Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sunil Tiwari, Hui Ming Wee, Yanjie Zhou, Leonardo Tjoeng
Summary: This study explores the influence of carbon tax regulation on maritime logistics carbon emission reduction by considering shipment containerization strategies. It models a real case example from Indonesia to illustrate the impacts of various carbon footprints schemes on cost and carbon emissions. The study finds that the shipment containerization strategy under carbon tax regulation can lead to lower total transportation costs and carbon emissions compared to the business as usual policy.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luke Kemp, David C. Aldridge, Olaf Booy, Hilary Bower, Des Browne, Mark Burgmann, Austin Burt, Andrew A. Cunningham, Malcolm Dando, Jaimie T. A. Dick, Christopher Dye, Sam Weiss Evans, Belinda Gallardo, H. Charles J. Godfray, Ian Goodfellow, Simon Gubbins, Lauren A. Holt, Kate E. Jones, Hazem Kandil, Phillip Martin, Mark McCaughan, Caitriona McLeish, Thomas Meany, Kathryn Millett, Sean S. OhEigeartaigh, Nicola J. Patron, Catherine Rhodes, Helen E. Roy, Gorm Shackelford, Derek Smith, Nicola Spence, Helene Steiner, Lalitha S. Sundaram, Silja Voeneky, John R. Walker, Harry Watkins, Simon Whitby, James Wood, William J. Sutherland
Summary: Multiple national and international trends and drivers are reshaping the meaning of biological security for the United Kingdom. The UK Biological Security Strategy recognizes the importance of research in this field, and a structured approach involving expert elicitation has identified 80 policy-relevant research questions to guide future efforts in biological security.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ismael Soto, Phillip J. Haubrock, Ross N. Cuthbert, David Renault, Anna F. Probert, Ali Serhan Tarkan
Summary: Given the limited economic resources available, prioritizing invasive species for management is crucial. Although global invasive species risk scoring systems exist, the incorporation of fully quantitative impact metrics is currently lacking. However, the emergence of monetary costs as a standardized measure of invasive species impact provides an opportunity for comparing species in risk assessments.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Romana K. Salis, Georgina L. Brennan, Lars-Anders Hansson
Summary: Although the impact of climate warming on the success of invasive species in freshwater ecosystems is not well understood, this study shows that invasion success doubles with climate warming, indicating a substantial increase in successful establishment of invaders in the future. Furthermore, the species richness increased after the invasion under warming conditions, but not under present climate conditions. This study, which uses advanced eDNA methodologies, provides important insights into how climate warming may affect invasive species and can inform management recommendations in adapting to climate change.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lirong Cai, Holger Kreft, Amanda Taylor, Pierre Denelle, Julian Schrader, Franz Essl, Mark van Kleunen, Jan Pergl, Petr Pysek, Anke Stein, Marten Winter, Julie F. Barcelona, Nicol Fuentes, Inderjit, Dirk Nikolaus Karger, John Kartesz, Andreij Kuprijanov, Misako Nishino, Daniel Nickrent, Arkadiusz Nowak, Annette Patzelt, Pieter B. Pelser, Paramjit Singh, Jan J. Wieringa, Patrick Weigelt
Summary: This study used machine learning and conventional statistical methods to investigate and predict global plant diversity, revealing complex interactions between environmental factors and plant diversity. Current climate and environmental heterogeneity were found to be the primary drivers, while past environmental conditions had smaller but detectable impacts on plant diversity. The results provide accurate estimates of global plant diversity at resolutions relevant for conservation and macroecology.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Calum Maney, Marieke Sassen, Samantha L. L. Hill
Summary: Interest in economically and ecologically sustainable cocoa has grown in recent years. Cocoa-based agroforestry systems are seen as a potential win-win solution for long-term yields, multiple benefits, and biodiversity preservation. This study found that biodiversity intactness (BII) in cocoa-based agroforestry systems can be sustained by retaining natural shade, but land-use history significantly influences the biodiversity intactness. Retaining natural shade can maintain high levels of BII, while incentivizing planted shade can enhance biodiversity intactness in degraded areas.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohd Asgar Khan, Khursheed Hussain, Manzoor A. Shah
Summary: Precise assessment of the impacts of invasive alien species on ecosystem structure and functions is crucial for implementing management strategies. The study in Kashmir Himalaya found that uninvaded plots had higher species diversity and invaded plots had more productive plant communities due to Leucanthemum invasion. Effective management strategies, such as uprooting and combined digging, mowing and herbicide treatment, were identified for controlling Leucanthemum invasion in ecologically sensitive landscapes.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Obiora A. Nnene, Dereje Senshaw, Mark H. P. Zuidgeest, Tagay Hamza, Stelios Grafakos, Basil Oberholzer
Summary: This paper discusses the development of Business-as-usual (BAU) and low-emission scenarios for the energy sector in Ethiopia as part of the government's efforts to develop a Long-term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) for the country. The government aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with its commitment to the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Taking actions such as updating the Country's National Determined Contribution (NDC) and developing mitigation scenarios, Ethiopia aims to achieve a 68% emissions reduction by 2030.
