tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44340767305073151482024-02-07T10:51:10.178-07:00Biodiversity and Conservation Science NewsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314652514275787027noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-24361447526877346122023-02-18T08:59:00.001-07:002023-02-18T08:59:00.663-07:00A snapshot of biodiversity protection in Antarctica<img alt="figure 1" aria-describedby="rc-Fig1" src="https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41467-019-08915-6/MediaObjects/41467_2019_8915_Fig1_HTML.png"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "Threats to Antarctic biodiversity are escalating, despite its remoteness
and protection under the Antarctic Treaty. Increasing human activity,
pollution, biological invasions and the omnipresent impacts of climate
change all contribute, and often combine, to exert pressure on Antarctic
ecosystems and environments. Here we present a continent-wide
assessment of terrestrial biodiversity protection in Antarctica. Despite
Antarctic Specially Protected Areas covering less than 2% of
Antarctica, 44% of species (including seabirds, plants, lichens and
invertebrates) are found in one or more protected areas. However,
protection is regionally uneven and biased towards easily detectable and
charismatic species like seabirds. Systematic processes to prioritize
area protection using the best available data will maximize the
likelihood of ensuring long-term protection and conservation of
Antarctic biodiversity."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More</span>: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08915-6" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08915-6</a><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-39715786391634560062023-02-18T08:56:00.001-07:002023-02-18T08:56:21.141-07:00Effects of roads on giant panda distribution: a mountain range scale evaluation<p><img alt="figure 1" aria-describedby="rc-Fig1" src="https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41598-018-37447-0/MediaObjects/41598_2018_37447_Fig1_HTML.png"></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "Few studies have focused on the mountain ranges scale effects of roads
on wildlife. This lack of data could lead to an underestimation of the
negative impact of roads on animal populations. We analyzed a dataset
that included 74.4% of the giant panda population and covered 78.7% of
the global giant panda habitat to estimate road-effect zones for major
roads, and to investigate how these major roads influenced the
distribution of giant pandas on a mountain range spatial scale. We found
that the density of giant panda signs was significantly decreased by
proximity to major roads. The effect zone reached 5,000 m from national
roads and 1,500 m from provincial roads. Structural equation model
analysis revealed that the strongest negative impact of major roads on
giant pandas was via the reduction of nearby forest cover. The results
should provide a better understanding of the impact of anthropogenic
infrastructure and regional economic development on wildlife, thus
providing a basis for conservation policy decisions. We suggest that the
environmental impact assessment of proposed roadways or further
researches on road ecological effects should expand to a larger scale
and consider the possible habitat degradation caused by road access."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More</span>: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37447-0" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37447-0</a><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-75974048297150728592023-02-18T08:51:00.001-07:002023-02-18T08:51:50.552-07:00Mapping the planet’s critical natural assets<p><img alt="figure 3" aria-describedby="rc-Fig3" src="https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41559-022-01934-5/MediaObjects/41559_2022_1934_Fig3_HTML.png"></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "Sustaining the organisms, ecosystems and processes that underpin human
wellbeing is necessary to achieve sustainable development. Here we
define critical natural assets as the natural and semi-natural
ecosystems that provide 90% of the total current magnitude of 14 types
of nature’s contributions to people (NCP), and we map the global
locations of these critical natural assets at 2 km resolution. Critical
natural assets for maintaining local-scale NCP (12 of the 14 NCP)
account for 30% of total global land area and 24% of national
territorial waters, while 44% of land area is required to also maintain
two global-scale NCP (carbon storage and moisture recycling). These
areas overlap substantially with cultural diversity (areas containing
96% of global languages) and biodiversity (covering area requirements
for 73% of birds and 66% of mammals). At least 87% of the world’s
population live in the areas benefitting from critical natural assets
for local-scale NCP, while only 16% live on the lands containing these
assets. Many of the NCP mapped here are left out of international
agreements focused on conserving species or mitigating climate change,
yet this analysis shows that explicitly prioritizing critical natural
assets and the NCP they provide could simultaneously advance
