ALBERT

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Md. Arfanuzzaman, A. Atiq Rahman Necessity of Sustainable water demand management (SWDM) is immensely higher in the rapidly urbanized mega cities of the world where groundwater depletion and water deficit are taking place perilously. This paper focuses on the present condition of water demand, supply, system loss, pricing strategy, groundwater level, and per capita water consumption of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. The study founds population growth has a large influence on water demand to rise and demand of water is not responsive to the existing pricing rule adopted by DWASA. It emerges that, water demand is increasing at 4% rate an average in the Dhaka city since 1990 and groundwater table goes more than 70 m down in central capital due to extensive withdrawal of water. The study suggests an integrated SWDM approach, which incorporates optimum pricing, ground and surface water regulation, water conservation, sustainable water consumption and less water foot print to ease groundwater depletion. In order to attain sustainability in water demand management (WDM) the study recommends certain criteria under economic, social and environmental segment to administer the increasing water demand of growing population and conserve the fresh water resources of the world’s mega cities for social–ecological resilience building.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Peter Tyrrell, Samantha Russell, David Western Rangelands across the world are home to millions of pastoral people and vast wildlife populations, which create a complex landscape for conservation. Community based conservation has been used to promote human-wildlife coexistence on pastoral lands, protecting wildlife outside of official protected areas. With the spread of community based conservation within the rangelands there is a need for more information on successful management practices. This study provides an example of this in the South Rift, Kenya, where seasonal movements of pastoralists aid coexistence. We used Density Surface Modelling (DSM), a novel tool for conservation managers in the rangelands, to predict wildlife and livestock abundance across the landscape and seasons. Wildlife grazers, zebra ( Equus burchelli) and wildebeest ( Connochaetes taurinus) , follow expected metabolic patterns, feeding on short grass outside the conservation area in the wet season, before returning to the taller-lower quality grazing in the conservation areas during the drought. Browsing wildlife, impala ( Aepyceros melampus) and Grant’s gazelle ( Nanger granti), move from open grassland and bushland areas into thicker, denser browse as the seasons progress towards the drought. Livestock, both shoats ( Ovis aries , and Capra aegagrus hircus) and cattle ( Bos indicus ), are managed by community grazing committees, who enforce a grazing plan that creates spatial–temporal separation between wildlife and livestock. They exploit the high-quality grazing in the livestock area during the wet season while conserving pasture in the conservation area, which is utilized only as forage is depleted. This ensures that wildlife has access to a diverse resource base across all seasons and potentially reduces competition, allowing for a diverse and abundant wildlife community to coexist with livestock. This highlights the importance of the presence and maintenance of spatial and temporal heterogeneity of forage resources, through livestock management, for community based conservation. We encourage more community based conservation initiatives in pastoral landscapes to incorporate livestock management into planning.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Su Yin Chee, Abdul Ghapar Othman, Yee Kwang Sim, Amni Nabilah Mat Adam, Louise B. Firth Coastal developments worldwide have put entire shoreline ecosystems at risk. Recently, land reclamation has been extended to the construction of whole new islands; a phenomenon that is particularly common in Asia and the Middle East and is recognised as a global conservation issue. Using Penang Island, Malaysia as a case study, we illustrate the relationship between rapid population growth and the simultaneous increase in urbanisation, land reclamation and extent of artificial shorelines; and decrease in the quality and extent of natural coastal habitats. Our goal was to provide an up-to-date assessment of the state of coastal habitats around Penang, identify knowledge gaps and identify locations that may be potentially suitable for eco-engineering. Comparisons of historical and current topographic maps revealed that land formerly consisting of coastal swamp and forest, mangrove forests, sandy beaches, and rubber and oil plantations have been lost to large-scale land reclamation and urbanisation. Between 1960 and 2015, there were increases in urbanised area, reclaimed land, and artificial shoreline extent. The total extent of mangrove forests has remained relatively stable but this balance is characterised by significant losses on the east coast coupled with increases on the west coast. Coastal development on the island is still on-going with plans for the construction of five artificial islands and another two coastal reclamation projects are either underway or scheduled for the near future. If the plans for future land reclamations are fully realized, 32.3 km 2 of the 321.8 km 2 island (10%) will be reclaimed land and the associated negative effects on the island’s natural coastal habitats will be inevitable. This study highlights sections of the coast of Penang Island in need of effective monitoring, conservation and management and explores the possibility of incorporating ecological engineering into development projects, either prospectively or retrospectively, to create more environmentally-friendly urban environments and to promote educational, amenity and economic activities. With coastal development taking place on a global scale, opportunities to balance development needs with conservation strategies abound and should be integrated into present and subsequent projects to protect these coastal ecosystems for future generations.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Bachisio Mario Padedda, Nicola Sechi, Giuseppina Grazia Lai, Maria Antonietta Mariani, Silvia Pulina, Marco Sarria, Cecilia Teodora Satta, Tomasa Virdis, Paola Buscarinu, Antonella Lugliè One of the primary detrimental effects of eutrophication is the tendency of nuisance cyanobacterial species to increase in number and biomass in freshwater ecosystems. The aim of this study was to investigate possible management actions to control eutrophication and assure water use of a eutrophic deep Mediterranean climate reservoir, dominated by cyanobacteria. With this goal, we defined the trophic state of Lake Cedrino (Sardinia, Italy) and studied its phytoplankton, paying particular attention to cyanobacteria, and to seasonal variation of phytoplankton in relation to seasonal variation of environmental variables. The water samples were collected monthly from September 2010 to August 2011 at differing depths from the surface of the water to the bottom at a station located in the deeper portion of the reservoir. Physical, chemical, nutrient, qualitative and quantitative analyses of phytoplankton were performed, and the trophic state was evaluated based on the Trophic State Index and the OECD model. Abundance of nutrients and phytoplankton (cell density, biomass and chlorophyll a ) indicated a eutrophic condition of the reservoir. In summer, phytoplankton species composition was dominated by nuisance cyanobacteria, particularly Aphanizomenon flosaquae , thereby requiring management plans for harmful blooms. On the base of lake features, we propose management actions at different scales and levels to resolve eutrophication and to allow water use: from nutrient load reduction in the watershed (primarily from point-sources) to deep water aeration, to immediately face an attenuation of eutrophic effects. This study is the first explorative step in planning restoration of Lake Cedrino.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Stephen Swallow, Pengfei Liu This paper reports on a real money, economic experiment in which a broad group of ecological scientists were challenged to consider their own values within an economic framework, by considering whether to contribute financially (i.e., to donate) to support a global research initiative designed to investigate the implications of global change for grassland ecosystems. We use this experiment to illustrate the basic approach of economics as might apply to choices about and individual values for ecosystem services, particularly using an application to the potential to enhance scientific knowledge regarding grassland responses to the global distribution of nutrients. While scientists' choices and values were not significantly influenced by economic incentives embedded in the donation solicitation, donations were significantly associated with ecologists' specializations and career stages.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Yahkat Barshep, Birgit Erni, Les G. Underhill, Res Altwegg Identifying species most vulnerable to environmental change requires reliable estimates of population trends and identification of traits that tend to be associated with these trends. Using state-space models that explicitly describe how the population size changes over time, we estimated population trends of 25 non-migratory African, 13 intra-African migrants, and 16 Palaearctic migratory waterbird species during 1995–2009 in South Africa. Using the average of the slope of the last five years (2005–2009), we used phylogenetic generalized least squares analyses to identify relationships with life-history (parental care, extent of polygamy, chick development, body size, average brood size) and ecological traits (migratory status, breeding latitude, foraging guild, wintering habitat type). The significant predictors of population trend were migratory status, average brood size, type of chick development (altricial, semiprecocial, precocial), and extent of male polygamy (0%, = 〈20%, >20%). Long-distance Palaearctic migrants and African non-migratory species on average suffered the greatest magnitude of decline, intra-African migrants showed population increase. There was a negative relationship between population trend and average brood size with an increase in brood size resulting in negative trends. Altricial species and species with some extent of polygamy (=〈20%) had the greatest population increase. Our results provide evidence that these recent population trends were non-random with respect to life-history traits.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Marisa C. Lários, Catia Nunes da Cunha, Jerry Penha, Victor L. Landeiro, João B. Pinho, Monica Aragona, Luciana M. Valério, Christine Strüssmann, Marinez I. Marques, Luzia S. Lourenço, Tatiane F. Chupel, Izaias M. Fernandes Surrogate groups have been used as a useful tool for biodiversity conservation. The occurrence and distribution of a taxon can be predicted based on the occurrence of other biological species or groups. Consequently, the current study sought to determine the presence of one or more surrogate groups in a seasonally flooded region in the South American Pantanal wetlands. Data on the occurrence and distribution of species were collected at Pantanal Long-Term Sampling Sites (PLTSS). We assayed for congruence between woody plants, herbaceous plants, spiders, anurans, birds and small mammals using Mantel tests. We also evaluated the effect of selected environmental and spatial factors on each biological group, using variance partitioning. Based on the average correlation between groups, the group with the highest congruence was woody plants, and it was therefore considered the best surrogate group for the PLTSS area. The soil texture (percentage of silt, sand and clay) are not important in defining plant group distributions. However, plants were distributed as a function of flood intensity and hydroperiod. The effect of flooding and vegetation structure differed between the analyzed zoological taxa. Additionally, spatial factors, here represented by Moran Eigenvector Maps, were important for all evaluated biological groups.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Christopher L. Coxen, Jennifer K. Frey, Scott A. Carleton, Daniel P. Collins Species distribution models can provide critical baseline distribution information for the conservation of poorly understood species. Here, we compared the performance of band-tailed pigeon ( Patagioenas fasciata) species distribution models created using Maxent and derived from two separate presence-only occurrence data sources in New Mexico: 1) satellite tracked birds and 2) observations reported in eBird basic data set. Both models had good accuracy (test AUC > 0.8 and True Skill Statistic > 0.4), and high overlap between suitability scores ( I statistic 0.786) and suitable habitat patches (relative rank 0.639). Our results suggest that, at the state-wide level, eBird occurrence data can effectively model similar species distributions as satellite tracking data. Climate change models for the band-tailed pigeon predict a 35% loss in area of suitable climate by 2070 if CO 2 emissions drop to 1990 levels by 2100, and a 45% loss by 2070 if we continue current CO 2 emission levels through the end of the century. These numbers may be conservative given the predicted increase in drought, wildfire, and forest pest impacts to the coniferous forests the species inhabits in New Mexico. The northern portion of the species’ range in New Mexico is predicted to be the most viable through time.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Camilla Fløjgaard, Marta De Barba, Pierre Taberlet, Rasmus Ejrnæs Body condition, as a sign of animal welfare, is of management concern in rewilding projects where fenced animals are subject to winter starvation, which may conflict with animal welfare legislation. Investigating the relationship between body condition, age, sex, diet quality and diet composition is therefore relevant to increase understanding of herbivores' ecosystem function and to inform management. In this study, we focused on red deer, Cervus elaphus , in a fenced nature reserve in Denmark, where the deer are managed as ecosystem engineers to contribute to biodiversity conservation. We measured body mass and body size of 91 culled red deer, and determined diet composition using DNA metabarcoding and diet quality using fecal nitrogen on 246 fecal samples. We found that body condition was predicted by age and diet composition, but not diet quality. We also found that individuals of different body condition had different diets, i.e., the fecal samples of red deer in poorer body condition contained significantly more Ericaceae sequences than red deer in good body condition. This may imply that certain functions of red deer in ecosystems, such as regeneration of heather by grazing, may depend on variation in body condition within the population. Our findings call for the need to consider the consequences of management practices, including culling or supplemental feeding, on the outcomes of habitat restoration, and more broadly underline the importance of preserving the overall breath of herbivore ecosystem functions for effective biodiversity conservation.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Pablo I. Plaza, Sergio A. Lambertucci Organic waste can be considered a food subsidy which represents an important source of energy for different species that exploit it. However, it could produce contrasting impacts, both positive and negative. We reviewed which species of terrestrial vertebrates (birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians) exploit rubbish dumps, and the impacts that waste produces on them. We analysed 159 articles including 98 species that are present in rubbish dumps. Studies come from all over the world (including Antarctica), but mainly from Europe, North America and Africa. Impacts reported on vertebrates were manly considered positive (72.6%) but around a quarter showed negative impacts. Rubbish dumps provide food resources that may improve body condition, enhance reproductive performance and abundance, improve survival rate, alter movements, and they can be an important sustenance for some endangered species. However, these places increase the risk of pathogen infections and poisoning, can be responsible for the spread of introduced-invasive species and favour conflicts between humans and animals that use them. Moreover, species that take advantage of these sites can produce negative impacts on others that do not use them. Worldwide increase in waste production makes this novel ecosystem important on shaping ecological communities. Therefore, the spatial and temporal effects of rubbish dumps on wildlife should be evaluated more deeply at a worldwide scale considering current differences in waste production from developing to developed countries.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Bruno Ximenes Pinho, Wesley Dáttilo, Inara R. Leal Plant-herbivore relationships are essential for ecosystem functioning, typically forming an ecological network with a compartmentalized (i.e. modular) structure characterized by highly specialized interactions. Human disturbances can favor habitat generalist species and thus cause the collapse of this modular structure, but its effects are rarely assessed using a network-based approach. We investigate how edge proximity alters plant-insect herbivore networks by comparing forest edge and interior in a large remnant (3.500 ha) of the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Given the typical dominance of pioneer plants and generalist herbivores in edge-affected habitats, we test the hypothesis that the specialized structure of plant-herbivore networks collapse in forest edges, resulting in lower modularity and herbivore specialization. Despite no differences in the number of species and interactions, the network structure presented marked differences between forest edges and interior. Herbivore specialization, modularity and number of modules were significantly higher in forest interior than edge-affected habitats. When compared to a random null model, two (22.2%) and eight (88.8%) networks were significantly modular in forest edge and interior, respectively. The loss of specificity and modularity in plant-herbivore networks in forest edges may be related to the loss of important functions, such as density-dependent control of superior plant competitors, which is ultimately responsible for the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Our results support previous warnings that focusing on traditional community measures only (e.g. species diversity) may overlook important modifications in species interactions and ecosystem functioning.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Jacqueline Santos Silva-Cavalcanti, Eike Martina Holzkämper, Luís Henrique Bezerra Alves, Monica Ferreira da Costa This study assessed the number of mussel fishers at an intertidal flat at the mouth of a tropical estuary (Goiana estuary - Brazil) from January to March 2010. Two observers counted the number of fishers and fishing boats over eight tidal cycles at new moon. In addition, shell length (mm) and biomass (57.34 ± 9.7 g m −2 ) of fishery-independent random-samples of mussels ( Anomalocardia brasiliana ) were measured to estimate the resource available. Fishers’ temporal use of the intertidal flat did not significantly vary; however, average frequency of fishers on the intertidal flat decreased from 31.08 ± 17.23 in January to 21.34 ± 15.24 in March. On average, 44 fishers were counted, working ∼4 h per daytime tidal cycle. Fishing began ∼1.5 h before and ended ∼2.5 h after the lowest tide. Activity peaked from 1.5 h before until 0.5 h after the lowest tide, with the highest number of fishers on the inter-tidal flat 0.5 h before the lowest tide. Mussels were sampled independently for standing stock assessment. The most representative size of A. brasiliana was 10–12 mm, and the average density of individuals was 1600 ± 1555 m −2 . The average total biomass (dry weight) was 57 ± 97 g m −2 . Significant differences in shell length and biomass were observed between months. This information can help determine maximum catch per individual fisher, and the minimum size of mussels harvested. Such measures might allow mussels to reach mature adult size (>20 mm), and guarantee sustainable population dynamics and replenishment of stocks.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Nicole Benjamin-Fink, Brian K. Reilly Wildlife translocations have historically assisted in re-establishing species in areas of extinction and are currently employed in over 50 countries. Ironically, they may also be responsible for the extinction of pure genetic lineages via hybridization, thereby negatively impacting endangered, indigenous, and rare species. Due to recent evolutionary divergence, black wildebeest ( Connochaetes gnou ) and blue wildebeest ( Connochaetes taurinus ) can mate and produce fertile offspring when sympatric. A total of 6929 translocated black and blue wildebeest from 273 private ranches and 3 provincial protected areas protected (PPAs) were documented over 5 years, across 5 South African provinces. We analyzed dispersal patterns and wildlife ranching economics to identify conservation implications and to infer if translocations are likely to persist in their current form. Findings indicate (1) 58.45% of sampled private ranches manage for both wildebeest populations, (2) blue wildebeest males are primarily translocated, (3) wildebeest are introduced across provincial lines, (4) wildebeest are introduced to within and amongst the private and commercial industry from multiple sources, and (5) wildebeest revenue accounted for 20.8% of revenue generated from all wildlife translocations. Unwanted conservation implications concern ecological integrity, genetic swamping, and regulatory efficiency. We caution against risks posed by the game industry upon the PPA's ability to function as nature conservation units and act as stocking sources and the plausibility that black wildebeest populations incorporate varying degrees of introgressive hybrids. Moreover, wildebeest account for 1/5 of revenue generated from all game translocations. This is indicative of its likelihood to persist in their current form, thereby inducing hybridization and facilitating outbreeding depression. We caution that concerns are likely to worsen if no intervention is taken. Lastly, we coin the concept of Ecological Sustainable Network (ESN); we designed a framework for standardizing procedures to advance effective wildlife translocation practices worldwide.