ENERGY STRATEGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Isabelle Badenhausser, Damien Fourcy, Mathilde Bertrand, Aurelien Pierre, Brigitte Bonneau, Jean-Louis Chapuis, Yann Rantier, Maurice Hulle
Summary: Biological invasions pose a significant threat to the terrestrial ecosystems of the sub-Antarctic islands. This study examined the interactions between non-native plants and native arthropods and plants in the Kerguelen archipelago. The results indicated that non-native plants can affect micro-arthropods directly or indirectly, likely through their effects on abiotic factors.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Brian W. van Wilgen, Tsungai A. Zengeya, David M. Richardson
Summary: This study reviews the evidence of invasion impacts in South Africa, including impacts of different species on ecology and society, research methods, and findings. While there has been progress, our understanding of invasion impacts remains fragmentary.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rocio Tarjuelo, Pedro Aragon
Summary: Habitat degradation and climate change pose significant threats to reptile populations, but their impact on primary productivity instability remains unclear. This study assesses the vulnerability of reptile diversity hotspots in the Iberian Peninsula to global change using satellite imagery. The findings indicate that increasing temperatures and land-cover changes are associated with the increment of primary productivity. The Natura 2000 network provides moderate protection to reptile hotspots, but the representation of vegetation types is relatively low.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alok Bang, Franck Courchamp
Summary: The recent surge in the edible insect market has led to industrialization and intensification without adequate regulatory policies, potentially resulting in new biological invasions. It is necessary to strengthen monitoring and regulation to prevent this outcome.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Susanne Worischka, Franz Schoell, Carola Winkelmann, Thomas Petzoldt
Summary: This study aimed to improve the understanding of the community effects of multiple stressors on river ecosystems for effective management and conservation. By analyzing long-term monitoring data of the benthic macroinvertebrate community in a stretch of the Elbe river in Germany, it was found that climate change and biological invasions were the dominant stressors, leading to significant impacts on the community and reducing ecosystem stability.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Kira D. McEntire, Matthew Gage, Richard Gawne, Michael G. Hadfield, Catherine Hulshof, Michele A. Johnson, Danielle L. Levesque, Joan Segura, Noa Pinter-Wollman
Summary: This article discusses the importance of variation in biological systems and introduces methods for measuring variation. It identifies barriers and solutions to studying variation, highlights the significance of studying the drivers of variation across biological levels, and emphasizes the impact on reintegration of biology.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thadeu Sobral-Souza, Jessie Pereira Santos, Maria Eduarda Maldaner, Matheus S. Lima-Ribeiro, Milton Cezar Ribeiro
Summary: Species are disappearing globally at an increasing rate, especially in tropical regions, with human-induced impacts playing a pivotal role in these extinction events. There is a debate over how these human-induced impacts affect biodiversity across different geographic scales. Combining small and broad scales is important for improving conservation efforts and slowing down extinction events.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Guillaume Latombe, Hanno Seebens, Bernd Lenzner, Franck Courchamp, Stefan Dullinger, Marina Golivets, Ingolf Kuehn, Brian Leung, Nuria Roura-Pascual, Emma Cebrian, Wayne Dawson, Christophe Diagne, Jonathan M. Jeschke, Cristian Perez-Granados, Dietmar Moser, Anna Turbelin, Piero Visconti, Franz Essl
Summary: This study investigated the impact of socio-economic and environmental factors on biological invasions and found that trade, governance, lifestyle and education are the best indicators for explaining invasive species richness and a country's capacity to manage invasions. Historical levels of governance and trade were found to have a stronger influence than recent levels, highlighting the importance of historical factors in shaping future invasions. The results provide valuable insights for decision-making and management of biological invasions.
