (UNIVASF), Petrolina, PE, CEP: 56304-917, Brazil
| | - André Bastos da Silva
- Development and Environment Graduated Program, Federal University of Piauí (UFPI), Teresina, Piauí, CEP: 64049-550, Brazil
- State University of Maranhão (UEMA), Coelho Neto, MA, CEP: 65620-000, Brazil
| | - Wedson Medeiros Silva Souto
- Development and Environment Graduated Program, Federal University of Piauí (UFPI), Teresina, Piauí, CEP: 64049-550, Brazil
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Bogoni JA, Concone HVB, Carvalho-Rocha V, Ferraz KMPMB, Peres CA. The historical ecology of the world's largest tropical country uniquely chronicled by its municipal coat-of-arms symbology. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2023; 95:e20220746. [PMID: 38126433 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202320220746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Coats-of-arms representing municipal counties express local patterns of rural economics, natural resource and land use, features of the natural capital, and the cultural heritage of either aborigines or colonists. We reconstruct the subnational economic and political timeline of the world's largest tropical country using municipal coats-of-arms to reinterpret Brazil's historical ecology. We assessed all natural resource, biophysical, agricultural, and ethnocultural elements of 5,197 coats-of-arms (93.3%) distributed throughout Brazil. We extracted socioenvironmental co-variables for any municipality to understand and predict the relationships between social inequality, environmental degradation, and the historical ecology symbology. We analyzed data via ecological networks and structural equation models. Our results show that the portfolio of political-administrative symbology in coats-of-arms is an underutilized tool to understand the history of colonization frontiers. Although Brazil is arguably Earth's most species-rich country, generations of political leaders have historically failed to celebrate this biodiversity, instead prioritizing a symbology depicted by icons of frontier conquest and key natural resources. Brazilian historical ecology reflects the relentless depletion of the natural resource capital while ignoring profound social inequalities. Degradation of natural ecosystems is widespread in Brazilian economy, reflecting a legacy of boom-and-bust rural development that so far has failed to deliver sustainable socioeconomic prosperity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliano A Bogoni
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Cidade Universitária, Av. Costa e Silva s/n, Pioneiros, 79070-900 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
- Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Agronomia, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
- Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Centro de Pesquisa de Limnologia, Biodiversidade e Etnobiologia do Pantanal; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Cidade Universitária, Av. Santos Dumont, s/n, 78200-000 Cáceres, MT, Brazil
| | - Henrique Villas Boas Concone
- Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Agronomia, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
- Universidade de São Paulo, Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades em Ecologia Aplicada, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" (ESALQ) e Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA), Av. Pádua Dias 11, Agronomia, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
- Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Av. Horácio Netto 1030, Chácaras Interlagos, 12945-010 Atibaia, SP, Brazil
| | - Vítor Carvalho-Rocha
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Campus Universitário Reitor João David Ferreira Lima, s/n, Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Katia M P M B Ferraz
- Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Agronomia, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Campus Universitário Reitor João David Ferreira Lima, s/n, Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
- Instituto Juruá, R. Ajuricaba, 359, Aleixo, 69083-020 Manaus, AM, Brazil
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Tinsman JC, Gruppi C, Bossu CM, Prigge TL, Harrigan RJ, Zaunbrecher V, Koepfli KP, LeBreton M, Njabo K, Wenda C, Xing S, Abernethy K, Ades G, Akeredolu E, Andrew IB, Barrett TA, Bernáthová I, Černá Bolfíková B, Diffo JL, Difouo Fopa G, Ebong LE, Godwill I, Koumba Pambo AF, Labuschagne K, Nwobegahay Mbekem J, Momboua BR, Mousset Moumbolou CL, Ntie S, Rose-Jeffreys E, Simo FT, Sundar K, Swiacká M, Takuo JM, Talla VNK, Tamoufe U, Dingle C, Ruegg K, Bonebrake TC, Smith TB. Genomic analyses reveal poaching hotspots and illegal trade in pangolins from Africa to Asia. Science 2023; 382:1282-1286. [PMID: 38096373 DOI: 10.1126/science.adi5066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
The white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) is the world's most trafficked mammal and is at risk of extinction. Reducing the illegal wildlife trade requires an understanding of its origins. Using a genomic approach for tracing confiscations and analyzing 111 samples collected from known geographic localities in Africa and 643 seized scales from Asia between 2012 and 2018, we found that poaching pressures shifted over time from West to Central Africa. Recently, Cameroon's southern border has emerged as a site of intense poaching. Using data from seizures representing nearly 1 million African pangolins, we identified Nigeria as one important hub for trafficking, where scales are amassed and transshipped to markets in Asia. This origin-to-destination approach offers new opportunities to disrupt the illegal wildlife trade and to guide anti-trafficking measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen C Tinsman
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Ashland, OR, USA
- Congo Basin Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Pangolin Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, London, UK
| | - Cristian Gruppi
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Congo Basin Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christen M Bossu
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Tracey-Leigh Prigge
- Pangolin Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, London, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ryan J Harrigan
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Congo Basin Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Virginia Zaunbrecher
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Congo Basin Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, Front Royal, VA, USA
