Wiley

Conservation Science and Practice

Published by Wiley and Society for Conservation Biology

Online ISSN: 2578-4854

Disciplines: Conservation science

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of the available peer‐reviewed literature for 209 terrestrial species at risk listed as Endangered in Canada. The number of species in each category is noted in the rectangle to the right of each box.
Proportion of articles for species in each taxonomic group that examined the efficacy of conservation actions. Each circle represents one species. Larger circles denote species for which there was more peer‐reviewed literature available overall. Proportion indicates the proportion of all articles for a given species that examined the efficacy of conservation action (the number of such articles for each taxonomic group is denoted in brackets on the y‐axis). Species for which there were no articles found were excluded from this diagram.
The 11 terrestrial species listed as Endangered in Canada with the highest number of research articles investigating the efficacy of conservation actions. Values on the bars denote the percentage of all peer‐reviewed literature on the species that assessed at least one conservation action.
Number of articles examining the efficacy of a conservation action subcategory that was found to be effective (“yes”), somewhat effective (“somewhat”), ineffective (“no”), harmful (“harmful”), or demonstrated mixed results (“mixed”). A summary of these data by taxonomic group is depicted in Figure S1.
Responses of species at risk to conservation actions. “Number of Actions” the x‐axis represents the number of unique action‐species combinations across studies evaluated for species listed as Endangered in Canada. Efficacy describes whether action objectives were met. Detailed descriptions of these actions and how they affect each species are found in Table S3 in Appendix B.
Endangered species lack research on the outcomes of conservation action

January 2025

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L. Haddaway

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Aims and scope


Conservation Science and Practice focuses on publishing papers related to the science, policy, planning, and practical aspects of conserving biological diversity.
Our journal covers a range of topics, from practical experiences to theoretical advancements. We highlight studies that link findings to conservation outcomes, assessing both successful and unsuccessful strategies. Our journal welcomes studies with direct implications and actionable recommendations for improving biodiversity conservation, even if they are based on specific case studies or established methods without broader applicability.

Recent articles


Balancing ecotourism and wildlife management through a conservation behavior approach
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February 2025

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61 Reads

Ecotourism promises to reconcile wildlife conservation and human development if negative impacts of human visitation and associated infrastructure can be minimized. Animal behavior studies can be used to identify individual and population responses to anthropogenic impacts before other fitness consequences are documented. With input from professionals in animal behavior and ecotourism, we identified key questions needed to better understand the impact of ecotourism on wildlife. Activity budgets, foraging, movement, stress, habituation, and reproduction were themes that emerged from our survey. We highlight promising research on these themes and identify remaining behavioral research questions about conserving wildlife in the context of ecotourism. Although ecotourism activities often have detrimental effects on animal behavior, we highlight research needs that can inform management and ecotourist education to improve human behavior to be more compatible with sustainable use of nature.


Location of camera traps in Norway (a‐b). (c) Inset showing some camera trap sites and the buffers in which proportion of forest was extracted. Pictures in (d) show examples of cats captured on camera‐taps from left to right in spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Mean predicted occupancy in relation to distance to houses (a) and proportion of forest (b). Shaded areas represent the 95% CI. Tick marks above the x‐axis indicate distance and proportion values for each camera trap site included in the analyses.
Mean predicted detection probability in relation to distance to forest edges (edge between forest and agricultural fields or built‐up areas). Shaded areas represent the 95% CI. Tick marks above the x‐axis indicate distance values for each camera trap site included in the analyses.
A landscape scale assessment of domestic cat occurrence in boreal forests

February 2025

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73 Reads

Domestic cats (Felis catus), both feral animals and pets, are a major threat to biodiversity. While domestic cats are closely associated with human residences and activity, they also range into and impact natural areas. We still know little about how free‐ranging cats use natural and semi‐natural areas. We quantified cat occurrence at 405 forest sites in Norway over 3 years using occupancy modeling, and tested how occurrence patterns were influenced by relevant landscape variables. Cat occupancy decreased with increasing distance from residential houses, being >60% within 50 m of the nearest house, but even at 1000 m distance, occupancy still exceeded 10%. When cats were present in forests, they were more likely to be detected close to forest edges. Detection probability was lowest and declined more steeply with increased distance from the forest edge during winter, when temperature, vegetation cover, and prey availability are at their lowest. We conclude that cats may pose a threat in natural areas like forests even at considerable distances from residences. We encourage further studies that investigate the role of landscape characteristics and environmental conditions on habitat penetration by both feral and pet domestic cats.


The benefits of inclusive conservation for connectivity of lions across the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

February 2025

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29 Reads

Human impacts on the planet degrade natural habitats, often restricting wildlife to protected areas. If connectivity between such areas is lost, wildlife populations may lose genetic diversity, thereby increasing extinction risk. For large carnivores, connecting populations separated by human‐occupied habitats requires dedicated effort to foster human–wildlife coexistence. Using lion observation data from 1962 to 2023 and movement data from GPS collars, we evaluated how inclusive conservation actions (i.e., directly involving local communities) in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), Tanzania, are affecting the ability of lions to use and traverse human‐occupied habitats. Efforts to promote human–lion coexistence were positively associated with the number of lions moving across human‐occupied habitats and the ability of lions to settle in human‐occupied areas, suggesting that conservation activities are having the desired impact on connectivity. However, despite a reduction in negative human–lion interactions from 2016 to 2021, the number of retaliatory lion killings and livestock attacks both increased sharply during an extreme drought in 2022, before dropping again in 2023. Thus, although our results highlight the benefits of inclusive conservation for connectivity of large carnivore populations, recent events highlight continued challenges and the need for long‐term, nimble approaches to maintain balance where humans and large carnivores coexist.


Illustration of the C2C: Conflict to Coexistence Framework, its four outcomes (wildlife, habitat, people, and livelihoods/assets), its six HWC management elements (policy and governance, understanding interactions, prevention, response, mitigation, and monitoring), and its four principles for implementation (tolerance is maintained, responsibility is shared, resilience is built, and holism is fundamental).
Illustration of the seven steps of the iterative C2C: Conflict to Coexistence methodology and its progression over time (a → b → c) with a shift in focus on strategy implementation and an adaptive management cycle.
C2C—conflict to coexistence: A global approach to manage human–wildlife conflict for coexistence

February 2025

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163 Reads

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) presents a growing challenge to conservation and development worldwide. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and experts on human–wildlife coexistence strategies have responded to this challenge by developing a holistic, globally applicable approach to HWC management that can be tailored to specific local, regional, or national contexts. Its framework addresses the complexity of essential HWC management and long‐term coexistence strategies and is implemented in a structured yet contextualized step‐by‐step sequence by a team of facilitators and multiple stakeholders. The C2C: Conflict to Coexistence Approach centers on four principles (tolerance is maintained, responsibility is shared, resilience is built, holism is fundamental), four outcomes (wildlife thrives alongside human presence, habitat sufficient to maintain viable wildlife populations, people able and willing to live alongside wildlife, livelihoods/assets secured against presence of wildlife), and six HWC management elements (policy and governance, understanding interactions, prevention, response, mitigation, monitoring) that are to be implemented in an integrated way. It is currently undergoing testing in diverse pilot sites across three continents and demonstrating positive initial results. Here, we share the framework and methodology of the approach and initial results and experiences from these pilot sites.


