The distribution of vascular plant species of conservation concern in Ireland,and their coincidence with designated areas

Protected areas (that are usually designated) play an important role in the effort to halt on-going losses of biodiversity. However, areas outside of designated sites for protection can also hold important elements of biodiversity, and knowledge of their distribution is necessary to ensure effective conservation strategies. We collated and mapped vascular plant distribution data for species of conservation concern on the island of Ireland. For the first time in Ireland, we extracted 6078 distribution records of 176 species of conservation concern and mapped them at the tetrad (2 km × 2 km) scale. We examined the extent to which tetrads with records of species of conservation concern overlapped with designated areas (Natura 2000, Natural Heritage Areas, Areas of Special Scientific Interest). A conservative estimate suggests that many of these tetrads do not overlap with designated areas (in the range of 22–40% for available records). The coincidence of records of individual species with designated areas ranged from 0% to 100% (mean = 79%). The mapped distribution data for all vascular plant species offers guidance to where additional recording may be helpful in supporting conservation activities. The analysis of the distribution of species of conservation concern indicates the importance of both designated areas and the (non-designated) wider countryside for biodiversity conservation. In particular the presence of species of conservation concern in non-designated areas highlights the need for conservation measures outside of designated areas.     

Extinction Risks and the Conservation of Madagascar's Reptiles

Background

An understanding of the conservation status of Madagascar''s endemic reptile species is needed to underpin conservation planning and priority setting in this global biodiversity hotspot, and to complement existing information on the island''s mammals, birds and amphibians. We report here on the first systematic assessment of the extinction risk of endemic and native non-marine Malagasy snakes, lizards, turtles and tortoises.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Species range maps from The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species were analysed to determine patterns in the distribution of threatened reptile species. These data, in addition to information on threats, were used to identify priority areas and actions for conservation. Thirty-nine percent of the data-sufficient Malagasy reptiles in our analyses are threatened with extinction. Areas in the north, west and south-east were identified as having more threatened species than expected and are therefore conservation priorities. Habitat degradation caused by wood harvesting and non-timber crops was the most pervasive threat. The direct removal of reptiles for international trade and human consumption threatened relatively few species, but were the primary threats for tortoises. Nine threatened reptile species are endemic to recently created protected areas.

Conclusions/Significance

With a few alarming exceptions, the threatened endemic reptiles of Madagascar occur within the national network of protected areas, including some taxa that are only found in new protected areas. Threats to these species, however, operate inside and outside protected area boundaries. This analysis has identified priority sites for reptile conservation and completes the conservation assessment of terrestrial vertebrates in Madagascar which will facilitate conservation planning, monitoring and wise-decision making. In sharp contrast with the amphibians, there is significant reptile diversity and regional endemism in the southern and western regions of Madagascar and this study highlights the importance of these arid regions to conserving the island''s biodiversity.     

Predicting potential distribution and identifying priority areas for conservation of the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in Peruvian Amazon

A key conservation biology tool is the information on the geographic distribution of species as well as the variables driving those patterns. Here, we used maximum entropy modeling, MaxEnt, to model the total potential distribution of Tapirus terrestris, classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In this study, we recorded 117 occurrence records and considered 18 environmental variables. The total potential distribution area covers 96,055.6 km², meaning 12.3 % of the territory of the Peruvian Amazon, with “high potential” habitat covering 3,891.36 km², “moderate potential” habitat covering 22,849.5 km², and “low potential” habitat covering 69,314.7 km². Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) shelter 32.2 % (30,966.2 km²) of the total potential distribution area of the species, being the Bahuaja Sonene and Manu National Parks, the NPAs with the largest total potential distribution, 8,220.2 km² and 7,619.7 km² respectively. Eventually, 67.8 % (65,089.4 km²) of the total potential distribution were identified without any type of protection category by SINANPE and its complementary categories; therefore, we consider this area as a priority for the conservation of T. terrestris in Peru.     

