Review
Environmental Sciences
Hugo E. Lazcano-Hernandez, Javier Arellano-Verdejo, Rosa E. Rodriguez-Martinez
Summary: Massive arrivals of pelagic Sargassum to the coasts of several countries in the Atlantic Ocean began in 2011. Monitoring the abundance and distribution of Sargassum in the ocean and along the coasts is necessary to understand the phenomena better and develop forecasting products and management protocols.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ashleigh M. M. Westphal, C-Jae C. Breiter, Sarah Falconer, Najmeh Saffar, Ahmed B. B. Ashraf, Alysa G. G. McCall, Kieran McIver, Stephen D. D. Petersen
Summary: Successful conservation efforts often require novel tactics to achieve desired goals. One effective strategy is to develop interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches to ensure science-based, scalable, and goal-oriented initiatives. By bringing together diverse partners, technologies, and global resources, organizations can bridge gaps and enhance monitoring efforts in areas where they are most needed.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Jialin Zhang, Shiquan Chen, Cheng Cheng, Yan Liu, Tim C. Jennerjahn
Summary: Citizen science plays an important role in coastal and marine ecosystem monitoring, but its use in the marine environment is currently limited. This study evaluates a seagrass citizen science monitoring case study conducted on the Chinese island of Hainan and challenges the traditional view of citizen science as a two-party relationship between researchers and volunteers. The evaluation shows that the impact of the project was limited, but both researchers and civil society benefit from participating in citizen science initiatives, serving as a bridge between academic institutions and civil society organizations. The study also outlines key features of citizen science projects that support marine conservation practice and policy.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Caroline Moussy, Ian J. Burfield, P. J. Stephenson, Arabella F. E. Newton, Stuart H. M. Butchart, William J. Sutherland, Richard D. Gregory, Louise McRae, Philip Bubb, Ignacio Roesler, Cynthia Ursino, Yanqing Wu, Ernst F. Retief, Jihad S. Udin, Ruslan Urazaliyev, Lina M. Sanchez-Clavijo, Eric Lartey, Paul F. Donald
Summary: Species monitoring is crucial for conservation practice and policy. Since 2000, there has been a significant increase in new monitoring schemes in lower- and middle-income countries and in megadiverse countries. The total number of monitoring schemes in a country is strongly positively correlated with its per capita GDP, and monitoring schemes in high-income countries have been running for a longer average time.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ruben Ortega-Alvarez, Rafael Calderon-Parra
Summary: This article discusses the connection between biological monitoring and wildlife ecotourism, highlighting the importance of linking both activities through comprehensive community-based projects. It also explores the potential positive impacts and benefits that these two types of programs can have on each other, including funding, self-employment opportunities, and conservation management guidelines. Collaboration between wildlife ecotouristic and biological monitoring practitioners is encouraged to foster comprehensive and self-sustaining community-based projects.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Baptiste Bedessem, Ana-Cristina Torres, Colin Fontaine, Nicolas Deguines
Summary: This study evaluates the impact of long-term participation in a biodiversity citizen science project through analyzing online interactions among participants. Findings reveal that extended engagement leads to enhanced scientific procedural skills and increased attention to natural seasonal cycles. The study highlights the value of online traces of citizen scientists' activities in analyzing outcomes of citizen science projects.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
R. Francis, G. Bino, V Inman, K. Brandis, R. T. Kingsford
Summary: The Okavango Delta is a highly biodiverse ecosystem with 444 recorded bird species, but there is a lack of long-term assessments. The study found a positive relationship between waterbird abundance and river flows, but a significant decline in waterbird numbers within the Delta with declining inundation, highlighting the need for increased monitoring and protection efforts.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Julien M. Wright-Ueda, Rodolfo Dirzo, Tyler N. Mcfadden
