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Zwerts JA, Sterck EHM, Verweij PA, Maisels F, van der Waarde J, Geelen EAM, Tchoumba GB, Donfouet Zebaze HF, van Kuijk M. FSC-certified forest management benefits large mammals compared to non-FSC. Nature 2024; 628:563-568. [PMID: 38600379 PMCID: PMC11023928 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07257-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
More than a quarter of the world's tropical forests are exploited for timber1. Logging impacts biodiversity in these ecosystems, primarily through the creation of forest roads that facilitate hunting for wildlife over extensive areas. Forest management certification schemes such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) are expected to mitigate impacts on biodiversity, but so far very little is known about the effectiveness of FSC certification because of research design challenges, predominantly limited sample sizes2,3. Here we provide this evidence by using 1.3 million camera-trap photos of 55 mammal species in 14 logging concessions in western equatorial Africa. We observed higher mammal encounter rates in FSC-certified than in non-FSC logging concessions. The effect was most pronounced for species weighing more than 10 kg and for species of high conservation priority such as the critically endangered forest elephant and western lowland gorilla. Across the whole mammal community, non-FSC concessions contained proportionally more rodents and other small species than did FSC-certified concessions. The first priority for species protection should be to maintain unlogged forests with effective law enforcement, but for logged forests our findings provide convincing data that FSC-certified forest management is less damaging to the mammal community than is non-FSC forest management. This study provides strong evidence that FSC-certified forest management or equivalently stringent requirements and controlling mechanisms should become the norm for timber extraction to avoid half-empty forests dominated by rodents and other small species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joeri A Zwerts
- Ecology and Biodiversity, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Animal Behaviour & Cognition, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - E H M Sterck
- Animal Behaviour & Cognition, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Animal Science Department, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Pita A Verweij
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Fiona Maisels
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Emma A M Geelen
- Animal Behaviour & Cognition, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Marijke van Kuijk
- Ecology and Biodiversity, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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2
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Matias G, Cagnacci F, Rosalino LM. FSC forest certification effects on biodiversity: A global review and meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168296. [PMID: 37926251 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168296] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
FSC is a worldwide recognized forest certification scheme, that aims to promote the environmentally responsible management and conservation of the world's forests. Despite its broad application, there is little evidence of its effect on biodiversity. To address this important knowledge gap, here we conducted a systematic review and a hierarchical meta-analysis of the effects of FSC on biodiversity worldwide. Our review yielded 57 studies spanning 2004-2022. Most studies were in the Americas and Europe (31 % and 28 %, respectively), and largely focused on vascular plants (41 %). Half (51 %) of the studies aimed to determine the effect of FSC certification on biodiversity. There were 15 studies with sufficient information for meta-analysis, resulting in 231 effect sizes for mammal, bird, and vascular plant abundance and 10 for vascular plant richness. Overall, there is a neutral effect of certification on taxa abundance, with only a positive effect on mammal assemblages. Responses varied considerably between mammals' traits. Threatened species, individuals with reduced body weight, and omnivorous species benefit from management under the FSC scheme. Vascular plant richness exhibited significantly higher values in FSC-certified areas. Moreover, the abundance of vascular plants also differs among traits, with shrubs and adult trees benefiting from FSC certification. Our systematic review and meta-analysis revealed strong variation in biodiversity responses to FSC, and major geographic and taxonomic knowledge gaps. The overall neutral effect and the divergent responses of taxa and species traits suggest that taxa/species-specific management and improvement of FSC criteria are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo Matias
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Centre, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Luís Miguel Rosalino
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
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3
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Malek EJ, Abdul Rahim AR. A thematic review of forest certification publications from 2017 to 2021: Analysis of pattern and trends for future studies. TREES, FORESTS AND PEOPLE 2022; 10:100331. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tfp.2022.100331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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4
