Modelling potential impacts of climate change on the bioclimatic envelope and conservation of the Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

Forecasting the influence of climatic changes on the distribution of the Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is important for the conservation of the species. We explored the environmental characteristics than best explain the current distribution of the species, modelled the past and present distribution, projected the niche model into the future, and identified suitable areas for conservation. Niche modelling was performed using Maxent and 21 environmental variables. For past conditions, we considered the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the mid-Holocene (MH) climates. For future conditions, we used the A2a greenhouse gas emission scenario for 2050. Four General Circulation Models (FGOALS 1.0, HADCM3, IPSL-CM4 and MIROC 3.2) were used. The resulting niche model (AUC = 0.89 ± 0.02) predicts maximum probability of presence at precipitation of 106 mm during the coldest quarter, of 396 mm during the warmest quarter, and in totally flat areas. The suitable area for the Maned Wolf currently covers 4,320,364 km². For the LGM, there were inter-model differences in predicted areas (from 819,324 km² to 6,395,886 km²) and in geographic location. The MH models showed drastic changes with respect to the present and considerable inter-model variation. Predictions for 2050 show significant (at least 33%) reductions in distribution. Only a minor fraction (39%) of the current distribution can be considered stable for the period LGM-2050. The FGOALS model was the best option for projecting species occurrence into the future because it included the three localities known for the Maned Wolf from the late Pleistocene and predicts stable areas that coincide with spatial patterns of genetic diversity. The FGOALS projection for 2050 predicts a 33% reduction in suitable habitats, indicating some stable areas (central South America) that will probably be key sites for the conservation of the species.     

Habitat suitability assessment of Sichuan sika deer in Tiebu Nature Reserve during periods of green and dry grass

Habitat suitability assessment is an essential and dynamic research method for determining and evaluating the environmental pressures faced by wildlife. From March to November 2011, we investigated the quality of habitat available to Sichuan sika deer (Cervus nippon sichuanicus) in Tiebu Nature Reserve, Ruoergai County, Sichuan Province, China. A habitat evaluation model established by the fuzzy assignment quadrature method was used to assess habitat suitability for Sichuan sika deer within the reserve by using the GIS spatial analysis function. The results showed that the area of actual available habitat was 220.8 km² during the wet season and 213.2 km² during the dry season, accounting for 80.8% and 78.02% of the total nature reserve area, respectively. The area of suitable habitat for Sichuan sika deer was much lower, 128.01 km² during the wet season and 109.17 km² during the dry season, accounting for 46.84% and 39.95% of the total nature reserve area respectively. The difference between available and suitable habitat is likely due to potentially good habitat having been lost as a result of human disturbance. Lost habitat makes up 4.55% of the total area while grass is green and 5.52% while grass is dry. Human disturbance levels in the form of roads and residential areas were constant throughout the year, but grazing by domestic animals had a higher impact during the dry season. Habitat suitability during this time, already reduced by the withering of the grass, was thus further reduced by the grazing of livestock.     

Landuse change impact on sub-watersheds prioritization by analytical hierarchy process (AHP)

Landuse change analysis is considered as elementary in planning and land management of a basin. The present study provides information of change in landuse in 1990, 2000, 2011, and future prediction of the year 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050 of different sub-watersheds within a basin, which is a part of the Narmada river basin in central India. The major objectives involve landuse prediction by Markov Chain model and sub-watershed prioritization using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to identify and manage environmentally unstable areas in future. Different landuse categories are used as factors in prioritization analysis. Landuse of 2011 indicates a transition of about 312 km² of forest area to agricultural land and 10.64 km² to settlement in 2020, which increases to 678 km² and 21.29 km² in 2050 respectively. There is also a transition of forest to scattered forest and grasslands and increase in the areas of the rocky surface. AHP is applied to identify sub-watersheds of highest priority, which indicates the sub-watersheds 5 and 6 are of very high priority in 2011 along with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 that are in most places plain areas used for agriculture and settlements. Sub-watersheds 8 and 9, which are forest areas, are observed to be of medium to low priority in future. However, 2050 projects high priority for all the sub-watersheds that calls for efficient landuse management and decision. Most of the northern sub-watersheds of 1 to 7 and 12 of south need high priority.     