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Matthew LeBreton
- Congo Basin Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Mosaic, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Kevin Njabo
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Congo Basin Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Cheng Wenda
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuang Xing
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Katharine Abernethy
- Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique, Libreville, Gabon
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Gary Ades
- Fauna Conservation Department, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Imuzei B Andrew
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Taneisha A Barrett
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Iva Bernáthová
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Černá Bolfíková
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Ghislain Difouo Fopa
- Pangolin Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, London, UK
- Department of Biology and Animal Physiology, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Lionel Esong Ebong
- Department of Ecology and Nature Management, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Ichu Godwill
- Pangolin Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, London, UK
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
| | | | - Kim Labuschagne
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Brice R Momboua
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Libreville, Gabon
- Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Carla L Mousset Moumbolou
- Pangolin Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, London, UK
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Libreville, Gabon
- Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, Franceville, Gabon
- Pangolin Conservation Network, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Stephan Ntie
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Libreville, Gabon
- Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, Franceville, Gabon
| | | | - Franklin T Simo
- Pangolin Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, London, UK
- Department of Biology and Animal Physiology, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Keerthana Sundar
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Markéta Swiacká
- Department of Spatial Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jean Michel Takuo
- International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Metabiota Cameroon Ltd, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Valery N K Talla
- Département de Biologie des Organismes, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Applied Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
| | | | - Caroline Dingle
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kristen Ruegg
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Timothy C Bonebrake
- Congo Basin Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Pangolin Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, London, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Thomas B Smith
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Congo Basin Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Pacifici M, Cristiano A, Lumbierres M, Lucherini M, Mallon D, Meijaard E, Solari S, Tognelli MF, Belant JL, Butynski TM, Cronin D, d'Huart JP, Da Re D, de Jong YA, Dheer A, Fei L, Gallina S, Goodrich JM, Harihar A, Lopez Gonzalez CA, King SRB, Lewison RL, de Melo FR, Napolitano C, Rahman DA, Robinson PT, Robinson T, Rondinini C, Semiadi G, Strier K, Talebi M, Taylor WA, Thiel-Bender C, Ting N, Wiesel I. Drivers of habitat availability for terrestrial mammals: Unravelling the role of livestock, land conversion and intrinsic traits in the past 50 years. Glob Chang Biol 2023; 29:6900-6911. [PMID: 37804212 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
The global decline of terrestrial species is largely due to the degradation, loss and fragmentation of their habitats. The conversion of natural ecosystems for cropland, rangeland, forest products and human infrastructure are the primary causes of habitat deterioration. Due to the paucity of data on the past distribution of species and the scarcity of fine-scale habitat conversion maps, however, accurate assessment of the recent effects of habitat degradation, loss and fragmentation on the range of mammals has been near impossible. We aim to assess the proportions of available habitat within the lost and retained parts of mammals' distribution ranges, and to identify the drivers of habitat availability. We produced distribution maps for 475 terrestrial mammals for the range they occupied 50 years ago and compared them to current range maps. We then calculated the differences in the percentage of 'area of habitat' (habitat available to a species within its range) between the lost and retained range areas. Finally, we ran generalized linear mixed models to identify which variables were more influential in determining habitat availability in the lost and retained parts of the distribution ranges. We found that 59% of species had a lower proportion of available habitat in the lost range compared to the retained range, thus hypothesizing that habitat loss could have contributed to range declines. The most important factors negatively affecting habitat availability were the conversion of land to rangeland and high density of livestock. Significant intrinsic traits were those related to reproductive timing and output, habitat breadth and medium body size. Our findings emphasize the importance of implementing conservation strategies to mitigate the impacts caused by human activities on the habitats of mammals, and offer evidence indicating which species have the potential to reoccupy portions of their former range if other threats cease to occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Pacifici
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Cristiano
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Maria Lumbierres
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mauro Lucherini
- GECM (Grupo de Ecología comportamental de Mamíferos), INBIOSUR, CONICET-UNS, Dpto. de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, UNS, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | | | - Erik Meijaard
- Borneo Futures, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Sergio Solari
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | | | - Jerrold L Belant
- SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Thomas M Butynski
