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
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yiwen Zeng, Rebecca A. Senior, Christopher L. Crawford, David S. Wilcove
Summary: Protected areas play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation. While creating new parks can protect a greater number of species, strengthening existing parks, especially those vulnerable to human activities, is an important but often overlooked step for safeguarding at-risk species. Our study models the habitat area of terrestrial mammals, amphibians, and birds within park networks and their vulnerability to current and future threats. We find that a significant proportion of species have limited representation in parks, or are in parks that are affected by changes in legal protections or increased human pressures. Moreover, expanding and enhancing park networks on just 1% of the world's land area could protect the irreplaceable habitats of 1191 species that are particularly vulnerable to extinction.
Article
Ecology
Aaron M. Grade, Paige S. Warren, Susannah B. Lerman
Summary: Increased urbanization leads to habitat loss, but residential land has potential for mammal habitat. This study investigates the variation in mammal community composition within residential lands across an urban gradient. The results show that land-use context and parcel habitat features both influence the mammal community, with different species associated with different sites. The findings highlight the importance of informed residential yard management for urban wildlife management.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Payal Shah, Kathy Baylis, Jonah Busch, Jens Engelmann
Summary: Over 15% of global terrestrial area is protected, with a goal to increase coverage to 30% by 2030. Evaluation of national PA networks established between 2000 and 2012 shows they reduced deforestation by 72%, with strictly protected PAs performing better. Lower agricultural activity, higher economic growth, and better governance are factors most strongly associated with greater country-level PA effectiveness.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lynda Donaldson, Jonathan J. Bennie, Robert J. Wilson, Ilya M. D. Maclean
Summary: Research suggests that prioritizing protected area networks is an effective way to conserve multiple species. Prioritizing habitat quality achieves the highest levels of persistence and population size for individual species, while considering habitat connectivity is the most effective strategy to conserve multiple species in the same network.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Charles A. Cunningham, Chris D. Thomas, Mike D. Morecroft, Humphrey Q. P. Crick, Colin M. Beale
Summary: Protected Areas (PAs) are important for biodiversity conservation, but the study found that landscapes with low PA coverage were more representative, yet less resilient to landscape-scale pressures. Many species distributions have declined since 1974, with declining and priority species showing similar trends in landscapes containing PAs. Despite the positive impact of PAs on some declining and priority species, landscapes with high PA coverage were more likely to retain priority species and resist colonization by expanding species.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xueyou Li, Wenqiang Hu, William V. Bleisch, Quan Li, Hongjiao Wang, Bu Ti, Zhongyi Qin, Jun Sun, Fuyou Zhang, Xuelong Jiang
Summary: Human activities pose threats to numerous species, leading to habitat degradation and extinction risks. This study investigates the drivers and patterns of species richness of threatened and non-threatened terrestrial mammals in southwest China. The results show that human impacts have negative effects on threatened species richness, while non-threatened and total species richness increase with human modification. It highlights the importance of considering threatened species diversity separately when planning conservation efforts.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Mason Fidino, Travis Gallo, Elizabeth W. Lehrer, Maureen H. Murray, Cria A. M. Kay, Heather A. Sander, Brandon MacDougall, Carmen M. Salsbury, Travis J. Ryan, Julia L. Angstmann, J. Amy Belaire, Barbara Dugelby, Christopher J. Schell, Theodore Stankowich, Max Amaya, David Drake, Sheryl H. Hursh, Adam A. Ahlers, Jacque Williamson, Laurel M. Hartley, Amanda J. Zellmer, Kelly Simon, Seth B. Magle
Summary: The study found that the impact of urbanization on urban species diversity is related to landscape differences among cities. For example, in some cities, when the proportion of green space within a city exceeded 20%, some mammals' responses to urbanization changed from negative to positive; when the average housing density of a city exceeded about 700 housing units/km(2), some mammals' responses to urbanization also changed.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pedro H. C. Pereira, Julia Caon Araujo, Gislaine V. Lima, Luis G. F. Cortes, Erandy Gomes, Rafael A. Magris
Summary: This study demonstrates the importance of considering scientific information and prioritization analysis, along with local stakeholders' knowledge, in designating and refining management zones within Marine Protected Areas. It shows that well-designed priority zones can be more effective in protecting endangered species such as parrotfish, and highlights the need for a systematic approach in maximizing conservation efforts.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Arash Ghoddousi, Jacqueline Loos, Tobias Kuemmerle
Summary: The study recommends using the term "effectiveness" solely for assessing outcomes of protected areas and proposes a multidimensional conceptual framework to evaluate effectiveness along ecological, social, and social-ecological dimensions. By evaluating effectiveness indicators against contextual and management elements, comparability across protected areas can be improved to ensure they make real contributions towards conservation and sustainability goals.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andreu Blanco, Maria Beger, Serge Planes, Mark Miller, Celia Olabarria
Summary: Designating and managing marine protected areas can help mitigate ocean threats, with banning fishing activities enhancing food-web dynamics. Ecosystem function indicators like mean trophic level are increasingly used in conservation management. Stable isotope analysis is a common tool in trophodynamic studies, and this study focuses on bottom-up responses to protection.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Veronica Relano, Daniel Pauly
Summary: Governments worldwide are committed to conservation goals, but achieving them is challenging. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are not always effective, leading to the existence of "paper parks". A study found that 30% of surveyed MPAs were likely to be paper parks, with high levels of fishing occurring even in fully protected MPAs. It highlights the importance of considering local stakeholders' knowledge in marine protection and emphasizes the need for wider stakeholder participation in policy-making and management.