development, climate and conservation goals."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More:</span> <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01934-5" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01934-5</a><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-54065441729936742842023-02-18T08:48:00.001-07:002023-02-18T08:48:11.541-07:00Potential impact on whales overlooked as deep-sea mining looks set to start, experts say<img class="wp-image-265570 size-full" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/02/14111807/sperm-whale.jpg" alt="A pod of sperm whales." style="width: 100%;" width="1536" height="910"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "Scientists say future deep-sea
mining activities could impact cetaceans through noise pollution, which
could interfere with their communication processes. According
to an opinion piece, a team of experts say assessments of deep-sea
mining impact have focused on species associated with the seabed rather
than transitory megafauna that inhabit the proposed mining areas, and
that urgent research is needed to understand the potential impact on
cetaceans. However, a mining company says it is
evaluating the potential impact of its proposed operations on cetaceans
through the gathering of acoustic data during its recent mining test in
the CCZ, which it will combine with three years of environmental
baseline data. Deep-sea mining in international waters
may begin later this year after the Pacific island nation of Nauru,
which sponsors a subsidiary of a Canadian mining firm, requested
accelerated approval of its mining operation."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More</span>: <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/02/potential-impact-on-whales-overlooked-as-deep-sea-mining-looks-set-to-start/" target="_blank">https://news.mongabay.com/2023/02/potential-impact-on-whales-overlooked-as-deep-sea-mining-looks-set-to-start/</a><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-16008172809442618492022-10-26T07:30:00.001-06:002022-10-26T07:30:08.840-06:00Latest ‘plan for the planet’ calls for protecting 44% of land, home to 1.8b humans<p><img class="size-full wp-image-257199" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/06/14134859/Study-map.png" alt=" Minimum land area for conserving terrestrial biodiversity. Components include PAs (light blue), KBAs (purple), and ecologically intact areas (dark blue). Where they overlap, PAs are shown above KBAs, which are shown above ecologically intact areas. New conservation priorities are in green. The Venn diagram shows the proportional overlap between features. Map courtesy of Allan et al." style="width: 100%;" width="1932" height="1036"></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "A new study says 44% of Earth’s
terrestrial area needs conservation attention to halt the runaway
destruction of the natural world. The figure is
significantly higher than the goal currently under discussion as part of
the global post-2020 agenda, which is to protect 30% of land and ocean
by 2030. The area identified for protection by the new study is home to 1.8 billion people, almost a quarter of the human population. The
study authors suggest prioritizing biologically rich regions at the
highest risk of being converted for human use by 2030, most notably in
Africa."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More: <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/latest-plan-for-the-planet-calls-for-protecting-44-of-land-home-to-1-8b-humans/" target="_blank">https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/latest-plan-for-the-planet-calls-for-protecting-44-of-land-home-to-1-8b-humans/</a></span><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-79412709288347601712022-09-17T03:54:00.001-06:002022-09-17T03:54:57.413-06:00Zero-deforestation commitments ‘fundamentally limited’ in tackling deforestation, study argues<img class="size-medium wp-image-260373" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/09/16014058/Image_2-768x512.jpeg" alt="" width="768" height="512"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "Researchers found that while
90-99% of tropical deforestation in 2011-2015 was driven by agricultural
industries, only 45-65% of the cleared land was actually used to grow
crops or raise cattle. The rest of the cleared land was
the result of activities such as speculative clearing and
out-of-control agricultural fires, the study says. The
researchers also concluded that because three-quarters of tropical
deforestation is driven by domestic demand, corporate zero-deforestation
pledges geared toward expert markets are limited in their ability to
reduce this forest loss."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More</span>: <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/zero-deforestation-commitments-fundamentally-limited-in-tackling-deforestation-study-argues/" target="_blank">https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/zero-deforestation-commitments-fundamentally-limited-in-tackling-deforestation-study-argues/</a><em><br></em></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-32439198079865854492022-09-17T03:52:00.001-06:002022-09-17T03:52:38.216-06:00‘Mind-blowing’ marine heat waves put Mediterranean ecosystems at grave risk<img class="size-full wp-image-260205" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/09/13073954/mediterranean-sea.jpg" alt="Mediterranean coast." width="1536" height="1024"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "A recent study reveals the