Geographic overview of SCLTS (left), CTS (middle), and CRLF (right) detections in California wetlands. Paired eDNA sampling and traditional surveys were conducted at the same sites in 2021 and 2022, and survey detections refer to when either method detected the target species. The eDNA‐only surveys were conducted at additional wetlands in 2022 only. New detections refer to detections where the target species had not been previously detected. Photo credit: Mitchell J. Ralson.
Estimated SCLTS, CTS, and CRLF detection probabilities as a function of three environmental parameters and of inhibition. Solid lines represent the mean predicted estimate and shading represents the 95% credible intervals. Model predictions were estimated by randomly sampling 10,000 draws from the posterior probability distributions, while holding all other parameters at their mean posterior probability distribution value. Observed data ranges for each variable represent the rug plot along the x‐axes.
Estimates of sample inhibition as a response to environmental and habitat variables for SCLTS, CTS, and CRLF. Top‐competing model estimates of sample inhibition as a response to the proportion of floating vegetation per wetland site, where shading represents the 95% confidence interval (top left). An example of small, dense, floating vegetation on a filter (top right). The full model set, evaluated by QAICc, to estimate the probability of sample inhibition as a response to environmental and habitat variables (bottom). Variables hypothesized to influence sample inhibition included the proportion of floating vegetation (flv) and proportion of emergent vegetation (emv) covering the surface area of the wetland, as well as the proportion of oak woodland (oak), grassland (grass), scrubland (scrub), and the proportion of wetland perimeter with willows (willow). Photo credit: Mitchell J. Ralson.
Process for engaging stakeholders in collaborative science to yield conservation action. Each colored column shows a different category of stakeholders, the ways in which they were engaged in the science, and the conservation outcomes that resulted for this category. Photo credit: Elkhorn Slough Reserve.
Three options for incorporating eDNA sampling into wetland amphibian survey plans. Option A involves applying both approaches regardless of findings, as we did in our paired surveys. Option B uses field sampling as the primary approach, and only incorporates eDNA if target species is not detected by field surveys. Conversely, Option C uses eDNA sampling as the primary approach, and only incorporates field surveys if the target species is not detected.
Translating eDNA data into conservation action: Partnerships to support imperiled amphibians in coastal California wetlands

February 2025

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17 Reads

Environmental DNA (eDNA) detections of imperiled species have the potential to inform conservation action, but this requires the acceptance of new technologies by decision‐makers. Here we describe how engaging stakeholders into a collaborative process led to the successful translation of new eDNA findings into conservation outcomes. We characterized the distribution of three federally listed pond‐breeding amphibians across nearly 200 wetlands in coastal California using both traditional field surveys and eDNA sampling; the latter had greater detection rates overall. Regulatory agency staff gained trust in the rigor and effectiveness of eDNA data by joining traditional surveys and through the collaborative development of recommendations for the adoption of eDNA methods. Extensive outreach to the local community within the range of the highly endangered Santa Cruz long‐toed salamander resulted in invitations to sample previously unsurveyed wetlands on private property and the detection of new breeding sites. Conservation organizations and resource management agencies were integrated into our core team from the start, and ultimately shaped wetland management actions, siting of new wetlands, and land acquisition priorities informed by the data generated. Thus, this project serves as a model for actionable eDNA science directly affecting conservation.


Study area. Location of camera traps and line transects used for forest elephant surveys in 2020 (pre‐logging) and 2022 (post‐logging). AAC: annual allowable cut. The inset map illustrates the forest license boundaries in Gabon (hatched; Precious Woods‐CEB concession in black). Data on forest license boundaries are from Global Forest Watch.
Changes in the elephant relative abundance index (RAI) between the two surveys (2020: before logging and 2022: after logging) for the three annual allowable cuts (AACs) studied (AAC 1, AAC 2, and AAC 3). (a) Boxplot illustrating the study data. The bold line represents the median, the lower and upper limits of the boxes are the first and third quartiles, respectively, the vertical lines represent the minimum and maximum values, and the points are outliers. (b) Model predictions of GLMM 1 (n ~ AAC + Year + AAC × Year, where n is the number of forest elephant observations). The point represents the mean predicted value and the lines indicate the 95% bootstrap confidence interval. Dashed lines illustrate the change in the number of elephant observations after logging. The asterisk (*) indicates a significant change between the two surveys, observed only for AAC 1 (p‐value = 0.0139).
Short‐term impacts of selective logging on forest elephants

February 2025

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50 Reads

Although forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are known to use logged forests, the impact of selective logging on this critically endangered species has never been well established. Considering the potential of some logged areas to serve as other effective area‐based conservation measures, aligning with the Convention on Biological Diversity's 30/30 initiative, we aimed to assess the short‐term impacts of logging on three population parameters: the presence, abundance, and activity of forest elephants. Combining camera traps and dung surveys before and after logging operations, we assessed the response of forest elephants in a certified timber concession in Gabon. Encouragingly, we found no negative effects of logging on the three population parameters studied. There was no discernible change in the presence of elephants after logging, and their abundance actually increased (relative abundance index from 1.56 to 2.59; p‐value 0.0139) at one of the study sites. Activity patterns were also unaffected, showing sustained activity during daylight hours. We also identified the logging‐associated factors that have significantly influenced forest elephant's abundance. Notably, logging intensity, as measured by the average number of trees harvested per hectare, and road density were positively correlated with the number of forest elephant observations (logging intensity effect: 0.2992, p‐value 0.035; road density effect: 0.3628, p‐value 0.060). As global conservation goals evolve, this research provides important insights into the coexistence of well‐managed industrial activities and the conservation of endangered species, highlighting the need to include responsibly managed timber concessions in future conservation strategies. It also underscores the importance of wider adoption of sustainable practices such as low‐impact logging, promoted by certification schemes such as FSC or PEFC, to secure the future of central African forests and their unique wildlife.