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Arika Virapongse, Bryan A. Endress, Michael P. Gilmore, Christa Horn, Chelsie Romulo Mauritia flexuosa is a key ecological and economic palm found throughout tropical South America. To inform improved management of M. flexuosa , we conducted a systematic review of published information about the ecology, livelihoods, and management of M. flexuosa , synthesized the information and identified knowledge gaps, and analyzed the spatial distribution of publications. A total of 143 documents (primary research, literature reviews, and grey literature) were reviewed. Most published information originates from Peru and Brazil, with a disproportionate number of documents based in the Loreto Department of Peru. Significant geographical gaps in published information exist, especially in the northern portion of the species range. Existing literature emphasizes M. flexuosa fruit, although leaves, oil, and other products play important roles economically. To improve M. flexuosa management, we recommend that future research focuses on: (1) M. flexuosa availability; (2) harvest and cultivation; (3) development of consistent methods and standards; (4) landscape-level issues like land use change; (5) M. flexuosa within broader systems; (6) spatial gaps in research; (7) long-term research; and (8) multi- and interdisciplinary approaches.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Andrea Olive, Katrina Jansen The purpose of Aichi Biodiversity Target 12 is to prevent extinction of known threaten species, and improve the decline of the world’s most imperiled species. Governments and NGOs around the world are actively working toward this goal. This article examines the role of zoos and aquaria in the conservation of species at risk through an in-depth examination of four accredited Canadian zoos and aquaria. Through site visits, interviews with staff, and research into the programs at each institution, this paper demonstrates that captive breeding, reintroductions, and headstarting projects are each a large component of conservation efforts. Interviews with zoo staff reveal strong consensus that zoo offer two critical components for species at risk conservation: space and expertise. Overall, this article calls for greater attention to the types of conservation actives occurring and the ways in which zoos are working together to protect and recover global biodiversity.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Alice R.S. Lopes, Magda S. Rocha, Mozart G.J. Junior, Wander U. Mesquita, Gefferson G.G.R. Silva, Daniel A.R. Vilela, Cristiano S. Azevedo Predation is one of the main factors responsible for the failure of reintroduction/translocation programs. Animal's personality and sex can also influence key behaviors for survival and reproduction. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of anti-predator training, personality and sex on the survival and behaviors of translocated blue-fronted Amazon parrots. Thirty-one captive-raised parrots were translocated to a Cerrado area in Brazil. Parrots were separated into two groups: anti-predator trained group (ATG) and control group (CG). Personality tests were performed with individuals of the ATG group. Data were collected using focal sampling with instantaneous recording of behavior every minute. Anti-predator training, personality and sex did not influenced parrots' survival after release. However, anti-predator training proved to be efficient in eliciting more natural behaviors in parrots after release. Shy individuals and males showed to be more sociable than bold individuals and females. Personality and sex did not influence behavior exhibition. Parrots interacted more, positively or negatively, with individuals of its own group. Training session closer to the release date should be tried. Behavioral data and not just survival rates should be used to evaluate the efficiency of the techniques, because behavior can give clues about the adaptation of the individuals to the new habitat, increasing the success of the conservation program.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Fernando R. Tortato, Thiago J. Izzo, Rafael Hoogesteijn, Carlos A. Peres Large carnivores fascinate people because of their beauty and potential as human predators and have therefore become focal species for the ecotourism industry. Wildlife tourism has grown exponentially and has often been used as a financial argument for species conservation. However, carnivores depredate livestock, leading to a direct economic conflict with rural livelihoods, often resulting in lethal retaliation action. Here we show that jaguar ecotourism represents a gross annual income of US$6,827,392 in land-use revenue across a representative portion the Brazilian Pantanal, the world's largest wetland. Considering the aggregate costs of jaguar depredation on livestock within the same area, we estimate that the resident jaguar population would induce a hypothetical damage of only US$121,500 per year in bovine cattle losses. This large discrepancy between economic gains and losses reinforces the importance of wildlife tourism as a conservation tool in boosting tolerance of jaguars in private ranches. We also evaluate the partnership between ecotourism and cattle ranchers, in which cattle losses induced by jaguars could be compensated by a system of voluntary donations from tourists, ensuring that both traditional livestock husbandry and ecotourism can co-exist within the same ranches, thereby promoting landscape-scale jaguar conservation.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Monica V. Biondo Millions of marine ornamental fishes are traded every year. Today, over half of the known nearly 4000 coral reef fish species are in trade with poor or no monitoring and demand is increasing. This study investigates their trade into and through Switzerland by analyzing import documents for live animals. In 2009, 151 import declarations with attached species lists for marine ornamental fishes from non-EU countries totaled 28 356 specimens. The 62% of the fishes remaining in Switzerland, comprised 440 marine species from 45 families, the rest transited to EU and non-EU countries. Despite the recognized large trade volume for the European region, due to bilateral agreements, no data is collected for imports from the EU. However, inferred data shows that more than 200 000 marine ornamental fishes could be imported into Switzerland every year and an unknown quantity re-exported. As biggest import region, it is therefore safe to assume, that the European region is importing at least as many marine ornamental fishes as the US. There is no adequate data-collecting system known to be in place in any country for monitoring this trade. The EU Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) to monitor animal diseases could be adjusted to gather compulsory information for the EU and Switzerland. More than half of the species imported into Switzerland are not assessed by the IUCN and therefore marked as ‘not evaluated’ on the Red List. Overall, 70% of all known coral reef fish species have not been evaluated. If coral reef fishes are threatened or endangered due to large, possibly unsustainable numbers traded, it may be rational to monitor the trade in these species through the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Janet E. Nichol, Sawaid Abbas, Gunter A. Fischer Landscape metrics have often been used to analyse the spatial dynamics of habitat fragmentation accompanying forest loss. However, there are few studies of the spatial dynamics of natural forest succession, especially over periods longer than the operational period of imaging satellites. This study applies spatial metrics to understand the spatial processes of a 70-year tropical secondary forest succession in Hong Kong, since World War 2. The highest rate of forest regeneration at 11% a year from 1989 to 2001 occurred when the landscape achieved greatest habitat diversity and juxtapositioning of habitat patches. This rapid regeneration occurred by infilling from remnant forest in adjacent valleys rather than by an advance along a broad forest front, and led to simplification of the landscape and declining habitat diversity. It was also accompanied by declines in species richness and abundance in regenerated forest patches. Thus both habitat and woody plant species diversity show a humped trend over the successional period as disconnected forest patches amalgamate, and shade-intolerant pioneers are shaded out by taller pioneers. From this point onwards, the birds of mixed habitats including bulbuls and hwamei known to disperse seed in the study area, may become less effective as forest patches consolidate, and only a few forest mammals remain. The observed improved connectivity within forest patches and reduced edge disturbances accompanying landscape simplification provide better conditions for dispersion within forest of light-intolerant climax species from the oldest, species-rich valley sites to the newly regenerated areas. However, in addition to the loss of forest dispersal agents, other natural dispersal agents such as gravity, flash floods and slope wash involving downward processes may be ineffective, as forest has regenerated upwards to higher elevations. Progression to a mature, biodiverse and stable forest ecosystem may depend on introduction of dispersal agents other than those which have operated over recent decades. Forest patches with high internal connectivity, indicated by high Mean radius of Gyration (MRG) and low Mean Perimeter-to-Area Ratio (MPAR) would appear to offer the best movement opportunities and least disturbance to such introductions.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Regina Célia da Silva Oliveira, Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque, Temóteo Luiz Lima da Silva, Washington Soares Ferreira Júnior, Leonardo da Silva Chaves, Elcida de Lima Araújo The impact of environmental changes is a major threat to livelihoods, especially for small farmers in semi-arid regions. Therefore, local communities undertake efforts to cope with these new environmental conditions and researchers try to understand the limits of possible adaptive strategies. Religiousness/spirituality are two important factors that can influence environmental awareness and adaptive responses to risks caused by natural phenomena. However, studies addressing the relationship between such factors are either scarce or based on anecdotal information. This article discusses the influence of religiousness/spirituality on the perception of environmental risks by farmers in a rural community in Brazil's northeast region, and their knowledge of adaptive strategies to deal with such concerns. Religiousness/spirituality can positively or negatively influence the perception of risk and knowledge of adaptive strategies when facing environmental uncertainty. We note that dimensions of religiousness/spirituality such as religious history, values/beliefs, commitment, and daily spiritual experiences influence wealth and the sharing of natural perceived risks, as well as adaptive strategies. Based on our results, we conclude that religiousness/spirituality dimensions exert both positive and negative effects on the perception of environmental risks and ways of coping with the impacts of rapid environmental changes.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Wei Guo, Guanghong Cao, Rui-Chang Quan Wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) is the most common native wildlife species causing crop damage in some regions of China. However, in Tropical East Asia, there is limited knowledge on wild boar ecology for application in management and policy decisions. To address this void, we examined wild boar sex-age class structure, group size and space use variation in the Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, Southwestern China, using 4 years of camera trap data. We found that the adult sex ratio was slightly skewed towards females, and that adults and subadults were the dominate age classes. The annual relative abundance for each age class exhibited a bimodal distribution pattern: the abundance of subadults and adults peaked in May and October, while the abundance of piglets peaked in June and October. Mean group sizes (1.6 ± 1.1) were smaller than the typical mean group of 4 individuals observed in Europe. The space use patterns differed by age class, with piglets preferring forest interior regions while adult males were active near the villages. As such, controlling the adult male population is the most direct way to address crop raiding concerns. On the other hand, protecting piglets would have beneficial effects as potential prey for rare carnivore species of conservation concern that are limited to reserve inner zones.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Namita Pragya, Navin Sharma, Asha E. Devnekar Growing concerns of energy security and climate change mitigation have led to new policy initiatives by many countries in the area of renewable energy. In the same direction, India’s National Policy on Biofuels has now allowed producers to directly sell biofuel to consumers. This is to ensure the minimum supply of biofuels in the domestic market and meet an “indicative target” of 20% blending for biofuels. This policy change will raise concerns about greenhouse gas emissions from land-use changes (LUC) that would be incurred by accelerated production of the biofuel feedstock. Efficacy of biofuel should be assessed by accounting for its potential LUC emissions. The conversion of land from its original state to an altered state for production of biofuels feedstocks, has been shown to emit direct greenhouse gases. Perennial tree species sequester carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and certain oil seed bearing perennial tree species can be grown on degraded wasteland and degraded cropland and can also be used to produce biofuels. Carbon dioxide emissions/saving potential from plantations of perennial tree species on degraded wasteland and degraded cropland were studied and results showed that these tree species had huge net CO 2 sequestration potential.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): B.R. Lamichhane, G.A. Persoon, H. Leirs, C.J.M. Musters, N. Subedi, K.P. Gairhe, C.P. Pokheral, S. Poudel, R. Mishra, M. Dhakal, J.L.D. Smith, H.H. de Iongh We analyzed characteristics of the problem-causing tigers in Chitwan National Park (Nepal) to determine if specific groups or individuals in the source population have higher probability to get involved in conflicts with humans. From 2007 to 2016 we identified a total of 22 such tigers including 13 that killed humans, six serial livestock killers and three tigers that threatened human safety (with no reported human and livestock casualty). Thirteen of these tigers were controlled or killed and four were relocated. We compared a subset of 15 ‘problem tigers’ involved in conflict between 2009 and 2013 with the Chitwan's tiger population obtained from three different sessions of camera trapping (2009, 2010 and 2013). We found that 〈5% of this source population (tigers recorded in camera trap) were involved in conflict. We conclude that transient tigers without a territory or physically impaired animals are more likely to be involved in conflict and recommend an early warning system be adopted to anticipate conflicts before they occur. This system should include regular monitoring and timely identification of problem tigers followed by decisive management action to either remove the tiger or encourage local people to modify their behavior to reduce the risk of conflict.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Henrik Svengren, Mike Prettejohn, Donald Bunge, Peter Fundi, Mats Björklund To assess the relatedness and amount of genetic variation of wild and captive Mountain Bongo Tragelaphus eurycerus ssp. isaaci , both non-invasive and invasive samples were efficiently analyzed using SNP’s. Mountain Bongo is estimated to remain in Kenyan forest with less than 96 individuals, possibly as low as 73 individuals, split in five subpopulations whereof four populations are isolated from each other. The genetic diversity of wild animals was studied using fecal samples, and using tissue samples from the 62 animals presently held captive at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy. In strategic conservation of the wild Mountain Bongo, the captive animals constitute a potential genetic input to wild populations. Our study shows there is still genetic variation in the wild population and that the subpopulations are to some extent genetically differentiated. This leads to an overall effective population size of around 14 in the wild population, which is good relative to the small population, but dangerously small for long-term, or even short-term, survival. Most individuals in the wild population were unrelated, while in the captive population most individuals were related at the level of half-sibs. The captive population still host genetic variation and is differentiated slightly to the wild population. Careful restocking from the captive populations could be an effective means to enhance the genetic variation in the wild, but most importantly make the dwindling population less vulnerable to stochastic events.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Courtney L. Morgans, Angela M. Guerrero, Marc Ancrenaz, Erik Meijaard, Kerrie A. Wilson In conservation, Collaboration is thought to improve returns from investment and is frequently encouraged, however not all collaborations are equal and may therefore lack characteristics important for addressing collective action problems. Furthermore, partnerships that are advantageous for a collective may not necessarily be advantageous for an individual. This study investigated collaboration within the Bornean orangutan ( Pongo pygmaeus ) conservation sector – a system with reported inefficiencies and for which there has been a renewed call for collaborative partnerships. Collaborative partnerships were conceptualised as a social network and analysed using exponential random graph modelling. The prevalence of structural attributes associated with social processes considered to be important for solving collective action problems such as trust and innovation were investigated. Qualitative surveying techniques were used to measure the perceptions of collaboration held by individual actors within the network and the impact of organizational attributes on network formation and perceptions was assessed. Collaboration was found to be occurring within the conservation network and was positively perceived at the individual organisational level. At the collective level, the current collaborative network contains some structural characteristics important for addressing the collective-action problem of orangutan conservation, particularly through innovation and knowledge sharing. However efforts to develop trust between organisations may be needed. To improve returns on investment, future collaborative partnerships must be strategically implemented with individual roles and desired overall outcomes explicitly articulated. Increased operational transparency and improved performance evaluation will be critical for achieving improved collaborative efficiency.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): L. Tingstad, I. Gjerde, A. Dahlberg, J.A. Grytnes National Red Lists are widely used prioritizing tools for nature conservation. However, status and trends of species vary with scale, and accounting for a larger spatial scale may provide complementary perspectives for nature conservation. We investigate effects of up-scaling and influence of wider-scale distribution patterns for composition of Red Lists. We collated nationally red-listed forest species in Norway, Sweden and Finland, and extracted “Candidates for a Fennoscandian Red List” (CFRL), defined as species red-listed where they appear in the region. For each country, we compared composition of organism groups and forest type associations of species that were national CFRL to the nationally red-listed species not CFRL. European distribution patterns were compared to investigate how broader-scale distribution is reflected in national Red Lists. Among the 4830 nationally red-listed forest species in Fennoscandia, 58% were CFRL. The fraction of species in the different forest type and species groups differed significantly between the two spatial scales for several groups, although the overall differences in composition were relatively small. Red-listed species had more confined distribution patterns, suggesting that many nationally red-listed species owe their status to being at the edge of their distribution range. An up-scaling had a large effect on which species designated to a Red List, but a relatively small impact on which organism groups or forest types that contained most red-listed species. A regional perspective generated by compilation of national Red Lists can give valuable complementary information on the status of species and effects of scale.

