Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel Goncalves-Souza, Bruno Vilela, Ben Phalan, Ricardo Dobrovolski
Summary: Research shows that protected areas and indigenous lands in Brazil have had a positive impact in avoiding ecosystem destruction, with this effect extending to buffer zones around protected areas. The most effective protected areas are older, larger, located in the Amazon region, and indigenous lands. Despite recent setbacks, the benefits of strengthened protected areas for biodiversity and climate are highlighted.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mohamed I. Bakarr
Summary: In order to protect nature, African parks need to contribute to human well-being, overcome threats, and secure reliable funding sources. The first Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) held in Rwanda reaffirmed the importance of protected and conserved areas (PCAs) in safeguarding wildlife and biodiversity on the continent. This paper discusses how African countries can address the needs of making PCAs people centered, advancing integrated approaches to tackle biodiversity loss, and promoting sustainable and innovative financing for PCAs.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Jose Maria Cardoso da Silva, Teresa Cristina Albuquerque de Castro Dias, Alan Cavalcanti da Cunha, Helenilza Ferreira Albuquerque Cunha
Summary: The study describes the variation in funding deficits across Brazilian federal PAs and proposes a model to explain this variation. It was found that there is a high proportion of funding deficits in Brazilian PAs, similar to those found in sub-Saharan Africa. New policies and innovative funding mechanisms are needed to bridge the large funding gap in the Brazilian federal PA system.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shawan Chowdhury, Shofiul Alam, Mahzabin Muzahid Labi, Nahla Khan, Md Rokonuzzaman, Dipto Biswas, Tasmia Tahea, Sharif A. Mukul, Richard A. Fuller
Summary: The biodiversity in South Asian Protected Areas (PAs) is facing a wide range of anthropogenic threats, with research biased towards India and focusing mainly on species distribution. Most PAs are very small and have not yet reached international biodiversity targets.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
A. Brennan, R. Naidoo, L. Greenstreet, Z. Mehrabi, N. Ramankutty, C. Kremen
Summary: This study maps the functional connectivity of the world's terrestrial protected areas (PAs) and quantifies national PA connectivity through the lens of mammal movement. It finds that mitigating human footprint may improve connectivity more than adding new PAs. The most important areas for mammal movement globally are currently unprotected, and their conservation and restoration can support other global conservation priorities.
Article
Ecology
Rachel Palfrey, Johan A. Oldekop, George Holmes
Summary: Private protected areas make significant contributions to biodiversity conservation and connectivity of protected area networks, but they are currently underrecognized and lack sufficient resources.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marcel A. Gahbauer, Scott R. Parker, Joanna X. Wu, Cavan Harpur, Brooke L. Bateman, Darroch M. Whitaker, Douglas P. Tate, Lotem Taylor, Denis Lepage
Summary: This study predicts the potential changes in bird assemblages in 49 Canadian national parks under a 2 degrees C warming scenario. The results show that the majority of parks may experience an increase in species richness and functional traits in winter, while changes in summer are mixed. Variations in changes are expected across different regions, with Arctic region parks likely to experience the most potential colonisation. Adaptation of conservation actions is needed to address these projected changes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Adi Barocas, Mathias W. Tobler, Nicole Abanto Valladares, Alejandro Alarcon Pardo, David W. Macdonald, Ronald R. Swaisgood
Summary: Freshwater ecosystems are vulnerable to deforestation and fragmentation, especially due to small-scale extractive activities. Protected Areas (PAs) can effectively conserve freshwater animal assemblages. Waterbirds, as wetland ecosystem indicators, can respond to changes in site quality and local resources. This study examined the effectiveness of PAs in protecting neotropical biodiversity by comparing bird species richness and abundance in protected oxbow lakes with lakes impacted by gold mining and fishing activities. Results showed that bird richness and abundance were reduced in unprotected lakes, with aquatic species being more affected. Land protection was the most important factor for bird abundance, and over half the species showed decreased abundance in unprotected sites. The findings highlight the importance of extending legal protections to prevent further degradation of freshwater ecosystems and their animal communities.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maren Pauly, Will Crosse, Joshua Tosteson
Summary: This study analyzed the economic drivers of deforestation in Cambodia and the effectiveness of REDD+ projects compared to protected areas. The findings indicate that Economic Land Concessions were the main driver of deforestation in Cambodia, and REDD+ projects offered greater protection against deforestation than adjacent protected areas, likely due to increased funding for targeted community activities and rigorous monitoring and enforcement.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jorge Antonio Gomez . Diaz, Andres Lira-Noriega, Fabricio Villalobos
Summary: This study assessed the effectiveness of the current protected area system and identified priority conservation areas for expanding the network in central Veracruz, Mexico. Using distribution models and conservation planning tools, the study proposed declaring new protected areas that would double the existing protected surface. These priority areas have higher species richness, carbon stock values, natural vegetation cover, and lower human impact.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND WORLD ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Frank Juma Ongondo, Frank A. Fogarty III, Peter Njoroge, Matthew D. Johnson