Location of the Upper Paraguay River Basin (UPRB). Brazilian states: MS—Mato Grosso do Sul, MT—Mato Grosso. The highlands of the Upper River Paraguay Basin (UPRB) are covered by the Cerrado and Amazon biotas (by IBGE map), while the Floodplain constitutes the Pantanal biome.
Regulatory percentages for legal reserves (LR) at the Upper Paraguay River Basin (UPRB) where the Pantanal floodplain is in compact greens, and the UPRB highlands are shown in dashed greens. The dotted blue line is the limit between Mato Grosso, which follows the Legal Amazon requirements for LRs, and Mato Grosso do Sul, which follows the Cerrado/Pantanal NVPL requirement for each rural property applying for Rural Environmental Cadaster (CAR).
Spatial distribution of properties in the UPRB according to their level of compliance for native vegetation cover, related to NVPL requirements. The map displays on‐property vegetation surpluses (green scale) and deficits (red scale) for Legal Reserves regulations. The dark line defines the limits between the UPRB highlands and the Pantanal floodplain, and the gray background areas are non‐registered properties. Source: https://mapbiomas.org/ .
Seven opportunity scenarios for offsetting, considering the native vegetation protection act (NVPL) on the Trade of Environmental Reserve Quotas (CRAs). These scenarios could support State legislation and play a major role in biodiversity conservation for properties with legal reserves (LR), compliance surpluses, and/or deficits of CRAs. In (a), which reflects the current NVPL status, a 1 to 1 ratio is used for trading, that is, 1 ha of deficit is offset in‐kind by 1 ha of surplus habitat between property (1) and property (2). In (b), ecosystem equivalence is calculated between properties (3) in deficit and (4) with surplus, that is, an amount of lost native vegetation (deficit) is compensated for off‐site at a 1 to 1 ratio of a different type of ecosystem in the same biome. In (c), there is recognition that 1 ha lost needs to be compensated at a ratio greater than 1 to 1, due to uneven equivalence between habitats, therefore offsetting is done off‐site between properties (5) and (6) through an ecosystem equivalence habitat calculator. In (d), offsetting policy is based on land value, where the deficit was generated (on property 7), enabling substantial area increase of standing native vegetation on an off‐site location (property 8) considering its lower land value (e.g., highland x Pantanal). Finally, in (e), the most desired scenario, a calculator factors both ecosystem equivalence and land value conditions between properties (9) and (10) and establishes optimal trading ratios.
Ten relevant questions for applying biodiversity offsetting in the Pantanal wetland

February 2025

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128 Reads

In Brazil, biodiversity offsetting operates in an ad hoc manner while biodiversity equivalence has mainly been overlooked by public policies. Despite being mandatory since 1965s Forest Code (Law 4.771), we fail to have a robust offsetting framework. The revision of the forest code in 2012 (i.e., Native Vegetation Protection Law—NVPL—Law n° 12,651/2012), maintained the obligation for landowners to set aside a biome‐specific percentage of their native vegetation for preservation. Known as Legal Reserves, these set‐asides are a precondition for compliance with NVPL's regularization procedure called CAR (Rural Environmental Cadaster). Despite enthusiasm about biodiversity offsetting opportunities following the NVPL enactment in 2012, uncertainties around its implementation remains. Here, we formulated 10 questions that discuss and illustrate how offsetting can be applied to maintain wetland integrity, economic fairness and biodiversity conservation in the Pantanal and Upper Paraguay River basin (UPRB). The aim is to stimulate robust public policies and stimulate wetland offsetting research opportunities. We provided examples of implementation opportunities of the NVPL in integrating the floodplain and highland in Pantanal at UPRB, analyze spatial compliance deficits, and illustrate opportunities that require harmonized legislation and policies between Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states in Brazil.


of the different forms in which people can have impact on conservation decision‐making, with attributes and barriers of those forms.
Key recommendations to increase public impact on conservation decisions for (i) organizations encouraging political engagement and (ii) individuals seeking to make impact.
Public pathways to influencing pro‐nature decision‐making in government: A case study in southeastern Australia

January 2025

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76 Reads

The biodiversity crisis calls for more collective effort, and a close examination of the tools available to effect change. We documented insider knowledge into how pro‐nature decision‐making can be influenced in the Australian state of Victoria, focusing on the role of public advocacy targeting government. We interviewed 12 experts who currently or previously held influential roles in government or advocacy‐focused environmental non‐government organizations (ENGOs) and used thematic analysis to explore their responses. Experts described influence from individuals, grassroots groups, or ENGOs, and factors shaping success. These included attributes of the decision‐making context, having resources and commitment to see out long‐term change, having relevant networks, and being able to act when opportunities arise. Barriers described included lack of environmental literacy among the public and some decision‐makers, biodiversity concern being crowded out by climate change concern, and the difficulty of shifting from incremental to systemic change. Understanding these factors can better equip advocates to have impact. Democratic governments recognize that societies make progress where there is two‐way exchange between public and state, so should foster public pathways toward political engagement in conservation.


Spatial distribution of national nature reserves on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau.
Spatial distribution of the NDVI of protected areas on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau.
Spatial distribution of the NDVI trend changes in protected areas on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau.
Spatial distribution of NDVI trend changes in protected areas on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau.
Average parameter estimates. *p < .05, **p < .01, and ***p < .001.
Study on the effectiveness and influencing factors of vegetation protection in national nature reserves on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

January 2025

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10 Reads

Protected areas are the cornerstone of national and global efforts to mitigate biodiversity loss. This study focused on the national nature reserves (NNRs) of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP), using a long‐term series of NDVI data from 2010 to 2020 to assess the effectiveness of vegetation protection across the entire region. By employing a multiple regression model, we accounted for 71% of the variation in the NDVI change rate, indicating a goodness of fit (R‐squared) that indicated an interplay between factors such as the natural environment, management capabilities, human‐mediated disturbance, and population density in shaping vegetation protection effectiveness within the NNRs of the QTP. The managerial capacity, natural environment, population, and human‐mediated disturbance factors contributed 46.0%, 37.5%, 11.4%, and 5.1%, respectively, of the total. The regression analysis findings highlight the crucial role that environmental elements play in the success of conservation by showing that latitude, longitude, elevation, and average annual precipitation all have a major impact on the effectiveness of NNRs. The effectiveness of conservation is significantly positively impacted by province and per capita patrol area, and negatively by per capita management area. Practical conservation and management solutions appropriate for the NNRs of the QTP are also offered to meet current challenges and management restrictions. These suggestions are meant to help the QTP function as an ecological security barrier more successfully.


Workflow overview, illustrating (clockwise from the bottom left): (1) the data sources for the raster predictors and the forest annotations, (2) the sampling of the training data and the stratified geographic split into the training/validation datasets, (3) the model training and validation procedures, and (4) the nation‐wide forest conservation value projections and the geographic stratification for the performance analysis and split.
Training data, forest type examples, and model performance statistics. The map in the center of the figure shows the geographic location of the 60k high and low conservation value pixel samples used in the model training and validation. The panels on the right provide example orthophotos for three of the forest types that form the base of the training data. The annotations on the map detail the performance of the best model across the whole nation and within the subregions used for the geographic stratification. Orthophotos provided by Styrelsen for Dataforsyning og Effektivisering (2022).
Predicted locations of high and low conservation value forests across the whole of Denmark (map on left) and for the Frederiksdal region (panels on right)—not accounting for disturbance. The upper right panel depicts an orthophoto of the Frederiksdal region (summer 2014); the lower right panel shows the same orthophoto with the forest conservation value projections overlain on top. Orthophotos provided by Styrelsen for Dataforsyning og Effektivisering (2022). A fully zoomable version of this map is available on the web app generated for this project: https://jakobjassmann.github.io/dk_forest_lidar_2021/data_vis_best.html.
Example of disturbance (including management) detected since 2015 for the Mols Bjerge Region in Eastern Jutland based on the disturbance masks provided by Senf and Seidl (2021). The two top panels show an orthophoto from summer 2014 without annotation (top‐left) and with the projected forest conservation value superimposed (top‐right). Light green indicates a potential high conservation value and rust indicates a potentially low conservation value. The bottom panels show an orthophoto from spring 2021 without annotations (bottom‐left) and with annotation of the areas detected as disturbed between 2015 and 2020 (bottom‐right). Disturbed polygons are indicated in purple. Orthophotos provided by Styrelsen for Dataforsyning og Effektivisering (2022).
Temperate forests of high conservation value are successfully identified by satellite and LiDAR data fusion

