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International Union for Conservation of Nature
... For the analysis of threatened taxa, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [45] was used to define the global status of plants, while at the national level, we used the first Saudi Arabian National Report on the Convention on Biological Diversity [46]. These authors use a series of criteria to define the taxa of High Conservation Priority in the KSA. ...
... North Hejaz (NH) [3], [4], [21], [41], Northern region (N) [3], [20], [23], [25], [31], [38], [42], , Nefud (NF) [3], [22], [27], [38], Eastern region (E) [6], [12], [13], [19] West Najd (Njw) [1], [26], [33], [35], [38], , East Najd (Nje) [2], [10], [11], [16], [17], [22], [33], [36], [39] South Hejaz (SH) [5], [7], [8], [14], [15], [24], [28], [29], [32], [34], [ Southern region (S) [18], [30], [37], Al-Rubi Al-khale (R) [13], For the analysis of threatened taxa, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [45] was used to define the global status of plants, while at the national level, we used the first Saudi Arabian National Report on the Convention on Biological Diversity [46]. These authors use a series of criteria to define the taxa of High Conservation Priority in the KSA. ...
... From a conservation point of view, the good news is that the SNR flora has been protected by a closure, allowing only limited and monitored access to the reserve since 2020. Knowing that the reserve contains a number of 13 taxa reported in the IUCN red list [45] as of Least Concern, these taxa, and despite their generally non-worrying status, with population trends often stable or not assessed, constitute an important element in the process of assessing the health of natural habitats and ecological monitoring of ecosystems [92]. In addition, we note the presence of a species assessed as threatened at the national scale (Calligonum comosum L'Hér.), meeting a PS6 criterion [47]. ...
Phytogeographic transition zones are often considered areas rich in biodiversity
due to their ecological and landscape diversity. This study constitutes the first floristic investigation of the Sharaan Natural Reserve (SNR) located in the northwest of the KSA, which is supposed to be a phytogeographic transition zone due to its location between the central zone of the country dominated by Saharo-Arabic flora and the northern zone characterized by a Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian floristic affinities. The floristic studies carried out in the vegetation season from 2022 to 2024 led to the identification of 166 plant taxa belonging to 38 botanical families. The flora of the SNR is dominated by Therophytes, while the Saharo-Arabian element dominates the chorology of the taxa. The comparative phytogeographic analysis of SNR flora compared to the available literature on published floristic inventories in different phytogeographic regions of the country has confirmed the
floristic affinities of the flora of the reserve, especially with the northern and Nefud regions. Among the identified plants, 13 taxa were not mentioned in the 44 consulted references and seem more or less exclusive to the reserve/phytogeographic region. Also, 12 taxa are considered of Least Concern according to the IUCN red list while the presence of Calligonum comosum L’Hér. allows the classification of its natural habitat (dunes) as a Critical Habitat
according to the PS6 criteria. This study reports that SNR constitutes a phytogeographic and floristic transitional area by the presence of a significant number of Irano-Turanian (43) and Mediterranean (21) taxa mixed with the dominant Saharo-Arabic species. The SNR region contains a rich and diverse flora due to the biogeographical situation as a transitional zone and the protection due to the closure. This conservation should be strengthened and extended to other neighboring areas with the same biological wealth.
... Strong evidence suggests that landscape-scale forest loss influences biodiversity worldwide, either positively or negatively [16]. Forest loss alters habitat and resource availability, landscape connectivity and dispersal opportunities for forest-dependent species [17,18], and is considered a global threat leading to the extinction of terrestrial species [4]. Previous efforts have been made to assess the effect of forest loss on species extinction risk. ...
... Primates are crucial for maintaining ecosystem functionality through herbivory, seed dispersal and pollination, serving as both prey and predators and even as ecosystem engineers [32,33]. However, the current state of primate populations is alarming, with approximately 67% of primate species facing the threat of extinction and approximately 75% experiencing declining populations [4]. Extinction risk studies on primates have shed light on the main threats primates face in human-modified landscapes [13,[34][35][36]. ...
... In recent decades, human activities, such as agriculture, mining and infrastructure development, have increased worldwide, threatening species persistence [1,2]. This situation is particularly alarming in the tropics, which have the highest deforestation rates [3], and approximately 27% of all assessed mammal species are threatened with extinction [4]. Despite decades of research, the main predictors of species loss in human-modified landscapes have remained unclear. ...
Identifying the main predictors of species’ extinction risk while accounting for the effects of spatial and phylogenetic structures in the data is key to preventing species loss in tropical forests through adequate conservation practices. We recorded 22 705 precise geographical locations of primate occurrence across four major geographic realms (Neotropics, mainland Africa, Madagascar and Asia) to assess predictors of threat status using a novel Bayesian spatio-phylogenetic approach. We estimated the relative contributions of fixed factors (forest amount, body mass, home range, diel activity, locomotion, evolutionary distinctiveness and climatic instability) and random factors (space and phylogeny) to primate extinction risk. Precipitation instability increased the extinction risk in the Neotropics but decreased it in mainland Africa and Madagascar. Forest amount was negatively associated with extinction risk in all realms except Madagascar. Body mass increased the extinction risk in the Neotropics and Madagascar, whereas home range increased the extinction risk in mainland Africa and decreased it in Asia. Evolutionary distinctiveness negatively influenced extinction risk only in mainland Africa. Our findings highlight the importance of climate change mitigation and forest protection strategies. Increasing the protection of large primates and reducing hunting are also essential.
... Small farms predominate in the region (up to 5 ha), which make up more than 50% of the total number of farms [10]. The Lubelskie Voivodeship has 45.5% of soils of quality class I-III, whereas Poland's average is 29.1%, which shows the great agricultural potential of the region [10]. ...
... Endangered weed species should be protected as one of the elements of the entire agroecosystem. As mentioned in the strategy of the International Union for Conservation of Nature [29], preserving genetic diversity requires the timely collection and conservation of genetic material in gene banks, living collections, or plantations to ensure its availability for future breeding, research, and restoration efforts. Similarly, it may be necessary to use the genetic collection of segetal plants to maintain the equilibrium in cultivation. ...
This paper presents data from sixteen collecting missions conducted over three decades (2000–2023) in the Lubelskie Voivodeship, located in Southeastern Poland. During these missions, 756 samples of functional plants were collected, along with accompanying species such as weeds, crop wild relatives, ornamental plants, spice plants, and grafts of fruit trees. These materials were compared with those collected during six expeditions in two earlier decades (1980–1999), which resulted in the collection of 665 genotypes. The samples were primarily obtained from local farmers or gathered directly from fields. This study aims to summarise and compare the results of the collecting missions across decades. The analysis indicates that the Lubelskie region remains a place where old varieties of annual vegetable plants, rare weed species (on a national scale), crop wild relatives, and old varieties of fruit trees can still be found. However, old cereal varieties have nearly disappeared. The collected materials were characterised and stored as a base collection under long-term storage conditions at the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute—National Research Institute. Vegetable plant materials were deposited in the active collection at the National Institute of Horticultural Research (INHORT). Fruit tree collections were also deposited at INHORT, as well as in the Botanical Garden of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Poland.
... Forests play a crucial role in mitigating the impacts of climate change by removing about 16 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere annually, equivalent to approximately half of the annual CO 2 emissions from burning fossil fuels [1][2][3][4][5]. However, forests are increasingly threatened by deforestation and degradation, particularly in tropical regions such as Vietnam [2,6,7]. ...
... This diversity underscores the importance of adopting inclusive and 1 Results of key information interviews. 2 Household interview results. 3 Key information interviews and household interview ressults culturally sensitive approaches in forest management and conservation endeavours. Krong Nang has been at the forefront of pioneering initiatives aimed at providing financial support and alternative livelihood opportunities through PFES. ...
