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biodiversity; fish; fisheries; juveniles; market prices; markets; streams; India
Abstract:
... 1.Denison's Barb, Puntius denisonii (Day) is an endemic and endangered cyprinid fish of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in peninsular India, which is the focus of an organized yet undocumented fishery targeting juveniles for the international aquarium trade.2.Research on P. denisonii has been very limited and there has been no systematic effort to assess and monitor their abundance, distrib ...
... In recent decades the rate and geographic extent of land-use and land-cover change has increased throughout the world's humid tropical forests. The pan-tropical geography of forest change is a challenge to assess, and improved estimates of the human footprint in the tropics are critical to understanding potential changes in biodiversity. We combined recently published and new satellite observation ...
biodiversity; environmental governance; income distribution; population density; prediction; social inequality; statistical models; threatened species; vertebrates
Abstract:
... We used socioeconomic models that included economic inequality to predict biodiversity loss, measured as the proportion of threatened plant and vertebrate species, across 50 countries. Our main goal was to evaluate whether economic inequality, measured as the Gini index of income distribution, improved the explanatory power of our statistical models. We compared four models that included the follo ...
biodiversity; climate; climate change; ecological restoration; ecosystems; government agencies; humans; issues and policy; laws and regulations; managers; monitoring; planning; society; water conservation; wildlife management; Canada; England; Mexico; South Africa; United States
Abstract:
... The scientific literature contains numerous descriptions of observed and potential effects of global climate change on species and ecosystems. In response to anticipated effects of climate change, conservation organizations and government agencies are developing "adaptation strategies" to facilitate the adjustment of human society and ecological systems to altered climate regimes. We reviewed the ...
... A water balance model was developed for Bung Boraphet reservoir, a large flood plain lake in Thailand, from daily measurements over three inflow outflow cycles between 2003 and 2006. Measurement error was 10% (as one standard deviation) of the total measured volume. The specific yield from the Bung Boraphet catchment was 3.9 m3/ha/yr and surface water inflow from the local catchment was the larges ...
Williams, Nicholas S.G.; Schwartz, Mark W.; Vesk, Peter A.; McCarthy, Michael A.; Hahs, Amy K.; Clemants, Steven E.; Corlett, Richard T.; Duncan, Richard P.; Norton, Briony A.; Thompson, Ken; McDonnell, Mark J.
... 1. With the majority of people now living in urban environments, urbanization is arguably the most intensive and irreversible ecosystem change on the planet. 2. Urbanization transforms floras through a series of filters that change: (i) habitat availability; (ii) the spatial arrangement of habitats; (iii) the pool of plant species; and (iv) evolutionary selection pressures on populations persistin ...
... Conservation auctions are a type of market-based instrument (MBI) that can achieve a more cost-efficient allocation of public funds than approaches such as devolved grants. In this paper, the conduct of a multiple round conservation auction to improve biodiversity management in a rangelands area is outlined. The auction was designed to develop a wildlife corridor across the southern Desert Uplands ...
... 1. The development of sustainable, multi‐functional agricultural systems involves reconciling the needs of agricultural production with the objectives for environmental protection, including biodiversity conservation. However, the definition of sustainability remains ambiguous and it has proven difficult to identify suitable indicators for monitoring progress towards, and the successful achievemen ...
rangelands; monitoring; arid lands; botanical composition; climate change; climatic factors; vegetation; South Australia
Abstract:
... Rangelands support many ecosystem services important to humans, including climate regulation. They also have a significant role to play in the mitigation of greenhouse gases. However, the capacity of any rangeland to do this depends foremost upon the condition of biodiversity, and the functioning of its ecosystems. Considerable research has been undertaken on rangeland condition but it has not yet ...
Hahs, Amy K.; McDonnell, Mark J.; McCarthy, Michael A.; Vesk, Peter A.; Corlett, Richard T.; Norton, Briony A.; Clemants, Steven E.; Duncan, Richard P.; Thompson, Ken; Schwartz, Mark W.; Williams, Nicholas S.G.
biodiversity; cities; extinction; indigenous species; landscapes; urban areas; urban development
Abstract:
... Plant extinctions from urban areas are a growing threat to biodiversity worldwide. To minimize this threat, it is critical to understand what factors are influencing plant extinction rates. We compiled plant extinction rate data for 22 cities around the world. Two-thirds of the variation in plant extinction rates was explained by a combination of the city's historical development and the current p ...
water pollution; agroecosystems; greenhouse gases; meta-analysis; soil organic matter; soil quality; genetic variation; nitrate nitrogen; leaching; crop yield; phosphates; soil fertility; statistical analysis; gas emissions; environmental impact; species diversity; land use; organic production
Abstract:
... Purpose - This paper aims to perform a meta-analysis of the literature comparing the environmental impacts of organic and conventional farming and linking these to differences in management practises. The studied environmental impacts are related to land use efficiency, organic matter content in the soil, nitrate and phosphate leaching to the water system, greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity ...