January 2025

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86 Reads

Forest ecosystems will play a critical role in achieving policy targets for biodiversity and conservation, such as those set out in the EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030. However, practitioners need to know where forests of high conservation value are to make the best‐informed decisions about which forests to prioritize. Here, we combine airborne LiDAR (airborne laser scanning/ALS), optical satellite imagery, and gridded datasets on soil and water availability with machine learning models to predict forests' conservation value across Denmark. We then use change‐detection algorithms to identify forests that had been disturbed since the collection of the LiDAR data to produce up‐to‐date estimates for the year 2020. Our models reached a high predictive capacity (82% accuracy) and suggested that 1982 km² (~31%) of Denmark's forests were of potential high conservation value. Our study demonstrates the utility of data fusion approaches to identify forest areas of high value for conservation at fine spatial resolutions (~10–100 m) and nationwide extents. However, uncertainties remain in our approach. Hence, our findings should be used to guide field‐based assessments to confirm the in situ conservation value of the forests. Only in combination with such in situ data will approaches like ours enable decision makers to better protect forest biodiversity.


Map of study design. (a) Location of Tucson, AZ in North America; (b) locations of all sample units in Tucson, Arizona (AZ); (c) location of all sample units with income levels throughout Tucson; (d) locations of all sample units with racial diversity levels throughout Tucson; (e) invasion rank of each sample unit.
Percent of sample units in each invasion level category (uninvaded = 0 buffelgrass, low = 1–10 buffelgrass plants, medium = 11–100 buffelgrass plants, high >100 buffelgrass plants) in each income level.
Percent of sample units in each invasion level category (uninvaded = 0 buffelgrass, low = 1–10 buffelgrass plants, medium = 11–100 buffelgrass plants, high >100 buffelgrass plants) in each racial diversity index level.
Hot child in the city: Drivers of urban buffelgrass presence in Tucson, Arizona

January 2025

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13 Reads

Invasive species distributions and ecological impacts in natural ecosystems have been broadly studied, but invasive species urban distributions and impacts on human populations warrant further investigation. Urban areas are highly disturbed environments at high risk of invasion by non‐native species, and urban infrastructure can influence the dispersal and abundance of invasive species. Furthermore, in areas with concentrated human populations, invasive species may pose a risk to human as well as native biota. Here, we examine (1) how high‐traffic roadways and the presence of suitable habitat influence buffelgrass abundance in residential areas and (2) whether buffelgrass differentially invades residential areas across socioeconomic levels and racial diversity indices in Tucson, Arizona. We found that, within residential areas, the presence of vacant lots was positively associated with buffelgrass abundance; however, there was no relationship between other suitable habitat types and buffelgrass abundance. We found no relationship between road type and buffelgrass abundance in residential areas. We found that lower‐income communities were more likely to be invaded by buffelgrass, but there was no relationship between racial diversity index and buffelgrass abundance. Understanding drivers of invasive species presence and abundance in urban areas is necessary to inform urban management strategies to prevent spread to surrounding wildlands.


The HAWC ecological evidence entry form has five parts: Citation, Study Design, Causes, Effects, and Results. A Citation can have one or more Study Designs. A Study Design can be associated with one or more Causes and one or more Effects. A Result is made up of one Cause and one Effect that are selected by a user. Additional information about the relationship between a Cause and Effect completes the Result. A Study Design can have one or more Results. A case study assessment that has 14 citations can be found here: ORD Assessment Ecological Forms. To access the citations in this assessment online, click “Study list” on the left menu; each citation has a link that brings the user to additional bibliographic information, Study Designs, and evidence that has been extracted.
Examples of visualizations that can be produced from evidence entered into the HAWC ecological evidence form including (a) a standard heat map that counts the number of Results available for Cause‐Effect combinations in an assessment. To access the dynamic version of the heat map online, visit ORD Assessment Ecological Forms and click “Endpoint list” on the left menu. The “Results” link in the table shows the standard heat maps with counts of Results as in Figure 2; the “Study summary” link in the table shows the standard heat maps with counts of studies. Custom forest plots can also be produced (b) which show quantitative effect sizes for a set of citations. Note that in this forest plot, several citations are associated with more than one Result. This happens because there is more than one Study Design for these citations. To access the custom forest plot online, visit ORD Assessment Ecological Forms and click “Visualizations” on the left menu and then click the “Forest plot” link in the table.
Web‐based ecological evidence entry form enables consistent, accessible extraction and visualization for synthesis applications

January 2025

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13 Reads

Applying scientific evidence to conservation, environmental management, and policy‐making improves outcomes. When synthesizing existing evidence, substantial resources are required to access and read scientific publications and extract and analyze decision‐relevant information. To improve this process, we developed a free, publicly available, web‐based evidence entry form tailored to extract information about cause‐effect relationships from ecological publications. The form enables storage, retrieval, reuse, and visualization of qualitative and quantitative ecological and environmental evidence extracted from publications. Evidence can be analyzed for a wide range of synthesis purposes (e.g., causal assessments, hypothesis testing) and approaches (e.g., rapid reviews, meta‐analyses). The database schema underlying the form logically relates information about (a) a publication, (b) its experimental design(s), and (c) reported cause‐effect relationships. An ontology of controlled terminology enables consistent extraction and characterization of causes and effects across users, facilitating evidence reuse. Future capabilities include customization of terminology and incorporation of study quality information.


Changes in human diet, and rice agriculture as a result of international agricultural policies, are impacting the persistence of Korean treefrogs

January 2025

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62 Reads

Species conservation is generally linked to a wide variety of threats, which might sometimes reflect changes in socioeconomic standards and policies. Here, we demonstrated how treefrog conservation is related to diet preferences, rice agriculture, and international rice trade policies. While rice has been a staple food for over 1000s of years in Korea, recent human‐related developments and changes in diet, strengthened by national and international agricultural policies, have resulted in a decrease in rice consumption in the nation. As a result, two treefrog species (Dryophytes suweonensis and Dryophytes flaviventris) restricted to rice paddies for breeding are severely declining due to habitat loss, and they are now under threat of extinction. The efforts of the government to boost rice consumption might support the conservation of the species, although the long‐term availability of breeding sites is uncertain, and ultimately, some of the agricultural wetlands should become protected and progressively transformed into functional natural wetlands.