Forest degradation assessment in the upper catchment of the river Tons using remote sensing and GIS

The present study investigates the status of forest degradation in the upper catchment of the river Tons in the Uttarakhand state of India, including Govind Wildlife Sanctuary and the National Park by the same name using remote sensing and the geographic information system (GIS). The study revealed that more than 50% of the study area is covered with snow and the alpine grasslands while 8.1% area is under agriculture. Degraded forest covers maximum area (53 km²), followed by moderately (30.4 km²) and severely degraded (26.8 km²) forests. The lower and middle slopes showed higher degradation than upper slopes due to multiple uses for agriculture, horticulture, agroforestry and grazing by the local people. Over time, the degradation and deforestation, without adequate protection, have led to severe soil erosion, biodiversity and the habitat depletion for a large number of rare and endemic species including loss of livelihood to the local people.     

A landscape-level assessment of Asian elephant habitat,its population and elephant–human conflict in the Anamalai hill ranges of southern Western Ghats,India

Spatial information at the landscape scale is extremely important for conservation planning, especially in the case of long-ranging vertebrates. The biodiversity-rich Anamalai hill ranges in the Western Ghats of southern India hold a viable population for the long-term conservation of the Asian elephant. Through rapid but extensive field surveys we mapped elephant habitat, corridors, vegetation and land-use patterns, estimated the elephant population density and structure, and assessed elephant–human conflict across this landscape. GIS and remote sensing analyses indicate that elephants are distributed among three blocks over a total area of about 4600 km². Approximately 92% remains contiguous because of four corridors; however, under 4000 km² of this area may be effectively used by elephants. Nine landscape elements were identified, including five natural vegetation types, of which tropical moist deciduous forest is dominant. Population density assessed through the dung count method using line transects covering 275 km of walk across the effective elephant habitat of the landscape yielded a mean density of 1.1 (95% CI = 0.99–1.2) elephant/km². Population structure from direct sighting of elephants showed that adult male elephants constitute just 2.9% and adult females 42.3% of the population with the rest being sub-adults (27.4%), juveniles (16%) and calves (11.4%). Sex ratios show an increasing skew toward females from juvenile (1:1.8) to sub-adult (1:2.4) and adult (1:14.7) indicating higher mortality of sub-adult and adult males that is most likely due to historical poaching for ivory. A rapid questionnaire survey and secondary data on elephant–human conflict from forest department records reveals that villages in and around the forest divisions on the eastern side of landscape experience higher levels of elephant–human conflict than those on the western side; this seems to relate to a greater degree of habitat fragmentation and percentage farmers cultivating annual crops in the east. We provide several recommendations that could help maintain population viability and reduce elephant–human conflict of the Anamalai elephant landscape.     

Spatial ecology and habitat use of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) in South Africa

The lack of long-term studies remains a limiting factor in understanding the home range, spatial ecology and movement of giraffes. We equipped eight giraffes with GPS satellite units and VHF capacity, which were built in to the collars for the remote collection of data on their movements and home ranges over two years on Khamab Kalahari Nature Reserve (KKNR) within the Kalahari region of South Africa. Giraffe numbers in KKNR dropped from 135 individuals to 111 in just five years, revealing the lack of knowledge about their required habitat needs, space use and diet. With over 1000 km² available for roaming within the reserve, habitat selection, principle and preferred food species played a significant role in home range size and overlap between individuals. These giraffes used an average annual home range of 206 km² (20 602 ha) as calculated by a 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) with a standard deviation core home range calculated by a 50% MCP of 10.1 km² to satisfy their annual needs for survival and reproduction in their preferred vegetation. In the wet, hot season (summer: December–February) when food was abundant, giraffes frequented smaller areas (average 177 km²), while in the dry, cool season (winter: June to August) the mean home range size increased to approximately 245 km². Rainfall influenced spatial distribution since it determined vegetation productivity and leaf phenology. The different seasons influenced giraffe movements, while different vegetation types and season influenced their home range size. Season and food availability also influenced home range overlap between different giraffe herds. Home range overlap occurred when giraffes were forced to roam in overlapping areas during the dryer months when the winter deciduous nature of the majority of the tree species resulted in lower food availability. In winter, the overlap was approximately 31% and in autumn approximately 23%. During the wet and warmer months, overlapping was 15% in summer and 19% in spring, respectively. The percentage of time spent in different vegetation type areas was influenced by the abundance of the principal food species of that plant community. It is thus concluded that the movements of giraffes were primarily influenced by a combination of environmental factors such as season, rainfall and vegetation density.     