... 1. Various groundwater habitats have exceptionally high levels of endemism caused by strong hydrographical isolation and low dispersal abilities of their inhabitants. More than 10% of macro-stygobiotic species nevertheless occupy relatively large ranges, measuring from some hundred to over 2000 km in length. These species represent a challenge because their distributions disregard hydrographical b ...
... Due to the rapid rate of worldwide consumption of nonrenewable fossil fuels, production of biofuels from cellulosic sources is receiving increased research emphasis. Here, we review the feasibility to produce lignocellulosic biomass on marginal lands that are not well-suited for conventional crop production. Large areas of these marginal lands are located in the central prairies of North America o ...
... The human population is increasingly disconnected from nature due to urbanisation. To counteract this phenomenon, the UK government has been actively promoting wildlife gardening. However, the extent to which such activities are conducted and the level of resource provision for biodiversity (e.g., food and nesting sites) within domestic gardens remains poorly documented. Here we generate estimates ...
... A new approach is chosen to visualize ecosystem health by using parasite bioindicators in Segara Anakan Lagoon, a brackish water ecosystem at the southern Java coast, Indonesia. Three fish species (Mugil cephalus, Scatophagus argus, Epinephelus coioides) were collected in two different years and sampling sites and studied for ecto- and endoparasites. Additional data were taken for E. coioides from ...
Haughton, Alison J.; Bond, Alan J.; Lovett, Andrew A.; Dockerty, Trudie; Sünnenberg, Gilla; Clark, Suzanne J.; Bohan, David A.; Sage, Rufus B.; Mallott, Mark D.; Mallott, Victoria E.; Cunningham, Mark D.; Riche, Andrew B.; Shield, Ian F.; Finch, Jon W.; Turner, Martin M.; Karp, Angela
land use change; decision support systems; Lepidoptera; energy crops; agricultural land; indicator species; Miscanthus; population size; rural areas; butterflies; biodiversity; sustainable agriculture; England
Abstract:
... 1. Concern about climate change and energy security is stimulating land-use change, which in turn precipitates social, economic and environmental responses. It is predicted that within 20 years in the UK, bioenergy crops could occupy significant areas of rural land. Among these, dedicated biomass crops, such as Miscanthus (Miscanthus spp.) grass and short rotation willow (Salix spp.) coppice, diff ...
bioaccumulation; biodiversity; center of origin; coral reefs; corals; data collection; fauna; fish; molluscs; phylogeny; trees; Pacific Ocean
Abstract:
... We analysed data on Indo-Pacific coral reef taxa to test four mechanisms proposed for the origins of the biodiversity centre in the East Indies Triangle: (1) the centre of origin hypothesis, (2) the centre of accumulation hypothesis, (3) the centre of overlap hypothesis, and (4) the bioaccumulation hypothesis. The Indian and western Pacific oceans. The data set consisted of eight clades of fishes, ...
aquifers; biodiversity; biogeography; ecosystems; endangered species; groundwater; habitats; issues and policy; models; oxygen; prediction; surface water; water management
Abstract:
... Many governments now require the ecological condition of groundwater ecosystems to be considered when making policy decisions. However, groundwater habitats and communities occur at different spatial scales to those at which aquifers are managed, making their inclusion in policy decisions difficult. A system of classifying groundwater ecosystems is needed to aid this, yet such a typology is curren ...
humans; monitoring; pastures; cattle; grazing; models; habitats; habitat conservation; European Union; biodiversity; case studies; Nardus; grasslands; conservation areas; Alps region
Abstract:
... “Habitats” Directive 92/43/EEC is the pivotal European law for building a continental network of sites of community importance (SCIs) for nature conservation. Article 6 of such directive underlines the importance of biodiversity conservation through the realization of proper management plans. As a result, such plans are increasingly common. A management plan based on intensive field studies and mo ...
... Invasions of alien rodents have shown to have devastating effects on insular ecosystems. Here we review the ecological impacts of these species on the biodiversity of the Balearic and the Canary Islands. A total of seven species of introduced rodents (two rats, three mice, one dormouse, and one squirrel) have been recorded (six in the Balearics and four in the Canaries). Some of them can occasiona ...
biodiversity; birds; confidence interval; data collection; linear models; monitoring; surveys; volunteers; woodlands; Australia
Abstract:
... The ability to track change in biodiversity is essential to guide sustainable management and meet biodiversity monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements, yet long-term data are usually scarce. Birds Australia has developed a simple survey methodology for use by their nationwide network of volunteers; it involves the collection of data on the presence-absence of species at repeatedly visite ...