Eight selected villages (red squares) within 5 km of the boundary of the Batanghari Protected Forest where dog‐assisted wild pig hunting was detected.
Increasing group members of wild pig hunter group in Facebook from 2020 to 2022. Group numbers refer to anonymized distinct Facebook groups. All hunter groups showed a strong (22–1025%) increase in membership from 2020 (black bars) to 2022 (gray bars).
Percentage of respondents reporting species killed on dog‐assisted hunting events. Species with an asterisk (*) are protected by law, including some of the primate species.
Wild boar hunting and trapping as a threat for wildlife conservation on Sumatra, Indonesia

January 2025

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28 Reads

Wild pig has one of the widest geographic distributions of terrestrial mammals. Dog‐assisted wild pig hunting may reduce crop raiding but also elevates the potential disease transmission from dogs to wildlife and vice versa. On Sumatra, game hunting tends to focus on wild pig, where hunters either actively use dogs or firearms, or passively use snares. Our objectives are to understand: (1) the extent of active and passive wild pig hunting in Sumatra; (2) dog‐assisted hunting practices; (3) potential disease transmission by hunting dogs to game. We conducted three types of data collection to cover the wide range of hunting techniques: (1) information from social media (i.e., Facebook) about dog‐assisted wild pig hunting events in West Sumatra; (2) a questionnaire‐guided survey among hunters around the Batanghari Protected Forest, West Sumatra; (3) expert interviews from provincial conservation offices about wild pig hunting practices in Sumatra. Active and passive wild pig hunting occurred in Sumatra. Firearm and snare hunting occurred in all eight provinces while dog‐assisted hunting occurred only in six provinces. We documented at least 1331 dog‐assisted wild pig hunting events which occurred in 2019 across the province of West Sumatra. The number of hunting parties and dog‐assisted hunting group members on Facebook showed a dramatic increase between 2020 and 2022. Many dogs used for hunting are reportedly not vaccinated (35%), risking transmission of diseases like Rabies and Canine Distemper Virus to game and wild predators. Hunting is inadequately regulated, rendering enforcement of these regulations impossible. The extent of wild pig hunting has yet been unquantified but likely will have strong effects on the remaining wildlife populations. We call for proper quantification of hunting bags, and regulation, including the use and health status of dogs, to prevent disease transmission from dogs to wild animals and to protect remaining wildlife populations.


Study area in the state of Nayarit, Mexico, where 25 camera‐traps were deployed during 2019 and 2020, respectively, to obtain individual detections for estimating spatially explicit densities of endangered jaguars (Panthera onca). Land cover classes are shown at 30‐meter resolution. Inset map depicts the location of Nayarit along the Central Pacific Coast of Mexico.
(a) Individual jaguar (Panthera onca) movements (blue lines) among spatial recaptures at 25 camera‐traps (red crosses) deployed in the state of Nayarit, Mexico, during 2019–2020. (b) Elliptical detection functions around home range (activity) centers (black dots) for female and male jaguars, estimated by the top‐ranked spatial capture–recapture model that included anisotropic transformation. Values presented for each contour are the estimated detection rate (λ0) as a function of increasing distance from the home range center.
Parameter point estimates (dots) with 95% confidence intervals (error bars) from the top‐ranked anisotropic spatial capture–recapture model that allowed elliptical jaguar (Panthera onca) home ranges versus the complementary default isotropic spatial capture–recapture model that assumed circular home ranges. (a) Year‐specific density estimates; (b) sex‐specific baseline detection rate estimates; and (c) sex‐specific spatial scale of detection estimates. Spatial capture–recapture models were fitted to detection data obtained at 25 camera–traps deployed in Nayarit, Mexico, during 2019–2020.
Jaguar density estimation in Mexico: The conservation importance of considering home range orientation in spatial capture–recapture

January 2025

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81 Reads

Accurate estimation of population parameters for imperiled wildlife is crucial for effective conservation decision‐making. Population density is commonly used for monitoring imperiled species across space and time, and spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models can produce unbiased density estimates. However, many imperiled species are restricted to fragmented remnant habitats in landscapes severely modified by humans, which can alter animal space use in ways that violate typical SCR model assumptions, possibly cryptically biasing density estimates and misinforming conservation actions. Using data from a two‐year camera‐trapping survey in the Central Pacific Coast region, Mexico, we demonstrate the potential importance to endangered jaguar (Panthera onca) conservation of considering non‐circular home ranges when estimating population density with SCR. Strong evidence existed that jaguars had elliptical home ranges wherein movements primarily occurred along linearly arranged coastal habitats that the camera array aligned with. Accounting for this movement with the SCR anisotropic detection function transformation, density estimates were 30%–32% higher than estimates from standard SCR models that assumed circular home ranges. Given much of suitable jaguar habitat in Mexico is fragmented and linearly oriented along coastlines and mountain ranges, accommodating irregular space use in SCR may be critical for obtaining reliable density estimates to inform effective jaguar conservation.


of the available peer‐reviewed literature for 209 terrestrial species at risk listed as Endangered in Canada. The number of species in each category is noted in the rectangle to the right of each box.
Proportion of articles for species in each taxonomic group that examined the efficacy of conservation actions. Each circle represents one species. Larger circles denote species for which there was more peer‐reviewed literature available overall. Proportion indicates the proportion of all articles for a given species that examined the efficacy of conservation action (the number of such articles for each taxonomic group is denoted in brackets on the y‐axis). Species for which there were no articles found were excluded from this diagram.
The 11 terrestrial species listed as Endangered in Canada with the highest number of research articles investigating the efficacy of conservation actions. Values on the bars denote the percentage of all peer‐reviewed literature on the species that assessed at least one conservation action.
Number of articles examining the efficacy of a conservation action subcategory that was found to be effective (“yes”), somewhat effective (“somewhat”), ineffective (“no”), harmful (“harmful”), or demonstrated mixed results (“mixed”). A summary of these data by taxonomic group is depicted in Figure S1.
Responses of species at risk to conservation actions. “Number of Actions” the x‐axis represents the number of unique action‐species combinations across studies evaluated for species listed as Endangered in Canada. Efficacy describes whether action objectives were met. Detailed descriptions of these actions and how they affect each species are found in Table S3 in Appendix B.
Endangered species lack research on the outcomes of conservation action

January 2025

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377 Reads

Given widespread biodiversity declines, there is an urgent need to ensure that conservation interventions are working. Yet, evidence regarding the effectiveness of conservation actions is often lacking. Using a case study of 209 terrestrial species listed as Endangered in Canada, we conducted a literature review to collate the evidence base on conservation actions to: (1) explore the outcomes of actions documented for each species and (2) identify knowledge gaps. Action‐oriented research constituted only 2% of all peer‐reviewed literature across target species, and for 61% of species, we found no literature investigating outcomes of conservation actions. Protected areas, habitat creation, artificial shelter, and alternative farming practices were broadly beneficial for most species for which these actions were assessed. Habitat restoration actions were most frequently studied, but 38% of these actions were harmful, ineffective, or demonstrated mixed results. The effectiveness of prescribed burns, alternative timber harvesting approaches, and vegetation control was examined for the greatest number of species, yet 17%–30% of these actions demonstrated negative effects. Our synthesis demonstrates a lack of published evidence for many actions implemented for the recovery of species at risk of extinction, highlighting an alarming gap in the conservation literature.