Predicting potential distribution and identifying priority areas for conservation of the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) in Peru

Species distribution models (SDMs) provide conservationist with spatial distributions estimations of priority species. Lagothrix flavicauda (Humboldt, 1812), commonly known as the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey, is one of the largest primates in the New World. This species is endemic to the montane forests of northern Peru, in the departments of Amazonas, San Martín, Huánuco, Junín, La Libertad, and Loreto at elevation from1,000 to 2,800 m. It is classified as “Critically Endangered” (CR) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as well as by Peruvian legislation. Furthermore, it is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Research on precise estimates of its potential distribution are scare. Therefore, in this study we modeled the potential distribution area of this species in Peru, the model was generated using the MaxEnt algorithm, along with 80 georeferenced occurrence records and 28 environmental variables. The total distribution (high, moderate, and low) for L. flavicauda is 29,383.3 km², having 3,480.7 km² as high potential distribution. In effect, 22.64 % (6,648.49 km²) of the total distribution area of L. flavicauda is found within Natural Protected Areas (NPAs), with the following categories representing the largest areas of distribution: Protected Forests (1,620.41 km²), Regional Conservation Areas (1,976.79 km²), and Private Conservation Areas (1,166.55 km²). After comparing the predicted distribution with the current NPAs system, we identified new priority areas for the conservation of the species. We, therefore, believe that this study will contribute significantly to the conservation of L. flavicauda in Peru.     

Potential distribution of Ursus americanus in Mexico and its persistence: Implications for conservation

The black bear Ursus americanus is an endangered species in Mexico. Its historical distribution has decreased by approximately 80% although its current distribution is not known with precision; it is only reported to be present in the mountains of Northern Mexico. This study proposes two ensemble models: Mexicós black bear (a) potential distribution compared with Natural Protected Areas (NPAs); and, (b) persistence areas for 2024. The current distribution variables are coniferous forest, elevation and dry forest. Suitable habitat for black bear (354,047 km², 18.07% of the country) was found mainly in the north of the Sonoran biogeographical zone, along the Sierra Madre Occidental, the center and south of the Sierra Madre Oriental and some northern regions of the Altiplano Norte. Comparing these areas with NPAs documented that only 12.41% of potential distribution coincided with current suitable habitat. There are unprotected areas in Sierra Madre Occidental center and central and southern of Sierra Madre Oriental. The model for 2024 indicates a reduction of suitable habitat of 64.5%, mainly in the northern Sonoran zone and the center Sierra Madre Occidental. On the other hand, areas that will persist (125,673 km²) are located along the two main mountain ranges of Mexico. Identification of these sites will allow strengthening of long-term conservation strategies.     

Low ecological representation in the protected area network of China

Protected areas are considered as an essential strategy to halt the decline of biodiversity. Ecological representation in protected areas is crucial for assessment on the progress toward conservation targets. Although China has established a large number of protected areas since the 1950s, ecological representation of protected areas is poorly understood. Here, we performed the complementarity analysis to evaluate ecological representation of protected areas in China. We used a database of the geographical distribution for 10,396 woody plant species, 2,305 fern species, 406 amphibian species, 460 reptile species, 1,364 bird species, and 590 mammal species from 2,376 counties across China. We identified complementary sets of counties for all species or threatened species of plant and vertebrate species using a complementarity algorithm. We evaluated ecological representation of 3,627 protected areas and discerned conservation gaps by comparing the distribution of protected areas with complementary sets. The results show that the spatially representative and complementary sites for biodiversity are poorly covered, and a fairly large proportion of protected areas is not designed to efficiently represent biodiversity at the national scale. Our methodology can serve as a generic framework for assessment on ecological representation of protected areas at the national scale.     

长江流域爬行动物物种多样性大尺度格局研究

本文研究了长江流域爬行动物物种多样性的大尺度格局。长江流域内共记录了爬行动物166种,隶属于3目18科68属,特有种和濒危物种分别有24种和54种。根据陆生爬行动物分布特点,依据山系和水系将长江流域分为19个区域,虽然物种数和G-F指数在各区域内变化不大(江源区较低),但特有种比例从上游到下游随海拔降低逐渐降低;利用Jaccard物种相似性系数对长江流域内19个区域进行聚类分析,可以将整个流域分成五部分:江源区,横断山区和云南高原区,四川盆地和秦巴山区,贵州高原、江南丘陵、两湖平原和长江三角洲,鄱阳湖平原、长江下游平原和淮阳山地(汉江—大别山),基本反映了流域内自然地理环境及我国大陆地势三级台阶变化的特点。     