Description: Publication date: Available online 22 September 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation Author(s): M. Abdul Aziz, Simon Tollington, Adam Barlow, Christina Greenwood, John M. Goodrich, Olutolani Smith, Mohammad Shamsuddoha, M. Anwarul Islam, Jim J. Groombridge Population density is a key parameter to monitor endangered carnivores in the wild. The photographic capture-recapture method has been widely used for decades to monitor tigers, Panthera tigris , however the application of this method in the Sundarbans tiger landscape is challenging due to logistical difficulties. Therefore, we carried out molecular analyses of DNA contained in non-invasively collected genetic samples to assess the tiger population in the Bangladesh Sundarbans within a spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) framework. By surveying four representative sample areas totalling 1994 km 2 of the Bangladesh Sundarbans, we collected 440 suspected tiger scat and hair samples. Genetic screening of these samples provided 233 authenticated tiger samples, which we attempted to amplify at 10 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci. Of these, 105 samples were successfully amplified, representing 45 unique genotype profiles. The capture-recapture analyses of these unique genotypes within the SECR model provided a density estimate of 2.85 ± SE 0.44 tigers/100 km 2 (95% CI: 1.99–3.71 tigers/100 km 2 ) for the area sampled, and an estimate of 121 tigers (95% CI: 84–158 tigers) for the total area of the Bangladesh Sundarbans. We demonstrate that this non-invasive genetic surveillance can be an additional approach for monitoring tiger populations in a landscape where camera-trapping is challenging.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Conor P. McGowan, Nathan Allan, Jeff Servoss, Shaula Hedwall, Brian Wooldridge Assessment of a species' status is a key part of management decision making for endangered and threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Predicting the future state of the species is an essential part of species status assessment, and projection models can play an important role in developing predictions. We built a stochastic simulation model that incorporated parametric and environmental uncertainty to predict the probable future status of the Sonoran desert tortoise in the southwestern United States and North Central Mexico. Sonoran desert tortoise was a Candidate species for listing under the Endangered Species Act, and decision makers wanted to use model predictions in their decision making process. The model accounted for future habitat loss and possible effects of climate change induced droughts to predict future population growth rates, abundances, and quasi-extinction probabilities. Our model predicts that the population will likely decline over the next few decades, but there is very low probability of quasi-extinction less than 75 years into the future. Increases in drought frequency and intensity may increase extinction risk for the species. Our model helped decision makers predict and characterize uncertainty about the future status of the species in their listing decision. We incorporated complex ecological processes (e.g., climate change effects on tortoises) in transparent and explicit ways tailored to support decision making processes related to endangered species.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Chika Egawa Knowledge regarding the seed dispersal of alien species is crucial to manage invasion risk in fragmented natural habitats. Focusing on wind dispersal, this study assessed the spatial and quantitative extents to which a remnant natural fen receives the seeds of alien species dispersed from adjacent hay meadows in Hokkaido, northern Japan. I established a total of 80 funnel seed traps in the fen at distances of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, and 100 m from the meadows. The proportion of alien species in the seed rain at each distance was quantified, and the 99th-percentile dispersal distance from the meadows was estimated for each alien species by constructing dispersal kernels. Despite the presence of a marginal ditch and an elevational difference between the fen and the meadows, five alien species, including four grasses that do not have modified seed structures for wind dispersal, dispersed their seeds into the fen. These alien species accounted for up to 65.9% of the seed rain in terms of quantity. The 99th-percentile dispersal distances of the alien species ranged from 3.8 m to 309.3 m, and these distances were longer than the values predicted on the basis of their functional traits, such as terminal velocity. The results of this study demonstrated that numerous seeds of farmland-derived alien species were transported into the remnant vegetation via wind dispersal, and that simple predictions of dispersal distance based on functional traits could underestimate the potential area that alien species can reach. Continuous management both in farmland (to reduce seed escape) and in remnant vegetation (to prevent the establishment of alien species) is necessary to protect native vegetation from biological invasion in agricultural landscapes.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Carol Esson, Johan Michaux, Örjan Johansson, Jonas Malmsten, Purevjav Lkhagvajav, Gustaf Samelius Detailed information on the distribution and abundance of animals is often difficult to establish for rare and elusive species. Here we report on genetic analyses confirming the presence of the Kam dwarf hamster 500 km north of its known distribution in China where it was earlier thought to be endemic. Our finding was made during a study on disease ecology in southern Mongolia and illustrates the benefit of genetic approaches when studying rare and elusive species or species that are either difficult to identify or do not elicit public or scientific attention. We suggest that larger ranges than currently known may be a common pattern for a number of rare and elusive species because of ineffective survey methods and lack of sampling effort.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Tom P. Moorhouse, Neil C. D'Cruze, David W. Macdonald Many wildlife tourist attractions (WTAs) have negative impacts on animal welfare and species conservation. In the absence of regulation, raising standards requires tourists to create market pressure by discerning the likely impacts of WTAs, and choosing to attend those with benefits. We created a novel, experimental survey to examine whether priming tourists to engage with the ethical dimension of their choice of WTA may stimulate them to prefer WTAs that are beneficial for wildlife. Our experimental survey comprised 10 mock webpages, mimicking promotional materials for existing types of WTA, five designed to represent beneficial (“good”), and five detrimental (“bad”) WTAs. WTAs were presented in random order via an online platform to 3224 respondents - 1614 Chinese in China, and 1610 English speakers in Australia, Canada, UK, and USA - who rated their preference for each. Prior to the survey 1610 respondents, stratified by country, were “primed” by asking them introductory questions about WTAs’ likely impacts. Primed English-speaking respondents were a mean of 4.1 times more likely to select lower likelihoods of attending bad WTAs, compared with control (unprimed) respondents. Priming had a smaller effect on Chinese respondents, making them 1.5 times more likely to select lower likelihoods of attending bad WTAs. Priming made all respondents more likely to select high likelihoods of attending good WTAs, but the effect was larger for Chinese respondents (2.0 times more likely) than English-speaking respondents (1.2 times more likely). After the survey respondents were shown ratings of each WTAs’ welfare and conservation impacts, and asked to re-assess each WTA. English speaking respondents were 5–13 times more likely to select lower likelihoods of attending bad WTAs after seeing the ratings, while Chinese respondents were 3–4 times more likely to do so. We conclude that respondents were able to discern beneficial from detrimental WTAs, and preferred beneficial WTAs when primed to consider the likely impacts of WTAs on wildlife conservation and animal welfare, but that the effect of priming was smaller for Chinese respondents. We recommend prominently hosting accurate information on the likely impacts of WTAs in the fora in which tourists are making their decisions, to direct tourist revenue away from WTAs with poor standards, and towards those that improve individuals’ welfare, and/or support species conservation. Graphical abstract