... The marshlands of Lower Mesopotamia witnessed severe draining programs during late 1980s and early 2000s, which turned vast areas of the former water body into desert areas. New field surveys of birds and their habitats in the marshes of southern Iraq were launched in 2005 through a national and international partnership of non-government organizations, ministries and donor agencies. This has resu ...
biodiversity; conservation areas; parks; New South Wales
Abstract:
... Management effectiveness evaluation has been recognized as an important mechanism for both reporting on and improving protected area management. The Convention on Biological Diversity’s program of work on protected areas calls on all countries to implement such systems. In 2004, the first whole of system assessment of park management effectiveness, based on the IUCN-WCPA Management Effectiveness E ...
algorithms; biodiversity; cluster analysis; data collection; evolution; genotype; linkage disequilibrium; loci; models; population structure
Abstract:
... Accurate inference of genetic discontinuities between populations is an essential component of intraspecific biodiversity and evolution studies, as well as associative genetics. The most widely-used methods to infer population structure are model-based, Bayesian MCMC procedures that minimize Hardy-Weinberg and linkage disequilibrium within subpopulations. These methods are useful, but suffer from ...
... Managed forests are a primary land use within the Coastal Plain of the southern United States. These forests are generally managed under standards, guidelines, or regulations to conserve ecosystem functions and services. Economic value of commercial forests provides incentives for landowners to maintain forests rather than convert them to other uses that have substantially reduced environmental be ...
biodiversity; climate change; freshwater; freshwater ecosystems; issues and policy; landscapes; United Kingdom
Abstract:
... Current work on adaptation responses for conservation management in the face of predicted climate change has a distinctly terrestrial focus. Existing evidence for the potential impact of climate change on freshwater ecosystems indicates that it is the interaction between direct climate change and current anthropogenic pressures that is likely to define the way in which freshwater biodiversity is a ...
Callitris; Rusa timorensis; adaptive management; biodiversity; browsing; case studies; extinction; herbivores; long term effects; monitoring; mortality; nurse plants; population dynamics; risk; seedling growth; seedlings; summer; threatened species; New South Wales
Abstract:
... We applied an adaptive management approach to reduce extinction risks faced by a disjunct and ecologically significant population of Black Cypress Pine (Callitris endlicheri), listed as an endangered population on the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. In summer 2001-2002, an unplanned fire burnt the population, resulting in mortality of most standing plants. Concerns were r ...
sustainable forestry; climate change; planning; montane forests; biodiversity; models; Austria
Abstract:
... Besides protected areas multi-functionally managed forests play an important role in the effort to maintain biodiversity, particularly in areas of intensive historical and current land use. The integration of biodiversity issues under the umbrella of sustainable forest management (SFM) is thus vital to achieve conservation goals. A major challenge for SFM is climate change, and science-based asses ...
... Without robust and unbiased systems for monitoring, changes in natural systems will remain enigmatic for policy makers, leaving them without a clear idea of the consequences of any environmental policies they might adopt. Generally, biodiversity-monitoring activities are not integrated or evaluated across any large geographic region. The EuMon project conducted the first large-scale evaluation of ...
... Prior to deforestation, São Paulo State had 79,000 km² covered by Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) physiognomies, but today less than 8.5% of this biodiversity hotspot remains, mostly in private lands. The global demand for agricultural goods has imposed strong pressure on natural areas, and the economic decisions of agribusiness managers are crucial to the fate of Cerrado domain remaining areas (CDRA) ...
rural population; dietary energy sources; high-yielding varieties; agriculture; land use; sustainable agriculture; animal husbandry; terrace soils; vegetable crops; farm income; agroecosystems; biodiversity; grain crops; rural economics; terraces; food production; fruit crops; off-farm employment; agricultural policy; India
Abstract:
... This study investigates food production and agrobiodiversity in the Tarikhet and Ukhimath blocks in Uttarakhand, India, located in the middle ranges of the Himalayas. On the small patches of terraced land available to the average household in these areas, the cultivation of a wide range of traditional and high-yielding varieties of grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits is a positive feature in t ...
... Genetically modified herbicide-tolerant oilseed rape or canola (Brassica napus L.) is at the forefront of being introduced into European agriculture. Concerns have been raised about how genetically modified oilseed rape cultivation and the modified cropping practices might impair the agro-environment. The present review compiles and categorises evidenced and potential agro-environmental effects of ...
agroforestry; ecosystem services; forests; carbon sequestration; biodiversity; soil quality; soil conservation; air quality; water quality; landscapes; land use; poverty; environmental impact
Abstract:
... Agroforestry systems are believed to provide a number of ecosystem services; however, until recently evidence in the agroforestry literature supporting these perceived benefits has been lacking. This special issue brings together a series of papers from around the globe to address recent findings on the ecosystem services and environmental benefits provided by agroforestry. As prelude to the speci ...
... Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Starving people in poor nations, obesity in rich nations, increasing food prices, on-going climate changes, increasing fuel and transportation costs, flaws of the global market, worldwide pesticide pollution, pest adaptation and resistance ...