Determination of priority nature conservation areas and human disturbances in the Yangtze River Basin,China

Because of limitation of manpower, funding, and land available in conservation, the problem of how to select essential regions to establish protection systems for biodiversity maintenance has been widely discussed. In an effort to address the problem, this study has aimed to select a set of priority areas and to determine their priority order by quantifying human disturbances for each area in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB). This basin covers 2.143 million km², or more than 20% of China's territory. The habitats of 627 indicator species were predicted as a proxy for biodiversity. A conservation planning tool, MARXAN, was used to determine the optimal set of planning units, and three different target scenarios were generated. In addition, under the assumption that if two areas have equal value for conservation, the one suffering more severe disturbance needs more urgent protection than the other, priority ranking analysis was carried out using a 6-12-1 BP artificial neural network. Then hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to the classifications of human disturbances to formulate more detailed conservation strategies. By integrating the degree of irreplaceability of each unit, expert experience, and mountain boundaries, 17 biodiversity priority areas containing 33,200 units over an area of 0.83 million km² were defined. These areas also protected 56% of 32 types of rare forest ecosystem and 76.4% of six types of rare grassland ecosystem on average. According to the evaluation of human impact, a priority order and five types of human disturbance areas were generated. Some protection gaps were also identified, such as the northern part of the Wuyi Mountains. Moreover, the determination of priority nature conservation areas on a large scale can be used to influence the building of a well-connected protection network in each individual area, so that effective genetic communication can occur between species or groups of species. Conservation decisions focusing on the dominant impact factors that are threatening biodiversity sustainability are required as well.     

Population densities,group size and biomass of ungulates in a lowland tropical rainforest forest of the eastern Himalayas

Large ungulate population monitoring is a crucial wildlife management tool as ungulates help in structuring and maintaining the large carnivore populations. Reliable data on population status of major ungulate prey species are still non-existent for most of the protected areas in the Indian part of the eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. Twenty transects were monitored over a period of three years (2009–2011) totaling 600 km with an average length of 2 km. The estimated mean density of ungulates was 17.5 km⁻² with overall density of 48.7 km⁻². The wild pig Sus scrofa had the highest density (6.7 ± 1.2 km⁻²) among all the prey species followed by barking deer Muntiacus muntjak (3.9 ± 0.6 km⁻²), sambar Rusa unicolor (3.8 ± 0.5) and gaur Bos gaurus (3.5 ± 0.9 km⁻²). The estimated total ungulate biomass density was 2182.56 kg km⁻². This prey biomass can support up to 7.2 tigers per 100 km⁻². However, with two other sympatric carnivores sharing the same resources, the actual tiger numbers that can be supported will be lower. The estimated minor prey species was 31 km⁻² significantly 30.6% crop damages were reported by wild pig (p = 0.01) and 35.4% was elephant (p = 0.004). This data on ungulate densities and biomass will be crucial for carnivore conservation in this understudied globally significant biodiversity hotspot.     

Supplemental energy and protein increase use of sagebrush by sheep

The ability of sheep to consume big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.), a shrub that contains terpenes, may be improved with supplemental energy and protein needed for detoxification processes. We compared feeding behavior of supplemented and unsupplemented ewes grazing separately in three 0.5 ha plots of 40 m × 120 m during October 2001. Supplemented ewes were offered a choice of a high-energy (50% corn and 50% beet pulp—3.62 Mcal/kg DE and 9.5% CP) and a high-protein (85% alfalfa and 15% soybean meal—2.89 Mcal/kg DE and 15% CP) supplement for 15 min/day. Supplemented ewes consumed 492 g (S.E. = 24.3) of the high-energy supplement and 140 g (S.E. = 9.8) of the high-protein supplement. The incidence of feeding on sagebrush was recorded using scan sampling at 10-min intervals from 09:00 to 17:00 h every other day for 10 days. Incidence of feeding on sagebrush increased gradually for both treatments from 0.4% on day 1 to 28% on day 10 (P < 0.01), but supplemented ewes increased feeding frequency on sagebrush to nearly twice that of unsupplemented ewes by the end of the trial. Averaged throughout the trial, incidence of eating sagebrush was twice as high for supplemented compared to unsupplemented ewes (22% versus 11% of the total time feeding, P < 0.01). The results of this study show that supplemental macronutrients increase use of sagebrush by ewes. Thus, strategic supplementation during fall and winter may be a way to increase intake of sagebrush by sheep and enhance and maintain biodiversity in areas of the sagebrush steppe where sagebrush is deemed too abundant.     