- Eastern Africa Primate Diversity and Conservation Program, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Drew Cronin
- North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Daniele Da Re
- Georges Lemaître Center for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Yvonne A de Jong
- Eastern Africa Primate Diversity and Conservation Program, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Arjun Dheer
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Li Fei
- Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hong Kong, China
| | | | | | - Abishek Harihar
- Panthera, New York, New York, USA
- Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Sarah R B King
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
- IUCN/SSC Equid Specialist Group, Arusha, Tanzania
| | | | - Fabiano R de Melo
- Departamento de Engenharia Florestal Avenida Purdue, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Constanza Napolitano
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Concepción, Chile
- Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), Puerto Williams, Chile
| | - Dede Aulia Rahman
- Department of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecotourism, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Kampus IPB Dramaga, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
- Primate Research Center, Institute of Research and Community Service, Kampus IPB Lodaya, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | | | - Timothy Robinson
- Animal Production and Health Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Rondinini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gono Semiadi
- Research Centre for Applied Zoology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Indonesia
| | - Karen Strier
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Mauricio Talebi
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Programa de Pós Graduação Análise Ambiental Integrada, Campus Diadema, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Ingrid Wiesel
- Brown Hyena Research Project, Luderitz, Namibia
- University of Pretoria, Mammal Research Institute, Hatfield, South Africa
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Buchan C, Gilroy JJ, Catry I, Hewson CM, Atkinson PW, Franco AMA. Combining remote sensing and tracking data to quantify species' cumulative exposure to anthropogenic change. Glob Chang Biol 2023; 29:6679-6692. [PMID: 37812027 PMCID: PMC10946810 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Identifying when and where organisms are exposed to anthropogenic change is crucial for diagnosing the drivers of biodiversity declines and implementing effective conservation measures. Accurately measuring individual-scale exposure to anthropogenic impacts across the annual cycle as they move across continents requires an approach that is both spatially and temporally explicit-now achievable through recent parallel advances in remote-sensing and individual tracking technologies. We combined 10 years of tracking data for a long-distance migrant, (common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus), with multi-dimensional remote-sensed spatial datasets encompassing thirteen relevant anthropogenic impacts (including infrastructure, hunting, habitat change, and climate change), to quantify mean hourly and total accumulated exposure of tracked individuals to anthropogenic change across each stage of the annual cycle. Although mean hourly exposure to anthropogenic change was greatest in the breeding stage, accumulated exposure to changes associated with direct mortality risks (e.g., built infrastructure) and with climate were greatest during the wintering stage, which comprised 63% of the annual cycle on average for tracked individuals. Exposure to anthropogenic change varied considerably within and between migratory flyways, but there were no clear between-flyway differences in overall exposure during migration stages. However, more easterly autumn migratory routes were significantly associated with lower subsequent exposure to anthropogenic impacts in the winter stage. Cumulative change exposure was not significantly associated with recent local-scale population trends in the breeding range, possibly because cuckoos from shared breeding areas may follow divergent migration routes and therefore encounter very different risk landscapes. Our study highlights the potential for the integration of tracking data and high-resolution remote sensing to generate valuable and detailed new insights into the impacts of environmental change on wild species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Buchan
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
| | - James J. Gilroy
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
| | - Inês Catry
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoUniversidade do PortoVairaoPortugal
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de AgronomiaUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in GenomicsBiodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIOVairaoPortugal
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Li Y, Blackburn TM, Luo Z, Song T, Watters F, Li W, Deng T, Luo Z, Li Y, Du J, Niu M, Zhang J, Zhang J, Yang J, Wang S. Quantifying global colonization pressures of alien vertebrates from wildlife trade. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7914. [PMID: 38036540 PMCID: PMC10689770 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43754-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The global trade in live wildlife elevates the risk of biological invasions by increasing colonization pressure (the number of alien species introduced to an area). Yet, our understanding of species traded as aliens remains limited. We created a comprehensive global database on live terrestrial vertebrate trade and use it to investigate the number of traded alien species, and correlates of establishment richness for aliens. We identify 7,780 species involved in this trade globally. Approximately 85.7% of these species are traded as aliens, and 12.2% of aliens establish populations. Countries with greater trading power, higher incomes, and larger human populations import more alien species. These countries, along with island nations, emerge as hotspots for establishment richness of aliens. Colonization pressure and insularity consistently promote establishment richness across countries, while socio-economic factors impact specific taxa. Governments must prioritize policies to mitigate the release or escape of traded animals and protect global biosecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Li
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China.