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): E.A. Macdonald, A. Hinks, D.J. Weiss, A. Dickman, D. Burnham, C.J. Sandom, Y. Malhi, D.W. Macdonald Conservation relies heavily on external funding, much of it from a supportive public. Therefore it is important to know which species are most likely to catalyse such funding. Whilst previous work has looked at the physical attributes that contribute to a species' appeal, no previous studies have tried to examine the extent to which a species' sympatriots might contribute to it's potential as flagship for wider conservation. Therefore, here we estimate ‘flexibility’ and ‘appeal’ scores for all terrestrial mammals (n = 4320) and identify which of these might serve as ambassadors (defined as both highly appealing and flexible). Relatively few mammals (between 240 and 331) emerged as ambassadors, with carnivores featuring heavily in this group (representing 5% of terrestrial mammals but 39% of ambassadors). ‘Top ambassadors’ were defined as those with both flexibility and appeal scores greater than 1 standard deviation above the mean. Less than a quarter of the 20 most endangered and evolutionary distinct species in this study were classed as ambassadors, highlighting the need for surrogate species to catalyse conservation effort in areas with such priority species. This is the first global analysis bringing together flexibility and appeal for all terrestrial mammals, and demonstrates an approach for determining how best to market species in order to achieve maximal conservation gain in a world with urgent conservation need but limited resources.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Alice Fournier, Morgane Barbet-Massin, Quentin Rome, Franck Courchamp Species Distribution Models (SDMs) are often used to predict the potential range of invasive species. Unfortunately, most studies do not evaluate variables relevance before selecting them to fit their models. Moreover, multiple variables such as climate and land use may drive species distribution at different spatial scales but most studies either use a single type of drivers, or combine multiple types without respecting their operating scale. We propose a three steps framework to overcome this limitation. First, use SDMs to select the most relevant climatic variables to predict a given species distribution, at continental scale. Then, characterize the species-habitat relationships, at a local scale, to produce species and area specific habitat filters. Finally, combine both information, each obtained at a relevant scale, to refine climatic predictions according to habitat suitability. We illustrate this framework with 14,794 Asian hornet ( Vespa velutina nigrithorax ) records. We show that integrating multiple drivers, while still respecting their scale of effect, produced a potential range 55.9% smaller than that predicted using the climatic model alone, suggesting a systematic overestimation in many published predictions. This general framework illustrated by a well-documented invasive species is applicable to other taxa and scenarios of future climate and land-cover changes.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Hong-Min Hao, Ze Huang, Rong Lu, Chao Jia, Yu Liu, Bing-Ru Liu, Gao-Lin Wu Spatial point-pattern analysis can give insights to the underlying processes of patch succession and restoration. It is unclear whether inter-shrub competition determines patch succession. In this paper, we assessed the spatial patterns along patch succession using spatial statistics such as univariate and bivariate O -ring statistics, in the water-wind erosion crisscross region in semi-arid ecosystems of the Loess Plateau. Point pattern analysis results showed that there were no significant difference in three positions of the slope. The small and middle shrub patches were aggregatedly distributed in small spatial scale, meanwhile the large shrub patches were regularly distributed and dead shrub patches were randomly distributed. The small shrub patches were respectively aggregated to the middle and large patches at fine scales. Competition-induced regular distribution or negative relationship becomes obvious when analyzing the shift towards less aggregated perceptible effect of competition, a time component should always be included in spatial pattern-based inference of competition. Our results revealed that regular, clumped and random shrub patch patterns could occur, pending on size of shrub patches, and the shrub patches are distributed in different ways and they can present variant spatial point pattern features along patch size succession.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Aditya Hutama, Hadi Dahruddin, Frédéric Busson, Sopian Sauri, Philippe Keith, Renny Kurnia Hadiaty, Robert Hanner, Bambang Suryobroto, Nicolas Hubert Delineating Evolutionary Significant Units for conservation purposes is a crucial step in conservation. Across a distribution range, species frequently display population structure that drives the distribution of genetic diversity. These patterns of genetic structure and diversity result from intricate interactions between biogeographic history and demographic dynamics. Prior biogeographic knowledge, however, is scarcely available, a trend particularly pronounced in the tropics where the taxonomic impediment is hampering biogeographic studies and conservation efforts. DNA barcoding has been initially proposed to foster taxonomic studies through the development of an automated molecular system of species identification. While its utility for species identification is increasingly acknowledged, its usefulness for fast and large-scale delineation of ESU remains to be explored. If proved to be useful for that purpose, DNA barcoding may also open new perspectives in conservation by quickly providing preliminary information about population conservation status. The present study aims at assessing the utility of DNA barcoding for the delineation of ESUs among the most common freshwater fish species of Java and Bali through the comparison of population genetic structures and diversification patterns across multiple species. Substantial levels of cryptic diversity are discovered among the three widely distributed freshwater fish species analyzed with a total of 21 evolutionary independent mitochondrial lineages (BINs) observed in Barbodes binotatus , Channa gachua and Glyptothorax platypogon . The maximum genetic distance for each coalescent tree ranges from 6.78 to 7.76 K2P genetic distances for C. gachua and G. platypogon , respectively. Diversification and population genetic analyses support a scenario of allopatric differentiation. The analysis of the BINs spatial distribution indicates concordant distribution patterns among the three species that allow identifying 18 ESUs. Implications for the conservation genetics of these species are discussed at the light of the history of the region.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Behara Satyanarayana, Tom Van der Stocken, Guillaume Rans, Kodikara Arachchilage Sunanda Kodikara, Gaétane Ronsmans, Loku Pulukkuttige Jayatissa, Mohd-Lokman Husain, Nico Koedam, Farid Dahdouh-Guebas Since the Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 December 2004, there have been continuous efforts to upgrade the (tsunami) early warning systems as well as their accessibility in local and regional places in South and Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, the protection offered by coastal vegetation like mangroves to the people, property and physical landscape was also recognized and prioritized by both public and private authorities at various governance levels. As more than 90% of the Sri Lankan coastline is vulnerable to water-related impacts and existing bioshields like mangroves are potentially able to protect less than one-third of it, if at all they are in good condition, an attempt was made to build knowledge on the other potential natural barriers along the coast. In this context, a ca. 2 km belt of the entire coast was digitized, classified and assessed for vulnerability in relation to the existing land-use/cover. First, a visually interpreted land-use/cover map comprising 16 classes was developed using Google Earth imagery (Landsat-5, 2003). Second, based on the Global Digital Elevation Model data from the ASTER satellite, the land-use/cover map was further re-classified for elevation demarcation into waterless, run-up and flooded areas. And finally, both vulnerable and less vulnerable areas were identified by taking into account the average wave heights that the 2004 tsunami reached in the country (North: 5.5 m, South: 7 m, East: 5 m and West: 3.75 m). Among the selected areas studied, Jaffna and Kaluvanchikudy-Komari are found to be vulnerable and, Trincomalee, Yala and Puttalam are less vulnerable. While vulnerability was largely associated with the conditions devoid of natural barriers, the less vulnerable areas had mangroves, Casuarina , dense vegetation and/or sand dunes as land cover, all of which might prove effective against ocean surges. However, these land cover types should never be considered as providing full protection against the type of threats that can be expected. As the present study provides only base-line information on island-wide vulnerability of areas to water-related impacts, further investigation and validation along similar research lines are needed to establish a blueprint for future preparedness.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Jeff R. Troy, Nick D. Holmes, Joseph A. Veech, André F. Raine, M. Clay Green The endangered Hawaiian petrel ( Pterodroma sandwichensis ) is endemic to the main Hawaiian Islands and has undergone a breeding range contraction since the arrival of humans. Using abiotic and biotic environmental variables, we developed a terrestrial habitat suitability model for the species on the island of Kauai based on contemporary sites where the species is known (or strongly suspected) to nest, as well as a habitat/threat-isolation index that combined predictions from this suitability model with spatial information on two anthropogenic threats to the species. After accounting for large-scale relative spatial positioning of sites in modeling procedures, the habitat suitability model suggests that the probability that a location on Kauai could be suitable for Hawaiian petrel nesting activity increases with increasing mean annual wind speed, and may also increase somewhat with increasing slope and native vegetation cover. The habitat suitability model (which does not incorporate spatial information on anthropogenic threats to the species) predicts approximately 74 km 2 of Kauai, mostly in the interior of the island, as being potentially suitable with predicted probability > 0.7 for Hawaiian petrel terrestrial activity, and about 35 km 2 with predicted probability > 0.9. Encouragingly, almost 50 km 2 of land with predicted probability > 0.7 and almost 24 km 2 with predicted probability > 0.9 is currently protected, being located on either government or private reserve land. Based on the habitat/threat-isolation index, most land predicted to be both suitable (based on environmental variables) and as isolated from threats as a large number of the known contemporary Hawaiian petrel sites, is found in government and private reserves. Some degree of predicted habitat overlap between the Hawaiian petrel and Newell’s shearwater ( Puffinus newelli ), another Hawaiian seabird of conservation concern, suggests that some of the same larger tracts of land could potentially be managed jointly for both species, as currently done in Upper Limahuli Preserve and Hono O Na Pali Natural Area Reserve on Kauai.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Antica Culina, Danielle M. Linton, David W. Macdonald 1. Bats are the second largest mammalian Order and important providers of ecosystem services including insect pest control, pollination and seed dispersal. Yet, the lack of basic information on their demographic rates hampers detecting changes in population trends, and thus conservation efforts. 2. The elusive life-styles, that leads to imperfect and biased detection, limits the quantity of individually based information as well as the extent to which information can be utilised to assess accurate and unbiased demographic rates. 3. We overcome the problem of imperfect and biased detection using a multilevel capture-mark-recapture framework to produce robust estimates of survival during hibernation period, and to evaluate the effect of age, sex, social group, and external weather factors on survival and capture heterogeneity in three vespertilionid species ( Myotis daubentonii , M. nattereri , and Plecotus auritus ) from the same woodland community. 4. While controlling for emigration and for the species-specific roosting group structure, we show that females survive better than males in two species, and that adults survive better than juveniles in all species - these survival differences being species-specific. Only one external environmental factor (average summer temperature) explained a substantial proportion of the between-year variation in M. daubentonii survival. 5. Our study provides, for the first time, a robust estimate of annual survival in bats. We advocate careful attention to possible sources of biases when studying survival rates in the wild, considering species-specific life-history and population-specific features. Considering these factors that influence wider community responses to environmental conditions is important for the effective conservation management of an area.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Roxanne E. Graham, Lucia M. Fanning The effects of climate change and marine invasive species have posed a major threat to significant ecological, aesthetic, economic and amenity value to the countries and territories of the Wider Caribbean Region. Today, the Caribbean Sea is plagued with the invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) . As the range and abundance of the lionfish throughout the Caribbean has grown, recognition of the grave threat it poses to the native marine ecosystems has prompted the development of lionfish management plans across the region. The efforts of eight countries in the region to manage lionfish are evaluated using the US Environmental Protection Agency Aquatic Invasive Species framework and the inclusion of climate change and/or changing conditions. The countries and overseas territories evaluated were Anguilla, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Grenada, St. Eustatius, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the US Virgin Islands. Although specific strategies differed amongst the islands depending upon needs, culture, and individual circumstances, most of the plans included aspects of education and outreach, control and monitoring protocols, and research and information management. Areas that were found to be notably weak to nonexistent included leadership, prevention, early detection and rapid response and restoration; This comparative analysis provides opportunities for knowledge sharing and intra- and inter-country cooperation, facilitating the transfer and development of interventions that contribute to the conservation of significant island biodiversity.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): L.Y. Rutledge, A. Coxon, B.N. White The San Clemente loggerhead shrike ( Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi ) is an endangered species endemic to San Clemente Island in California. Previous genetic analyses of the California shrike populations have had mixed results due to small sample sizes and/or few genetic markers. Here we present a rigorous analysis of 381 historical and contemporary California shrike samples genotyped at 11 new polymorphic microsatellite loci and the mitochondrial DNA control region. Our results suggest generally high genetic diversity in all populations and that loggerhead shrikes on San Clemente Island are genetically differentiated from both the Mainland and other island populations. Bayesian clustering suggests primarily three genetically differentiated populations: (1) Mainland, (2) San Clemente Island, and (3) the islands of Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa. Historically, however, the San Clemente Island shrike cluster closely with the Santa Catalina Island population, suggesting historical gene flow between these populations. A Bayesian phylogeny of common mtDNA haplotypes across North America reveals two primary clades and a general division between western and eastern populations. Geographic patterns suggest maternal gene flow from mainland to the islands but not vice versa. These results indicate that the captive breeding program has been successful at maintaining genetic diversity in the San Clemente Island shrike population, but that allele frequencies have shifted significantly over the past 100 years. Overall, our results suggest the San Clemente shrike ( L. l. mearnsi ) is a validated subspecies that is morphologically and genetically distinct, and that ongoing conservation efforts are justified.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Xian Wang, Qiong Gao, Chao Wang, Mei Yu Changes in vegetation phenology due to global climate change directly impact the dynamic balance of terrestrial carbon and nutrients and the biodiversity pattern, and send feedbacks to climate system. It is crucial to understand spatiotemporal patterns and mechanisms of vegetation phenology change and their relationship with climatic change. In this paper, we quantified the spatiotemporal patterns of start and end of growing season for seven vegetation types in Northeast China Transect (NECT) and North–South Transect of East China (NSTEC) during 2001–2013 using MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). The integral of EVI during growing season was also calculated as an additional phenological index. We then proceeded to analyze the relationship between the three phenological metrics and climate variables including daytime and nighttime temperature and precipitation. To study the temporal phenological trend of deciduous broadleaved forest in northeast China, we identified stands of deciduous broadleaved forest without land cover changes during 2001–2013 and derived the slopes of temporal changes in phenological metrics. Regression was applied to quantify the relationship between phenological trends and trends of climate variables. The vegetation types along the two transects in eastern China have distinctly different phenological characteristics and the strength of climate modulations on phenology varies among vegetation types. The study of temporal trend of phenological changes of the deciduous broadleaved forest in northeast China revealed that nighttime temperature is the most important driver. Increasing in nighttime temperature in spring tends to advance the start of growing season, while increasing in nighttime temperature during growing season tends to delay the growing season. Cold daytime prior to growing season also favors advanced start of growing season. On the other hand, summer nighttime temperature tends to bring down, whereas precipitation tends to enhance, the maximum EVI and hence the EVI integral as the latter is mostly determined by maximum EVI and to a less extent by length of growing season.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Donnette Thayer, Jonathan L.W. Ruppert, Doug Watkinson, Terry Clayton, Mark S. Poesch The relationship between species’ size and home range size has been well studied. In practice, home range may provide a good surrogate of broad spatial coverage needed for species conservation, however, many species can show restricted movement during critical life stages, such as breeding and over-wintering. This suggests the existence of either a behavioral or habitat mediated ‘temporal bottleneck,’ where restricted or sedentary movement can make populations more susceptible to harm during specific life stages. Here, we study over-winter movement and habitat use of Lake Sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ), the largest freshwater fish in North America. We monitored over-winter movement of 86 fish using a hydro-acoustic receiver array in the South Saskatchewan River, Canada. Overall, 20 fish remained within our study system throughout the winter. Lake Sturgeon showed strong aggregation and sedentary movement over-winter, demonstrating a temporal bottleneck. Movement was highly restricted during ice-on periods (ranging from 0.9 km/day in November and April to 0.2 km/day in mid-November to mid-March), with Lake Sturgeon seeking deeper, slower pools. We also show that Lake Sturgeon have strong aggregation behavior, where distance to conspecifics decreased (from 575 to 313 m) in preparation for and during ice-on periods. Although the Lake Sturgeon we studied had access to 1100 kilometers of unfragmented riverine habitat, we show that during the over-winter period Lake Sturgeon utilized a single, deep pool (〈0.1% of available habitat). The temporal discrepancy between mobile and sedentary behaviors in Lake Sturgeon suggest adaptive management is needed with more localized focus during periods of temporal bottlenecks, even for large-bodied species.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Risto Juvaste, Elena Arriero, Anna Gagliardo, Richard Holland, Markku J. Huttunen, Inge Mueller, Kasper Thorup, Martin Wikelski, Juhani Hannila, Maija-Liisa Penttinen, Ralf Wistbacka In contrast to many other gull species, nominate lesser black-backed gulls ( Larus fuscus fuscus , nLBBG) have shown generally decreasing population trends throughout their breeding area in northern and eastern Fennoscandia over the past decades and are now red-listed. Interspecific competition, predation, increased disturbance, organochlorine poisoning and food shortages were suggested as main reasons for the overall decrease. Here we contribute to a better understanding of population declines by comparing foraging movements of satellite tracked adult gulls in three geographical areas of Finland (West, South, and East) that differ in their population trends. Our analysis examines potential differences and preferences in the feeding site behaviour of adult gulls. Our comparison of the three geographical areas showed that nLBBGs preferred feeding at fur farms in West Finland, waste dumps in South Finland, and lakes and fields in East Finland. We found individual gulls of this purportedly generalist species to be highly specialised in their foraging behaviour, particularly those that might be associated with their survival probabilities. We hypothesise that differences in foraging behaviour and food availability during the breeding season are partially responsible for differences in demographic trends between populations. Specifically, we identify potential local conservation problems such as shooting in birds visiting fur farms. Our data suggest that the effective conservation and management of endangered nLBBGs could be aided by simple actions in the breeding areas in addition to better protection throughout the annual movement cycle.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Helen R. Taylor, Nicolas Dussex, Yolanda van Heezik Despite its recognised importance for species’ persistence, integrating genetics into conservation management has proved problematic, creating a “conservation genetics gap”, which could widen with the advent of advanced genomic techniques. Bridging this gap requires a clear understanding of the barriers to use of genetics by conservation practitioners, but few (if any) papers on this topic involve direct consultation with practitioners themselves. We surveyed 148 conservation practitioners in New Zealand’s Department of Conservation regarding their attitude to, knowledge of, and experiences with genetics for conservation. Although practitioners were largely receptive to using genetics for conservation management, access to expertise and funding remains a barrier to use. Practitioners would like to collaborate with geneticists at universities or other institutes, but do not necessarily know who to talk to or fully understand how genetics might benefit them. We contend these barriers or similar likely exist at an international level, suggest ways they might be overcome, and emphasise the need for clearer communication between geneticists and practitioners.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Richard T. Corlett Seed dispersal is a key process in plant communities and frugivory is very important in vertebrate communities. This paper updates a review of frugivory and seed dispersal by vertebrates in the Oriental Region (tropical and subtropical Asia) published in 1998. The major conclusions remain the same. Small fruits are consumed by a wide range of potential seed dispersal agents, including species that thrive in small forest fragments and degraded landscapes. Larger and larger-seeded fruits are consumed by progressively fewer dispersers, and the largest depend on a few species of mammals and birds which are highly vulnerable to hunting, fragmentation, and habitat loss. Controlling hunting in both forest areas and the agricultural matrix must be a top priority for conservation. A lot more natural history information has been added to the literature since 1998. This reinforces previous evidence for the importance of hornbills, bulbuls, elephants, gibbons, civets, and fruit bats in seed dispersal, and suggests that the roles of green pigeons, macaques, rodents, bears, and deer were previously underestimated. The taxa for which additional natural history observations would be most valuable include fish, pheasants, pigeons, babblers, rodents, and even-toed ungulates. For other animal taxa, future frugivory and seed dispersal studies need to focus more on the fitness consequences for both the plants and the animals.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Ulrich Zeller, Nicole Starik, Thomas Göttert Here, we introduce a concept that addresses the complex interrelations between land use and biodiversity by applying an organismic and comparative approach towards grassland ecosystems in southern Africa and temperate Europe. While the natural savannas of southern Africa evolved millions of years ago, cultural grasslands in Europe emerged as a result of intensifying agriculture only a few hundred years ago. A unique feature of recent African ecosystems is the high original megafaunal species diversity (taxa existing prior to Pleistocene extinctions). European ecosystems have been shaped by humans and the original megafaunal species diversity is clearly reduced. Similar to the situation in southern Africa today, large herbivores also created a cyclic habitat mosaic in Europe during the last interglacial. The depleted herbivore community in Europe during the early Holocene was no longer able to maintain this cyclic succession. This resulted in a more uniform and dense vegetation type – a process that can be currently witnessed in Africa in bush encroachment. The comparative approach considers further strong natural and cultural linkages between Europe and Africa, such as biogeographical relations between continents, faunistic similarities during the late Pleistocene, the Afro-Palearctic bird migration system or the domestication history of European and African cattle. Our approach is based on the assumption that comparative investigations of response patterns under different ecological conditions lead to a better understanding of the common interrelations between land use and biodiversity. It deals with the central question, whether ecosystems respond in a similar way to disturbances. Biodiversity response patterns in relatively undisturbed savanna ecosystems might be a valuable reference for Europe, e.g. in terms of increasing aridity in Europe in the future. The comparative approach requires a careful selection of primary taxa. Special focus is on the use of terrestrial small mammals as ecological indicators. The approach further focuses on human–wildlife interactions. The emergence of top predators in Europe reveals the value of the experience from Africa, where pastoralists manage to coexist with large predators since millennia. The investigation of African grasslands enables a critical reflection and a thorough understanding of processes, which have occurred a long time ago in Europe. Our approach leads to a revaluation of the significance of Africa in terms of a conservative, relict case scenario that can provide essential insights into the original situation of ecosystems, especially in view of “rewilding” approaches in Europe. Thereby, the approach leads to a careful consideration of the term “wilderness”.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Nazimur Rahman Talukdar, Parthankar Choudhury Wildlife plays an important role in maintaining the balance of various natural processes of the earth. It contributes to food security, economical growth, pollination, seed dispersal for forest regeneration. The present study was carried out at Patharia Hills Reserve Forest (RF) of southern Assam (India) with the aim to study the wildlife distribution, species trend over time and various threats to them. Semi-structure interview and secondary literature were used during the study; 83 species of mammals were found to inhabit RF. Unfortunately, the wildlife of the RF are facing numerous threats, largely due to clearing of forest, encroachment, collection of timber and non-timber forest products, habitat loss and fragmentation. People are of the opinion that the RF is their common property which they can exploit as their wish. The study revealed the wildlife distribution and the various threats, which is the basic challenge for the conservation. Multi-action approaches for the benefit of villagers as well as wildlife are suggested. Elevating the status of the RF may be a vital solution to protect the RF in a better way.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Qing Wang, Wen-Bin Guan, Michelle Hang Gi Wong, Sailesh Ranjitkar, Wei-Na Sun, Yao Pan, Yousry A. El-Kassaby, Li-Xin Shen Species–area relationship has been widely addressed on many plant communities, but very few have conducted on epiphytic communities. Epiphytic plants are plentiful on ancient tea trees ( Camelia sinensis var. assamica) in the well-known Jingmai tea plantation area, Langcang region of Yunnan Province, SW China, and add to the plant community biodiversity. We investigated 343 tea trees with various ground diameter, canopy area, under branch height, and tree height. A total of 146 vascular epiphytic plants, belonging to 19 species in seven families were recorded from the trunk or branches of 93 (27.11%) investigated trees. We examined in situ abundance, richness, and diversity (Shannon–Weiner index) of the recorded vascular epiphytes, and their relationships to tree variables. Our results showed that the distribution (abundance, richness, and diversity) of epiphytic plants are significantly related to the canopy area ( p 〈 0 . 05 ) and basal diameter ( p 〈 0 . 0001 ) of tea trees, supporting their use as key factors and good predictor for the epiphyte’s appearance in this type of agro-ecosystems. We also concluded that the species–area relationship is a useful epiphytic species community research tool.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Aili Qin, Bo Liu, Quanshui Guo, Rainer W. Bussmann, Fanqiang Ma, Zunji Jian, Gexi Xu, Shunxiang Pei Objectives Detailed and reliable information about the spatial distribution of species provides important information for species conservation management, especially in the case of rare species of conservation interest. We aimed to study the consequences of climate change on geographical distributions of the tertiary rare tree species Thuja sutchuenensis Franch. (Cupressaceae) to provide reference for conservation management of this species, including priority area selection for introduction and cultivation of the species. We expect that this approach could be promising in predicting the potential distribution of other rare tree species, and as such can be an effective tool in rare tree species restoration and conservation planning, especially species with narrow distribution or raw presence-only occurrence data. Methods 107 records covering the whole distribution range of T. sutchuenensis in the Daba Mountains were obtained during a 3-year field survey. The principle of maximum entropy (Maxent) was used to model the species’ potential distribution area under paleoclimate, current and future climate background. Results The Maxent model was highly accurate with a statistically significant AUC value of 0.998, which is higher than 0.5 of a null model; The location of the potential distribution for the last interglacial period is in southeastern China, with the largest optimal habitat area being only 1666 km 2 . In other periods, the central location of the potential distribution is accordant with the real present distribution, but the model’s predicted optimal habitat area is outside the current distribution. Conclusions Our findings can be applied in various ways such as the identification of additional localities where T. sutchuenensis may already exist, but has not yet been detected; the recognition of localities where it is likely to spread to; the priority selection area for introduction and cultivation and the conservation management of such rare tree species.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Peter A. Lindsey, Guillaume Chapron, Lisanne S. Petracca, Dawn Burnham, Matthew W. Hayward, Philipp Henschel, Amy E. Hinks, Stephen T. Garnett, David W. Macdonald, Ewan A. Macdonald, William J. Ripple, Kerstin Zander, Amy Dickman Surprisingly little attention has been paid to variation among countries in contributions to conservation. As a first step, we developed a Megafauna Conservation Index (MCI) that assesses the spatial, ecological and financial contributions of 152 nations towards conservation of the world’s terrestrial megafauna. We chose megafauna because they are particularly valuable in economic, ecological and societal terms, and are challenging and expensive to conserve. We categorised these 152 countries as being above- or below-average performers based on whether their contribution to megafauna conservation was higher or lower than the global mean; ‘major’ performers or underperformers were those whose contribution exceeded 1 SD over or under the mean, respectively. Ninety percent of countries in North/Central America and 70% of countries in Africa were classified as major or above-average performers, while approximately one-quarter of countries in Asia (25%) and Europe (21%) were identified as major underperformers. We present our index to emphasise the need for measuring conservation performance, to help nations identify how best they could improve their efforts, and to present a starting point for the development of more robust and inclusive measures (noting how the IUCN Red List evolved over time). Our analysis points to three approaches that countries could adopt to improve their contribution to global megafauna conservation, depending on their circumstances: (1) upgrading or expanding their domestic protected area networks, with a particular emphasis on conserving large carnivore and herbivore habitat, (2) increase funding for conservation at home or abroad, or (3) ‘rewilding’ their landscapes. Once revised and perfected, we recommend publishing regular conservation rankings in the popular media to recognise major-performers, foster healthy pride and competition among nations, and identify ways for governments to improve their performance.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Mingxia Zhang, Ana Gouveia, Tao Qin, Ruichang Quan, Vincent Nijman The northern Myanmar region has been identified as a potential transit and source place for the illegal trade of pangolins and their scales. In this study, we surveyed the trade links between Kachin State (northern Myanmar) and China and Kachin and India based on interviews, market surveys and online seizure data. From our results we cannot extrapolate that there is a link between Myanmar and India. Based on the results from interviews (17 of 38), we found that around 140–168 pangolins/year are smuggled into China via three different routes from Kachin to China. Scales are the most traded parts of pangolins in this part of Myanmar. Based on the online sources, 30 seizures of pangolin and their products were made on the Kachin–China route during 2010–2016, with all seizures made on the Chinese side of the border. We thus, recommend an increase in law enforcement on the Myanmar side, with focused effort at identifying trade hubs and deterring wholesalers. We further suggest investigating possible trade links between Kachin and other source areas. We recommend, a reclassification of the pangolins’ protection status in China from a Class II to a Class I Key Protected Species, and the prohibition of the use of pangolins’ scales for Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Description: Publication date: January 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 9

