Children prioritize virtual exotic biodiversity over local biodiversity

Environmental education is essential to stem current dramatic biodiversity loss, and childhood is considered as the key period for developing awareness and positive attitudes toward nature. Children are strongly influenced by the media, notably the internet, about biodiversity and conservation issues. However, most media focus on a few iconic, appealing, and usually exotic species. In addition, virtual activities are replacing field experiences. This situation may curb children knowledge and concerns about local biodiversity. Focusing our analyses on local versus exotic species, we examined the level of knowledge and the level of diversity of the animals that French schoolchildren are willing to protect, and whether these perceptions are mainly guided by information available in the internet. For that, we collected and compared two complementary data sets: 1) a questionnaire was administered to schoolchildren to assess their knowledge and consideration to protect animals, 2) an internet content analysis (i.e. Google searching sessions using keywords) was performed to assess which animals are the most often represented. Our results suggest that the knowledge of children and their consideration to protect animal are mainly limited to internet contents, represented by a few exotic and charismatic species. The identification rate of local animals by schoolchildren was meager, suggesting a worrying disconnection from their local environment. Schoolchildren were more prone to protect "virtual" (unseen, exotic) rather than local animal species. Our results reinforce the message that environmental education must also focus on outdoor activities to develop conservation consciousness and concerns about local biodiversity.     

广西金钟山鸟类保护区鸟类多样性初步研究

本文共记录到金钟山鸟类274种,分别隶属于18目57科,其中陆生鸟类251种,水鸟23种;以留鸟为主,共157种;候鸟、旅鸟分别为104种、13种;东洋种为优势类群,共有171种,古北种和广布种分别为4种、27种。这些鸟类中有国家重点保护鸟类39种,中国特有种鸟类3种,列入世界自然保护联盟红皮书名录中的鸟类5种,列入中国濒危动物红皮书名录中的鸟类20种,列入CITES附录中的鸟类34种。本文还对金钟山鸟类保护区的5种不同生境类型的鸟类种类组成作了比较,结果表明灌丛＋农田的鸟种多样性指数最高,为3．04;水域的鸟种多样性指数最低,为2．14。     

A national‐scale dataset for threats impacting Australia’s imperiled flora and fauna

Australia is in the midst of an extinction crisis, having already lost 10% of terrestrial mammal fauna since European settlement and with hundreds of other species at high risk of extinction. The decline of the nation''s biota is a result of an array of threatening processes; however, a comprehensive taxon‐specific understanding of threats and their relative impacts remains undocumented nationally. Using expert consultation, we compile the first complete, validated, and consistent taxon‐specific threat and impact dataset for all nationally listed threatened taxa in Australia. We confined our analysis to 1,795 terrestrial and aquatic taxa listed as threatened (Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered) under Australian Commonwealth law. We engaged taxonomic experts to generate taxon‐specific threat and threat impact information to consistently apply the IUCN Threat Classification Scheme and Threat Impact Scoring System, as well as eight broad‐level threats and 51 subcategory threats, for all 1,795 threatened terrestrial and aquatic threatened taxa. This compilation produced 4,877 unique taxon–threat–impact combinations with the most frequently listed threats being Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation (n = 1,210 taxa), and Invasive species and disease (n = 966 taxa). Yet when only high‐impact threats or medium‐impact threats are considered, Invasive species and disease become the most prevalent threats. This dataset provides critical information for conservation action planning, national legislation and policy, and prioritizing investments in threatened species management and recovery.     

The Large Blue butterfly, Phengaris [Maculinea] arion, as a conservation umbrella on a landscape scale: The case of the Czech Carpathians

Conservation umbrellas are charismatic species, the conservation of which also conserves the high diversity of associated plants and animals. The Large Blue butterfly, Phengaris [Maculinea] arion (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae), is a textbook example of a charismatic endangered invertebrate, intensively studied throughout Europe and protected by the EU Habitat Directive. While surveying P. arion at the westernmost outskirts of the Carpathians (Javorniky and Vsetinske Mts.), within a stronghold of the species in the Czech Republic, we asked whether occupied sites differed from unoccupied ones in the composition of vascular plants and butterfly assemblages. The occupied sites (n = 65) were small pastures, including abandoned ones, with S to W exposure, located on rugged terrain and displaying a high microtopographic heterogeneity; the unoccupied sites (n = 101) were typically mown or intensively grazed. The vegetation of occupied sites was characteristic for non-intensive submountain pasture, butterfly assemblages were species richer, contained more specialised species, and significantly higher proportion of red-listed species. P. arion thus may act as an umbrella for a high number of species associated with traditional land use in the study area and elsewhere. Its survival will depend on the continuation of small-scale land use varying in space and time, and can be threatened by uniformisation of management, even if practised under the guise of agri-environmental payments.     