widespread effects of climate change-driven marine heat waves on the
ecological communities of the Mediterranean Sea. Rises
in sea surface temperatures as high as 5° Celsius (9° Fahrenheit) above
normal have caused die-offs in 50 different taxonomic groups of animals
from around the Mediterranean Basin. These far-reaching
impacts of the warming sea could devastate the fisheries on which many
of the Mediterranean region’s 400 million people rely. Researchers
advocate bolstering and expanding marine protected areas. Although they
can’t hold back the warmer waters that have proven deadly to the sea’s
rich biodiversity, these sanctuaries can help ensure that these species
don’t have to cope simultaneously with other pressures, such as
overfishing or pollution.<em>"</em></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More:</span><em> </em><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/mind-blowing-marine-heat-waves-put-mediterranean-ecosystems-at-grave-risk/" target="_blank">https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/mind-blowing-marine-heat-waves-put-mediterranean-ecosystems-at-grave-risk/</a><em><br></em></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-253148630665478002022-09-17T03:49:00.001-06:002022-09-17T03:49:39.156-06:00Future reefs: A manifesto to save the world’s coral gardens<img class="size-medium wp-image-255575" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/05/06141017/OceanImageBank_BethWatson_10-768x512.jpg" alt="Coral reef in Indonesia" width="768" height="512"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: <em><em><em>"</em></em></em>Coral reefs cover less than 3% of the ocean but contain a
quarter of all marine life. Next to tropical rainforests, they are the
most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. Fifty of the world’s leading scientists recently laid out a roadmap to save the world’s coral reefs. With
urgent climate action and by following this roadmap, these oases of
beauty may retain critical marine biodiversity and provide a lifeline
for coastal communities into the next century and beyond, a new op-ed
argues."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More:</span><em> </em><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/future-reefs-a-manifesto-to-save-the-worlds-coral-gardens-commentary/" target="_blank">https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/future-reefs-a-manifesto-to-save-the-worlds-coral-gardens-commentary/</a><em><br></em></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-2248265247425065252022-09-17T03:47:00.001-06:002022-09-17T03:47:04.956-06:00A Climate Risk Index for Marine Life<img alt="extended data figure 2" aria-describedby="rc-Fig2" src="https://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41558-022-01437-y/MediaObjects/41558_2022_1437_Fig2_HTML.png" style="width: 50%;"><p><br></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "Climate change is impacting virtually all marine life. Adaptation
strategies will require a robust understanding of the risks to species
and ecosystems and how those propagate to human societies. We develop a
unified and spatially explicit index to comprehensively evaluate the
climate risks to marine life. Under high emissions (SSP5-8.5), almost
90% of ~25,000 species are at high or critical risk, with species at
risk across 85% of their native distributions. One tenth of the ocean
contains ecosystems where the aggregated climate risk, endemism and
extinction threat of their constituent species are high. Climate change
poses the greatest risk for exploited species in low-income countries
with a high dependence on fisheries. Mitigating emissions (SSP1-2.6)
reduces the risk for virtually all species (98.2%), enhances ecosystem
stability and disproportionately benefits food-insecure populations in
low-income countries. Our climate risk assessment can help prioritize
vulnerable species and ecosystems for climate-adapted marine
conservation and fisheries management efforts."</p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More: </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01437-y" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01437-y</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br></span></span><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-25084315694669445572022-07-07T10:37:00.001-06:002022-07-07T10:37:12.859-06:00Global marine protected areas to prevent extinctions<img alt="figure 1" aria-describedby="rc-Fig1" src="https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41559-016-0040/MediaObjects/41559_2016_Article_BFs415590160040_Fig1_HTML.jpg"><p><br></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "One goal of global marine protected areas (MPAs) is to ensure they
represent a breadth of taxonomic biodiversity. Ensuring representation
of species in MPAs, however, would require protecting vast areas of the
global oceans and does not explicitly prioritize species of conservation
concern. When threatened species are considered, a recent study found
that only a small fraction of their geographic ranges are within the
global MPA network. Which global marine areas, and what conservation
actions beyond MPAs could be prioritized to prevent marine extinctions
(Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi Target 12), remains unknown.
