1
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Hilborn R, Smith DR. Is the long-tailed macaque at risk of extinction? Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23590. [PMID: 38124676 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
We review the evidence that long-tailed macaques are at risk of extinction and find that papers supporting this argument present no data supporting a hypothesized decline in abundance. These papers contain numerous misrepresentations of the published literature. Long-tailed macaques thrive in human-altered habitats, are listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as an invasive species of concern, and have shown the ability to increase by 7%-10% per year from low numbers, making the probability of extinction very low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Hilborn
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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2
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Mehta N, Chawla A. Eco-physiological trait variation in widely occurring species of Western Himalaya along elevational gradients reveals their high adaptive potential in stressful conditions. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2024; 159:29-59. [PMID: 38270813 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-023-01071-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Species distributed across a wide elevation range have broad environmental tolerance and adopt specific adaptation strategies to cope with varying climatic conditions. The aim of this study is to understand the patterns of variation in leaf eco-physiological traits that are related to the adaptation of species with a wide distribution in different climatic conditions. We studied the variability in eco-physiological traits of two co-occurring species of Western Himalaya (Rumex nepalensis and Taraxacum officinale), along elevational gradients. We conducted our study in elevations ranging from 1000 to 4000 m a.s.l. in three transects separated in an eco-region spanning 2.5° latitudes and 2.3° longitudes in the Western Himalaya. We hypothesized substantial variation in eco-physiological traits, especially increased net rate of photosynthesis (PN), Rubisco specific activity (RSA), and biochemicals at higher elevations, enabling species to adapt to varying environmental conditions. Therefore, the photosynthetic measurements along with leaf sampling were carried out during the months of June-August and the variations in photosynthetic performance and other leaf traits were assessed. Data was analyzed using a linear mixed effect model with 'species,' 'elevation' as fixed and 'transect' as random factor. Elevation had a significant effect on majority of traits. It was found that PN and maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco (Vcmax) have unimodal or declining trend along increasing elevations. High RSA was observed at higher elevations in all the three transects. Trends for biochemical traits such as total soluble sugars, total soluble proteins, proline, and total phenolics content suggested an increase in these traits for the survival of plants in harsh environments of higher elevations. Our study reveals that although there is considerable variation in the eco-physiological traits of the two species across elevational gradients of different transects, there are certain similarities in the patterns that depict their high adaptive potential in varying climatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandita Mehta
- Environmental Technology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, H.P, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Amit Chawla
- Environmental Technology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, H.P, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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3
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Balakirev AE, Bui PX, Rozhnov VV. New data on the distribution and diversity of the Tonkin limestone rat ( Tonkinomysdaovantieni, Rodentia, Muridae). Biodivers Data J 2023; 11:e110335. [PMID: 38312342 PMCID: PMC10838083 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.11.e110335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The paper presented novel findings of little-known species of rodents the Tonkin limestone rat Tonkinomysdaovantieni in Cao Bang Province, Vietnam with its morphological and genetic characterisation. The study summarises data on the distribution of this data-deficient species, available museum collections, genetic samples, information on its taxonomy and ecology, important to establish the proper conservation status of the species. An exhaustive map of the findings is provided. It is shown that, based on the data currently available, the species does not require taxonomic revision and also, apparently, does not need a special conservation measure; its status may be established to date as Near Threatened B1a+2a and the current population trend - Stable, IUCN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Balakirev
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
- Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Centre Hanoi Vietnam
| | - Phuong Xuan Bui
- Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Centre Hanoi Vietnam
| | - Viatcheslav V Rozhnov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
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4
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Duffus NE, Echeverri A, Dempewolf L, Noriega JA, Furumo PR, Morimoto J. The Present and Future of Insect Biodiversity Conservation in the Neotropics: Policy Gaps and Recommendations. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:407-421. [PMID: 36918492 PMCID: PMC10181979 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-023-01031-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that insect populations may be declining at local and global scales, threatening the sustainability of the ecosystem services that insects provide. Insect declines are of particular concern in the Neotropics, which holds several of the world's hotspots of insect endemism and diversity. Conservation policies are one way to prevent and mitigate insect declines, yet these policies are usually biased toward vertebrate species. Here, we outline some key policy instruments for biodiversity conservation in the Neotropics and discuss their potential contribution and shortcomings for insect biodiversity conservation. These include species-specific action policies, protected areas and Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs), sectoral policies, biodiversity offsetting, market-based mechanisms, and the international policy instruments that underpin these efforts. We highlight that although these policies can potentially benefit insect biodiversity indirectly, there are avenues in which we could better incorporate the specific needs of insects into policy to mitigate the declines mentioned above. We propose several areas of improvement. Firstly, evaluating the extinction risk of more Neotropical insects to better target at-risk species with species-specific policies and conserve their habitats within area-based interventions. Secondly, alternative pest control methods and enhanced monitoring of insects in a range of land-based production sectors. Thirdly, incorporating measurable and achievable insect conservation targets into international policies and conventions. Finally, we emphasise the important roles of community engagement and enhanced public awareness in achieving these improvements to insect conservation policies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alejandra Echeverri
- Centre for Conservation Biology, Dept of Biology, Stanford Univ, CA, Stanford, USA
- The Natural Capital Project, Stanford Univ, CA, Stanford, USA
| | - Lena Dempewolf
- Ministry of Planning and Development, Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Jorge Ari Noriega
- Grupo Agua, Salud y Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad El Bosque, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Paul R Furumo
- Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford Univ, Stanford, USA
| | - Juliano Morimoto
- School of Biological Sciences, Univ of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia E Conservação, Univ Federal Do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Institute of Mathematics, Univ of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen, Scotland
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5
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Etard A. Biodiversity conservation: Looking over the horizon. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R261-R264. [PMID: 37040706 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
In an age of planetary changes, conservation efforts are essential to protect biodiversity and nature's benefits to people. Large-scale quantitative analyses forecasting major threats to biodiversity can provide insights into which species and areas should be prioritised for conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne Etard
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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6
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Carvajal-Quintero J, Comte L, Giam X, Olden JD, Brose U, Erős T, Filipe AF, Fortin MJ, Irving K, Jacquet C, Larsen S, Ruhi A, Sharma S, Villalobos F, Tedesco PA. Scale of population synchrony confirms macroecological estimates of minimum viable range size. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:291-301. [PMID: 36468276 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Global ecosystems are facing a deepening biodiversity crisis, necessitating robust approaches to quantifying species extinction risk. The lower limit of the macroecological relationship between species range and body size has long been hypothesized as an estimate of the relationship between the minimum viable range size (MVRS) needed for species persistence and the organismal traits that affect space and resource requirements. Here, we perform the first explicit test of this assumption by confronting the MVRS predicted by the range-body size relationship with an independent estimate based on the scale of synchrony in abundance among spatially separated populations of riverine fish. We provide clear evidence of a positive relationship between the scale of synchrony and species body size, and strong support for the MVRS set by the lower limit of the range-body size macroecological relationship. This MVRS may help prioritize first evaluations for unassessed or data-deficient taxa in global conservation assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carvajal-Quintero
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lise Comte
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Xingli Giam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Julian D Olden
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ulrich Brose
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Tibor Erős
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute, ELKH, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Ana Filipa Filipe
- Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.,Associate Laboratory TERRA, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Marie-Josée Fortin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katie Irving
- Department of Biology, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, California, USA
| | - Claire Jacquet
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Larsen
- Fondazione Edmund Mach, Research and Innovation Centre, San Michele all'Adige, Italy.,Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Albert Ruhi
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Sapna Sharma
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fabricio Villalobos
- Laboratorio de Macroecología Evolutiva, Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Pablo A Tedesco
- UMR EDB, IRD 253, CNRS 5174, UPS, Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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7
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Gumbs R, Gray CL, Böhm M, Burfield IJ, Couchman OR, Faith DP, Forest F, Hoffmann M, Isaac NJB, Jetz W, Mace GM, Mooers AO, Safi K, Scott O, Steel M, Tucker CM, Pearse WD, Owen NR, Rosindell J. The EDGE2 protocol: Advancing the prioritisation of Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species for practical conservation action. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001991. [PMID: 36854036 PMCID: PMC9974121 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The conservation of evolutionary history has been linked to increased benefits for humanity and can be captured by phylogenetic diversity (PD). The Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) metric has, since 2007, been used to prioritise threatened species for practical conservation that embody large amounts of evolutionary history. While there have been important research advances since 2007, they have not been adopted in practice because of a lack of consensus in the conservation community. Here, building from an interdisciplinary workshop to update the existing EDGE approach, we present an "EDGE2" protocol that draws on a decade of research and innovation to develop an improved, consistent methodology for prioritising species conservation efforts. Key advances include methods for dealing with uncertainty and accounting for the extinction risk of closely related species. We describe EDGE2 in terms of distinct components to facilitate future revisions to its constituent parts without needing to reconsider the whole. We illustrate EDGE2 by applying it to the world's mammals. As we approach a crossroads for global biodiversity policy, this Consensus View shows how collaboration between academic and applied conservation biologists can guide effective and practical priority-setting to conserve biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rikki Gumbs
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, United Kingdom
- IUCN SSC Phylogenetic Diversity Task Force, London, United Kingdom
- Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet DTP, Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Claudia L. Gray
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - Monika Böhm
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom
- Global Center for Species Survival, Indianapolis Zoological Society, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Ian J. Burfield
- BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Olivia R. Couchman
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel P. Faith
- School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Félix Forest
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Hoffmann
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nick J. B. Isaac
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, United Kingdom
| | - Walter Jetz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Georgina M. Mace
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arne O. Mooers
- Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Kamran Safi
- Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Migration, Radolfzell, Germany
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Oenone Scott
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - Mike Steel
- Biomathematics Research Centre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Caroline M. Tucker
- Environment, Ecology and Energy Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - William D. Pearse
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
| | - Nisha R. Owen
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom
- IUCN SSC Phylogenetic Diversity Task Force, London, United Kingdom
- On the EDGE Conservation, London, United Kingdom
| | - James Rosindell
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, United Kingdom
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8
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Marshall CAM, Dabo J, Mensah M, Ekpe P, Hawthorne WD. Implications for conservation assessment from flux in the botanical record over 20 years in southwest Ghana. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9775. [PMID: 36713481 PMCID: PMC9873867 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
