Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Michael R. Appleton, Alexandre Courtiol, Lucy Emerton, James L. Slade, Andrew Tilker, Lauren C. Warr, Monica Alvarez Malvido, James R. Barborak, Louise de Bruin, Rosalie Chapple, Jennifer C. Daltry, Nina P. Hadley, Christopher A. Jordan, Francois Rousset, Rohit Singh, Eleanor J. Sterling, Erin G. Wessling, Barney Long
Summary: The 2020 global spatial targets for protected areas set by the Convention on Biological Diversity have almost been achieved, but management effectiveness remains deficient. Personnel shortages are widely cited as major contributing factors but have not previously been quantified. Expansion of protected areas to 30% coverage by 2030 will require a significant increase in personnel, including rangers or equivalents, for effective management.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Leonardo B. Custode, Richard Pither, Faisal Moola, D. Ryan Norris
Summary: Protected areas are crucial for preserving biodiversity, and their connectivity with other viable habitats plays a significant role. This study found that government protected areas have higher connectivity, while Indigenous managed lands have lower connectivity. Additionally, conservation agreements in private protected areas have higher connectivity compared to fee simple properties.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Rachel Palfrey, Johan A. Oldekop, George Holmes
Summary: Private protected areas make significant contributions to biodiversity conservation and connectivity of protected area networks, but they are currently underrecognized and lack sufficient resources.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
B. K. Varnes, E. M. Olsen
Summary: The biodiversity of an ecosystem is crucial for maintaining its key functions during environmental change. This study compared fish species composition, richness, diversity, catch per unit effort (CPUE), and fish size between a 1.5 km(2) no-take marine protected area (MPA) and a nearby fished area on the southern Norwegian coast over a decade. The study found no significant effect of protection on species richness, diversity, or evenness. However, there was a significant decline in the mean body size of selected species in the MPA, indicating a response to protection involving trophic interactions. The MPA had no significant effect on the CPUE or body size of Atlantic cod, suggesting that the small size of the MPA may limit its effectiveness.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juha Aalto, Ilari Lehtonen, Pentti Pirinen, Kaisu Aapala, Risto K. Heikkinen
Summary: Protected areas (PAs) play a crucial role in conserving biodiversity, and their response to climate change varies across different regions. In this study, we analyzed the changes and variability of key bioclimatic variables in Finland from 1961 to 2020. Our results show significant changes in temperature and precipitation, with the central and northern parts of Finland experiencing increased annual precipitation and water balance. Additionally, we found variations in bioclimatic changes among the studied PAs, indicating differences in climate vulnerability and trends across vegetation zones.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel Goncalves-Souza, Bruno Vilela, Ben Phalan, Ricardo Dobrovolski
Summary: Research shows that protected areas and indigenous lands in Brazil have had a positive impact in avoiding ecosystem destruction, with this effect extending to buffer zones around protected areas. The most effective protected areas are older, larger, located in the Amazon region, and indigenous lands. Despite recent setbacks, the benefits of strengthened protected areas for biodiversity and climate are highlighted.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yinqiu Ji, Christopher C. M. Baker, Viorel D. Popescu, Jiaxin Wang, Chunying Wu, Zhengyang Wang, Yuanheng Li, Lin Wang, Chaolang Hua, Zhongxing Yang, Chunyan Yang, Charles C. Y. Xu, Alex Diana, Qingzhong Wen, Naomi E. Pierce, Douglas W. Yu
Summary: This study estimated the distribution of vertebrates in the Ailaoshan reserve in China using environmental DNA from leeches. The researchers found that species richness is related to elevation and distance to the reserve edge.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Petteri Lehikoinen, Maria Tiusanen, Andrea Santangeli, Ari Rajasarkka, Kim Jaatinen, Jari Valkama, Raimo Virkkala, Aleksi Lehikoinen
Summary: Climate change has widespread impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity globally, with protected areas playing a crucial role in preserving species occurrences. Higher coverage of protected areas in northern and central Finland is associated with lower changes in community temperature index, indicating increased resilience to warming climate. However, the lower coverage in southern Finland may not effectively support community resilience against climate change.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Correction
Environmental Studies
Jennifer Sletten, Mimi D'Iorio, Mary G. Gleason, Alex Driedger, Timothe Vincent, Claire Colegrove, Dawn Wright, Virgil Zetterlind
Summary: Comprehensive and spatially explicit data, along with regulatory information, are crucial for evaluating and planning the level of protection in marine protected areas (MPAs) and other marine managed areas (MMAs). Recent analysis reveals that approximately 98% of the U.S. waters are located within managed areas that restrict living resource extraction, with 65% having a low level of protection and 3% designated as highly protected no-take areas. Hawaii, California, and Oregon have the highest coverage of no-take MPAs. Most highly protected areas are found in sparsely populated regions of the Pacific. California has around 40% of its state waters in some type of MPA.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chunlin Li, Tingting Yao, Xiaoyi Wang, Baowei Zhang, Huijie Qiao, Junhua Hu