Here, we use systematic conservation planning approaches to prioritize
conservation actions for sharks, rays and chimaeras (class
Chondrichthyes). We use chondrichthyans as they have the highest
proportion of threatened species of any marine class. We find that
expanding the MPA network by 3% in 70 nations would cover half of the
geographic range of 99 imperilled endemic chondrichthyans. Our hotspot
analysis reveals that just 12 nations harbour more than half (53) of the
imperilled endemics. Four of these hotspot nations are within the top
ten chondrichthyan fishing nations in the world, but are yet to
implement basic chondrichthyan fisheries management. Given their
geopolitical realities, conservation action for some countries will
require relief and reorganization to enable sustainable fisheries and
species protection."</p><p><br></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More: </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-016-0040" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-016-0040</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br></span><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-55323474049012956272022-07-07T10:34:00.001-06:002022-07-07T10:34:44.616-06:00Identifying species threat hotspots from global supply chains<img alt="figure 1" aria-describedby="rc-Fig1" src="https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41559-016-0023/MediaObjects/41559_2016_Article_BFs415590160023_Fig1_HTML.jpg"><p><br></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "Identifying hotspots of species threat has been a successful approach
for setting conservation priorities. One important challenge in
conservation is that, in many hotspots, export industries continue to
drive overexploitation. Conservation measures must consider not just the
point of impact, but also the consumer demand that ultimately drives
resource use. To understand which species threat hotspots are driven by
which consumers, we have developed a new approach to link a set of
biodiversity footprint accounts to the hotspots of threatened species on
the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The result is a map connecting
consumption to spatially explicit hotspots driven by production on a
global scale. Locating biodiversity threat hotspots driven by
consumption of goods and services can help to connect conservationists,
consumers, companies and governments in order to better target
conservation actions."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More: </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-016-0023" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-016-0023</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br></span><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-40521426502373357442022-07-07T10:32:00.001-06:002022-07-07T10:32:59.046-06:00Towards climate-smart, three-dimensional protected areas for biodiversity conservation in the high seas<img alt="figure 3" aria-describedby="rc-Fig3" src="https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41558-022-01323-7/MediaObjects/41558_2022_1323_Fig3_HTML.png"><p><br></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "Marine species are moving rapidly in response to warming, often in
different directions and with variations dependent on location and
depth. Given the current impetus to increase the area of protected ocean
to 30%, conservation planning must include the 64% of the ocean beyond
national jurisdictions, which in turn requires associated design
challenges for conventional conservation to be addressed. Here we
present a planning approach for the high seas that conserves
biodiversity, minimizes exposure to climate change, retains species
within reserve boundaries and reduces conflict with fishing. This is
developed using data from across four depth domains, considering 12,932
vertebrate, invertebrate and algal species and three climate scenarios.
The resultant climate-smart conservation areas cover 6% of the high seas
and represent a low-regret option that provides a nucleus for
developing a full network of high-seas marine reserves."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More: </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01323-7" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01323-7</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br></span><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-25499009446504202752022-07-07T10:28:00.001-06:002022-07-07T10:28:46.004-06:00Effects of roads on giant panda distribution: a mountain range scale evaluation<img alt="figure 1" aria-describedby="rc-Fig1" src="https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41598-018-37447-0/MediaObjects/41598_2018_37447_Fig1_HTML.png"><p><br></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "Few studies have focused on the mountain ranges scale effects of roads
on wildlife. This lack of data could lead to an underestimation of the
negative impact of roads on animal populations. We analyzed a dataset
that included 74.4% of the giant panda population and covered 78.7% of
the global giant panda habitat to estimate road-effect zones for major
roads, and to investigate how these major roads influenced the
distribution of giant pandas on a mountain range spatial scale. We found
that the density of giant panda signs was significantly decreased by
proximity to major roads. The effect zone reached 5,000 m from national
roads and 1,500 m from provincial roads. Structural equation model
analysis revealed that the strongest negative impact of major roads on
giant pandas was via the reduction of nearby forest cover. The results
should provide a better understanding of the impact of anthropogenic
infrastructure and regional economic development on wildlife, thus
providing a basis for conservation policy decisions. We suggest that the
environmental impact assessment of proposed roadways or further
researches on road ecological effects should expand to a larger scale