At best, conservation decisions can only be made using the data available at the time. For plants and especially in the tropics, natural history collections remain the best available baseline information upon which to base conservation assessments, in spite of well-documented limitations in their taxonomic, geographic, and temporal coverage. We explore the extent to which changes to the plant biological record over 20 years have changed our conception of the conservation importance of 931 plant taxa, and 114 vegetation samples, recorded in forest reserves of the southwest Ghana biodiversity hotspot. 36% of species-level assessments changed as a result of new distribution data. 12% of species accepted in 2016 had no assessment in 1996: of those, 20% are new species publications, 60% are new records for SW Ghana, and 20% are taxonomic resolutions. Apparent species ranges have increased over time as new records are made, but new species publications are overwhelmingly of globally rare species, keeping the balance of perceived rarity in the flora constant over 20 years. Thus, in spite of considerable flux at the species record level, range size rarity scores calculated for 114 vegetation samples of the reserves in 1996 and 2016 are highly correlated with each other: r(112) = 0.84, p < .0005, and showed no difference in mean score over 20 years: paired t(113) = -0.482, p = .631. This consistency in results at the area level allows for worthwhile conservation priority setting over time, and we argue is the better course of action than taking no action at all.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Patrick Ekpe
- Ghana Herbarium, Department of Plant & Environmental BiologyUniversity of GhanaLegonGhana
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9
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Cogoni D, Grace MK, Long B, Orsenigo S, Fenu G. The IUCN Green Status of Species: A Call for Mediterranean Botanists to Contribute to This New Ambitious Effort. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:2592. [PMID: 36235458 PMCID: PMC9572627 DOI: 10.3390/plants11192592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In the Mediterranean Basin, a critical focal point for the conservation of plant diversity, there has been a large increase in practical conservation actions for many plant species to prevent extinction and to improve their conservation status; quantifying the effectiveness of these initiatives in reversing species declines is urgently important. In 2021, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) launched a new tool that allows the impact of conservation actions on plant species to be assessed. The Green Status of Species is a new set of metrics under the Red List of Threatened Species that assigns species to recovery categories, complementary to the classic extinction risk categories. Crucially, the Green Status of Species provides methods to evaluate the impact of past conservation, and the potential for future conservation impact, on species status and recovery in a standardized way. Considering the efforts made so far for the conservation of Mediterranean threatened plants, using the Green Status of Species would be highly useful to direct future conservation policies. We, therefore, encourage botanists and practitioners working on threatened plants in the Mediterranean area to use this new assessment tool to inform conservation and recovery programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Cogoni
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via S. Ignazio da Laconi 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Molly K. Grace
- Wadham College, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Barney Long
- Re: Wild, P.O. Box 129, Austin, TX 78767, USA
| | - Simone Orsenigo
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Fenu
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via S. Ignazio da Laconi 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
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10
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Jackson HA, Percival‐Alwyn L, Ryan C, Albeshr MF, Venturi L, Morales HE, Mathers TC, Cocker J, Speak SA, Accinelli GG, Barker T, Heavens D, Willman F, Dawson D, Ward L, Tatayah V, Zuël N, Young R, Concannon L, Whitford H, Clavijo B, Bunbury N, Tyler KM, Ruhomaun K, Grace MK, Bruford MW, Jones CG, Tollington S, Bell DJ, Groombridge JJ, Clark M, Van Oosterhout C. Genomic erosion in a demographically recovered bird species during conservation rescue. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13918. [PMID: 35554972 PMCID: PMC9546124 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri) is an endemic species of Mauritius that has made a remarkable recovery after a severe population bottleneck in the 1970s to early 1990s. Prior to this bottleneck, an ex situ population was established from which captive-bred individuals were released into free-living subpopulations to increase population size and genetic variation. This conservation rescue led to rapid population recovery to 400-480 individuals, and the species was twice downlisted on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. We analyzed the impacts of the bottleneck and genetic rescue on neutral genetic variation during and after population recovery (1993-2008) with restriction site-associated sequencing, microsatellite analyses, and quantitative genetic analysis of studbook data of 1112 birds from zoos in Europe and the United States. We used computer simulations to study the predicted changes in genetic variation and population viability from the past into the future. Genetic variation declined rapidly, despite the population rebound, and the effective population size was approximately an order of magnitude smaller than census size. The species carried a high genetic load of circa 15 lethal equivalents for longevity. Our computer simulations predicted continued inbreeding will likely result in increased expression of deleterious mutations (i.e., a high realized load) and severe inbreeding depression. Without continued conservation actions, it is likely that the pink pigeon will go extinct in the wild within 100 years. Conservation rescue of the pink pigeon has been instrumental in the recovery of the free-living population. However, further genetic rescue with captive-bred birds from zoos is required to recover lost variation, reduce expression of harmful deleterious variation, and prevent extinction. The use of genomics and modeling data can inform IUCN assessments of the viability and extinction risk of species, and it helps in assessments of the conservation dependency of populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazel A. Jackson
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | | | - Camilla Ryan
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
- The Earlham InstituteNorwichUK
| | - Mohammed F. Albeshr
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of ScienceKing Saud UniversityRiyadhSaudi Arabia
| | - Luca Venturi
- Department of Life SciencesThe Natural History MuseumLondonUK
| | | | | | - Jonathan Cocker
- The Earlham InstituteNorwichUK
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
| | - Samuel A. Speak
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
| | | | | | | | - Faye Willman
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
- Institute of ZoologyZoological Society of LondonLondonUK
| | - Deborah Dawson
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Lauren Ward
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | | | - Nicholas Zuël
- Mauritian Wildlife FoundationVacoas‐PhoenixMauritius
| | - Richard Young
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation TrustJerseyChannel Islands
| | | | | | | | - Nancy Bunbury
- Seychelles Islands FoundationVictoriaSeychelles
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
| | - Kevin M. Tyler
- Norwich Medical SchoolUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
| | - Kevin Ruhomaun
- National Parks and Conservation Service, Ministry of EnvironmentGovernment of MauritiusRéduitMauritius
| | - Molly K. Grace
- Molly K. Grace, Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | | | - Carl G. Jones
- Mauritian Wildlife FoundationVacoas‐PhoenixMauritius
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation TrustJerseyChannel Islands
| | - Simon Tollington
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
- North of England Zoological SocietyChester ZooChesterUK
| | - Diana J. Bell
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
| | - Jim J. Groombridge
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | - Matt Clark
- The Earlham InstituteNorwichUK
- Department of Life SciencesThe Natural History MuseumLondonUK
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11
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Post JR, Ward HGM, Wilson KL, Sterling GL, Cantin A, Taylor EB. Assessing conservation status with extensive but low-resolution data: Application of frequentist and Bayesian models to endangered Athabasca River rainbow trout. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13783. [PMID: 34114680 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Use of extensive but low-resolution abundance data is common in the assessment of species at-risk status based on quantitative decline criteria under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and national endangered species legislation. Such data can be problematic for 3 reasons. First, statistical power to reject the null hypothesis of no change is often low because of small sample size and high sampling uncertainty leading to a high frequency of type II errors. Second, range-wide assessments composed of multiple site-specific observations do not effectively weight site-specific trends into global trends. Third, uncertainty in site-specific temporal trends and relative abundance are not propagated at the appropriate spatial scale. A common result is the propensity to underestimate the magnitude of declines and therefore fail to identify the appropriate at-risk status for a species. We used 3 statistical approaches, from simple to more complex, to estimate temporal decline rates for a designatable unit (DU) of rainbow trout in the Athabasca River watershed in western Canada. This DU is considered a native species for purposes of listing because of its genetic composition characterized as >0.95 indigenous origin in the face of continuing introgressive hybridization with introduced populations in the watershed. Analysis of abundance trends from 57 time series with a fixed-effects model identified 33 sites with negative trends, but only 2 were statistically significant. By contrast, a hierarchical linear mixed model weighted by site-specific abundance provided a DU-wide decline estimate of 16.4% per year and a 3-generation decline of 93.2%. A hierarchical Bayesian mixed model yielded a similar 3-generation decline trend of 91.3% and the posterior distribution showed that the estimate had a >99% probability of exceeding thresholds for an endangered listing. We conclude that the Bayesian approach was the most useful because it provided a probabilistic statement of threshold exceedance in support of an at-risk status recommendation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Post
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hillary G M Ward
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kyle L Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
| | - George L Sterling
- Fisheries Branch, Operations Division, Alberta Environment and Parks, Edson, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ariane Cantin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Eric B Taylor
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre and Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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12
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Thomas EA, Böhm M, Pollock C, Chen C, Seddon M, Sigwart JD. Assessing the extinction risk of insular, understudied marine species. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13854. [PMID: 34669223 PMCID: PMC9299203 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Hydrothermal vents are rare deep-sea oases that house faunal assemblages with a similar density of life as coral reefs. Only approximately 600 of these hotspots are known worldwide, most only one-third of a football field in size. With advancing development of the deep-sea mining industry, there is an urgent need to protect these unique, insular ecosystems and their specialist endemic faunas. We applied the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Red List criteria to assess the extinction risk of vent-endemic molluscs with varying exposure to potential deep-sea mining. We assessed 31 species from three key areas under different regulatory frameworks in the Indian, West Pacific, and Southern Oceans. Three vent mollusc species were also examined as case studies of different threat contexts (protected or not from potential mining) to explore the interaction of local regulatory frameworks and IUCN Red List category assignment. We found that these assessments were robust even when there was some uncertainty in the total range of individual species, allowing assessment of species that have only recently been named and described. For vent-endemic species, regulatory changes to area-based management can have a greater impact on IUCN Red List assessment outcomes than incorporating additional data about species distributions. Our approach revealed the most useful IUCN Red List criteria for vent-endemic species: criteria B and D2. This approach, combining regulatory framework and distribution, has the potential to rapidly gauge assessment outcomes for species in insular systems worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin A. Thomas
- Queen's University Marine LaboratoryQueen's University BelfastPortaferryUK
| | - Monika Böhm
- Institute of ZoologyZoological Society of LondonLondonUK
- Global Center for Species SurvivalIndianapolis Zoological SocietyIndianapolisIndianaUSA
| | - Caroline Pollock
- Global Species Programme, Red List UnitInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)CambridgeUK
| | - Chong Chen
- X‐STARJapan Agency for Marine‐Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)Yokosuka‐cityKanagawaJapan
| | - Mary Seddon
- IUCN SSC Mollusc Specialist Group, ExbourneOkehamptonUK
| | - Julia D. Sigwart
- Queen's University Marine LaboratoryQueen's University BelfastPortaferryUK
- Senckenberg Research Institute and MuseumFrankfurt am MainGermany
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13
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Marsh SME, Hoffmann M, Burgess ND, Brooks TM, Challender DWS, Cremona PJ, Hilton‐Taylor C, de Micheaux FL, Lichtenstein G, Roe D, Böhm M. Prevalence of sustainable and unsustainable use of wild species inferred from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13844. [PMID: 34605070 PMCID: PMC9299080 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Unsustainable exploitation of wild species represents a serious threat to biodiversity and to the livelihoods of local communities and Indigenous peoples. However, managed, sustainable use has the potential to forestall extinctions, aid recovery, and meet human needs. We analyzed species-level data for 30,923 species from 13 taxonomic groups on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species to investigate patterns of intentional biological resource use. Forty percent of species (10,098 of 25,009 species from 10 data-sufficient taxonomic groups) were used. The main purposes of use were pets, display animals, horticulture, and human consumption. Intentional use is currently contributing to elevated extinction risk for 28-29% of threatened or near threatened (NT) species (2752-2848 of 9753 species). Intentional use also affected 16% of all species used (1597-1631 of 10,098). However, 72% of used species (7291 of 10,098) were least concern, of which nearly half (3469) also had stable or improving population trends. The remainder were not documented as threatened by biological resource use, including at least 172 threatened or NT species with stable or improving populations. About one-third of species that had use documented as a threat had no targeted species management actions to directly address this threat. To improve use-related red-list data, we suggest small amendments to the relevant classification schemes and required supporting documentation. Our findings on the prevalence of sustainable and unsustainable use, and variation across taxa, can inform international policy making, including the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M. E. Marsh
