Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseph William Bull, Isobel Taylor, Elizabeth Biggs, Henry M. J. Grub, Tom Yearley, Harriet Waters, E. J. Milner-Gulland
Summary: Every large organization should consider and plan how to achieve net gain in biodiversity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juha Aalto, Ilari Lehtonen, Pentti Pirinen, Kaisu Aapala, Risto K. Heikkinen
Summary: Protected areas (PAs) play a crucial role in conserving biodiversity, and their response to climate change varies across different regions. In this study, we analyzed the changes and variability of key bioclimatic variables in Finland from 1961 to 2020. Our results show significant changes in temperature and precipitation, with the central and northern parts of Finland experiencing increased annual precipitation and water balance. Additionally, we found variations in bioclimatic changes among the studied PAs, indicating differences in climate vulnerability and trends across vegetation zones.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Carlos Carroll, Justina C. Ray
Summary: Global commitments to expand protected areas should prioritize protecting climate refugia and ecosystems that store high levels of unrecoverable carbon as effective responses to biodiversity loss and climate change. Despite being responsible for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, the US and Canada have initiated processes for expanding protected areas and recognizing nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation. Coordinated national and regional policies are needed to ensure that new protected areas maximize biodiversity-focused adaptation and nature-based mitigation opportunities.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Longlong Tang, Haruka Ohashi, Tetsuya Matsui, Akiko Hirata, Nobuyuki Tanaka, Norihiro Itsubo
Summary: Species extinction risk is a crucial indicator of the global impact of climate change on biodiversity. Current methods for calculating extinction risk do not show differences among taxa and regions. A new method based on species-specific extinction risk approach is proposed in this study to accurately assess the impact of climate change on biodiversity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mark G. Anderson, Melissa Clark, Arlene P. Olivero, Analie R. Barnett, Kimberly R. Hall, Meredith W. Cornett, Marissa Ahlering, Michael Schindel, Bob Unnasch, Carrie Schloss, D. Richard Cameron
Summary: Motivated by declines in biodiversity exacerbated by climate change, we identified a network of conservation sites designed to provide resilient habitat for species, while supporting dynamic shifts in ranges and changes in ecosystem composition. Our 12-y study involved 289 scientists in 14 study regions across the conterminous United States (CONUS), and our intent was to support local-, regional-, and national-scale conservation decisions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter J. Fashing, Nga Nguyen, Sebsebe Demissew, Abel Gizaw, Anagaw Atickem, Addisu Mekonnen, Niina O. Nurmi, Jeffrey T. Kerby, Nils Chr Stenseth
Summary: Ethiopia is home to rich and unique fauna and flora, but these ecosystems are increasingly threatened by climate change and human population growth. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect the biodiversity in Ethiopia.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marcel Cardillo, Alexander Skeels, Russell Dinnage
Summary: Three major global changes, namely climate change, human population growth, and land-use change, pose risks to the world's mammal biodiversity. Conservation efforts have mainly focused on species currently threatened with extinction, but there is a need to be more proactive in protecting species that may become threatened in the future. By considering the severity of threats faced by each species and their biological characteristics, we have identified species with over-the-horizon extinction risk. Our models predict that by 2100, up to 20% of nonmarine mammal species may have combinations of multiple future risk factors, with hotspots concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and southern/eastern Australia. Targeting these species with proactive conservation efforts can help prevent a new wave of mammal species from becoming threatened with extinction by the end of this century.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jennifer A. Luedtke, Janice Chanson, Kelsey Neam, Louise Hobin, Adriano O. Maciel, Alessandro Catenazzi, Amael Borzee, Amir Hamidy, Anchalee Aowphol, Anderson Jean, Angel Sosa-Bartuano, Ansel G. Fong, Anslem de Silva, Antoine Fouquet, Ariadne Angulo, Artem A. Kidov, Arturo Munoz Saravia, Arvin C. Diesmos, Atsushi Tominaga, Biraj Shrestha, Brian Gratwicke, Burhan Tjaturadi, Carlos C. Martinez Rivera, Carlos R. Vasquez Almazan, Celsa Senaris, S. R. Chandramouli, Christine Strussmann, Claudia Fabiola Cortez Fernandez, Claudio Azat, Conrad J. Hoskin, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Damion L. Whyte, David J. Gower, Deanna H. Olson, Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia, Diego Jose Santana, Elizah Nagombi, Elnaz Najafi-Majd, Evan S. H. Quah, Federico Bolanos, Feng Xie, Francisco Brusquetti, Francisco