Sulla Variazione E Sul Significato Dei Composti Purinici Nelle Piante

Abstract

The collections stored at the Sardinian Germplasm Bank (BG-SAR) were analysed to verify if setting conservation priorities on the exclusive endemic flora of Sardinia (Italy) would make it possible to reach the 2010 GSPC Target 8. By 2010, 39.9% of the exclusive-endemics of Sardinia, 43.1% of the BGCI European threatened species and 65.0% of the taxa listed in Annex II of DIR 92/43/EEC present on the island had been stored in BG-SAR. Of the stored plants, 40% of those listed in the DIR 92/43/EEC, and only 25.69% of the BGCI threatened plants are represented by an adequate number of populations. For a few of the stored threatened plants (ca. 36%), and for 60% of the DIR 92/43/EEC ones, at least one seedlot with more than 5000 seeds is available. These data indicate that focusing on exclusive endemics gave a substantial, although not decisive, contribution towards the achievement of the 2010 GSPC Target 8 in Sardinia, and that more efforts are needed to guarantee the effective long-term conservation of these threatened taxa with the aim of reaching the 2020 GSPC target.     

Identifying biodiversity hotspots for threatened mammal species in Iran

Conservation biology has much more attention for biodiversity hot spots than before. In order to recognize the hotspots for Iranian terrestrial mammal species that are listed in any red list, nationally or globally, ten Species Distribution Models (SDMs) have been applied. The SDMs evaluation results based on the TSS and AUC values showed that all ten models of habitat suitability perform significantly better than the random selection for all studied species. According to the results, biodiversity hotspots for threatened mammal species are located in north, west and central of Iran, along the Zagros and Alborz mountain range. Therefore, habitats for threatened mammal species have been limited to small parts of Iran (approximately 27% of the country). These areas are severely fragmented and only 57% of them have been announced protected by the current conservation system. The suggestion is that, as the sustainability of these habitats would strongly depend on maintaining dispersal corridors to facilitate the movement of animals among the habitat fragments, conservation efforts should focus on those hotspots which are not formally protected under conservation laws.     

Control of invasive species for the conservation of biodiversity in Mediterranean islands. The LIFE PonDerat project in the Pontine Archipelago,Italy

We present the EU LIFE PonDerat project, which is aimed at restoring the natural ecosystems of the Pontine Archipelago, a group of islands located off the western coast of Italy. The spread of invasive species is a major environmental threat on these islands, which are rich in rare habitats and endemic species and are important sites for the conservation of Mediterranean biodiversity. The project focuses on the conservation of species and habitats that are protected by EU laws but are currently threatened by introduced plants and animals. The main targets of the control measures are black rats, feral goats, mouflons and invasive plants of the genus Carpobrotus. Conservation measures focus on the shearwaters Puffinus yelkouan and Calonectris diomedea, which are endemic to the Mediterranean and are listed in Annex I of the European Bird Directive. Conservation measures also focus on island habitats of great biogeographical value, which are listed in Annex I of the European Habitats Directive and are seriously threatened by introduced herbivores and by invasive plants. The main outcome expected from this project is that the restoration of ecosystem functions will enhance the breeding success and population size of shearwaters and lead to the recovery of target habitats.     