Forest carbon markets have demonstrated numerous benefits across economic, social, and environmental dimensions, while also advancing sustainable development goals. This study examines the primary policy mechanisms and conditions related to the development of high-integrity forest carbon markets in Dak Lak province, Vietnam. Utilizing a combination of SWOT analysis and the DPSIR framework, the study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the opportunities, challenges, driving forces, pressures, potential impacts, and responses associated with developing these markets. The Gold Standard method was also employed to estimate the potential contribution to carbon emission reductions through the new forest planting programs in the province. Data analysis from 202 households and in-depth interviews with fifteen experts revealed that local residents have limited information about the forest carbon market. While forest management officials at various levels are aware of the market, there is a lack of specific guidance, limited participation in training sessions and workshops, and insufficient instructional materials. Dak Lak holds significant potential for carbon emission reductions, with an estimated average forest carbon storage capacity of 7.5 tCO2/ha/year for an afforestation/reforestation (A/R) carbon project. This initiative is projected to contribute approximately $753,972 annually to the province's GRDP and generate 280 jobs for local communities. However, the technical and financial resources are challenging in the province. The study identifies critical issues and proposes appropriate solutions to support Dak Lak in developing high-integrity forest carbon markets in alignment with the national roadmap, ultimately contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals.
... The main habitat of the Armenian wild sheep subspecies is Iran, and it prefers the mountainous areas of the Eastern Anatolia (Hakkari, Van, Iğdır) region of Turkey in the spring and summer seasons and returns to its home country in the autumn season (Özdirek, 2009;Weinberg and Malkhasyan, 2010) [35,49] . The Anatolian wild sheep subspecies is considered an endemic species, as it is distributed only in Turkey in the world (Arıhan, 2000; Orkun et al., 2016;Ünal et al., 2016;Michel and Ghoddousi, 2020;IUCN, 2024) [10,34,48,29,30] . In the early 19th century, Anatolian wild sheep populations were encountered in Afyon (Emirdağ), Ankara (Polatlı and Nallıhan), Eskişehir (Sivrihisar), Karaman (Karadağ) and the Bozdağ, Ereğli and Karapınar regions of Konya in Turkey (Albayrak et al., 2007) [9] . ...
... The main habitat of the Armenian wild sheep subspecies is Iran, and it prefers the mountainous areas of the Eastern Anatolia (Hakkari, Van, Iğdır) region of Turkey in the spring and summer seasons and returns to its home country in the autumn season (Özdirek, 2009;Weinberg and Malkhasyan, 2010) [35,49] . The Anatolian wild sheep subspecies is considered an endemic species, as it is distributed only in Turkey in the world (Arıhan, 2000; Orkun et al., 2016;Ünal et al., 2016;Michel and Ghoddousi, 2020;IUCN, 2024) [10,34,48,29,30] . In the early 19th century, Anatolian wild sheep populations were encountered in Afyon (Emirdağ), Ankara (Polatlı and Nallıhan), Eskişehir (Sivrihisar), Karaman (Karadağ) and the Bozdağ, Ereğli and Karapınar regions of Konya in Turkey (Albayrak et al., 2007) [9] . ...
The Anatolian wild sheep (Ovis gmelinii anatolica Valenciennes, 1856), distributed in the Bozdağ wildlife development area, has been described as the story of saving the first symbolic mammal wild animal species in Türkiye from extinction. In this respect, the necessary protection, management and planning studies for the Anatolian wild sheep, which is in danger of extinction, have been put forward. However, no digital and model-based mapping has been found for the Anatolian wild sheep, which is endemic and in danger of extinction in Türkiye. This study aimed to perform digital habitat suitability modelling and mapping of the Anatolian wild sheep distributed in the Bozdağ wildlife development area. For this purpose, the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) method, which is generally preferred in target species protection studies for wildlife ecology and management, was preferred. According to the Anatolian wild sheep habitat suitability model results, it was determined that the training data set AUC value was 0.993 and the test data set AUC value was 0.992 and in the "very good" model category. It was determined that the variables contributing to the model were annual precipitation, precipitation of the driest quarter, isothermality, elevation, annual mean temperature and topographic position index, respectively. As a result, the habitat suitability mapping of the Anatolian wild sheep predicted by MaxEnt was presented based on the variable values contributing to the model.
... The Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea is described as a common bird species throughout most of its habitat range (Gibbs et al., 2001). Based on the (IUCN Red List (IUCN, 2017 andBLI, 2017), the bird is not an endangered species but was classified as a least concern category. Geographically, this species is mainly native to most African countries, including Nigeria (IUCN, 2017). ...
... Based on the (IUCN Red List (IUCN, 2017 andBLI, 2017), the bird is not an endangered species but was classified as a least concern category. Geographically, this species is mainly native to most African countries, including Nigeria (IUCN, 2017). Diurnal activity patterns can be in the form of movement of the whole or part of the animal's body or the amount of time that is spent by an animal performing various ecological activities (Abigail et al., 2013). ...
The study examined and quantified Speckle pigeon Columba guinea time activities budgets at Federal University Gashua, Yobe State, Nigeria. Data were collected using fixed observation points, three times a day, with continuous observations of daily time activity budget from 6:30-8:30 am, 12:30-2:30 pm, and 3:30-6:30 pm by monitoring Speckle pigeon Columba guinea individuals or groups for twenty minutes around the fixed observation point every Monday and Saturday of each week. The study lasted 32 days, totalling 192 hours for the period of four (4) months, covering the late wet season in September-October in 2023 and the early dry season in January-February in 2024, respectively. Field Guide to Western African Birds and 12 × 32 Bushnell Binoculars were used to identify bird species. Eating, preening, walking, playing, calling, flying, resting, mating, and other activities were identified. The study found that Speckle pigeon Columba guinea spent (42.21%) resting in the evening, (32.6%) feeding, and (30.80%) calling in the morning. This study found that pairing behaviour was highest in the morning (1152) and followed by the evening (864). We suggested assessing Speckle pigeon Columba guinea population size and breeding seasons in the study region.
... In this scenario, it is imperative to reestablish a connection between agriculture and nature to ensure the enduring viability of production systems (Lemaire et al. 2023). Nature-based solutions (NbS) are initiatives aimed at protecting, sustainably managing, and restoring natural or modified ecosystems (IUCN 2013). These actions have been shown to be costeffective, delivering simultaneous environmental, social, and economic benefits, and contributing to building resilience (Cohen-Shacham et al. 2016;Ballinas et al. 2022). ...
... Nature-based solutions are an integral part of the global policy and action design to address the challenge of sustainably feeding the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has defined NbS as actions that protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems to effectively address social challenges while simultaneously promoting human well-being and biodiversity benefits (IUCN 2013). NbS should support cultural, social, and contextual values, considering their specificity in time and space (Cohen-Shacham et al. 2016). ...
We propose integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems (ICLF) as a nature-based solution (NbS) to address the challenges of modern agriculture. NbS are defined as approaches that integrate natural processes and ecosystem services into various aspects of agriculture, providing environmental, social, and economic benefits. Therefore, we discuss how ICLF, which combines crop, animal and forestry production, aligns with NbS principles. Initially, we underscore how conventional agricultural practices have contributed to biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, emphasizing the need to reconnect agriculture with nature for long-term sustainability. Subsequently, we show how the reintegration of grazing livestock into agricultural landscapes can restore biogeochemical cycles disrupted by specialization and reintroduce the multifunctionality found in NbS. To this end, we develop a conceptual model of the factors that influence the mimicry of soil functions in natural ecosystems within a system integrating crop, livestock, and forestry. Additionally, we discuss the role of plant diversity and the strategic inclusion of trees and shrubs in integrated crop-livestock, emphasizing their potential for carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and diversified agricultural yields. ICLF promote sustainability by emulating the trophic levels, processes, and nutrient flows typically found in nature. However, different spatiotemporal designs determine the system's level of complexity and potential for mimicking nature. Resource competition is a challenge within more complex integrated systems, demanding effective, regionally appropriate management to maximize complementarity. ICLF not only promotes food security but also contributes to the preservation of natural ecosystems, even in the face of mounting global challenges.