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Petteri Vihervaara, Ari-Pekka Auvinen, Laura Mononen, Markus Törmä, Petri Ahlroth, Saku Anttila, Kristin Böttcher, Martin Forsius, Jani Heino, Janne Heliölä, Meri Koskelainen, Mikko Kuussaari, Kristian Meissner, Olli Ojala, Seppo Tuominen, Markku Viitasalo, Raimo Virkkala Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) have been suggested to harmonize biodiversity monitoring worldwide. Their aim is to provide a small but comprehensive set of monitoring variables that would give a balanced picture of the development of biodiversity and the reaching of international and national biodiversity targets. Globally, GEO BON (Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network) has suggested 22 candidate EBVs to be monitored. In this article we regard EBVs as a conceptual tool that may help in making national scale biodiversity monitoring more robust by pointing out where to focus further development resources. We look at one country –Finland –with a relatively advanced biodiversity monitoring scheme and study how well Finland’s current biodiversity state indicators correspond with EBVs. In particular, we look at how national biodiversity monitoring could be improved by using available remote sensing (RS) applications. Rapidly emerging new technologies from drones to airborne laser scanning and new satellite sensors providing imagery with very high resolution (VHR) open a whole new world of opportunities for monitoring the state of biodiversity and ecosystems at low cost. In Finland, several RS applications already exist that could be expanded into national indicators. These include the monitoring of shore habitats and water quality parameters, among others. We hope that our analysis and examples help other countries with similar challenges. Along with RS opportunities, our analysis revealed also some needs to develop the EBV framework itself.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Martin Cipollini, N. Royce Dingley, Patrick Felch, Chandler Maddox American chestnut ( Castanea dentata ) was once a cultural, ecological, and economic staple of hardwood forests of the Eastern United States; however, chestnut blight caused by Cryphonectria parasitica has severely threatened its significance. The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) is a non-profit organization that has focused on backcross breeding as a means of restoring C. dentata to the wild. A major goal of this breeding program has been to introduce blight resistance from Chinese chestnut [ Castanea mollissima ] while recovering “American chestnut” morphology by backcrossing with C. dentata . The Berry College backcross orchard, in northwest Georgia, was the first such orchard established by TACF with the goal of producing advanced hybrids derived from crosses with wild C. dentata from Georgia (part of TACF’s state chapter program). In 2008, three lines of third backcross (BC3) hybrids were planted at the orchard along with F1, C. mollissima , and C. dentata controls. The theoretical model for the backcross breeding program predicts intermediate blight resistance, at best, in BC3 trees, along with an otherwise American chestnut morphology. This paper focuses on the degree to which this combination of desired traits has been found among the first lines of BC3 trees generated in Georgia. Trees were inoculated with blight in May 2013 (at age 4–5 yrs), and blight resistance was evaluated in October 2013 and March 2014 and used to calculate an average blight-susceptibility index (BSI). In September 2013, branch samples were collected and used to evaluate 20 leaf, stem, and bud traits known to differ consistently between C. mollissima and C. dentata . The average of standardized scores for morphological traits was used as an index of species identity (ISI) for each tree. On average, BC3 lines showed significant morphological differences when compared with Chinese chestnut lines, nesting morphologically with American chestnuts. Each BC3 line contained some trees with both intermediate blight resistance and morphological traits similar to C. dentata , supporting the prediction that both sets of traits have been advanced using the backcross methodology. These results are discussed in relationship to currently evolving understanding of the genetics of blight resistance and with respect to other traits needed for successful restoration in the southern United States.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Moreno Di Marco, Sarah Chapman, Glenn Althor, Stephen Kearney, Charles Besancon, Nathalie Butt, Joseph M. Maina, Hugh P. Possingham, Katharina Rogalla von Bieberstein, Oscar Venter, James E.M. Watson Conservation science is a rapidly developing discipline, and the knowledge base it generates is relevant for practical applications. It is therefore crucial to monitor biases and trends in conservation literature, to track the progress of the discipline and re-align efforts where needed. We evaluated past and present trends in the focus of the conservation literature, and how they relate to conservation needs. We defined the focus of the past literature from 13 published reviews referring to 18,369 article classifications, and the focus of the current literature by analysing 2553 articles published between 2011–2015. We found that some of the historically under-studied biodiversity elements are receiving significantly more attention today, despite being still under-represented. The total proportion of articles on invertebrates, genetic diversity, or aquatic systems is 50%–60% higher today than it was before 2010. However, a disconnect between scientific focus and conservation needs is still present, with greater attention devoted to areas or taxa less rich in biodiversity and threatened biodiversity. In particular, a strong geographical bias persists, with 40% of studies carried out in USA, Australia or the UK, and only 10% and 6% respectively in Africa or South East Asia. Despite some changing trends, global conservation science is still poorly aligned with biodiversity distribution and conservation priorities, especially in relation to threatened species. To overcome the biases identified here, scientists, funding agencies and journals must prioritise research adaptively, based on biodiversity conservation needs. Conservation depends on policy makers and practitioners for success, and scientists should actively provide those who make decisions with the knowledge that best addresses their needs.

