Article
Biology
Erica N. Spotswood, Erin E. Beller, Robin Grossinger, J. Letitia Grenier, Nicole E. Heller, Myla F. J. Aronson
Summary: Cities are not only embedded within their surrounding landscapes but also ecologically linked to them, supporting various species and providing potential benefits to regional ecosystems. Identifying and recognizing these pathways can assist in developing effective strategies for supporting regional biodiversity conservation alongside urban greening goals.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Salvador Arenas-Castro, Neftali Sillero
Summary: A cost-effective and sustainable framework for monitoring species-specific habitat changes across scales was developed using ecological niche models and satellite remote sensing data. Trend analysis showed decreasing habitat suitability for most species across regional and continental scales, with amphibians and reptiles being the most affected groups. The framework can detect changes in habitat suitability regardless of spatial scale, providing a promising tool for biodiversity monitoring and risk assessment.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Edwin T. H. M. Peeters, Anton A. M. Gerritsen, Laura M. S. Seelen, Matthijs Begheyn, Froukje Rienks, Sven Teurlincx
Summary: Over the past decades, there has been an increasing number of community initiatives to monitor water quality. Biological data collected by volunteers has been used for biodiversity and water quality studies, although the number of peer-reviewed publications using this data remains limited. In 2018, a citizen science project on biological water quality assessment was launched in the Netherlands, where volunteers collect macroinvertebrates and receive instant water quality scores based on their data. Comparing the data from this project with data gathered by professionals, the results show complementary spatial and temporal coverage, but differences in sampling locations, types of waterbodies, and the number and types of collected animals.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lisa M. Smith, Erin M. Reschke, Justin J. Bousquin, Leonard P. Cheskiewicz, Nikolaos Ilias, J. Kevin Summers, James E. Harvey
Summary: Ecosystem management requires a holistic approach that considers both ecological and social outcomes. Socio-ecological assessments can inform adaptive management and help prioritize restoration activities. Additionally, a composite measure combining ecological and social indicators can be used to characterize ecological suitability for estuarine species and support restoration decisions.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
David P. Coulter, Zachary S. Feiner, Alison A. Coulter, Matthew W. Diebel
Summary: Preventing the establishment of invasive species is a critical global conservation priority. This study developed an individual-based model to predict the habitat suitability of rivers in the northern United States for two invasive fish species, silver carp and bighead carp. The study also explored the potential effects of climate change on habitat suitability. The results highlight the importance of proactive conservation planning, early detection monitoring, and prevention efforts.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Candace E. Fallon, Anna C. Walker, Sara Lewis, Joseph Cicero, Lynn Faust, Christopher M. Heckscher, Cisteil X. Perez-Hernandez, Ben Pfeiffer, Sarina Jepsen
Summary: The study found that 14% of firefly species in North America are threatened with extinction, primarily due to habitat loss, light pollution, and climate change. Additionally, 53% of the species could not be evaluated due to insufficient data, emphasizing the need for further research.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joseph D. DiBattista, Tanika C. Shalders, Sally Reader, Amanda Hay, Kerryn Parkinson, Robert J. Williams, Jemina Stuart-Smith, Mark McGrouther
Summary: This study aimed to re-evaluate the fish diversity in Sydney Harbour and explore its spatial and temporal distribution. The researchers generated an updated checklist based on verified records and newly available citizen science records. The results showed an increase of 15% in the number of fish species, with new species primarily attributed to citizen science programs and the influx of fish preferring warmer waters. Some areas with higher pollution levels also exhibited an overrepresentation of certain fish families.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gracie Liu, Jodi J. L. Rowley, Richard T. Kingsford, Corey T. Callaghan
Summary: Anthropogenic habitat modification is accelerating, posing a threat to global biodiversity. Research on Australian frogs revealed that most species are negatively affected by habitat modification, especially specialists and those with larger geographic ranges. Traits such as call dominant frequency, body size, clutch type, and calling position are related to tolerance levels towards habitat modification. A urgent need for improved anthropogenic impact consideration and conservation measures for long-term frog population persistence is highlighted, particularly focusing on intolerant species and specialists.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Jessica Turner, Robin Freeman, Chris Carbone
Summary: Urban environments are important for European hedgehogs, with their distribution affected by factors such as gardens, parks, terraced housing, traffic, impervious cover, woodland, water, human densities, and the presence of badgers. Habitat suitability for hedgehogs in Greater London varies across the city, with higher suitability in outer regions and lower in central areas. Citizen science is shown to be useful for understanding species-habitat relationships in urban landscapes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Muhammad Rais, Muhammad Ali Nawaz, Russell J. Gray, Waqas Qadir, Syeda Maria Ali, Muhammad Saeed, Ayesha Akram, Waseem Ahmed, Anum Sajjad, Lionel Leston
Summary: The lack of information regarding biodiversity status hampers designing and implementing conservation strategies and achieving future targets. Northern Pakistan consists of a unique ecoregion mosaic which supports a myriad of environmental niches for anuran diversity in comparison to the deserts and xeric shrublands throughout the rest of the country. In order to study the niche suitability, species overlap and distribution patterns in Pakistan, we collected observational data for nine anuran species across several distinct ecoregions by surveying 87 randomly selected locations from 2016 to 2018 in Rawalpindi District and Islamabad Capital Territory.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Monica Dimson, Lucas Berio Fortini, Morgan W. W. Tingley, Thomas W. W. Gillespie
Summary: This study examined the use of iNaturalist citizen science data in invasive plant monitoring. It found that iNaturalist observations were biased towards invasive species and provided additional data that were not captured by professional surveys, leading to more comprehensive estimates of suitable habitat.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mengjing Hou, Xinkang Bao, Jing Ge, Tiangang Liang
Summary: Exploring suitable ecological niche environments for endangered species is crucial for maintaining biodiversity. Black-necked Cranes are considered an indicator species in the alpine wetland ecosystem and are vulnerable according to IUCN. This study analyzed land cover patterns and habitat suitability of Black-necked Cranes breeding sites using remote sensing data and GIS technology. The results show changes in land cover, increasing fragmentation, and significant positive spatial autocorrelation for habitat suitability. Climate factors, particularly precipitation and temperature, play a significant role in determining the breeding habitat of Black-necked Cranes.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Robyn E. Jones, Richard K. F. Unsworth, Jon Hawes, Ross A. Griffin
Summary: The study found that using underwater cameras equipped with CLOCs can effectively assess marine benthic biodiversity in turbid environments by enhancing image quality, seabed visibility, and habitat identification. Additionally, the use of CLOCs can reduce sampling effort and increase taxonomic richness, improving the overall quality of data collected for informed management decisions.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Valerio Barbarossa, Joyce Bosmans, Niko Wanders, Henry King, Marc F. P. Bierkens, Mark A. J. Huijbregts, Aafke M. Schipper
Summary: Climate change poses a significant threat to global freshwater biodiversity, with future temperature and flow extremes impacting fish populations, especially in tropical and sub-arid regions where increased water temperature poses a greater threat. Implementing more effective carbon reduction policies can help mitigate the threat to freshwater biodiversity.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tong Liu, Haoyu Liu, Junbo Tong, Yuxia Yang, Deyan Ge
Summary: China has numerous biodiversity hotspots, but many potential areas have not been thoroughly evaluated, which hampers biodiversity conservation efforts. This study focuses on neotenic net-winged beetles and aims to assess their potential distribution patterns in China. The researchers used maximum entropy and random forest modelling to simulate habitat suitability and identified several montane areas in southern China as potential hotspots for these beetles. The findings highlight the importance of these areas for biological conservation.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)