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang, 100101, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
| | - Tim M Blackburn
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Zexu Luo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Tianjian Song
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Freyja Watters
- Invasion Science & Wildlife Ecology Lab, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Wenhao Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Teng Deng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenhua Luo
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, NO.152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei, China
| | - Yuanyi Li
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Jiacong Du
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Meiling Niu
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Jinyu Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Jiaxue Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Siqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
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40
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Leroy B, Bellard C, Dias MS, Hugueny B, Jézéquel C, Leprieur F, Oberdorff T, Robuchon M, Tedesco PA. Major shifts in biogeographic regions of freshwater fishes as evidence of the Anthropocene epoch. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadi5502. [PMID: 37976358 PMCID: PMC10656075 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi5502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Animals and plants worldwide are structured in global biogeographic regions, which were shaped by major geologic forces during Earth history. Recently, humans have changed the course of events by multiplying global pathways of introduction for nonindigenous species and propagating local species extirpations. Here, we report on how introductions and extirpations have changed the distributions of freshwater fishes worldwide and how it affected their natural biogeographic regions. We found major shifts in natural regions, with the emergence of an intercontinental region arising from the fusion of multiple faunas, which we named Pan-Anthropocenian Global North and East Asia (PAGNEA). The PAGNEA region is evocative of the Pangea supercontinent, as flows of introductions show that dispersal has become possible again across multiple continents, suggesting that human activities have superseded natural geological forces. Our results constitute evidence on the expected modification of biostratigraphic boundaries based on freshwater fish, which are abundant in the fossil record, thereby supporting the concept of the Anthropocene epoch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Leroy
- Unité Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA, UMR 8067), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, CNRS, IRD, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Céline Bellard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Murilo S. Dias
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília-DF, Brazil
| | - Bernard Hugueny
- UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique), CNRS, IRD, UPS, Université Paul Sabatier, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Céline Jézéquel
- UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique), CNRS, IRD, UPS, Université Paul Sabatier, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Fabien Leprieur
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, IFREMER, Montpellier, France
| | - Thierry Oberdorff
- UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique), CNRS, IRD, UPS, Université Paul Sabatier, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Marine Robuchon
- Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, Directorate for Sustainable Resources, 21027 Ispra (VA), Italy
| | - Pablo A. Tedesco
- UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique), CNRS, IRD, UPS, Université Paul Sabatier, F-31062 Toulouse, France
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41
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Flinte V, Pádua DG, Durand EM, Hodgin C, Khattar G, da Silveira LFL, Fernandes DRR, Sääksjärvi IE, Monteiro RF, Macedo MV, Mayhew PJ. Variation in a Darwin Wasp (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) Community along an Elevation Gradient in a Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot: Implications for Ecology and Conservation. Insects 2023; 14:861. [PMID: 37999060 PMCID: PMC10671876 DOI: 10.3390/insects14110861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how biodiversity varies from place to place is a fundamental goal of ecology and an important tool for halting biodiversity loss. Parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera) are a diverse and functionally important animal group, but spatial variation in their diversity is poorly understood. We survey a community of parasitic wasps (Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) using Malaise traps up a mountain in the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest, and relate the catch to biotic and abiotic habitat characteristics. We find high species richness compared with previous similar studies, with abundance, richness, and diversity peaking at low to intermediate elevation. There is a marked change in community composition with elevation. Habitat factors strongly correlated with elevation also strongly predict changes in the pimpline community, including temperature as well as the density of bamboo, lianas, epiphytes, small trees, and herbs. These results identify several possible surrogates of pimpline communities in tropical forests, which could be used as a tool in conservation. They also contribute to the growing evidence for a typical latitudinal gradient in ichneumonid species richness, and suggest that low to medium elevations in tropical regions will sometimes conserve the greatest number of species locally, but to conserve maximal biodiversity, a wider range of elevations should also be targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Flinte
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, C.P. 68020, Rio de Janeiro 21941-590, Brazil; (V.F.); (G.K.); (L.F.L.d.S.); (R.F.M.); (M.V.M.)
| | - Diego G. Pádua
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus 69067-375, Brazil; (D.G.P.); (D.R.R.F.)
- Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad Católica del Maule, Avenida San Miguel, Talca 3605, Chile
| | - Emily M. Durand
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK; (E.M.D.); (C.H.)
| | - Caitlin Hodgin
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK; (E.M.D.); (C.H.)
| | - Gabriel Khattar
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, C.P. 68020, Rio de Janeiro 21941-590, Brazil; (V.F.); (G.K.); (L.F.L.d.S.); (R.F.M.); (M.V.M.)
- Laboratory of Community and Quantitative Ecology, Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Luiz Felipe L. da Silveira
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, C.P. 68020, Rio de Janeiro 21941-590, Brazil; (V.F.); (G.K.); (L.F.L.d.S.); (R.F.M.); (M.V.M.)
- Biology Department, Western Carolina University, 1 University Drive, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA
| | - Daniell R. R. Fernandes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus 69067-375, Brazil; (D.G.P.); (D.R.R.F.)
| | | | - Ricardo F. Monteiro
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, C.P. 68020, Rio de Janeiro 21941-590, Brazil; (V.F.); (G.K.); (L.F.L.d.S.); (R.F.M.); (M.V.M.)
| | - Margarete V. Macedo
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, C.P. 68020, Rio de Janeiro 21941-590, Brazil; (V.F.); (G.K.); (L.F.L.d.S.); (R.F.M.); (M.V.M.)
| | - Peter J. Mayhew
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK; (E.M.D.); (C.H.)
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Gardner AS, Trew BT, Maclean IMD, Sharma MD, Gaston KJ. Wilderness areas under threat from global redistribution of agriculture. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4721-4726.e2. [PMID: 37863061 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Agriculture expansion is already the primary cause of terrestrial biodiversity loss globally1,2; yet, to meet the demands of growing human populations, production is expected to have to double by 2050.3 The challenge of achieving expansion without further detriment to the environment and biodiversity is huge and potentially compounded by climate change, which may necessitate shifting agriculture zones poleward to regions with more suitable climates,4 threatening species or areas of conservation priority.5,6,7 However, the possible future overlap between agricultural suitability and wilderness areas, increasingly recognized for significant biodiversity, cultural, and climate regulation values, has not yet been examined. Here, using high-resolution climate data, we model global present and future climate suitability for 1,708 crop varieties. We project, over the next 40 years, that 2.7 million km2 of land within wilderness will become newly suitable for agriculture, equivalent to 7% of the total wilderness area outside Antarctica. The increase in potentially cultivable land in wilderness areas is particularly acute at higher latitudes in the northern hemisphere, where 76.3% of newly suitable land is currently wilderness, equivalent to 10.2% of the total wilderness area. Our results highlight an important and previously unidentified possible consequence of the disproportionate warming known to be occurring in high northern latitudes. Because we find that, globally, 72.0% of currently cultivable land is predicted to experience a net loss in total crop diversity, agricultural expansion is a major emerging threat to wilderness. Without protection, the vital integrity of these valuable areas could be irreversibly lost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra S Gardner
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Brittany T Trew
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Ilya M D Maclean
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Manmohan D Sharma
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Kevin J Gaston
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
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Liang D, Giam X, Hu S, Ma L, Wilcove DS. Assessing the illegal hunting of native wildlife in China. Nature 2023; 623:100-105. [PMID: 37880359 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06625-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Illegal harvesting and trading of wildlife have become major threats to global biodiversity and public health1-3. Although China is widely recognized as an important destination for wildlife illegally obtained abroad4, little attention has been given to illegal hunting within its borders. Here we extracted 9,256 convictions for illegal hunting from a nationwide database of trial verdicts in China spanning January 2014 to March 2020. These convictions involved illegal hunting of 21% (n = 673) of China's amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species, including 25% of imperilled species in these groups. Sample-based extrapolation indicates that many more species were taken illegally during this period. Larger body mass and range size (for all groups), and proximity to urban markets (for amphibians and birds) increase the probability of a species appearing in the convictions database. Convictions pertained overwhelmingly to illegal hunting for commercial purposes and involved all major habitats across China. A small number of convictions represented most of the animals taken, indicating the existence of large commercial poaching operations. Prefectures closer to urban markets show higher densities of convictions and more individual animals taken. Our results suggest that illegal hunting is a major, overlooked threat to biodiversity throughout China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liang
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Xingli Giam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Sifan Hu
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biological Control, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Ma
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - David S Wilcove
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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44
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Smith-Hall C, Pyakurel D, Meilby H, Pouliot M, Ghimire PL, Ghimire S, Madsen ST, Paneru YR, Subedi BP, Timoshyna A, Treue T. The sustainability of trade in wild plants-A data-integration approach tested on critically endangered Nardostachys jatamansi. PNAS Nexus 2023; 2:pgad328. [PMID: 37954162 PMCID: PMC10635652 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