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lirong Cai, Holger Kreft, Amanda Taylor, Pierre Denelle, Julian Schrader, Franz Essl, Mark van Kleunen, Jan Pergl, Petr Pysek, Anke Stein, Marten Winter, Julie F. Barcelona, Nicol Fuentes, Inderjit, Dirk Nikolaus Karger, John Kartesz, Andreij Kuprijanov, Misako Nishino, Daniel Nickrent, Arkadiusz Nowak, Annette Patzelt, Pieter B. Pelser, Paramjit Singh, Jan J. Wieringa, Patrick Weigelt
Summary: This study used machine learning and conventional statistical methods to investigate and predict global plant diversity, revealing complex interactions between environmental factors and plant diversity. Current climate and environmental heterogeneity were found to be the primary drivers, while past environmental conditions had smaller but detectable impacts on plant diversity. The results provide accurate estimates of global plant diversity at resolutions relevant for conservation and macroecology.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Philipp Semenchuk, Gerald Kalt, Lisa Kaufmann, Thomas Kastner, Sarah Matej, Giorgio Bidoglio, Karl -Heinz Erb, Franz Essl, Helmut Haberl, Stefan Dullinger, Fridolin Krausmann
Summary: By quantifying the global biodiversity footprint (BDF) of Vienna's biomass consumption, we found that food consumption (58%), biomass for material applications (28%), and bioenergy consumption (13%) contribute significantly to the loss of biodiversity. Although Vienna's per capita biomass consumption is above the global average, the per capita BDE in Vienna is roughly equal to the global average, indicating that Vienna sources its products from regions with efficient production systems and relatively low native species richness. It is concluded that dietary changes offer a key leverage point to reduce the urban BDF, while expanding the use of biomass for material and energy may increase the BDF and requires appropriate monitoring.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Camilla Sandstrom, Irene Ring, Roland Olschewski, Riccardo Simoncini, Christian Albert, Sevil Acar, Malkhaz Adeishvili, Christina Allard, Yakov Anker, Raphael Arlettaz, Gyorgyi Bela, Luca Coscieme, Anke Fischer, Christine Fuerst, Bella Galil, Stephen Hynes, Ulan Kasymov, Cristina Marta-Pedroso, Ana Mendes, Ulf Molau, Jan Pergl
Summary: Recent assessments by IPBES indicate that Nature's Contributions to People (NCP) are at risk due to ongoing biodiversity loss, emphasizing the need for increased conservation efforts and sustainable use of biodiversity. Mainstreaming biodiversity into sectoral policies is seen as a strategy to achieve change. The review conducted for Europe and Central Asia highlights the potential of mainstreaming to improve biodiversity conservation and NCP provision, but also indicates the need for stronger implementation.
ECOSYSTEMS AND PEOPLE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sima Sohrabi, Alireza Naqinezhad, Alessandra Kortz, Martin Hejda, Javid Gherekhloo, Eskandar Zand, Jan Pergl, Giuseppe Brundu, Petr Pysek
Summary: This first inventory of alien plants in Iran provides valuable information for managing the risks associated with plant invasions in the country. The study identified 311 alien vascular plants, with 131 classified as casual, 167 as naturalized, and 13 as invasive. The study also found that horticulture and agriculture are the main pathways for introducing alien plants in Iran. Future research should focus on mapping the spatial distribution of alien species and monitoring new arrivals to develop a robust quarantine system.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daijun Liu, Philipp Semenchuk, Franz Essl, Bernd Lenzner, Dietmar Moser, Tim M. Blackburn, Phillip Cassey, Dino Biancolini, Cesar Capinha, Wayne Dawson, Ellie E. Dyer, Benoit Guenard, Evan P. Economo, Holger Kreft, Jan Pergl, Petr Pysek, Mark van Kleunen, Wolfgang Nentwig, Carlo Rondinini, Hanno Seebens, Patrick Weigelt, Marten Winter, Andy Purvis, Stefan Dullinger
Summary: Based on a global collection of samples from five taxa, this study examines the relationship between the presence and frequency of naturalised non-native species and land use types. Results show that primary vegetation has the lowest invasion rates in plants, while other land-use types also have low levels of non-native species occurrence and frequency in other taxa. High land use intensity is associated with increased non-native incidence and frequency in primary vegetation. These findings highlight the importance of primary vegetation in preserving native biodiversity and resisting biological invasions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Anna J. Turbelin, Ross N. Cuthbert, Franz Essl, Phillip J. Haubrock, Anthony Ricciardi, Franck Courchamp
