Academic literature on the topic 'Biodiversity declines'
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Journal articles on the topic "Biodiversity declines"
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Stokstad, Erik. "Despite Progress, Biodiversity Declines." Science 329, no. 5997 (September 9, 2010): 1272–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.329.5997.1272.
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Butchart, S. H. M., M. Walpole, B. Collen, A. van Strien, J. P. W. Scharlemann, R. E. A. Almond, J. E. M. Baillie, et al. "Global Biodiversity: Indicators of Recent Declines." Science 328, no. 5982 (April 29, 2010): 1164–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1187512.
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Scheele, Ben C., Frank Pasmans, Lee F. Skerratt, Lee Berger, An Martel, Wouter Beukema, Aldemar A. Acevedo, et al. "Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity." Science 363, no. 6434 (March 28, 2019): 1459–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aav0379.
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Anthropogenic trade and development have broken down dispersal barriers, facilitating the spread of diseases that threaten Earth’s biodiversity. We present a global, quantitative assessment of the amphibian chytridiomycosis panzootic, one of the most impactful examples of disease spread, and demonstrate its role in the decline of at least 501 amphibian species over the past half-century, including 90 presumed extinctions. The effects of chytridiomycosis have been greatest in large-bodied, range-restricted anurans in wet climates in the Americas and Australia. Declines peaked in the 1980s, and only 12% of declined species show signs of recovery, whereas 39% are experiencing ongoing decline. There is risk of further chytridiomycosis outbreaks in new areas. The chytridiomycosis panzootic represents the greatest recorded loss of biodiversity attributable to a disease.
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Schrauth, Fabian, and Michael Wink. "Changes in Species Composition of Birds and Declining Number of Breeding Territories over 40 Years in a Nature Conservation Area in Southwest Germany." Diversity 10, no. 3 (August 30, 2018): 97. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d10030097.
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Global loss of biodiversity is occurring at an alarming rate and is a major issue in current times. Long-term studies offer the possibility to analyse changes in biodiversity and allow assessments of anthropogenic interventions in ecosystems. At present, various studies in most countries show partially strong declines of insect populations. Due to their role as a food source for many organisms it is assumed that declines of insect abundance might have effects on higher trophic levels like insectivorous birds. For reliable statements on relationships between food availability and population trends, systematic and extensive records of breeding birds are necessary. In this study, we analysed the changes in the range of species, biodiversity, and abundance of a breeding bird community over 43 years in a large nature conservation area in southwest Germany (“Lampertheimer Altrhein” near Mannheim). Since 1974, considerable changes in the spectrum of breeding birds have been found, but the overall biodiversity index did not change. Furthermore, 70% of the investigated species showed decreasing numbers of breeding bird territories, and the overall number of territories across species declined by more than 65%. A classification based on the main diet during the breeding period and habitat use revealed strong declines for insectivorous birds in the study area, especially in wetland and open cultivated landscapes.
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Mora, Camilo, Rebekka Metzger, Audrey Rollo, and Ransom A. Myers. "Experimental simulations about the effects of overexploitation and habitat fragmentation on populations facing environmental warming." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 274, no. 1613 (February 6, 2007): 1023–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2006.0338.
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Populations of many species are dramatically declining worldwide, but the causal mechanism remains debated among different human-related threats. Coping with this uncertainty is critical to several issues about the conservation and future of biodiversity, but remains challenging due to difficulties associated with the experimental manipulation and/or isolation of the effects of such threats under field conditions. Using controlled microcosm populations, we quantified the individual and combined effects of environmental warming, overexploitation and habitat fragmentation on population persistence. Individually, each of these threats produced similar and significant population declines, which were accelerated to different degrees depending upon particular interactions. The interaction between habitat fragmentation and harvesting generated an additive decline in population size. However, both of these threats reduced population resistance causing synergistic declines in populations also facing environmental warming. Declines in population size were up to 50 times faster when all threats acted together. These results indicate that species may be facing risks of extinction higher than those anticipated from single threat analyses and suggest that all threats should be mitigated simultaneously, if current biodiversity declines are to be reversed.
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Stark, Tariq, Carlijn Laurijssens, Martijn Weterings, An Martel, Gunther Köhler, and Frank Pasmans. "Prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in a Nicaraguan, micro-endemic Neotropical salamander, Bolitoglossa mombachoensis." Amphibia-Reptilia 38, no. 1 (2017): 102–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685381-00003077.
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Amphibians are the most threatened terrestrial vertebrates on the planet and are iconic in the global biodiversity crisis. Their global decline caused by the fungal agentBatrachochytrium dendrobatidis(Bd) is well known. Declines of Mesoamerican salamanders of the family Plethodontidae, mainly affecting high elevation species, have equally been attributed toBd. Here we report the prevalence ofBdin a population of a high elevationBolitoglossaspecies in Nicaragua, since its description in 1999 until 2011 in the absence of any obvious population declines. Our findings show a low prevalence in an environmental context where pathogen driven declines would be expected to occur.
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Hallmann, Caspar A., Axel Ssymank, Martin Sorg, Hans de Kroon, and Eelke Jongejans. "Insect biomass decline scaled to species diversity: General patterns derived from a hoverfly community." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, no. 2 (January 11, 2021): e2002554117. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2002554117.
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Reports of declines in biomass of flying insects have alarmed the world in recent years. However, how biomass declines reflect biodiversity loss is still an open question. Here, we analyze the abundance (19,604 individuals) of 162 hoverfly species (Diptera: Syrphidae), at six locations in German nature reserves in 1989 and 2014, and generalize the results with a model varying decline rates of common vs. rare species. We show isometric decline rates between total insect biomass and total hoverfly abundance and a scale-dependent decline in hoverfly species richness, ranging between −23% over the season to −82% at the daily level. We constructed a theoretical null model to explore how strong declines in total abundance translate to changing rank-abundance curves, species persistence, and diversity measures. Observed persistence rates were disproportionately lower than expected for species of intermediate abundance, while the rarest species showed decline and appearance rates consistent with random expectation. Our results suggest that large insect biomass declines are predictive of insect diversity declines. Under current threats, even the more common species are in peril, calling for a reevaluation of hazards and conservation strategies that traditionally target already rare and endangered species only.
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Waldron, A., A. O. Mooers, D. C. Miller, N. Nibbelink, D. Redding, T. S. Kuhn, J. T. Roberts, and J. L. Gittleman. "Targeting global conservation funding to limit immediate biodiversity declines." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110, no. 29 (July 1, 2013): 12144–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1221370110.
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Kunin, William E. "Robust evidence of declines in insect abundance and biodiversity." Nature 574, no. 7780 (October 30, 2019): 641–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-03241-9.
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HELDBJERG, HENNING, PETER SUNDE, and ANTHONY DAVID FOX. "Continuous population declines for specialist farmland birds 1987-2014 in Denmark indicates no halt in biodiversity loss in agricultural habitats." Bird Conservation International 28, no. 2 (March 6, 2017): 278–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0959270916000654.