Aníbal Pauchard; Christoph Kueffer; Hansjörg Dietz; Curtis C Daehler; Jake Alexander; Peter J Edwards; José Ramón Arévalo; Lohengrin A Cavieres; Antoine Guisan; Sylvia Haider; Gabi Jakobs; Keith McDougall; Constance I Millar; Bridgett J Naylor; Catherine G Parks; Lisa J Rew; Tim Seipel
... Most studies of invasive species have been in highly modified, lowland environments, with comparatively little attention directed to less disturbed, high‐elevation environments. However, increasing evidence indicates that plant invasions do occur in these environments, which often have high conservation value and provide important ecosystem services. Over a thousand non‐native species have become ...
biodiversity; biogeography; climate; models; Antarctica; Australia; South America
Abstract:
... Most biogeographical studies propose that southern temperate faunal disjunctions are either the result of vicariance of taxa originated in Gondwana or the result of transoceanic dispersal of taxa originated after the breakup of Gondwana. The aim of this paper is to show that this is a false dichotomy. Antarctica retained a mild climate until mid‐Cenozoic and had lasting connections, notably with s ...
... The vegetation of the Wet Tropics bioregion of Far North Queensland is a complex system whose components (mainly tropical rainforests and fire-prone forests and woodlands) have mostly been studied independently from each other. We suggest that many characteristics of the vegetation are consistent with those of a complex, dynamic, spatially heterogeneous system which exhibits alternative stable sta ...
... Although amphibians have experienced major global declines and an increasing extinction rate, recent results indicate that they are not as uniquely disadvantaged as previously supposed. Acquisition of robust data is evidently crucial to the determination of both absolute and relative rates of biodiversity declines, and thus in prioritising conservation actions. In Britain there is arguably a longe ...
Regassa, Laura B.; Murphy, April C.; Zarzuela, Alexander B.; Jandhyam, Haritha L.; Bostick, David S.; Bates, C. Ryan; Gasparich, Gail E.; Whitcomb, Robert F.; French, Frank E.
... An environmental survey of tabanid host spiroplasma carriage was undertaken at 10 collection sites in Australia during February 1999. A total of 164 tabanid flies, representing 27 species, were collected and sustainable spiroplasma isolations were made from 48 of the flies. The morphology of the cultured spiroplasmas, as observed in M1D medium under dark-field microscopy, was typical of either (i) ...
... An adaptation of the Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Response methodology is presented in this work. The differential DPSIR (ΔDPSIR) was developed to evaluate impacts on the coastal environment and as a tool for integrated ecosystem management. The aim of the ΔDPSIR is to provide scientifically-based information required by managers and decision-makers to evaluate previously adopted policies, as wel ...
... Species' distributions, assemblage patterns and the processes influencing these are poorly understood, and urgently require study. Use of volunteers to collect data is becoming increasingly common in biodiversity research. We assess the effectiveness of volunteers sampling terrestrial savanna invertebrates in comparison to experienced researchers, and examine the potential contribution of voluntee ...
Litopenaeus stylirostris; Phocoena; biodiversity; biomass; conflict management; ecosystem management; ecosystems; endangered species; environmental impact; models; predators; protected species; shrimp; shrimp fisheries; system optimization; Gulf of California
Abstract:
... 1.An ecosystem analysis was developed focusing on resource exploitation and biodiversity conservation for the Northern Gulf of California. The main tools employed were a trophic ecosystem model and time dynamic simulations.2.The ecosystem was represented by an Ecopath model that included 34 functional groups, from primary producers to top predators. It included relevant species in the area such as ...
... Only a few species belonging to the Proseriata (Platyhelminthes) show a parenchymatic pigmentation, which may aid identification. Among these, Pseudomonocelis agilis has a yellowish body and is provided with a reddish-brown girdle in front of the statocyst. The species is known for limited areas of northern Europe and the Mediterranean. The present study was conducted to assess both the taxonomic ...
biodiversity; biomass; community structure; models; prediction
Abstract:
... We present a theoretical framework to describe stochastic, size-structured community assembly, and use this framework to make community-level ecological predictions. Our model can be thought of as adding biological realism to Neutral Biodiversity Theory by incorporating size variation and growth dynamics, and allowing demographic rates to depend on the sizes of individuals. We find that the specie ...
... The preservation of the biodiversity of animal breeds is an important condition to maintain the ability of animal production to adapt to the changing conditions of breeding and production systems in the future. The decrease of the number of animal breeds has been observed both for sheep, cattle and goats in relation with the standardisation and intensification of animal production systems. Goats a ...
Gnaphosidae; biodiversity; females; forests; new species; spiders; swarms; taxonomic keys
Abstract:
... The spider genus Zelotibia Russell-Smith & Murphy, 2005 is reviewed. Eight new species, all from forest areas in the Albertine Rift, are described: they are Z. angelica (♀), Z. curvifemur (♂♀), Z. fosseyae (♀), Z. johntony (♀), Z. kanama (♀), Z. kibira (♀), Z. lejeunei (♂♀)and Z. subsessa (♀). The unknown female of Z. major Russell-Smith & Murphy, 2005 is described. Z. similis Russel-Smith ...
biodiversity; climate; debt; deforestation; economic performance; global warming; health hazards; international trade; politics; pollution; population growth; poverty; urban areas; urbanization; wastes; Southern Africa
Abstract:
... This paper provides an overview of some of the significant environmental problems in the Southern African region. The key problems highlighted are global warming and climate variability, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, desertification-land degradation, waste and littering, population growth, urbanization, pollution, poverty and health hazards. These problems present a challenge to governments ...
