Figure - available from: Current Landscape Ecology Reports
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Communities along environmental and thermal gradients are comprised of habitat interior specialists, generalists, and anthropogenic specialists (A). Combined land use and land cover (LULC) and climate change might lead to communities characterized by either relative dominance of generalist (B) or anthropogenic specialist (C) individuals or species. Species silhouettes were taken from PhyloPic (PhyloPic-Free Silhouette Images of Life Forms) and colorized
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Purpose of Review
There is increasing evidence that land use and land cover (LULC) change interacts with climate change to shape biodiversity dynamics. The prevailing hypothesis suggests that generalist species have an advantage in novel climatic and land cover conditions, while specialists are expected to be more sensitive to both stressors (gener...
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... We observed the greatest declines in Grassland species which were dependent either exclusively on natural Grasslands or on a mixture of Grassland and a second non-Urban habitat such as Fynbos or Montane. Again, this result was unsurprising; habitat specialists are more broadly threatened by habitat conversion than generalists (Clavel et al., 2011;Le Viol et al., 2012;Sweeney and Jarzyna, 2022). However, for those species able to utilise converted land, no single type of agricultural transformation appears to be conclusively "better" for avian diversity-factors supporting the greatest diversity of Grassland species vary significantly by context, rendering blanket recommendations inadequate (e.g. ...
Citizen science data are rapidly transforming the conservation landscape. Targeted participatory citizen science initiatives generate nuanced data capable of monitoring trends in populations and generating early warnings for species and habitats experiencing significant declines. In the Hessequa Atlasing Area, Western Cape, South Africa, citizen science 'atlasers' involved with the Second Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2) have worked with scientific leadership since 2014 to improve the quality of bird atlas data in their region for species monitoring. In this study, we used reporting rates from SABAP2 checklists in the Hessequa Atlasing Area to calculate changes in range size and relative abundance for the 165 most commonly reported species in the region. We used a seven-tier alert system and broad habitat categories to sort species by priority for conservation action. Our results showed that wetland and marine associated species are experiencing the greatest declines in range and relative abundance in the Hessequa Atlasing Area, whilst urban and grassland associated species are largely increasing. We discuss how observed changes in populations may be used to guide conservation action and provide recommendations for scientists and non-scientific community members on engaging with and responding to the changes highlighted in each of the seven alert levels provided.
... The engagement of local communities is a vital component of developing ecotourism, hence the need to evaluate community participation and its performance within diverse government systems (Zoysa, 2021;Sweeney & Jarzyna, 2022;Day et al., 2021). The intricate nature of ecotourism, rooted in nature, poses a challenge in establishing sustainable ecotourism operations, underscoring the importance of increasing community stakeholder participation (Wondirad et al., 2020;Ziyeviddinovich, 2022). ...
Mizoram is a beautiful state with 84.53% forest cover (ISFR 2021), which supports a diverse range of flora and fauna. The state is endowed with beautiful hills covered in forests, rivers and streams, as well as rich biodiversity, unique cultural heritage, and stunning natural landscapes, all of which offer great potential for ecotourism. Ecotourism focuses on local cultures, wilderness, adventures, and environmental protection. Among the most notable features of ecotourism are its potential to generate employment opportunities, foster overall development in the state, promote self-sufficiency and community development, and encourage eco-friendly and development of economy.
... Local community participation is essential to ecotourism development. Therefore, participation is assessed to determine how well it is performing under the various government systems [22,[24][25][26]. The inherent complexity of nature-based ecotourism has made the development of sustainable ecotourism operations a challenge, so it is essential to increase community stakeholder participation [4,8,[27][28][29][30]. ...
Nature conservation efforts cannot succeed without stakeholder participation. The inherent complexity of nature-based ecotourism has made the development of sustainable ecotourism operations a challenge, so it is essential to increase community stakeholder participation. Hence, this study investigates local community participation in Lar National Park (LNP) and the Jajrud Protected Area with the Sustainable Use of Natural Resource Areas (JPA) in Iran and evaluates how this influences the sustainability of ecotourism. This study found that in LNP, sustainable ecotourism development involving local communities is increasing because of the high level of attachment and interest to this part of pristine nature. In the JPA, the relationship between local community participation and ecotourism sustainability is significant too. As a result, natural habitats have been degraded and sustainability has decreased. To conserve these critically endangered natural areas, managers and decision-makers must increase community participation and education to encourage local communities to engage more in developing sustainable ecotourism.