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SummaryThe 2020 EU biodiversity strategy aims to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, but this requires effective monitoring to determine whether these aims are achieved. Common bird monitoring continuously assesses changes in the avian community, providing a powerful tool for monitoring temporal changes in the abundance and distribution of these upper trophic level consumers. Two-thirds of Denmark’s land area is intensively farmed, so agricultural habitats make a major contribution to Danish biodiversity. We looked for changes in abundance amongst farmland birds in Denmark during 1987–2014 to test for reductions in declines and to predict whether the 2020-target can be expected to be achieved. Sixteen specialist farmland species were those showing the most rapid declines amongst 102 common breeding species in Denmark. Of these, those species nesting on the ground showed significant long-term declines, which was not the case for those that nest elsewhere, i.e. in hedgerows, trees and buildings. There was no evidence to suggest that these trends were attributable to widespread declines in long-distance migrant species (as reported elsewhere), which may be affected by conditions at other times in the annual cycle. We therefore conclude that continued declines in specialist farmland breeding bird species are due to contemporary agricultural changes within Denmark and urge habitat- and species-specific analysis to identify the core causes of these changes and halt the declines.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Biodiversity declines"
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Colon-Gaud, Jose Checo. "ENERGY FLOW AND MACROINVERTEBRATE PRODUCTION IN PANAMANIAN HIGHLAND STREAMS: ASSESSING THE IMPACTS OF AMPHIBIAN DECLINES." OpenSIUC, 2008. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/280.
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Amphibian populations around the world have been declining rapidly over the past two decades, particularly in upland regions of the neotropics, where a fungal pathogen that causes chytridiomycosis has decimated many regions. Despite increasing concern over these and other dramatic losses of biodiversity, little information is available on the overall ecological effects of amphibian declines. As part of the Tropical Amphibian Declines in Streams (TADS) project, I quantified major energy fluxes, secondary production, and macroinvertebrate community structure for two consecutive years in four stream reaches in the Panamanian uplands, two with healthy amphibian populations and two that had experienced amphibian declines in 1996-1997. Despite relatively high year-round inputs of allochthonous organic materials, storage of detritus in the stream channels was low compared to streams in temperate regions. Organic matter inputs and standing stocks were similar between pre- and post-decline streams, and did not differ appreciably with season. Seston export was a major energetic flux in these systems, and differences in the nutritional quality (C:N) of seston in pre- and post-decline streams suggested that the loss of tadpoles may decrease the quality of materials exported from these headwaters. At coarse scales (e.g., total abundance) macroinvertebrate assemblages were similar between pre- and post-decline sites, but there were noticeable differences in production and functional and taxonomic structure. Pre-decline reaches had higher shredder production and post-decline streams had higher scraper production. In addition, taxonomic differences between pre- and post-decline streams were also evident, with a shift from dominance of smaller scraper taxa in pre-decline sites (i.e. Psephenus) to larger-bodied scrapers such as Petrophila in post-decline reaches. Filterer production was dominated by hydropsychid caddisflies in pre-decline reaches, whereas black flies dominated filterer production in post-decline reaches. Overall, detritus and detritivores dominated energy flow in all study reaches. However, scrapers were well represented in these systems and appeared to be food-limited, particularly in pre-decline reaches where grazing tadpoles were still abundant. During the second year of my study, predicted amphibian declines began at the pre-decline site. The loss of amphibians through this year resulted in subtle shifts in macroinvertebrate functional and taxonomic structure, which correlated with changes in available food resources. Some grazing mayflies responded positively to declining tadpole populations and subsequent increased periphyton resources, suggesting a potential for some degree of functional redundancy in these systems. However, other grazers, such as the water penny beetle Psephenus, showed no response during the period of study. My results indicate that responses of remaining consumers to tadpole declines in streams may not be evident at some coarse scales (e.g., total abundance, biomass). However, differences in secondary production at the community and the functional level, along with assemblage structure changes were evident, with some individual taxa responding relatively quickly. Long-term studies in these same stream reaches will further illuminate the ultimate ecological consequences of these dramatic and sudden losses of consumer diversity.
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Feswick, April Amanda Melissa. "Conserving biodiversity in agriculture-dominated landscapes: Loss of natural habitat drives lepidopteran declines at multiple spatial scales." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/27132.
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The expansion of agriculture throughout the world has precipitated serious biodiversity losses. Countries with relatively extensive natural habitats, such as Canada, continue to intensify agricultural land uses, threatening to expand the scope of the present mass extinction. This thesis tests likely mechanisms of butterfly species decline in agricultural landscapes of varying intensities in the most biologically diverse region of Canada. I measured site variables such as the richness of plants suitable for larval development, patch area and shape index, and landscape variables such as heterogeneity and land-cover within buffers that varied in size from 100m to 1000m. Several rare species were not present in the agricultural sites, whereas a few species typically associated with disturbed habitat were present and abundant among most study sites. I found that agricultural intensification acts across landscapes to reduce butterfly species richness by reducing the proportion of natural habitat available. This effect was especially pronounced at 100m to 200m distances, suggesting a threshold effect beyond which the proportion of natural land is less critical to butterfly biodiversity. Within-site factors, such as plant species richness and habitat area were not affected by agricultural intensity, nor did they affect butterfly species richness and abundance. These results suggest that the mechanism linking butterfly species decline to agriculture, at least for butterflies in this region, is the loss of small habitat remnants.
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Paré, Souleymane. "Land use dynamics, tree diversity and local perception of dry forest decline in southern Burkina Faso, West Africa /." Umeå : Dept. of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2008. http://epsilon.slu.se/200878.pdf.
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Moreau, Angélique. "Vivacité de la question du déclin des abeilles sauvages : étude de la médiation par l'exposition et analyse des contributions d'acteurs lors de sa conception. Le cas du projet européen UrbanBees." Phd thesis, Université Claude Bernard - Lyon I, 2014. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01073369.
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Cette recherche étudie la mise en exposition de la thématique du déclin des abeilles sauvages au sein du volet médiation du projet de recherche UrbanBees. Ce projet étudie l'hypothèse de l'espace urbain comme zone refuge pour les abeilles sauvages. Il a la particularité d'être adossé à une vaste opération de médiation qui associe des acteurs d'horizons variés (chercheurs, militants associatifs, médiateurs culturels) positionnés différemment sur la thématique concernée. Le déclin des abeilles sauvages constitue à l'heure actuelle ce qu'il est convenu d'appeler une question scientifique socialement vive (QSSV). Elle repose sur quatre dimensions étroitement liées : l'existence même du déclin, ses conséquences et causes potentielles, ainsi que les solutions pour y remédier. Notre étude vise à caractériser la nature de la prise en charge de cette QSSV dans l'exposition et les formes de médiation auxquelles ont recours les acteurs engagés dans sa conception. Les résultats obtenus montrent que la vivacité de la QSSV n'apparait que très ponctuellement et d'une façon relativement consensuelle, orientée par les finalités du projet. En revanche, l'étude de la conception de cette exposition révèle des oppositions marquées, en particulier entre les deux acteurs scientifiques. Les différends sont cependant résolus par les médiateurs qui recentrent le propos sur les points d'accord (les solutions portées par le projet) et le concept fédérateur de Nature en ville. Cela nous conduit à définir les spécificités du média exposition dans le traitement des QSSV par rapport à des dispositifs de médiation visant la participation des publics et à interroger les modes de production qui leurs sont associés
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Giralt, i. Jonama David. "Declivi de la trenca (Lanius minor) al límit occidental de l'àrea de distribució: causes, mecanismes i propostes de conservació = Decline of the Lesser Grey Shrike (Lanius minor) at the western limit of the distribution area: causes, mechanisms and conservation proposals." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/384925.