European Union; agricultural management; risk; ecosystem management; ecosystems; climate; water quality; monitoring; water management; models; environmental management; climate change; eutrophication; biodiversity; coastal water; water resources; wetlands; landscapes; pollution load; Tunisia; Morocco; Mediterranean region; Egypt
Abstract:
... As landscape disturbance and climate conspire to accelerate global environmental change towards unprecedented levels in the twenty-first century, the populated coastal regions of many countries are facing major threats to sustainability. Coastal water resources are particularly vulnerable in dry regions. In view of the expected severity of future environmental change in the Southern Mediterranean ...
Bactris gasipaes; vegetables; agroforestry; plant genetic resources; information; case studies; environmental monitoring; decision making; data collection; information management; landscapes; social environment; forest ecology; forest management; environmental protection; biodiversity; wild plants; introgression; Brazil
Abstract:
... Evaluation and monitoring are critical to agroforestry (AFS) project management, especially if they aim to contribute to use and conservation of biodiversity and plant genetic resources. A methodology to analyze information used in decision-making processes was developed and applied in a biodiversity conservation project in the Brazilian Amazon. Quality of information gathered at landscape, AFS, s ...
... Korarima (Aframomum corrorima (Braun) P.C.M. Jansen) production is declining mainly due to destruction of the plant's natural habitat. A survey was conducted in the three major korarima growing administrative zones, Gamo Gofa, Debub Omo and Kaffa in southern Ethiopia to assess indigenous production practices, wealth status, farm based biodiversity and household characteristics using participatory ...
starter cultures; sequence analysis; denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; fermentation; microbial load; soybean products; fermented foods; food paste; polymerase chain reaction; microorganisms; traditional foods; biodiversity; South Korea
Abstract:
... Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste that provides a major source of protein. The microbial diversity of 10 samples of doenjang (5 commercially manufactured products and 5 homemade products) was investigated using nested PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). In the first step, the nearly complete 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes were amplified using universal primers. ...
agricultural land; biodiversity; databases; deforestation; fauna; flora; forests; global change; indigenous species; land use change; population growth; shifting cultivation; India
Abstract:
... Deforestation is recognized as one of the most significant component in LULC and global changes scenario. It is imperative to assess its trend and the rates at which it is occurring. The changes will have long-lasting impact on regional climate and in turn on biodiversity. In North-East India, one of the recognized global biodiversity hotspots, approximately 30% of total forest cover is under pres ...
Anthus; Quercus; adverse effects; biodiversity; canopy; forests; habitat preferences; habitats; landscapes; shrubs; tree and stand measurements; trees; viability; Romania
Abstract:
... Ancient wood-pastures are facing a major decline in several European countries. These habitats are of great importance for biodiversity because of their special semi-natural character that increases landscape variability and connectivity. In this paper we examine the habitat preferences of the tree pipit Anthus trivialis in an ancient oak wood-pasture, the Breite Natural Reserve, central Romania, ...
... • Aechmea mertensii is a tank‐bromeliad that roots on ant‐gardens initiated by the ants Camponotus femoratus and Pachycondyla goeldii. Its leaves form compartments acting as phytotelmata that hold rainwater and provide habitats for invertebrates. In this article, we aimed to determine whether the association with either C. femoratus or P. goeldii influenced the vegetative traits of A. mertensii, i ...
Gandhi, Kamal J. K.; Gilmore, Daniel W.; Haack, Robert A.; Katovich, Steven A.; Krauth, Steven J.; Mattson, William J.; Zasada, John C.; Seybold, Steven J.
... From 2000 through 2003 we used semiochemical-baited traps in northeastern Minnesota, USA, to assess changes in assemblages of subcortical forest insects after a catastrophic wind storm in 1999 and subsequent (1999-2000) fuel-reduction activities (salvage-logging and prescribed-burning). We determined the regional efficacy of fifteen semiochemical blends (pheromones and kairomones) as attractants f ...
biodiversity; ecosystems; hydrology; life history; niches; rivers; waterways; New Zealand
Abstract:
... The natural flow paradigm (NFP) emphasizes the need to partially or fully maintain or restore the range of natural intra- and interannual variation of hydrologic regimes to protect native biodiversity and the evolutionary potential of aquatic, riparian and wetland ecosystems. Based on our studies of natural and managed flow regimes in New Zealand, we do not believe that all components of the natur ...
