Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Loic Marrec, Irene Lamberti, Anne-Florence Bitbol
Summary: This study shows that population spatial structure can have a significant impact on mutant fixation probabilities by tuning migration asymmetry, which is a universal phenomenon that can be experimentally adjusted and measured.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Joseph Drake, Xavier Lambin, Chris Sutherland
Summary: Connectivity is a fundamental concept that links dispersal to the dynamics and persistence of spatially structured populations. While traditional measures of connectivity assume it to be static, it is actually dynamic and related to the spatial distribution of individuals and populations. Using occupancy data from water voles, we found that considering the dynamic nature of connectivity improves the recovery of population dynamics and has implications for metapopulation capacity predictions.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Rui Liu, Jianliang Wang, Lifang Yang, Nu Li, Lei Jin, Jakob Willerstrom
Summary: Water scarcity is a major challenge for energy production, especially in shale gas development. This study aims to optimize the allocation of scarce water resources for integrated growth in shale gas development plays. The Interval Two-stage Stochastic Programming (ITSP) model is used to predict water scarcity, optimal water allocation, and total benefit under different scenarios. The results show that the ITSP model provides more ideas and options for decision makers compared to the traditional model.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Tim Bartling, Carina Oedingen, Thomas Kohlmann, Harald Schrem, Christian Krauth
Summary: There is an increasing gap between supply and demand for deceased donor organs worldwide. The perspectives of patients on organ allocation rules differ from those of physicians and the general public. A study was conducted in Germany interviewing patients and relatives of transplantation patients who highlighted the importance of medical urgency and effectiveness/benefit of transplantation in allocation rules. They also emphasized the responsibility of recipients for organ failure and the need to prioritize urgent patients for allocation.
PATIENT PREFERENCE AND ADHERENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Charlotte M. Dieteren, Merel A. J. van Hulsen, Kirsten I. M. Rohde, Job van Exel
Summary: The study found that in the Netherlands, the majority of respondents prefer to involve physicians and/or expert committees in the decision-making of ICU bed allocation. They tend to prioritize vulnerable patients and those with the best prospects of full recovery, while not supporting the consideration of personal characteristics such as age in decision-making.
Article
Ecology
Thotsapol Chaianunporn, Thomas Hovestadt
Summary: The concept of spatially structured populations has become influential in ecology, but little is known about the movement behavior that underlies dispersal. This study used simulations to investigate the emergence of spatially structured populations in heterogeneous landscapes, where individuals followed simple movement rules. The results showed that increasing resource density and decreasing the number of resource clusters led to higher foraging success and the concentration of individuals in areas with high resource density.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Development Studies
Patrick Guillaumont, Phu Nguyen-Van, Thi Kim Cuong Pham, Laurent Wagner
Summary: This paper analyzes a model of aid allocation that aims to equalize opportunities among recipient countries in achieving a common poverty reduction goal. The proposed aid allocation model is fair and efficient, based on a multicriteria principle. It takes into account structural disadvantages in recipient countries, such as lack of human capital and economic vulnerability, as well as initial poverty and the gap between required and observed growth rates for development goals. The findings show that the proposed aid allocation favors poor and vulnerable countries, which differs significantly from the observed allocation. The analysis also highlights the impact of donors' aversion to low natural growth gaps in recipient countries on the optimal aid allocation and efficiency.
REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mattia Falaschi, Simone Giachello, Elia Lo Parrino, Martina Muraro, Raoul Manenti, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: The study found that the persistence and colonization of local populations are mainly influenced by factors such as patch area, wetland permanence, and invasive species presence. When dealing with biological invasions, different connectivity measures should be considered more frequently.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jun-ichi Tsuboi, Kentaro Morita, Yusuke Koseki, Shinsuke Endo, Genki Sahashi, Daisuke Kishi, Takeshi Kikko, Daisuke Ishizaki, Masanori Nunokawa, Yoichiro Kanno
Summary: Habitat fragmentation poses a pervasive threat to biodiversity, particularly for linearly arranged habitats like stream networks. This study finds that small tributaries can rescue or slow down the extinction of specific populations in highly fragmented stream networks. The findings have important implications for the conservation of headwater populations and aquatic biodiversity.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Layla Hockerstedt, Elina Numminen, Ben Ashby, Mike Boots, Anna Norberg, Anna-Liisa Laine
Summary: This study found that isolated host populations are more affected by pathogen infection, while connected host populations have higher levels of resistance diversity. Spatial structure and host gene flow play important roles in the impacts of pathogens on hosts.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jonas Knape, Stephen James Coulson, Rene van der Wal, Debora Arlt
Summary: Opportunistic reporting of species observations to online platforms provides valuable information about the distribution and status of organisms in the wild. However, challenges arise when analyzing temporal changes in organisms due to the lack of a clear sampling design and changes in reporting over time.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrea Dalpasso, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Simone Giachello, Elia Lo Parrino, Raoul Manenti, Martina Muraro, Mattia Falaschi
Summary: Understanding the factors driving population size variation is crucial for conservation planning. This study investigated the drivers of abundance dynamics in two similar frog species and found that they had different fates in the same study area, possibly due to differences in sensitivity to drought and demographic stochasticity.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Kentaro Okamoto, Youichi Ohno, Masakatsu Sone, Nobuya Inagaki, Takamasa Ichijo, Takashi Yoneda, Mika Tsuiki, Norio Wada, Kenji Oki, Kouichi Tamura, Hiroki Kobayashi, Shoichiro Izawa, Akiyo Tanabe, Mitsuhide Naruse
Summary: AVS may not be necessary for all PA patients without apparent ATs. Female normokalemic PA patients without apparent ATs and low ARRs may skip AVS, while male hypokalemic PA patients with high ARRs should consider AVS due to the high rates of unilateral subtype.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Becky Tang, James S. Clark, Alan E. Gelfand
Summary: Citizen science databases are increasingly important sources of ecological information, leading to inherent variability in effort across locations. This study proposes a model-based approach to assess effort at observed locations, adjusting for potential spatial bias and developing reliable species distribution models. By modeling spatial dependence in observation locations and activity, the study offers a richer notion of sampling effort and the ability to predict effort at unobserved locations.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECOLOGICAL STATISTICS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jan Perret, Anne Charpentier, Roger Pradel, Guillaume Papuga, Aurelien Besnard
Summary: Population size is a crucial parameter for ecological research and conservation planning. Choosing the right sample design for aggregated populations is difficult due to limited studies. This research compares the precision of estimates between three sampling methods for aggregated populations using simulations and field counts of plant species.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paula Ribeiro Prist, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Luis Filipe Mucci, Adriano Pinter, Renato Pereira de Souza, Renata de Lara Muylaert, Jonathan Roger Rhodes, Cesar Henrique Comin, Luciando da Fontoura Costa, Tatiana Lang D'Agostini, Juliana Telles de Deus, Monica Pavao, Marcio Port-Carvalho, Leila Del Castillo Saad, Maria Anice Mureb Sallum, Roberta Maria Fernandes Spinola, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Landscape connectivity is crucial for disease spread, with the yellow fever virus mainly dispersing through roads adjacent to forests and along forest edges. The spread speed varies by season, with most dispersals occurring within 1 km per day and within a week after arriving at the source node.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Sofia Lopez-Cubillos, Lina Munoz-Avila, Leslie A. Roberson, Andres F. Suarez-Castro, Jose Manuel Ochoa-Quintero, Renato Crouzeilles, Eduardo Gallo-Cajiao, Jonathan Rhodes, Wolfram Dressler, Maria Jose Martinez-Harms, Rebecca K. Runting
Summary: Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is rich in biodiversity but faces threats from overexploitation of natural resources and internal social conflicts. The Escazu Agreement, signed by 33 LAC countries in 2018, aims to integrate human rights with environmental matters, enhance protection for environmental defenders, increase public participation in environmental decision-making, and foster cooperation among countries for biodiversity conservation. However, clear mechanisms for implementing the Agreement's ideals are currently lacking.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Valentin Popov, Payal Shah, Rebecca K. Runting, Jonathan R. Rhodes
Summary: Recent advances in systematic conservation planning utilize modern portfolio theory (MPT) to address climate change uncertainty challenges. However, lack of sufficient information can hinder optimal asset allocation. This study presents three statistical methods that overcome information deficits for fine-scale conservation planning, enabling efficient portfolio allocation strategies and enhancing conservation resource allocation efficiency.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jaramar Villarreal-Rosas, Adrian L. Vogl, Laura J. Sonter, Hugh P. Possingham, Jonathan R. Rhodes