S. Alvarez, Franco Andreone, Frank Glaw, Franklin Enrique Castaneda, Fred Kraus, Gabriela Parra-Olea, Gerardo Chaves, Guido F. Medina-Rangel, Gustavo Gonzalez-Duran, H. Mauricio Ortega-Andrade, Ibere F. Machado, Indraneil Das, Iuri Ribeiro Dias, J. Nicolas Urbina-Cardona, Jelka Crnobrnja-Isailovic, Jian-Huan Yang, Jiang Jianping, Jigme Tshelthrim Wangyal, Jodi J. L. Rowley, John Measey, Karthikeyan Vasudevan, Kin Onn Chan, Kotambylu Vasudeva Gururaja, Kristiina Ovaska, Lauren C. Warr, Luis Canseco-Marquez, Luis Felipe Toledo, Luis M. Diaz, M. Monirul H. Khan, Madhava Meegaskumbura, Manuel E. Acevedo, Marcelo Felgueiras Napoli, Marcos A. Ponce, Marcos Vaira, Margarita Lampo, Mario H. Yanez-Munoz, Mark D. Scherz, Mark-Oliver Rodel, Masafumi Matsui, Maxon Fildor, Mirza D. Kusrini, Mohammad Firoz Ahmed, Muhammad Rais, N'Goran G. Kouame, Nieves Garcia, Nono Legrand Gonwouo, Patricia A. Burrowes, Paul Y. Imbun, Philipp Wagner, Philippe J. R. Kok, Rafael L. Joglar, Renoir J. Auguste, Reuber Albuquerque Brandao, Roberto Ibanez, Rudolf von May, S. Blair Hedges, S. D. Biju, S. R. Ganesh, Sally Wren, Sandeep Das, Sandra V. Flechas, Sara L. Ashpole, Silvia J. Robleto-Hernandez, Simon P. Loader, Sixto J. Inchaustegui, Sonali Garg, Soumphthone Phimmachak, Stephen J. Richards, Tahar Slimani, Tamara Osborne-Naikatini, Tatianne P. F. Abreu-Jardim, Thais H. Condez, Thiago R. De Carvalho, Timothy P. Cutajar, Todd W. Pierson, Truong Q. Nguyen, Ugur Kaya, Zhiyong Yuan, Barney Long, Penny Langhammer, Simon N. Stuart
Summary: The second Global Amphibian Assessment reveals that amphibians, especially salamanders in the Neotropics, are the most threatened vertebrate class, with 40.7% of species globally threatened. The deteriorating status of amphibians is predominantly driven by climate change, disease, and habitat loss.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Juan D. Gaitan-Espitia, Alistair J. Hobday
Summary: Climate change has had apparent impacts on natural systems worldwide, leading many species to struggle to survive in changing environments. Traditional conservation efforts focusing on genetic diversity have shifted towards more active interventions such as protected areas, rewilding, and genetic engineering in order to address the rapid loss of biodiversity.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Thomas Ranius, Lina A. Widenfalk, Meelis Seedre, Ly Lindman, Adam Felton, Aino Hamalainen, Anna Filyushkina, Erik Ockinger
Summary: Climate change poses challenges to conservation strategies for protected areas. Combining strategies for addressing climate warming with traditional biodiversity conservation strategies is necessary to protect future biodiversity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mark A. Titley, Stuart H. M. Butchart, Victoria R. Jones, Mark J. Whittingham, Stephen G. Willis
Summary: Sociopolitical factors have emerged as important determinants of wildlife population trends and conservation effectiveness. Climate change impacts may be disproportionately significant in countries with weaker governance and lower greenhouse gas emissions, raising questions of international justice. The importance of transboundary conservation and the potential impacts of species redistribution across political boundaries under climate change have been highlighted.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
J. W. Pearce-Higgins, L. H. Antao, R. E. Bates, K. M. Bowgen, C. D. Bradshaw, S. J. Duffield, C. Ffoulkes, A. M. A. Franco, J. Geschke, R. D. Gregory, M. J. Harley, J. A. Hodgson, R. L. M. Jenkins, V Kapos, K. M. Maltby, O. Watts, S. G. Willis, M. D. Morecroft
Summary: As the magnitude of climate change increases, the impacts on natural and human systems will become more severe. Therefore, it is important to have appropriate ecological indicators to measure the progress of climate change adaptation for the natural environment. This paper outlines a framework and proposes three process-based and two results-based indicator types to track the progress of climate change adaptation.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sean A. Parks, Lisa M. Holsinger, Caitlin E. Littlefield, Solomon Z. Dobrowski, Katherine A. Zeller, John T. Abatzoglou, Charles Besancon, Bryce L. Nordgren, Joshua J. Lawler
Summary: Protected areas are crucial for biodiversity conservation, but their effectiveness is challenged by climate change. This study examined disappearing and novel climates within the global protected area network and the potential for transboundary species range shifts. The results showed that 24% of protected lands will lose their protected climates, while 36% will gain novel climates. Moreover, potential transboundary range shifts are widespread and vary across regions. The study provides insights for strategic conservation actions to address the prevalence of novel and disappearing climates within the protected area network and emphasizes the importance of international cooperation.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Brian C. Weeks, Shahid Naeem, Jesse R. Lasky, Joseph A. Tobias
Summary: Increasing biodiversity reduces extinction risk and maintaining high levels of overall biodiversity is crucial for species conservation targets.