Lack of adequate taxonomic knowledge may hinder endemic mammal conservation in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most diverse and threatened ecosystems of the world, being thus classified as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots. However, habitat loss, overexploitation, alien species, disease and pollution are not the only threats faced by native fauna and flora. The lack of adequate taxonomic knowledge hinders conservation and management efforts of endemic species. This is true even for mammals, which is the most charismatic group of animals and traditionally receive a good deal of attention from scientists and the public in general. A few examples show how this gap in local fauna information can be demise for species conservation, even misguiding management strategies: molecular data reveal a hidden marsupial diversity; the lack of taxonomic studies at the species level seriously threatens rodent conservation; and the taxonomic rearrangement of the genusBrachyteles revealed a new species and had a great impact on management strategies. New species are discovered, described and taxonomically rearranged at an astounding rate. We can only be successful in biodiversity conservation if we have at least a minimum level of knowledge about what we are trying to preserve. That is true both for researchers and for the general public. Recent taxonomic revisions may represent the turning point in Neotropical fauna knowledge, which, coupled with a greater awareness of local people about the rich biodiversity that dot their backyards, can represent a better conservation prospect for the endemics of the Atlantic Forest.     

中国鸟类红色名录评估

中国有1,372种鸟类, 其中77种为中国特有。由于资源过度利用、栖息地丧失和片断化、环境污染等原因, 中国的鸟类多样性保护面临严峻的挑战。为了全面评估当前中国野生鸟类的濒危状况, 国家环境保护部支持启动了“中国脊椎动物红色名录”的编制工作。依照IUCN的标准, 对中国鸟类的受胁状况进行了一次全面评估。通过确定评估对象、数据收集、初评、初核、复审、定稿等步骤, 集国内27位鸟类学家的力量, 完成了本次评估。结果表明: 区域灭绝(RE)3种, 分别是白鹳(Ciconia ciconia)、镰翅鸡(Falcipennis falcipennis)和赤颈鹤(Grus antigone), 极危(CR)15种, 濒危(EN)51种, 易危(VU)80种, 近危(NT)190种; 无危(LC)876种, 数据缺乏(DD)157种。列为极危、濒危和易危等级的受胁鸟类合计146种, 占中国鸟类种数的10.6%。受威胁程度最高的科是鹈鹕科和犀鸟科, 这两个科100%的物种都属于受胁种。。77种特有鸟类中有29种(37.7%)属于受胁种。陆禽和猛禽是受胁最严重的生态类群, 分别有25.2%和23.2%的种类处于受胁状态。不同行政区域受胁鸟类差异较大。本工作对于我国鸟类保护和履行国际公约等工作均有重要意义。     

Just beautiful?! What determines butterfly species for nature conservation

Prioritization is crucial in nature conservation, as land and financial resources are limited. Selection procedures must follow objective criteria, and not primarily subjective aspects, such as charisma. In this study, we assessed the level of charisma for all European butterflies. Based on these data, we analysed the charisma values of the species listed on the annexes of the EU Habitats Directive and of the species being of conservation priority according to criteria derived by three objective criteria: Species ecological specialisation, distribution, and threat. The mean level of charisma was higher for species of the EU Habitats Directive than for species of conservation priority and for not-listed species. Five of the twenty most charismatic species were also listed on the EU Habitats Directive, but none occurred on the list of species being of conservation priority. A trait space analysis revealed remarkable differences between the different species assortments: The species listed on the EU Habitats Directive covered a large trait space and included many species with high charismatic value, but low ecological and biogeographical relevance, while species of high conservation priority covered a restricted trait space and did not overlap with charismatic species. According to our findings, the selection of species for nature conservation still follows a mix of being aesthetic combined with some ecological criteria.

     

Population genetics of the threatened tree daisy Olearia gardneri (Asteraceae), conservation of a critically endangered species

All known populations of the nationally critical tree daisy, Olearia gardneri, were studied using AFLP markers. With fewer than 160 individual plants, Olearia gardneri is the third-rarest tree in New Zealand and a good model with which to study evolutionary process in fragmented endangered plants. Genetic variation was at similar levels to other long-lived tree species in New Zealand and also as in other studies to date had poor correspondence between genetic and geographic distance. Genetic factors such as inbreeding depression and the loss of genetic diversity might lower fitness and have substantial consequences for evolution and survival of rare threatened plants. Due to the decline of this species in recent times it is imperative that conservation measures are undertaken, including revegetation. Despite considerable emphasis on “eco-sourcing” in plant recovery programmes there is strong evidence that this may not be the best strategy for O. gardneri due to breeding system and population size considerations.     