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Wong ST, Guharajan R, Petrus A, Jubili J, Lietz R, Abrams JF, Hon J, Alen LH, Ting NTK, Wong GTN, Tchin LT, Bijack NJC, Kramer-Schadt S, Wilting A, Sollmann R. How do terrestrial wildlife communities respond to small-scale Acacia plantations embedded in harvested tropical forest? Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9337. [PMID: 36188514 PMCID: PMC9486821 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
To offset the declining timber supply by shifting towards more sustainable forestry practices, industrial tree plantations are expanding in tropical production forests. The conversion of natural forests to tree plantation is generally associated with loss of biodiversity and shifts towards more generalist and disturbance tolerant communities, but effects of mixed-landuse landscapes integrating natural and plantation forests remain little understood. Using camera traps, we surveyed the medium-to-large bodied terrestrial wildlife community across two mixed-landuse forest management areas in Sarawak, Malaysia Borneo which include areas dedicated to logging of natural forests and adjacent planted Acacia forests. We analyzed data from a 25-wildlife species community using a Bayesian community occupancy model to assess species richness and species-specific occurrence responses to Acacia plantations at a broad scale, and to remote-sensed local habitat conditions within the different forest landuse types. All species were estimated to occur in both landuse types, but species-level percent area occupied and predicted average local species richness were slightly higher in the natural forest management areas compared to licensed planted forest management areas. Similarly, occupancy-based species diversity profiles and defaunation indices for both a full community and only threatened and endemic species suggested the diversity and occurrence were slightly higher in the natural forest management areas. At the local scale, forest quality was the most prominent predictor of species occurrence. These associations with forest quality varied among species but were predominantly positive. Our results highlight the ability of a mixed-landuse landscape with small-scale Acacia plantations embedded in natural forests to retain terrestrial wildlife communities while providing an alternate source of timber. Nonetheless, there was a tendency towards reduced biodiversity in planted forests, which would likely be more pronounced in plantations that are larger or embedded in a less natural matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth T Wong
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Roshan Guharajan
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Panthera Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
| | | | | | - Robin Lietz
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Jesse F Abrams
- Global Systems Institute and Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Exeter Exeter UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Andreas Wilting
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Rahel Sollmann
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
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Asad S, Vitalis V, Guharajan R, Abrams JF, Lagan P, Kissing J, Sikui J, Wilting A, Rödel MO. Variable species but similar amphibian community responses across habitats following reduced impact logging. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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6
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Effectiveness and Economic Viability of Forest Certification: A Systematic Review. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13050798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the face of accelerating forest degradation and deforestation, forest certification emerged in the early 1990s as a voluntary and market-based mechanism to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. A key goal of forest certification is to reduce forest degradation and deforestation while enhancing forest enterprises’ economic viability. However, whether forest certification contributes to meeting such goals is unclear. We conducted a systematic literature review on such impacts, reviewing empirical studies published between 1993 and 2021 regarding the impact of forest certification on forest degradation, deforestation, and economic viability. Drawing on 98 empirical studies, we analyzed these impacts and provide an overview of the studies’ findings in terms of geographical distribution, indicators considered, and the certification schemes assessed. We found that the impact of forest certification on deforestation has been specifically understudied (n = 11) compared to forest degradation (n = 42) and economic viability (n = 45). On deforestation, studies have focused on Africa (45%) and South America (36%); on forest degradation, studies have focused on Europe (40%) and Asia (20%); on economic viability, studies have focused on Asia (33%), Europe (33%) and South America (20%). We found positive-neutral (54%; 46%) impacts on deforestation, positive-neutral-mixed (70%; 21%; 9%) impacts on forest degradation and positive-negative-mixed (50%; 33%; 17%) impacts on economic viability. We did not find clear evidence that impact is linked to a specific region or certification scheme. However, scarce evidence on the impacts of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the application of various methods, and site-specific indicators in the individual studies challenge such comparison and hamper the generalization of findings. This systematic review provides an overview of the state-of-the-art research on the effectiveness and economic viability of forest certification, evaluates and discusses the current evidence base, and concludes with future research lines.