Article
Plant Sciences
Minglong Gao, Guanghua Zhao, Shuning Zhang, Zirui Wang, Xuanye Wen, Lei Liu, Chen Zhang, Niu Tie, Rula Sa
Summary: This study used ensemble and Marxan model simulations to predict the distribution and delineate priority conservation areas for Larix gmelinii in the Greater Khingan Mountains. The results showed that the most suitable areas for L. gmelinii were the Greater Khingan Mountains and the Xiaoxing'an Mountains. However, under future climate change scenarios, the suitable area for L. gmelinii will decrease and the species will migrate to higher latitudes.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Francois Vasseur, Cyrille Violle, Brian J. J. Enquist, Denis Vile
Summary: The metabolic scaling theory (MST) predicts quasi-universal trait-size relationships in plants, but recent studies have found variability in these relationships and the role of genetic variation and environment is not well understood.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Daniel S. S. Park, Yingying Xie, Hanna T. T. Thammavong, Rima Tulaiha, Xiao Feng
Summary: The study assessed highly recurring coordinates in biodiversity data and identified artificial hotspots that are mainly caused by imperfect data management and georeferencing. The Artificial Hotspot Occurrence Inventory (AHOI) can improve accuracy of biodiversity assessments, estimate uncertainty associated with records from artificial hotspots, and identify problems in biodiversity informatics workflows.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Daniel S. Park, Goia M. Lyra, Aaron M. Ellison, Rogerio Katsuhito Barbosa Maruyama, Debora dos Reis Torquato, Renata C. Asprino, Benjamin I. Cook, Charles C. Davis
Summary: Plant phenology has dramatically shifted in response to climate change, and this shift may have significant ecological consequences. Despite the concern for tropical biomes, we have limited knowledge about phenological responses of tropical plants due to the scarcity of long-term observational datasets. However, we have demonstrated that herbarium specimens can accurately estimate reproductive timing and its spatial variation, making them a vital resource for filling the gap in our phenological knowledge of tropical systems.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emil Ellegaard Thomassen, Eva Egelyng Sigsgaard, Mads Reinholdt Jensen, Kent Olsen, Morten D. D. Hansen, Jens-Christian Svenning, Philip Francis Thomsen
Summary: Trophic rewilding has been increasingly used in restoration efforts to reintroduce large-bodied mammals and promote biodiverse ecosystems. However, empirical evidence on the effects of megafauna introductions on other organisms and the mechanisms involved is still limited. This study used environmental DNA analysis of dung from feral cattle and horses to assess seasonal variations in their plant diet and dung-associated invertebrates. The results showed differences in diet and invertebrate communities between the two herbivores, demonstrating their complementary effects on vegetation and biodiversity. These findings are important for decision-making in rewilding projects.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Susanne Marieke Vogel, Divya Vasudev, Joseph O. Ogutu, Purity Taek, Emilio Berti, Varun R. Goswami, Michael Kaelo, Robert Buitenwerf, Michael Munk, Wang Li, Jake Wall, Desalegn Chala, Irene Amoke, Alice Odingo, Jens -Christian Svenning