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Michael Hoffmann
- Conservation and PolicyZoological Society of London, Regent's ParkLondonUK
| | - Neil D. Burgess
- UNEP‐WCMCCambridgeUK
- CMEC, GLOBE InstituteUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Thomas M. Brooks
- International Union for Conservation of NatureGlandSwitzerland
- World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF)University of the PhilippinesLos BañosThe Philippines
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | | | | | | | - Flore Lafaye de Micheaux
- International Union for Conservation of NatureGlandSwitzerland
- Institute of Geography and SustainabilityUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
- French Institute of PondicherryPondicherryIndia
| | - Gabriela Lichtenstein
- Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano (INAPL)/CONICETBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Dilys Roe
- International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group (SULi)LondonUK
| | - Monika Böhm
- Institute of ZoologyZoological Society of LondonLondonUK
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14
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Cowie RH, Bouchet P, Fontaine B. The Sixth Mass Extinction: fact, fiction or speculation? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:640-663. [PMID: 35014169 PMCID: PMC9786292 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
There have been five Mass Extinction events in the history of Earth's biodiversity, all caused by dramatic but natural phenomena. It has been claimed that the Sixth Mass Extinction may be underway, this time caused entirely by humans. Although considerable evidence indicates that there is a biodiversity crisis of increasing extinctions and plummeting abundances, some do not accept that this amounts to a Sixth Mass Extinction. Often, they use the IUCN Red List to support their stance, arguing that the rate of species loss does not differ from the background rate. However, the Red List is heavily biased: almost all birds and mammals but only a minute fraction of invertebrates have been evaluated against conservation criteria. Incorporating estimates of the true number of invertebrate extinctions leads to the conclusion that the rate vastly exceeds the background rate and that we may indeed be witnessing the start of the Sixth Mass Extinction. As an example, we focus on molluscs, the second largest phylum in numbers of known species, and, extrapolating boldly, estimate that, since around AD 1500, possibly as many as 7.5-13% (150,000-260,000) of all ~2 million known species have already gone extinct, orders of magnitude greater than the 882 (0.04%) on the Red List. We review differences in extinction rates according to realms: marine species face significant threats but, although previous mass extinctions were largely defined by marine invertebrates, there is no evidence that the marine biota has reached the same crisis as the non-marine biota. Island species have suffered far greater rates than continental ones. Plants face similar conservation biases as do invertebrates, although there are hints they may have suffered lower extinction rates. There are also those who do not deny an extinction crisis but accept it as a new trajectory of evolution, because humans are part of the natural world; some even embrace it, with a desire to manipulate it for human benefit. We take issue with these stances. Humans are the only species able to manipulate the Earth on a grand scale, and they have allowed the current crisis to happen. Despite multiple conservation initiatives at various levels, most are not species oriented (certain charismatic vertebrates excepted) and specific actions to protect every living species individually are simply unfeasible because of the tyranny of numbers. As systematic biologists, we encourage the nurturing of the innate human appreciation of biodiversity, but we reaffirm the message that the biodiversity that makes our world so fascinating, beautiful and functional is vanishing unnoticed at an unprecedented rate. In the face of a mounting crisis, scientists must adopt the practices of preventive archaeology, and collect and document as many species as possible before they disappear. All this depends on reviving the venerable study of natural history and taxonomy. Denying the crisis, simply accepting it and doing nothing, or even embracing it for the ostensible benefit of humanity, are not appropriate options and pave the way for the Earth to continue on its sad trajectory towards a Sixth Mass Extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H. Cowie
- Pacific Biosciences Research CenterUniversity of HawaiiHonoluluHawaii96822U.S.A.
| | - Philippe Bouchet
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHEUniversité des Antilles57 rue Cuvier CP 5175005 ParisFrance
| | - Benoît Fontaine
- UMS 2006 Patrinat (OFB, CNRS, MNHN), Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (UMR 7204), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle43 rue Buffon CP 13575005 ParisFrance
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15
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Welker MH, Hughes JE, McClure SB. Cooperation and Cattle Herding in Eighteenth Century Acadia: Implications for Archaeological Studies of Agropastoralism. J ETHNOBIOL 2022. [DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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16
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Carolina Oliveira de Meirelles A, Lima D, Danise de Oliveira Alves M, Carlos Gomes Borges J, Marmontel M, Luz Carvalho V, Rodrigues dos Santos F. Don’t let me down: West Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus, is still Critically Endangered in Brazil. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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17
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Bridging the research-implementation gap in IUCN Red List assessments. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:359-370. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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18
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Abstract
Biodiversity loss is a global problem, accelerated by human-induced pressures. In the marine realm, one of the major threats to species conservation, together with climate change, is overfishing. In this context, having information on the conservation status of target commercial marine fish species becomes crucial for assuring safe standards. We put together fisheries statistics from the FAO, the IUCN Red List, FishBase, and RAM Legacy databases to understand to what extent top commercial species’ conservation status has been assessed. Levels of assessment for top-fished species were higher than those for general commercial or highly commercial species, but almost half of the species have outdated assessments. We found no relation between IUCN Red List traits and FishBase Vulnerability Index, depreciating the latter value as a guidance for extinction threat. The RAM database suggests good management of more-threatened species in recent decades, but more data are required to assess whether the trend has reverted in recent years. Outdated IUCN Red List assessments can benefit from reputed stock assessments for new reassessments. The future of IUCN Red List evaluations for commercial fish species relies on integrating new parameters from fisheries sources and improved collaboration with fisheries stakeholders and managers.
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19
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Grace MK, Akçakaya HR, Bennett EL, Brooks TM, Heath A, Hedges S, Hilton-Taylor C, Hoffmann M, Hochkirch A, Jenkins R, Keith DA, Long B, Mallon DP, Meijaard E, Milner-Gulland EJ, Rodriguez JP, Stephenson PJ, Stuart SN, Young RP, Acebes P, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Alvarez-Clare S, Andriantsimanarilafy RR, Arbetman M, Azat C, Bacchetta G, Badola R, Barcelos LMD, Barreiros JP, Basak S, Berger DJ, Bhattacharyya S, Bino G, Borges PAV, Boughton RK, Brockmann HJ, Buckley HL, Burfield IJ, Burton J, Camacho-Badani T, Cano-Alonso LS, Carmichael RH, Carrero C, Carroll JP, Catsadorakis G, Chapple DG, Chapron G, Chowdhury GW, Claassens L, Cogoni D, Constantine R, Craig CA, Cunningham AA, Dahal N, Daltry JC, Das GC, Dasgupta N, Davey A, Davies K, Develey P, Elangovan V, Fairclough D, Febbraro MD, Fenu G, Fernandes FM, Fernandez EP, Finucci B, Földesi R, Foley CM, Ford M, Forstner MRJ, García N, Garcia-Sandoval R, Gardner PC, Garibay-Orijel R, Gatan-Balbas M, Gauto I, Ghazi MGU, Godfrey SS, Gollock M, González BA, Grant TD, Gray T, Gregory AJ, van Grunsven RHA, Gryzenhout M, Guernsey NC, Gupta G, Hagen C, Hagen CA, Hall MB, Hallerman E, Hare K, Hart T, Hartdegen R, Harvey-Brown Y, Hatfield R, Hawke T, Hermes C, Hitchmough R, Hoffmann PM, Howarth C, Hudson MA, Hussain SA, Huveneers C, Jacques H, Jorgensen D, Katdare S, Katsis LKD, Kaul R, Kaunda-Arara B, Keith-Diagne L, Kraus DT, de Lima TM, Lindeman K, Linsky J, Louis E, Loy A, Lughadha EN, Mangel JC, Marinari PE, Martin GM, Martinelli G, McGowan PJK, McInnes A, Teles Barbosa Mendes E, Millard MJ, Mirande C, Money D, Monks JM, Morales CL, Mumu NN, Negrao R, Nguyen AH, Niloy MNH, Norbury GL, Nordmeyer C, Norris D, O'Brien M, Oda GA, Orsenigo S, Outerbridge ME, Pasachnik S, Pérez-Jiménez JC, Pike C, Pilkington F, Plumb G, Portela RDCQ, Prohaska A, Quintana MG, Rakotondrasoa EF, Ranglack DH, Rankou H, Rawat AP, Reardon JT, Rheingantz ML, Richter SC, Rivers MC, Rogers LR, da Rosa P, Rose P, Royer E, Ryan C, de Mitcheson YJS, Salmon L, Salvador CH, Samways MJ, Sanjuan T, Souza Dos Santos A, Sasaki H, Schutz E, Scott HA, Scott RM, Serena F, Sharma SP, Shuey JA, Silva CJP, Simaika JP, Smith DR, Spaet JLY, Sultana S, Talukdar BK, Tatayah V, Thomas P, Tringali A, Trinh-Dinh H, Tuboi C, Usmani AA, Vasco-Palacios AM, Vié JC, Virens J, Walker A, Wallace B, Waller LJ, Wang H, Wearn OR, van Weerd M, Weigmann S, Willcox D, Woinarski J, Yong JWH, Young S. Testing a global standard for quantifying species recovery and assessing conservation impact. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1833-1849. [PMID: 34289517 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a "Green List of Species" (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species' progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 separate but interlinked components: a standardized method (i.e., measurement against benchmarks of species' viability, functionality, and preimpact distribution) to determine current species recovery status (herein species recovery score) and application of that method to estimate past and potential future impacts of conservation based on 4 metrics (conservation legacy, conservation dependence, conservation gain, and recovery potential). We tested the framework with 181 species representing diverse taxa, life histories, biomes, and IUCN Red List categories (extinction risk). Based on the observed distribution of species' recovery scores, we propose the following species recovery categories: fully recovered, slightly depleted, moderately depleted, largely depleted, critically depleted, extinct in the wild, and indeterminate. Fifty-nine percent of tested species were considered largely or critically depleted. Although there was a negative relationship between extinction risk and species recovery score, variation was considerable. Some species in lower risk categories were assessed as farther from recovery than those at higher risk. This emphasizes that species recovery is conceptually different from extinction risk and reinforces the utility of the IUCN Green Status of Species to more fully understand species conservation status. Although extinction risk did not predict conservation legacy, conservation dependence, or conservation gain, it was positively correlated with recovery potential. Only 1.7% of tested species were categorized as zero across all 4 of these conservation impact metrics, indicating that conservation has, or will, play a role in improving or maintaining species status for the vast majority of these species. Based on our results, we devised an updated assessment framework that introduces the option of using a dynamic baseline to assess future impacts of conservation over the short term to avoid misleading results which were generated in a small number of cases, and redefines short term as 10 years to better align with conservation planning. These changes are reflected in the IUCN Green Status of Species Standard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly K Grace
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - H Resit Akçakaya
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Caracas, Venezuela
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | | | - Thomas M Brooks
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Gland, Switzerland
- World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Philippines
- Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | | | - Simon Hedges
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, USA
- IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group, Noida, India
- IUCN SSC Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group, Chester, UK
| | | | - Michael Hoffmann
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Caracas, Venezuela
- Conservation Programmes, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Axel Hochkirch
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Trier, Germany
| | | | - David A Keith
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Caracas, Venezuela
- Centre for Ecosystem Sciences, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - David P Mallon
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
- IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group, Manchester, UK
| | - Erik Meijaard
- IUCN SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group and Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Jon Paul Rodriguez
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Caracas, Venezuela
- Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, and Provita, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - P J Stephenson
- IUCN SSC Species Monitoring Specialist Group, Gingins, Switzerland
- Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Department of Ecology & Evolution, UNIL - University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Simon N Stuart
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Caracas, Venezuela
- Synchronicity Earth, London, UK
| | | | - Pablo Acebes
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Departamento de Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Marina Arbetman
- Grupo Ecología de la Polinización, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Claudio Azat
- Sustainability Research Centre & PhD Programme in Conservation Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gianluigi Bacchetta
- Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | | | - Luís M D Barcelos
- Azorean Biodiversity Group, Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
| | - Joao Pedro Barreiros
- Universidade dos Açores, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e do Ambiente, Rua Capitão João d'Ávila, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
| | | | - Danielle J Berger
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Sabuj Bhattacharyya
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Gilad Bino
- University of New South Wales, Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paulo A V Borges
- Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente Universidade dos Açores, Azores, Portugal
| | - Raoul K Boughton
- Range Cattle Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - H Jane Brockmann
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | | | - James Burton