Sustainable biodiversity conservation in the Niger Delta: a practical approach to conservation site selection

The rich biodiversity repository of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is under severe threat from diverse sources such as deforestation, inadequate farming practices, invasive alien species, urbanization and oil and gas exploration and development activities. This biodiversity “hot spot” is the second most sensitive environment in Africa. The over 70 Protected Areas (PAs) here have lost substantial portions of their area which translates to loss of biodiversity. The need to select representative sites within each of the ecological zones of the region for effective and sustainable biodiversity conservation is, therefore, essential. Vital site criteria that have ecological, socio-economic and cultural dimensions were selected and assessed through a combination of relevant scientific information, indigenous traditional knowledge and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) to yield Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs).They are significantly different from the site selection criteria and principles used in the UK and to a large extent adopt the critical factors that underscore biodiversity conservation in a largely primary production based economy such as in much of the developing world. The three sites selected for biodiversity conservation through this process yielded not only community buy-in but also participatory action and ownership, which are critical for the sustainability of the biodiversity conservation efforts. Shell Nigeria and World Wide Fund (WWF) representatives are already concluding plans to commence effective conservation projects in the selected sites. This approach is hereby advocated for consideration and adoption for the preservation of the remaining stock of the unique biodiversity in developing countries.     

Effects of climate change on distribution and areas that protect two neotropical marsupials associated with aquatic environments

The contraction of the amount of suitable habitat due to climate change can result in a species becoming threatened with extinction. Strong evidence supports that this effect will be pronounced for several species of small mammals in the near future. We address these issues using the ensemble technique to generate potential distribution models for Neotropical marsupials associated with aquatic environments, Chironectes minimus and Lutreolina crassicaudata, and predict the effects of climate change on the distribution of these two species. We later evaluate the effectiveness of the Fully Protected Areas for the two species in the present and future scenarios. Based on our models, we recommend priority areas for the conservation of these species, emphasizing conservation efforts across borders between countries. Our results indicated that both species will suffer a significant restriction of their potential distributions until 2050. Our models predicted that the loss of suitable areas will be greater for C. minimus, with only ~33% of the original distribution area remaining. The models also indicated that the current system of Fully Protected Areas in the Neotropical region will protect L. crassicaudata in a small area of its current and future potential distribution, inserted in climatically stable areas (~14%). These scenarios for these species support strong impacts on the biodiversity protection in aquatic environments in the Neotropical region. We strongly recommend the priority planning and implementation of transboundary Fully Protected Areas in stable areas of distribution of these species to maintain the protection of these marsupials and the ecosystems to which they are associated.     

湖南省两栖、爬行动物物种多样性及其地理分布

物种多样性及其地理分布是制定野生动物保护对策的重要依据。两栖、爬行动物在生物演化的历史上占据着重要地位, 又是脊椎动物分类体系变动较大的类群。为了掌握湖南省两栖、爬行动物物种多样性现状, 促进湖南省生物多样性保护和野生动物管理工作, 我们参考分类学及分子生物系统学的最新研究成果, 系统地收集了近10多年来有关湖南省两栖、爬行动物分类的文献资料, 结合团队长期以来的野外调查数据, 对湖南省两栖、爬行动物名录进行了整理与更新(截止到2021年10月31日)。结果表明: 湖南省已记录两栖动物2目10科30属86种(含亚种), 爬行动物2目22科55属105种(含亚种), 其中中国特有种分别有62种和30种, 湖南省特有种分别有10种和4种。列入《国家重点保护野生动物名录》(2021)的两栖动物有11种, 爬行动物有10种; 列为《中国生物多样性红色名录》(2021)受威胁等级的两栖动物有20种, 爬行动物有30种。此外, 湖南省两栖、爬行动物区系特征明显, 以东洋界种类为主(81.2%), 广布种较少(18.8%), 无古北界种。在地理分布上, 湘南山地丘陵区、湘西北山地区是湖南省两栖、爬行动物物种丰富度较高的地区。     