Puma spatial ecology in open habitats with aggregate prey

Solitary felids are commonly associated with structurally complex habitats, where their foraging success is attributed to stealth and remaining undetected by competitive scavengers. Research in North America suggests that pumas (Puma concolor), a wide-ranging species found throughout the Americas, conform to the general characteristics of solitary felids and avoid open grasslands with aggregating prey. Researchers hypothesize that pumas are limited to structurally complex habitats in North America because of pressures from other large, terrestrial competitors. We explored the spatial ecology of pumas in open habitat with aggregating prey in Chilean Patagonia, where pumas lack large, terrestrial competitors. We tracked 11 pumas over 30 months (intensive location data for 9 pumas with GPS collars for 9.33 ± 5.66 months each) in an area where mixed steppe grasslands composed 53% of the study area and carried 98% of available prey biomass, to track resource use relative to availability, assess daily movements, quantify home ranges and calculate their density. As determined by location data and kill sites, Patagonia pumas were primarily associated with open habitats with high prey biomass, but at finer scales, preferentially selected for habitat with complex structure. On average, pumas traveled 13.42 ± 2.50 km per day. Estimated 95% fixed kernel home ranges averaged 98 ± 31.8 km² for females and 211 ± 138.8 km² for males, with high spatial overlap within and between the sexes. In a multivariate analysis, available prey biomass was the strongest predictor of variation in the size of an individual puma's home range. Finally, we determined a total puma density of 3.44 pumas/100 km², a significantly smaller estimate than previously reported for Patagonia, but similar to densities reported for North America.     

Spatial requirements of jaguars and pumas in Southern Mexico

Understanding how large felids use space is essential for the design of conservation plans that are required for their survival. Jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) are the largest felids in the Neotropics, and they are sympatric throughout the entire range of the jaguar. However, there is very little information about the spatial requirements of these two species in the tropical rainforests of Central America. Using satellite GPS collars, we compared the spatial ecology of jaguars and pumas in a tropical rainforest in southern Mexico. We found that jaguars had home ranges that were 2–6 times larger than those of pumas. The mean annual home range was 181.4 ± 4.0 km² for female jaguars and 431.6 ± 152.6 km² for males. Annual home range for the only female puma tracked was 34.3 km², and 72.0 ± 85.2 km² for males. Jaguars and pumas with overlapping home ranges showed little overlap of core areas and avoided using the same sites at the same time, which suggested that territoriality and avoidance were in play. Further evidence of avoidance was derived from our observation that pumas exhibited greater movement during the lightest periods of the day and jaguars moved most during the darkest. This temporal separation probably facilitates coexistence. Our data suggest that habitat destruction and fragmentation has more severe effects on jaguars than on pumas. According to our estimates, patches of at least 180 km² of primary forest are required to meet the annual spatial requirements of female jaguars. Thus, to conserve jaguars in this region, large tracts of primary forest should be preserved. Importantly, this population of jaguars depends on the adequate preservation of connectivity between natural reserves in Mexico and Guatemala.     