- IUCN SSC Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group, Cedar House, Chester, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - John P Carroll
- University of Nebraska, School of Natural Resources, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | | | - David G Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Guillaume Chapron
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | | | | | - Donatella Cogoni
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Centro Conservazione Biodiversità, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Rochelle Constantine
- School of Biological Sciences & Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Christie Anne Craig
- Endangered Wildlife Trust, Office 8 & 9, Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Nishma Dahal
- CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - David Fairclough
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Department of Fisheries, Hillarys, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | - Giuseppe Fenu
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Centro Conservazione Biodiversità, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | | | | | - Brittany Finucci
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Rita Földesi
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Catherine M Foley
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kaneohe, Hawai'i, USA
| | - Matthew Ford
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Ricardo Garcia-Sandoval
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Penny C Gardner
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife Department, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Roberto Garibay-Orijel
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tercer Circuito s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, México
| | | | - Irene Gauto
- Asociación Etnobotánica Paraguaya, Lambaré, Paraguay
| | | | | | | | - Benito A González
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Vida Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y de la Conservación de la Naturaleza, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Tandora D Grant
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Andrew J Gregory
- Bowling Green State University, School of Earth Environment and Society, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Marieka Gryzenhout
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Noelle C Guernsey
- World Wildlife Fund Inc., Northern Great Plains Program, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Garima Gupta
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | | | - Christian A Hagen
- Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Madison B Hall
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Eric Hallerman
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Kelly Hare
- Urban Wildlife Trust, Wellington/Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Tom Hart
- Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Richard Hatfield
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Tahneal Hawke
- University of New South Wales, Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Rod Hitchmough
- Department of Conservation-Te Papa Atawhai, Wellington, New Zealand
| | | | | | | | | | - Charlie Huveneers
- Southern Shark Ecology Group, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Dennis Jorgensen
- World Wildlife Fund Inc., Northern Great Plains Program, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | | | - Lydia K D Katsis
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon, UK
| | | | - Boaz Kaunda-Arara
- Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Eldoret, Eldoret, Kenya
| | | | - Daniel T Kraus
- University of Waterloo, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Ken Lindeman
- Florida Institute of Technology, Program in Sustainability Studies, Melbourne, Florida, USA
| | - Jean Linsky
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond, UK
| | - Edward Louis
- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Anna Loy
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | | | - Jeffrey C Mangel
- Carrera de Biologia Marina, Universidad Cientifica del Sur, Lima, Peru
| | - Paul E Marinari
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, USA
| | - Gabriel M Martin
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gustavo Martinelli
- National Center for Flora Conservation (CNCFlora), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Philip J K McGowan
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Alistair McInnes
- Seabird Conservation Programme, BirdLife South Africa, Foreshore, South Africa
| | | | | | | | - Daniel Money
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Carolina Laura Morales
- Grupo Ecología de la Polinización, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, Bariloche, Argentina
| | | | | | - Anh Ha Nguyen
- Fauna & Flora International - Vietnam Programme, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | | | | | - Darren Norris
- School of Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
| | - Mark O'Brien
- BirdLife International Pacific Regional Office, Suva, Fiji
| | - Gabriela Akemi Oda
- Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Department of Environmental Sciences, Forestry Institute, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Simone Orsenigo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia; Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Centro Conservazione Biodiversità, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Glenn Plumb
- US National Park Service, Livingston, Montana, USA
| | | | - Ana Prohaska
- GeoGenetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Manuel G Quintana
- Division of Invertebrates, Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Hassan Rankou
- IUCN SSC Orchid Specialist Group, Royal Botanic Gardens, Richmond, Surrey, UK
| | | | - James Thomas Reardon
- Department of Conservation, New Zealand, Fiordland District Office, Te Anau, New Zealand
| | - Marcelo Lopes Rheingantz
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação de Populações, Centro de Ciências da Saúde - Instituto de Biologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Stephen C Richter
- Division of Natural Areas and Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky, USA
| | - Malin C Rivers
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond, UK
| | | | - Patrícia da Rosa
- National Center for Flora Conservation (CNCFlora), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Catherine Ryan
- Auckland University of Technology, School of Science, Auckland City, New Zealand
| | | | - Lily Salmon
- Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, UK
| | | | - Michael J Samways
- Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | | | - Amanda Souza Dos Santos
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Health Science Centre, Biology Institute, Plant Ecology Laboratory, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Emmanuel Schutz
- D'ABOVILLE Foundation and Demo Farm Inc, Makati, Philippines
| | | | | | - Fabrizio Serena
- Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology, National Research Council-(CNR -IRBIM), Mazara del Vallo, Italy
| | | | - John A Shuey
- The Nature Conservancy, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Carlos Julio Polo Silva
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - John P Simaika
- Department of Water Resources and Ecosystems, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - David R Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Kearneysville, West Virginia, USA
| | - Julia L Y Spaet
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Aída M Vasco-Palacios
- Grupo de Microbiología Ambiental - BioMicro, Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, UdeA, Medellín, Colombia
- Fundación Biodiversa Colombia, FBC, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Jo Virens
- University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Alan Walker
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK
| | | | - Lauren J Waller
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Belville, South Africa
| | | | - Oliver R Wearn
- Fauna & Flora International - Vietnam Programme, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Merlijn van Weerd
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Simon Weigmann
- Elasmo-Lab, Elasmobranch Research Laboratory, Hamburg, Germany
- Center of Natural History, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Willcox
- Save Vietnam's Wildlife, Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam
| | - John Woinarski
- Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Jean W H Yong
- Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Stuart Young
- IUCN SSC Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group, Cedar House, Chester, UK
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Duncan C, Böhm M, Turvey ST. Identifying the possibilities and pitfalls of conducting IUCN Red List assessments from remotely sensed habitat information based on insights from poorly known Cuban mammals. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1598-1614. [PMID: 33554359 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species (RLS) is the key global tool for objective, repeatable assessment of species' extinction risk status, and plays an essential role in tracking biodiversity loss and guiding conservation action. Satellite remote sensing (SRS) data sets on global ecosystem distributions and functioning show exciting potential for informing range-based RLS assessment, but their incorporation has been restricted by low temporal resolution and coverage of data sets, lack of incorporation of degradation-driven habitat loss, and noninclusion of assumptions related to identification of changing habitat distributions for taxa with varying habitat dependency and ecologies. For poorly known mangrove-associated Cuban hutias (Mesocapromys spp.), we tested the impact of possible assumptions regarding these issues on range-based RLS assessment outcomes. Specifically, we used annual (1985-2018) Landsat data and land-cover classification and habitat degradation analyses across different internal time series slices to simulate range-based RLS assessments for our case study taxa to explore potential assessment uncertainty arising from temporal SRS data set coverage, incorporating proxies of (change in) habitat quality, and assumptions on spatial scaling of habitat extent for RLS parameter generation. We found extensive variation in simulated species-specific range-based RLS assessments, and this variation was mostly associated with the time series over which parameters were estimated. However, results of some species-specific assessments differed by up to 3 categories (near threatened to critically endangered) within the same time series, due to the effects of incorporating habitat quality and the spatial scaling used in RLS parameter estimation. Our results showed that a one-size-fits-all approach to incorporating SRS information in RLS assessment is inappropriate, and we urge caution in conducting range-based assessments with SRS for species for which habitat dependence on specific ecosystem types is incompletely understood. We propose novel revisions to parameter spatial scaling guidelines to improve integration of existing time series data on ecosystem change into the RLS assessment process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Duncan
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, U.K
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, U.K
| | - Monika Böhm
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, U.K
| | - Samuel T Turvey
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, U.K
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21
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Helmstetter AJ, Cable S, Rakotonasolo F, Rabarijaona R, Rakotoarinivo M, Eiserhardt WL, Baker WJ, Papadopulos AST. The demographic history of Madagascan micro-endemics: have rare species always been rare? Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210957. [PMID: 34547905 PMCID: PMC8456134 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Extinction has increased as human activities impact ecosystems, yet relatively few species have conservation assessments. Novel approaches are needed to highlight threatened species that are currently data-deficient. Many Madagascan plant species have extremely narrow ranges, but this may not have always been the case-it is unclear how the island's diverse flora evolved. To assess this, we generated restriction-site associated DNA sequence data for 10 Madagascan plant species, estimated effective population size (Ne) for each species and compared this to census (Nc) sizes. In each case, Ne was an order of magnitude larger than Nc-signifying rapid, recent population decline. We then estimated species' demographic history, tracking changes in Ne over time. We show that it is possible to predict extinction risk, particularly in the most threatened species. Furthermore, simulations showed that our approach has the power to detect population decline during the Anthropocene. Our analyses reveal that Madagascar's micro-endemics were not always rare, having experienced a rapid decline in their recent history. This casts further uncertainty over the processes that generated Madagascar's exceptional biodiversity. Our approach targets data-deficient species in need of conservation assessment, particularly in regions where human modification of the environment has been rapid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Helmstetter
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR-DIADE, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, Montpellier 34394, France
| | - Stuart Cable
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
- Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre, Lot II J 131 B Ambodivoanjo, Ivandry, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
| | - Franck Rakotonasolo
- Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre, Lot II J 131 B Ambodivoanjo, Ivandry, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
| | - Romer Rabarijaona
- Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre, Lot II J 131 B Ambodivoanjo, Ivandry, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
| | - Mijoro Rakotoarinivo
- Mention Biologie et Ecologie Végétales, Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo BP 906101, Madagascar
| | - Wolf L. Eiserhardt
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Alexander S. T. Papadopulos
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Bangor, Environment Centre Wales, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
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22
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Branco P, Segurado P, Costa MJ, Teixeira A, Santos JM, Ferreira MT, Duarte G. Knowledge Gaps in the Definition of Threats for the Red List Assessment of European Freshwater-Dependent Fish Species. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10070680. [PMID: 34356535 PMCID: PMC8301433 DOI: 10.3390/biology10070680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary This study aims to understand if the threats to freshwater-dependent species identified by The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species are correctly supported by valid literature. The results show that 99% of threats are not supported by validated published scientific knowledge. This may lead to ineffective conservation and management plans. Funding to study and fill baseline knowledge gaps about threats should be a priority. Abstract Freshwater ecosystems are disproportionally important for biodiversity conservation, as they support more than 9% of known animal species while representing less than 1% of the Earth’s surface. However, the vast majority of the threats (99%, or 826 out of 837) identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species known to affect the 434 known freshwater-dependent fish and lampreys of Europe are not supported by validated published scientific knowledge. This general lack of information about freshwater-dependent fish and lamprey species may have deleterious effects on species conservation, and additional funding is required to fill baseline knowledge gaps.