Study system in southern Tanzania. Livestock predation data for the short‐term analysis were collected from pastoralist and agropastoralist households (yellow dots) in communities (light tan) adjacent to MBOMIPA Community Wildlife Management Area (medium green) and Ruaha National Park (dark green). Data informing the long‐term analysis were collected from households in these same study communities.
Livestock enclosures in the Ruaha–Rungwa Landscape. (a) Aerial image of a traditional household compound, showing thornbush livestock corrals and houses (image extracted from Google Earth Pro). Typically, small subdivisions inside the main thorn acacia wall are used to separate different ages or species of livestock. (b) Traditional enclosure at a permanent settlement; notably, the condition of traditional enclosures varies widely among households. (c) Fortified enclosure at a permanent settlement. Photo credits: Lion Landscapes.
Statistical model results predicting predation of livestock. Coefficient estimates (log‐odds) and 95% confidence intervals of (a) the short‐term BACI model (b) and long‐term model.
Estimated marginal means from short‐term model. Model predictions for each level of interaction (i.e., the fortified enclosure vs the traditional boma treatment levels) are plotted with 95% confidence intervals. Estimates illustrate the decline in predation events during the 3‐month treatment period in both groups from the before‐to‐after periods and also the greater reduction within the fortified enclosure treatment group compared to neighbor households with traditional enclosures.
Evaluating the effectiveness of fortified livestock enclosures as a human‐carnivore conflict mitigation tool in Tanzania's Ruaha landscape

January 2025

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74 Reads

Conflict with humans, particularly over livestock predation, poses a severe and continuing threat to the conservation of large carnivores, particularly in reserve‐adjacent and unprotected areas. Such conflict also inflicts substantial costs on people living alongside large carnivores. Though conflict is complex, attacks upon livestock are one of the factors that drive immediate hostility toward carnivores, inflict economic damage upon livestock‐keepers, and can lead to retaliatory and preventative carnivore killing. Many conflict mitigation and livestock protection approaches exist, but it is crucial to examine their effectiveness. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of fortified livestock enclosures in reducing predation of livestock in an area surrounding Ruaha National Park in southern Tanzania. These fortified enclosures are built with chain‐link fences and are aimed to replace the traditional enclosures built with acacia thorn branches. We implemented a before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) design to test the short‐term impacts of the fortified enclosure intervention. We then conducted a cost–benefit analysis (CBA) based on costs of construction of fortified enclosures and benefits accruing as prevented livestock depredation. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that fortified enclosures would diminish in effectiveness over time as carnivores become habituated, the fortification deteriorates due to lack of maintenance, and/or predation risk would increase. For the long‐term analysis, we used monthly data from 758 livestock‐keeping households from 2010 to 2016. Across both short‐ and long‐term analyses, fortified enclosures were effective at reducing the odds of experiencing predation of livestock by carnivores by 94% and 60%, respectively. Based on mean predation rates (c. 0.10 livestock month) and observed reductions, the benefit/cost ratios over 5 years of construction of a fortified enclosure with metal or wooden poles are 3.36 and 7.89, respectively, when subsidized. Our study contributes actionable evidence on the impact of an intervention to inform conservation strategies supporting human–carnivore coexistence.


Climate velocity (km\year) based on the 8‐global climate model (GCM) ensemble for SSP370 and 1961–1990 versus 2071–2100 time period (a) outbound, (b) inbound, and standard deviation among velocity rasters developed from the eight GCMs of the ensemble (c) outbound, (d) inbound. Standard deviation values (c, d) are expressed using the same color scale as velocity values (a, b).
Climate velocity based on a null model of uniform 2° warming and no precipitation change from 1961 to 1990 climate normals, using the full 11‐variable bioclimatic PCA (a, outbound; b, inbound). A 60‐year period was assumed for calculation of velocity as distance in kilometers per year.
Simulated (a, outbound; b, inbound) and observed (c, outbound; d, inbound) climate velocity for the 2001–2020 period, using 1961 – 1990 as the baseline period. Simulations are from a global climate model ensemble for SSP370.
Trajectories of simulated and observed climate change for eastern Washington State, illustrating uncertainty due to internal variability (weather) and structural differences among models. Small points are the changes in climate from 1961–1990 to 2001–2020 in up to 10 independent simulations for each of eight global climate models. Larger labeled points indicate the single‐model ensemble mean change in 2001–2020. Lines indicate the trajectory of each single‐model ensemble mean during the five 20‐year periods of the 21st century. The large gray square is the change in climate from 1961–1990 to 2001–2020 averaged across weather stations for the region. This region was chosen as illustrative of points made in discussion, rather than representative of general trends throughout North America. GCM, global climate model.
Sources of uncertainty in estimation of climate velocity and their implications for ecological and conservation applications

January 2025

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20 Reads

The velocity of climate change, which estimates the migration speed necessary to maintain constant climatic conditions, is increasingly used to map climate‐related threats to biodiversity. Using newly developed climate velocity data for North America to 2100 based on an ensemble of current‐generation climate projections, we asked how important differing sources of uncertainty from global climate model projections are, how the magnitude of this uncertainty compares with the internal variability of the climate system, and what aspects of climate velocity are robust to such uncertainty. We found that most variation was due to contrasts among global climate models, followed by variation among alternative emissions pathways. However, correlation was great enough (0.817) to allow application of velocity to inform conservation and management. In contrast, internal variability (i.e., weather at multidecadal timescales) resulted in low correlation between simulated and observed velocity for the 2001–2020 period. A null model using current baseline climate data and assumed uniform 2° heating was moderately correlated with velocity from ensemble future projections, helping to identify model‐independent velocity patterns difficult to capture via rules such as protection of elevational gradients. Such uncertainty analyses are essential for informed application of velocity and other climate exposure metrics.


Study sites in Schleswig‐Holstein, the most northern federal state in Germany (top left) and examples of two sites with the highest and lowest shares (top and bottom right) of semi‐natural habitats (SNH; A with 6.3% and B with 2.5%). Simultaneous monitoring of bats and insects at the ecotone of wildflower field and hedgerow and the control location, the open boundary of the wildflower field (bottom left).
Probability distribution of (a) overall bat activity and bat foraging activity as well as overall insect and individual moth abundance and (b) species‐specific (overall) bat activity at the ecotone compared to the control locations during early, mid‐ and late summer (June, July, and August 2021). Probability distributions are based on the number of bat passes (overall bat activity), the number of feeding buzzes (bat foraging activity) and abundances of insects and moths, calculated per night and sampling location across the monitoring periods. Points and lines depict the mean and 95% confidence intervals, respectively. The gray dashed line represents equal proportions at both sampling locations (inverse logit of log odds ratio 0, i.e., 0.5). Stars represent the significance level for the deviation from equal probability distribution between ecotone and control location: 0 < *** < 0.001 < ** < 0.01 < * < 0.5.
Effect of distance to the nearest forests on the probability distribution of (a) overall bat activity and (b) bat foraging activity as well as (c) insect and moth abundance at the ecotone compared to the control locations. Due to the significant interaction of monitoring period and distance to the nearest forest, effects on overall bat activity and bat foraging activity are shown separately for early, mid, and late summer (June, July, and August 2021). Probability distributions are based on the number of bat passes (overall bat activity), the number of feeding buzzes (bat foraging activity) and abundances of insects and moths, calculated per night and sampling location across the monitoring periods. Straight and dashed lines represent the mean and 95% confidence intervals.
Sown wildflower fields and hedgerows synergistically promote insectivorous bats