Summary: The persistence of species in the Anthropocene is dependent on human willingness to coexist with them, which is often overlooked in habitat suitability or conservation priority assessments. This study proposes a framework that integrates human willingness-to-coexist with habitat suitability assessments to assess the sustainable coexistence potential of species. Using elephants and rhinos in the Maasai Mara socio-ecological system in Kenya as a case study, the study demonstrates the applicability of the framework by integrating peoples' willingness-to-coexist from household interviews with habitat suitability mapping. The framework highlights areas that require more effort to increase positive stakeholder engagement for the long-term persistence of large herbivores in human-dominated landscapes.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Veronika Kalusova, Milan Chytry, Martin Vecera, Jens-Christian Svenning, Idoia Biurrun, Katerina Kintrova, Emiliano Agrillo, Emanuela Carli, Klaus Ecker, Emmanuel Garbolino, Maria Sibikova, Urban Silc, Irena Axmanova
Summary: Human-assisted introduction of alien plants is causing ecosystem transformations worldwide and is considered a threat to biodiversity. We conducted a European assessment of invasion levels in heathlands and scrub, identifying successful alien plants and invasion trends. Among the studied plots, we found that neophytes of non-European origin were prevalent, with the most common ones being Prunus serotina, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Quercus rubra. The levels of invasion varied among habitats and biogeographical regions, with the most invaded habitat being Macaronesian lowland scrub.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Review
Biology
Shuqing N. Teng, Jens-Christian Svenning, Chi Xu
Summary: The decline of large-sized animals and trees due to human activities has led to downsized ecosystems globally. However, restoration projects to promote ecological processes have received little attention in East Asia. In China, the disappearance of megafaunal species during the Late Pleistocene and the depletion of large-sized herbivores due to agricultural expansion have greatly affected ecosystems. The loss of megaherbivores has also compromised seed dispersal and resulted in the decline of large timber trees.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Meng Xu, Robert B. Allen, Erica A. Newman
Summary: This study uses the maximum entropy theory of ecology (METE) to model the individual size distribution (ISD) of mountain beech populations in New Zealand before and after an earthquake. The fully parameterized METE (FP-METE) model accurately predicts the ISD and reveals that the decrease in metabolic scaling exponent leads to a decline in total metabolic rate energy and a redistribution of energy towards smaller trees. This study provides a new approach to predict the impact of disturbance on forest energy use.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Daniel Peptenatu, Ion Andronache, Helmut Ahammer, Marko Radulovic, Jennifer K. Costanza, Herbert F. Jelinek, Antonio Di Ieva, Kohei Koyama, Alexandra Grecu, Andreea Karina Gruia, Adrian-Gabriel Simion, Iulia Daniela Nedelcu, Cosmin Olteanu, Cristian-Constantin Draghici, Marian Marin, Daniel Constantin Diaconu, Rasmus Fensholt, Erica A. Newman
Summary: This study presents a new fractal fragmentation and disorder index (FFDI) that can efficiently quantify the shape and arrangement of fragments in images. Validation results show that FFDI outperforms existing metrics in resolving spatial patterns of disorder and fragmentation. The FFDI improves the monitoring and understanding of forest fragmentation from satellite imagery and may have wider applicability in biology where image analysis is used.
