Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Abadi Mehari Abrha, Kai Gedeon, Lars Podsiadlowski, Till Topfer
Summary: This study utilized dynamic occupancy modeling to investigate the habitat dynamics of the Near Threatened Harwood's Francolin in the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. The results showed that habitat variables, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and human disturbance index, significantly influenced occupancy probabilities of the species.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jack H. Hatfield, Katie E. Davis, Chris D. Thomas
Summary: Mammals in Europe have experienced significant changes in diversity over the past 8000 years, with extirpations and range retractions leading to reductions in functional and phylogenetic diversity in most regions, while species recoveries and introductions have increased diversity in many areas. Overall, there has been no change in median species richness, a slight increase in median phylogenetic diversity, and a slight decrease in median functional diversity. The balance between losses and gains has led to net increases in functional diversity on many islands and parts of western Europe.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Filippo Milano, Pedro Cardoso, Stefano Mammola, Helen Smith, Marco Isaia
Summary: This study investigated the habitat suitability of two aquatic spider species and found that their distribution range would shift northwards in the future and their habitat suitability would decrease globally. According to the IUCN criteria, one species was classified as Near Threatened and the other species as Vulnerable. Similar patterns of range reduction and population vulnerability were observed in different European regions, while Northern Europe is expected to become a climatic refuge for these species.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Sheng Chen, Yong Zhang, Amael Borzee, Tao Liang, Manyu Zhang, Hui Shi, Bin Chen, Wenbin Xu, Yunwei Song, Lingfeng Mao
Summary: The study found that the increasing population trend of Greater White-Fronted Geese in the Middle and Lower Yangtze Floodplain Ramsar site is mainly driven by suitable habitat availability and landscape attributes, with weak effects from climate factors. Implementing a fishing ban policy can improve habitat conditions, but grazing prohibition policy may have negative impacts on goose abundance.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rebecca A. Senior, Brunno F. Oliveira, James Dale, Brett R. Scheffers
Summary: This study explores the conflicting roles of aesthetic value in biodiversity conservation by evaluating the aesthetics of passerines, the most speciose group of birds, using color metrics. The tropics are identified as global color hotspots, representing diverse and uniquely colored passerine assemblages. The pet trade, which currently affects 30% of passerines, targets uniquely colored species and related clusters. An additional 478 species are at risk of future trade based on their coloration and phylogenetic relationships. Modeling predicts localized losses of color diversity and uniqueness, highlighting the importance of proactive regulation of the bird trade to protect charismatic biodiversity and color hotspots.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas A. A. Prowse, Patrick J. O'Connor, Stuart J. Collard, Kristian J. Peters, Hugh P. Possingham
Summary: Long-term biodiversity monitoring programs are important for understanding species trajectories and environmental change. However, optimizing monitoring designs is crucial to maximize efficiency and balance ecological and economic benefits. The study found that reducing monitoring effort may compromise trend detection for rare or difficult-to-observe species, highlighting the need to consider social and political sustainability of such programs in the future.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Julien Louys, Todd J. Braje, Chun-Hsiang Chang, Richard Cosgrove, Scott M. Fitzpatrick, Masaki Fujita, Stuart Hawkins, Thomas Ingicco, Ai Kawamura, Ross D. E. MacPhee, Matthew C. McDowell, Hanneke J. M. Meijer, Philip J. Piper, Patrick Roberts, Alan H. Simmons, Gerrit van den Bergh, Alexandra van der Geer, Shimona Kealy, Sue O'Conor
Summary: The impact of modern humans on previously unoccupied island ecosystems and the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna are closely linked. However, current data does not support a direct association between Pleistocene hominin arrival and global extinctions, which are difficult to separate from environmental changes. It is not until the Holocene that significant changes in technology, dispersal, demography, and human behavior visibly affect island ecosystems.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kashif Imdad, Mohd Rihan, Mehebub Sahana, Samsad Parween, Rayees Ahmed, Romulus Costache, Archana Chaudhary, Richa Tripathi
Summary: This study assesses the changing nature of wetland health, water quality, and declining ecosystem services in Mount Abu wetlands, Rajasthan, India. The analysis indicates a decrease in wetland extent and worsening wetland health, resulting in declining ecosystem services. A wetland management plan is recommended to conserve the wetlands and support the livelihood of the communities.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jo Gillespie, Rebecca Hamilton, Dan Penny
Summary: The Botany Wetlands in Sydney, Australia, were once extensive coastal freshwater wetlands but have been significantly changed by regulatory structures. These wetlands provide various ecosystem services and habitat for migratory water birds, but maintaining ecosystem services in this complex socio-legal-biophysical system requires a critical view of power relations and physical processes.