Investigating habitat-specific plant species pools under climate change

We used 474 European plant species to analyse the impacts of climate and land-use change on the composition of habitat-specific species pools in Germany. We quantified changes in the probability of occurrence of species in a grid cell using an ensemble of three statistical modelling techniques, namely generalized linear models (GLMs), generalized additive models (GAMs) and random forests (RFs), under three scenarios (average change +2.2, +2.9, and +3.8 °C up to 2080). We evaluated the impact on single species occurrence and resulting species pools considering their affiliation to ten major terrestrial habitat types in both current (1961–90) and future projections (2051–80). Current habitat-specific species pools declined in size across all scenarios, e.g. by 24 ± 13% (mean ± s.d.) under the most severe scenario. We show that species responses may strongly vary among scenarios and different habitats with a minimum average projected range loss of 14% (±18%; species typical to urban habitats under moderate climate change assumptions, average temperature increase +2.2 °C) to a maximum average projected range loss of 56% (±29%; species assemblages from mountain communities below the alpine zone at +3.8 °C). A separate analysis of species composition in habitat-specific species pools revealed a significant interaction between the scenario and the major habitat classes. We found a higher risk for habitat types with high conservation value characterised by a significant association between number of nationally endangered species and projected range loss in major habitats. Thus, habitat-specific management and application of measures favouring dispersal are required for mitigation of climate change impacts.     

Determinants of smooth-coated otter occupancy in a rapidly urbanizing coastal landscape in Southeast Asia

Urbanization often has negative impacts on wildlife, nevertheless many species can persist in heavily modified habitats. Understanding factors that promote species persistence in urbanizing landscapes is therefore important for maintaining biodiversity in changing landscapes and may inform more biodiversity-friendly development. We investigated effects of landscape-scale variables on habitat occupancy of Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) in the Inner Gulf of Thailand. In this internationally important wetland complex, 86% of natural habitats have been altered and are now highly urbanized. We conducted track and sign surveys in 60, 25 km² grid cells encompassing 1,474 km². Within each cell, we quantified the landscape cover types including urban areas, natural habitat (predominately thin ribbons of mangrove along waterways), agriculture, aquaculture, and potential prey availability using a GIS and field surveys. We used occupancy models to identify habitat variables that affected probability of detection and occupancy. Estimated otter occupancy, based on the top model, was 0.33 ± 0.07 (95% CI 0.18–0.48) and detection probability was 0.50 ± 0.05 (95% CI 0.41–0.60). Otter occupancy was positively associated with the proportion of natural habitat and the cover of traditional aquaculture ponds, but negatively associated with agriculture and urban cover. The remaining natural patches appear to act as critical refuges for otter, allowing them to persist in an otherwise heavily transformed landscape. Because aquaculture ponds are likely important prey sources for otters, it may lead to conflict with aquaculture farmers. Further studies of feeding and movement patterns in cooperation with aquaculture farmers would be beneficial for developing detailed management plans for the species in this human dominated landscape.     

GIS-based integrated evaluation of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) for land use planning in Langkawi,Malaysia

Extensive economic growth, tourism activities and over-exploitation of resources have become the common causes of environmental degradation in Langkawi. The sudden development leap resulting from UNESCO's recognition of Langkawi Archipelago as a Global Geopark in 2007, leads to continuous conflicts between enhancing environmental protection and meeting tourism and development needs. Environmental sensitivity evaluation is a basis upon which the concept of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) can be practised in order to protect the environment, regulate development activities and promote sustainable land use planning. This study embarks on evaluating and classifying environmental sensitivity as well as comparing different ESA approaches applicable for land use planning in Langkawi. A GIS-based integrated evaluation model was performed on two assessment sets (Set A and Set B) using a standard grading system and weights determined with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. Of these sets, the former consists of selected indicators from the Malaysian integrated ESA instrument while the latter are derived from previous eco-environmental studies conducted in China. The projected final ESA maps of Langkawi indicate spatial distribution of four environmental sensitivity classes. More highly and moderately sensitive areas are observed in Set A, accounting for 339.15 km² or 72.24% of the total land area compared to Set B with only 259.04 km² or 55.18% respectively. The results also reveal large proportion of low sensitivity areas in Set A, covering areas of 117.42 km² (25.01%). In contrast, more areas with non-sensitivity are widely distributed in Set B, occupying areas of 123.02 km² (26.20%). Taking into consideration the natural and cultural characteristics of the islands, it is suggested that Set A is a better approach to portray current environmental concerns and to coordinate future land use planning as well as fits Langkawi's aspiration in becoming a sustainable, world-class Global Geopark. This study provides beneficial information and opportunity for reasonable rearrangement of zoning and development guidelines and strategies within sensitivity areas. It promotes effective utilization of the natural resources, minimizes negative tourism impacts and adequately highlights ecosystem functions to prosper local socio-economic growth. It also represents an early step for the design of universal ESA instruments to regulate local development activities and promote sustainable land use planning in vulnerable areas at global levels.     