Article
Plant Sciences
Daniel S. S. Park, Yingying Xie, Aaron M. M. Ellison, Goia M. M. Lyra, Charles C. C. Davis
Summary: Urbanization can influence the timing of plant reproduction and associated ecosystem processes. Using herbarium data, our study found that the effects of urbanization on plant phenology varied across different species ranges. We demonstrated the importance of considering both climatic and human effects on phenological change and emphasized the need to incorporate multiple environmental factors in phenological models.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
L. Duncanson, M. Liang, V. Leitold, J. Armston, S. M. Krishna Moorthy, R. Dubayah, S. Costedoat, B. J. Enquist, L. Fatoyinbo, S. J. Goetz, M. Gonzalez-Roglich, C. Merow, P. R. Roehrdanz, K. Tabor, A. Zvoleff
Summary: Forests are crucial in stabilizing Earth's climate, and protected areas (PAs) are one approach to conserving forests. However, the global impact of PAs on the carbon cycle has not been quantified due to a lack of accurate global-scale carbon stock maps. Using lidar samples from NASA's GEDI mission, this study estimated a total PA aboveground carbon stock of 61.43 Gt, with 26% attributed to PAs. These higher carbon stocks are mainly from avoided emissions in PAs compared to unprotected forests, equivalent to one year of global fossil fuel emissions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Oswald J. Schmitz, Magnus Sylven, Trisha B. Atwood, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Fabio Berzaghi, Jedediah F. Brodie, Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt, Andrew B. Tilker, Shawn J. Leroux, Frans J. Schepers, Felisa A. Smith, Sari Stark, Jens-Christian Svenning, Andrew B. Tilker, Henni Ylanne
Summary: The authors argue for the importance of including animals in natural climate solutions, as the restoration and conservation of wild animals and their functional roles can enhance natural carbon capture and storage. They believe that this approach can contribute to preventing climate warming beyond 1.5 degrees C. However, they point out that the current understanding undervalues the role animals play in controlling the carbon cycle.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rosemberg Fernandes Menezes, Jens-Christian Svenning, Hui Fu, Luc De Meester, Torben Linding Lauridsen, Martin Sondergaard, Jose Maria Conde-Porcuna, Erik Jeppesen
Summary: The beta diversity of lakes is influenced by natural factors, dispersal constraints, and human disturbances. Fish beta diversity tends to increase towards lower latitudes and is higher in less disturbed lakes at a local scale. However, environmental disturbances can impact these patterns due to community homogenization or heterogenization. Factors such as geographic distance and climate variability are the main drivers of fish community change across latitude, but the rate of change varies between lake types. Local factors like turbidity, lake size, and presence of exotic species also have varying effects on beta diversity across regions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wu-Bing Xu, Wen-Yong Guo, Josep M. Serra-Diaz, Franziska Schrodt, Wolf L. Eiserhardt, Brian J. Enquist, Brian S. Maitner, Cory Merow, Cyrille Violle, Madhur Anand, Michael Belluau, Hans Henrik Bruun, Chaeho Byun, Jane A. Catford, Bruno E. L. Cerabolini, Eduardo Chacon-Madrigal, Daniela Ciccarelli, J. Hans C. Cornelissen, Anh Tuan Dang-Le, Angel de Frutos, Arildo S. Dias, Aelton B. Giroldo, Alvaro G. Gutierrez, Wesley Hattingh, Tianhua He, Peter Hietz, Nate Hough-Snee, Steven Jansen, Jens Kattge, Benjamin Komac, Nathan J. B. Kraft, Koen Kramer, Sandra Lavorel, Christopher H. Lusk, Adam R. Martin, Ke-Ping Ma, Maurizio Mencuccini, Sean T. Michaletz, Vanessa Minden, Akira S. Mori, Uelo Niinemets, Yusuke Onoda, Renske E. Onstein, Josep Penuelas, Valerio D. Pillar, Jan Pisek, Matthew J. Pound, Bjorn J. M. Robroek, Brandon Schamp, Martijn Slot, Miao Sun, Enio E. Sosinski Jr, Nadejda A. Soudzilovskaia, Nelson Thiffault, Peter M. van Bodegom, Fons van der Plas, Jingming Zheng, Jens-Christian Svenning, Alejandro Ordonez
Summary: Studying the impacts of past climate change on biodiversity helps to understand the risks from future climate change. This study found that larger glacial-interglacial temperature change was associated with lower species replacements and higher richness changes in beta-diversity. Furthermore, regions with large temperature change showed lower phylogenetic and functional turnover and higher nestedness than expected, indicating selective processes during glacial-interglacial oscillations. These findings suggest that future human-driven climate change could lead to local homogenization and reduction in angiosperm tree diversity.
Review
Ecology
Kerry A. A. Brown, M. Jane Bunting, Fabio Carvalho, Francesco de Bello, Luke Mander, Katarzyna Marcisz, Ondrej Mottl, Triin Reitalu, Jens-Christian Svenning
Summary: Research has shown that quantifying spatial variation in ecosystem properties is effective for investigating the effects of environmental change, but there is a need for better understanding of temporal variation. Trait-based approaches can be used to reconstruct long-term variation in ecosystems, but there are challenges in translating palaeoecological datasets into functional traits. Despite these challenges, palaeo-trait research offers insights into ecosystem functioning and environmental change across time and can improve understanding of present-day and future ecosystem management.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