and consider the possible habitat degradation caused by road access."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More: </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37447-0" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37447-0</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br></span><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-9628969384593306622022-07-07T10:25:00.001-06:002022-07-07T10:25:17.914-06:00Forest degradation drives widespread avian habitat and population declines<p><img alt="figure 2" aria-describedby="rc-Fig2" src="https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41559-022-01737-8/MediaObjects/41559_2022_1737_Fig2_HTML.png"></p><p><br></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "In many regions of the world, forest management has reduced old forest
and simplified forest structure and composition. We hypothesized that
such forest degradation has resulted in long-term habitat loss for
forest-associated bird species of eastern Canada (130,017 km<sup>2</sup>)
which, in turn, has caused bird-population declines. Despite little
change in overall forest cover, we found substantial reductions in old
forest as a result of frequent clear-cutting and a broad-scale
transformation to intensified forestry. Back-cast species distribution
models revealed that breeding habitat loss occurred for 66% of the 54
most common species from 1985 to 2020 and was strongly associated with
reduction in old age classes. Using a long-term, independent dataset, we
found that habitat amount predicted population size for 94% of species,
and habitat loss was associated with population declines for old-forest
species. Forest degradation may therefore be a primary cause of
biodiversity decline in managed forest landscapes."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More: </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01737-8" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01737-8</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br></span><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-65445450750713923182022-02-02T03:03:00.001-07:002022-02-02T03:03:41.911-07:00For the Year of the Tiger, a shared vision for the future of the iconic cat (commentary)<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-251266" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/12/29153023/03-768x512.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="512"></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "As the Year of the Tiger begins on
February 1, a coalition of six top NGOs is committing to a cooperative
approach to save the iconic big cat. In the past 12
years, tigers increased significantly in some areas but disappeared from
others: a close assessment of these trends is key in advance of the
next Global Tiger summit in September 2022. The authors
from IUCN, FFI, WCS, WWF, Traffic and Panthera argue that ambition must
increase but also that funders must support collaborative efforts
instead of the status quo/competitive model of funding conservation."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More:<em> </em><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/01/for-the-year-of-the-tiger-a-shared-vision-for-the-future-of-the-iconic-cat-commentary/" target="_blank">https://news.mongabay.com/2022/01/for-the-year-of-the-tiger-a-shared-vision-for-the-future-of-the-iconic-cat-commentary/</a></span><em><br></em></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-75469122425876774412022-02-02T02:59:00.001-07:002022-02-02T02:59:25.984-07:00Emphasizing declining populations in the Living Planet Report<span style="left: 66.1417px; top: 83.421px; font-size: 43.3333px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.12291);" role="presentation" dir="ltr"></span><img alt="figure 1" aria-describedby="rc-Fig1" src="https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41586-021-04165-z/MediaObjects/41586_2021_4165_Fig1_HTML.png"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Summary</span>: "The Living Planet Report,
which has been published biannually since 1998, is key for
understanding trends in wildlife populations and promoting sound
conservation. Leung et al. recently disagreed with the conclusions of the Living Planet Report and
found that the overall pattern of population declines stems from very
few populations (extreme clusters), beyond which global vertebrate
populations are not declining. However, when properly accounting
also for the influence of the fastest-increasing populations, we find
that the overall declines in the Living Planet Report are practically
unchanged. Moreover, the Living Planet Database is heavily biased
towards populations that receive more conservation attention, indicating
that the true population trends are indeed dire and may actually be
worse than depicted in the Living Planet Report.</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read more: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04165-z" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04165-z</a></span><br></p><span style="left: 66.1417px; top: 130.091px; font-size: 43.3333px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.10254);" role="presentation" dir="ltr"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-70656690026465045902021-12-27T10:21:00.001-07:002021-12-27T10:21:32.258-07:00Edward O. Wilson, prominent biologist and author, has died at 92<p><img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/12/27144519/Plos_eo_wilson-768x512.jpg" alt="E. O. Wilson in 2003. Photo credit: Jim Harrison / PLOS" class="size-medium wp-image-251189" width="768" height="512"></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: <em>"Edward O. Wilson, a prominent
biologist and prolific author who help raise global awareness and
understanding about biodiversity and conservation, has died. Wilson
began his career studying the biology and social structures of ants
which led him to develop expansive theories on evolution and humanity’s
relationship with the planet. While Wilson’s research
was highly influential in scientific circles and won numerous
recognitions, he was mostly widely known for his accessible writing,
including articles and best-selling books which introduced concepts like