... Degradation reduces the capacity of freshwater systems to deal with increasing demand and threatens the essential goods and services that functioning and healthy ecosystems provide (Forslund et al., 2009). These include water treatment, clean drinking water (and the associated health benefits), fish, fibre, disaster mitigation (the resilience and adaptability of natural systems are crucial in the face of climate change), recreation and intrinsic 'quality of life' value (Acreman, 2016;IUCN, 2008). The realisation of the severe consequences associated with degraded freshwater systems has led to a global movement addressing the critical need for integrated water resource management (IWRM), especially via understanding and managing freshwater flow-ecology relationships (Arthington et al., 2023;Pastor et al., 2019). ...
... As such, the goal of e-flows is usually not to maintain or restore a pristine system (Acreman, 2016;Arthington, Kennen, et al., 2018). Rather, e-flows aim to determine river-specific goals and rules for water use which are a compromise between the needs of the ecosystem (e.g., maintaining biodiversity) and those of humans (e.g., irrigation, drinking water, fish, industrial use), satisfying requirements for both (IUCN, 2008;King et al., 2008;Mussehl et al., 2022). This aim makes e-flows a means for conservation, but also for meeting sustainable development goals (SDGs; Arthington, Bhaduri, et al., 2018;Forslund et al., 2009;WHO & UNICEF, 2021). ...
Environmental flows (e‐flows) assessments are a powerful mechanism for enhancing and conserving the ecosystem goods and services rivers provide while allocating water to essential human use. There is a paucity of e‐flows assessments and implementation in water scarce regions such as the Middle East, where limited freshwater resources are under extreme pressure. We conducted a first e‐flows assessment of the Mujib River, a vitally important freshwater resource for biodiversity and people in Jordan. We employed a holistic approach based on the building block method (BBM), using expert knowledge, assessment and integration of the hydrology, hydraulics, fish, macroinvertebrates, vegetation, habitat integrity and benthic diatoms of the Mujib River to perform an e‐flows determination. Several significant threats to its ecology and fresh water supply were identified. The most significant was the absence of flooding and abstraction associated with upstream impoundments, as well as reliance on over‐exploited and severely pressured groundwater‐maintained flows. Overall, this paper presents the first e‐flows assessment for the Mujib River in Jordan, a vital step towards improved water resource monitoring and management in water scarce regions, and serves to highlight the urgent global need for e‐flows to preserve our critical freshwater systems.
... Conservation as defined within the World Conservation Strategy is: "the management of the human use of the biosphere so that it may yield the greatest sustainable benefit to present generations while maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations" (IUCN, 1980). At the heart of conservation is sustainable use of resources (including biodiversity). ...
... There are 5,487 species of mammals on earth, including 4,943 terrestrial, 1,447 flying (all bats), and 124 marine, of which 1,219 are threatened with extinction or have recently disappeared, and more precisely, more than a quarter (26.2%) are threatened [1]. For Burgin CJ, et al. [2] there are 305 species of carnivores existing in the world and they are classified into 16 families and Fernández-Sepúlveda J, et al. [3] state that 290 of these species are the most threatened among all mammals in general (26.9% ) and have a significantly higher proportion of species in decline (48.3%) and according to Bencatel J, et al. [4] citing different sources, they constitute a charismatic group which well illustrates the relevance of collecting precise data on their distribution and their situation because they are important both at the species level and at the community level, and they also have an important effect on ecosystems both as functional regulators (e.g. ...
New data on the chronological and chorological composition, structure, distribution, and biology of the conservation of Algerian Carnivora (Mammalia). Information on the status of species at a regional scale is essential for effective conservation planning. Algeria, the largest country in Africa in terms of surface area and with a large opening onto the Mediterranean Sea, boasts a mammalian heritage of 111 species, of which only 19 species, or 17.11%, are carnivores, with the majority facing threats. In this present work, we offer a global vision of the country's carnivore heritage, with a comparison of its structure and composition according to a chronological evolution of contacts established during a historical period (18th century–2017) and the most recent contacts (2017–2024). A chorological analysis with a distribution map with old and new locations throughout the territory is carried out for each species, with mention of the state of conservation and heritage status. Our results show that there is a significant level of decreasing or unknown numbers in 12 of the 19 carnivore species in Algeria, representing 63.14 percent of the total. The conservation status based on the IUCN Red List criteria at international and regional (Mediterranean) levels shows that there are no CR (critically endangered) species at the global level, while four species are at the Mediterranean level. Endangered species (EN) are represented at the Mediterranean level by Acinonyx jubatus ssp. Heckii. There are three vulnerable species (VU) at the global level and a single species at the Mediterranean level; two are near threatened species (NT) at the global level and three at the Mediterranean level; and the species that are least concern (LC) at the global level are numbers 14 at the global level and 10 at the Mediterranean level. All these analyses give us an overview of demographic trends and parameters for appropriate management and allow us to identify gaps in knowledge and priorities for research.
... During Kharif -1, and Kharif -2 lands became fallow due to inundate on flood water. In rabi season boro is the main crop and damaged by flash flood due to unavailability of controlling measures [11]. Therefore, wastage of time and unavailability of agricultural activities are resulting lean period to them every year. ...
Haor is basin like structure where water remains either stagnant or in flash flooding condition and agricultural activities are limited to four to five months in any year due to inundate on flood water. The main crop boro are usually damaged by flash floods nearly every year. So, the present study has been conducted with the specific objectives such as to assess the socio-economic background of the households, their agriculture practices and communication status they enjoy in disaster prone haor areas; to investigate reasons of vulnerability in haor community. The whole accomplishment process ensured HH questionnaire survey and sampled 150 HHs was from 6 different villages of three Haors, Dekar Haor, Kalner Haor and Karchar Haor by name. Two villages from each haor were selected at random. The HHs was also selected randomly. Data obtained from the 150 households (HH) undergone simple statistical analysis using MS XL and SPSS for analysing the survey data. The socioeconomic conditions of the peoples of the study area poor as larger family size, smaller income resulting to compensate expenditure according to income, mean land possess are 40.4 decimals only, mean income was 10,346 BDT, 28% are illiterate etc. Agriculture is the main occupation, above 28% are agriculture labor and 56% have secondary occupations. There were 27% who owned livestock, 24% had pond or haor share for fishing. They prefer BRRI dhan 29 and BRRI dhan 28 nearly equally (50% and 48% of them respectively) and duck rearing. Agriculture, livestock and fisheries are ranked as one for choice of occupation by 52%, 36% and 7.3% respectively. Nearly 50% face challenges to get price from their crops. The communication is easy in wet season and good weather by river transport but incurs cost and time consuming. The 100% respondents face floods of varying nature and 98% asked they are not resilient. Therefore, people in haor basins are vulnerable due to their current socioeconomic conditions, agriculture practices, health services and communication status making them limitations in cases of access to hightech agricultural practices for improved production which in turn lead to sound socioeconomic status of those people.
... Bangladesh is a ground of forests and trees, hills and valleys, rivers, marshes and canals, wide open meadows. About 566 species of birds are present in our country [8]. Approximately 246 species of our birds are resident and the rest are migratory [9]. ...