... 1. Caves are arguably the hottest of the biodiversity hotspots as measured by endemism and threat, yet they receive very little attention or appropriate management. Some recent investigations in China have found that up to 90% of the animals collected in caves are new to science, yet environmental assessments for development projects in karst areas rarely if ever give attention to the cave fauna. ...
... Landslides are excellent illustrations of the dynamic interplay of disturbance and succession. Restoration is difficult on landslide surfaces because of the high degree of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in soil stability and fertility. Principles derived from more than a century of study of ecological succession can guide efforts to reduce chronic surface soil erosion and restore both biodiver ...
Chrysanthemoides monilifera; biodiversity; case studies; diet; frugivores; fruit products; gardens; indigenous species; invasive species; landscapes; models; phenology; weeds
Abstract:
... Invasive plants are a serious threat to biodiversity. Yet, in some cases, they may play an important ecological role in heavily modified landscapes, such as where fleshy-fruited invasive plants support populations of native frugivores. How can such conservation conflicts be managed? We advocate an approach in which native fleshy-fruited plants are ranked on their ability to provide the fruit food ...
biodiversity; contingent valuation; habitats; income; income elasticities; meta-analysis; models; questionnaires; society; willingness to pay
Abstract:
... This paper is concerned with the empirical relationship between biodiversity conservation values and income. We use random effects panel models to examine the effects of income, and then GDP per capita, on willingness to pay for habitat and biodiversity conservation. In a meta-analysis, 145 Willingness To Pay estimates for biodiversity conservation where existence value plays a major role were col ...
wetlands; environmental models; linear models; Crustacea; vertebrates; regression analysis; biodiversity; case studies; habitats; aquatic insects; Spain; Mediterranean region
Abstract:
... Conservation biology is mainly interested in prioritizing sites on the basis of their high biodiversity. Although species richness is a commonly used criterion, it does not take other crucial aspects of identifying conservation priority sites into account, such as rarity or taxonomic distinctness. Additionally, management efforts are usually focused on the conservation of a small number of species ...
... Reservation of forest in riparian buffers is common practice in commercial forestry areas worldwide, potentially providing valuable habitat for biodiversity dependent on mature forest. However, the habitat value of narrow reserve corridors can be compromised by edge effects. We investigated the habitat value of streamside buffers in wet eucalypt forest for ground-dwelling beetles in Tasmania, Aust ...
Castor fiber; European Union; biodiversity; fish; funnel traps; highlands; ponds; population size; salamanders and newts; valleys; weirs; woodlands; Central European region; Germany
Abstract:
... The European Beaver, once widely distributed across Europe, was almost completely eradicated in the nineteenth century. In the meantime, it has recovered large parts of its distribution range and has increasingly resettled the valleys of the Central European Highlands. In the past, in these same valleys, countless artificial fish and fire-fighting weir ponds, with a water regime similar in size an ...
... The aggregate welfare measure for a change in the provision of a public good derived from a contingent valuation (CV) survey will be higher if the same elicited mean willingness to pay (WTP) is added up over individuals rather than households. A trivial fact, however, once respondents are part of multi-person households, it becomes almost impossible to elicit an “uncontaminated” WTP measure that w ...
Corynephorus; biodiversity; ecosystems; endangered species; field experimentation; filters; grasslands; harrowing; nitrogen; nutrient availability; pioneer species; sandy soils; soil nutrients; soil resources; topsoil; Central European region
Abstract:
... Disproportionately large numbers of threatened and endangered species and unusually high biodiversity have been documented on former military training areas. However, throughout the world, nature protection areas on former military grounds are faced with the dilemma of preserving ecosystems that must change. In central Europe, many of these areas are characterized by dry acidic grasslands on sandy ...
... 1. Effective biodiversity management can only be implemented if data are available on assemblage-environment relationships. The level of detail needs to be relevant to the scale of planning and decision making. A number of remote-sensing methods are available, but there are few studies that link information collected at both landscape and local scales. This is particularly true for arthropods even ...
... Threatened species assessments are one of the tools used to evaluate the degree of human impact on biodiversity, particularly in the assignment of extinction probabilities to individual species. Heavily altered habitats or biomes harbor a high proportion of the threatened species that have been assessed globally—80% of all of threatened species in IUCN's Red List owe their poor status at least par ...
... The species distribution models (SDMs) are useful tools for investigating rare and endangered species as well as the environmental variables affecting them. In this paper, we propose the application of SDMs to assess the extinction-risk of plant species in relation to the spread of greenhouses in a Mediterranean landscape, where habitat depletion is one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. For ...
... The Kakamega Forest is the only remaining tropical rainforest fragment in Western Kenya and hosts large numbers of endemic animal and plant species. Protected areas were established decades ago in order to preserve the forest's unique biodiversity from being converted into agricultural land by the regions large number of small-scale farmers. Nonetheless, recent research shows that degradation cont ...