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Alexiou I, Abrams JF, Coudrat CNZ, Nanthavong C, Nguyen A, Niedballa J, Wilting A, Tilker A. Camera-trapping reveals new insights in the ecology of three sympatric muntjacs in an overhunted biodiversity hotspot. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00248-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe Annamites ecoregion harbors exceptional levels of species richness and endemism, but intensive snaring has decimated populations of terrestrial mammals. Ungulates, such as muntjacs, are susceptible to snaring, and in need of effective conservation action. At least three muntjacs occur sympatrically in the region: the Annamite dark muntjac species complex Muntiacus rooseveltorum/truongsonensis, the northern red muntjac Muntiacus vaginalis, and the large-antlered muntjac Muntiacus vuquangensis. We conducted a landscape-scale systematic camera-trapping survey in Nakai-Nam Theun National Park to gather information on the ecology and distribution of these muntjacs. We analyzed camera-trap records within an occupancy framework to evaluate responses to environmental and anthropogenic variables, and to predict distributions across the protected area. We found varying responses to the covariates, indicating complex drivers of occurrence, though all three muntjac had higher occupancies in more inaccessible areas. Mean (95%) PAO in the protected area was higher for large-antlered muntjac (0.33 [0.22–0.49]), followed by Annamite dark muntjac (0.28 [0.18–0.39]), and then northern red muntjac (0.27 [0.15–0.42]). Large-antlered muntjac and northern red muntjac were widespread, while dark muntjac was restricted to a single high elevation area. Overall, our results provide new insights into muntjac ecology, distribution, and population status, and we discuss how this information can be used to inform conservation efforts. Given the high occupancies that we found for the Critically Endangered large-antlered muntjac, we argue that Nakai-Nam Theun National Park may be vital for the long-term survival of the species.
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Nguyen TV, Wilting A, Niedballa J, Nguyen A, Rawson BM, Nguyen AQH, Cao TT, Wearn OR, Dao AC, Tilker A. Getting the big picture: Landscape‐scale occupancy patterns of two Annamite endemics among multiple protected areas. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thanh V. Nguyen
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Vietnam National University Hanoi Vietnam
- Re:wild Austin Texas USA
| | - Andreas Wilting
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Jürgen Niedballa
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - An Nguyen
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Re:wild Austin Texas USA
| | | | | | - Trung T. Cao
- School of Biology, Chemistry and Environment Vinh University Vinh Vietnam
| | - Oliver R. Wearn
- Fauna & Flora International – Vietnam Programme Hanoi Vietnam
| | - Anh C. Dao
- Fauna & Flora International – Vietnam Programme Hanoi Vietnam
| | - Andrew Tilker
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Re:wild Austin Texas USA
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Sollmann R, Eaton MJ, Link WA, Mulondo P, Ayebare S, Prinsloo S, Plumptre AJ, Johnson DS. A Bayesian Dirichlet process community occupancy model to estimate community structure and species similarity. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02249. [PMID: 33140872 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Community occupancy models estimate species-specific parameters while sharing information across species by treating parameters as sampled from a common distribution. When communities consist of discrete groups, shrinkage of estimates toward the community mean can mask differences among groups. Infinite-mixture models using a Dirichlet process (DP) distribution, in which the number of latent groups is estimated from the data, have been proposed as a solution. In addition to community structure, these models estimate species similarity, which allows testing hypotheses about whether traits drive species response to environmental conditions. We develop a community occupancy model (COM) using a DP distribution to model species-level parameters. Because clustering algorithms are sensitive to dimensionality and distinctiveness of clusters, we conducted a simulation study to explore performance of the DP-COM with different dimensions (i.e., different numbers of model parameters with species-level DP random effects) and under varying cluster differences. Because the DP-COM is computationally expensive, we compared its estimates to a COM with a normal random species effect. We further applied the DP-COM model to a bird data set from Uganda. Estimates of the number of clusters and species cluster identity improved with increasing difference among clusters and increasing dimensions of the DP; but the number of clusters was always overestimated. Estimates of number of sites occupied and species and community-level covariate coefficients on occupancy probability were generally unbiased with (near-) nominal 95% Bayesian Credible Interval coverage. Accuracy of estimates from the normal and the DP-COM was similar. The DP-COM clustered 166 bird species into 27 clusters regarding their affiliation with open or woodland habitat and distance to oil wells. Estimates of covariate coefficients were similar between a normal and the DP-COM. Except sunbirds, species within a family were not more similar in their response to these covariates than the overall community. Given that estimates were consistent between the normal and the DP-COM, and considering the computational burden for the DP models, we recommend using the DP-COM only when the analysis focuses on community structure and species similarity, as these quantities can only be obtained under the DP-COM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Sollmann