Species distribution models as a tool to predict range expansion after reintroduction: A case study on Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber)

Species Distribution Models (SDMs) may provide important information for the follow-up phase of reintroduction operations by identifying the main areas most likely to be colonized by the reintroduced species. We used SDMs to identify the potential distribution of Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) reintroduced to Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2004–2006 after being historically driven to extinction by overhunting. Models were also used to carry out a gap analysis to assess the degree of protection granted by the national reserve networks to the potentially expanding population. Distances from hydrographic network, broadleaved forest, main watercourses and farmland were the main factors influencing model performance. We estimated that suitable habitat covers 14.0% (31,000 km²) of the whole study area. In Serbia, in 2004–2013 beavers expanded their range at a mean colonization speed of 70.9 ± 12.8 km/year (mean ± SD). Only 2.89% of and 9.72% of beaver’s suitable habitat lie within the national network of protected areas of Bosnia and Serbia respectively. We detected new potential areas where beavers will likely settle in the near future, advising on where further monitoring should be carried out. We also identified low suitability areas to be targeted with appropriate management to improve their conditions as well as important regions falling outside reserve boundaries to which protection should be granted.     

Spatial conservation planning under climate change: Using species distribution modeling to assess priority for adaptive management of Fagus crenata in Japan

Protected areas are the basis of modern conservation systems, but current climate change causes gaps between protected areas and the species distribution ranges. To mitigate the impact of climate change on species distribution ranges, revision of protected areas are necessary. Alternatively, active management such as excluding competitive species or transplanting target species would be effective. In this study, we assessed optimal actions (revision of protected areas or active management) in each geographical region to establish an effective spatial conservation plan in Japan. Gaps between the protected areas and future potential habitats were assessed using species distribution models and 20 future climate simulations. Fagus crenata, an endemic and dominant species in Japan, was used as a target species. Potential habitats within the protected areas were predicted to decrease from 22,122 km² at present to 12,309 km² under future climate conditions. Sustainable potential habitats (consistent potential habitats both at present and in future) without the protected areas extended to 13,208 km², and were mainly found in northeast Japan. These results suggest that, in northeast Japan, revisions to protected areas would be effective in preserving sustainable potential habitats under future climate change. However, the potential habitats of southwestern Japan, in which populations were genetically different from northeastern populations, were predicted to virtually disappear both within and outside of protected areas. Active management is thus necessary in southwestern Japan to ensure intraspecific genetic diversity under future climate change.     

Valuation of the loss of plant-related ecosystem services caused by water stress in the wetland of China’s Yellow River Delta

China’s Yellow River Delta is ecologically important because of its role as an eco-tone between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, water stress caused by drought or flooding creates ecological risks for this important ecosystem. In this study, we assessed community biodiversity, plant biomass, and the plant total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and potassium contents to quantify the potential loss of ecosystem services value arising from water stress. The annual ecosystem services and function value of the wetlands totaled 3.68 × 10⁸ Yuan, of which biomass production and local climate regulation accounted for 39.4% and 49.5% of the total, respectively. The area with the highest value (>2 Yuan m⁻²) lies along both banks of the downstream reaches of the river, whereas areas with the lowest values (<1.5 Yuan m⁻²) were located on the northern bank, near the Bohai Sea coastline. We defined scenarios based on three levels of water stress: drought, sufficient water, and flooding. The potential annual value loss in the drought scenario was 3.60 × 10⁸ Yuan, versus 2.78 × 10⁸ Yuan in the flooding scenario. The minimum loss (with sufficient water) was 2.06 × 10⁸ Yuan. The wetland’s soil water content should therefore be managed to protect the vegetation and minimize the ecological risks (and associated ecosystem service value losses) caused by water stress. Our approach provides a tool for assessing the potential loss of ecosystem services and functions and for calculating ecological compensation payments for wetland damage.     