Summary: Decision-makers and practitioners aim to achieve efficient and equitable outcomes for people and nature. This study explores the trade-offs between equality, equity, and efficiency in flood protection planning, using a case study in Australia. The findings highlight that different targeting approaches have varying impacts on efficiency, with evenly distributing the budget among local areas showing some improvements in equity.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Deqiang Ma, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Martine Maron
Summary: This study examines how different rules for siting coastal offsets can impact fisheries resources, providing insights for optimizing offset strategies.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jaramar Villarreal-Rosas, Jessie A. Wells, Laura J. Sonter, Hugh P. Possingham, Jonathan R. Rhodes
Summary: Land use change has led to significant declines in ecosystem services globally, impacting different beneficiaries unevenly. This study focused on the Brigalow Belt Bioregion in Australia to assess how land use change affects flood protection for urban residents, rural communities, and the food sector. Results showed net declines in flood protection for all sectors, with urban residents experiencing the greatest impact.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Michelle Ward, Josie Carwardine, James E. M. Watson, Anna Pintor, Stephanie Stuart, Hugh P. Possingham, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Alexander R. Carey, Nancy Auerbach, April Reside, Chuan Ji Yong, Ayesha I. T. Tulloch
Summary: Researchers have developed a decision-support framework to prioritize conservation actions for species affected by megafires. Their study in the areas burned in the Australian megafires showed that selecting complementary locations for recovery actions can lead to cost savings and reduce threats to all species.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Andres Felipe Suarez-Castro, Martine Maron, Matthew G. E. Mitchell, Jonathan R. Rhodes
Summary: The study highlights the importance of landscape configuration in influencing functional diversity of urban birds, shedding light on the mechanisms of this relationship through different research methods.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Barbara Schroeter, Claudia Sattler, Jean Paul Metzger, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Marie-Josee Fortin, Camila Hohlenwerger, L. Roman Carrasco, Oerjan Bodin
Summary: Inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration in environmental studies face the challenge of effectively communicating across disciplines to address pressing environmental challenges. This research brief evaluates the use of a boundary work approach in a synthesis group on socio-ecological systems, and discusses how it can integrate the knowledge of natural and social scientists. The results show that strategic selection of members, inclusion of boundary spanners, and prior identification of boundary concepts and objects can enhance collaboration and problem-solving in multidisciplinary teams.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jaramar Villarreal-Rosas, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Laura J. Sonter, Hugh P. Possingham, Adrian L. Vogl
Summary: Nature-based solutions can prevent climate change and enhance local communities' ability to adapt to its impacts, but the benefits are not equally distributed. Hence, it is crucial to understand the impacts of implementing nature-based solutions on people.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Deqiang Ma, Jonathan Rhodes, Martine Maron
Summary: Offsetting the impacts of development-induced marine habitat loss on fishery resources is crucial for ensuring seafood security. However, the potential benefits of marine habitat restoration for fishery resources have not been quantified. In this study, we use a case study of mangrove habitat offsets in Australia to determine the minimum restoration area needed to fully offset fishery losses caused by development projects.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jonathan R. Rhodes, Yan Liu, Agung Wahyudi, Martine Maron, Md Sayed Iftekhar, Shantala Brisbane
Summary: Biodiversity offsets are a popular policy tool for mitigating the impact of development on biodiversity. However, their success depends on complex interactions among socio-economic, ecological, and policy processes. Habitat surrogates are commonly used in offset policies to determine requirements, but this approach may lead to poor outcomes for species. Agency-led offsets delivered by a public agency are proposed as a potential solution because they can strategically choose offset sites that maximize outcomes for species. The success of this approach depends on patterns of development and offset site availability.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nisansala Abeysinghe, Christopher J. O'Bryan, Angela M. Guerrero, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Eve McDonald-Madden
Summary: Invasive species pose significant threats to biodiversity and the economy, requiring collaboration among multiple actors for effective management. The structure of collaborative projects and stakeholder support greatly influence the performance and outcomes of invasive species management. Decision-makers should prioritize both designing favorable project structures and fostering collaborations with stakeholders to enhance the benefits of collaboration in invasive species management.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Konrad Uebel, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Kerrie Wilson, Angela J. Dean
Summary: Natural soundscapes in urban parks, including bird calls and traffic noise, can have different effects on individuals' experiences and perceptions. Factors such as age, park use frequency, and personal values can influence the pleasantness of bird sounds and traffic noise. This study suggests that the detrimental effects of traffic noise may limit the therapeutic benefits of bird sounds in certain social groups.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jonathan R. Rhodes, Paul R. Armsworth, Gwenllian Iacona, Payal Shah, Ascelin Gordon, Kerrie A. Wilson, Rebecca K. Runting, Brett A. Bryan
Summary: Climate change has significant implications for decision-making in conservation organizations. Uncertainties about climate impacts and adaptation options pose challenges for conservation planning and implementation. To address this, a framework of flexible strategies is proposed to guide strategic choices for climate adaptation in conservation organizations.