Tourism and recreation: a common threat to IUCN red-listed vascular plants in Europe

Tourism and recreation are large industries employing millions of people and contribute over US$2.01 trillion to the global economy. Unfortunately they also have diverse and sometimes severe environmental impacts affecting many species, including those that are rare and threatened. To assess the extent to which these industries threaten vascular plants, we reviewed data in the IUCN Red List for 462 Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable European species. Tourism and recreation were listed as threatening 42 % (194 species) of these species from across 50 families, mostly herbs (70 %). They were listed as threatening plants in 9 of the 10 bioregions in Europe and in 25 of the 40 countries assessed. Popular tourism destinations such as the Canary Islands (41 species) and mainland Spain (40 species) had the greatest diversity of species listed as threatened by tourism and recreation. The most common of these threats were trampling (61 species), plant collection (59), the maintenance/construction of tourist infrastructure (43) and habitat degradation due to the urbanisation of tourist sites (13). Additional species assessments and more research on the impacts of tourism and recreation may add to these values. It is clear that these industries pose an important threatening process on plants in Europe based on the IUCN Red List data and hence deserve greater recognition in terms of research, conservation and management.     

Seed dispersal strategies and the threat of defaunation in a Congo forest

Seed dispersal mode of plants and primary interactions with animals are studied in the evergreen Afrotropical forest of LuiKotale, at the south-western part of Salonga National Park (DR Congo). We first analysed seed dispersal strategies for (a) the plant species inventoried over a decade at the study site and (b) the tree community in 12 × 1 ha census plots. Our analyses of dispersal syndromes for 735 identified plant species show that 85 % produce fleshy fruits and rely on animals for primary seed dispersal. Trees depending on animals for primary dispersal dominate the tree community (95 %), while wind-dispersed and autochorous trees are rare in mixed tropical forests. A list of frugivorous vertebrate species of the ecosystem was established. Among the fruit-eating vertebrate species identified in the ecosystem, forest elephants and bonobos are threatened with extinction (IUCN, The IUCN red list of threatened species, 2012). Although most of the species listed previously are internationally and regionally protected, all the species we observed dispersing seeds are hunted, fished or trapped by humans in the area. With the exception of bush pigs, seed predators, mainly small-sized animals, are generally not targeted by hunters. As a consequence, we expect human pressure on key animal species to impact the plant community. We suggest defaunation to be considered as major conservation problem. Thus, not only for the sake of animal species but also for that of plant species conservation, anti-poaching measures should have priority in both “protected” and unprotected areas. Defaunation could bring a new impoverished era for plants in tropical forests.     

Are psyllids affiliated with the threatened plants Acacia ausfeldii,A. dangarensis and A. gordonii at risk of co‐extinction?

Secondary extinctions of dependent affiliate species may exceed the numbers of species directly extirpated with habitat loss. We investigated the host specificity, and hence the co‐extinction risk, of multiple psyllid species (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) on the threatened plants Acacia ausfeldii, A. dangarensis and A. gordonii by sampling from these and other sympatric common plants across multiple sites, years and plant phenologies. We found one specialist psyllid species (Psyllidae: Acizzia sp.) on each of the plants A. ausfeldii and A. gordonii but no specialists on A. dangarensis. The A. gordonii specialist only occurred when its host was in flower. Specialist psyllids considered at risk of extinction represented 10% of all psyllid species observed on the three threatened acacias. Potential risks to co‐endangered affiliates need to be considered when implementing threatened plant recovery actions. Conservation of plant populations and plant species diversity is also necessary to maintain high insect diversity.     

Species distributions, surrogacy, and important conservation regions in Canada

Conservation actions could be more efficient if there is congruence among taxa in the distribution of species. Patterns in the geographical distribution of five taxa were used to identify nationally important regions for conservation in Canada. Two measures of surrogacy were significantly and positively correlated among taxa, and conservation areas selected for one taxon represented other taxa significantly better than random selections. However, few large protected areas exist in the sites of highest conservation value in southern Canada; these regions are therefore a priority for future conservation regard. By focusing this effort on threatened and endangered species, which are a national priority in Canada, most other species could also benefit.     