Taxidermy is very important for the study of evolution especially natural history. Taxidermy is the most important, powerful, and directs visual communication in the Bangladesh National Museum. This process is a skill that can be valuable to scientists and artists alike (Plate 1). Various species of birds are commonly exhibited in the galleries of the Bangladesh National Museum. This institution receives whole vertebrate specimens. Make sure that its skin will not be damaged while transportation, wrapping with the newspaper is necessary. Borax powder is used to protect the skin from insects and fungi. Later, it was made into a mannequin with the help of wooden wool, cotton, polyethylene foam, polyurethane foam, styrofoam, dried grass wool or other materials. Finally, mounting birds were placed with artificial rocks, plants, and grasses blended slightly into painted panoramic backdrops, giving an impression of actual nature (Plate 1).
... Until now, there has been a gold rush to the ocean floor occurring under a set of environmental legislations, however with lax environmental regulations and standards, particularly because there is at present significant scientific uncertainty regarding the environmental impacts (IUCN, 2019;MacMaster, 2019;Leal Filho et al., 2021;Levin, 2021;Christiansen et al., 2022;EASAC Report, 2023;Environmental Justice Foundation, 2023;Heffernan, 2023). This uncertainty is not only in terms of environmental science but also in terms of legal, ethical/justice, and geopolitical issues, all of which are fundamental factors in environmental regime effectiveness. ...
This study provides an update on the current regulatory and institutional landscape of deep-seabed mining (DSM). This regime formation occurred at a unique historical moment characterized by noteworthy legal developments. This is primarily because it applies to an activity (exploitation) that has not yet commenced but is anticipated to commence in the near future, contingent on the finalization of the regulatory regime. The legal environmental framework of DSM presents numerous challenges and gaps; however, it also has potential significance, particularly in the context of the ongoing green energy transition. This study aims to examine the intricate interplay between law and technology, looking at the “law in context” within the broader context of justice and geopolitics and the environmental framework of the DSM industry and seeks to address the existing regulatory gaps. This underscores the importance of adopting a precautionary approach and advocates the meticulous determination of the appropriate type of precautionary approach to be employed in the future. By holistically scrutinizing DSM environmental law and policy and using the European Union and the Arctic as geopolitical-legal case studies, this article underscores that DSM is an environmental concern and a social environmental justice issue.
... Ecologists have failed to predict the consequences of this havoc on natural resources and the intrinsic stability of natural systems. Many consider these consequences to be potentially disastrous (IUCN, 1984). If we are to predict changes in system function following depauperization, we need to understand processes responsible for generating and maintaining diversity in biological communities. ...
The community structure o f corals o f Yawzi Point and Lesser Lameshur Bay, St. John, U.S.V.I. was defined in terms of species, number of colonies, percentage of living cover, Shannon and Weaver’s diversity index, and Pielou’s index of evenness. Transects o f 10 meters long were used in the present study. They were located at four and six meters depth at both sites. Yawzi Point proved to have lower sedimentation rates (6.4 mg/cm2/day) and greater water movement. This site showed a greater number of species and colonies as well as a higher percentage of coverage and diversity index (% cover = 53 and 57% and H’n= 2.156 and 2.253 for both depths, respectively). Lesser Lameshur Bay has higher sedimentation rates (9.6 mg/cm2/day) and lower water movement. This site displayed lower number o f species and colonies as well as inferior percentage of cover (% cover =31.8 and 31.4 % and H’n= 1.670 and 1.732 for both depths, respectively). It is suggested that sedimentation and water movement affect the structure of studied communities. A total number o f 22 scleractinian species were found in the area; the four most common species were Montastrea annularis, Porites astreoides and Agaricia agaricites, as well as the hydrozoan Millepora alcicornis.
... The loss of vegetation likewise disrupts the habitat for wildlife and, hence, leads to their displacement, which could foster extinction events. For instance, the rise of wildfires has reduced habitats for the Marbled Murrelet, a species of bird [19]. ...
Climate change has far-reaching implications for global freshwater availability and environmental balance. The increase in greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels has triggered global climate change, affecting precipitation patterns, glacier melt and sea level rise. Parts of the United States are experiencing significant changes in precipitation patterns, with some areas experiencing frequent storms and others experiencing more prolonged droughts. Accelerated glacier melt is leading to fewer water sources during the dry season, and sea level rise is threatening coastal freshwater resources, triggering saltwater intrusion and a decline in freshwater quality. Wildfires in California are an important consequence of climate change, severely affecting freshwater resources and environmental balance. Wildfires lead to reduced water resources, impacting agricultural water use and irrigation infrastructure, and affecting water quality through increased sediment and pollutant loads. The 2018 Camp Hill Fire contaminated local water sources, and the rebuilding process has increased demand for water resources, exacerbating resource constraints. Global warming has lengthened wildfire seasons and increased fire intensity, leading to increased pressure on freshwater resources. By analyzing the impacts of climate change on freshwater resources, this paper hopes to draw public attention to environmental protection and provide a reference for gradually optimizing ecosystems and creating a healthy living environment.
... Placing MCPs around outer points of occurrence provides an estimate of the spatial spread of the areas occupied by the species. Even though the estimate might include some areas where the species is absent, the approach constitutes a wellestablished method to obtain species ranges (IUCN, 2018). Twelve fern species were removed in this step because they did not have at least three occurrence points to draw a polygon (Appendix S1). ...
Premise: Ferns and lycophytes, the two spore‐bearing lineages of vascular plants, share a unique life cycle, and because of several morpho‐ecophysiological similarities, are usually investigated as a unit, but they may have distinct ecological and en-vironmental responses. Understanding the diversity and distribution patterns of ferns and lycophytes separately is essential for designing effective conservation strategies.
Methods: We assessed species richness and range sizes using range–diversity analysesand investigated environmental (climatic, edaphic) and ecological (endemism, habitdiversity, specialization) predictors of these range and richness metrics using gener-alized linear models.
Results: The central region of the Atlantic Forest primarily contained areas with fern and lycophyte species with high richness and small ranges; the northern and southern extremes of the forest had species with low richness and larger ranges. Fern richness was associated with a combination of environmental and ecological variables; lycophyte richness was associated only with ecological variables. Range sizes were positively related to habit diversity for both ferns and lycophytes, but the effect of environmental variables differedbetween the two lineages. Critical areas were primarily not within protected areas.
Conclusions: Fern range sizes and richness were influenced by a combination of ecological and environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, and soil variables; only ecological variables influenced lycophyte richness and range sizes. Theeffects of these factors must be considered separately for the two lineages due to their different responses to stressors. Conservation efforts should increase in the species‐rich–low‐range areas that are outside protected areas to protect these low‐range species.
... Measures of grassland habitat restoration such as green hay transfer and sowing directly harvested plant material, were not included. We collected data on three types of translocations: reinforcements (strengthening) of remnant populations (the transfer of a species to an area where the species still occurs but is threatened by extinction and the population size is to be increased), (new) introductions (the relocation of a species within its natural range to a region for which there is no historical evidence of occurrence), and reintroductions (the intentional movement of a species to an area where it previously occurred) (IUCN 1987, Diekmann et al. 2016. A translocation was defined as an action that was targeting one species at one site at a particular moment in time. ...