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, 1088 Academic Surge, One Shields Ave, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Mitchell Joseph Eaton
- Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, North Carolina State University, 127 David Clark Labs, Campus Box 7617, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
| | - William A Link
- Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Laurel, Maryland, 20708, USA
| | - Paul Mulondo
- Wildlife Conservation Society, PO Box 7487, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Samuel Ayebare
- Wildlife Conservation Society, PO Box 7487, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sarah Prinsloo
- Wildlife Conservation Society, PO Box 7487, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Andrew J Plumptre
- KBA Secretariat, c/o BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, United Kingdom
| | - Devin S Johnson
- Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Seattle, Washington, 98115, USA
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10
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Newell R, Newman L, Dickson M, Vanderkooi B, Fernback T, White C. Hydroponic fodder and greenhouse gas emissions: a potential avenue for climate mitigation strategy and policy development. Facets (Ott) 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2020-0066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This research explores the potential hydroponic systems have for contributing to climate mitigation in fodder agriculture. Using British Columbia (BC) and Alberta as case studies, the study compares greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration potential of hydroponically grown sprouted barley fodder to conventional barley grain fodder. GHG emissions were examined through scenarios that assumed Alberta to be the main barley producer, while exploring different situations of BC and Alberta as consumers, distributed/centralized hydroponic systems, and renewable/nonrenewable energy. Carbon sequestration opportunities were examined through scenarios that explored the land sparing potential of transitioning from conventional to hydroponic barley and shifts from tillage to no-tillage practices. Sensitivity analyses were done to examine how changes in hydroponic seed-to-fodder output and energy consumption affect the systems’ climate mitigation potential. The results indicated that incorporating hydroponic systems into barley production has the potential to reduce GHG emissions, given seed-to-fodder output and energy consumption are maintained at certain levels and the systems are powered by renewable energy. Results also showed that hydroponic farming can provide greater carbon sequestration opportunities than simply shifting to no-tillage farming. The research indicates that hydroponic fodder farming could contribute to climate mitigation objectives if complemented with effective energy and land use policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Newell
- Food and Agriculture Institute, University of the Fraser Valley, 33844 King Road, Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8, Canada
| | - Lenore Newman
- Food and Agriculture Institute, University of the Fraser Valley, 33844 King Road, Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8, Canada
| | - Mathew Dickson
- Hallbar Consulting, 170-422 Richards Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2Z4, Canada
| | - Bill Vanderkooi
- Nutriva Group, 1356 Sumas Way, Abbotsford, BC V2S 8H2, Canada
| | - Tim Fernback
- Cubic Farm Systems Corporation, 9440 202 Street, Langley City, BC V1M 3Z4, Canada
| | - Charmaine White
- Food and Agriculture Institute, University of the Fraser Valley, 33844 King Road, Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8, Canada
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Tilker A, Abrams JF, Nguyen A, Hörig L, Axtner J, Louvrier J, Rawson BM, Nguyen HAQ, Guegan F, Nguyen TV, Le M, Sollmann R, Wilting A. Identifying conservation priorities in a defaunated tropical biodiversity hotspot. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Tilker
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Global Wildlife Conservation Austin TX USA
| | - Jesse F. Abrams
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - An Nguyen
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Lisa Hörig
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Jan Axtner
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Julie Louvrier
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | | | | | | | - Thanh Van Nguyen
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- VNU-Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Vietnam National University Hanoi Vietnam
| | - Minh Le
- VNU-Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Vietnam National University Hanoi Vietnam
- Department of Environmental Ecology Faculty of Environmental Sciences VNU-University of Science, Vietnam National University Hanoi Vietnam
| | - Rahel Sollmann
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California Davis Davis CA USA
| | - Andreas Wilting
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