Foraging behavior and prey of sea otters in a soft- and mixed-sediment benthos in Alaska

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) foraging behavior and prey preference were studied from June to August 2001–2004 in Simpson Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska. The study area has an average water depth of 30 m and a benthos primarily of soft- and mixed-sediment with no canopy-forming kelps. A total of 1816 foraging dives from 211 bouts were recorded. Overall, dives ranged in depth from <5 to 82 m; most dives were less than 15 m (40%) with smaller, secondary peaks at 25–30 m (10%) and 50–55 m (7%). Average dive depth and duration were 27 m ± 19.5 and 1.89 min ± 0.88, respectively. Dive durations were all significantly different: male > unknown > female. Dive depths reflected the bathymetry (percentage of the bay within a depth range) of Simpson Bay but favored shallow areas. 87% of foraging dives were successful, and 44% of the prey was positively identified: 75% clams, 9% Pacific blue mussels, 6% crabs, 2% Reddish scallops and a variety of other invertebrates. There was no evidence for prey specialization among the sexes. Although sea otters in Simpson Bay rely heavily on bivalves, their diet has remained unchanged for the past 18 years, and the minimum summer population has been constant for at least the past nine years. It appears that bivalves are the predominant and stable component of the diet, and their productivity is sufficient to sustain a stable population of sea otters with a minimum peak summer density of 4.3 adult otters km^?2 and an average annual density of ca. 2.9 adult otters km^?2 for the past nine years and probably longer.     

The desolation of Smaug: The human-driven decline of the Sungazer lizard (Smaug giganteus)

The Sungazer (Smaug giganteus) is a threatened lizard species endemic to the Highveld grasslands of South Africa. The species faces risks from habitat loss and fragmentation, and illegal harvesting for traditional medicine and the pet trade. Despite these threats, the current conservation status of the species was poorly validated. We visited 79 Sungazer populations recorded in 1978 to assess population change since the initial surveys, and surveyed an additional 164 sites to better define the distribution and estimate the current population size. We interrogated all known historical trade data of the species. One-third of Sungazer populations have been extirpated over the past 37 years. The distribution includes two allopatric populations, with the smaller Mpumalanga population experiencing a significantly higher decline. The species has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 34 500 km², and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 1149 km². The interpreted distribution is 17 978 km², and just under 60% remains untransformed grassland. We estimate a population size of 677 000 mature individuals, down 48% from the estimated historical population, prior to commercial agricultural development. A total of 1194 live Sungazers were exported under permit from South Africa between 1985 and 2014, with a significant increase in numbers exported over the last decade. Without any evidence of captive breeding, we believe that these animals are all wild-caught. Based on the AOO, level of decline, fragmentation within the distribution and suspected level of exploitation, we recommend classification of the species as Vulnerable under IUCN Red List Criteria A2acd and B2ab(ii–v). The establishment of a protected area network, genetic research and further investigations into the pet and traditional medicine trades are urgently needed.     

Free-ranging domestic cats reduce the effective protected area of a Polish national park

Poland's Animal Protection Act, as of 2002, made it legal to shoot free-ranging cats and dogs. The act triggered substantial social debate with opponents arguing that this legislation was weakly supported by scientific evidence of the ecological impacts of free-ranging pets. Our main research goal was to examine the activity of free-ranging domestic cats within a Polish protected area by applying radio-telemetry methods to determine space use and degree of encroachment into the national park. We trapped and radio-tracked 19 animals from three sites (focal households) located in Ojcow National Park (ONP) in southern Poland from June 2003 to March 2006. Annual 100% MCP home range size varied from 0.02 km² to 1.46 km², and was significantly larger for males (mean ± SE = 0.79 ± 0.34 km²; median = 0.53 km²) than for females (mean ± SE = 0.13 ± 0.05 km²; median = 0.13 km²). The distance travelled by individual cats from focal sites did not significantly differ between males (mean ± SE = 232.00 ± 21.05 m; median = 191 m) and females (mean ± SE = 232.50 ± 12.47 m; median = 228 m), with maximum distances of 1.5 km for males and 1.1 km for females. All monitored cats were in close proximity to nature reserves and ranged into protected areas without any human control. Cats living in the households in the park and its surrounding buffer zone, roaming at 200 m and 1000 m radius distances from their households, occupied from 6% to 100% of the park area, respectively. Our results reveal that free-ranging domestic cats roam through and potentially impact the entire national park, thus reducing its effective protected area.