biodiversity to the masses. Wilson was an outspoken advocate for global conservation efforts."</em></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read more: </span><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/edward-o-wilson-prominent-biologist-and-author-has-died-at-92/" target="_blank">https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/edward-o-wilson-prominent-biologist-and-author-has-died-at-92/</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br></span><em><br></em></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-81716375716728873122021-12-17T07:09:00.001-07:002021-12-17T07:09:45.185-07:00‘Cooling the climate for 10,000 years’: How saving wetlands can help save the world<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-250581" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/12/14021005/Hjortron-768x512.jpeg" alt="A cloudberry ripe for the picking in a Scandinavian bog. Image in the public domain. " width="768" height="512"></p><p><br></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABSTRACT</span>: <em><em><em><em>"From the vast frozen mires of the
arctic to the peat swamps of Asia: “all wetlands are under threat,” said
Jane Madgwick, CEO of Wetlands International. “We’re losing them three
times as fast as forests." </em>Peat swamps, or peatlands,
are particularly effective at storing carbon, which has accumulated over
centuries and even millennia as dead plant matter became trapped in
waterlogged soil.</em> But if drained or otherwise damaged, peat quickly turns from carbon sink to carbon source.</em> As
nations race to protect and replant forests in an effort to curtail
global warming, wetlands experts such as Madgwick are urging leaders to
place similar importance on wetland conservation and restoration.</em></p><p><em><br></em></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">READ MORE: </span><em></em><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/cooling-the-climate-for-10000-years-how-saving-wetlands-can-help-save-the-world/" target="_blank">https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/cooling-the-climate-for-10000-years-how-saving-wetlands-can-help-save-the-world/</a><em><br></em></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-82047214580767793812021-12-17T07:00:00.001-07:002021-12-17T07:00:06.765-07:00Southeast Asian protected areas are effective in conserving forest cover and forest carbon stocks compared to unprotected areas<img alt="figure1" aria-describedby="rc-Fig1" src="https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41598-021-03188-w/MediaObjects/41598_2021_3188_Fig1_HTML.png"><p><br></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABSTRACT:</span> "Protected areas aim to conserve nature, ecosystem services, and cultural
values; however, they have variable success in doing so under high
development pressure. Southeast Asian protected areas faced the highest
level of human pressure at the turn of the twenty-first century. To
estimate their effectiveness in conserving forest cover and forest
carbon stocks for 2000–2018, we used statistical matching methods to
control for the non-random location of protected areas, to compare
protection against a matched counterfactual. We found Southeast Asian
protected areas had three times less forest cover loss than similar
landscapes without protection. Protected areas that had completed
management reporting using the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool
(METT) conserved significantly more forest cover and forest carbon
stocks than those that had not. Management scores were positively
associated with the level of carbon emissions avoided, but not the level
of forest cover loss avoided. Our study is the first to find that METT
scores could predict the level of carbon emissions avoided in protected
areas. Given that only 11% of protected areas in Southeast Asia had
completed METT surveys, our results illustrate the need to scale-up
protected area management effectiveness reporting programs to improve
their effectiveness for conserving forests, and for storing and
sequestering carbon."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">READ MORE: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-03188-w" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-03188-w</a></span><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-50694269264180224342021-09-28T01:52:00.001-06:002021-09-28T01:52:09.005-06:00The first complete map of the world’s shallow tropical coral reefs is here<img class="size-full wp-image-246898" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/09/08124609/Rongelap_sm.png" alt="Branching coral" style="width: 618.088px; height: 689.75px;" width="1618" height="1078"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract:</span> "Scientists have completed the first-ever global, high-resolution map of the world’s shallow tropical coral reefs. When
combined with an integrated tool that tracks global coral bleaching
events in near-real-time, the new resource provides a comprehensive
overview of the trends and changes in global coral reef health. While
the completion of the map is an achievement in itself, the scientists
behind the Allen Coral Atlas say they hope the new resource will spur
action to improve coral reef protection. The new
mapping platform is already being used to support conservation projects
in more than 30 countries, including designation of marine protected
areas and to inform marine spatial plans."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More:</span> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/the-first-complete-map-of-the-worlds-shallow-tropical-coral-reefs-is-here/" target="_blank">https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/the-first-complete-map-of-the-worlds-shallow-tropical-coral-reefs-is-here/</a><br></p><p><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-31429999138875699772021-09-21T08:49:00.001-06:002021-09-21T08:49:30.959-06:00Sea turtles: Can these great marine migrators navigate rising human threats?<img class="size-full wp-image-247304" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/09/20104542/9-Sea-turtle-with-fibropapillomas.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="512"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: <em>"</em>Humanity is quickly crossing
critical planetary boundaries that threaten sea turtle populations,
their ecosystems and, ultimately, the “safe operating space” for human
existence. Sea turtles have survived millions of years,