Description: Publication date: Available online 9 April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation Author(s): Richard T. Corlett

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Kota Mameno, Takahiro Kubo, Mariko Suzuki Outdoor cats pose substantial threats to native biodiversity, especially on islands. However, cats also provide benefits to people, such as companionship and the killing of pests. Thus, management of outdoor cats is controversial and can lead to conflicts among stakeholders. Although previous studies have examined stakeholders’ preferences for outdoor cats and their management, little is known about the differences in their attitudes toward cat occurrences and management across habitats. Identifying these attitudinal differences would provide useful knowledge for policy makers about zoning management. We conducted structured interviews with residents in Amami Oshima Island, Japan, to evaluate the residents’ attitudes to outdoor cats’ occurrence and their management across habitats (Forest, Rural, and Town areas). Furthermore, we compared the attitudes of cat-owners and non-owners. The results show that the Forest was least preferred as an outdoor cat habitat. Lethal options as a management strategy were unacceptable to the residents, whereas adoption was acceptable in all areas. Cat-owners showed a significantly higher acceptance toward outdoor cats in Town and Rural areas than did non-owners; they also showed a lower acceptance of lethal options and a higher acceptance toward Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) than non-owners. These findings imply that it is difficult to achieve consensus regarding outdoor cat management, especially in town and rural areas; however, outdoor cats from these areas move to the forests and pose a threat to the endangered species. Communication efforts with both cat-owners and non-owners should fill these attitudinal gaps among stakeholders and lead to effective management.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Jana C. Riemann, Serge H. Ndriantsoa, Mark-Oliver Rödel, Julian Glos Anthropogenic habitat alterations cause biodiversity loss, which in turn negatively affects ecosystem functioning and services, and thus human well-being. To be able to consider ecosystem functioning in conservation actions, analyzing the effects of habitat alteration on functional diversity is essential. Some altered habitats can maintain a significant part of regional biodiversity, however, functional diversity information in altered habitats is so far mostly lacking. We compared functional richness and functional β -diversity based on resource-use traits of frogs between three land-use categories in a rainforest ecosystem in Madagascar. Land-use categories represent a habitat alteration gradient ranging from continuous forest over forest fragments to matrix habitats including different agricultures. Our study revealed distinct changes in resource-use trait composition and complex patterns in the relationship between species richness and functional richness. Thus, the functional structure of frog assemblages changed due to habitat alterations. However, altered habitats likely provide different, rather than fewer functions compared to intact forest. Streams in all land-use categories were the functionally richest habitats, and thus important for ecosystem functioning. Species richness was one, but not the only driver of functional richness in our system. Functional clustering, potentially due to environmental filters depending on resource availability, was caused by anthropogenic and natural drivers. Our study shows that, even in systems where fragmented landscapes still maintain high species diversity, functional diversity can be altered in human altered habitats, which may affect ecosystem processes like productivity, nutrient cycling, and energy flows.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Aiwu Jiang, Demeng Jiang, Eben Goodale, Yuanguang Wen High nest predation is often found in tropical birds, though data from tropical limestone regions are lacking. In a limestone karst rainforest of south China, two species of babblers breed in rock cavities in different seasonal periods: the endangered Nonggang Babbler ( Stachyris nonggangensis ) breeds in May, like most birds, and the common Streaked Wren Babbler ( Napothera brevicaudata ) breeds in March. We tested the hypothesis that nest predation varied by nesting period using an artificial nest experiment. We used natural rock cavities that varied in their distance to the forest edge, checked nests at different intervals and measured characteristics of cavity location. We found nest predation to be much higher in May (65 of 99 nests) than March (14 of 83); predation tended to be higher when nests were visited only once, but no other factor significantly influenced the result. The higher predation rate during warmer weather, and the fact that eggs disappeared mostly at once, yet predators were not detected on infrared nest cameras, suggests that snakes could be important predators; further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis. We conclude that the aberrant nesting period of the Streaked Wren Babbler may be a strategy to escape nest predation.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Andreas Ch. Braun, Danny Troeger, Rafael Garcia, Mauricio Aguayo, Ricardo Barra, Joachim Vogt Effects of plantation forestry on biodiversity are controversially discussed in literature. While some authors stress positive effects, others tend to attribute a largely negative influence to plantations. One important factor steering the influence on biodiversity are management practices. A second important factor is the environmental matrix. Chile offers the option to analyse both factors jointly. The coastal range of central Chile has experienced rapid and widespread replacement of native Nothofagus spp. forests in favour of Pinus radiata plantations. Here, native forests remain limited to small patches surrounded by an environmental matrix of plantations. Management is rather intensive and not designed to maintain biodiversity. While in the coastal range of central Chile the transformation from native forests to non-native tree plantations has almost come to an end, spatial extension of P. contorta and P. ponderosa plantations has just recently begun in Chilean Patagonia. While the management is similar to central Chile, plantations rather exist as small patches surrounded by an environmental matrix of native plant formations (e.g. Nothofagus spp. forests and Nothofagus spp. scrublands). In the framework of this work, effects of the two diametric land usages on biodiversity are assessed and compared. Biodiversity is assessed at the α -, β - and γ -scale. At the α -scale, biodiversity impacts are inferred statistically, using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s PostHoc test. Biodiversity of plants at both sites is significantly reduced in plantations when compared to native forests or scrublands. Plantation forestry lowers α -biodiversity and does not provide additional habitats for specialists. At the β -scale, weak edge effects due to the presence of native forests are observed. In total, plantation forestry tends to promote plant invasions and impairs the survival of endemics. At the γ -scale, plant species communities where predominantly native and endemic in forests, predominantly introduced in plantations. Positive effects of the more native environmental matrix in Patagonia are not found to be stronger than in central Chile, therefore it is concluded that management imposes a much stronger influence. Results show, that the biodiversity impacts in Central Chile are transferable to Chilean Patagonia, where plantation forestry is increasingly established.

Description: Publication date: January 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 9 Author(s): Colin Southwell, Louise Emmerson, Akinori Takahashi, Christophe Barbraud, Karine Delord, Henri Weimerskirch Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are increasingly affected by fisheries, climate change and human presence. Antarctic seabirds are vulnerable to all these threats because they depend on terrestrial and marine environments to breed and forage. We assess the current distribution and total abundance of Adélie penguins in East Antarctica and find there are 3.5 (95% CI 2.9–4.2) million individuals of breeding age along the East Antarctic coastline and 5.9 (4.2–7.7) million individuals foraging in the adjacent ocean after the breeding season. One third of the breeding population numbering over 1 million individuals breed within 10 km of research stations, highlighting the potential for human activities to impact Adélie penguin populations despite their current high abundance. The 16 Antarctic Specially Protected Areas currently designated in East Antarctica offer protection to breeding populations close to stations in four of six regional populations. The East Antarctic breeding population consumes an average of 193 500 tonnes of krill and 18 800 tonnes of fish during a breeding season, with consumption peaking at the end of the breeding season. These findings can inform future conservation management decisions in the terrestrial environment under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to develop a systematic network of protected areas, and in the marine environment under the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources to allow the consumption needs of Adélie penguins to be taken into account when setting fishery catch limits. Extending this work to other penguin, flying seabird, seal and whale species is a priority for conservation management in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): Heather L. Heenehan, Sofie M. Van Parijs, Lars Bejder, Julian A. Tyne, David W. Johnston Hawaiian spinner dolphins display predictable daily behavior, using shallow bays to rest during the daytime, bays that are also frequented by humans. All previous research on the potential response of Hawaiian spinner dolphins to human activity has been conducted visually, at the surface. In this study we take a different approach by using passive acoustic monitoring to analyze dolphin behavior and assess whether human activity affects the behavior of the animals. We used days ( n = 99 ) and hours ( n = 641 ) when dolphins were confirmed present in visual surveys between January 9, 2011 and August 15, 2012 and metrics generated from concomitant 30-second sound recordings ( n = 9615 ). Previous research found that the dolphins were predictably silent during rest and that acoustic activity matched general activity of the dolphins with higher acoustic activity before and after rest, and silence during rest. The daily pattern of dolphin whistle activity in Bay 2 and 4 (Kealakekua and Kauhako) matched what would be expected from this earlier work. However, in Bay 1 and 3 (Makako and Honaunau) there was no drop in dolphin whistle activity during rest. After assessing the relationship between time of day and dolphin acoustic activity, data on human presence were used to determine how variability in the dolphins’ acoustic activity might be explained by human activity (i.e. the number of vessels, kayaks and swimmer snorkelers present). Bay 2, the bay with the most human activity, showed no relationship between dolphin whistle activity and human presence (either vessels, kayaks, or swimmer/snorkelers). Although the relationships were weak, Bay 1 displayed a positive relationship between dolphin whistle activity and the number of vessels and swimmer/snorkelers present in the bay. Bay 4 also showed a positive relationship between dolphin whistle activity and the number of swimmer snorkelers. We also documented less sound being added to the soundscape with each additional vessel in Bay 2 when compared to Bay 1, a bay with dolphin-focused activities. We hypothesize it is not the magnitude of the activity but the focus of the activity that matters and suggest that the effect of human activity on spinner dolphin acoustic behavior should be explored in future studies. These results have implications for designing future studies as well as for ongoing efforts to protect Hawaiian spinner dolphins in their resting bays.