In Luxembourg, 34 % of native plants and archaeophytes are considered threatened or regionally extinct. Species translocations have been implemented in Luxembourg for more than 25 years as a conservation strategy to counteract biodiversity loss. In this overview, we have compiled data on conservation actions implemented between 1997 and 2023. The information collected includes the translocation locations, the plant taxa targeted, the methods used, and the monitoring conducted. For a subset of translocations, we have also included data on the survival of planted juveniles. Examples of translocations from various habitat types were also presented to illustrate different approaches. We found that 585 translocations involving 99 taxa from 26 families were initiated by four main institutions in Luxembourg. The conservation actions mainly targeted Endangered and Critically Endangered, but also Least Concern species. Translocations mainly took place in open land habitats, particularly in grasslands and arable land, with a higher density in the southwestern part of the country. 39 % of the translocations took place in national nature reserves whereas 21 % were in areas without any legal protection status. Planting young plants was the preferred method rather than sowing seeds. In 89 % of the translocations, monitoring was conducted by recording survival of the plants, while natural recruitment of new individuals was rarely recorded. 68 % of the translocations were judged successful by the practitioners, mostly based on transplant survival. Detailed data for the subset of 31 grassland species showed that the survival rate of about half of the species considered successful varied between 25 and 71 %. Translocations are essential for the long-term conservation of plant species, but protection and adaptive management of translocation sites are also essential. Translocations conform to national and European priorities for increasing habitat restorations to counteract species decline. To improve conservation outcomes, actions such as translocations need to be consistently documented, monitoring standardized, and experience needs to be shared among stakeholders.
... Careful urban planning can enhance the quantum of natural spaces providing a win-win (positive externalities) for both retained biodiversity and enhanced wellbeing that in turn increases economic welfare (Hsu et al. 2022). This increases access to, and use of, green listed sites as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2024), and hereafter designated as green spaces. However, careful planning remains a challenge as only 0.3 % of global urban infrastructure spending is allocated to supporting green space solutions that mitigate pollution, reduce flood and storm damage risks, and enhance healthier air, water and living conditions for residents, especially amongst relatively less well-off socioeconomic groups (Khatri, 2022). ...
... The measurements of telomere length in blood are representative of what can be found in other somatic tissues [45]. A large number of species from the Psittaciformes order are classified as vulnerable to the threat of extinction according to the red list of the Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2008 [46]. This reflects the importance for conservation centers to seek possible research lines focused on bioindicators of life expectancy and the biological status of these birds, since they are fundamental in the study of ecology and for the long-term conservation of endangered species. ...
Telomeres, conserved DNA sequences at chromosome ends, naturally shorten with age, exacerbated by external factors like environmental challenges and reproduction. Birds, particularly psittacine, are gaining prominence as new aging models over the years because of their unique characteristics. This study explores erythrocyte telomere length (TL) and oxidative stress markers in plasma of long- and short-lived captive birds of the order Psittaciformes over four years. Long-lived birds consistently exhibited longer TL than short-lived ones ( p = 0.012) but experienced a more pronounced TL shortening rate ( p < 0.001) than short-lived ones. Breeding individuals experienced increased TL shortening compared to non-reproductive counterparts in long-lived birds ( p = 0.008). Interestingly, long-lived birds showed a higher total antioxidant capacity than short-lived ones ( p < 0.001), which was also increased during breeding ( p = 0.026). A significant correlation was found between the telomere length shortening rate within the 4 years of study and the accumulated oxidative stress ( r = 0.426, p = 0.069) in short-lived birds. These findings shed light on TL and oxidative stress dynamics over time, revealing distinct patterns influenced by life-traits among longevity groups.
... Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat Artibeus jamaicensis has been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016. Artibeus jamaicensis is listed as Least Concern (Miller et al., 2016;IUCN, 2016). ...
Until a few years ago, it was assumed that oocyte renewal did not take place in the ovary of adult organisms; however, the existence of germline progenitor cells (GPCs), which renew the ovarian follicular reserve, has now been documented in mammals. Specifically, in the adult ovary of bats, the presence of cells located in the cortical region with characteristics similar to GPCs, called adult cortical germ cells (ACGC), has been observed. One of the requirements that a GPC must fulfil is to be able to proliferate mitotically, so the evaluation of cell proliferation in ACGC is of utmost importance in order to be able to relate them to a parental lineage. Currently, there are several methods to determine cell proliferation, including BrdU labelling or the use of endogenous proliferation markers. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the proliferative activity of ACGC in the adult ovary of the bat Artibeus jamaicensis , using different proliferation markers and correlating these with the protein expression of the transcription factor Oct4 and the germ line marker Ddx4. We found that the expression pattern of the proliferation markers BrdU, PCNA, Ki-67 and pH3 occurs at different times of the cell cycle, so co-localization of two or more of these markers allows us to identify proliferating cells. This allowed us to identify ACGC with proliferative capacity in the adult ovary of A. jamaicensis , suggesting that GPCs renew the follicle reserve during the adult life of the organism.
... According to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), S. carinatus has been confirmed in several regions outside of its native range (GBIF 2024). Therefore, this species is treated as an invasive species (IUCN 2022). Invasive species can pose many problems, including ecosystem disturbance and disease (Jo et al. 2017;Angoh et al. 2021;Martínez-Ríos et al. 2022;Park et al. 2022a), and recently, substantial economic losses have been confirmed (Cuthbert et al. 2021). ...
The razor-backed musk turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) is native to the Southwestern United States and is traded as a pet. Currently, turtle species that are traded as pets have been observed in the wild with increasing frequency, and S. carinatus is among them. To effectively manage an invasive species, it is necessary to know its distribution. Therefore, in this study, we report a new observation of S. carinatus. We captured the turtle in a reservoir in Gwangju, South Korea, and confirmed it to be S. carinatus through morphological characteristics and genetic analysis. Our results show that, despite extensive efforts in the management of invasive species, species traded as pets continue to be observed in the wild.
... Forest is one of the vital components of earth ecosystem. It houses more than 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity, provides livelihood for more than 1.6 billion people [1] and it is a source for approximately 75% accessible fresh water of the world. Typically, forests are very complex systems constituting large amount of biodiversity and interactions among the components. ...
... Regionally, Sri Lanka participates in initiatives like the UNEP´s Regional Seas Program, which includes activities to mitigate marine debris across the South Asian seas. This collaboration emphasizes ecosystem-based approaches to marine conservation and sustainable resource use, aligning with international efforts like the EU´s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (GEF 2012;IUCN 2018). Through these national and regional efforts, Sri Lanka strives to address marine plastic pollution comprehensively, integrating local actions through municipal councils and Pradeshiya Sabha, and also broader international strategies for effective environmental management (IUCN 2018; European commission 2013). ...
Marine plastic debris has emerged as a pressing concern along the northern coast of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, posing a significant threat to marine resources. A preliminary study was conducted to investigate the abundance and characteristics of marine plastic debris at four major fish landing sites in the northern coast of Jaffna, using the Clean Coast Index (CCI) and Plastic Abundance Index (PAI). The results revealed that the average abundance of marine debris and plastic debris were 1.71 ± 0.42 items/m² and 1.66 ± 0.57 items/m², respectively. The most common types of plastic debris represented plastic rope and net pieces (23.2%), followed by unidentified weathered plastic fragments (16.7%), beverage bottles (16.2%), bottle caps and lids (13%), and styrofoam (14.1%). The recognized sources of plastic debris were mainly fishing-based activities, recreation activities, transboundary sources, and unidentified sources. The fish landing sites were classified as exceptionally polluted, with a CCI exceeding 10 and a PAI value exceeding 8. Myliddy had the highest debris density, indicating substantial pollution levels, followed by Point Pedro, Mathagal, and Valveddithurai. These findings underscore the urgency of establishing a comprehensive plastic waste management framework for the northern coast of Jaffna and devising strategies to address buoyant debris within the northern Indian Ocean. Furthermore, this study carries significant implications for the local marine ecosystem, coastal communities, and Sri Lanka's broader environmental policies and practices.