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Davant l’actual alta taxa d’extinció i pèrdua de biodiversitat, la biologia de la conservació s’ocupa d’estudiar la natura amb l’objectiu final de salvaguardar espècies, hàbitats i ecosistemes. Per a conservar i gestionar adequadament una espècie o població amenaçada, cal estudiar quines són les causes i els mecanismes que han derivat en aquest estat de conservació desfavorable. Les poblacions de trenca (Lanius minor) a Europa occidental són un bon cas d’estudi en biologia de la conservació, ja que 1) fa temps que es troben en declivi, però encara mantenen petites poblacions geogràficament aïllades entre sí, 2) es situen a la perifèria de l’àrea de distribució global i poden estar sotmeses a condicions diferents a les de les poblacions situades al centre de l’àrea de distribució i 3) la trenca és una especialista d’ambients agrícoles, un dels hàbitats més antropitzats i afectats pel canvi global, essent un bon escenari per compatibilitzar l’activitat humana i el manteniment de la biodiversitat.
La present tesi té per objectius 1) descriure el declivi en els darrers 10-20 anys de les poblacions més occidentals de trenca (Catalunya, Espanya i França), 2) constatar si hi ha hagut conseqüències a nivell genètic d’aquest declivi i si hi ha una estructuració genètica entre diferents poblacions europees i asiàtiques, 3) identificar les principals causes de regressió i els mecanismes o paràmetres demogràfics que han tingut i tenen un paper més rellevant en la dinàmica poblacional i en el risc d’extinció d’aquestes poblacions occidentals i 4) proposar les mesures de gestió i conservació que siguin més prioritàries i idònies.
Els resultats indiquen que l’àrea de distribució de totes les poblacions s’ha reduït al menys en un 50%, des de 1990, i que la tendència poblacional ha estat clarament negativa, fins al punt que dues de les cinc poblacions estudiades, ja s’han extingit l’any 2010. Com a conseqüència d’aquest declivi i possiblement de l’aïllament geogràfic, la població espanyola és la que mostra menys diversitat genètica de totes les poblacions europees i asiàtiques analitzades. L’anàlisi genètic identifica tres grans unitats evolutives (ESU) dins l’àrea de distribució global: un d’europeu i dos d’asiàtics, fet que aconsella una re-avaluació de les dues subespècies (una europea i una asiàtica) considerades per alguns autors. Algunes poblacions occidentals mostren una forta sincronia espacial en les fluctuacions interanuals de la mida de la població reproductora, fet que indica l’existència d’un factor comú que les regula. Aquest factor pot estar relacionat amb aspectes climàtics (increment tèrmic) i ambientals (pèrdua del desenvolupament vegetal) a les àrees de reproducció i, potser a l’àrea d’hivernada, tot i que calen més estudis per determinar el seu paper en el declivi d’aquestes poblacions. També es confirma la importància dels hàbitats naturals i semi-naturals de la matriu agrícola, per a la conservació d’aquestes poblacions, perquè ofereixen major disponibilitat d’insectes que altres hàbitats i són seleccionats com a lloc de cacera. La taxa d’envol de les parelles més primerenques també es veu positivament influenciada per la superfície disponible d’aquests hàbitats al voltant del niu. Tot i que una taxa d’envol menor de la desitjada podria ser un dels mecanismes demogràfics per explicar el declivi de la trenca, els models de viabilitat poblacional indiquen que, assumint que actualment no es produeix immigració, la taxa de retorn (supervivència i filopàtria) és el paràmetre més rellevant per evitar l’extinció de les poblacions. Per tant, una estratègia de conservació basada només en la millora dels paràmetres reproductius, a través d’una millora de l’hàbitat a nivell local (territori de nidificació), no seria suficient i caldria una gestió de l’hàbitat a gran escala, creant corredors i facilitant la dispersió entre les poblacions.To correctly preserve and manage threatened species or populations, it is crucial to understand the causes and mechanisms that have led to their unfavourable conservation status. This thesis aims 1) to describe the decline in the last 10-20 years of the Lesser Grey Shrike (Lanius minor) populations in Western Europe and to verify possible consequences at the genetic level 2) to identify the main causes of regression and the most relevant demographic mechanisms for population dynamics and 3) to propose conservation and management measures. In parallel to a negative population trend, the distribution area of the five populations has decreased to less than 50% since 1990, leading to the extinction of two of those populations until 2010. As a result of this decline, the Spanish population shows less genetic diversity than the rest of European and Asian studied populations. Genetic analysis identifies three evolutionary units (ESU) within the whole distribution area: one European and two Asian, suggesting a re-evaluation of the two subspecies considered by some authors. Some western populations show a spatial synchrony of the breeding population size across years, indicating the existence of a common regulation factor that may be related to climate (temperature increase) and/or environmental (loss of plant development) factors at the breeding and wintering area, according to a correlational analysis. It is confirmed the importance of natural habitats in farmland areas for conservation purposes, because they offer more availability of insects, they are positively selected for hunting and they enhance the reproductive output of shrikes breeding early in the season. Although a low fledgling success could be one of the demographic mechanisms to explain the decline of this Shrike in western Europe, the population viability analysis indicate that, assuming that there is currently no immigration, return rate (survival and philopatry) is the most relevant parameter to prevent the extinction of populations. Therefore, a conservation strategy based only on improving reproductive performance through local habitat management in the breeding territories would not be sufficient, and habitat management on a larger spatial would be needed, creating corridors and facilitating dispersal between populations.
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Zipf, Lucy. "Effects of climate, habitat, and conservation management on an aerial insectivore, the tree swallow, and its insect prey in Massachusetts, USA." Thesis, 2021. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/42687.
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Human-driven climate, habitat, and land use changes often co-occur in ecological communities. We must consider the multiple components of global change acting on individual species and assemblages to document biological responses to environmental change and determine the mechanisms underlying these responses. Here, I examine climate, habitat, and land management impacts on a model aerial insectivore, the Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), and its insect prey. Both groups are undergoing population decline and phenological shifts in many parts of the world; however, the magnitude and mechanisms of these shifts are not well understood. I first document the impacts of temperature and precipitation on fall flight times of 20 butterfly species with varied life histories in Massachusetts. I find many butterfly species are flying later into the fall now than they were over 20 years ago; however, the response of butterflies to fall climate is complex and often mediated by life history characteristics, like number of broods per season. I then examine the effects of climate, habitat, and insect prey abundance on Tree Swallow reproduction to determine if anthropogenic changes in the breeding habitat result in declines in reproductive performance that contribute to population decline. I find that climate and foraging habitat impact egg laying phenology, clutch size, hatching success and fledging success of Tree Swallows. For example, reproductive phenology is delayed in rainy springs and fledging success is increased in nests with open water in their foraging radius. However, I find no evidence to indicate a change in insect abundance or anthropogenic changes, including climate and land management, are driving decreases in reproductive success of Tree Swallows over time. Lastly, I examine the effects of artificial nest management on Tree Swallow reproduction across Mass Audubon conservation areas. I find habitat, density, and predation of artificial nests to be strong and often overlooked determinants of Tree Swallows reproductive performance; for example, fledging is increased in nests placed in open habitat, far from forests and developed areas. This work provides novel evidence for the impacts of local-scale nest habitat and management on Massachusetts Tree Swallows, a threatened population of aerial insectivores.
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Maas, Bea. "Birds, bats and arthropods in tropical agroforestry landscapes: Functional diversity, multitrophic interactions and crop yield." Doctoral thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-1735-0000-0022-5E77-5.