Article
Environmental Studies
Meredith Frances Dobbie
Summary: Through the analysis of historical documents, this study explores the perceptions of Carrum Carrum Swamp by colonists from 1803 to 1878. The study identifies seven different perceptions, including the ecological perception that values wetlands as places of predictable water supply. However, the dominant exploitative perception led to the drainage of the swamp.
Article
Ecology
Christopher A. Lepczyk, Brian T. Klingbeil, Rebecca A. Christoffel, Daniel T. Rutledge, Curtis H. Flather
Summary: The listing process of endangered species is influenced not only by causal factors but also by human perception, especially in terms of observability. Our study found that ecological indicators associated with human perception changed noticeably over time for listed species under the US Endangered Species Act. This temporal shift in listings suggests that the approaches to listing species may need to be reevaluated and methodologically revised.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Blake R. Hossack, Paige E. Howell, Audrey K. Owens, Cassidi Cobos, Caren S. Goldberg, David Hall, Shaula Hedwall, Susan K. MacVean, Magnus MacCaffery, A. Hunter McCall, Cody B. Mosley, Emily C. Oja, James H. Rorabaugh, Brent J. Sigafus, Michael J. Sredl
Summary: Conservation translocations are commonly used to recover imperiled species, but the success rate for establishing amphibian populations is low. This study analyzed 25 years of data on Chiricahua Leopard Frogs and identified factors associated with population persistence. The study found that lentic habitats were more favorable for frog survival compared to lotic habitats, and the presence of Western Tiger Salamanders increased the risk of extinction for the frogs.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Erle C. Ellis, Nicolas Gauthier, Kees Klein Goldewijk, Rebecca Bliege Bird, Nicole Boivin, Sandra Diaz, Dorian Q. Fuller, Jacquelyn L. Gill, Jed O. Kaplan, Naomi Kingston, Harvey Locke, Crystal N. H. McMichael, Darren Ranco, Torben C. Rick, M. Rebecca Shaw, Lucas Stephens, Jens-Christian Svenning, James E. M. Watson
Summary: Archaeological and paleoecological evidence suggest that human societies have been using ecologically transformative land use practices since 10,000 BCE, shaping nearly three quarters of Earth's land by that time. The current biodiversity crisis is not primarily caused by the loss of uninhabited wildlands, but rather from the appropriation, colonization, and intensifying use of biodiverse cultural landscapes long shaped and sustained by prior societies. Recognizing the deep cultural connection with biodiversity will be crucial in resolving the crisis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Meng Yue Wu, Clara Jesse Lau, Elize Ying Xin Ng, Pratibha Baveja, Chyi Yin Gwee, Keren Sadanandan, Teuku Reza Ferasyi, Haminuddin, Rezky Ramadhan, Jochen K. Menner, Frank E. Rheindt
Summary: Quantifying the magnitude of global extinction is challenging due to taxonomic limitations and difficulties in comprehensive sampling. The study focuses on a well-studied group of songbirds and reveals hidden extinction and loss of genetic diversity, highlighting the importance of reassessing extinction incidences even in well-known animal groups.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
C. T. Shifa, Salindra K. Dayananda, Xu Yanjie, K. A. Rubeena, Sabir Bin Muzaffar, Aymen Nefla, T. Jobiraj, P. Thejass, Omer R. Reshi, K. M. Aarif
Summary: Fragile wetland habitats are vulnerable to threats from human activities, leading to a decline in kingfisher populations. Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, turbidity, and fish abundance, as well as the presence of organic waste, have significant impacts on kingfisher abundance. Urgent action is needed to protect and manage wetlands for the sustainability of kingfisher populations.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