This study evaluates oil palm- and rubber-driven deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia between 2000 and 2021 through secondary data analysis from a rich data set by collecting and integrating secondary data from multiple sources. The results revealed significant tree cover loss, accounting for 82 and 250% of the primary forest loss in Indonesia and Malaysia, respectively. The area of harvested oil palm increased by 650% in Indonesia and 50% in Malaysia, while palm oil production increased by 566% in Indonesia and 65% in Malaysia over the period. Over the past two decades, Indonesia’s palm oil export volume has risen by 619%, while that of Malaysia has increased by 83%. The study revealed that rubber-harvested areas increased by 54% in Indonesia but decreased by 20% in Malaysia, with rubber production increasing by 108% in Indonesia but decreasing by 49% in Malaysia. Indonesia’s natural rubber export volume also increased by 69%, but Malaysia’s decreased by 33%. The study revealed that the impact of oil palm and rubber on deforestation varies by region and period. However, plantation expansion and associated forest conversion have slowed, which can be associated with the consumer demand for no deforestation of oil palm and rubber products. Smaller companies and smallholder farmers, not bound by zero deforestation commitments, clear forests for plantation expansion and sell their products in the leakage markets. On the other hand, two countries may experience increased deforestation pressures in the future, primarily driven by the expanding use of oil palm for biodiesel production. Finally, the findings of this study suggest the need for region-specific investigations into the interplay between oil palm and rubber cultivation and their impact on deforestation. Such studies should account for geographical and socio-economic factors, aiming to facilitate the effective implementation of zero deforestation commitments.
The profound transformation of the Earth and its ecosystems within the Anthropocene, have opened up a discussion about how to imagine, plan and implement climate action. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are frequently approached as the human actions aimed at protecting, managing, and restoring ecosystems with the dual objective of enhancing environmental conservation and addressing societal challenges such as sustainable development. In this work, we offer a critical analysis of the narratives from which NbS result from. We contextualize the NbS narrative as emergent from the Anthropocene frameworks and use the lenses of alternative worldviews from Latin America and the Caribbean, which hold other ways of knowing historically neglected by Modern ontologies and epistemologies. As most of the research on NbS has been produced in the Global North, we, a group of Latin American early-career scholars and an Indigenous activist, argue that hegemonic narratives on nature —driven current decision making in global environmental change policies- perversely reinforces exclusionary environmental practices at national and local scales. Such narratives are based on human-centered, Eurocentric and hegemonic scientific worldviews. Drawing on qualitative research that included a critical discourse analysis of existing literature, Indigenous Peoples declarations, and interviews, we examine how NbS is defined within the framework of the Anthropocene and in some cases in contradiction with local Indigenous-based narratives and realities. In this paper, we unpack the need to seek and develop local and pluralistic narratives of climate solutions beyond NbS frameworks in Latin America.
Este trabalho visou avaliar a importância de um fragmento florestal em área urbana para a proteção das espécies de aves. Um levantamento para a caracterização da comunidade de aves foi realizado entre junho de 2009 e março de 2010. Os levantamentos foram mensais, divididos em observações matutinas (8h às 10h) e vespertinas (16h às 18h), por trilhas preexistentes. Efetuou-se o registro das espécies de aves pelo método da identificação das manifestações sonoras (cantos e outros sons) e pelo método visual. Apesar de ser um fragmento florestal urbano e com um esforço amostral de 125 horas de observação, a riqueza foi relativamente alta, com o registro de 156 espécies de aves. Muitas dessas espécies possuem interesse conservacionista, como as espécies endêmicas da mata atlântica e com algum grau de ameaça de extinção, bem como espécies raras e dependentes de ambientes florestais, indicando que fragmentos florestais podem contribuir para a preservação de espécies de aves em uma estratégia integrada de conservação com as demais áreas de salvaguarda permanente dentro do ecossistema urbano.
The taxonomy of Neotropical forest lizards (Diploglossidae) has been the subject of controversy because of a paucity of diagnostic characters and genetic data. Recent molecular studies have produced phylogenies that are highly supported but have few individuals represented for each species. These studies have corrected generic names and defined new genera and subfamilies in Diploglossidae. However, they have shown that multiple species are not monophyletic or have high levels of genetic divergence, indicating the need to define new species. Three subfamilies, 12 genera, and 56 species of diploglossid lizards are currently recognized; 25 of these are in the subfamily Celestinae. We conducted a systematic revision of Caribbean celestine forest lizards (from the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Hispaniola) using DNA sequence data from 372 individuals, supplemented by both conventional and unconventional morphological characters from 958 preserved specimens. In some cases, we obtained DNA sequence data from museum specimens, including types, nearly 200 years old. We propose and use a new species delimitation method based on time of divergence. We define 17 new species, elevate 17 subspecies, and elevate one species from synonymy, resulting in 35 newly recognized species. Additionally, we synonymize two pairs of previously recognized subspecies and one pair of species. This increases the number of celestine species from 25 to 59 and raises the total number of diploglossids to 90 species. Of those, 63 occur on Caribbean islands and all are endemic to those islands. Fourteen Caribbean celestine species (24%) are Critically Endangered, 17 species (29%) are Endangered, and 1 species (2%) is Vulnerable, resulting in a proportion of threatened species (54%) more than twice as high as the average for reptiles, based on IUCN Redlist criteria. Three of the Critically Endangered species are possibly extinct because of human activities during the last two centuries. Several of the surviving species are near extinction and in need of immediate protection. Extensive forest loss on Caribbean islands has led to the decline of Caribbean forest lizards, which rely on forests as their primary habitat. In addition to deforestation, the introduction of the Small Indian Mongoose is in part responsible for the decline of Caribbean diploglossid lizards. That invasive predator was introduced as a biological control of rats in sugar cane fields in the late 19th Century (1872–1900), immediately resulting in a mass extinction of reptiles. The ground-dwelling and diurnal habits of diploglossids have made them particularly susceptible to mongoose predation.
Freshwater mussels are experiencing severe population declines, affecting their critical role in freshwater ecosystems. A thorough assessment of threats posed by various stressors is needed; however, the large number of species to be considered and significant data gaps, especially for listed species, hinder the process. We combined a traits-based approach to represent multiple species grouped into three life-history categories - Equilibrium, Opportunistic, and Periodic - with the Dynamic Energy Budget modeling principles to capture the physiological mechanisms driving individual-level responses. We used the DEB model to simulate individual life cycles and explore relationships between underlying energetics and emerging individual traits of 47 freshwater mussel species and the common toxicity test surrogate, the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), under control and stressed conditions. Stress was introduced via physiological modes of action related to four key metabolic pathways: energy assimilation, maintenance, growth, and reproduction. We recorded maximum length, age at maturity, and fecundity and compared these endpoints and their stress-induced changes among life-history categories. The life-history differences among freshwater mussels directly emerged from underlying energetics, with high assimilation and maintenance supporting opportunistic traits. Stress imposed on energy assimilation had the strongest effect on all life-history traits, and a 25 % reduction in assimilation rate resulted in an average 25 % and 60 % decrease in maximum length and fecundity, respectively, and a 24 % increase in age at maturity. Equilibrium species suffered the greatest negative effects overall, indicating that this life-history strategy might be the most susceptible to stressors. The Eastern oyster displayed extreme opportunism in its life-history traits, but its responses to stress were generally within the range observed for freshwater mussels. The study provides a much-needed general understanding of stress responses across freshwater mussel life-history categories and contributes to the foundation for developing life-history-driven population models.
Climate change is rapidly progressing as the carbon budget balance is broken due to excessive energy and land use. This study was conducted to find and quantify new carbon sinks to implement the carbon neutrality policy prepared by the international community to solve these problems. To reach this goal, an allometric equation of the willow community, which dominates riparian vegetation, was developed and applied to calculate the net primary productivity of the willow community. Furthermore, after the amount of carbon emitted via soil respiration was quantified, the net ecosystem production was calculated by subtracting the amount of soil respiration from the net primary production. In comparisons of the results obtained via this process with those obtained from forest vegetation, the willow community, representative of riparian vegetation, showed a much higher carbon sequestration rate than forest vegetation. Considering these results comprehensively, the willow community could be a new and significant carbon absorption source. In this context, proper river restoration should be realized to contribute to carbon neutrality and secure various ecosystem service functions.