Full textBooks on the topic "Biodiversity declines"
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Tuxill, John D. Losing strands in the web of life: Vertebrate declines and the conservation of biological diversity. Edited by Peterson Jane A. Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute, 1998.
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Tuxill, John. Losing strands in the web of life: Vertebrate declines and the conservation of biological diversity. Edited by Peterson Jane A and Worldwatch Institute. Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute, 1998.
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Zaĭt︠s︡ev, I︠U︡venaliĭ Petrovich. Marine biological diversity in the Black Sea: A study of change and decline. New York: United Nations Publications, 1997.
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Vellend, Mark. Are local losses of biodiversity causing degraded ecosystem function? Oxford University Press, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198808978.003.0004.
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This chapter highlights the scale dependence of biodiversity change over time and its consequences for arguments about the instrumental value of biodiversity. While biodiversity is in decline on a global scale, the temporal trends on regional and local scales include cases of biodiversity increase, no change, and decline. Environmental change, anthropogenic or otherwise, causes both local extirpation and colonization of species, and thus turnover in species composition, but not necessarily declines in biodiversity. In some situations, such as plants at the regional scale, human-mediated colonizations have greatly outnumbered extinctions, thus causing a marked increase in species richness. Since the potential influence of biodiversity on ecosystem function and services is mediated to a large degree by local or neighborhood species interactions, these results challenge the generality of the argument that biodiversity loss is putting at risk the ecosystem service benefits people receive from nature.
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Heatwole, Harold, and Jodi Rowley, eds. Status of Conservation and Decline of Amphibians. CSIRO Publishing, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/9781486308392.
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Amphibians are among the most threatened groups of animals on earth. In part due to their highly permeable skin, amphibians are highly sensitive to environmental changes and pollution and provide an early-warning system of deteriorating environmental conditions. The more we learn about the impact of environmental changes on amphibians, the better we as humans will be able to arrest their demise, and our own.
Status of Conservation and Decline of Amphibians brings together the current knowledge on the status of the unique frogs of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. Although geographically proximate, each region presents unique challenges and opportunities in amphibian research and conservation. This book contributes to an understanding of the current conservation status of the amphibians of each region, aims to stimulate research into halting amphibian declines, and provides a better foundation for making conservation decisions. It is an invaluable reference for environmental and governmental agencies, researchers, policy-makers involved with biodiversity conservation, and the interested public.
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Kareiva, Peter, Michelle Marvier, and Brian Silliman, eds. Effective Conservation Science. Oxford University Press, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198808978.001.0001.
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This book gathers together 28 personal stories told by leading thinkers and practitioners in conservation – all of whom have something to say about the uncomfortable tension that arises when data meet dogma. Together, they make a powerful argument for conservation science that measures effectiveness and evolves in response to new data, rather than clinging to its treasured foundational ideas. Several chapters raise doubts about some of conservation’s core tenets, including the notion that habitat fragmentation is bad for biodiversity, biodiversity declines are threatening ecosystem function, non-native species are a net negative for conservation, and fisheries management is failing. Another set of chapters warns of the potent power of conservation narratives: undeniably useful to inspire conservation action, but potentially dangerous in locking in thinking against contrary data. These chapters challenge iconic stories about GM crops, orangutans in oil palm forests, frog feminization, salmon versus dams, rehabilitating oiled otters, and wolves in Yellowstone. A final set of chapters addresses conceptual and methodological approaches such as environmental tipping points, global assessments, payment for ecosystem service programs, and working with corporations. Throughout, examples of confirmation bias emerge—not as dishonesty, but as a human foible that is a challenge for all science, not just conservation science. Graduate students, in particular, will find a wealth of ideas to inspire their own research. Each chapter points to additional data that could help resolve lingering debates and improve conservation effectiveness.
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Glen, Alistair, and Christopher Dickman, eds. Carnivores of Australia. CSIRO Publishing, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/9780643103177.
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The Australian continent provides a unique perspective on the evolution and ecology of carnivorous animals. In earlier ages, Australia provided the arena for a spectacular radiation of marsupial and reptilian predators. The causes of their extinctions are still the subject of debate. Since European settlement, Australia has seen the extinction of one large marsupial predator (the thylacine), another (the Tasmanian devil) is in danger of imminent extinction, and still others have suffered dramatic declines. By contrast, two recently-introduced predators, the fox and cat, have been spectacularly successful, with devastating impacts on the Australian fauna.
Carnivores of Australia: Past, Present and Future explores Australia's unique predator communities from pre-historic, historic and current perspectives. It covers mammalian, reptilian and avian carnivores, both native and introduced to Australia. It also examines the debate surrounding how best to manage predators to protect livestock and native biodiversity.
Wildlife managers, academics and postgraduate students will benefit from the most up-to-date synthesis by leading researchers and managers in the field of carnivore biology. By emphasising Australian carnivores as exemplars of flesh-eaters in other parts of the world, this book will be an important reference for researchers, wildlife managers and students worldwide.
Winner of a 2015 Whitley Awards Certificate of Commendation for Zoological Text.
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(Editor), Yu Zaitsev, and V. Mamaev (Editor), eds. Biological Diversity in the Black Sea: A Study of Change and Decline. United Nations Publications, 1998.
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Lindenmayer, David, and Philip Gibbons, eds. Biodiversity Monitoring in Australia. CSIRO Publishing, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/9780643103580.
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Ecological and biodiversity-based monitoring has been marked by an appalling lack of effectiveness and lack of success in Australia for more than 40 years, despite the billions of dollars that are invested in biodiversity conservation annually. What can be done to rectify this situation?
This book tackles many aspects of the problem of biodiversity monitoring. It arose from a major workshop held at The Australian National University in February 2011, attended by leaders in the science, policy-making and management arenas of biodiversity conservation. The diversity of participants was deliberate – successful biodiversity monitoring is dependent on partnerships among people with different kinds of expertise.
Chapter contributors examine what has led to successful monitoring, the key problems with biodiversity monitoring and practical solutions to those problems. By capturing critical insights into successes, failures and solutions, the authors provide high-level guidance for important initiatives such as the National Biodiversity Strategy, similar kinds of conservation initiatives in state government agencies, as well as non-government organisations that aim to improve conservation outcomes in Australia. Ultimately, the authors hope to considerably improve the quality and effectiveness of biodiversity monitoring in Australia, and to arrest the decline of biodiversity.
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M, Swanson Timothy, ed. The economics and ecology of biodiversity decline: The forces driving global change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "Biodiversity declines"
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Huettmann, Falk. "A First Rare Species Action List for La Suerte and Ometepe: Correlates with Extinction, Invasion, Declines, the Allee Effect, and no Good Recovery in Island Habitats." In Central American Biodiversity, 539–56. New York, NY: Springer New York, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2208-6_23.
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Geller, Gary N., Jeannine Cavender-Bares, John A. Gamon, Kyle McDonald, Erika Podest, Phil A. Townsend, and Susan Ustin. "Epilogue: Toward a Global Biodiversity Monitoring System." In Remote Sensing of Plant Biodiversity, 519–26. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33157-3_20.