Many populations near receding low-latitude range: margins are declining in response to climate change, but most studies of trailing-edge populations have focused on single species. Using 10 years (2014–2023) of avian survey data from a high-elevation trailing-edge population hotspot in the Appalachian Mountains, USA, we tested the hypothesis that high-elevation communities would experience turnover through thermophilisation, as warm-adapted species near the center of their geographic ranges expand into regions formerly dominated by peripheral populations of cool-adapted species. Three of the 9 cool-adapted, peripheral populations decreased in abundance whereas 6 species exhibited little change. For warm-adapted populations near the core of their range, 1 of 16 decreased in abundance, 11 increased, and 4 exhibited no change. Within the most abundant species in this community, our results indicate that warm-adapted species are expanding their ranges faster than the rate at which ranges of cool-adapted species are contracting. Avoiding future community turnover may require conservation strategies that maintain microclimates for cool-adapted species facing novel abiotic and biotic conditions at high elevations.
Biotic homogenization is a process whereby species assemblages become more similar through time. The standard way of identifying the process of biotic homogenization is to look for decreases in spatial beta–diversity. However, using a single assemblage‐level metric to assess homogenization can mask important changes in the occupancy patterns of individual species.
Here, we analysed changes in the spatial beta–diversity patterns (i.e. biotic heterogenization or homogenization) of British bird assemblages within 30 km × 30 km regions between two periods (1988–1991 and 2008–2011). We partitioned the change in spatial beta–diversity into extirpation and colonization‐resultant change (i.e. change in spatial beta–diversity within each region resulting from both extirpation and colonization). We used measures of abiotic change in combination with Bayesian modelling to disentangle the drivers of biotic heterogenization and homogenization.
We detected both heterogenization and homogenization across the two time periods and three measures of diversity (taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional). In addition, both extirpation and colonization contributed to the observed changes, with heterogenization mainly driven by extirpation and homogenization by colonization. These assemblage‐level changes were primarily due to shifting occupancy patterns of generalist species.
Compared to habitat generalists, habitat specialists had significantly (i) higher average contributions to colonization‐resultant change (indicating heterogenization within a region due to colonization) and (ii) lower average contributions to extirpation‐resultant change (indicating homogenization from extirpation). Generalists showed the opposite pattern.
Increased extirpation‐resultant homogenization within regions was associated with increased urban land cover and decreased habitat diversity, precipitation, and temperature. Changes in extirpation‐resultant heterogenization and colonization‐resultant heterogenization were associated with differences in elevation between regions and changes in temperature and land cover.
Many of the ‘winners’ (i.e. species that increased in occupancy) were species that had benefitted from conservation action (e.g. buzzard (Buteo buteo)). The ‘losers’ (i.e. those that decreased in occupancy) consisted primarily of previously common species, such as cuckoo (Cuculus canorus).
Our results show that focusing purely on changes in spatial beta–diversity over time may obscure important information about how changes in the occupancy patterns of individual species contribute to homogenization and heterogenization.