Summary: This study investigates the bird communities in natural forests and shade coffee farms in Central Kenya. It finds that shade coffee farms have higher bird abundance and species richness compared to natural forests, especially for carnivores, granivores, omnivores, and insectivores. However, forest specialists and forest visitors are more abundant and species rich in natural forests, while forest generalists and birds with no forest association status are more abundant and species rich in shade coffee farms.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hongbo Yang, Andres Vina, Julie Ann Winkler, Min Gon Chung, Qiongyu Huang, Yue Dou, William J. McShea, Melissa Songer, Jindong Zhang, Jianguo Liu
Summary: The majority of protected areas contribute to preventing forest loss, but only 30.5% of forest loss in these areas have been prevented. Protected areas with higher rates of forest loss in their surrounding regions, located at lower elevations, near cities with higher agricultural productivity, and with fewer human uses permission were better able to prevent forest loss.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gregory Duncan Duckworth, Res Altwegg
Summary: This study examines the impact of adjacent agricultural and urban land uses on the ecological effectiveness of protected areas in a specific region of South Africa. The results demonstrate that land-use types near protected areas significantly modify the effect of protected areas on bird abundances.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ernest F. Asamoah, Linda J. Beaumont, Joseph M. Maina
Summary: The study indicates that more than a quarter of the world's protected areas will experience high rates of climate change and land-use change by 2050. Changes are expected to occur more often in tropical moist and grassland biomes, which are currently home to diverse species of animals and plants. The findings can inform spatially adaptive natural resource management to achieve sustainable development and biodiversity goals.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Tsegaye T. Gatiso, Lars Kulik, Mona Bachmann, Aletta Bonn, Lukas Boesch, Dustin Eirdosh, Andreas Freytag, Susan Hanisch, Marco Heurich, Tenekwetche Sop, Karsten Wesche, Marten Winter, Hjalmar S. Kuehl
Summary: Despite favorable socio-economic context and high conservation efforts, protected areas have limited effectiveness in halting biodiversity loss. Increasing conservation efforts may be necessary, but the diminishing marginal returns principle implies that even greater efforts and resources would be needed as protected areas approach zero biodiversity loss. Adopting core design principles that consider the social-ecological contexts of protected areas could help overcome the observed hurdles of limited effectiveness and better integrate them into sustainable development efforts.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Merja Elo, Mira H. Kajanus, Jere Tolvanen, Vincent Devictor, Jukka T. Forsman, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Mikko Monkkonen, James T. Thorson, Maximilian G. R. Vollstadt, Sami M. Kivela
Summary: This study investigates the impacts of environmental filtering and biotic interactions on spatial and temporal associations among bird species using a novel hypothesis-testing framework based on joint dynamic species distribution models and functional trait similarity. The findings suggest that the aggregation of species is mainly driven by environmental filtering and heterospecific attraction, with no evidence of competition.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marek Elas, Erik Rosendal, Wlodzimierz Meissner
Summary: This study assesses the impact of water fluctuations on Common Sandpipers' nest survival and identifies strategies to minimize the effects. Birds can avoid losses by adjusting nesting timing or choosing safe locations. The study found that nest location is a direct response to periodic high water, and flooding threat is an important determinant in nest placement.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Miika Kotila, Kati M. M. Suominen, Ville V. V. Vasko, Anna S. S. Blomberg, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Tommi Andersson, Jouni Aspi, Tony Cederberg, Jari Haenninen, Jasmin Inkinen, Janne Koskinen, Goeran Lundberg, Katja Makinen, Markku Rontti, Martin Snickars, Jostein Solbakken, Janne Sundell, Ilkka Syvanpera, Silja Vuorenmaa, Jari Ylonen, Eero J. J. Vesterinen, Thomas M. M. Lilley
Summary: The distribution ranges and spatio-temporal patterns of boreal bats are poorly known. In this study, a passive-acoustic sampling setup was established in Finland to investigate the effect of latitude on bat species composition and activity patterns in northern Europe. Bat calls were identified and seasonal activity patterns were modeled for three target species across seven sampling years. The results indicate an increase in activity for E. nilssonii and Myotis spp. since 2015, with significant latitude-dependent seasonal patterns. The passive-acoustic monitoring network proved to be an effective and cost-efficient method for studying bat activity and analyzing spatio-temporal patterns.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Astrid A. Carlsen, Jonathan Wright, Svein-Hakon Lorentsen, Stephen E. G. Lea
Summary: A study compared the diving behavior of European shags in different foraging environments and found contrasting results. The shags foraging in kelp forests off the coast of Norway showed that surface durations were related to the duration of the preceding dive for respiratory recovery. On the other hand, shags foraging in estuarine waters off the coast of Lundy Island in England showed a stronger relationship between dive durations and preceding pre-dive surface durations, suggesting preparatory variation in oxygen loading. The study suggests that these differences reflect adaptive responses to the predictability of foraging dive durations in different marine environments.