... Global climate change, along with continued habitat loss and fragmentation, is now recognized as being a major threat to future biodiversity. There is a very real threat to species, arising from the need to shift their ranges in the future to track regions of suitable climate. The Important Bird Area (IBA) network is a series of sites designed to conserve avian diversity in the face of current thr ...
biodiversity; conservation areas; land use; monitoring; multicultural diversity; Tanzania
Abstract:
... To highlight and examine apparent paradoxes in assessing the effectiveness of different forms of land-use for biodiversity conservation. Tanzania. We compare and contrast the findings of two recent and seemingly conflicting studies on the effectiveness of conservation protection strategies in Tanzania. We evaluate these studies in the context of a wider body of evidence relating to the problem of ...
... Much of the tree and shrub planting that has been conducted on farms in Western Australia over the past three decades has not been done with the specific intention of creating habitat or conserving biodiversity, particularly commercially oriented monocultures like oil mallee plantings. However, such plantings may nonetheless provide some habitat resources for native plants and animals. This study ...
... The Okavango wetlands in north western Botswana are the most fire-prone environment in Botswana. Most of these fires are anthropogenic. The fires in this environment are thought to impact the environment negatively and therefore practices that are associated with extensive use of fire have been strongly criticized. Despite this, there has been little work done to understand how these fires impact ...
... The growing concern about the profound influence of human activities on marine ecosystems has been the driving force behind the creation of marine reserves in the last few decades. With almost 4200km of coastline, Chile has not been the exception to this trend. A set of conservation priority sites has recently been proposed by the Chilean government to expand the current marine reserve network. In ...
biodiversity; correlation; habitat preferences; models; regression analysis; salt marshes; spatial data; trees; wildlife; wildlife habitats; New England region
Abstract:
... We developed an assessment model to quantify the wildlife habitat value of New England salt marshes based on marsh characteristics and the presence of habitat types that influence habitat use by terrestrial wildlife. Applying the model to 12 salt marshes located in Narragansett Bay, RI resulted in assessment scores that ranged over a factor of 1.5 from lowest to highest. Pre-classifying the result ...
at-risk population; biodiversity; color; extinction; frogs; habitats; population dynamics
Abstract:
... Successful protection of biodiversity requires increased understanding of the ecological characteristics that predispose some species to endangerment. Theory posits that species with polymorphic or variable coloration should have larger distributions, use more diverse resources, and be less vulnerable to population declines and extinctions, compared with taxa that do not vary in color. We used inf ...
biodiversity; birds; freshwater; habitats; salinity; statistical models; surveys; wetlands; Australia
Abstract:
... The secondary salinisation of wetlands is a global problem that poses a profound threat to freshwater biodiversity. We examined wetland use by diurnal birds in relation to wetland salinity in the Wimmera region of southeastern Australia to better understand the threat posed to biodiversity by secondary salinisation. Forty species of birds were detected in 66 non-riverine wetlands that spanned the ...
... Although all of the world's coral reef regions have suffered degradation due to direct and indirect human influences, only the Western Atlantic reefs have declined to the extent that their continued existence appears to be in jeopardy. Of a once flourishing reef system, only about 10% is still alive and it is depauperate in terms of the food web diversity necessary to maintain a stable and product ...
El-Sayed, Ashraf M.; Manning, Lee-Anne; Unelius, C. Rikard; Park, Kye Chung; Stringer, Lloyd D.; White, Nicola; Bunn, Barry; Twidle, Andrew; Suckling, David M.
Nothofagus; acetic acid; butyrates; forest trees; electroantennography; insect attractants; bioactive properties; pest monitoring; temperate forests; isobutyric acid; social insects; Vespula vulgaris; olfactory receptors; invasive species; biodiversity; New Zealand
Abstract:
... BACKGROUND: The common wasp, Vespula vulgaris (L.), and the German wasp, Vespula germanica (F.), are significant problems in New Zealand beech forests (Nothofagus spp.), adversely affecting native birds and invertebrate biodiversity. This work was undertaken to develop synthetic attractants for these species to enable more efficient monitoring and management.RESULTS: Seven known wasp attractants ( ...
... There is an urgent need to thoroughly review and comprehend the effects of urbanization on wildlife in order to understand both the ecological implications of increasing urbanization and how to mitigate its threat to biodiversity globally. We examined patterns in comparative productivity of urban and non-urban passerine birds, using published estimates from paired comparisons, and by reviewing and ...
... We examined the biodiversity of bacteria associated with oyster-shell waste during a 1-year storage period using 16S ribosomal DNA analysis. Temperature variation and structural changes of oyster shell were observed during storage. Initial and final temperatures were at 16-17°C, but a high temperature of about 60°C was recorded after approximately 6 months of storage. The crystal structure and nan ...
Apoidea; biodiversity; developed countries; ecosystems; ecotourism; fauna; habitat destruction; indigenous species; infrastructure; land use change; national parks; Madagascar; Sub-Saharan Africa
Abstract:
... Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar contain a wealth of bee diversity, with particularly high levels of endemicity in Madagascar. Although Africa contains seven biodiversity hotspots, the bee fauna appears rather moderate given the size of the continent. This could be due to various factors, an important one being the dearth of bee taxonomists working in Africa and difficulties in carrying out resea ...