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23
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van Weelden C, Towers JR, Bosker T. Impacts of climate change on cetacean distribution, habitat and migration. CLIMATE CHANGE ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecochg.2021.100009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Zizka A, Silvestro D, Vitt P, Knight TM. Automated conservation assessment of the orchid family with deep learning. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:897-908. [PMID: 32841461 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments are essential for prioritizing conservation needs but are resource intensive and therefore available only for a fraction of global species richness. Automated conservation assessments based on digitally available geographic occurrence records can be a rapid alternative, but it is unclear how reliable these assessments are. We conducted automated conservation assessments for 13,910 species (47.3% of the known species in the family) of the diverse and globally distributed orchid family (Orchidaceae), for which most species (13,049) were previously unassessed by IUCN. We used a novel method based on a deep neural network (IUC-NN). We identified 4,342 orchid species (31.2% of the evaluated species) as possibly threatened with extinction (equivalent to IUCN categories critically endangered [CR], endangered [EN], or vulnerable [VU]) and Madagascar, East Africa, Southeast Asia, and several oceanic islands as priority areas for orchid conservation. Orchidaceae provided a model with which to test the sensitivity of automated assessment methods to problems with data availability, data quality, and geographic sampling bias. The IUC-NN identified possibly threatened species with an accuracy of 84.3%, with significantly lower geographic evaluation bias relative to the IUCN Red List and was robust even when data availability was low and there were geographic errors in the input data. Overall, our results demonstrate that automated assessments have an important role to play in identifying species at the greatest risk of extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Zizka
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, P.O. Box 9517, Leiden, 2300RA, the Netherlands
| | - Daniele Silvestro
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Ch. de Musee 10, Switzerland
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Center, University of Gothenburg, Box 461, Gothenburg, 405 30, Sweden
| | - Pati Vitt
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Plant Biology and Conservation, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, U.S.A
| | - Tiffany M Knight
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
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25
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Ortega-Andrade HM, Rodes Blanco M, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Guerra Arévalo N, López de Vargas-Machuca KG, Sánchez-Nivicela JC, Armijos-Ojeda D, Cáceres Andrade JF, Reyes-Puig C, Quezada Riera AB, Székely P, Rojas Soto OR, Székely D, Guayasamin JM, Siavichay Pesántez FR, Amador L, Betancourt R, Ramírez-Jaramillo SM, Timbe-Borja B, Gómez Laporta M, Webster Bernal JF, Oyagata Cachimuel LA, Chávez Jácome D, Posse V, Valle-Piñuela C, Padilla Jiménez D, Reyes-Puig JP, Terán-Valdez A, Coloma LA, Pérez Lara MB, Carvajal-Endara S, Urgilés M, Yánez Muñoz MH. Red List assessment of amphibian species of Ecuador: A multidimensional approach for their conservation. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251027. [PMID: 33956885 PMCID: PMC8101765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, but faces severe pressures and threats to its natural ecosystems. Numerous species have declined and require to be objectively evaluated and quantified, as a step towards the development of conservation strategies. Herein, we present an updated National Red List Assessment for amphibian species of Ecuador, with one of the most detailed and complete coverages for any Ecuadorian taxonomic group to date. Based on standardized methodologies that integrate taxonomic work, spatial analyses, and ecological niche modeling, we assessed the extinction risk and identified the main threats for all Ecuadorian native amphibians (635 species), using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Our evaluation reveals that 57% (363 species) are categorized as Threatened, 12% (78 species) as Near Threatened, 4% (26 species) as Data Deficient, and 27% (168 species) as Least Concern. Our assessment almost doubles the number of threatened species in comparison with previous evaluations. In addition to habitat loss, the expansion of the agricultural/cattle raising frontier and other anthropogenic threats (roads, human settlements, and mining/oil activities) amplify the incidence of other pressures as relevant predictors of ecological integrity. Potential synergic effects with climate change and emergent diseases (apparently responsible for the sudden declines), had particular importance amongst the threats sustained by Ecuadorian amphibians. Most threatened species are distributed in montane forests and paramo habitats of the Andes, with nearly 10% of them occurring outside the National System of Protected Areas of the Ecuadorian government. Based on our results, we recommend the following actions: (i) An increase of the National System of Protected Areas to include threatened species. (ii) Supporting the ex/in-situ conservation programs to protect species considered like Critically Endangered and Endangered. (iii) Focalizing research efforts towards the description of new species, as well as species currently categorized as Data Deficient (DD) that may turn out to be threatened. The implementation of the described actions is challenging, but urgent, given the current conservation crisis faced by amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Mauricio Ortega-Andrade
- Grupo de Biogeografía y Ecología Espacial, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Casilla, Quito, Ecuador
- * E-mail:
| | - Marina Rodes Blanco
- Grupo de Biogeografía y Ecología Espacial, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador
| | - Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Casilla, Quito, Ecuador
- Instituto de Diversidad Biológica Tropical iBIOTROP, Museo de Zoología & Laboratorio de Zoología Terrestre, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Nereida Guerra Arévalo
- Grupo de Biogeografía y Ecología Espacial, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador
| | | | - Juan C. Sánchez-Nivicela
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Casilla, Quito, Ecuador
- Instituto de Diversidad Biológica Tropical iBIOTROP, Museo de Zoología & Laboratorio de Zoología Terrestre, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
- Grupo de Investigación Evolución y Ecología de Fauna Neotropical, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | - Diego Armijos-Ojeda
- Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs-Lab), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | | | - Carolina Reyes-Puig
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Casilla, Quito, Ecuador
- Instituto de Diversidad Biológica Tropical iBIOTROP, Museo de Zoología & Laboratorio de Zoología Terrestre, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Paul Székely
- Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs-Lab), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | | | - Diana Székely
- Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs-Lab), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Juan M. Guayasamin
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Instituto Biósfera USFQ, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Luis Amador
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Doctorado en Ciencias m. Ecología y Evolución, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Daniel Chávez Jácome
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Doctorado en Ciencias m. Ecología y Evolución, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Valentina Posse
- Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs-Lab), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | | | | | - Juan Pablo Reyes-Puig
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Casilla, Quito, Ecuador
- Fundación Ecominga/Fundación Oscar Efrén Reyes, Baños, Ecuador
| | - Andrea Terán-Valdez
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Fundación Jambatu, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Luis A. Coloma
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Fundación Jambatu, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Sofía Carvajal-Endara
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Fundación Jambatu, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Miguel Urgilés
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Casilla, Quito, Ecuador
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Extinction Risk Assessment of the Greek Endemic Flora. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10030195. [PMID: 33806693 PMCID: PMC7999807 DOI: 10.3390/biology10030195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary This study assesses for the first time all the vascular endemic plant taxa of Greece, according to their decline and rarity. Phylogenetic analysis and its spatial overview highlight areas for conservation prioritization. Several of the Greek endemics are threatened with extinction and fourteen of them need to be prioritized, due to their evolutionary distinctiveness. This assessment could act as the baseline and supporting tool for conservation actions, decision- and policy-making for biodiversity, while highlighting the need for a new Red Data Book for the Greek flora. Abstract Human-induced biodiversity decline has been on the rise for the past 250 years, due to various causes. What is equally troubling, is that we are unaware which plants are threatened and where they occur. Thus, we are far from reaching Aichi Biodiversity Target 2, i.e., assessing the extinction risk of most species. To that end, based on an extensive occurrence dataset, we performed an extinction risk assessment according to the IUCN Criteria A and B for all the endemic plant taxa occurring in Greece, one of the most biodiverse countries in Europe, in a phylogenetically-informed framework and identified the areas needing conservation prioritization. Several of the Greek endemics are threatened with extinction and fourteen endemics need to be prioritized, as they are evolutionary distinct and globally endangered. Mt. Gramos is identified as the most important conservation hotspot in Greece. However, a significant portion of the identified conservation hotspots is not included in any designated Greek protected area, meaning that the Greek protected areas network might need to be at least partially redesigned. In the Anthropocene era, where climate and land-use change are projected to alter biodiversity patterns and may force many species to extinction, our assessment provides the baseline for future conservation research, ecosystem services maintenance, and might prove crucial for the timely, systematic and effective aversion of plant extinctions in Greece.