Summary: China is implementing nationwide institutional reforms by proposing a new coherent PA system with national parks as the main body, to address issues like fragmented management and spatial patterns in protected areas. This provides both opportunities and challenges for China's PAs and biodiversity.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jan Ramel A. Tumbaga, Marilene C. Hipolito, Arneil G. Gabriel
Summary: The level of community participation in biodiversity conservation in two Protected Areas in Pangasinan, Philippines, is influenced by factors such as the unique ecosystem dimensions, knowledge, attitudes, and demographic factors of the communities.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mohamed I. Bakarr
Summary: In order to protect nature, African parks need to contribute to human well-being, overcome threats, and secure reliable funding sources. The first Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) held in Rwanda reaffirmed the importance of protected and conserved areas (PCAs) in safeguarding wildlife and biodiversity on the continent. This paper discusses how African countries can address the needs of making PCAs people centered, advancing integrated approaches to tackle biodiversity loss, and promoting sustainable and innovative financing for PCAs.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nawal Shrestha, Xiaoting Xu, Jiahui Meng, Zhiheng Wang
Summary: Protected areas (PAs) play a crucial role in conservation efforts, but their effectiveness is debated. A multidimensional framework was proposed in this study to assess PA vulnerability and identify areas suitable for expansion. Nearly 10% of threatened PAs and around one-fifth of PAs with climate and anthropogenic vulnerabilities were identified in China, with high climate instability in species vulnerability hotspots.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Justin Alger
Summary: States have accelerated their conservation efforts to meet ambitious protected area targets, but the ecological gains achieved are not superior to random designation of protected areas. Critics argue that governments prioritize quantity over quality, but this does not fully explain the deficiencies in the global biodiversity network. The root problem lies in the processes through which governments designate protected areas, with a focus on minimizing short-term commercial losses rather than maximizing long-term ecological gains, resulting in two dominant types of protected areas: residual and paper park. The case studies in Australia and the United States illustrate how salient industry interests drive government policy response.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Subrata Sarker, Md Jalilur Rahman, Md Abdul Wahab
Summary: This study explored the impact of anthropogenic stressors on a coral habitat and assessed the role of a proposed MPA in biodiversity conservation. The findings suggest that fishing pressure significantly affects the biomass of species, and implementing fishing restrictions can improve species standing stock. Therefore, the declaration of an MPA is beneficial for biodiversity conservation, but effective management involving diverse stakeholders is necessary for sustainable implementation.
JOURNAL OF SEA RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sylvain Schmitt, Niklas Tysklind, Myriam Heuertz, Bruno Herault
Summary: Research shows that tree species in tropical forests have genetically determined growth strategies in response to treefall gaps and adapt to different light and competition environments. Fast-growing genotypes are more common in light-enriched environments, while slow-growing genotypes are more common in shaded environments.
Article
Plant Sciences
S. Schmitt, S. Trueba, S. Coste, E. Ducouret, N. Tysklind, M. Heuertz, D. Bonal, B. Burban, B. Herault, G. Derroire
Summary: The dry and wet seasons in the Neotropics have significant effects on leaf traits, such as thickness and water mass per area, in tropical rainforest trees. Reduced soil water availability during the dry season leads to increased leaf thickness and water mass per area, possibly due to stomatal closure.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rose Pritchard, Laura Aileen Sauls, Johan A. Oldekop, Wilhelm Andrew Kiwango, Dan Brockington
Summary: The availability of data and improved computational capacities have brought about a revolution in the field of conservation. However, little attention has been paid to the justice implications of data used in conservation, such as how data represent people and environments, the conservation choices made based on data, and the distribution of benefits and harms resulting from these choices. This study proposes a framework to understand the justice dimensions of conservation data, including data composition, control, access, processing and use, and consequences. The framework aims to guide conservationists in considering the collection and use of data and identifying potential data injustices. The importance of such a framework is demonstrated through a synthesis of critiques of global conservation prioritization analyses, highlighting the potential social and ecological harms caused by the choice of data sets, assumptions made in the analysis, oversimplification of real-world conservation practice, and exclusion of other forms of knowledge. The study concludes by emphasizing the need to mitigate the risks of conservation data injustices through ethical and legal frameworks and promoting an inclusive and reflexive conservation research ethos, ensuring that data contribute to conservation strategies that are socially just and ecologically effective.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Bolier Torres, Jhenny Cayambe, Susana Paz, Kelly Ayerve, Marco Heredia-R, Emma Torres, Marcelo Luna, Theofilos Toulkeridis, Anton Garcia
Summary: This study conducted surveys in communities located in the Ecuadorian Andes, and identified poverty, growth, and inequality as key factors affecting sustainable development. The characteristics of rural livelihoods, perception of climate change, and willingness to accept mitigation and adaptation measures were evaluated. The results indicated significant inequality and limited awareness of climate change among producers, but a willingness to participate in strengthening programs.