Impact of an exotic vine Clematis vitalba (F. Ranunculaceae) and of control measures on plant biodiversity in indigenous forest,Taihape, New Zealand

The exotic vine, Clematis vitalba L. (F. Ranunculaceae), has been in forest reserves around Taihape in the Rangitikei Ecological Region of the central North Island, New Zealand, for about 70 years. Before this weed was abundant, Taihape forests were rich in species of indigenous vascular plants, especially woody species. Clematis vitalba and its control are contributing to a loss of forest structure and of indigenous biodiversity at the ecosystem and species levels, to a lack of recruitment of indigenous species, to an influx of other weeds and to changes in growth forms of indigenous shrubs. Species that have disappeared or become uncommon in forest with C. vitalba tend to be those that are nationally threatened or uncommon, have restricted distributions or are biogeographically significant. Current control of C. vitalba in the Taihape forest is piecemeal and long-term. It is based on mechanical and chemical methods, followed by grazing with sheep to prevent regeneration. Recommendations are made for rapid removal of C. vitalba from all untreated parts of the reserve, followed by manual control or spot- spraying, permanent removal of sheep, control of other serious weeds and implementation of a restoration programme.     

Correlates of rediscovery and the detectability of extinction in mammals

Extinction is difficult to detect, even in well-known taxa such as mammals. Species with long gaps in their sighting records, which might be considered possibly extinct, are often rediscovered. We used data on rediscovery rates of missing mammals to test whether extinction from different causes is equally detectable and to find which traits affect the probability of rediscovery. We find that species affected by habitat loss were much more likely to be misclassified as extinct or to remain missing than those affected by introduced predators and diseases, or overkill, unless they had very restricted distributions. We conclude that extinctions owing to habitat loss are most difficult to detect; hence, impacts of habitat loss on extinction have probably been overestimated, especially relative to introduced species. It is most likely that the highest rates of rediscovery will come from searching for species that have gone missing during the 20th century and have relatively large ranges threatened by habitat loss, rather than from additional effort focused on charismatic missing species.     

广西邦亮长臂猿自然保护区的鸟类

摘要：于2006年5月及2010年的1月、5月和9～ 10月,采用样线法和定点观察法,结合雾网法对邦亮自然保护区鸟类资源进行了调查。共记录到鸟类223种,隶属于14目49科,其中留鸟146种、夏候鸟40种、冬候鸟34种、旅鸟3种。区系分析表明,保护区鸟类具有典型的华南区区系特点和显著的北热带特征。保护区有国家Ⅱ级重点保...     

中国三种水韭属植物的地理分布与生境特征

水韭属（Isoetes）是水韭科中的孑遗属,分类上属拟蕨类,对研究蕨类植物的系统演化具有重要价值。由于人类活动对其水生生境的破坏,水韭属植物在我国的分布范围及其种群数量日趋减少,濒临灭绝,其中,高寒水韭(I. hypsophila)、云贵水韭(I. yunguiensis)和中华水韭(I. sinensis)已被列为国家一级重点保护野生植物。对原产中国的3种水韭的地理分布与生境特征进行调查,将为合理保护该属植物提供相关基础数据和科学依据。本文野外实地考察了原产中国的3种水韭属植物的现存种群及历史记载曾经分布但现已绝迹的水韭属植物种群(绝迹种群)所在地。在每一调查点,测定了各样点的海拔高度、水体基底状况以及水体pH值等生境特征;在现存种群所在地,分别记载了所见水生植物种类、水韭种群规模及其生长状况,并采集和鉴定了3种水韭属植物及其伴生种。调查发现3种水韭属植物种与种之间为间断分布,且具有垂直梯度差异;种内各种群之间相互隔离,各种群的个体数均偏少;现存种群所生长的水体及其水体基底的pH特性无明显差异,为酸性或中性;绝迹种群所在的原生境已遭到严重破坏,一些地点的水体pH和基底pH与以往存在水韭的时期相比已明显升高。此外,调查还发现沼泽地带的水韭种群正面临着其他水生植物的激烈竞争而处于随时灭绝的危险之中,而淡水潮间带沿岸的水韭种群因周期性的水位波动而生长良好。调查结果表明3种水韭属植物的地理分布及其生长状况与海拔、水体pH值、基底pH值以及种间竞争和水位波动密切相关。本文还讨论了保护水韭属植物的基本策略和具体措施。