A complex undertaking, sustainable development includes aspects of the social, political, economic, ethical, environmental, and psychological domains. This change is mostly centered on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to solve global issues, including poverty, hunger, inequality, illness, ignorance, and environmental degradation. It takes a well-defined activity structure backed by rules, policies, and laws. In the Global South, in particular, where short-term political concerns and little bureaucratic support can impede development, strengthening governance mechanisms is essential. Governments need to support adaptable changes and include sustainability ideas in all aspects of the system. The creation and implementation of sustainable development projects depend on international legal agreements and principles. States are entitled to exploit their resources in compliance with their own environmental and development policies, but people and civil society must participate. Local circumstances and needs must be reflected in national policies and plans. The SDG framework for action demands a thorough policy framework, robust institutions, policy consistency, and a thorough approach to tackling problems, including gender equality, health, education, and climate change. While giving social and human development priority, South Asia needs to modify its policies to align with global objectives. Its population, socioeconomic issues, and common cultural traditions all had a big influence on how far the SDGs are implemented, and, in this case, the major instrument is SDG 16 or good governance.
This case provides students with an opportunity to use a stakeholder theory framework to analyze the interests and influence that various stakeholders have on Hyatt’s African penguin colony. Hyatt’s penguin colony has delighted guests and visitors for over 40 years. In order for the colony to survive, four African penguins need to be imported for breeding. Unfortunately, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture’s Executive Board did not grant Hyatt’s request for an import permit. Evidently, changing attitudes by government officials and certain interest groups toward tourism and related issues impacted their decision. What should Hyatt management do?
A study examining animal use in research, testing and education in Africa, as well as alternative, non-animal, approaches across the continent. The report also looks at legislation of animal research, animal welfare across the continent and other related issues.
This chapter explores the agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sector, investigating its pivotal role in global decarbonisation efforts. Central to the chapter is an analysis of carbon emissions within the AFOLU sector, tracing its historical trajectory, current status, and future forecasts. It underlines decarbonisation’s imperative and potential implications for mitigating climate change. In exploring decarbonisation strategies and applications, the chapter overviews various approaches, from technological innovations to policy interventions. The chapter further presents the role of key players and stakeholders in driving decarbonisation efforts within the AFOLU sector. From governmental bodies to grassroots organisations, each entity’s contributions and commitments to decarbonisation are examined, alongside the importance of social interactions and community involvement in fostering sustainable practices. The chapter also addresses the challenges and barriers hindering effective implementation, underscoring the need for collaborative action and systemic changes. Finally, the chapter spotlights 45 notable business cases from 21 countries within the AFOLU sector, showcasing exemplary initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable land use practices.
A preliminary characterisation of Praia Salgada mangrove in Principe Island, Democratic Republic of São Tomé e Príncipe, was carried out to establish a baseline for intervention in restoring the mangrove habitat and support the development of sustainable tourism activities as an alternative income to the local community. The general characterisation of the mangrove of Praia Salgada included the identification of different types of vegetation cover, the recording of 24 species of birds, 13 species of molluscs, 11 species of crustaceans and 13 species of fish. The physicochemical parameters measured were pH, oxygen, salinity, turbidity and temperature.
The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve promoted the presentation and discussion of the results with the community, which resulted in the willingness to promote the restoration of the mangrove and the exploitation of the area to promote nature tourism activities, namely hiking trails and bird and plant watching. In this way, the community benefits from the availability of mangrove ecosystem services to improve their economic income and alternative jobs. It strengthens their commitment and involvement in the ecological restoration of this vital ecosystem.
Aristolochia comprises about 450 species, occurring mainly in tropical regions. Here, we record for the first time Aristolochia wankeana in Brazil, specifically in two municipalities in the state of Amazonas (Presidente Figueiredo and Rio Preto da Eva).
Previously, this species had only been recorded in Guyana and French Guiana. We provide the species description based on the new records, a preliminary extinction risk assessment, photographic plates, an updated geographic distribution map, ecological comments, and an updated key for species identification of Aristolochia subser. Anthocaulicae from the Brazilian Amazon.
Microplastic defines as a tiny plastic particle that has a size of less than 5 mm and is ubiquitous in the environment. Due to the tiny size, this microplastic adversely affected the environment, notably aquatic life via ingestion, choking, and entanglement. This microplastic is arduous to degrade as it takes a thousand years due to the properties of plastic itself and consequently remains in nature. In dealing with microplastic issues, this paper reflects the occurrence, impact, toxicity, and degradation methods of microplastics in the environment including physical, chemical, and biological treatments. Here, the physical treatment methods include incineration treatment, ultraviolet (UV), and photocatalytic. The incineration process contributes to environmental pollution due to the release of toxic gases into the atmosphere. In addition, chemical treatments for plastic waste are the degradation process involving chemical additives such as ethylene glycol (EG), nano-magnesium oxide (MgO), diethylene glycol (DEG), and calcium or zinc (Ca/Zn) stearate as a catalyst. These treatments depend on the chemicals that can affect human health and the ecosystem. The biodegradation treatment using bacterial and fungal species can consume the microplastic without disrupting the surrounding environment and biota. It includes recent findings on the biodegradation of microplastic under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Thus, biodegradation can be considered the best option to degrade microplastic as green and sustainable technology.
Este estudo tem como objetivo computar o total de áreas de vegetação remanescentes no município de Fortaleza, de modo a: calcular a extensão total de áreas que estão dentro de unidades de conser-vação e o grau de degradação da cobertura vege-tal em Unidades de Conservação (UC); mensurar o total de áreas remanescentes que estão sem pro-teção jurídica pelo Sistema Nacional de Unidades de Conservação; identificar fragmentos de cobertu-ra vegetal nativa vulneráveis à destruição. A análi-se é baseada em técnicas de geoprocessamento, identificando as áreas remanescentes do municí-pio e o total de áreas desmatadas dentro e fora das UC. Fortaleza perdeu mais de 80% de sua cobertu-ra vegetal natural ou seminatural ao longo dos últimos séculos. O nível de proteção efetiva da cobertura vegetal nessas UC é baixo. O estudo identificou 60 áreas com vegetação remanescente vulneráveis ao desmatamento.
Apresentamos, descrevemos e discutimos Alstroemeria maranhensis, uma nova espécie do domínio Cerrado no centro-sul do estado do Maranhão, Brasil. Também fornecemos um mapa de distribuição, fotografias e comentários taxonômicos.
This paper proposes a thematic literature review of advances in the literature on forest property rights over the first half of this decade. From a methodological point of view, we exploited a corpus of scientific articles published between 2019 and 2023, extracted from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. We then performed a co-word analysis using the Louvain algorithm to reveal thematic clusters. This approach enabled us to identify seven distinct trends over the past half-decade, each highlighting specific aspects and geographical diversity of forest property rights, which were then evaluated using a thematic map. The main findings revealed that (policies, livelihoods and agroforestry) and (institutions, sustainability and non-timber forest products) stand out as central and influential themes, which have a significant impact and present notable advances that have shaped recent discussions and practices. Furthermore, themes (forest policy and resource management) and (conservation and the rights of indigenous communities) are well developed, which have a solid research base, offering an in-depth understanding of the relevant research questions. Conversely, themes (institutional change and forest conservation) and (deforestation, indigenous rights and community management) represent emerging themes, which are receiving increasing attention and are likely to become major of focus. In contrast, (forest governance, community management and land conflict resolution) which indicates a waning influence in terms of miscellaneous implications. The findings of this thematic literature review will help guide policymakers, researchers, and practitioners based on recent developments in international forest property rights, during a half-decade marked by a break with previous trends, leading to legislative changes and strategic adaptations essential for the sustainable management of forest resources, bolstered by technological advancements and environmental efforts.