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Gowthami R, Sharma N, Pandey R, Agrawal A. Status and consolidated list of threatened medicinal plants of India. GENETIC RESOURCES AND CROP EVOLUTION 2021; 68:2235-2263. [PMID: 34054223 PMCID: PMC8148398 DOI: 10.1007/s10722-021-01199-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A wide array of medicinal plants in India, primarily used by locals for health care, have found wide acceptance and adoption globally (either directly or processed) due to distinct advantages of good results, low or no side-effects and ease of access to general public. Indigenous and traditional systems of medicine in practice since historical times have shown potential (direct or indirect as immune-boosters) against many dreaded ailments including the recent global pandemic of COVID-19. With prediction of sixth mass extinction, there is worldwide concern as majority of these plants, collected from natural stands, are also facing threat of extinction. Since 1990s concerted efforts have been directed towards assessment of threat status, the basic requirement for prioritizing conservation activity to various species of plants and animals. In literature there is staggered information regarding list of threatened plants, including medicinal plants of India, compiled at either state level or national or international level. Analysis of these publications led to collation of a consolidated list of 84 species and the same is presented here. A brief account of conservation efforts in India at national level and supportive policy framework is also included. This compilation is aimed to serve as a comprehensive reference especially for beginners, researchers, conservationists, foresters, pharmaceutical professionals as well as policy makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Gowthami
- Tissue Culture and Cryopreservation Unit, ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012 India
| | - Neelam Sharma
- Tissue Culture and Cryopreservation Unit, ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012 India
| | - Ruchira Pandey
- Tissue Culture and Cryopreservation Unit, ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012 India
| | - Anuradha Agrawal
- Tissue Culture and Cryopreservation Unit, ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012 India
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28
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Sánchez-Ortiz K, Taylor KJM, De Palma A, Essl F, Dawson W, Kreft H, Pergl J, Pyšek P, van Kleunen M, Weigelt P, Purvis A. Effects of land-use change and related pressures on alien and native subsets of island communities. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227169. [PMID: 33270641 PMCID: PMC7714193 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Island species and habitats are particularly vulnerable to human disturbances, and anthropogenic changes are increasingly overwriting natural island biogeographic patterns. However, quantitative comparisons of how native and alien assemblages respond to human disturbances are scarce. Using data from 6,242 species of vertebrates, invertebrates and plants, from 7,718 sites on 81 islands, we model how land-use change, human population density and distance to the nearest road affect local assemblages of alien and native species on islands. We found that land-use change reduces both richness and abundance of native species, whereas the number and abundance of alien species are high in plantation forests and agricultural or urban sites. In contrast to the long-established pattern for native species (i.e., decline in species number with island isolation), more isolated islands have more alien species across most land uses than do less isolated islands. We show that alien species play a major role in the turnover of island assemblages: our models show that aliens outnumber natives among the species present at disturbed sites but absent from minimally-disturbed primary vegetation. Finally, we found a homogenization pattern for both native and alien assemblages across sites within most land uses. The declines of native species on islands in the face of human pressures, and the particular proneness to invasions of the more remote islands, highlight the need to reduce the intensity of human pressures on islands and to prevent the introduction and establishment of alien species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Sánchez-Ortiz
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdoms
| | - Kara J. M. Taylor
- Food Animal Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Adriana De Palma
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Franz Essl
- BioInvasions, Global Change, Macroecology-Group, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wayne Dawson
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Holger Kreft
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jan Pergl
- Department of Invasion Ecology, Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Pyšek
- Department of Invasion Ecology, Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles Department of Ecology, University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mark van Kleunen
- Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Patrick Weigelt
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andy Purvis
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdoms
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Panter CT, Clegg RL, Moat J, Bachman SP, Klitgård BB, White RL. To clean or not to clean: Cleaning open‐source data improves extinction risk assessments for threatened plant species. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Connor T. Panter
- Ecology, Conservation and Zoonosis Research and Enterprise, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences University of Brighton Brighton East Sussex United Kingdom
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond Surrey United Kingdom
| | | | - Justin Moat
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond Surrey United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Rachel L. White
- Ecology, Conservation and Zoonosis Research and Enterprise, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences University of Brighton Brighton East Sussex United Kingdom
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Akçakaya HR, Rodrigues ASL, Keith DA, Milner-Gulland EJ, Sanderson EW, Hedges S, Mallon DP, Grace MK, Long B, Meijaard E, Stephenson PJ. Assessing ecological function in the context of species recovery. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:561-571. [PMID: 31621946 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Species interactions matter to conservation. Setting an ambitious recovery target for a species requires considering the size, density, and demographic structure of its populations such that they fulfill the interactions, roles, and functions of the species in the ecosystems in which they are embedded. A recently proposed framework for an International Union for Conservation of Nature Green List of Species formalizes this requirement by defining a fully recovered species in terms of representation, viability, and functionality. Defining and quantifying ecological function from the viewpoint of species recovery is challenging in concept and application, but also an opportunity to insert ecological theory into conservation practice. We propose 2 complementary approaches to assessing a species' ecological functions: confirmation (listing interactions of the species, identifying ecological processes and other species involved in these interactions, and quantifying the extent to which the species contributes to the identified ecological process) and elimination (inferring functionality by ruling out symptoms of reduced functionality, analogous to the red-list approach that focuses on symptoms of reduced viability). Despite the challenges, incorporation of functionality into species recovery planning is possible in most cases and it is essential to a conservation vision that goes beyond preventing extinctions and aims to restore a species to levels beyond what is required for its viability. This vision focuses on conservation and recovery at the species level and sees species as embedded in ecosystems, influencing and being influenced by the processes in those ecosystems. Thus, it connects and integrates conservation at the species and ecosystem levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Resit Akçakaya
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, U.S.A
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, 1196, Switzerland
| | - Ana S L Rodrigues
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS - Univ. de Montpellier - Univ. Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - David A Keith
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, 1196, Switzerland
- Centre for Ecosystem Sciences, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, 43 Bridge Street, Hurstville, NSW, 2220, Australia
| | - E J Milner-Gulland
- Department of Zoology and Merton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6BW, U.K
| | - Eric W Sanderson
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, 10460, U.S.A
| | - Simon Hedges
- IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group, Gland, 1196, Switzerland
- IUCN SSC Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group, Gland, 1196, Switzerland
- IUCN SSC Canid Specialist Group, Gland, 1196, Switzerland
- Asian Arks, D/A University of Sumatera Utara, Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia
| | - David P Mallon
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD, U.K
- IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group, Gland, 1196, Switzerland
| | - Molly K Grace
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6BW, U.K
| | - Barney Long
- Global Wildlife Conservation, 1250 24th St NW, Washington, D.C., 20037, U.S.A
| | - Erik Meijaard
- IUCN SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group, Gland, 1196, Switzerland
- Center of Excellence for Environmental Decision, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - P J Stephenson
- Ecosystem Management Group, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
- IUCN SSC Species Monitoring Specialist Group, Gland, 1196, Switzerland
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31
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Hull PM, Bornemann A, Penman DE, Henehan MJ, Norris RD, Wilson PA, Blum P, Alegret L, Batenburg SJ, Bown PR, Bralower TJ, Cournede C, Deutsch A, Donner B, Friedrich O, Jehle S, Kim H, Kroon D, Lippert PC, Loroch D, Moebius I, Moriya K, Peppe DJ, Ravizza GE, Röhl U, Schueth JD, Sepúlveda J, Sexton PF, Sibert EC, Śliwińska KK, Summons RE, Thomas E, Westerhold T, Whiteside JH, Yamaguchi T, Zachos JC. On impact and volcanism across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Science 2020; 367:266-272. [PMID: 31949074 DOI: 10.1126/science.aay5055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The cause of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction is vigorously debated, owing to the occurrence of a very large bolide impact and flood basalt volcanism near the boundary. Disentangling their relative importance is complicated by uncertainty regarding kill mechanisms and the relative timing of volcanogenic outgassing, impact, and extinction. We used carbon cycle modeling and paleotemperature records to constrain the timing of volcanogenic outgassing. We found support for major outgassing beginning and ending distinctly before the impact, with only the impact coinciding with mass extinction and biologically amplified carbon cycle change. Our models show that these extinction-related carbon cycle changes would have allowed the ocean to absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide, thus limiting the global warming otherwise expected from postextinction volcanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pincelli M Hull
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
| | - André Bornemann
- Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, 30655 Hannover, Germany
| | - Donald E Penman
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Michael J Henehan
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.,GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Richard D Norris
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Paul A Wilson
- National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Peter Blum
- International Ocean Discovery Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA
| | - Laia Alegret
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra and Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Paul R Bown
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Timothy J Bralower
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Cecile Cournede
- CEREGE, Université Aix-Marseille, 13545 Aix en Provence, France.,Institute for Rock Magnetism, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alexander Deutsch
- Institut für Planetologie, Universität Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Barbara Donner
- MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Oliver Friedrich
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sofie Jehle
- Institut für Geophysik und Geologie, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hojung Kim
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Dick Kroon
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK
| | - Peter C Lippert
- Department of Geology & Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Dominik Loroch
- Institut für Planetologie, Universität Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Iris Moebius
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Biogeochemical Systems, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Kazuyoshi Moriya
- Department of Earth Sciences, Waseda University, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan
| | - Daniel J Peppe
- Department of Geosciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Gregory E Ravizza
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Ursula Röhl
- MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Julio Sepúlveda
- Department of Geological Sciences and Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Philip F Sexton
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Elizabeth C Sibert
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Harvard Society of Fellows, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kasia K Śliwińska
- Department of Stratigraphy, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Roger E Summons
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ellen Thomas
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.,Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Thomas Westerhold
- MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Jessica H Whiteside
- National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | | | - James C Zachos
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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32
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How phantom databases could contribute to conservation assessments. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2020; 107:21. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-020-01679-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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34
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Bystriakova N, Alves De Melo PH, Moat J, Lughadha EN, Monro AK. A Preliminary Evaluation of The Karst Flora of Brazil Using Collections Data. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17037. [PMID: 31745111 PMCID: PMC6863846 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53104-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Karst is defined as landscapes that are underlain by soluble rock in which there is appreciable water movement arising from a combination of high rock solubility and well-developed secondary (fracture) porosity. Karsts occupy approximately 20% of the planet’s dry ice-free land and are of great socioeconomic importance, as they supply water to up to 25% of the world’s population and represent landscapes of cultural and touristic importance. In Southeast Asia karst is associated with high species-richness and endemism in plants and seen as priority areas for the conservation of biodiversity. There has been little research into the floras associated with karst in South America, most of which occurs in Brazil. We therefore sought to evaluate the importance of Brazilian karst with respect to its species-richness and endemism. We sought to do so using curated plant specimen data in the Botanical Information and Ecology Network (BIEN) dataset. We show that, except for Amazonia, the BIEN dataset is representative of the Brazilian flora with respect to the total number of species and overall patterns of species richness. We found that karst is under-sampled, as is the case for much of Brazil. We also found that whilst karst represent an important source of plant diversity for Brazil, including populations of approximately 1/3 of the Brazilian flora, it is not significantly more species-rich or richer in small-range and endemic species than surrounding landscapes. Similarly, whilst important for conservation, comprising populations of 26.5–37.4% of all Brazilian species evaluated as of conservation concern by International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN), karst is no more so than the surrounding areas. Whilst experimental error, including map resolution and the precision and accuracy of point data may have under-estimated the species-richness of Brazilian karst, it likely represents an important biodiversity resource for Brazil and one that can play a valuable role in conservation. Our findings are in sharp contrast to those for Southeast Asia where karst represents a more important source of species-richness and endemism. We also show that although BIEN represents a comprehensive and curated source of point data, discrepancies in the application of names compared to current more comprehensive taxonomic backbones, can have profound impacts on estimates of species-richness, distribution ranges and estimates of endemism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bystriakova
- Core Research Laboratories, The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
| | - Pablo Hendrigo Alves De Melo
- UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Av. 24-A 1515 - Bela Vista, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Justin Moat
- Biodiversity Informatics and Spatial Analysis, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, TW9 3AE, UK.,School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
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35
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Abstract
AbstractThe assessment of the conservation status of a species is the first step in developing a conservation strategy. IUCN Red Lists assessments are an important starting point for conservation actions and the most commonly applied method for assessing the extinction risk of a species. In this study, the global conservation status of the rock rose Helianthemum caput-felis Boiss. (Cistaceae), a perennial Mediterranean plant, was evaluated using the Red List criteria. The distribution of the species was determined by monitoring historical localities and all other suitable sites along the western Mediterranean coasts for 6 years. For each confirmed locality, the ecological and population parameters and the main threats were recorded; these data were used in a quantitative analysis of the species' extinction risk. Our findings indicate there have been several recent extinctions, and there is a continuing decline in the species' area of occurrence, habitat quality and number of reproductive plants. The main threats are related to human activities. Extinction models indicate a probability of quasi-extinction risk of c. 30% in five generations or c. 45% in three generations, with the species likely to become extinct in seven currently known localities within the next 10 years. Application of the Red List criteria indicates H. caput-felis should be categorized as Endangered. This study confirms that legal protection and passive conservation measures are insufficient to guarantee the persistence of a plant species. Active conservation and management actions are needed to protect this and other threatened species of the Mediterranean Basin.