Unexpectedly High Levels of Cryptic Diversity Uncovered by a Complete DNA Barcoding of Reptiles of the Socotra Archipelago

Few DNA barcoding studies of squamate reptiles have been conducted. Due to the significance of the Socotra Archipelago (a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site and a biodiversity hotspot) and the conservation interest of its reptile fauna (94% endemics), we performed the most comprehensive DNA barcoding study on an island group to date to test its applicability to specimen identification and species discovery. Reptiles constitute Socotra’s most important vertebrate fauna, yet their taxonomy remains under-studied. We successfully DNA-barcoded 380 individuals of all 31 presently recognized species. The specimen identification success rate is moderate to high, and almost all species presented local barcoding gaps. The unexpected high levels of intra-specific variability found within some species suggest cryptic diversity. Species richness may be under-estimated by 13.8–54.4%. This has implications in the species’ ranges and conservation status that should be considered for conservation planning. Other phylogenetic studies using mitochondrial and nuclear markers are congruent with our results. We conclude that, despite its reduced length (663 base pairs), cytochrome c oxidase 1, COI, is very useful for specimen identification and for detecting intra-specific diversity, and has a good phylogenetic signal. We recommend DNA barcoding to be applied to other biodiversity hotspots for quickly and cost-efficiently flagging species discovery, preferentially incorporated into an integrative taxonomic framework.     

An exotic woody weed in a pastoral landscape provides habitat for many native species,but has no apparent threatened species conservation significance

Exotic woody plants are often used by native organisms, but may also be targets of expensive control justified by nature conservation. We determine the use of a weed of national significance, Gorse (Ulex europaeus L.), by native mammals, birds, reptiles and vascular plants in pastoral areas in an Australian biodiversity hotspot. Large numbers of fauna species were observed using Gorse within our 43 × 1 ha sample sites in riparian, woodland and pasture vegetation. Gorse cover and/or height positively influenced: the detection of mammals as a whole in an interaction with visibility at 50–75 cm above ground, but not their species richness or individual species abundances; bird abundance, but not richness; and, reptile richness but not abundance. In terms of flora, Gorse cover and/or height positively affected: non‐native plant species richness and the height and fecundity, but not the richness, of native grasses and forbs—but Gorse cover negatively influenced the height of native herbs. The only species of conservation significance using Gorse were three mammals, only one of which, the Tasmanian Pademelon (Thylogale billardieri), was sufficiently common to analyse. Its abundance had no relationship with Gorse cover or height. Even in the wider context of complementary work, there is no strong threatened species conservation justification for retaining Gorse thickets in the Northern Midlands pastoral landscape. Equally, expending scarce conservation resources to remove Gorse, as is taking place, is unlikely to achieve any threatened species conservation outcome but may help reduce long‐term loss of native animal and plant species.     

Managing ski resorts to improve biodiversity conservation: Australian reptiles as a case study

Alpine/subalpine environments are diverse systems that support many endemic species. Worldwide, these ecosystems are under threat from ski resort disturbances – even in areas broadly designated for biodiversity conservation. The effects of ski resorts on reptiles are largely unknown, making it difficult to implement effective conservation actions. Many ski resorts do not currently address the needs of reptiles, even those listed as threatened, in their management plans. If reptiles are to continue inhabiting ski resorts in Australia, strategies must be implemented that target their conservation. To begin to address this problem, we summarise current research investigating the effects of ski resorts on reptiles. Based on this information, we recommend strategies that will enhance the conservation of reptiles in areas affected by ski‐related disturbances. Suggested strategies include (i) restricting intensive disturbances to already highly modified areas of Australian ski resorts, (ii) avoiding disturbance of remaining native vegetation and structural complexity in ski resorts and (iii) re‐establishing structural complexity at highly modified sites through revegetation programmes, or through the cessation of mowing during peak reptile activity periods. While these strategies are designed to facilitate the persistence of reptiles in ski resorts, their long‐term success can only be evaluated by monitoring their effectiveness.     