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AbstractMonitoring the ongoing declines in biodiversity and ecosystem health is essential for formulating societal responses. The Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) was created in 2008 to develop a global monitoring network, but that is a huge task with much remaining work. Fortunately, satellite remote sensing can help by providing periodic, global data that is not otherwise available. Continued advances – many of which are discussed in this book’s 19 chapters – in science as well as sensor and computational technology have an increasingly important role. However, taking advantage of these requires bringing together a variety of elements and disciplines, and it is with this in mind that a conceptual system architecture is here suggested. Key elements of this cloud-based architecture include: explicit support for collaboration, particularly across disciplines, to facilitate development of new algorithms; access to a wide variety of data, including satellite, airborne, and in situ; recognition of the importance of integrating across sensors and scales; and access to significant CPU cycles for generating heavy products such as time series. Such a system would build upon GEO BON and contribute to its mission by being the core of its RS activities; like GEO BON itself, it would be a coordinated effort among many international players.
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van Zonneveld, Maarten, Gayle M. Volk, M. Ehsan Dulloo, Roeland Kindt, Sean Mayes, Marcela Quintero, Dhrupad Choudhury, Enoch G. Achigan-Dako, and Luigi Guarino. "Safeguarding and Using Fruit and Vegetable Biodiversity." In Science and Innovations for Food Systems Transformation, 553–67. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15703-5_30.
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AbstractFruit and vegetable species and varieties, their wild relatives, and pollinators and other associated organisms underpin diverse food production systems and contribute to worldwide health and nutrition. This biodiversity, however, is threatened, remains poorly conserved, and is largely undocumented. Its loss leads to a narrowing of new food options, reduced variation for breeding, and yield gaps due to pollinator decline. This constrains the supply of climate-resilient and nutritious foods to the global human population and limits long-term progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and any future goals set thereafter. It will require that awareness be raised globally to safeguard and sustainably use fruit and vegetable biodiversity and that a global rescue plan for reducing and reversing the decline in this biodiversity be devised. Success will depend on a global partnership of custodians and users of fruit and vegetable biodiversity and requires an investment of at least 250 million USD over ten years.
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Pontius, Jennifer, Paul Schaberg, and Ryan Hanavan. "Remote Sensing for Early, Detailed, and Accurate Detection of Forest Disturbance and Decline for Protection of Biodiversity." In Remote Sensing of Plant Biodiversity, 121–54. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33157-3_6.
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AbstractMany ecosystems and the biodiversity they contain are currently faced with increasing disturbance frequency and intensity, concurrent with converging stress agents such as climate change, invasive species, and pollutant loads. Research has shown that the earlier decline can be detected, the more successful efforts will be in sustaining critical natural resources. While historically remote sensing (RS) has been successfully used to assess and monitor vegetation condition on a relative, coarse scale, advances in RS technologies and new modeling approaches now enable the identification and tracking of early and more subtle changes in vegetation condition, function, and structure. Here we review the current techniques used to assess and monitor forest ecosystem condition and disturbance and outline a general approach for earlier, more detailed, and accurate decline assessment. We also discuss the importance of engaging land managers, practitioners, and decision-makers in these efforts to ensure that the final products developed can be utilized by stakeholders to maximize the impact of these technologies moving forward.
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Tanaka, Wataru, and Rei Itsukushima. "Attempt to Develop High-Value Rice in the Shimojin District, Mashiki Town, Kumamoto Prefecture: Transition Into Sustainable Local Community Using Disaster Recovery from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes as a Branding Strategy." In Decision Science for Future Earth, 233–51. Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8632-3_12.
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AbstractIn this chapter, we report the case of a co-design project undertaken in the Shimojin district that was severely damaged by the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes. We, IDS3, and local residents have not only attempted to recover the aforementioned district from the damages it suffered due to the earthquakes but also unite its entire community, which is currently suffering from population decline and aging. To supplement its local agriculture, we initiated the co-design project as a means to promote rice branding by adding value by utilizing the biodiversity in the district and transforming the district’s rice paddy fields into eco-friendly paddy systems. We were involved with the project since the consensus building phase owing to our co-design experience with regard to restoration planning at disaster restoration sites and knowledge about the district. We primarily conducted our research in three fields: (1) design of the recovery plan of eco-friendly paddy fields and agricultural ditches, (2) consensus formation for rice branding, (3) exploration of eco-friendly farming method suitable for the region under study.
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Chand, Ramesh. "Indian Agriculture Towards 2030—Need for a Transformative Vision." In India Studies in Business and Economics, 1–7. Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0763-0_1.
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AbstractThe historical experience of almost all economies shows that the share of the agriculture and allied sectors in total employment as well as in their national income falls with progress in economic development. This decline does not, however, diminish the need to address various challenges confronting the agriculture sector, which is a core concern in both developed and developing countries. Agriculture, after all, provides food for the very survival of human life. More importantly, this dependence goes beyond mere survival to adequate nutrition for an active and healthy life. The other significance of agriculture is its role in supporting and improving rural livelihoods. The kind of agriculture practised determines the maintenance of the agroecological balance, biodiversity, sustainable use of land, water and other natural resources, apart from ensuring social security. Agriculture also supplies the raw material that is the foundation for economic activities ranging from industrial production to trade and commerce. Agriculture is both a victim of and contributor to climate change and, therefore, it must adapt to the consequences of this change and reduce its own emissions of greenhouse gases. The challenges and opportunities of the agriculture sector are dynamic; some are common for all countries while some are country specific.
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Vredenburg, Vance T., and David B. Wake. "Global Declines of Amphibians." In Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, 1–9. Elsevier, 2007. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-012226865-6/00578-x.
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Whittaker, Kellie, Michelle S. Koo, David B. Wake, and Vance T. Vredenburg. "Global Declines of Amphibians." In Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, 691–99. Elsevier, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-384719-5.00266-5.
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Abudulai, Mumuni, Jerry Asalma Nboyine, Peter Quandahor, Ahmed Seidu, and Fousséni Traore. "Agricultural Intensification Causes Decline in Insect Biodiversity." In Global Decline of Insects [Working Title]. IntechOpen, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101360.
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The world’s population exceeded 7 billion in late 2011 and it is expected to reach 9.3 billion by 2050. Meanwhile, demand for food is predicted to increase between 50 and 100% by 2050. To meet the food demands of the increasing population, agricultural intensification practices including growing monocultures of high-yielding crop varieties and increased applications of fertilizers and pesticides have been used to increase productivity. These practices, however, impact negatively on biodiversity of existing flora and fauna, particularly causing huge declines in insect biodiversity. This chapter reviews present state of knowledge about agricultural intensification practices and global decline of insect biodiversity (i.e., pest and beneficial insect species) in intensive agricultural system and point out the likely drivers of these declines. It concludes the review by examining sustainable agricultural intensification practices that could be used to mitigate these biodiversity declines while maintaining productivity in intensive agricultural systems.
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Green, Rhys E. "Diagnosing causes of population declines and selecting remedial actions." In Conserving Bird Biodiversity, 139–56. Cambridge University Press, 2002. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511606304.008.
Full textConference papers on the topic "Biodiversity declines"
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Vrbičanová, Gréta, Lucia Szabová, Matěj Močko, Dominika Kaisová, and Imrich Jakab. "Secret potential of the ecosystem services in lower secondary education in Slovakia." In 27th edition of the Central European Conference with subtitle (Teaching) of regional geography. Brno: Masaryk University Press, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.5817/cz.muni.p210-9694-2020-19.