Article
Environmental Studies
Javier Martinez-Vega, David Rodriguez-Rodriguez
Summary: This study conducted a systematic literature review of scientific articles published between 2010 and 2019 on the ecological effectiveness of protected areas (PAs). The research revealed the latest publication trends in this field, showing an increase in research team size, international collaboration, and article length. There was also an increase in the number of citations and the field-weighted citation impact of the reviewed articles, indicating their growing influence. However, open access publications did not necessarily result in more citations. The inclusion of Supplementary Data in articles showed a positive correlation with the number of citations.
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
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
Zoology
B. M. Parsons, N. C. Coops, S. P. Kearney, A. C. Burton, T. A. Nelson, G. B. Stenhouse
Summary: This study investigated the impact of visual perception on grizzly bear habitat selection and mortality in Alberta, Canada. The research found that grizzly bears were more likely to choose areas farther from roads, and tended to select visible areas when moving or travelling. Grizzly bears with higher mortality risk showed a different pattern of habitat selection.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Asuncion Semper-Pascual, Cole Burton, Matthias Baumann, Julieta Decarre, Gregorio Gavier-Pizarro, Bibiana Gomez-Valencia, Leandro Macchi, Matias E. Mastrangelo, Florian Potzschner, Patricia Zelaya, Tobias Kuemmerle
Summary: This study examines the time-delayed responses of bird and mammal communities to habitat loss and fragmentation in the Argentine Chaco region, revealing that past habitat changes have a greater impact on biodiversity than recent changes. Understanding the historical landscape patterns is crucial for interpreting current biodiversity patterns.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jason T. Fisher, A. Cole Burton
Summary: Spatial structuring in reproductive success is crucial for understanding range shifts and sustained invasions of animals, with landscape changes caused by human activities potentially supporting reproductive success through resource subsidies. Using white-tailed deer expansion as a case study, we found that features associated with petroleum exploration and extraction were the best explanation for deer reproductive success, providing early-seral vegetation resource subsidies.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Julian Wittische, Scott Heckbert, Patrick M. A. James, A. Cole Burton, Jason T. Fisher
Summary: Anthropogenic landscape disturbances have negative impacts on habitat and biodiversity, with predators being more affected by human features than natural habitat. Linear and non-linear anthropogenic disturbances have different effects on prey and predators, highlighting the importance of considering the dynamics of the entire mammal community in biodiversity conservation efforts.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christopher Beirne, Catherine Sun, Erin R. Tattersall, Joanna M. Burgar, Jason T. Fisher, A. Cole Burton
Summary: Restoration of habitats degraded by industrial disturbance is crucial for conserving threatened species like woodland caribou in boreal ecosystems. Research showed that while short-term responses to restoration treatments on wildlife communities were relatively weak, seismic lines with characteristics consistent with restoration conditions were predicted to reduce the use by predators like wolf and coyote, indicating potential benefits for caribou conservation.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Aisha Uduman, Shannon Hagerman, Edward Kroc, Anjali Watson, Andrew Kittle, A. Cole Burton
Summary: Understanding local attitudes towards carnivores can help improve coexistence between humans and carnivores. A study in two rural communities in Sri Lanka found that attitudes towards leopards were influenced by factors such as age, dependants, years spent rearing livestock, support for wildlife conservation, knowledge of leopard ecology, and awareness of leopard-related tourism. Strategies to improve attitudes towards leopards may include involving cattle owners in tourism programs, exploring alternative land ownership schemes, and improving infrastructure and access to veterinary care.