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36
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Abstract
Rare species tend to be especially sensitive to habitat disturbance, making them important conservation targets. Thus, rarity patterns might be an important guide to conservation efforts. Rabinowitz’s approach defines rarity using a combination of geographical range, habitat specificity, and local abundance, and is frequently used in conservation prioritization. Herein, we use Rabinowitz’s approach to classify the New World (NW) pitvipers (family Viperidae) regarding rarity. We tested whether body size and latitude could predict rarity, and we compared rarity patterns with extinction risk assessments and other prioritization methods in order to detect rare species not classified as threatened or prioritized. Most NW pitvipers have large geographical ranges, high local abundances, and narrow habitat breadths. There are 11.8% of NW pitviper species in the rarest category and they occur along the Pacific coast of Mexico, in southern Central America, in the Andean region of Ecuador, and in eastern Brazil. Rarity in NW pitvipers is inversely related to latitude but is not related to body size. Our results indicate that additional species of NW pitvipers are threatened and/or should be prioritized for conservation. Combining complementary approaches to detect rare and threatened species may substantially improve our knowledge on the conservation needs of NW pitvipers.
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37
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Brooks TM, Pimm SL, Akçakaya HR, Buchanan GM, Butchart SHM, Foden W, Hilton-Taylor C, Hoffmann M, Jenkins CN, Joppa L, Li BV, Menon V, Ocampo-Peñuela N, Rondinini C. Measuring Terrestrial Area of Habitat (AOH) and Its Utility for the IUCN Red List. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:977-986. [PMID: 31324345 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species includes assessment of extinction risk for 98 512 species, plus documentation of their range, habitat, elevation, and other factors. These range, habitat and elevation data can be matched with terrestrial land cover and elevation datasets to map the species' area of habitat (AOH; also known as extent of suitable habitat; ESH). This differs from the two spatial metrics used for assessing extinction risk in the IUCN Red List criteria: extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). AOH can guide conservation, for example, through targeting areas for field surveys, assessing proportions of species' habitat within protected areas, and monitoring habitat loss and fragmentation. We recommend that IUCN Red List assessments document AOH wherever practical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Brooks
- IUCN, 28 rue Mauverney, CH-1196, Gland, Switzerland; World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, 4031, Philippines; Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia.
| | - Stuart L Pimm
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - H Resit Akçakaya
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Graeme M Buchanan
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Edinburgh EH12 9DH, UK
| | - Stuart H M Butchart
- BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK; Department of Zoology, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Wendy Foden
- South African National Parks, Cape Research Centre, Tokai Park, Cape Town, South Africa; Global Change Biology Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa; Climate Change Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Hoffmann
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Clinton N Jenkins
- IPÊ - Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas, Nazaré Paulista, São Paulo 12960-000, Brazil
| | - Lucas Joppa
- Chief Environmental Scientist, Microsoft, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98075, USA
| | - Binbin V Li
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Environmental Research Centre, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu 215316, China
| | - Vivek Menon
- Wildlife Trust of India, F-13, Sector-8, Noida 201301, India
| | | | - Carlo Rondinini
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Viale dell'Università 32, I-00185, Rome, Italy
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38
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Bowyer RT, Boyce MS, Goheen JR, Rachlow JL. Conservation of the world’s mammals: status, protected areas, community efforts, and hunting. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R Terry Bowyer
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Mark S Boyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jacob R Goheen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Janet L Rachlow
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
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39
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Climate and land-use change homogenise terrestrial biodiversity, with consequences for ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Emerg Top Life Sci 2019; 3:207-219. [DOI: 10.1042/etls20180135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Biodiversity continues to decline under the effect of multiple human pressures. We give a brief overview of the main pressures on biodiversity, before focusing on the two that have a predominant effect: land-use and climate change. We discuss how interactions between land-use and climate change in terrestrial systems are likely to have greater impacts than expected when only considering these pressures in isolation. Understanding biodiversity changes is complicated by the fact that such changes are likely to be uneven among different geographic regions and species. We review the evidence for variation in terrestrial biodiversity changes, relating differences among species to key ecological characteristics, and explaining how disproportionate impacts on certain species are leading to a spatial homogenisation of ecological communities. Finally, we explain how the overall losses and homogenisation of biodiversity, and the larger impacts upon certain types of species, are likely to lead to strong negative consequences for the functioning of ecosystems, and consequently for human well-being.
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40
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Davies TJ. The macroecology and macroevolution of plant species at risk. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 222:708-713. [PMID: 30485443 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Contents Summary 708 I. Introduction 708 II. Fossils and phylogenies: learning from our past 708 III. Threatened species and Red Lists 710 IV. The geography of threat 710 V. The taxonomy of threat 710 VI. Predicting species at risk 711 VII. Conclusion 711 Acknowledgements 712 References 712 SUMMARY: Current rates of extinction are unprecedented in human history. The fossil record and newer molecular phylogenies illuminate historical patterns of speciation and extinction. They reveal both spectacular radiations and the characteristic features of mass extinction events in our geological past. The IUCN Red List provides insight into present-day species declines. There is emerging synthesis that species at risk are nonrandomly distributed across space and phylogeny. This pattern may be explained by geographical variation in driver intensity and species differential sensitivities. However, traits that confer resistance to one global change driver may increase susceptibility to a different driver. A complete understanding of extinction risk requires consideration of the interaction between extinction drivers, ecological traits, and species' evolutionary histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Jonathan Davies
- Departments of Botany, Forest & Conservation Sciences, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2212 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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41
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Buechley ER, Santangeli A, Girardello M, Neate‐Clegg MH, Oleyar D, McClure CJ, Şekercioğlu ÇH. Global raptor research and conservation priorities: Tropical raptors fall prey to knowledge gaps. DIVERS DISTRIB 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Evan R. Buechley
- HawkWatch International Salt Lake City Utah
- Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Washington, DC
| | - Andrea Santangeli
- The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Marco Girardello
- cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes/Azorean Biodiversity Group Universidade dos Açores – Depto de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente Angra do Heroísmo Portugal
| | | | | | | | - Çagan H. Şekercioğlu
- Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah
- College of Sciences Koç University Istanbul Turkey
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42
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Newbold T, Hudson LN, Contu S, Hill SLL, Beck J, Liu Y, Meyer C, Phillips HRP, Scharlemann JPW, Purvis A. Widespread winners and narrow-ranged losers: Land use homogenizes biodiversity in local assemblages worldwide. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2006841. [PMID: 30513079 PMCID: PMC6279023 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2006841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Human use of the land (for agriculture and settlements) has a substantial negative effect on biodiversity globally. However, not all species are adversely affected by land use, and indeed, some benefit from the creation of novel habitat. Geographically rare species may be more negatively affected by land use than widespread species, but data limitations have so far prevented global multi-clade assessments of land-use effects on narrow-ranged and widespread species. We analyse a large, global database to show consistent differences in assemblage composition. Compared with natural habitat, assemblages in disturbed habitats have more widespread species on average, especially in urban areas and the tropics. All else being equal, this result means that human land use is homogenizing assemblage composition across space. Disturbed habitats show both reduced abundances of narrow-ranged species and increased abundances of widespread species. Our results are very important for biodiversity conservation because narrow-ranged species are typically at higher risk of extinction than widespread species. Furthermore, the shift to more widespread species may also affect ecosystem functioning by reducing both the contribution of rare species and the diversity of species’ responses to environmental changes among local assemblages. Previous studies have shown that human use of the land, mainly for agriculture and settlements, causes a detectable but relatively small net loss of biodiversity. However, not all species are affected equally, and some species even benefit from the new habitats we create. One group of species of particular concern for biodiversity conservation are those that inhabit only a small area. These narrow-ranged species are at higher risk of extinction because it is more likely that any threats to the species (including human land use) will affect their entire range. Such species can also play a unique role in the healthy functioning of ecosystems. Here, we show that the observed small declines in biodiversity in human-disturbed land can be broken down into large declines in narrow-ranged species, offset by increases in wide-ranged species. All else being equal, this finding means that ecological communities are losing their distinctive, narrow-ranged species and are becoming dominated by the same species everywhere, leading to a reduction in global biodiversity. The divergent effects of human land use on narrow-ranged and widespread species are important for the conservation of already threatened, narrow-ranged species and may lead to a negative effect on the functioning of ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Newbold
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Lawrence N. Hudson
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Contu
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha L. L. Hill
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Beck
- University of Colorado, Museum of Natural History, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Yunhui Liu
- College of Agricultural Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Carsten Meyer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Helen R. P. Phillips
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jörn P. W. Scharlemann
- UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Andy Purvis
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Moat J, Bachman SP, Field R, Boyd DS. Refining area of occupancy to address the modifiable areal unit problem in ecology and conservation. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2018; 32:1278-1289. [PMID: 29797481 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The modifiable areal unit problem is prevalent across many aspects of spatial analysis within ecology and conservation. The problem is particularly manifested when calculating metrics for extinction risk estimation, for example, area of occupancy (AOO). Although embedded in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria, AOO is often not used or is poorly applied. We evaluated new and existing methods for calculating AOO from occurrence records and devised a method for determining the minimum AOO with a uniform grid. We evaluated the grid cell shape, origin, and rotation with real-world and simulated data and reviewed the effects on AOO values and possible impacts for species already assessed on the IUCN Red List. The AOO varied by up to 80%, and a ratio of cells to points of 1:1.21 yielded the maximum variation in the number of occupied cells. These findings potentially impact 3% of existing species on the IUCN Red List and species not yet assessed. Our new method combined grid rotation and moving grid origin and gave fast, robust, and reproducible results and, in the majority of cases, achieved the minimum AOO. As well as determining minimum AOO, our method yielded a confidence interval that should be incorporated into existing tools that support species risk assessment. We recommend when recording AOO and other areal measurements that the methods; summary statistics across multiple iterations; angle and origin of the minimum grid; map projection; and datum be recorded, this will lead to more robust species risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Moat
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, U.K
- School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Steven P Bachman
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, U.K
- School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Richard Field
- School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Doreen S Boyd
- School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, U.K