Description: Publication date: April 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 10 Author(s): K.J. Carim, Y. Vindenes, L.A. Eby, C. Barfoot, L.A. Vøllestad Habitat loss and fragmentation have caused population decline across taxa through impacts on life history diversity, dispersal patterns, and gene flow. Yet, intentional isolation of native fish populations is a frequently used management strategy to protect against negative interactions with invasive fish species. We evaluated the population viability and genetic diversity of 12 isolated populations of Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi located on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, USA. Length-structured integral projection models (IPMs) were used to project population growth rate (lambda) and its sensitivity to underlying vital rates and parameters. We examined relationships between lambda, genetic diversity, and habitat size and quality. Lambda ranged from 0.68 to 1.1 with 10 of 12 populations projected to be in decline. A sensitivity analysis of lambda with respect to projection matrix elements indicated that lambda was generally sensitive to changes in early life history stages (survival/growth), but patterns differed among populations. Another sensitivity analysis with respect to underlying model parameters showed highly consistent pattern across populations, with lambda being most sensitive to the slope of probability of maturity (estimated from published literature), generally followed by adult survival, and the slope of somatic growth rate (directly measured from each population). Lambda was not correlated with genetic diversity. For populations residing in small isolated streams ( ≤ 5 km of occupied habitat), lambda significantly increased with base flow discharge ( r 2 = 0 . 50 , p 〈 0 . 02 ). Our results highlight the potential importance of local adaptation for persistence of small, isolated populations. Specifically we saw evidence for higher probability of maturity at smaller sizes in the smallest, coldest isolated systems, increasing probability of persistence for these populations. Climate change threatens to further fragment populations of aquatic organisms and reduce summertime base flows in much of western North America. Insights from studies such as ours will inform management strategies for long-term persistence of species facing these challenges.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): Naresh Subedi, Babu Ram Lamichhane, Rajan Amin, Shant Raj Jnawali, Yadavendradev V. Jhala Megaherbivores are characterized by slow life history traits which when coupled with human exploitation makes them vulnerable to local extinctions. An understanding of key demographic parameters assists in guiding management interventions to ensure their recovery and persistence over the longer term. We monitored 110 (30 calves, 80 young and adults) individually known greater one-horned rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros unicornis ) for seven years in Chitwan National Park, Nepal (2009–15). Using known fate model with staggered entry design in program MARK we estimated annual calf survival at 0.765 ± 0.026 SE and that of remaining older age groups between 0.96 and 0.985. Both genders exhibited a typical Type I survivorship curve. The population consisted of 62% adults, 13% sub-adults and 26% juveniles and calves (dependent animals). The adult sex ratio (female: male) was 1.23 ± 0.09 SE and dependent: cow ratio was 0.636 ± 0.03 SE. Age at first calving was 7.91 years ± 0.31 SE. Shorter inter-calving intervals were observed for young adults compared to old adults. Overall inter-calving interval was 41.28 months ± 2.33 SE. Chitwan rhino population grew at a maximum realized rate of r = 0.051 ± 0.005 SE. PHVA results showed that low level continuous poaching increased extinction probability compared to high but intermittent poaching episodes. An increase in annual poaching of over six females and 12 males over the current average of 5.5 rhinos per year, coupled with habitat degradation, caused by the alien invasive Mikania micrantha resulted in high extinction risks. Annually upto 13 rhinos (8 males and 5 females) from Chitwan can be used for reintroduction and supplementation of rhinoceros across their current and historic range.

Description: Publication date: October 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 12 Author(s): George L. Vourlitis, Cloe S. Hentz, Osvaldo Borges Pinto, Edna Carneiro, Jose de Souza Nogueira Seasonal variations in cerrado nutrient availability and mineralization are poorly understood, especially for “hyperseasonal” cerrado, which experiences both flooding and drought over an annual cycle. Here we quantified seasonal variations in soil ammonium (NH 4 + ), phosphorus (P), and organic C (SOC) concentration and net mineralization in upland and seasonally flooded cerrado forests of the Brazilian Pantanal, and hypothesized that NH 4 + , P, and SOC concentrations and net mineralization would decline under flooding and increase during the dry season as soil becomes unsaturated. We found that C and nutrient concentrations and mineralization were significantly affected by seasonal variations in hydrology; however, differences between flooded and upland forests varied over time and were not always related to flooding. Soil extractable P, but not net mineralization, was approximately 10-times higher in the upland forest, while the flooded forest had higher extractable NH 4 + concentration than the upland forest under both flooded and drained conditions. Soil C concentration was significantly higher in the upland forest even though C mineralization was similar for both forests. Thus, despite the large seasonal and spatial variations in hydrology, the effects of flooding depended on the particular response variable studied and the season. While a limited survey of the literature indicates that forests exposed to intermittent flooding had on average higher concentrations of extractable NH 4 + and P, the upland and hyperseasonal forests studied here were richer in extractable NH 4 + (upland and flooded) and P (upland) compared to other upland and hyperseasonal forests and woodlands. Given that the forests studied here shared nearly a third of the total tree species and had similar physiognomy, these results suggest that nutrient controls on cerrado structural diversity may be similar in upland and hyperseasonal cerrado.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Brandon J. Lingbeek, Christopher L. Higgins, James P. Muir, David H. Kattes, T. Wayne Schwertner Drylands are highly vulnerable to desertification and among the most endangered ecosystems. To understand how biodiversity responds to environmental degradation in these fragile ecosystems, we examined whether arthropod, beetle, spider and ant diversity and assemblage structure differed (1) between seasons, (2) among locations (3) between protected areas of tropical dry forest and adjacent communal lands suffering from desertification, as well as (4) how vegetation impacts assemblage structures. We established 12 plots spaced homogenously throughout each protected area and the adjacent communal land at three locations: Beersheba, Bandia and Ngazobil. Within each plot, we measured canopy closure, vegetation height, percent cover of bare ground, leaf litter, grasses and forbs and collected arthropods using pitfall traps during the 2014 dry (May) and rainy (September) seasons. We collected 123,705 arthropods representing 733 morphospecies, 10,849 beetles representing 216 morphospecies, 4969 spiders representing 91 morphospecies and 59,183 ants representing 45 morphospecies. Results showed greater arthropod and beetle diversities ( P  = 0.002–0.040) in the rainy season, no difference in diversity among locations for any taxonomic group and a difference ( P  ≤ 0.001) in diversity for all taxa between protected areas and communal lands. Assemblage structures of all taxa responded ( P  = 0.001) to vegetation characteristics, differed ( P  = 0.015–0.045) between seasons and, with a few exceptions, locations and fragments. Our results illustrate the importance of a multi-taxa approach in understanding biodiversity response to anthropogenic disturbances as well as the value of protected areas in preserving biodiversity of the Sahel.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Cooper Rosin, John R. Poulsen, Varun Swamy, Alys Granados Many of the forces that shape tropical forest plant communities are facilitated by interactions with animals, which can either promote or inhibit plant reproduction and survival across ontogenetic stages. Hunting-induced defaunation can disrupt these interactions, altering tree recruitment, forest structure, and carbon storage, with strong effects at the seed and seedling stages. Research to date has largely focused on how changes to prominent interactions (especially seed dispersal) affect plant species and communities, while concurrent disruptions to less-studied processes may have opposing effects. With a particularly limited understanding of non-trophic interactions – such as physical damage to seedlings by vertebrate trampling, rooting, and digging – it remains difficult to predict the outcomes of defaunation for tropical forest plant communities. We established 1800 artificial seedlings in 18 intact and disturbed sites across the three main tropical forest regions – the Neotropics (Peru), the Afrotropics (Gabon) and the Indo-Malayan tropics (Malaysian Borneo) – to isolate non-trophic vertebrate physical damage from other causes of seedling mortality (herbivory, pathogens, abiotic desiccation, etc.), and to understand its effects in intact and anthropogenically-disturbed forests. We found that vertebrate physical damage is a consistent force in forests across the tropics, and that hunting significantly alters its strength, with a ∼70% decrease in damage in hunted vs. intact sites that resulted in a ∼3.5-fold (350%) increase in artificial seedling survival. Our results reveal an understudied mechanism that may contribute to changes in seedling survival, stem density, and plant community composition in tropical forests subjected to hunting.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Lucas B. Fortini, Kaipo Dye For many species the threats of climate change occur in a context of multiple existing threats. Given the current focus of global change ecology in identifying and understanding species vulnerable to climate change, we performed a global analysis to characterize the multi-threat context for species threatened by climate change. Utilizing 30,053 species from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, we sought to evaluate if species threatened by climate change are more likely threatened by a greater number of non-climatic threats than species not threatened by climate change. Our results show that species threatened by climate change are generally impacted by 21% more non-climatic threats than species not threatened by climate change. Across all species, this pattern is related to IUCN risk status, where endangered species threatened by climate change face 33% more non-climatic threats than endangered species not threatened by climate change. With the clear challenges of assessing current and projected impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems, research often requires reductionist approaches that result in downplaying this multi-threat context. This cautionary note bears relevance beyond climate change threatened species as we also found other (but not all) anthropogenic threats are also similarly associated with more threats. Our findings serve as a reminder that ecological research should seriously consider these potential threat interactions, especially for species under elevated conservation concern.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): M. Agarwala, S. Ghoshal, L. Verchot, C. Martius, R. Ahuja, R. DeFries Programs to provide alternative energy sources such as biogas improve indoor air quality and potentially reduce pressure on forests from fuelwood collection. This study tests whether biogas intervention is associated with higher forest biomass and forest regeneration in degraded forests in Chikkaballapur district in Southern India. Using propensity score matching, we find that forest plots in proximity to villages with biogas interventions (treatment) had greater forest biomass than comparable plots around villages without biogas (control). We also found significantly higher sapling abundance and diversity in treatment than control plots despite no significant difference in seedling abundances and diversity in treatment forests, suggesting that plants have a higher probability of reaching sapling stage. These results indicate the potential for alternative energy sources that reduce dependence on fuelwood to promote regeneration of degraded forests. However, forest regrowth is not uniform across treatments and is limited by soil nutrients and biased towards species that are light demanding, fire-resistant and can thrive in poor soil conditions.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Marco A.A. Schetino, Raphael T.F. Coimbra, Fabrício R. Santos The maned sloth Bradypus torquatus (Bradypodidae:Pilosa) is an endangered and endemic species of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, a biome that was anthropogenically reduced to about 7% of its original extent. Nowadays, an apparently decreasing population is restricted to few remaining rainforest fragments. We analyzed nuclear and mitochondrial genes of 69 individuals from the Brazilian states of Bahia, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro to estimate their current and historical population dynamics. The diversification history of B. torquatus populations was mainly led by dispersal and vicariant events occurring during Pliocene and Pleistocene associated to several climatic and vegetation changes. Besides, the current distribution of remaining populations was also likely affected by recent anthropogenic deforestation occurring in the last five centuries in Brazil, resulting in local extinction of many intermediate B. torquatus populations. Our time scaled phylogeographic results indicate that in the Pliocene, an ancestral population of B. torquatus was originally located in the intermediate Atlantic Forest region between BA and ES states and dispersed northwards and southwards to its current range. These results indicate also that the northern and southern Atlantic Forest B. torquatus lineages should have independent management plans and conservation policies due to their ancient history of isolation and evolutionary independency.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Rafael A. Magris, Robert L. Pressey, Morena Mills, Daniele A. Vila-Nova, Sergio Floeter Decision-makers focus on representing biodiversity pattern, maintaining connectivity, and strengthening resilience to global warming when designing marine protected area (MPA) systems, especially in coral reef ecosystems. The achievement of these broad conservation objectives will likely require large areas, and stretch limited funds for MPA implementation. We undertook a spatial prioritisation of Brazilian coral reefs that considered two types of conservation zones (i.e. no-take and multiple use areas) and integrated multiple conservation objectives into MPA planning, while assessing the potential impact of different sets of objectives on implementation costs. We devised objectives for biodiversity, connectivity, and resilience to global warming, determined the extent to which existing MPAs achieved them, and designed complementary zoning to achieve all objectives combined in expanded MPA systems. In doing so, we explored interactions between different sets of objectives, determined whether refinements to the existing spatial arrangement of MPAs were necessary, and tested the utility of existing MPAs by comparing their cost effectiveness with an MPA system designed from scratch. We found that MPAs in Brazil protect some aspects of coral reef biodiversity pattern (e.g. threatened fauna and ecosystem types) more effectively than connectivity or resilience to global warming. Expanding the existing MPA system was as cost-effective as designing one from scratch only when multiple objectives were considered and management costs were accounted for. Our approach provides a comprehensive assessment of the benefits of integrating multiple objectives in the initial stages of conservation planning, and yields insights for planners of MPAs tackling multiple objectives in other regions.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Maria Bobrowski, Lars Gerlitz, Udo Schickhoff Developing sustainable adaptation pathways under climate change conditions in mountain regions requires accurate predictions of treeline shifts and future distribution ranges of treeline species. Here, we model for the first time the potential distribution of Betula utilis , a principal Himalayan treeline species, to provide a basis for the analysis of future range shifts. Our target species Betula utilis is widespread at alpine treelines in the Himalayan mountains, the distribution range extends across the Himalayan mountain range. Our objective is to model the potential distribution of B . utilis in relation to current climate conditions. We generated a dataset of 590 occurrence records and used 24 variables for ecological niche modelling. We calibrated Generalized Linear Models using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and evaluated model performance using threshold-independent (AUC, Area Under the Curve) and threshold-dependent (TSS, True Skill Statistics) characteristics as well as visual assessments of projected distribution maps. We found two temperature-related (Mean Temperature of the Wettest Quarter, Temperature Annual Range) and three precipitation-related variables (Precipitation of the Coldest Quarter, Average Precipitation of March, April and May and Precipitation Seasonality) to be useful for predicting the potential distribution of B. utilis . All models had high predictive power (AUC ≥ 0.98 and TSS ≥ 0.89). The projected suitable area in the Himalayan mountains varies considerably, with most extensive distribution in the western and central Himalayan region. A substantial difference between potential and real distribution in the eastern Himalaya points to decreasing competitiveness of B . utilis under more oceanic conditions in the eastern part of the mountain system. A comparison between the vegetation map of Schweinfurth (1957) and our current predictions suggests that B . utilis does not reach the upper elevational limit in vast areas of its potential distribution range due to anthropogenically caused treeline depressions. This study underlines the significance of accuracies of current environmental niche models for species distribution modelling under climate change scenarios. Analysing and understanding the environmental factors driving the current distribution of B. utilis is crucial for the prediction of future range shifts of B . utilis and other treeline species, and for deriving appropriate climate change adaptation strategies.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Vincent Nijman, K. Anne-Isola Nekaris Hundreds of species of wild-caught birds are offered for sale in the bird markets of Java and Bali, Indonesia, to meet the demand for the largely-domestic pet and songbird trade. In the past, owls were offered only in very small numbers in these bird markets but since the release of the Harry Potter series in Indonesia in the early 2000s their popularity as pets has increased. Whereas in the past owls were collective known as Burung Hantu (“Ghost birds”), in the bird markets they are now commonly referred to as Burung Harry Potter (“Harry Potter birds”). We made a retrospective quantitative assessment of the abundance of owls in the bird markets (1979–2010) and conducted 109 surveys in 20 bird markets in 2012–2016 to quantify owls in trade. In the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s owls were rarely recorded in Indonesia's bird markets, typically one or two and up to five per survey, and frequently no owls were recorded at all. The trade was largely confined to small scops owls. In the late 2000s more species were offered for sale, including barn and bay owls, and larger owl species such as wood-owls, eagle-owls and fish-owls; typically 10 + owls were observed per survey. In recent years, the number of owl species increased even more, and on average we recorded 17 owls per survey, yielding a total of 1810 owls, and in >90% of the surveys owls were present. In the larger bird markets in Jakarta and Bandung typically 30 to 60 owls are on offer of up to 8 species at a time. The number of owls as a proportion of all birds in the markets increased from 〈0.06% prior to 2002 to >0.43% post 2008, suggesting a delayed Harry Potter effect. Over this period, common species have become cheaper and less common ones have become more expensive. The owls are largely, if not exclusively, wild-caught and are sold into the domestic pet market. The release of Harry Potter films and novels in Indonesia coincided with the rise of the Internet and social media and, with some delay, the emergence of pet owl interest groups on Java and Bali, thus preventing us to demonstrate a causal Harry Potter effect on the owl trade. The overall popularity of owls as pets in Indonesia has risen to such an extent that it may imperil the conservation of some of the less abundant species. Inclusion of owls on Indonesia's protected species list, alongside all diurnal raptors, may be a first step to mitigate the negative effects of this emerging trend.