Article
Ornithology
Dorota Gajdosova, Petr Musil, Jan Zouhar, Zuzana Musilova, Sarka Neuzilova, Diego Pavon-Jordan
Summary: Recent shifts in climatic and environmental conditions can affect the body condition of breeding females, but it is not the key factor causing the decline in populations of diving duck species.
Article
Ornithology
Nicolas Ordax Sommer, Arto Luttinen, Aleksi Lehikoinen
Summary: By studying the variation of trace element concentrations in feathers of two migratory bird species, their migratory connectivity can be understood. It was found that 11 trace elements had significantly higher concentrations in spring feathers of willow warblers compared to autumn feathers, and 7 trace elements had significantly higher concentrations in spring feathers of willow warblers compared to barn swallows. Therefore, trace elements can be used to differentiate molting grounds within the same species, but sampling design should be carefully considered.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Purabi Deshpande, Rohan Sharma, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Rose Thorogood
Summary: The negative effects of invasive alien plants on natural ecosystems are well known, but in rapidly growing cities, they can provide resources for native fauna. Previous studies mainly focused on invertebrate pollinators in temperate cities, while this study investigates the interactions between native diurnal birds and mammals with native and alien trees in Bengaluru, India. The results suggest that alien trees can be an important resource for fauna in expanding urban areas, but nectar theft by birds could reduce the seed set of alien trees.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna Haukka, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Stefano Mammola, William Morris, Andrea Santangeli
Summary: Amidst the global biodiversity crisis, understanding the factors that make us like a species can inform conservation actions. However, there is currently no large-scale database providing comparable measures of aesthetic attractiveness across bird species. In this study, we present data on the visual aesthetic attractiveness of bird species to humans, generated through an internet-based questionnaire.
Article
Ecology
Wlodzimierz Meissner, Marta Witkowska
Summary: In Mallard ducks, the sex ratio in wintering flocks is influenced by the winter harshness. This study found that in severe weather conditions, there were fewer males among wintering Mallards in urban waterbodies. Females, despite their smaller size, were able to find favorable conditions in the urban area due to milder climate and supplementary feeding by humans.
ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Emma-Liina Marjakangas, Andrea Santangeli, Heini Kujala, Stefano Mammola, Aleksi Lehikoinen
Summary: In this study, a new method was proposed to determine species that have a strong impact on the climate response of ecological communities, known as climate keystone species. By quantifying the community's climate response and considering the relative abundances of species, climate keystone species can be identified based on their strong residual effects.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrea Santangeli, Benjamin Weigel, Laura H. Anto, Elina Kaarlejaervi, Maria Haellfors, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Andreas Linden, Maija Salemaa, Tiina Tonteri, Paeivi Merilae, Kristiina Vuorio, Otso Ovaskainen, Jarno Vanhatalo, Tomas Roslin, Marjo Saastamoinen
Summary: Protected areas have mixed impacts on reducing local extinctions, with only a small proportion of species benefiting explicitly. The benefits of protection are related to the size and establishment time of the protected areas, but unrelated to the conservation status or traits of species. Improving coverage, connectivity, and management will be crucial to enhance the effectiveness of protected areas in slowing down biodiversity loss.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Katja Koskenpato, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Chiara Morosinotto, Ruslan Gunko, Patrik Karell
Summary: According to Gloger's rule, animal colouration is expected to be darker in wetter and warmer climates. However, our study on the colour polymorphic tawny owl in Europe shows that owl colouration does not explicitly follow Gloger's rule and is influenced by multiple factors.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Correction
Ornithology
Wlodzimierz Meissner, Emilia Czaplewska, Agnieszka Ozarowska
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Lucyna Pilacka, Grzegorz Neubauer, Natalia Karlionova, Pavel Pinchuk, Wlodzimierz Meissner
Summary: The field studies were conducted in three ephemeral river islets of the middle Pripyat River, southern Belarus in 2006-2007. Nestlings of the Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) were ringed soon after hatching, and reencountered during subsequent visits. Post-hatching survival was estimated by capture-mark-recapture models.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrea Santangeli, Alberto Cardillo, Michele Pes, Mauro Aresu
Summary: Farmland biodiversity is decreasing globally, mainly due to intensive agricultural practices, and the Little Bustard in Western Europe is one of the species declining because of changes in agricultural production systems. The population of this bird in Italy has disappeared from the mainland and is now only found in Sardinia, where alarming population declines have been observed. The study highlights current threats such as the reduction of protected areas and the encroachment of solar power plants.
BIRD CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
(2023)