January 2025

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60 Reads

Despite their relevance for anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity, synergistic effects are rarely considered in conservation science or management. However, the implementation of single agri‐environment measures may limit their potential benefits for biodiversity since species often require a multitude of complementary key resources, particularly in homogeneous and structurally poor landscapes. To advance conservation management, we studied whether hedgerows promote benefits of sown wildflower fields for insectivorous bats in temperate agro‐ecosystems. At 12 study sites, we simultaneously monitored bat activity and insect abundances from early to late summer at paired locations, that is, the ecotone of a sown wildflower field bordering a hedgerow and an open boundary of the same wildflower field. Particularly in early and mid‐summer, we found distinct preferences of bats for the ecotone of wildflower field and hedgerow. Yet, independent of the season, neither insects nor specifically moths showed a significant preference for the ecotone. Finally, both bat activity as well as insect abundances shifted towards the ecotone when distance to the nearest forest patch was high. We showed that synergies of hedgerows and wildflower fields promote benefits of the latter for both edge‐ and open‐space foraging bats, particularly in homogeneous and structurally poor agricultural landscapes. Therefore, successful conservation management should take advantage of synergies between complementary conservation measures at the local patch scale and at the same time, account for landscape composition and configuration.


Examples of two‐element climate change vulnerability assessments combination, reflecting a breadth of study scopes and methodologies. From left to right, the studies are categorized as exposure + adaptive capacity (E + AC, yellow), sensitivity + adaptive capacity (S + AC, red), and exposure + sensitivity (E + S, blue).
Use of two‐element approaches in our review by continent, excluding studies with a global extent (n = 3). The inset Venn diagram represents the common three‐element vulnerability framework, and each color represents a two‐element using the two overlapping vulnerability elements. One study in Africa used both E + S and E + AC approaches and is represented twice.
Use of two‐element approach categories by geographic extent (a), taxonomic breadth (b), taxonomic class (c), vulnerability measurement (d), methods used for analysis (e), and the inclusion of non‐climatic threats (f). See Section 2 for full descriptions of the categories in each plot. The inset Venn diagram represents the three‐element vulnerability framework, and each color represents a two‐element using the two overlapping vulnerability elements. One study used both E + S and E + AC approaches and is represented twice across plots.
Results of a cluster analysis of two‐element climate change vulnerability assessments studies, in which studies (top) were clustered according to which standardized variable categories they assessed (left). The dendrogram (top) shows how studies were clustered, and the solid black line separates the two clusters, with Cluster A on the left and Cluster B on the right. The dashed lines divide the variable categories into aspects of adaptive capacity, sensitivity, or exposure.
Exposure, sensitivity, or adaptive capacity? Reviewing assessments that use only two of three elements of climate change vulnerability

January 2025

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75 Reads

As climate change accelerates, understanding which species are most vulnerable and why they are vulnerable will be vital to inform conservation action. Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) are tools to assess species' responses to climate change, detect drivers of vulnerability, and inform conservation planning. CCVAs are commonly composed of three elements: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Incorporating all three elements can be challenging, and including only two of the three elements may be a more feasible approach in many systems. Although two‐element CCVA approaches have become more common, their utility and procedures remain poorly documented. We conducted a literature review to explore the scope, methods, and rationale of CCVAs that use a two‐element approach to assess vertebrate vulnerability. Despite the potential to expand CCVAs into understudied systems, two‐element assessments had similar geographic and taxonomic biases as those previously detected in CCVAs in general. Methods varied, yet we found that variables used in two‐element studies could be condensed into standardized categories to enhance comparability. Finally, limitations in data availability and computational resources were common rationales for using a two‐element approach. By clarifying the purposes, opportunities, and limitations of two‐element assessment, this review can aid in selecting appropriate methods for CCVAs.


Study design showing the location of the 18 study sites at Lake Constance. Red symbols highlight the sample positions in each of the four different treatments with different conservation measures (C = Control, F = Flower strip, H = Hedge). Three exemplary pictures show an apple orchard, an apple orchard with an adjacent hedge, and an orchard with a hedge and flower strip (from left to right). Background map is based on Google Satellite: Bilder ©2024 Google, Airbus, Bilder ©2024 Terra Metrics, Kartendaten ©2024 GeoBasis‐DE/BKG(©2009), Google.
Pollinator abundance and species richness in orchards, flower strips, and hedges, before, during, and after apple bloom.
(a) Plant–pollinator networks in apple orchards during apple bloom in the four treatments (color gradient yellow to green). Apple (purple) and other plants (gray) interact with honeybees (orange), wild bees (brown), and hoverflies (blue). Apple flower visits did not differ across treatments in terms of the total number of pollinator visits (b) and visits in relation to other flowers in the network (network index: Apple species strength, c).
Plant‐apple‐pollinator networks in orchards and adjacent flower strips and hedges from March to August (top to bottom) with honeybees (orange), wild bees (brown), hoverflies (blue), apple flowers (purple) and other plants (gray). Boxplots: Pollinator generality differed between treatments and months (see Table 2). Conservation measures adjacent to orchards (treatments) are represented in different colors (yellow to green).
(a) Site‐month network with each interaction representing one plant–pollinator interaction per site (S1–S18) and month. Boxplots with the number of interactions (b) and the interaction constancy (network index “effective partners,” c) demonstrate a higher and more even distribution of interactions across the month in orchards with adjacent hedges, flower strips, or both. Treatments are orchards without adjacent conservation measure (“Control”), with an adjacent flower strip (“Flower”), with an adjacent hedge (“Hedge”), or both (“Hedge+Flower”).
Plant–pollinator interactions in apple orchards from a production and conservation perspective

January 2025

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174 Reads

In an agricultural landscape, production and conservation ideally go hand in hand. In a win‐win scenario, conservation measures, such as hedges and flower strips, provide support for biodiversity and crop production for example by increased pollination and pollinator diversity. However, these conservation measures may also decrease pollination by attracting pollinators and competing with crop flower visits. Here, we studied plant–pollinator interactions from two different perspectives. First, we looked at the production perspective investigating whether plant–pollinator networks differed between apple orchards with and without adjacent flower strips and hedges. With help of the Bayes factor, we investigated similarity and conclude that there are no differences between pollination networks with or without adjacent flower strips and hedges. Second, we looked at the conservation perspective and analyzed the impact of hedges and flower strips on pollinators and their interactions with plants before and after apple bloom in April. We showed that apple pollinators used more flower resources in flower strips and hedges across the whole season compared to isolated orchards. In orchards with flower strips and hedges, interactions were more constant over time. We conclude that flower strips and hedges are beneficial for conservation of apple pollinators without being harmful for apple flower pollination.