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Tilker A, Abrams JF, Mohamed A, Nguyen A, Wong ST, Sollmann R, Niedballa J, Bhagwat T, Gray TNE, Rawson BM, Guegan F, Kissing J, Wegmann M, Wilting A. Habitat degradation and indiscriminate hunting differentially impact faunal communities in the Southeast Asian tropical biodiversity hotspot. Commun Biol 2019; 2:396. [PMID: 31701025 PMCID: PMC6821809 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0640-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat degradation and hunting have caused the widespread loss of larger vertebrate species (defaunation) from tropical biodiversity hotspots. However, these defaunation drivers impact vertebrate biodiversity in different ways and, therefore, require different conservation interventions. We conducted landscape-scale camera-trap surveys across six study sites in Southeast Asia to assess how moderate degradation and intensive, indiscriminate hunting differentially impact tropical terrestrial mammals and birds. We found that functional extinction rates were higher in hunted compared to degraded sites. Species found in both sites had lower occupancies in the hunted sites. Canopy closure was the main predictor of occurrence in the degraded sites, while village density primarily influenced occurrence in the hunted sites. Our findings suggest that intensive, indiscriminate hunting may be a more immediate threat than moderate habitat degradation for tropical faunal communities, and that conservation stakeholders should focus as much on overhunting as on habitat conservation to address the defaunation crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Tilker
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, 10315 Germany
- Global Wildlife Conservation, Austin, TX 78767 USA
| | - Jesse F. Abrams
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, 10315 Germany
| | - Azlan Mohamed
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, 10315 Germany
- World Wide Fund for Nature, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Malaysia
| | - An Nguyen
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, 10315 Germany
- Global Wildlife Conservation, Austin, TX 78767 USA
| | - Seth T. Wong
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, 10315 Germany
| | - Rahel Sollmann
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Jürgen Niedballa
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, 10315 Germany
| | - Tejas Bhagwat
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, 10315 Germany
| | | | | | | | - Johnny Kissing
- Sabah Forestry Department, Sandakan, 90009 Sabah Malaysia
| | - Martin Wegmann
- Department of Remote Sensing, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Wilting
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, 10315 Germany
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Using natural marks in a spatially explicit capture-recapture framework to estimate preliminary population density of cryptic endangered wild cattle in Borneo. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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14
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Whitworth A, Beirne C, Pillco Huarcaya R, Whittaker L, Serrano Rojas SJ, Tobler MW, MacLeod R. Human disturbance impacts on rainforest mammals are most notable in the canopy, especially for larger‐bodied species. DIVERS DISTRIB 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Whitworth
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
- Osa Conservation Washington District of Columbia
- The Crees Foundation Cusco Peru
| | - Christopher Beirne
- The Crees Foundation Cusco Peru
- Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University Durham North Carolina
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences University Exeter Cornwall UK
| | - Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya
- Osa Conservation Washington District of Columbia
- The Crees Foundation Cusco Peru
- Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco (UNSAAC) Cusco Peru
| | | | - Shirley Jennifer Serrano Rojas
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
- The Crees Foundation Cusco Peru
- Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco (UNSAAC) Cusco Peru
| | - Mathias W. Tobler
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research Escondido California
| | - Ross MacLeod
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
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15
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Forest Certification: More Than a Market-Based Tool, Experiences from the Asia Pacific Region. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11092600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Over the last 25 years, the global area of certified forests has grown rapidly and voluntary forest certification has become recognized as an effective tool to engage international markets in improving sustainability within forest management units. However, the bulk of this growth has occurred in North America, Northern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, with relatively limited uptake in the tropics. Since its creation, forest certification has been largely understood as a “market-based” mechanism, in contrast to government-led policies and regulations. Through the experience of the Responsible Asia Forestry and Trade (RAFT) partnership in the Asia Pacific region, we find that the framing of forest certification as voluntary and market-based, and as a mechanism to overcome governance failure, has created an artificial dichotomy. In this dichotomy, voluntary certification and regulatory measures to promote sustainable forest management are conceived of and pursued largely independently. We argue that it is more constructive to view them as complementary approaches that share a common goal of increasing sustainability across the forestry sector. In practice, forest certification interacts with conventional governance institutions and mechanisms. Understanding these interactions and their implications, as well as additional possibilities for interaction, will help in realizing the full potential of forest certification.