While the demand for many products from wild-harvested plants is growing rapidly, the sustainability of the associated plant trade remains poorly understood and understudied. We integrate ecological and trade data to advance sustainability assessments, using the critically endangered Nardostachys jatamansi in Nepal to exemplify the approach and illustrate the conservation policy gains. Through spatial distribution modeling and structured interviews with traders, wholesalers, and processors, we upscale district-level trade data to provincial and national levels and compare traded amounts to three sustainable harvest scenarios derived from stock and yield data in published inventories and population ecology studies. We find increased trade levels and unsustainable harvesting focused in specific subnational geographical locations. Data reported in government records and to CITES did not reflect estimated trade levels and could not be used to assess sustainability. Our results suggest that changing harvesting practices to promote regeneration would allow country-wide higher levels of sustainable harvests, simultaneously promoting species conservation and continued trade of substantial economic importance to harvesters and downstream actors in the production network. The approach can be applied to other plant species, with indication that quick and low-cost proxies to species distribution modeling may provide acceptable sustainability estimates at aggregated spatial levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Smith-Hall
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, Frederiksberg 1958 C, Denmark
| | - Dipesh Pyakurel
- Resources Himalaya Foundation, Damkal Charkrapath Marg 10007, Lalitpur Metropolitan City-3, Lalitpur, Nepal
| | - Henrik Meilby
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, Frederiksberg 1958 C, Denmark
| | - Mariève Pouliot
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, Frederiksberg 1958 C, Denmark
| | - Puspa L Ghimire
- Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources, 819/29 Bhimsengola Marg, Kathmandu Metropolitan City-31, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Suresh Ghimire
- Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur Municipality-10, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Sofia T Madsen
- Department of Sustainability and Planning, University of Aalborg, A.C. Meyers Vænge 15, 2450 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yagya R Paneru
- National Herbarium and Plant Laboratories, Satdobato-Godavari Rd, Godawari-3, Lalitpur, Nepal
| | - Bhishma P Subedi
- Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources, 819/29 Bhimsengola Marg, Kathmandu Metropolitan City-31, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Anastasiya Timoshyna
- TRAFFIC International, Cambridge, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Thorsten Treue
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, Frederiksberg 1958 C, Denmark
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45
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Wiens JJ. How many species are there on Earth? Progress and problems. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002388. [PMID: 37983223 PMCID: PMC10659151 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
How many species exist on Earth? Projections range from millions to trillions. A 2011 paper in PLOS Biology provided a comprehensive estimate of 9 million.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J. Wiens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
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46
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Kuipers KJJ, Sim S, Hilbers JP, van den Berg SK, de Jonge MMJ, Trendafilova K, Huijbregts MAJ, Schipper AM. Land use diversification may mitigate on-site land use impacts on mammal populations and assemblages. Glob Chang Biol 2023; 29:6234-6247. [PMID: 37665234 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Land use is a major cause of biodiversity decline worldwide. Agricultural and forestry diversification measures, such as the inclusion of natural elements or diversified crop types, may reduce impacts on biodiversity. However, the extent to which such measures may compensate for the negative impacts of land use remains unknown. To fill that gap, we synthesised data from 99 studies that recorded mammal populations or assemblages in natural reference sites and in cropland and forest plantations, with or without diversification measures. We quantified the responses to diversification measures based on individual species abundance, species richness and assemblage intactness as quantified by the mean species abundance indicator. In cropland with natural elements, mammal species abundance and richness were, on average, similar to natural conditions, while in cropland without natural elements they were reduced by 28% and 34%, respectively. We found that mammal species richness was comparable between diversified forest plantations and natural reference sites, and 32% lower in plantations without natural elements. In both cropland and plantations, assemblage intactness was reduced compared with natural reference conditions, but the reduction was smaller if diversification measures were in place. In addition, we found that responses to land use were modified by species traits and environmental context. While habitat specialist populations were reduced in cropland without diversification and in forest plantations, habitat generalists benefited. Furthermore, assemblages were impacted more by land use in tropical regions and landscapes containing a larger share of (semi)natural habitat compared with temperate regions and more converted landscapes. Given that mammal assemblage intactness is reduced also when diversification measures are in place, special attention should be directed to species that suffer from land use impacts. That said, our results suggest potential for reconciling land use and mammal conservation, provided that the diversification measures do not compromise yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen J J Kuipers
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah Sim
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre (SEAC), Unilever R&D, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, UK
| | - Jelle P Hilbers
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Stefanie K van den Berg
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Melinda M J de Jonge
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Krista Trendafilova
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A J Huijbregts
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Aafke M Schipper
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague, The Netherlands