Australian States and Territories, excluding external territories. W.A., Western Australia; N.T., The Northern Territory; Qld., Queensland; N.S.W., New South Wales; A.C.T., The Australian Capital Territory; Vic., Victoria; Tas., Tasmania; S.A., South Australia.
The number of advertisements outside of a species' native range in comparison to the total number of advertisements per species. One point denotes one species. Note both axes are log transformed and differ by the panel.
The number of advertisements outside of species' native ranges (n = 3973) aggregated to 120 km² hexagons.
The distribution of native ranges by taxonomic class. These maps show the number of traded species native to an area aggregated to 120 km² hexagons.
Six examples of species traded outside of their range with environmental suitability nearby suburbs that trade wildlife. The light transparent gray surrounded by a dark border represents the species' native range. The dark gray represents the model's predicted environmental suitability and the black is the subset of this suitability that is within 50 km of a suburb that trades wildlife. Further, if a State border is colored (green for frogs, orange for birds, and purple for reptiles), this indicates that the species was traded outside of its range in this State and there was environmental suitability within 50 km of a suburb that traded wildlife.
The pet trade of native species outside of their natural distributions within Australia is a biosecurity risk

January 2025

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44 Reads

The trade of alien species as pets is increasingly recognized as a biosecurity risk due to their intentional and accidental release into the wild. However, pets are often categorized as native or non‐native at a national level, meaning that their presence outside of their native range, yet within their native country, may be an overlooked biosecurity threat. So‐called “domestic non‐natives” have established new populations across several countries and, in some cases, become invasive. Here, we investigated the extent of the domestic trade of native Australian pet species outside of their natural distributions and determined whether such locations were climatically suitable for potential alien establishments. Australia provides a unique system to explore this issue because it deters the trade of most alien species yet permits the keeping of a large diversity of native pets. We monitored trade from a popular Australian e‐commerce site used to trade native pet birds, reptiles, and amphibians (29 k advertisements over 1 year; from July 2019 to July 2020). Of the 177 native vertebrate species we observed in the pet trade, 129 species (73%) had at least some instances of their trade occurring outside of their natural distribution. We found that climatically suitable environments were present outside the native range of 90 species and that these regions were proximal to suburbs where we observed trade. Our results indicate that the “domestic non‐native” trade is widespread in Australia and that, if captive pets escape or are released into the wild in sufficient numbers, there is a risk of establishment for most of these species. We suggest that regulations pertaining to the trade of native pets ensure that careful biosecurity consideration is given in circumstances when trade occurs beyond a species' native range, both in the context of Australia and for other large countries with widespread pet industries.


Effects of management (conventional vs organic) and cultivar type (resistant vs susceptible) on (a) proportion of semi‐natural habitats (SNH), (b) temperature, (c) vegetation height, (d) grapevine age, and (e) fungicide applications. In addition to the boxplot characteristics, diamonds visualize mean values, and asterisks indicate significance levels (*p < .05, ***p < .001).
Effects of management (conventional vs organic) and cultivar type (resistant vs susceptible) on (a) the number of individuals, (b) the number of individuals of conservation‐relevant species, (c) species richness, and (d) Simpson index. Count values were adjusted to account for different sampling intensities by multiplying them by the number of potential sampling days and dividing the term by the actual sampling days of active traps. In addition to the boxplot characteristics, diamonds visualize mean values and asterisks indicate significance levels (*p < .05).
Biplots based on distance‐based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) of ground beetle assemblage in the studied vineyards. Squares visualize conventional and triangles organic management, while lighter colors reflect susceptible and darker colors fungus‐resistant cultivars. The first axis CAP1 explains 8.23% and the second axis CAP2 6.52% of the variance in the community composition. To aid visualization, sites are displayed with (a) species and (b) environmental variables in separate graphs. In (a), the most common taxa are shown with their species name, and less abundant ones are included with a dot to avoid graphical overlap. Gray lines indicate the grouping into vineyard pairs. Spider clusters in (b) connect sites characterized by the same management and cultivar. Here, only environmental variables with *p < .05 are displayed in the ordination plot.
Limited benefits of organic management and fungicide reduction to ground beetles in vineyards

January 2025

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47 Reads

The use of fungicides in agriculture can reduce animal biodiversity. Such non‐target effects could be mitigated through fungus‐resistant cultivars that reduce the need for fungicide applications. Hence, we conducted a study in 32 commercial vineyards in southwest Germany. We investigated the effect of fungicide spraying intensities (susceptible vs resistant cultivars) and management (conventional vs organic) on ground beetles as a widely used indicator group in agroecological studies. In addition, we examined the effects of local habitat conditions (e.g., microclimate, vegetation) and landscape characteristics. Fungicide applications were reduced by half in conventional, and almost by two‐thirds in organic vineyards with fungus‐resistant cultivars, compared to susceptible grape varieties in the same management regime. While there was no evidence that fungus‐resistant cultivars positively affect the diversity of ground beetles, organic management doubled the number of individuals of conservation‐relevant species per vineyard. Additionally, the proportion of semi‐natural habitats in the surrounding landscape, and the vegetation height significantly affected the species composition across vineyards. We conclude that local habitat conditions and landscape characteristics influence ground beetles more than the fungicide spraying intensity. Additional measures such as organic management, moderate ground vegetation management, and landscape diversification are needed for the conservation of ground beetles in viticulture.


The disordinal interaction plot depicts that the relationship between participation and gender changes based on the value of age.
The ordinal interaction plot depicts that modes of becoming a member and gender determines the level of members' participation.
The disordinal interaction plot between social groups and ways to become a member influences members' level of participation.
Empirical test of the participation paradox in conservation and development

January 2025

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52 Reads

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1 Citation

Local participation has been greatly promoted to accomplish conservation and development goals globally, but the participation paradox, in which those empowered to participate fail to do so, has rarely been thoroughly scrutinized. Here we test the participation paradox with empirical data of 234 local decision‐makers' participation in a decision‐making forum, Conservation Area Management Committees, in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected in 2013 and 2016, analyzed, interpreted, and integrated. Women, minorities, younger members, and non‐elected members participated significantly less in decision‐making than men, older members, and elected members and those with leadership roles and longer tenures on the committees. Qualitative analyses revealed five major themes for motivation to participate: influence in the community; personal incentives; conservation; improving access to natural resources; and feelings of accomplishment. Key constraints to participation included hardships and competing tasks; lack of incentives; perceptions of limited agency; disinterest; and emotional burdens. Participation motivations and constraints varied by gender, social group, and membership types. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these results for participatory approaches to conservation and sustainable development in general and the governance of protected areas in particular.



Journal metrics


2.8 (2023)

Journal Impact Factor™


45%

Acceptance rate


5.5 (2023)

CiteScore™


81 days

Submission to first decision


$2,040 / £1,520 / €1,730

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