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Kiffner C, Arndt Z, Foky T, Gaeth M, Gannett A, Jackson M, Lellman G, Love S, Maroldi A, McLaughlin S, Skenandore B, von Euler S, Zambrano Z, Kissui B. Land use, REDD+ and the status of wildlife populations in Yaeda Valley, northern Tanzania. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214823. [PMID: 30947305 PMCID: PMC6448838 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
REDD+ projects primarily focus on reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. These projects are regularly evaluated against their core objective of conserving carbon stocks, but their contribution to biodiversity conservation has rarely been assessed. To assess the conservation value of the area and the relative performance of a REDD+ land use plan in Yaeda Valley, a semi-arid savannah ecosystem in northern Tanzania, we implemented an annual wildlife monitoring scheme. Based on direct sightings and indirect signs of wildlife, obtained from stratified walking transects conducted annually from 2015–2018, we estimated annual trends of mammal species richness and wildlife densities in three REDD+ and three non-REDD+ land-use strata. Our surveys document a near complete mammal community in the area. Species accumulation curves, and subsequent statistical comparisons, indicated highest mammal species richness in the woodland habitats (both REDD+ and non REDD+ strata) as compared to more human and livestock impacted areas, and suggested constant species richness from 2015–2018. To estimate stratum- and year-specific livestock and wildlife densities (cattle, donkey, goat and sheep combined, Thomson’s gazelle, Kirk’s dik-dik) and wildlife sign densities (aardvark, bushbuck, bushpig, Kirk’s dik dik, eland, elephant, Maasai giraffe, greater kudu, hyena, impala, lesser kudu, warthog, wildebeest, Plains zebra), we fitted species-specific detection functions in a distance sampling framework. Species-specific densities varied between 2015 and 2018 and showed substantial increases and occasional declines in other species-stratum combinations. However, population growth rates were not systematically associated with specific land-use strata. Although our results do not explicitly provide evidence that REDD+ land-use plans directly co-benefit wildlife conservation, they show that REDD+ areas have the potential to maintain intact wildlife assemblages. To ensure effective long-term conservation outcomes, we advocate for a more formal integration of wildlife conservation goals in the REDD+ scheme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Kiffner
- Center For Wildlife Management Studies, The School For Field Studies, Karatu, Tanzania
- * E-mail:
| | - Zoe Arndt
- Zoology Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Trent Foky
- Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, United States of America
| | - Megan Gaeth
- Biology Department, Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Alex Gannett
- Environmental Studies, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, United States of America
| | - Madeline Jackson
- Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States of America
| | | | - Sophia Love
- Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, United States of America
| | - Ana Maroldi
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States of America
| | - Shane McLaughlin
- Environmental Science Program, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, United States of America
| | - Bobbi Skenandore
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Sarah von Euler
- Biology Department, Davidson College, Davidson, NC, United States of America
| | - Zachary Zambrano
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States of America
| | - Bernard Kissui
- Center For Wildlife Management Studies, The School For Field Studies, Karatu, Tanzania
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17
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Sabatini FM, de Andrade RB, Paillet Y, Ódor P, Bouget C, Campagnaro T, Gosselin F, Janssen P, Mattioli W, Nascimbene J, Sitzia T, Kuemmerle T, Burrascano S. Trade-offs between carbon stocks and biodiversity in European temperate forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:536-548. [PMID: 30565806 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Policies to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss often assume that protecting carbon-rich forests provides co-benefits in terms of biodiversity, due to the spatial congruence of carbon stocks and biodiversity at biogeographic scales. However, it remains unclear whether this holds at the scales relevant for management, and particularly large knowledge gaps exist for temperate forests and for taxa other than trees. We built a comprehensive dataset of Central European temperate forest structure and multi-taxonomic diversity (beetles, birds, bryophytes, fungi, lichens, and plants) across 352 plots. We used Boosted Regression Trees (BRTs) to assess the relationship between above-ground live carbon stocks and (a) taxon-specific richness, (b) a unified multidiversity index. We used Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis to explore individual species' responses to changing above-ground carbon stocks and to detect change-points in species composition along the carbon-stock gradient. Our results reveal an overall weak and highly variable relationship between richness and carbon stock at the stand scale, both for individual taxonomic groups and for multidiversity. Similarly, the proportion of win-win and trade-off species (i.e., species favored or disadvantaged by increasing carbon stock, respectively) varied substantially across taxa. Win-win species gradually replaced trade-off species with increasing carbon, without clear thresholds along the above-ground carbon gradient, suggesting that community-level surrogates (e.g., richness) might fail to detect critical changes in biodiversity. Collectively, our analyses highlight that leveraging co-benefits between carbon and biodiversity in temperate forest may require stand-scale management that prioritizes either biodiversity or carbon in order to maximize co-benefits at broader scales. Importantly, this contrasts with tropical forests, where climate and biodiversity objectives can be integrated at the stand scale, thus highlighting the need for context-specificity when managing for multiple objectives. Accounting for critical change-points of target taxa can help to deal with this specificity, by defining a safe operating space to manipulate carbon while avoiding biodiversity losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Maria Sabatini
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) - Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-Universität, Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | | | - Péter Ódor