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Declines in biodiversity have corroborated view of scientists to promote ecosystem services to gain support for conservation of the nature from people of all ages all over the world. The ecosystem services are sparsely characterized in education literature and they are not included in the most recent iteration of Slovak standards for lower secondary education. In this paper we are introducing the concept of ecosystem services and discuss why it is an important idea to teach in lower secondary education. Main aim is to present set of conceptual ideas of how to include interdisciplinary field of ecosystem services into geography. Our approach provides an opportunity to use several teaching methods to help students make connections between modern technology and ecological, geographical and social systems. Simultaneously, it is a brand-new approach of connecting students through modern technology and ecosystem services with landscape and improve their perception in the regional geography.
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Boutheyna, Touafchia, Kadi Zahia, Redjaimia Lilia, Rached-Kanouni Malika, and Zerrouki Alia. "CHARACTERISATION AND ASSESSMENT OF THE DECLINE OF THE OULED BECHIH FOREST (ALGERIA)." In GEOLINKS Conference Proceedings. Saima Consult Ltd, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.32008/geolinks2021/b2/v3/03.
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The establishment of the state of the massif by a diagnosis on different forest plots is part of a project of monitoring and silvicultural management. The purpose of this study is to assess the health status of the Ouled Bechih forest. The methodology used was the visual assessment of the tree crown of the dominant species (i.e. Quercus suber and Quercus canariensis) according to the protocols DEPEFEU, DEPERIS and ICP Forests. These protocols were selected for adoption based on field observations and their applicability in record time. The results obtained indicate that the health status of the trees within the studied plots is declining. The DEPEFEU value index shows an average of 1.75 for Quercus suber and 2.6 for Quercus canariensis while the DEPERIS has an average level of 2.36 Q. suber in and 3.37 in Q. canariensis. ICP Forests has also contributed to providing clearer information on the consequences of this health situation by deducting an average visibility rate of 1.20 and 2.63; social status of 1.17 and 3.11 and competition of 1.11 and 2.49 for Q. suber and Q. canariensis respectively. In general, the health status of the tree crown is average and almost adapted to the environmental conditions. In contrast, the carrying capacity of biodiversity is low and needs to be improved.
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Naranjo, Lourdes Royo. "Strategies to value the dispersed heritage of rural Andalusia. Lagares, paseros and vineyards: the architecture of the raisin." In HERITAGE2022 International Conference on Vernacular Heritage: Culture, People and Sustainability. Valencia: Universitat Politècnica de València, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/heritage2022.2022.14372.
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The United Nations Food and Agroindustry Organization (FAO) declared in 2018 the Malaga raisin pro-duction system as an Important World Agricultural Heritage System (SIPAM). There are 62 SIPAM world-wide, five of them in Spain and Malaga is the only one in the entire Andalusian autonomous community. The value of this declaration resides in the recognition of a cultural heritage capable of combining agri-cultural biodiversity with resilient ecosystems and a valuable cultural landscape where its architecture remains linked to artisan production. The SIPAM of Malaga has an area of 280 km², it ranges from the cultivation of the Moscatel grape to its transformation into raisins through drying in the sun, favoring the conservation of the landscape, avoiding erosion or desertification processes and constituting an element of linkage of the population with its territory.Since the 18th century, the production coexisted with other forms of elaboration that complemented it. Said structures associated with this industry were located on agricultural properties following various construc-tion models, ranging from rudimentary forms of sunlight such as the almijares in the paved ring of the press, to buildings of higher production. After the phylloxera crisis and the process of constant production decline, we would end up with the destruction of a large part of Malaga's payments. The wineries, paseros and warehouses were transformed into ruins or were reconverted to other lower-yield agricultural activi-ties.Of that material wealth we recognize scattered examples in the current rural landscape of the mountains of Malaga, whose architectural qualities deserve to be rescued and valued as an example of the unique and representative traditional architecture of a declared cultural landscape. These results are directly linked to the work strategies and objectives that we follow in the Transnational research project SIN-PAR (Inno-vation System for the Heritage of Rural Andalusia)
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Elobaid, Elnaim, Bruno Welter Giraldes, Hamad Al-Kuwari, Jassim Al-Khayat, Fadhil Sadooni, and Ekhlas Elbary. "Towards Sustainable Management of Coastal and Offshore Islands in Arabian Gulf Typology: Sensitivity Analysis, Ecological Risk Assessment of Halul and Al-Alyia Islands." In Qatar University Annual Research Forum & Exhibition. Qatar University Press, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.29117/quarfe.2021.0035.
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The great majority of marine ecosystems in Qatar are in fast decline and nearing collapse, where most ecosystem has lost the biological and economic functionality. Aiming to support the decision makers in the management and restoration strategies for recovering the biological and economic functionality of the ecosystems/natural resources of Qatar, we conducted 1) a typology mapping of the main components of the ecosystem of two islands, 2) a sensitivity and vulnerability assessment according to the known guidelines and standards. Highlighting the potential ecological risk and required recommendations for sustainable management plans, within the frame of Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030). The Islands present different anthropogenic pressure. As expected, Al Alyia the coastal Island is under real risk, with critical areas of sensibility but still presenting a potential for recovering its economy and ecological functionality, highlighting the collapsed stage of the very sensitive coral reefs, the vulnerability of oyster beds and seagrass and the functionality of the mangrove (expanding) and Sabha with massive birds nesting. The offshore Island Halul presented in the typology mapping the coral reefs as the main ecosystem but with the presence of seagrass, algae bed, sandy beach, and Sabha. The coral reef still presents a certain functionality, with corals covering several hard substrates, however with high sensitivity and high vulnerability, especially the coral in the shallow areas with scattered colonies, and the vulnerable nesting of marine turtles on beaches. As the management, we recommend increasing the restoration effort of targeted ecosystems, mainly involving coral reefs for increasing the marine biodiversity in general and restoring the oyster beds for recovering the filtration service. Strategies must be made for recovering the ecosystems’ functionality and restore the productivity of the Qatari fishing stock. We recommend applying this mapping method and sensitivity classification for all marine areas around Qatar for supporting the management plans.
Reports on the topic "Biodiversity declines"
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Isbell, Forest I., and Brian J. Wilsey. Exotic Species and Overgrazing Can Drive Declines in Grassland Biodiversity and Productivity. Ames: Iowa State University, Digital Repository, 2009. http://dx.doi.org/10.31274/farmprogressreports-180814-1125.
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Melati, Kuntum, May Thazin Aung, Juanita Gómez González, Phuong Nguyen, and Dhyey Bhatpuria. Policy recommendations for environmental conservation in the Chindwin River Basin. Stockholm Environment Institute, November 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.51414/sei2021.033.
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The Chindwin Basin is facing habitat loss and species population decline driven by economic development activities combined with the impacts of climate change. Given the interdependency of livelihoods and biodiversity in this part of Myanmar, this brief explores ideas for enhancing community-based conservation in the Chindwin River Basin.
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Börjesson, Patrik, Maria Eggertsen, Lachlan Fetterplace, Ann-Britt Florin, Ronny Fredriksson, Susanna Fredriksson, Patrik Kraufvelin, et al. Long-term effects of no-take zones in Swedish waters. Edited by Ulf Bergström, Charlotte Berkström, and Mattias Sköld. Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.54612/a.10da2mgf51.