This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature and assesses the progress on the effects of Indonesia’s REDD+ program. Due to the significance of Indonesia in terms of global rainforests and the comprehensive implementation practice of REDD+ programs since 2009, focusing on the case study of Indonesia enables interesting insights regarding the challenges and opportunities of REDD+. Indonesia faced challenges during the project’s implementation, but there were also reductions. This success is attributed to the set program design of REDD+. In this paper, we show that without international development cooperation in the field of climate change mitigation, the countries in the Global South lack locally driven forest conservation or restoration incentives. These incentives emanate exogenously from international development cooperation programs in the field of climate change mitigation. The review of the program also shows that despite the rigorous institutional design of REDD+ in Indonesia, not all the stakeholders could benefit from the program appropriately. Because of the de facto weakness of the smallholder farmers, indigenous population groups, and other vulnerable categories in the political process of Indonesia, these groups’ interests have not come fully to their own in Indonesia. Hence, we conclude that international programs that target environmental protection, while addressing inferior institutional quality, bad governance and operate through more accountable NGOs than government agencies would perform better in terms of global environmental targets and the sustainability of local livelihoods.
Hieracium is one of the largest flowering plant genera that has recently experienced a rapid evolutionary radiation. Due to the massive morphological variation among species, frequent hybridization, and polyploidization events, combined with apomictic reproduction in polyploids, the concept of species in Hieracium is widely debated, and species identification is incredibly challenging. Taxonomic investigation can lead to changes in conservation status or, in some cases, to de-extinctions of species. Taxa with doubtful classification are particularly sensitive to this kind of problem. Hieracium tolstoii was a narrow Italian endemic species that is nowadays considered extinct. Described as a morphological intermediate form between two other species, no further investigations were conducted after its first description. To clarify H. tolstoii’s origin and ensure the validity of its current conservation status, we conducted a taxonomic investigation on herbaria specimens of the early XX century. Specimens were studied using a morphometric analysis that compared H. tolstoii with other closely related taxa. Moreover, we performed phylogenetic investigations using three plastid intergenic spacers to evaluate the relationship between species. Plastid markers revealed the presence of indels and SNPs in H. tolstoii sequences that differ from sequences of the supposed parental species. Morphometry revealed differences among species that led us to confirm the validity of H. tolstoii as an independent apomictic species and, therefore, unfortunately, its extinction.
The worldwide fashion business is seeing swift expansion, but, the adoption of rapid fashion has detrimental effects on ecological sustainability. Sustainable halal fashion, which emphasises quality, sustainability, and ethical values, offers a solution to address this. This study looks at how sustainable halal fashion can strengthen the slow fashion trend and proposes strategic steps for its development. This research employs a qualitative approach to literature study, gathering information from books, articles, and mass media. The results show that sustainable halal fashion contributes to slow fashion and has potential to develop sustainably by increasing public understanding, developing local raw materials, increasing production efficiency, efficiently utilizing supplies and reducing wastage in the manufacturing process., building collaboration. The conclusion is that sustainable halal fashion provides an innovative solution to overcome the fashion industry's negative impact and strengthen the slow fashion trend.
The terrestrial subsurface harbours the largest available freshwater reserves on our planet: In particular, shallow aquifers are home to a vast but insufficiently explored biodiversity. Whilst biodiversity research gained a strong momentum in the past decades, threats to groundwater ecosystems increased as well and we may lose species before their discovery and formal description. Negative impacts to groundwater fauna mainly encompass groundwater pollution, warming, and habitat loss. Given their peculiar adaptation to the usually dark and energy poor environment including a slow metabolism and low reproduction rates, as well as further special characteristics of groundwater fauna like their fragmented distribution, and high number of endemic species, groundwater invertebrates seem to be specifically at risk. We firmly propose to establish ecological measures in routine groundwater monitoring and to take action in the development of biodiversity conservation strategies and groundwater ecosystem protection.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. Abstract Spatial and temporal distribution of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) during 1967-2020 was used to model European eel distribution in response to climate variability. Modeling integrated predictions from two distinct models for inferences. First, mode-ling of the relationship between temperature and precipitation and European eel catch values using multiple time-series regression analyses showed that climate variables contributed to eel distribution in Türkiye. Eel catch became restricted to western and southern coasts of Türkiye and total catch decreased between 1967 and 2020. From 1967 to 2020, favorable climatic conditions for European eels in Türkiye were characterized by moderate temperatures. Furthermore, projections for 2050 and 2070 suggested that suitable habitat would be lost in Türkiye. Our findings underscore the urgent need for immediate and widespread implementation of effective conservation policies to mitigate threats to European eel in Türkiye and globally. K E Y W O R D S climate variability, European eel, MaxEnt, multiple time series regression, species distribution modeling, Türkiye
The Yaya reserve, one of the biodiverse forests in Ivory Coast, faces significant threats from agricultural colonization, illegal logging, and demographic pressure, which could jeopardize its sustainability. This paper focuses on contributing to the reserve’s sustainable management. To achieve this, three categories of data were collected: remote sensing data, floristic inventory data, and survey data from the neighboring populations. Remote sensing data were obtained by downloading images from the USGS earth explorer website. Floristic data were obtained through surface and itinerant survey. Survey data were collected using a structured interview. The images were processed to calculate the areas of various land use classes. The floristic data were analyzed for species richness and composition, while the survey data were analyzed to understand local perceptions of landscape dynamics, current management practices, and proposals for participatory management. The results revealed two major periods in the forest’s dynamics: increased deforestation from 1986 to 2005 and subsequent restoration from 2005 to 2022. These phases of degradation and restoration are likely related to recent social and political crises and management challenges. The floristic inventory identified 167 woody species across 134 genera and 47 families. 24 species (14% of the total) are endemic to West Africa, and 21 species (12.42%) are listed on the IUCN red list, indicating a relatively good conservation of the forest. The survey data highlighted the vulnerability of the forest and underscored the importance of centralized decision-making in management. The study suggests that participatory management could be a viable alternative for protecting the reserve. The hypotheses clearly states that the active involvement of local populations in the sustainable exploitation of forest resources can improve living standards, while helping to preserve the forest from exploitative practices.
O Parque Estadual Serra da Boa Esperança (PESBE) foi criado em 2007 e encontra-se na área ecotonal de Cerrado e Mata Atlântica, dois hotspots de conservação mundial. Localizado na região sul do estado de Minas Gerais e à s margens da hidrelétrica de Furnas, a Serra da Boa Esperança é considerada como um Patrimônio Natural. Estudos vêm sendo desenvolvidos no parque e este é o primeiro sobre a mastofauna de médio e grande porte, o que trará maior conhecimento sobre as espécies em unidades de conservação de Minas Gerais e auxiliará no preenchimento de lacunas sobre a riqueza de regiões ecotonais. Este estudo objetivou inventariar a mastofauna de médio e grande porte do PESBE e parte de seu entorno. Os métodos de coleta incluíram armadilhas fotográficas, busca de vestígios, avistamentos e relatos de funcionários em que foram amostradas 29 localidades. Foi criada uma curva do coletor e de riqueza estimada pelo estimador Jackknife de 1a ordem. Foram registradas 16 espécies nativas e três exóticas, representando 71% da riqueza estimada, incluindo exóticas. A composição de mamíferos mostra espécies relevantes e ameaçadas de extinção como mesopredadores e predadores de topo de cadeia. A baixa quantidade de Unidades de Conservação e outras áreas naturais em conectividade com o PESBE e a alta fragmentação tornam a área um local de refúgio para a mastofauna.Â
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