Description: Publication date: July 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 11 Author(s): Adrian P. Monroe, L. Wes Burger, Holly T. Boland, James A. Martin Intensive agriculture can have negative environmental consequences such as nonpoint source pollution and the simplification of biotic communities, and land sharing posits that conservation can be enhanced by integrating agricultural productivity and biodiversity on the same land. In the Southeastern United States, native warm-season grasses (NWSG) may be a land sharing alternative to exotic forages currently in production because of greater livestock gains with lower fertilizer inputs, and habitat for grassland birds. However, uncertainty regarding costs and risk poses an important barrier to incorporating NWSG in livestock operations. We evaluated the economic and conservation implications of NWSG conversion among small, operational-scale pastures (6.8–10.5 ha) during 2011–2012 at the Prairie Research Unit in Monroe Co., Mississippi (USA). We used partial budgets to compare the marginal rate of return (MRR e ) from converting exotic grass pastures to either a NWSG monoculture of Indiangrass ( Sorghastrum nutans ) or a NWSG mix of Indiangrass, little bluestem ( Schizachyrium scoparium ), and big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardii ). We similarly compared changes in productivity of dickcissels ( Spiza americana ), a grassland bird specializing in tall structure. Average daily gain (ADG) of steers and revenue were consistently higher for NWSG treatments than exotic grass pasture, but ADG declined between years. Indiangrass pastures yielded consistently positive MRR e , indicating producers would receive 16–24% return on investment. Marginal rate of return was lower for mixed NWSG (−12 to 3%), driven by slightly lower livestock ADG and higher establishment costs than for Indiangrass. Sensitivity analyses indicated that MRR e also was influenced by cattle selling price. Conversely, mixed NWSG increased dickcissel productivity by a greater degree than Indiangrass per amount invested in NWSG conversion, suggesting a tradeoff between livestock and dickcissel production between the two NWSG treatments. Given continued increases in livestock prices, NWSG could be a sustainable land sharing alternative to exotic pastures currently in production, but subsidies and changes in management may be required for NWSG conversion to be viable for producers and to maintain conservation benefits.

Description: Publication date: January 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 9 Author(s): Darin J. McNeil, Kyle R. Aldinger, Marja H. Bakermans, Justin A. Lehman, Anna C. Tisdale, John A. Jones, Petra B. Wood, David A. Buehler, Curtis G. Smalling, Lynn Siefferman, Jeffery L. Larkin For at-risk wildlife species, it is important to consider conservation within the process of adaptive management. Golden-winged Warblers ( Vermivora chrysoptera ) are Neotropical migratory songbirds that are experiencing long-term population declines due in part to the loss of early-successional nesting habitat. Recently-developed Golden-winged Warbler habitat management guidelines are being implemented by USDA: Natural Resource Conservation Service (2014) and its partners through the Working Lands For Wildlife (WLFW) program. During 2012–2014, we studied the nesting ecology of Golden-winged Warblers in managed habitats of the eastern US that conformed to WLFW conservation practices. We evaluated five NRCS “management scenarios” with respect to nesting success and attainment of recommended nest site vegetation conditions outlined in the Golden-winged Warbler breeding habitat guidelines. Using estimates of territory density, pairing rate, nest survival, and clutch size, we also estimated fledgling productivity (number of fledglings/ha) for each management scenario. In general, Golden-winged Warbler nest survival declined as each breeding season advanced, but nest survival was similar across management scenarios. Within each management scenario, vegetation variables had little influence on nest survival. Still, percent Rubus cover and density of >2 m tall shrubs were relevant in some management scenarios. All five management scenarios rarely attained recommended levels of nest site vegetation conditions for Golden-winged, yet nest survival was high. Fledgling productivity estimates for each management scenario ranged from 2.1 to 8.6 fledglings/10 hectares. Our results indicate that targeted habitat management for Golden-winged Warblers using a variety of management techniques on private lands has the capability to yield high nest survival and fledgling productivity, and thus have the potential to contribute to the species recovery.

Description: Publication date: January 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 9 Author(s): C.M. Fiehler, B.L. Cypher, L.R. Saslaw Oil and gas development in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California is extensive and has impacted natural habitats for sensitive species. The effects of this habitat loss and degradation on these species are not well understood. Our objective was to determine habitat characteristics, wildlife community composition, and species abundance relative to the level of oilfield development in saltbush scrub habitat. Sixteen study sites were identified with 4 each in areas with high (>100 well pads), medium (11–50 well pads), low (1–10 well pads), and no (0 well pads) oil field development, as measured by numbers of well pads with active oil production and the proportion of habitat disturbed. Surveys were conducted from March 2008 to May 2010 to assess the abundance and diversity of herbaceous plants, shrubs, birds, reptiles, and small and medium-sized mammals. As oilfield development and associated habitat disturbance increased, herbaceous plant cover and shrub abundance decreased while herbaceous plant diversity increased, largely due to colonization by non-native species. Among animals, generalist lizard, bird, and mammal species increased, as did non-endemic species particularly birds. Conversely, some endemic species, including several special status species, declined or were not detected as the level of oilfield development increased. Ecological community composition remains largely intact at low levels of oilfield development, but is profoundly altered at higher levels with some effects apparent at moderate levels. Best management practices such as spatially consolidating facilities, limiting road construction, and controlling non-native plants could reduce ecological impacts from oilfield activities in saltbush scrub habitat.

Description: Publication date: January 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 9 Author(s): Kevin Aagaard, James E. Lyons, Wayne E. Thogmartin Evaluating the role public lands play in meeting conservation goals is an essential step in good governance. We present a tool for comparing the regional contribution of each of a suite of wildlife management units to conservation goals. We use weighted summation ( simple additive weighting ) to compute a Unit Contribution Index ( UCI ) based on species richness, population abundance, and a conservation score based on IUCN Red List classified threat levels. We evaluate UCI for a subset of the 729 participating wetlands of the Integrated Waterbird Management and Monitoring (IWMM) Program across U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regions 3 (Midwest USA), 4 (Southeast USA), and 5 (Northeast USA). We found that the median across-Region UCI for Region 5 was greater than Regions 3 and 4, while Region 4 had the greatest within-Region UCI median. This index is a powerful tool for wildlife managers to evaluate the performance of units within the conservation estate.

Description: Publication date: January 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 9 Author(s): Fatimoh Ozavize Ademoh, Joseph Ikechukwu Muoghalu The study determined successional replacement model among the functional groups in a secondary rain forest that was ravaged by a ground fire, 29 years ago. This was with a view to determining the stand temporal pattern of tree community dynamics in a moist tropical forest regenerating after fire disturbance. Two plots, 0.25 ha each, established in burnt and unburnt parts of the forest immediately after the fire to study community dynamics in the forest were used for the study. In each plot, woody plant species ≥ 1 cm in girth and 1 m and above in height were completely enumerated, identified to species level, and girth size measured at breast height (gbh). The number of species, genera and families were established for each plot. The data collected were used to calculate species diversity indices, basal area, species evenness, density, similarity and dissimilarity indices for the plots. Tree mortality and recruitment rates were calculated using data from this study and previous studies in the burnt plot in 1983, 1984, 1997 and 2008. Correlation and regression analyses were used to assess whether decadal changes in rainfall and temperature were the major drivers of changes in the forest after calculating decadal temperature and rainfall data for 29 years. The results showed that a total of 380 trees were present in the 0.25 ha burnt plot, representing 63 species, 46 genera and 25 families. Tree stem density decreased from 4332 stem ha −1 to 1520 stem ha −1 29 years after the fire. The species diversity ( H 1 ) which decreased to 2.50 in 2008 increased to 3.50 in 2012. The species evenness which peaked (0.80) in 1997 decreased to 0.48 in 2012. The basal area which increased to 20.18 m 2 ha −1 in 1997 and dropped to 14.62 m 2 ha −1 in 2008 has increased to 21.34 m 2 ha −1 in 2012. Tree annual mortality rates which continued to decrease one year after the fire (−2.02% y −1 in 1984–1997, −5.16% y −1 in 1997–2008) had increased to 25.7% y −1  in 2008–2012). The annual recruitment rates continued to decrease since the fire, decreasing to the lowest rate of −25.7% y −1 in 2008–2012. There was a non-significant positive correlation between decadal mean minimum temperature, decadal mean maximum temperature and decadal mean annual rainfall and tree density but a non-significant negative correlation between these climatic data and basal area, species richness and species diversity. The changes in community parameters in the forest as it recovers from the fire disturbance followed the tolerance model of succession. It was concluded that changes in the floristic, structural character, mortality and recruitment rates were still going on in the forest, 29 years after the fire disturbance.

Description: Publication date: January 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 9 Author(s): André Ancel, Robin Cristofari, Phil N. Trathan, Caroline Gilbert, Peter T. Fretwell, Michaël Beaulieu Detecting and predicting how populations respond to environmental variability are crucial challenges for their conservation. Knowledge about the abundance and distribution of the emperor penguin is far from complete despite recent information from satellites. When exploring the locations where emperor penguins breed, it is apparent that their distribution is circumpolar, but with a few gaps between known colonies. The purpose of this paper is therefore to identify those remaining areas where emperor penguins might possibly breed. Using the locations of emperor penguin breeding colonies, we calculated the separation distance between each pair of geographically adjacent colonies. Based on mean separation distances between colonies following a circumpolar distribution, and known foraging ranges, we suggest that there may yet be six undiscovered breeding locations with half of these in Eastern and the remainder in Western Antarctica. Productivity in these regions suggests that food resources are likely to sustain emperor penguin populations. Our analysis highlights a fundamental requirement, that in order to predict how species might respond to regional climate change, we must better understand their biogeography and the factors that lead to their occupation of particular sites. Regarding emperor penguins, remote sensing should target the identified gaps apparently devoid of penguins in order to update the total number of colonies, to re-evaluate both the regional and global population of emperor penguins, and to gain a better understanding of their biogeography.

Description: Publication date: January 2017 Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 9 Author(s): Barano Siswa Sulistyawan, Bradley A. Eichelberger, Pita Verweij, Rene’ G.A. Boot, Oki Hardian, Gemasakti Adzan, Wisnu Sukmantoro The trend of wildlife habitat fragmentation worldwide continues as a result of anthropogenic activities on development of a linear infrastructure and land use changes, which is often implemented as part of spatial planning policies. In this paper we expand upon an existing approach to design wildlife corridors through habitat quality assessment. We used models of Habitat Quality of Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) and Corridor Design tools. The habitat quality model of InVEST provides a rapid approach to assess status and change of biodiversity, and can contribute to enhanced corridor design of fragmented wildlife habitat. We conducted an assessment of habitat quality of the RIMBA corridor landscape, which is part of Riau, Jambi and West Sumatra provinces of central Sumatra Island. The result of the habitat quality model was used as the main input to evaluate habitat connectivity and assess the target segment of roads that cross the modelled corridor. We found 20 wildland blocks, the total area of the corridor modelled including wildland blocks was calculated as about 0.77 million hectares. We have obtained accurate quantitative measurement of the length of roads crossing the corridor, with a total of 417.78 km (artery 10.31 km; collector 19.52 km; and local 1987.9 km roads). This method can be replicated as an approach in valuing the quality of habitat as part of the implementation of the presidential decree of Sumatra Island Spatial Planning. This may also be applied to the spatial planning of other major islands in Indonesia and elsewhere.