Apoidea; biodiversity; ecosystem services; issues and policy; laws and regulations; natural resources conservation; pollinators
Abstract:
... Bees are important both ecologically and economically for the ecosystem service role they play as pollinators. Documented global decline in bees has sparked the formation of a global policy framework for pollinators, primarily through the International Pollinator Initiative within the Convention of Biological Diversity. There are now regional Pollinator Initiatives, along with regional and nationa ...
... In an increasingly human-dominated landscape, effective management of disturbance-maintained ecosystems, such as grasslands and savannas, is critical to the conservation of biodiversity. Yet, the response of individual organisms to landscapes created by disturbances and management is rarely studied. In this study, we examined the endangered Karner blue butterfly, Lycaeides melissa samuelis, in a h ...
European Union; basins; biodiversity; conservation programs; decision making; planning; politics; vertebrates; Mediterranean region
Abstract:
... The importance of global and regional coordination in conservation is growing, although currently, the majority of conservation programs are applied at national and subnational scales. Nevertheless, multinational programs incur transaction costs and resources beyond what is required in national programs. Given the need to maximize returns on investment within limited conservation budgets, it is cr ...
Chazdon, Robin L.; Harvey, Celia A.; Komar, Oliver; Griffith, Daniel M.; Ferguson, Bruce G.; Martínez-Ramos, Miguel; Morales, Helda; Nigh, Ronald; Soto-Pinto, Lorena; van Breugel, Michiel; Philpott, Stacy M.
... To truly understand the current status of tropical diversity and to forecast future trends, we need to increase emphasis on the study of biodiversity in rural landscapes that are actively managed or modified by people. We present an integrated landscape approach to promote research in human-modified landscapes that includes the effects of landscape structure and dynamics on conservation of biodive ...
... The ecosystem services concept provides a means to define successful disease management more broadly, beyond short-term crop yield evaluations. Plant disease can affect ecosystem services directly, such as through removal of plants providing services, or indirectly through the effects of disease management activities, including pesticide applications, tillage, and other methods of plant removal. I ...
biodiversity; biogeography; climate change; coasts; databases; ecosystems; environmental impact; environmental monitoring; information management; United States
Abstract:
... We review ways in which the new discipline of ecoinformatics is changing how environmental monitoring data are managed, synthesized, and analyzed. Rapid improvements in information technology and strong interest in biodiversity and sustainable ecosystems are driving a vigorous phase of development in ecological databases. Emerging data standards and protocols enable these data to be shared in ways ...
biodiversity; endangered species; environmental law; environmental policy; federal government; funding; government agencies; human population; human resources; indigenous peoples; land management; land rights; lifestyle; livelihood; managers; population growth; protected species; tribal lands; United States
Abstract:
... Indigenous people inhabit approximately 85% of areas designated for biodiversity conservation worldwide. They also continue to struggle for recognition and preservation of cultural identities, lifestyles, and livelihoods--a struggle contingent on control and protection of traditional lands and associated natural resources (hereafter, self-determination). Indigenous lands and the biodiversity they ...
biodiversity; biologists; endangered species; funding; habitat conservation; land policy; planning; scientists; surveys; water quality; Iowa; North Carolina; Washington (state)
Abstract:
... Local land-use policy is increasingly being recognized as fundamental to biodiversity conservation in the United States. Many planners and conservation scientists have called for broader use of planning and regulatory tools to support the conservation of biodiversity at local scales. Yet little is known about the pervasiveness of these practices. We conducted an on-line survey of county, municipal ...
biodiversity; case studies; economic development; ecosystems; habitats; threatened species; New Zealand
Abstract:
... Biodiversity offsets are increasingly being used for securing biodiversity conservation outcomes as part of sustainable economic development to compensate for the residual unavoidable impacts of projects. Two recent New Zealand examples of biodiversity offsets are reviewed--while both are positive for biodiversity conservation, the process by which they were developed and approved was based more o ...
Antipatharia; biodiversity; corals; genes; internal transcribed spacers; marine parks; new genus; new species; Indonesia
Abstract:
... Biodiversity of black coral (order Antipatharia) collected from the Bunaken Marine Park (Manado Sea, Indonesia) has been studied based on the sequence of the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) region of rDNA gene. The results of the study showed that the 18 species of Antipatharia were considered to be separated in two family groups, family Myriopathidae and Antipathidae-Aphanipathida. A significa ...
biodiversity; extinction; information technology; taxonomy
Abstract:
... A variety of challenges to biodiversity and biosystematics research are discussed. Despite escalating estimates of the biodiversity of the planet, resources being devoted to advance this knowledge have been in decline. Despite the proliferation of information technologies, the focus of knowledge has frequently shifted to making information readily available, rather than generating new information. ...