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Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly established worldwide to protect and restore degraded ecosystems. However, the level of protection varies among MPAs and has been found to affect the outcome of the closure. In no-take zones (NTZs), no fishing or extraction of marine organisms is allowed. The EU Commission recently committed to protect 30% of European waters by 2030 through the updated Biodiversity Strategy. Importantly, one third of these 30% should be of strict protection. Exactly what is meant by strict protection is not entirely clear, but fishing would likely have to be fully or largely prohibited in these areas. This new target for strictly protected areas highlights the need to evaluate the ecological effects of NTZs, particularly in regions like northern Europe where such evaluations are scarce. The Swedish NTZs made up approximately two thirds of the total areal extent of NTZs in Europe a decade ago. Given that these areas have been closed for at least 10 years and can provide insights into long-term effects of NTZs on fish and ecosystems, they are of broad interest in light of the new 10% strict protection by 2030 commitment by EU member states. In total, eight NTZs in Swedish coastal and offshore waters were evaluated in the current report, with respect to primarily the responses of focal species for the conservation measure, but in some of the areas also ecosystem responses. Five of the NTZs were established in 2009-2011, as part of a government commission, while the other three had been established earlier. The results of the evaluations are presented in a synthesis and also in separate, more detailed chapters for each of the eight NTZs. Overall, the results suggest that NTZs can increase abundances and biomasses of fish and decapod crustaceans, given that the closed areas are strategically placed and of an appropriate size in relation to the life cycle of the focal species. A meta-regression of the effects on focal species of the NTZs showed that CPUE was on average 2.6 times higher after three years of protection, and 3.8 times higher than in the fished reference areas after six years of protection. The proportion of old and large individuals increased in most NTZs, and thereby also the reproductive potential of populations. The increase in abundance of large predatory fish also likely contributed to restoring ecosystem functions, such as top-down control. These effects appeared after a 5-year period and in many cases remained and continued to increase in the longer term (>10 years). In the two areas where cod was the focal species of the NTZs, positive responses were weak, likely as an effect of long-term past, and in the Kattegat still present, recruitment overfishing. In the Baltic Sea, predation by grey seal and cormorant was in some cases so high that it likely counteracted the positive effects of removing fisheries and led to stock declines in the NTZs. In most cases, the introduction of the NTZs has likely decreased the total fishing effort rather than displacing it to adjacent areas. In the Kattegat NTZ, however, the purpose was explicitly to displace an unselective coastal mixed bottom-trawl fishery targeting Norway lobster and flatfish to areas where the bycatches of mature cod were smaller. In two areas that were reopened to fishing after 5 years, the positive effects of the NTZs on fish stocks eroded quickly to pre-closure levels despite that the areas remained closed during the spawning period, highlighting that permanent closures may be necessary to maintain positive effects. We conclude from the Swedish case studies that NTZs may well function as a complement to other fisheries management measures, such as catch, effort and gear regulations. The experiences from the current evaluation show that NTZs can be an important tool for fisheries management especially for local coastal fish populations and areas with mixed fisheries, as well as in cases where there is a need to counteract adverse ecosystem effects of fishing. NTZs are also needed as reference for marine environmental management, and for understanding the effects of fishing on fish populations and other ecosystem components in relation to other pressures. MPAs where the protection of both fish and their habitats is combined may be an important instrument for ecosystembased management, where the recovery of large predatory fish may lead to a restoration of important ecosystem functions and contribute to improving decayed habitats. With the new Biodiversity Strategy, EUs level of ambition for marine conservation increases significantly, with the goal of 30% of coastal and marine waters protected by 2030, and, importantly, one third of these areas being strictly protected. From a conservation perspective, rare, sensitive and/or charismatic species or habitats are often in focus when designating MPAs, and displacement of fisheries is then considered an unwanted side effect. However, if the establishment of strictly protected areas also aims to rebuild fish stocks, these MPAs should be placed in heavily fished areas and designed to protect depleted populations by accounting for their home ranges to generate positive outcomes. Thus, extensive displacement of fisheries is required to reach benefits for depleted populations, and need to be accounted for e.g. by specific regulations outside the strictly protected areas. These new extensive EU goals for MPA establishment pose a challenge for management, but at the same time offer an opportunity to bridge the current gap between conservation and fisheries management.
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Weissinger, Rebecca. Evaluation of hanging-garden endemic-plant monitoring at Southeast Utah Group national parks, 2013–2020. Edited by Alice Wondrak Biel. National Park Service, October 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.36967/2294868.
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Hanging gardens are the most common type of spring at Arches National Park (NP) and Natural Bridges National Monument (NM). They are also present at Canyonlands National Park, but hanging gardens are rare off the Colorado Plateau. Their cliffside setting provides stable access to water without flood disturbance. This combination provides unique habitat that is rich in endemic plant species. The diffuse, seeping emergence of water makes measuring springflow impossible at most sites. Park managers have an interest in monitoring hanging gardens—especially as the climate warms and aridity and water demand both increase. The Northern Colorado Plateau Net-work (NCPN) proposed methods for monitoring seven perennial endemic-plant species at hanging gardens as indicators of spring health and proxies for water availability. Because hanging gardens occur on bedrock outcrops, systematic or random sampling was not possible due to safety concerns and potential resource damage on steep, wet slopes. Examining eight years (2013–2020) of data, this report evaluates the suitability of endemic-plant count data at hanging gardens as a monitoring indicator. It also provides our first evaluation of status and trends at NCPN hanging gardens. The seven species included in monitoring were Rydberg’s thistle (Cirsium rydbergii), Kachina daisy (Erigeron kachinensis), alcove death camas (Zigadenus vaginatus), alcove bog orchid (Habenaria zothecina), cave primrose (Primula specuicola), alcove columbine (Aquilegia micrantha), and Eastwood’s monkeyflower (Mimulus eastwoodiae). Six of the seven species were found at each park. Up to 500 individuals of each species were counted at 42 hanging gardens in Arches NP, 14 hanging gardens in Natural Bridges NM, and 3 hanging gardens in Canyonlands NP. Larger populations were divided into count classes of 501–1,000, 1,001–10,000, and more than 10,000 individuals. Counts from two independent observers and from back-to-back years of sampling were compared for repeatability. Repeatability in count classes was less than 50% for Kachina daisy and Eastwood’s monkeyflower, which both propagate vegetatively via ramets and/or stolons. Repeatability was greater than 90% for only one species, Rydberg’s thistle. The remaining species were categorized in different classes between 15–40% of the time. Independent-observer comparisons were only available for 6.6% of the dataset, but these observations suggested that (1) observer bias was present and (2) the observer with more experience working in hanging gardens generally had higher counts than the observer with less experience in this system. Although repeatability was variable, it was within the range reported by other studies for most species. The NCPN, in discussion with park staff, has elected to make some modifications to the protocol but will continue using endemic plant counts as an indicator of hanging-garden health to maintain a biological variable as a complement to our physical-response data. This is due to their high value to park biodiversity and the difficulty of developing a more robust approach to monitoring in these sites. Endemic-plant monitoring will continue for the five species with the highest repeatability during pilot monitoring and will focus on detecting changes in smaller populations. Most hanging gardens have more than one endemic species present, so several populations can be tracked at each site. Our period of record is relatively brief, and the distribution of endemic-plant populations in different count classes at these sites has not yet shown any statistical trends over time. Be-cause of the large count classes, our methods are more sensitive to showing change in smaller populations (fewer than 500 individuals). Small populations are also of greatest concern to park managers because of their vulnerability to declines or extirpation due to drought. Over-all, more sites had endemic-plant populations of fewer than 100 individuals at the end...