Fine-scale sites of global conservation importance in the Atlantic forest of Brazil

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a highly threatened biodiversity hotspot that has been the subject of several complementary conservation assessments and priority-setting initiatives in the last 30 years. Results of these initiatives have relied on distinct types of distribution data for biodiversity features and differ in the objectivity and repeatability of their methodologies. Here we refine earlier priority-setting exercises using the key biodiversity areas (KBA) approach. We evaluate how well these KBAs are represented in the existing protected areas system, prioritize among them, and analyze critical aspects of the KBA methodology in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest context, such as its ability to guide specific conservation strategies. Building upon an extensive database with 1,636 species records and 122 previously identified Important Bird Areas, we demonstrate that conservation assessments in highly fragmented landscapes may be benefited by high resolution species data as is required by the KBA process. We identify 538 KBAs for 141 globally threatened vertebrate species. Prioritizing among these KBA, we highlight the 24 most irreplaceable sites for terrestrial vertebrate species conservation in the Atlantic Forest, based on existing data.     

A global review of the impacts of invasive cats on island endangered vertebrates

Cats are generalist predators that have been widely introduced to the world's ~179 000 islands. Once introduced to islands, cats prey on a variety of native species many of which lack evolved defenses against mammalian predators and can suffer severe population declines and even extinction. As islands house a disproportionate share of terrestrial biodiversity, the impacts of invasive cats on islands may have significant biodiversity impacts. Much of this threatened biodiversity can be protected by eradicating cats from islands. Information on the relative impacts of cats on different native species in different types of island ecosystems can increase the efficiency of this conservation tool. We reviewed feral cat impacts on native island vertebrates. Impacts of feral cats on vertebrates have been reported from at least 120 different islands on at least 175 vertebrates (25 reptiles, 123 birds, and 27 mammals), many of which are listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. A meta‐analysis suggests that cat impacts were greatest on endemic species, particularly mammals and greater when non‐native prey species were also introduced. Feral cats on islands are responsible for at least 14% global bird, mammal, and reptile extinctions and are the principal threat to almost 8% of critically endangered birds, mammals, and reptiles.     

Bellwether of the Canaries: anthropogenic effects on the land snail fauna of the Canary Islands

Natural areas near human-modified landscapes experience factors that may affect local biodiversity at levels commensurate with natural environmental factors. The land snails of the Canary Islands provide excellent opportunities to evaluate the importance of anthropogenic agents in mediating the diversity and distribution of species. Land snails are particularly sensitive to disturbance and are an integral part of terrestrial ecosystems. This study analyzed the distributions and abundances of terrestrial macrosnail shell assemblages at 60 localities throughout the coastal scrub biome of the Canary Islands. This was accomplished using data on natural and anthropogenic variables to assess their relative importance in governing land snail diversity. A total of 34,801 dead shells represented a diverse malacofauna with highly localized endemism. Due to uncertain species identifications, samples from the 18 sites from the two easternmost islands are described, but excluded from statistical analyses. Regression tree analysis indicated that proximity to agricultural sites was the most important predictor of species diversity. Sites with no or very little agricultural area (≤ 0.167 km²) within a 1 km radius had significantly higher richness and diversity. These results have implications for Canary Islands conservation. Protected areas that are patchworks of natural and agricultural landscapes are still subject to native biodiversity loss because of anthropogenic impacts even when the footprint of agriculture is small.     

Precipitation of the warmest quarter and temperature of the warmest month are key to understanding the effect of climate change on plant species diversity in Southern African savannah

In this study, we test for the key bioclimatic variables that significantly explain the current distribution of plant species richness in a southern African ecosystem as a preamble to predicting plant species richness under a changed climate. We used 54,000 records of georeferenced plant species data to calculate species richness and spatially interpolated climate data to derive nineteen bioclimatic variables. Next, we determined the key bioclimatic variables explaining variation in species richness across Zimbabwe using regression analysis. Our results show that two bioclimatic variables, that is, precipitation of the warmest quarter (R² = 0.92, P < 0.001) and temperature of the warmest month (R² = 0.67, P < 0.001) significantly explain variation in plant species richness. In addition, results of bioclimatic modelling using future climate change projections show a reduction in the current bio‐climatically suitable area that supports high plant species richness. However, in high‐altitude areas, plant richness is less sensitive to climate change while low‐altitude areas show high sensitivity. Our results have important implications to biodiversity conservation in areas sensitive to climate change; for example, high‐altitude areas are likely to continue being biodiversity hotspots, as such future conservation efforts should be concentrated in these areas.     