Letter
Biodiversity Conservation
Cheng Chen, Jedediah F. Brodie, Roland Kays, T. Jonathan Davies, Runzhe Liu, Jason T. Fisher, Jorge Ahumada, William McShea, Douglas Sheil, Bernard Agwanda, Mahandry H. Andrianarisoa, Robyn D. Appleton, Robert Bitariho, Santiago Espinosa, Melissa M. Grigione, Kristofer M. Helgen, Andy Hubbard, Cindy M. Hurtado, Patrick A. Jansen, Xuelong Jiang, Alex Jones, Elizabeth L. Kalies, Cisquet Kiebou-Opepa, Xueyou Li, Marcela Guimaraes Moreira Lima, Erik Meyer, Anna B. Miller, Thomas Murphy, Renzo Piana, Rui-Chang Quan, Christopher T. Rota, Francesco Rovero, Fernanda Santos, Stephanie Schuttler, Aisha Uduman, Joanna Klees van Bommel, Hilary Young, A. Cole Burton
Summary: This study analyzed a global dataset and found that protected areas (PAs) have a positive impact on the conservation of mammal communities, with a strong correlation between the proportion of PAs coverage and mammal taxonomic diversity. The study also highlights the need to better understand the functional response of mammal communities to protection.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Cindy M. Hurtado, A. Cole Burton
Summary: Knowledge of habitat suitability is essential for conservation planning, but it can be difficult to obtain. This study tested the assumption that habitat suitability is consistent across a species range and can be reliably extrapolated to understudied sites. The research focused on pumas and used a meta-analysis of 41 studies to create a habitat suitability model for an understudied site. The results showed that while habitat suitability varied across the range, models developed using data from a wide range of sites provided useful predictions for understudied areas.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
A. Cole Burton, Christopher Beirne, Catherine Sun, Alys Granados, Michael Procko, Cheng Chen, Mitchell Fennell, Alexia Constantinou, Chris Colton, Katie Tjaden-McClement, Jason T. Fisher, Joanna Burgar
Summary: Human disturbance has both direct and indirect effects on animal behavior. Camera traps can be used to investigate the impacts of disturbance on animal behaviors and provide insights into predator-prey interactions and human-mediated predation risk.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Meghna Bandyopadhyay, A. Cole Burton, Sandeep Kumar Gupta, Ramesh Krishnamurthy
Summary: This study examined the impact of human disturbance on the habitat use of mesocarnivores in the western Himalaya. The results revealed shifts in habitat selection and intensive site usage by mesocarnivores in human-modified habitats, indicating potential conflicts and disease spread. The study emphasizes the need to understand the extent of wildlife responses to rapidly growing human expansions in modified habitats and calls for integrated management strategies in the human-wildlife interface area.
Article
Forestry
Alexander J. F. Martin, A. Cole Burton
Summary: Understanding human reactions to potentially dangerous wildlife is important in reducing conflicts. This study found that social media played a role in changing people's behavior to avoid encounters with bears, wolves, and coyotes. However, respondents expressed distrust and concerns about lethal control, leading to a reluctance to contact local conservation authorities.
TREES FORESTS AND PEOPLE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Cindy Hurtado, Victoria Hemming, Cole Burton
Summary: Expert knowledge is crucial in developing wildlife habitat suitability models for management and conservation decisions. However, the consistency of such models has been questioned. This study focused on the use of the analytic hierarchy process to generate expert-based models for felid species and found that model correspondence with camera-trap detections varied based on species specialization.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Mitchell J. E. Fennell, Adam T. Ford, Tara G. Martin, A. Cole Burton
Summary: Protected areas need to balance the dual mandates of providing recreational opportunities and protecting biodiversity. This study examined the impact of recreational activities on wildlife habitat use in terms of both space and time. The findings suggest that different species respond differently to human recreation, with some avoiding humans by altering their temporal activity. These results underscore the importance of monitoring the spatial and temporal interactions between recreational activities and wildlife communities to ensure the effectiveness of protected areas.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