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Martins E, Martinelli G, Loyola R. Brazilian efforts towards achieving a comprehensive extinction risk assessment for its known flora. RODRIGUÉSIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1590/2175-7860201869403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Brazil houses nearly 36,400 native terrestrial plant species. The country is a signatory of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) and has to develop tools to achieve GSPC targets. Target 2 states that countries must undertake risk assessments of its entire known plant species by 2020. Here, we offer a panorama on how far has Brazil gone towards achieving this target. We compiled data on all risk assessments for plant species ever made in the country and produced the first synthesis of results with respect to these assessments. We found that the Brazilian Red List Authority for plants has assessed the extinction risk of 5,646 species so far, which corresponds to 15.5% of all known flora in Brazil. Among these species, 2,738 (48%) are currently threatened. Those species are distributed across all Brazilian Biomes and states. Families with the highest number of threatened species are Asteraceae and Bromeliaceae. We conclude that Brazil is far from achieving GSPC target 2 by 2020. However, given the enormous flora of the country and the huge amount of effort and resources put into this particular task, Brazil is following a good path towards a reliable assessment of it entire flora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline Martins
- Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Nic Lughadha E, Walker BE, Canteiro C, Chadburn H, Davis AP, Hargreaves S, Lucas EJ, Schuiteman A, Williams E, Bachman SP, Baines D, Barker A, Budden AP, Carretero J, Clarkson JJ, Roberts A, Rivers MC. The use and misuse of herbarium specimens in evaluating plant extinction risks. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 374:20170402. [PMID: 30455216 PMCID: PMC6282085 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Herbarium specimens provide verifiable and citable evidence of the occurrence of particular plants at particular points in space and time, and are vital resources for assessing extinction risk in the tropics, where plant diversity and threats to plants are greatest. We reviewed approaches to assessing extinction risk in response to the Convention on Biological Diversity's Global Strategy for Plant Conservation Target 2: an assessment of the conservation status of all known plant species by 2020. We tested five alternative approaches, using herbarium-derived data for trees, shrubs and herbs in five different plant groups from temperate and tropical regions. All species were previously fully assessed for the IUCN Red List. We found significant variation in the accuracy with which different approaches classified species as threatened or not threatened. Accuracy was highest for the machine learning model (90%) but the least data-intensive approach also performed well (82%). Despite concerns about spatial, temporal and taxonomic biases and uncertainties in herbarium data, when specimens represent the best available evidence for particular species, their use as a basis for extinction risk assessment is appropriate, necessary and urgent. Resourcing herbaria to maintain, increase and disseminate their specimen data is essential to guide and focus conservation action.This article is part of the theme issue 'Biological collections for understanding biodiversity in the Anthropocene'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eve J Lucas
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AE, UK
| | | | | | | | - David Baines
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AE, UK
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE
| | - Amy Barker
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AE, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Malin C Rivers
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond TW9 3BW, UK
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Akçakaya HR, Bennett EL, Brooks TM, Grace MK, Heath A, Hedges S, Hilton-Taylor C, Hoffmann M, Keith DA, Long B, Mallon DP, Meijaard E, Milner-Gulland EJ, Rodrigues ASL, Rodriguez JP, Stephenson PJ, Stuart SN, Young RP. Quantifying species recovery and conservation success to develop an IUCN Green List of Species. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2018; 32:1128-1138. [PMID: 29578251 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Stopping declines in biodiversity is critically important, but it is only a first step toward achieving more ambitious conservation goals. The absence of an objective and practical definition of species recovery that is applicable across taxonomic groups leads to inconsistent targets in recovery plans and frustrates reporting and maximization of conservation impact. We devised a framework for comprehensively assessing species recovery and conservation success. We propose a definition of a fully recovered species that emphasizes viability, ecological functionality, and representation; and use counterfactual approaches to quantify degree of recovery. This allowed us to calculate a set of 4 conservation metrics that demonstrate impacts of conservation efforts to date (conservation legacy); identify dependence of a species on conservation actions (conservation dependence); quantify expected gains resulting from conservation action in the medium term (conservation gain); and specify requirements to achieve maximum plausible recovery over the long term (recovery potential). These metrics can incentivize the establishment and achievement of ambitious conservation targets. We illustrate their use by applying the framework to a vertebrate, an invertebrate, and a woody and an herbaceous plant. Our approach is a preliminary framework for an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List of Species, which was mandated by a resolution of IUCN members in 2012. Although there are several challenges in applying our proposed framework to a wide range of species, we believe its further development, implementation, and integration with the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species will help catalyze a positive and ambitious vision for conservation that will drive sustained conservation action.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Resit Akçakaya
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, U.S.A
- IUCN Species Survival Commission
| | - Elizabeth L Bennett
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, 10460, U.S.A
| | - Thomas M Brooks
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland
- World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
- Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Molly K Grace
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX2 6BW, U.K
| | - Anna Heath
- Synchronicity Earth, 32a Thurloe Place, London, SW7 2HQ, U.K
| | - Simon Hedges
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, 10460, U.S.A
- IUCN SSC Asian Elephant and Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group
| | | | - Michael Hoffmann
- IUCN Species Survival Commission
- Conservation Programmes, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, U.K
| | - David A Keith
- IUCN Species Survival Commission
- Centre for Ecosystem Sciences, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, 43 Bridge Street, Hurstville, NSW 2220, Australia
| | - Barney Long
- Global Wildlife Conservation, 1250 24th St NW, Washington, D.C., 20037, U.S.A
| | - David P Mallon
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, Manchester, M1 5GD, U.K
- IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group
| | - Erik Meijaard
- IUCN SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group
- Center of Excellence for Environmental Decision, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - E J Milner-Gulland
- Department of Zoology and Merton College, University of Oxford, OX2 6BW, U.K
| | - Ana S L Rodrigues
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS-CEFE UMR5175, Montpellier, France
| | - Jon Paul Rodriguez
- IUCN Species Survival Commission
- Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, and Provita, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - P J Stephenson
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Ecosystem Management Group, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
- IUCN SSC Species Monitoring Specialist Group
| | - Simon N Stuart
- IUCN Species Survival Commission
- Synchronicity Earth, 32a Thurloe Place, London, SW7 2HQ, U.K
| | - Richard P Young
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Trinity JE3 5BP, Jersey, Channel Islands, U.K
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A reassessment of the extinction risk of the Critically Endangered Oxapampa poison frog Ameerega planipaleae (Dendrobatidae). ORYX 2018. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605318000571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractAssessments of extinction risk are required to inform conservation action, but the usefulness of assessments is undermined if they are not current. Ameerega planipaleae, a poison frog endemic to the cloud forests of central Peru, was last assessed in 2004. We therefore sought to provide updated data to inform the reassessment of this species. Based on our findings, we recommend that this frog remain categorized as Critically Endangered, but under modified criteria, and that conservation actions are taken to reduce the pressures of local threats, especially the overuse of agrochemicals.
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48
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Abstract
AbstractConservation resources are limited, yet an increasing number of species are under threat. Assessing species for their conservation needs is, therefore, a vital first step in identifying and prioritizing species for both ex situ and in situ conservation actions. Using a transparent, logical and objective method, the Conservation Needs Assessment process developed by Amphibian Ark uses current knowledge of species in the wild to determine those with the most pressing conservation needs, and provides a foundation for the development of holistic conservation action plans that combine in situ and ex situ actions as appropriate. These assessments allow us to maximize the impact of limited conservation resources by identifying which measures could best serve those species requiring help. The Conservation Needs Assessment complements the IUCN Red List assessment, and together they provide a more holistic guide to conservation priorities and actions. Conservation Needs Assessments generate national prioritized lists of species recommended for conservation action. These can subsequently be used to assist in the development of species recovery plans and national action plans, or to inform national conservation priorities better. Additional tools that will evaluate the recommendations for ex situ rescues, to determine the best candidates for conservation breeding programmes, are currently under development.
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49
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Trull N, Böhm M, Carr J. Patterns and biases of climate change threats in the IUCN Red List. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2018; 32:135-147. [PMID: 28861903 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments rely on published data and expert inputs, and biases can be introduced where underlying definitions and concepts are ambiguous. Consideration of climate change threat is no exception, and recently numerous approaches to assessing the threat of climate change to species have been developed. We explored IUCN Red List assessments of amphibians and birds to determine whether species listed as threatened by climate change display distinct patterns in terms of habitat occupied and additional nonclimatic threats faced. We compared IUCN Red List data with a published data set of species' biological and ecological traits believed to infer high vulnerability to climate change and determined whether distributions of climate change-threatened species on the IUCN Red List concur with those of climate change-threatened species identified with the trait-based approach and whether species possessing these traits are more likely to have climate change listed as a threat on the IUCN Red List. Species in some ecosystems (e.g., grassland, shrubland) and subject to particular threats (e.g., invasive species) were more likely to have climate change as a listed threat. Geographical patterns of climate change-threatened amphibians and birds on the IUCN Red List were incongruent with patterns of global species richness and patterns identified using trait-based approaches. Certain traits were linked to increases or decreases in the likelihood of a species being threatened by climate change. Broad temperature tolerance of a species was consistently related to an increased likelihood of climate change threat, indicating counterintuitive relationships in IUCN assessments. To improve the robustness of species assessments of the vulnerability or extinction risk associated with climate change, we suggest IUCN adopt a more cohesive approach whereby specific traits highlighted by our results are considered in Red List assessments. To achieve this and to strengthen the climate change-vulnerability assessments approach, it is necessary to identify and implement logical avenues for further research into traits that make species vulnerable to climate change (including population-level threats).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monika Böhm
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, U.K
| | - Jamie Carr
- Global Species Programme, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
- Climate Change Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, IUCN, 28 rue Mauverney, Gland CH-1196, Switzerland
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50
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Brook BW, Alroy J. Pattern, process, inference and prediction in extinction biology. Biol Lett 2017; 13:rsbl.2016.0828. [PMID: 28077688 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Extinction is a key feature of the evolutionary history of life, and assessments of extinction risk are essential for the effective protection of biodiversity. The goal in assembling this special issue of Biology Letters was to highlight problems and questions at the research frontier of extinction biology, with an emphasis on recent developments in the methodology of inferring the patterns and processes of extinction from a background of often noisy and sparse data. In selecting topics, we sought to illustrate how extinction is not simply a self-evident phenomenon, but the subject of a dynamic and quantitatively rigorous field of natural science, with practical applications to conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry W Brook
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart 7001, Australia
| | - John Alroy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
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