but marathon migrations put them at increasing risk for the additive
impacts of adverse anthropogenic activity on land and at sea, including
impacts from biodiversity loss, climate change, ocean acidification,
land-use change, pollution (especially plastics), and more. The
synergistic effects of anthropogenic threats and the return on
conservation interventions are largely unknown. But analysts understand
that their efforts will need to focus on both nesting beaches and ocean
migration routes, while acting on a host of adverse impacts across many
of the nine known planetary boundaries. Avoiding
extinction will require adaptation by turtles and people, and the
evolution of new, innovative conservation practices. Key strategies:
boosting populations to weather growing threats, rethinking how humanity
fishes, studying turtle life cycles (especially at sea), safeguarding
habitat, and deeply engaging local communities.<em>"</em></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read more</span>:<em> </em><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/sea-turtles-can-these-great-marine-migrators-navigate-rising-human-threats/" target="_blank">https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/sea-turtles-can-these-great-marine-migrators-navigate-rising-human-threats/</a><em><br></em></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-69164576372211825222021-09-21T08:43:00.001-06:002021-09-21T08:43:42.428-06:00Pollination advantage of rare plants unveiled<img class="figure__image" alt="Figure 1" data-src="//media.nature.com/lw800/magazine-assets/d41586-021-02375-z/d41586-021-02375-z_19635904.png" src="https://media.nature.com/lw800/magazine-assets/d41586-021-02375-z/d41586-021-02375-z_19635904.png"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "Species diversification results from the balance between the formation
of new species (speciation) and the loss of existing ones (extinction).
The tremendous proliferation of different life forms on Earth can be
attributed to both high rates of speciation and low rates of extinction.
Flowering plants — a group called angiosperms — are one of the most
diverse groups of non-mobile organism. There are approximately 352,000
plant species, nearly 90% of which depend, to various extents, on
insects and other animals for pollination and seed production<sup><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02375-z#ref-CR1" data-track="click" data-action="anchor-link" data-track-label="go to reference" data-track-category="references">1</a></sup>.
These animal pollinators have been key to the unstoppable
diversification of the angiosperms, starting at least 120 million years
ago, with pollinators promoting speciation by acting as potent selection
agents for a plethora of flower traits<sup><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02375-z#ref-CR2" data-track="click" data-action="anchor-link" data-track-label="go to reference" data-track-category="references">2</a></sup><sup>,</sup><sup><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02375-z#ref-CR3" data-track="click" data-action="anchor-link" data-track-label="go to reference" data-track-category="references">3</a></sup>.
Pollinators also aid species persistence by enabling pollen transfer
between relatively distant individuals in sparse plant populations<sup><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02375-z#ref-CR4" data-track="click" data-action="anchor-link" data-track-label="go to reference" data-track-category="references">4</a></sup>. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03890-9" data-track="click" data-label="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03890-9" data-track-category="body text link">Writing in <i>Nature</i></a>, Wei <i>et al</i>.<sup><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02375-z#ref-CR5" data-track="click" data-action="anchor-link" data-track-label="go to reference" data-track-category="references">5</a></sup>
report that, for plant species that flower at the same time,
pollinators mediate interactions that might facilitate species
coexistence in diverse plant communities."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read more:</span> <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02375-z" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02375-z</a><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-15124187537794557302021-09-11T04:57:00.001-06:002021-09-11T04:57:48.601-06:00Motion 101 passes at IUCN, calls for protecting 50% of Earth’s lands and seas<p><img src="https://images.takeshape.io/86ce9525-f5f2-4e97-81ba-54e8ce933da7/dev/3e2d51c4-2c59-4106-8bde-21fc17f93c06/abb2824_Figure_fig1_seq3_v2.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat" style="width: 100%;"></p><p>Abstract: "In the final session of the World Conservation Congress of the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on 10 September 2021, an overwhelming
majority of delegates approved <a href="https://www.iucncongress2020.org/motion/101">Motion 101</a>,
which calls for the protection of half of Earth’s lands and seas with a
minimum of 30% by 2030, recognizing the important role of Indigenous
peoples and local communities in preserving nature and the need for
measures to respect and honor their rights and interests" </p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More: <a href="https://www.oneearth.org/motion-101-passes-at-iucn-calls-for-protecting-50-of-earths-lands-and-seas/" target="_blank">https://www.oneearth.org/motion-101-passes-at-iucn-calls-for-protecting-50-of-earths-lands-and-seas/</a></span><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-10605654658444775602021-08-31T03:01:00.001-06:002021-08-31T03:01:58.405-06:00Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale<img alt="figure1" aria-describedby="rc-Fig1" src="https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41559-021-01542-9/MediaObjects/41559_2021_1542_Fig1_HTML.png"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "The Anthropocene is characterized by unparalleled human impact on other
species, potentially ushering in the sixth mass extinction. Yet
mitigation efforts remain hampered by limited information on the spatial
patterns and intensity of the threats driving global biodiversity loss.