How predictable are reptile responses to wildfire?

Natural disturbances are key processes in the vast majority of ecosystems and a range of ecological theories have been developed in an attempt to predict biotic responses to them. However, empirical support for these theories has been inconsistent and considerable additional work remains to be done to better understand the response of biodiversity to natural disturbance. We tested predictions from the intermediate disturbance hypothesis and the habitat accommodation model of succession for reptile responses to fire history and a single major fire event. We focused our work on a broad range of vegetation types spanning sedgeland to temperate rainforest located within a national park in south‐eastern Australia. We found no significant relationships between reptile species richness and the number of fires over the past 35 years, the time since the last fire, or the severity of a major fire in 2003. Thus, we found no strong evidence to support the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. A correspondence analysis of reptile assemblages revealed a gradient in species responses to fire history. However, we found limited evidence for an ordered succession of reptiles. Nor could the responses of individual species be readily predicted from life history attributes. Thus, our findings were generally not consistent with predictions from the habitat accommodation model of succession. A possible explanation for the absence of a predictable sequence of recovery following disturbance might be the rapidity of post‐fire recovery of many components of native vegetation cover that were found to be important for reptiles (e.g. the extent of grass cover). This would have limited the time for early successional conditions to prevail and limited opportunities for species associated with such conditions. We found that most reptile species responses were much more strongly linked to vegetation type than fire variables, emphasizing a need to understand relationships with vegetation before being able to understand possible fire effects (if and where they exist). We found the disturbance concepts we examined were limited in their ability to accurately predict reptile responses to past fire history or the impacts of a single major fire in 2003. Practical management might be best guided not by disturbance theory, but by carefully setting objectives to meet conservation goals for particular individual species of reptiles.     

Panbiogeography and the amateur naturalist with reference to conservation implications

Abstract

The minimal-spanning-tree as a method of plotting dispersal in panbiogeographic methodology is a useful tool for the general naturalist or recreational biologist, as it enables observations of plant or animal distributions to be associated with the geological processes of an area in a disciplined but convenient way. This is achieved by plotting the known distribution of the taxa, using the current taxonomy, on a map and connecting these points by the shortest-distance tree. Interpretations arrived at by this methodology not only provide a framework for understanding of evolutionary processes but they stress the dynamics of the geological and biological systems. Panbiogeography emphasises the importance of biological communities and the significance of these areas at a regional or national level. This type of area recognition aids conservation advocates, as it helps to set priorities of areas identified as needing protection. Inland saline areas of Central Otagoare discussed by way of an example. This approach produces novel predictions about these areas that aid the interpretation of their conservation status. Panbiogeography highlights the need to advocate conservation of restricted species not only in strategic areas but throughout their natural range. Panbiogeography, by stressing the importance of the actual distribution of taxa is therefore useful in the Protected Natural Areas Programme as it enables the significance of the ecological district to be effectively assessed. Transfers of birds, reptiles, and insects are discussed in the context of panbiogeography and some of the dangers are pointed out of placing species on island refuges where they may never have been.     

Positive effect of catastrophic winds on reptile community recovery in pine plantations

The greatest threat to biodiversity is the alteration and destruction of habitats, and one of the causes is tree plantation, which normally are monospecific and unnatural high-density forest stands. In Spain these contain mainly Pinus species, and cover 25% of the forested area. Due to their dense canopy cover, these monocultures harbor poor communities in terms of species richness and abundance of other organisms, such as reptiles. In November 2014, wind storms affected a pine plantation in the western end of the Sierra Nevada Natural Park, totally or partially knocking down pines 65 years old. We have studied the response of the reptile community in the affected plots three and five years after the disturbance. Due to the low thermal quality of pine plantations for reptiles, we hypothesized that reptile community metrics (abundance and species richness) would be positively affected by this perturbation. We found greater richness and density of reptiles in the plots affected by maximum and intermediate disturbance than in the non-affected plots. We conclude that natural catastrophic events such as wind storms can diversify reptile communities in Mediterranean pine plantations thanks to a rapid response of generalist reptile species.