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47
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Ding P, Song Z, Liu Y, Halimubieke N, Székely T, Shi L. Nesting Habitat Suitability of the Kentish Plover in the Arid Lands of Xinjiang, China. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3369. [PMID: 37958123 PMCID: PMC10648522 DOI: 10.3390/ani13213369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the main ecological factors of the nesting habitat of shorebirds is of great significance in relation to their protection and habitat management. Habitat loss and change due to a lack of water threaten the biodiversity of shorebirds, with impacts likely to be most pronounced in arid lands. We collected the data of 144 nesting sites and 10 ecological factors during the breeding season from April to July each year in 2019 and 2020 in nine river districts in Xinjiang. The MaxEnt model was applied to assess the suitability of nesting habitats for Kentish plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) in the study area to examine the main factors affecting their nesting habitat. The most suitable nesting habitats are mostly distributed in plain reservoirs in the middle part of the Northern Slope of the Tianshan Mountains, Ebinur Lake and its eastern position in the southwestern Junggar Basin, near Ulungur Lake of the Ulungur river area and the southern Irtysh river area. The distance from water, normalized difference vegetation index, mean temperature of the breeding season, slope, and land use were the main factors affecting the nesting habitat selection of Kentish plovers. It was found that the proportion of suitable nesting habitat protected for the Kentish plovers in the study area was low (851.66 km2), accounting for only 11.02% of the total suitable nesting habitat area. In view of the scarcity and importance of water bodies in arid lands and the lack of protection for Kentish plovers at present, it is suggested to strengthen the conservation and management of the regional shorebirds and their habitats by regulating and optimizing the allocation of water resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Ding
- College of Animal Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China;
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Biology, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
| | - Zitan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; (Z.S.); (Y.L.)
- Comparative Socioecology Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; (Z.S.); (Y.L.)
| | - Naerhulan Halimubieke
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA1 7AY, UK; (N.H.); (T.S.)
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA1 7AY, UK; (N.H.); (T.S.)
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Lei Shi
- College of Animal Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China;
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Biology, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
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48
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Kaizer M, Fabres B, Aguiar-Silva FH, Sanaiotti TM, Dias AR, Banhos A. The prey of the Harpy Eagle in its last reproductive refuges in the Atlantic Forest. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18308. [PMID: 37880262 PMCID: PMC10600338 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44014-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is threatened with extinction throughout its distribution in the neotropical forests. In the Atlantic Forest, deforestation has reduced the number of suitable habitats, with only a few remnant forest fragments hosting active nests; currently, the only known nests in this region are in the Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor (CAFEC), in Brazil. Little is known about Harpy Eagle diets in this region, despite this information being essential for developing effective conservation strategies. We classified the composition, frequency, richness, ecological attributes, and conservation status of the species that make up the Harpy Eagle's diet in its last refuges in the CAFEC. Between 2017 and 2021, we collected and analyzed 152 prey remains and 285 camera trap photographs from seven active nests. We identified at least 16 mammal species (96.7%), one parrot and other bird remains (3.3%). The Harpy Eagle's diet consisted mainly of medium-sized arboreal, folivorous, frugivorous, and diurnal mammals. Five prey species are currently threatened with extinction at global, six at national and seven at regional levels. The majority of the diet consists of Sapajus robustus, which is threatened, and Bradypus variegatus, which is not threatened. In addition to the effects of habitat loss and hunting, the Harpy Eagle may also suffer from the decline in the populations of their prey in the Atlantic Forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mylena Kaizer
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil
- Projeto Harpia (Harpy Eagle Project - Brazil), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Aleixo, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia - PPGZOOL, Universidade Federal do Amazonas - UFAM, Av. General Rodrigo Otávio Jordão Ramos, 3000, Coroado, Manaus, Amazonas, 69077-000, Brazil
| | - Brener Fabres
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil
- Projeto Harpia (Harpy Eagle Project - Brazil), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Aleixo, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal) - PPGBAN, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Avenida Fernando Ferrari, 514, Prédio Barbara Weinberg, Vitória, Espírito Santo, 29075-910, Brazil
| | - Francisca Helena Aguiar-Silva
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil
- Projeto Harpia (Harpy Eagle Project - Brazil), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Aleixo, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Avenida André Araújo, 2936, Petrópolis, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Tânia Margarete Sanaiotti
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil
- Projeto Harpia (Harpy Eagle Project - Brazil), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Aleixo, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Avenida André Araújo, 2936, Petrópolis, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Alexandro Ribeiro Dias
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil
- Reserva Particular de Patrimônio Natural Estação Veracel, Rodovia BR-367, 37, Porto Seguro, Bahia, 45810-000, Brazil
| | - Aureo Banhos
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil.