Article
Ecology
Rachel Palfrey, Johan A. Oldekop, George Holmes
Summary: Private protected areas make significant contributions to biodiversity conservation and connectivity of protected area networks, but they are currently underrecognized and lack sufficient resources.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Julia Patricia Gordon Jones, Megan Barnes, Johanna Eklund, Paul J. Ferraro, Jonas Geldmann, Johan A. Oldekop, Judith Schleicher
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Bolier Torres, Veronica Andrade, Marco Heredia-R, Theofilos Toulkeridis, Kleber Estupinan, Marcelo Luna, Carlos Bravo, Anton Garcia
Summary: The increase in livestock production in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region has led to an increase in deforestation and the expansion of the agricultural frontier. This study provides a characterization of socioeconomics and productivity in Andean-Amazonian livestock systems in Ecuador, revealing significant differences between different zones. Recommendations are made to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Bolier Torres, Carlos Bravo, Alexandra Torres, Cristhian Tipan-Torres, Julio C. Vargas, Robinson J. Herrera-Feijoo, Marco Heredia-R, Cecilio Barba, Anton Garcia
Summary: This study conducted in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region compares the carbon storage in traditional pasture with dispersed trees (PWT) and pasture in monoculture (PM). The results showed significant differences in carbon biomass between PWT and PM, with PWT having a higher carbon storage capacity. The study provides recommendations for improving cattle ranching systems through a silvopastoral approach.
Article
Forestry
Robinson J. J. Herrera-Feijoo, Bolier Torres, Rolando Lopez-Tobar, Cristhian Tipan-Torres, Theofilos Toulkeridis, R. Marco Heredia, Ruben G. Mateo
Summary: This study predicts the potential distribution of Mahogany and its changes under future climate conditions for the first time. The results are useful for identifying unrecorded populations and planning conservation management. The proposed methodology can be used for other forest species in tropical zones to consider the effects of climate change.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Bolier Torres, Italo Espinoza, Alexandra Torres, Robinson Herrera-Feijoo, Marcelo Luna, Anton Garcia
Summary: Land sparing and land sharing should be considered as complementary strategies in promoting pasture restoration in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region. Factors such as livelihoods, natural resource valuation, and income from livestock activity should be taken into account for their implementation. A study conducted on 167 farms in the region analyzed various livelihood capitals and the opportunity cost of grazing areas, suggesting different restoration strategies based on altitudinal gradient and productive specialization.
Review
Agronomy
Bolier Torres, Robinson Herrera-Feijoo, Yenny Torres, Anton Garcia
Summary: Scientific studies have led to improvements in silvopastoral systems and the development of policy strategies to address global restoration and sustainable development objectives.
Article
Environmental Studies
Richard Fischer, Melvin Lippe, Priscilla Dolom, Felix Kanungwe Kalaba, Fabian Tamayo, Bolier Torres
Summary: This study examines the effectiveness of policy instruments and the power of stakeholders in halting tropical deforestation. The findings reveal that while there is increasing support for incentive-based mechanisms, regulatory instruments are still highly advocated. Stakeholders have diverging perceptions on national policy mixes, necessitating good governance for decision-making and implementation.
Article
Forestry
Walter Garcia-Cox, Rolando Lopez-Tobar, Robinson J. Herrera-Feijoo, Aracely Tapia, Marco Heredia-R, Theofilos Toulkeridis, Bolier Torres
Summary: This study determined the species composition, structure, and aboveground biomass of the Moraceae family in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The results showed 117 individuals of 32 species, with Ficus sp., Brosimun alicastrum, and Aucleopsis sp. being the most abundant. The study highlights the importance of similar research on carbon accumulation capacity of species from other families, especially those of high commercial value due to their timber resource.
Article
Plant Sciences
Rolando Lopez-Tobar, Robinson J. Herrera-Feijoo, Ruben G. Mateo, Fernando Garcia-Robredo, Bolier Torres
Summary: This study analyzed the collection patterns of timber species and their conservation coverage in the Ecuadorian Amazon lowlands. The results showed that some species had limited recorded presence and a significant number of species were unprotected, facing deforestation risks. Recommendations include conducting new botanical samplings in unexplored areas, digitizing data in national herbaria, implementing automated assessments of conservation status, and using species distribution models for forest restoration initiatives. Effective communication and collaboration among scientists, governments, and local communities are crucial for the protection and sustainable management of forest biodiversity in the Amazon region.
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Information Systems
Marco Heredia-R, Bolier Torres, Francisco Cabrera-Torres, Eulalia Vasco, Carlos G. H. Diaz-Ambrona, Theofilos Toulkeridis
Summary: The main aim of this research was to quantify and map the changes in land use coverage using free data. The study focused on the northern area of the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve and found a decrease in forest area and an increase in herbaceous vegetation. The preliminary data from this study can serve as a benchmark for decision makers to take action to minimize deforestation.
DOCTORAL SYMPOSIUM ON INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES - DSICT
(2022)