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Black, Richard, Joshua Busby, Geoffrey D. Dabelko, Cedric de Coning, Hafsa Maalim, Claire McAllister, Melvis Ndiloseh, et al. Environment of Peace: Security in a New Era of Risk. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, May 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.55163/lcls7037.
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The environmental crisis is increasing risks to security and peace worldwide, notably in countries that are already fragile. Indicators of insecurity such as the number of conflicts, the number of hungry people and military expenditure are rising; so are indicators of environmental decline, in climate change, biodiversity, pollution and other areas. In combination, the security and environmental crises are creating compound, cascading, emergent, systemic and existential risks. Without profound changes of approach by institutions of authority, risks will inevitably proliferate quickly. Environment of Peace surveys the evolving risk landscape and documents a number of developments that indicate a pathway to solutions––in international law and policy, in peacekeeping operations and among non-governmental organizations. It finds that two principal avenues need to be developed: (a) combining peace-building and environmental restoration, and (b) effectively addressing the underlying environmental issues. It also analyses the potential of existing and emerging pro-environment measures for exacerbating risks to peace and security. The findings demonstrate that only just and peaceful transitions to more sustainable practices can be effective––and show that these transitions also need to be rapid.
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Walz, Yvonne, Florence Nick, Oscar Higuera Roa, Udo Nehren, and Zita Sebesvari. Coherence and Alignment among Sustainable Land Management, Ecosystem-based Adaptation, Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Nature-based Solutions. United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security, November 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.53324/mwgp9896.
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Approaches integrating environmental management practices have been gaining importance in recent years. Sustainable Land Management (SLM), Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), Ecosystem-based disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are widely applied approaches that tackle certain drivers of challenges such as food insecurity, water scarcity, decline in biodiversity and threats to livelihoods, while also considering both human well-being and ecosystem functions and services. Better understanding the similarities, differences and relationships between these approaches helps to improve efficiency in implementation and leverage synergies. By shedding more light on where these approaches align, investments in land-based solutions in response to different types of environmental challenges can be more effectively designed to achieve multiple targets. In response to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) decision 19/COP.14 paragraph 4, the main objective of this report is to understand and elaborate upon the characteristics of SLM, EbA, Eco-DRR and NbS. The report begins with an overview of the historical backgrounds and origins of SLM, EbA, Eco-DRR and NbS. Despite differences in their specific goals and targeted benefits, all approaches aim for the support of biodiversity, land-based ecosystems and ecosystem services and functions, and employ measures to conserve, restore and sustainably use land to support ecosystem services and functions, including SLM technologies. Furthermore, irrespective of their different goals, the projects developed under any approach can generate comparable co-benefits, especially due to their support of biodiversity. The capacity for all these approaches to deliver multiple co-benefits means that projects of each approach can directly contribute to implementing the specific goals of the other approaches as well. Thus, multiple global and national targets, frameworks, strategies and conventions which call for the implementation of one or more of these approaches, can benefit from this report by avoiding duplication and reducing the overall investments necessary to achieve the set targets and goals. This is critical for achieving the ambitious Agenda 2030, including voluntary land degradation neutrality (LDN) targets and climate action under the Paris Agreement. It will also be the case for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework currently under development. The added value that will come from optimizing the links among these approaches extends from national policymakers to the practitioners of SLM, EbA and Eco-DRR projects, which all share the ultimate goal of sustainable development. To capture the coherence and alignment among these approaches, their similarities and differences have been summarized in a conceptual framework. The framework has been designed to help practitioners understand the specific goals of each approach, and to link these to the relevant global and national targets, frameworks, strategies and conventions, which can support monitoring and evaluation as well as reporting processes. The synergies among these approaches are further illustrated based on three case studies in order to demonstrate opportunities for leveraging multiple co-benefits and targets at implementation level irrespective of the different objectives under each. The results of this assessment demonstrate that activities under one approach can be beneficial to achieve the specific goals of other approaches with little additional effort. It is essential for policymakers, project developers and practitioners to recognize that. This is key to the achievement of sustainable development.
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Perkins, Dustin. Invasive exotic plant monitoring at Fossil Butte National Monument: 2021 field season. Edited by Alice Wondrak Biel. National Park Service, September 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.36967/2288496.
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Invasive exotic plant (IEP) species are one of the biggest threats to natural ecosystem integrity and biodiversity, and controlling them is a high priority for the National Park Service. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) selected the early detection of IEPs as one of 11 monitoring protocols to be implemented as part of its long-term monitoring program. This report represents work completed during the 2021 field season at Fossil Butte National Monument (NM). From June 26 to 29, 2021, we recorded a total of 12 different priority IEP species during monitoring. A total of 763 priority IEP patches were recorded along 61.9 kilometers (38.5 mi) of 22 monitoring routes. Summer cypress (Bassia scoparia) was detected for the first time on monitoring routes along the Main Park Road. The highest densities of IEP patches were detected in several drainages and one trail: Sage Grouse Lek Drainage (32.7 patches/km), East Red Hill Drainage (19.4/km), Moose Bones Canyon (19.4/km), Main Park Road (19.0/km), West Fork Chicken Creek (17.6/km), Chicken Creek (15.0/km), Smallpox Creek (13.5/km) and the Historic Quarry Trail (11.1/km). The Fossil Butte Northwest, Wasatch Saddle, and North Dam Fork of Chicken Creek drainages were the only routes free of priority IEPs in 2021. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), creeping foxtail (Alopecurus arundi-naceus), and Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus) were the most widespread species. Creeping foxtail continues to increase parkwide and along the Main Park Road and southern drainages. The two brome species have declined somewhat since 2018, but these species can fluctuate widely based on precipitation. Flixweed (Descurainia sophia), whitetop (Cardaria sp.), and quackgrass (Elymus repens) all appear to have declined since 2018 and their previous highs in earlier years. Control efforts by park staff are likely helping to prevent some IEP increases in the park. Network staff plan to return to Fossil Butte NM for an eighth round of monitoring in 2023.
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Gerritsen, Erik, Lisa Korteweg, Foivos Petsinaris, Rachel Lamothe, Jeroen van der Laan, Daniela Chiriac, Costanza Strinati, Sean Stout, and Bella Tonkonogy. Options for Considering Nature-positive Finance Tracking and Taxonomy. Inter-American Development Bank, November 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0004572.
Full textAbstract:
Healthy and resilient ecosystems underpin our societies and economies. Collapse of just a few ecosystem services such pollination, timber from forests and food from marine fisheries, could result in a global GDP decline of USD 2.7 trillion annually by 2030. We are not investing sufficiently in nature, resulting in an estimated nature funding gap as high as US$800 billion per year. Redirecting financial flows towards nature-positive investments and activities is critical. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) play an instrumental role to support a nature-positive future, aligned with the forthcoming post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers Communiqué of May 27th, 2022, and with the Joint Statement on Nature, People, and Planet endorsed by the 10 MDBs at COP27. This Statement included an intention to work towards a joint understanding of the term 'nature positive' in the context of operations and investments and a goal to develop tools and methodologies for tracking 'nature positive' investments across MDB portfolios. This technical note is a first step towards meeting this commitment. This work presents options for defining nature-positive finance, based on definitions and principles identified in a bibliographical review drawing on global expertise and developing frameworks and taxonomies. Acknowledging the variety of institutional and ecological contexts in which MDBs operate, the report offers a menu of options to screen nature-positive activities as well as a variety of approaches to determine the nature-positive contribution to investments. Finally, the report proposes principles for tracking and reporting on these investments.