- Projeto Harpia (Harpy Eagle Project - Brazil), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Aleixo, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal) - PPGBAN, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Avenida Fernando Ferrari, 514, Prédio Barbara Weinberg, Vitória, Espírito Santo, 29075-910, Brazil.
- Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil.
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49
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Etard A, Newbold T. Species-level correlates of land-use responses and climate-change sensitivity in terrestrial vertebrates. Conserv Biol 2023:e14208. [PMID: 37855148 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Land-use and climate change are major pressures on terrestrial biodiversity. Species' extinction risk and responses to human pressures relate to ecological traits and other characteristics in some clades. However, large-scale comparative assessments of the associations between traits and responses to multiple human pressures across multiple clades are needed. We investigated whether a set of ecological characteristics that are commonly measured across terrestrial vertebrates (ecological traits and geographic range area) are associated with species' responses to different land-use types and species' likely sensitivity to climate change. We aimed to test whether generalizable patterns in response to these pressures arise across both pressures and across vertebrate clades, which could inform assessments of the global signature of human pressures on vertebrate biodiversity and guide conservation efforts. At the species level, we investigated associations between land-use responses and ecological characteristics with a space-for-time substitution approach, making use of the PREDICTS database. We investigated associations between ecological characteristics and expected climate-change sensitivity, estimated from properties of species realized climatic niches. Among the characteristics we considered, 3 were consistently associated with strong land-use responses and high climate-change sensitivity across terrestrial vertebrate classes: narrow geographic range, narrow habitat breadth, and specialization on natural habitats (which described whether a species occurs in artificial habitats or not). The associations of other traits with species' land-use responses and climate-change sensitivity often depended on species' class and land-use type, highlighting an important degree of context dependency. In all classes, invertebrate eaters and fruit and nectar eaters tended to be negatively affected in disturbed land-use types, whereas invertebrate-eating and plant- and seed-eating birds were estimated to be more sensitive to climate change, raising concerns about the continuation of ecological processes sustained by these species under global changes. Our results highlight a consistently higher sensitivity of narrowly distributed species and habitat specialists to land-use and climate change, which provides support for capturing such characteristics in large-scale vulnerability assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne Etard
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tim Newbold
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
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50
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Elsler LG, Oostdijk M, Gephart JA, Free CM, Zhao J, Tekwa E, Bochniewicz EM, Giron-Nava A, Johnson AF. Global trade network patterns are coupled to fisheries sustainability. PNAS Nexus 2023; 2:pgad301. [PMID: 37817775 PMCID: PMC10560747 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
The rapid development of seafood trade networks alongside the decline in biomass of many marine populations raises important questions about the role of global trade in fisheries sustainability. Mounting empirical and theoretical evidence shows the importance of trade development on commercially exploited species. However, there is limited understanding of how the development of trade networks, such as differences in connectivity and duration, affects fisheries sustainability. In a global analysis of over 400,000 bilateral trade flows and stock status estimates for 876 exploited fish and marine invertebrates from 223 territories, we reveal patterns between seafood trade network indicators and fisheries sustainability using a dynamic panel regression analysis. We found that fragmented networks with strong connectivity within a group of countries and weaker links between those groups (modularity) are associated with higher relative biomass. From 1995 to 2015, modularity fluctuated, and the number of trade connections (degree) increased. Unlike previous studies, we found no relationship between the number or duration of trade connections and fisheries sustainability. Our results highlight the need to jointly investigate fisheries and trade. Improved coordination and partnerships between fisheries authorities and trade organizations present opportunities to foster more sustainable fisheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura G Elsler
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 11419 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maartje Oostdijk
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Jessica A Gephart
- Department of Environmental Science, American University, Washington, DC 20016, USA
| | - Christopher M Free
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Junfu Zhao
- Institute of Marxism, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Eden Tekwa
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
| | | | - Alfredo Giron-Nava
- Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA
| | - Andrew F Johnson
- Marine SPACE group, The Lyell Centre, Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Currie, Scotland EH14 4AS, UK
- MarFishEco Fisheries Consultants Ltd., Edinburgh, Scotland EH7 5HT, UK
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