Summary: Protected areas have mixed effects on long-term bird population trends, with about one-third of species experiencing declines. Long-term fire suppression may be a key driver, reshaping bird communities through changes in forest and chaparral structure and composition. Furthermore, most species show similar population trends inside and outside of protected areas, with only a few species performing better inside these areas. Therefore, it is important to develop relevant management strategies and consider how each species is targeted and managed within protected areas.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Scott Weichenthal, Evi Dons, Kris Y. Hong, Pedro O. Pinheiro, Filip J. R. Meysman
Summary: A novel approach was developed to estimate outdoor nitrogen dioxide concentrations using ground-level measurements, aerial images, and deep neural networks. The model explained 79% of spatial variability in NO2 concentrations and may be particularly useful for regions lacking detailed emissions data or land use information.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Julie Rode, Claire Lambert, Lucile Marescot, Bastien Chaix, Julie Beesau, Suzanne Bastian, Joldoshbek Kyrbashev, Anne-Lise Cabanat
Summary: The study in Naryn State Nature Reserve in Kyrgyzstan using snow leopard camera trapping over four seasons revealed a minimal population of at least five adult snow leopards, with balanced reproduction and frequent interactions observed. It is recommended to extend stricter protection measures to the buffer and Ulan areas to prevent poaching on these apex predators and their prey.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tracy S. Lee, Nicole L. Kahal, Holly L. Kinas, Lea A. Randall, Tyne M. Baker, Vanessa A. Carney, Kris Kendell, Ken Sanderson, Danah Duke
Summary: The need for urban ecology studies is increasing as cities adopt measures to protect, maintain and restore urban biodiversity, requiring species-specific information for effective biodiversity strategies. Amphibians in urban environments serve as important indicators of ecosystem health due to their vulnerability to environmental threats. Citizen science programs can engage the public in urban biodiversity monitoring and improve ecological knowledge, urban design, and planning for biodiversity, while also facing challenges such as quality control and balancing data goals with public engagement.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christopher C. Jadallah, Aissa L. Wise
Summary: This article presents a case study that demonstrates how a community-based organization addressed the tensions and challenges of citizen science in a multi-stakeholder monitoring program. The organization responded to these tensions by creating a tiered system for volunteer participation, which aimed to produce high-quality data for watershed management while also providing science learning opportunities for volunteers aligned with their interests and goals. The authors suggest that such a system can support the development of healthy and resilient social-ecological systems by incorporating diverse knowledge sources and perspectives in conservation decision-making.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Nalini M. Nadkarni, Jacqueline M. Chen, Jeremy S. Morris, Amanda E. Carriero, Thomas N. Kaye, Kelli Bush, Megan Young, Laura George
Summary: In the past two decades, collaborations between conservationists and the corrections sector have led to the implementation of ecological restoration projects. These projects not only provide opportunities for incarcerated individuals to positively impact their environment, but also allow ecologists to communicate the importance of science and nature to those in nature-deprived environments. This study analyzed the impacts of two conservation projects coordinated by ecologists at the Salt Lake County Jail, Utah, on the incarcerated citizen scientists using quantitative and qualitative approaches. The results showed the potential positive impacts of participation in ecological restoration projects, including increased knowledge, psychological benefits, and community involvement.
ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Benedikt R. Schmidt, Sam S. Cruickshank, Christoph Buhler, Ariel Bergamini
Summary: This study used data from two multi-species amphibian monitoring programs to explore the factors influencing detection probabilities in monitoring data. The results indicate that variation among surveyors is the most important factor, and ignoring it can lead to underestimation of occupancy rates. Therefore, it is crucial to account for detection heterogeneity and make efforts to quantify observer differences through training and data collection.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mariana Cardoso-Andrade, Frederico Cruz-Jesus, Jesus Souza Troncoso, Henrique Queiroga, Jorge M. S. Gonsalves
Summary: Environmental and nature conservation authorities are calling for a collective effort to break or reduce the current cycle of environmental degradation, with a set of guidelines provided to achieve citizen engagement and retention in CS coastal environment monitoring projects.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Julian C. Evans, Colin J. Torney, Stephen C. Votier, Sasha R. X. Dall
Article
Ecology
Colin J. Torney, Juan M. Morales, Dirk Husmeier
Summary: The field of movement ecology has been revolutionized by high-accuracy telemetry data and statistical techniques, but challenges remain in quantifying parameter uncertainty, intermittent location fixes, and analyzing large volumes of data. Multilevel Gaussian process models offer efficient inference for large-volume movement data sets and fitting of complex flexible models, enabling the detection of multiscale patterns and trends in movement trajectory data. Applications include inferring migration routes, quantifying significant changes, detecting activity patterns, and identifying onset of directed persistent movements.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Jessica E. M. van der Wal, Claire N. Spottiswoode, Natalie T. Uomini, Mauricio Cantor, Fabio G. Daura-Jorge, Anap Afan, Mairenn C. Attwood, Jenny Amphaeris, Fatima Balasani, Colleen M. Begg, Cameron J. Blair, Judith L. Bronstein, Iahaia O. Buanachique, Rion R. T. Cuthill, Jewel Das, Apurba Deb, Tanmay Dixit, Gcina S. Dlamini, Edmond Dounias, Isa I. Gedi, Martin Gruber, Lilian S. Hoffmann, Tobias Holzlehner, Hussein A. Isack, Eliupendo A. Laltaika, David J. Lloyd-Jones, Jess Lund, Alexandre M. S. Machado, L. Mahadevan, Ignacio B. Moreno, Chima J. Nwaogu, Valdomiro L. Pereira, Raymond Pierotti, Seliano A. Rucunua, Wilson F. dos Santos, Nathalia Serpa, Brian D. Smith, Irina Tolkova, Tint Tun, Joao V. S. Valle-Pereira, Brian M. Wood, Richard W. Wrangham, Dominic L. Cram
Summary: Human-wildlife cooperation refers to the active coordination of behavior between humans and free-living wild animals to achieve mutual benefits. It has important impacts on both human and wildlife communities, as well as the local ecosystem, and represents a unique intersection of human and animal cultures. To safeguard this cooperation, multiple components, such as motivated human and wildlife partners, suitable environments, and compatible interspecies knowledge, need to be protected from threats posed by ecological and cultural changes. Tailored safeguarding plans should be implemented to protect these diverse and irreplaceable interactions.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Colin J. Torney, Megan Laxton, David J. Lloyd-Jones, Edward M. Kohi, Howard L. Frederick, David C. Moyer, Chediel Mrisha, Machoke Mwita, J. Grant C. Hopcraft
Summary: Statistical models are used to infer the abundance and distribution of species, but the spatial distribution of animals is influenced by many factors. Simplifying assumptions in modeling can result in poor performance and inaccurate predictions. This study explores the impact of spatial complexity on modeling the abundance of the Serengeti wildebeest and introduces a multi-latent framework to capture the clustered distribution. Results show that simplifying assumptions can impair performance, but accurate predictions can be made by using mixtures of spatial models.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ionut Paun, Dirk Husmeier, J. Grant C. Hopcraft, Majaliwa M. Masolele, Colin J. Torney
Summary: Understanding the spatial dynamics of animal movement is crucial for maintaining ecological connectivity and conserving key habitats. This study presents a Bayesian framework based on Gaussian processes to analyze spatial characteristics of animal movement, and demonstrates its effectiveness through synthetic data and telemetry data from the Serengeti wildebeest migration.