Here we use expert-derived information from the International Union for
Conservation of Nature Red List on threats to 23,271 species,
representing all terrestrial amphibians, birds and mammals, to generate
global maps of the six major threats to these groups: agriculture,
hunting and trapping, logging, pollution, invasive species, and climate
change. Our results show that agriculture and logging are pervasive in
the tropics and that hunting and trapping is the most geographically
widespread threat to mammals and birds. Additionally, current
representations of human pressure underestimate the overall pressure on
biodiversity, due to the exclusion of threats such as hunting and
climate change. Alarmingly, this is particularly the case in areas of
the highest biodiversity importance."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More</span>: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01542-9" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01542-9</a><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434076730507315148.post-73928572940590948612021-08-31T02:59:00.001-06:002021-08-31T02:59:49.559-06:00Best practice for protecting pollinators<img alt="extended data figure 1" aria-describedby="rc-Fig1" src="https://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41559-021-01531-y/MediaObjects/41559_2021_1531_Fig1_HTML.png"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abstract</span>: "Public and scientific awareness of the connection between food security
and pollination provided by both wild and managed insect species has
heightened in recent decades<sup><a data-track="click" data-track-action="reference anchor" data-track-label="link" data-test="citation-ref" title="Adams, W. M. et al. Science 306, 1146–1149 (2004)." href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01531-y#ref-CR1" id="ref-link-section-d57286e243">1</a>,<a data-track="click" data-track-action="reference anchor" data-track-label="link" data-test="citation-ref" title="Klein, A. M. et al. Proc. R. Soc. B 274, 303–313 (2007)." href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01531-y#ref-CR2" id="ref-link-section-d57286e243_1">2</a>,<a data-track="click" data-track-action="reference anchor" data-track-label="link" data-test="citation-ref" aria-label="Reference 3" title="Potts, S. G. et al. Trends Ecol. Evol. 25, 345–353 (2010)." href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01531-y#ref-CR3" id="ref-link-section-d57286e246">3</a></sup>.
Yet pollinator conservation has been difficult because it requires
policies that intersect biodiversity, land use, agriculture and global
trade<sup><a data-track="click" data-track-action="reference anchor" data-track-label="link" data-test="citation-ref" aria-label="Reference 4" title="Aizen, M. A. et al. Global Change Biol. 25, 3516–3527 (2019)." href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01531-y#ref-CR4" id="ref-link-section-d57286e250">4</a></sup>.
Further, global analyses synthesizing information and making
recommendations for pollinator conservation must account for diverse
perspectives across varying scales, geographies, economies, systems and
cultures. Writing in <i>Nature Ecology & Evolution</i>, Dicks and colleagues<sup><a data-track="click" data-track-action="reference anchor" data-track-label="link" data-test="citation-ref" aria-label="Reference 5" title="Dicks, L. V. et al. Nat. Ecol. Evol.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01534-9
(2021)." href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01531-y#ref-CR5" id="ref-link-section-d57286e257">5</a></sup> offer one approach to understanding how drivers and risks of pollinator decline vary in different parts of the world."</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read More</span>: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01531-y" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01531-y</a><br></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16287263005843494923noreply@blogger.com0