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) play a critical role in providing ecosystem services through their provision of herbal remedies, food and natural skin care products, their integration into local economies, and maintaining pollinators’ diversity and populations and ecosystem functioning. Mountainous regions, such as Chelmos-Vouraikos National Park (CVNP), represent unique reservoirs of endemic MAP diversity that require conservation prioritisation. This study aims to provide insights into the sustainable management of MAPs, contributing to efforts to protect Mediterranean biodiversity amid the dual challenges of climate and land-use change, using a suite of macroecological modelling techniques. Following a Species Distribution Modelling framework, we investigated the vulnerability of endemic and non-endemic MAPs to climate and land-use changes. We examined the potential shifts in MAP diversity, distribution, and conservation hotspots within the CVNP. Our results revealed species-specific responses, with endemic taxa facing severe range contractions and non-endemic taxa initially expanding but eventually declining, particularly under land-use change scenarios. Local biodiversity hotspots are projected to shift altitudinally, with considerable area losses in the coming decades and elevated species turnover predicted throughout the CVNP, leading to biotic homogenization. Climate and land-use changes jointly threaten MAP diversity, calling for adaptive conservation strategies, thus highlighting the importance of proactive measures, such as awareness raising, establishing plant micro-reserves, assisted translocation, and promoting sustainable harvesting to protect these species within the CVNP. Our study offers vital insights for managing biodiversity hotspots amid global change pressures, stressing the need to integrate ecological and socioeconomic factors.
Ilmastonmuutos on elinympäristöjen pirstoutumisen ja häviämisen ohella yksi tärkeimmistä luonnon
monimuotoisuuden uhkista. Suojelualueverkostolla on tärkeä rooli luontokadon torjumisessa, mutta
suojelusuunnittelun tulee huomioida ilmastonmuutoksen kaikkialle ulottuvat vaikutukset. SUMI-hankkeessa on tarkasteltu suojelualueiden lajien ja luontotyyppien altistumista maankäytön ja ilmastonmuutoksen vaikutuksille, metsien hiilensidonnan ja lahopuun määrän alueellista vaihtelua sekä suojelualueiden hoitoa muuttuvassa ilmastossa. Tuloksia on viety suoraan luonnonsuojelun toimijoiden
käyttöön.
Suojelualueet ovat keskeisiä lajien ja luontotyyppien säilymiselle sekä lajien siirtymiselle uusille suotuisille alueille. Vuosille 1961–2020 lasketut ilmastomuuttujat osoittavat kuitenkin, että ilmastonmuutos
on jo muuttanut suojelualueiden olosuhteita. Muutokset ovat voineet vaikuttaa merkittävästi lajeihin ja
ekosysteemeihin erityisesti alueilla, joilla muutos on ollut usean ilmastomuuttujan osalta voimakasta.
Lajit ja luontotyypit voivat lisäksi altistua suojelualueita ympäröivien alueiden haitallisen maankäytön
vaikutuksille. Esimerkiksi aapasuovyöhykkeen eteläosissa ojitukset ja kesien lämpeneminen uhkaavat
aapasoiden vesitilannetta ja muita ominaispiirteitä. Pohjois-Suomen lajistoltaan arvokkaat aapasuot
sen sijaan altistuvat tammikuun lämpötilan voimakkaalle muutokselle.
Ilmastonmuutos ja ympäröivä maankäyttö vaikuttavat myös suojelualueiden metsälajiston säilymiseen
ja lajien mahdollisuuksiin siirtyä suojelualueiden välillä. Suojelualueverkoston pinta-alaa on tärkeää kasvattaa alueilla, joilla metsälajisto altistuu molemmille uhkille. Tämä koskee etenkin maan eteläosaa,
jossa maankäyttö on laajamittaista ja erityisesti kasvukauden ilmasto on lämpenemässä nopeasti. Myös
suojelualueiden topografia vaikuttaa lajien säilymiseen: topografisesti vaihtelevat alueet voivat säilyttää levinneisyydeltään pohjoista metsälajistoa pidempään ja hidastaa lajien taantumista ilmaston lämmetessä.
Metsäisten suojelualueiden laajentaminen tukisi sekä luontokadon että ilmastonmuutoksen torjumista:
se vahvistaisi metsien hiilensidontaa ja metsälajiston monimuotoisuutta indikoivan lahopuun kertymistä. Erilaiset kaukokartoitus- ja skenaariomallinnusmenetelmät mahdollistavat paitsi ilmastoviisaiden
suojelu- ja hoitotoimien suunnittelun myös niiden vaikuttavuuden seurannan.
Asiasanat: ilmastonmuutos, lajit, luontotyypit, maankäyttö, metsien hiilitase, suojelualueverkosto