Summary: Biological invasions have economic costs similar to natural hazards, and these costs have been increasing at a faster rate. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness and take policy actions to address the impacts of biological invasions.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Franz Essl, Adrian Garcia-Rodriguez, Bernd Lenzner, Jake M. Alexander, Cesar Capinha, Pierre Gauzere, Antoine Guisan, Ingolf Kuehn, Jonathan Lenoir, David M. Richardson, Sabine B. Rumpf, Jens-Christian Svenning, Wilfried Thuiller, Damaris Zurell, Stefan Dullinger
Summary: The rapid environmental changes in the Anthropocene era have caused shifts in species' spatial distributions, with lagged responses leading to disequilibrium states. The effects of different types of environmental change and time lags on species responses have not been adequately explored, which has implications for biodiversity assessments, scenarios, and models, thus impacting policymaking and conservation science. This perspective piece examines lagged species responses to environmental change and discusses ways to improve the calibration of species distribution models (SDMs) to account for time lags and enhance biodiversity science and policy.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lirong Cai, Holger Kreft, Amanda Taylor, Julian Schrader, Wayne Dawson, Franz Essl, Mark Van Kleunen, Jan Pergl, Petr Pysek, Marten Winter, Patrick Weigelt
Summary: Assessing the distribution and drivers of phylogenetic endemism in seed plants worldwide, this study finds that tropical and subtropical islands and tropical mountain regions have the highest phylogenetic endemism. Tropical rainforest regions are centers of paleoendemism, while Mediterranean-climate regions show high levels of neoendemism. Factors such as warm and wet climates, geographic isolation, and long-term climatic stability are key drivers of phylogenetic endemism. The study provides insights into the evolutionary underpinnings of biogeographical patterns and identifies areas of high evolutionary and biogeographical uniqueness for global conservation priorities.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhijie Zhang, Qiang Yang, Trevor S. Fristoe, Wayne Dawson, Franz Essl, Holger Kreft, Bernd Lenzner, Jan Pergl, Petr Pysek, Patrick Weigelt, Marten Winter, Nicol Fuentes, John T. Kartesz, Misako Nishino, Mark van Kleunen
Summary: The introduction of plants outside their native ranges by humans has had significant ecological consequences. This study focuses on intracontinental aliens, which are naturalized plant species that have originated within the same continent. The researchers discovered that these intracontinental aliens account for a small percentage of overall plant species, but constitute a large proportion of naturalized species. The findings also indicate a poleward naturalization trend, primarily driven by larger native species pools in low-latitudes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Rutger A. Wilschut, Benjamin C. C. Hume, Ekaterina Mamonova, Mark van Kleunen
Summary: This study demonstrates the importance of generalist soil biota in driving plant-soil feedback interactions between succeeding plants. The study examines the contributions of specialist and generalist plant antagonists to plant-soil feedbacks among different species of grassland plants. The results show that annual plants exhibit more negative plant-soil feedbacks compared to perennial plants, but the feedback responses do not differ between conspecific and heterospecific plants.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Katharina Mayer, Tina Heger, Ingolf Kuhn, Stefan Nehring, Mirijam Gaertner
Summary: The increase in global trade and traffic networks has led to the introduction and spread of invasive alien species, which pose a threat to biodiversity. In response, the EU and Germany have developed an action plan to prevent and manage the unintentional introduction and spread of invasive alien species through targeted measures.
Article
Plant Sciences
Rutger A. Wilschut, Benjamin C. C. Hume, Ekaterina Mamonova, Mark van Kleunen
Summary: This study demonstrates the interconnected growth responses of conspecific and heterospecific plants in soils previously occupied by other plants, highlighting the significant contributions of generalist soil biota to plant-soil feedback interactions between succeeding plants.