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | | | - Thomas Campagnaro
- Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, Università degli Studi di Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | | | - Philippe Janssen
- Université Grenoble-Alpes, Irstea, UR LESSEM, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France
| | - Walter Mattioli
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood (CREA-FL), Arezzo, Italy
| | - Juri Nascimbene
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Tommaso Sitzia
- Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, Università degli Studi di Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Integrative Research Institute for Human Environment Transformation (IRI THESys), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabina Burrascano
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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18
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Brozovic R, Abrams JF, Mohamed A, Wong ST, Niedballa J, Bhagwat T, Sollmann R, Mannan S, Kissing J, Wilting A. Effects of forest degradation on the moonrat Echinosorex gymnura in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Mamm Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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19
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Li X, Bleisch WV, Jiang X. Unveiling a wildlife haven: occupancy and activity patterns of mammals at a Tibetan sacred mountain. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1213-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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20
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Ratnayeke S, van Manen FT, Clements GR, Kulaimi NAM, Sharp SP. Carnivore hotspots in Peninsular Malaysia and their landscape attributes. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194217. [PMID: 29617402 PMCID: PMC5884492 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian carnivores play a vital role in ecosystem functioning. However, they are prone to extinction because of low population densities and growth rates, and high levels of persecution or exploitation. In tropical biodiversity hotspots such as Peninsular Malaysia, rapid conversion of natural habitats threatens the persistence of this vulnerable group of animals. Here, we carried out the first comprehensive literature review on 31 carnivore species reported to occur in Peninsular Malaysia and updated their probable distribution. We georeferenced 375 observations of 28 species of carnivore from 89 unique geographic locations using records spanning 1948 to 2014. Using the Getis-Ord Gi*statistic and weighted survey records by IUCN Red List status, we identified hotspots of species that were of conservation concern and built regression models to identify environmental and anthropogenic landscape factors associated with Getis-Ord Gi* z scores. Our analyses identified two carnivore hotspots that were spatially concordant with two of the peninsula's largest and most contiguous forest complexes, associated with Taman Negara National Park and Royal Belum State Park. A cold spot overlapped with the southwestern region of the Peninsula, reflecting the disappearance of carnivores with higher conservation rankings from increasingly fragmented natural habitats. Getis-Ord Gi* z scores were negatively associated with elevation, and positively associated with the proportion of natural land cover and distance from the capital city. Malaysia contains some of the world's most diverse carnivore assemblages, but recent rates of forest loss are some of the highest in the world. Reducing poaching and maintaining large, contiguous tracts of lowland forests will be crucial, not only for the persistence of threatened carnivores, but for many mammalian species in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyamala Ratnayeke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | - Frank T. van Manen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Gopalasamy Reuben Clements
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
- Rimba, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Noor Azleen Mohd Kulaimi
- Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Stuart P. Sharp
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
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Wong ST, Belant JL, Sollmann R, Mohamed A, Niedballa J, Mathai J, Meijaard E, Street GM, Kissing J, Mannan S, Wilting A. Habitat associations of the Sunda stink-badger Mydaus javanensis in three forest reserves in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Mamm Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2017.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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22
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Deere NJ, Guillera‐Arroita G, Baking EL, Bernard H, Pfeifer M, Reynolds G, Wearn OR, Davies ZG, Struebig MJ. High Carbon Stock forests provide co‐benefits for tropical biodiversity. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas J. Deere
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Canterbury UK
| | | | - Esther L. Baking
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia
| | - Henry Bernard
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia
| | - Marion Pfeifer
- School of Biology Newcastle University Newcastle Upon Tyne UK
| | - Glen Reynolds
- South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) Danum Valley Field Centre Lahad Datu Sabah Malaysia
| | | | - Zoe G. Davies
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Canterbury UK
| | - Matthew J. Struebig
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Canterbury UK
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23
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Connecting Earth observation to high-throughput biodiversity data. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:176. [PMID: 28812589 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Understandably, given the fast pace of biodiversity loss, there is much interest in using Earth observation technology to track biodiversity, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services. However, because most biodiversity is invisible to Earth observation, indicators based on Earth observation could be misleading and reduce the effectiveness of nature conservation and even unintentionally decrease conservation effort. We describe an approach that combines automated recording devices, high-throughput DNA sequencing and modern ecological modelling to extract much more of the information available in Earth observation data. This approach is achievable now, offering efficient and near-real-time monitoring of management impacts on biodiversity and its functions and services.
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