Article
Biology
David J. Lloyd-Jones, James J. H. St Clair, Dominic L. Cram, Orlando Yassene, Jessica E. M. van der Wal, Claire N. Spottiswoode
Summary: This study on a bird-human mutualism found that the presence of heterospecific exploiters stabilizes the mutualism by limiting the feeding opportunities for conspecific exploiters. The findings highlight the importance of ecological context in species interactions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Theory & Methods
Ionut Paun, Dirk Husmeier, Colin J. Torney
Summary: A natural extension to standard Gaussian process regression is the use of non-stationary Gaussian processes, which allows parameters of the covariance kernel to vary in time or space. However, existing methods for fitting non-stationary GPs are not scalable to large datasets due to high computational costs. In this study, we propose a variational inference approach that combines sparse GP regression methods with a trajectory segmentation technique to fit non-stationary GPs on large datasets. The effectiveness of our approach is demonstrated on both synthetic and real world datasets.
STATISTICS AND COMPUTING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jennifer Gaskell, Nazareno Campioni, Juan M. Morales, Dirk Husmeier, Colin J. Torney
Summary: Inferring the underlying processes that drive collective behaviour in biological and social systems is a challenging task. Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) combined with Gaussian process acceleration and graph neural networks can effectively overcome the difficulties of designing specific summary statistics for inference, providing a more automated approach.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Dominic L. Cram, David J. Lloyd-Jones, Jessica E. M. van der Wal, Jess Lund, Iahaia O. Buanachique, Musaji Muamedi, Carvalho I. Nanguar, Antonio Ngovene, Shirley Raveh, Winnie Boner, Claire N. Spottiswoode
Summary: In the mutualism between humans and greater honeyguides, the birds can flexibly switch between guiding humans to bees' nests and scavenging beeswax. The birds' traits, such as tarsi length and weight, predict their tactic decisions. This producer-scrounger system increases the productivity and resilience of the human-honeyguide mutualism.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Cyrus M. Kavwele, Colin J. Torney, Thomas A. Morrison, Sidney Fulford, Majaliwa M. Masolele, Joseph Masoy, J. Grant C. Hopcraft
Summary: Human activities are creating hard edges and artificial boundaries between human-dominated landscapes and natural habitats, which can influence biotic interactions and animal behaviors. This study investigates how different degrees of boundary hardness affect space utilization by migratory species in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
ECOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS AND EVIDENCE
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Dominic L. Cram, Jessica E. M. van der Wal, Natalie Uomini, Mauricio Cantor, Anap Afan, Mairenn C. Attwood, Jenny Amphaeris, Fatima Balasani, Cameron J. Blair, Judith L. Bronstein, Iahaia O. Buanachique, Rion R. T. Cuthill, Jewel Das, Fabio G. Daura-Jorge, Apurba Deb, Tanmay Dixit, Gcina S. Dlamini, Edmond Dounias, Isa I. Gedi, Martin Gruber, Lilian S. Hoffmann, Tobias Holzlehner, Hussein A. Isack, Eliupendo A. Laltaika, David J. Lloyd-Jones, Jess Lund, Alexandre M. S. Machado, L. Mahadevan, Ignacio B. Moreno, Chima J. Nwaogu, Raymond Pierotti, Seliano A. Rucunua, Wilson F. dos Santos, Nathalia Serpa, Brian D. Smith, Hari Sridhar, Irina Tolkova, Tint Tun, Joao V. S. Valle-Pereira, Brian M. Wood, Richard W. Wrangham, Claire N. Spottiswoode
Summary: Human-wildlife cooperation is a mutualistic relationship where humans and free-living animals actively coordinate their behavior for a common beneficial outcome. This article reviews and synthesizes the function, mechanism, development, and evolution of human-wildlife cooperation. The study identifies active cases involving cooperation with honeyguide birds and two dolphin species, as well as historical cases involving wolves and orcas. The article highlights the importance of social learning in developing the necessary skills for cooperation and emphasizes the distinct behavioral variants that have emerged in these interactions.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Nazareno Campioni, Dirk Husmeier, Juan Morales, Jennifer Gaskell, Colin J. Torney
Summary: Emergent dynamics of complex systems are commonly observed in nature and society, often arising from fine-scale interactions at the individual level. However, creating models that bridge the gap between microscale and macroscale dynamics poses a challenge due to the lack of a formal mathematical link between the two scales.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2021)